News in brief
Thousands of students face mandatory summer classes
News in brief
Thousands of students face mandatory summer classes
Summer school classes begin June 21, but with a new twist.
Summer school will be mandatory this year for a few groups of students:
- Students in grades 3 through 8 who have failed reading or math;
- Students in grades 3 through 8 who fall below the 26th percentile in their scores in reading or math on the TerraNova standardized test - unless they fall just below that cutoff and meet additional performance criteria;
- Students in grades 3 and 8 who have failed any major subject.
The students sent to remedial summer school face the threat of grade retention. To be promoted, students in grades 3 and 8 must meet the District's summer school standards for attendance, effective completion of academic modules, and satisfactory performance on a nationally normed test. The same standards for retension are recommended but not mandated for students in grades 4-7, District officials say.
District officials are predicting a surge in enrollment, with as many as 93,000 students participating in programs this summer - two-thirds of those in remedial programs and the rest in a variety of enrichment classes. Last year, summer school enrollment was 37,000 students.
Classes are for six weeks, Monday through Thursday, with four hours of instruction each day; optional afternoon enrichment activities are available. All students will be provided breakfast and lunch.
For the first time, an optional summer school program will be offered to first and second graders. In addition, high school students in grades 9-12 will be able to earn credits toward graduation.
Enrichment camps will be available at all grade levels in a variety of subjects, from robotics to writing. Kinder Camps will be offered for Pre-K and kindergarten students who need academic support.
For information or to register, contact the School District at 215-299-7000 or your school office.
Charter school enrollment continues to climb
The School Reform Commission voted to approve three new charter schools for opening in fall 2004, including a new high school, while 11 other applications were rejected at a March meeting.
The SRC has also renewed the charters of four of the seven charter schools scheduled for renewal this year.
There are 48 charter schools already operating in Philadelphia. With the new charters and expansion of existing ones, Philadelphia's charter school enrollment, currently at 25,000, is expected grow by about 1,000 in the coming year. Total charter costs are projected at $187 million.
The new charters approved to open for the 2004-2005 school year are:
- The Philadelphia Montessori Charter School, in Southwest Philadelphia, which will begin with 144 students in grades K-3 and grow to a total of 216 children in grades pre-K through 6.
- The New Media Technology Charter High School, in Northwest Philadelphia, which will serve up to 200 students, beginning with 60 ninth graders.
- The Ad Prima Charter School, which will eventually serve 500 students in grades K-8, beginning with 325 students in grades K-4 this fall.
Two additional new charters were approved last year but postponed their openings until this fall.
Four established schools had their five-year charter renewals confirmed in May: the Franklin Towne Charter High School (grades 9-12), New Foundations Charter School (grades K-8), Nueva Esperanza Academy Charter School (grades 9-12) and Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School (grades K-8). District CEO Paul Vallas reported, "All four are good-performing charters, and all four have addressed the issues that we raised."
The SRC denied renewal requests from three charters in March, all of which began operating in 2000: Wakisha Charter School, Raising Horizons Quest Charter School, and Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School. Vallas noted in May that the schools are still in discussions with the District about addressing the problems raised in their renewal reviews and would operate for at least next year.
Meanwhile, the SRC has begun work on a charter school policy, coordinated by Commissioner Daniel Whelan. Whelan said the Commission would develop new procedures for dealing with charters after delineating what factors it should consider in approving or renewing a charter.
Community meetings held on school construction plans
The School District's massive capital improvement program is in high gear; the $1.5 billion, five-year program will assess the current condition of all buildings, make $1 billion in renovations, and build about 20 new schools.
The District reports that its building assessment will be completed in July. Ground was broken earlier this year on the first new school: the Feltonville Community K-8 campus.
Objectives of the program include getting existing buildings in good repair; constructing new elementary schools and additions to relieve overcrowding; converting some elementary schools to K-8 schools; converting middle schools into small high schools or elementary schools; and creating smaller high schools of 800-1000 students.
A series of community meetings to get input on construction plans has started at 16 of the schools where major construction is scheduled. Prior to these meetings, a "school planning team," including parent and teacher representatives, worked with District staff at each of the schools to define the scope of the project.
Turnouts for community meetings have been modest at most schools. One exception has been the project to replace Fels High School, currently housed in a deteriorating building in Northeast Philadelphia. There has been substantial opposition to relocation plans from neighbors surrounding the proposed site.
Other schools where community meetings are being held include Bluford, H.A. Brown, Gratz, Lawton, Mifflin, Moore, Roxborough, Sayre, Shawmont, Strawberry Mansion, University City, Vaux, Washington H.S., and Ziegler, as well as a new elementary school to be built at G Street and Hunting Park Avenue.
For more information, call the District's Philadelphia School Improvement Team at 215-875-3650.