Liberty Preparatory Academy 7th – 12 grade College Preparatory School

1. Liberty Preparatory Academy7th – 12 grade College Preparatory School

2. Convergence • Our success • Dr. Everett’s vision for Liberty High School • PSD reconfiguration • A national conversation about quality

3. Our Success • Liberty Common School, an authorized charter school in the Poudre School District • A John J. Irwin School of Excellence • National NCLB Blue Ribbon School • National Charter School of the Year • Official Core Knowledge Visitation Site • Top 1-5% CSAP scores in the state • Financially strong, academically accountable

4. Our success “With hundreds of successful charter schools now in operation, it should be a national priority to replicate these schoolsin order to serve as many children as possible with their effective models.” • United States Department of Education, 2008

5. Convergence • Our success • Dr. Everett’s vision for Liberty High School • PSD reconfiguration • A national conversation about quality

6. Expansion? • Liberty Common School has been expanding since its inception • Washington Core Knowledge • Opening of Liberty Common School primary grades • Addition of the upper school • ARTIOS addition • Addition of the track and field • High school?

7. Dr. Everett’s vision “In authorizing charter schools, it is the intent of the general assemblyto create a legitimate avenue for parents, teachers, and community members to take responsible risks and create new, innovative, and more flexible ways of educating all children within the public school system.” • Colorado Charter Schools Act, 1993

8. Convergence • Our success • Dr. Everett’s vision for Liberty High School • PSD reconfiguration • A national conversation about quality

9. Liberty Common School • Enrollment - 574 • K-6th grade - 406 • 7th-9th grade – 168 • 9th-grade alone = 55 • Roughly 10% of our budget • Now is the time to choose to expand or be left to contract

10. Convergence • Our success • Dr. Everett’s vision for Liberty High School • PSD reconfiguration • A national conversation about quality

11. A national conversation “The confidence that students and parents place in the diploma contrasts sharply with the skepticism of employers and post-secondary institutions, who all but ignore the diploma, knowing that it often serves as little more than a certificate of attendance.” • American Diploma Project, 2008

12. A national conversation • Nationally: • 28% of college freshmen students immediately take remedial English or math courses • 53% of college graduates take at least one remedial English or math class • In 2002, 59% of entering freshmen in the California State University system were required to take remedial math or English

13. A national conversation “60% of employers question whether a high school diploma means that a typical student has learned even the basics, and they rate graduates’ skills in grammar, spelling, writing and basic math as only “fair” or “poor.” • American Diploma Project, 2008

14. A Colorado conversation • Currently many Local Education Authorities (LEA’s), including some in Colorado, establish minimumhigh school graduation requirements that fail to meet the minimum entrancerequirements for incoming freshmen in our own state universities.

15. Reimaging High School • Colorado Department of Education, 2008 • Provides direction for local school districts • Align P-12 content standards with post-secondary admission requirements. • Emphasize career planning. • Dual credit should be recognized.

16. Reimaging High School “Core Curriculumto Meet the Needs of the 21st Century” • It is standards based; • It completes the standards-based curriculumthat begins in preschool and moves through the entire system; • It is academic and focusedon 21st Century skills; • It is the primary focus of the first few years of high school; • It is relevant to students’ pathways; • It does not close doors the student may wish to go through in the future.”

17. Reimaging High School “The general assembly seeks to create an atmosphere in Colorado's public school system where research and development in developing different learning opportunities is actively pursued…” • Colorado Charter Schools Act, 1993

18. Reimaging High School “These councils will attempt to accomplish over the long term what Liberty Common School and Liberty Preparatory Academy propose to do now: fully prepare children for any university through their high-school experience.” Liberty Preparatory Academy

19. A Vision for Growth

20. A Vision for Growth Liberty Common School K-6th grade Elementary Add third track starting with K-2 Liberty Preparatory Academy 7th-10th grade College Preparatory School August 2010

21. A Vision for Growth Liberty Preparatory Academy 7th-12th grade College Preparatory School Approximately 350 students Liberty Common School 3 track K-6 Elementary 180 additional lottery students August 2011 – August 2013

22. A Vision for Growth • Elementary school considerations • 3 track K-6 school • Additional 180 lottery students • Move grades 5-6 upstairs • Remodel some classrooms to support new configuration • Hire additional staff to support third track

23. A Vision for Growth • High school considerations • Small school approach • Core humanities with enriched math/science and engineering courses • AP courses offered but not required • Character/moral development • Combined campus • Shared facilities and staff • Sports offerings (boys and girls): • Soccer, track and field, basketball, volleyball

24. Curriculum • Four years required (40 credit hours) • Math, science, English, social studies • Three years required (30 credit hours) • Language • Optional four-year pre-engineering track • Dedicated art/music track • Dedicated study hall

25. A Vision for GrowthGraduation Requirements

27. Culture • Moral/Character Education • Virtue, honor, patriotism, discernment • Reasonable dress standards • Sports • CHSAA Division AA, Mile-high League • Drama, art, band, Student Council • Community Service requirement

28. A Parent’s Role “With that in mind, the Council believes that it is important to engage parents in a constructive dialogue about their child’s education. High schools need to find better ways of utilizing parents as assets by undertaking a concerted effort to inform them of what is going on, involve them in reform efforts underway, and to enlist their support.” • Colorado Department of Education, 2008

29. A Parent’s Role “With that in mind, the Council believes that it is important to engage parents in a constructive dialogue about their child’s education. High schools need to find better ways of utilizing parents as assets by undertaking a concerted effort to inform them of what is going on, involve them in reform efforts underway, and to enlist their support.” • Colorado Department of Education, 2008

30. A Parent’s Role “With that in mind, the Council believes that it is important to engage parents in a constructive dialogue about their child’s education. High schools need to find better ways of utilizing parents as assets by undertaking a concerted effort to inform them of what is going on, involve them in reform efforts underway, and to enlist their support.” • Colorado Department of Education, 2008

31. A Parent’s Role “With that in mind, the Council believes that it is important to engage parents in a constructive dialogue about their child’s education. High schools need to find better ways of utilizing parents as assets by undertaking a concerted effort to inform them of what is going on, involve them in reform efforts underway, and to enlist their support.” • Colorado Department of Education, 2008

32. A Parent’s Role Liberty Preparatory Academy exists to assist parents in preparing their children for college.