Executive Summary. Paragon Academy of Technology Charter Middle School. Dr. Steven Montes, Principal 502 N 28th Ave Hollywood, FL

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1 Paragon Academy of Technology Charter Middle School Dr. Steven Montes, Principal 502 N 28th Ave Hollywood, FL Document Generated On March 9, 2015

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 3 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 4 Additional Information 5

3 Introduction Every school has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and learning takes place influences the processes and procedures by which the school makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way a school stays faithful to its vision. Many factors contribute to the overall narrative such as an identification of stakeholders, a description of stakeholder engagement, the trends and issues affecting the school, and the kinds of programs and services that a school implements to support student learning. The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and challenges it encounters. By doing so, the public and members of the school community will have a more complete picture of how the school perceives itself and the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement. This summary is structured for the school to reflect on how it provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis. Page 1

4 Description of the School Describe the school's size, community/communities, location, and changes it has experienced in the last three years. Include demographic information about the students, staff, and community at large. What unique features and challenges are associated with the community/communities the school serves? Paragon Academy of Technology, Inc. (PAT) began its first year in August, 2005 at its original location Pierce Street, Hollywood, PAT started with grades 6, 7, and 8. The school's maximum enrollment in year one was 55 students. In July 2012, PAT moved to a new campus one half mile from its former location on Pierce Street. The new campus afforded the school an opportunity to grow. In the first year at the new location, PAT's enrollment increased to 125 students. Now, in its third year at its new location, the enrollment has remained steady at around almost to our full capacity of 132. With the increase in enrollment came more space requirements. As a result, PAT negotiated a new, eight-classroom wing which was occupied by the elementary school in January, This significant growth has had an impact on our school. More teaching and support staff were hired to maintain academic excellence. A curriculum specialist position was Board approved for the school year. Exceptional student education (ESE) specialists now serve more students than in the past. PAT is offering after-school tutoring and is planning FCAT preparation "camps" for Saturdays during the spring of In July, 2014, the Board approved the position of Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction. During the school year, PAT was approved as a National School Lunch Program sponsor. The new kitchen facilities allowed hot food to be delivered to the students for breakfast and lunch at a significant savings to the school and students (as compared to the former arrangement with the School Board of Broward County). More than 85% of the students participate in the free and reduced-price food program. Since the school did not relocate a significant distance away from its former location, demographics have remained essentially the same during the past three years. Currently, demographic information is: White - 68; Black - 49; American Indian - ; Asian - ; Multiracial - 6; Hispanic - 56; Male - 64; Female Furthermore, the new location is approximately five times larger than the Pierce Street location. The new campus has a football field and an area for basketball and volleyball. Administration is currently reviewing grant options to improve the fields for use by youth football and soccer leagues. This will have a tremendously positive impact on the surrounding community. Page 2

5 School's Purpose Provide the school's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values, and/or beliefs. Describe how the school embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students. The mission of Paragon Academy of Technology is to create a safe, stimulating, and nurturing environment that will help students become accomplished readers, writers, and problem solvers. The encouragement of our highly skilled faculty and staff and caring parents helps to foster in our students a fascination with learning and a desire to become responsible contributing members of society. The following core philosophies have been established to help us attain our goals: - Success is a continuous process - Failure is Not an Option. - Every person is entitled to a safe, comfortable, nurturing environment conducive to learning. - Each student has the right to learn and experience individual success. - All students benefit by exploring cultural and social diversity in our community. - Students need curriculum and instructional practices that incorporate a variety of learning activities to accommodate differences in learning styles. - To foster pride in academic achievement while developing the students' artistic abilities. - To promote the essential role of the arts in enabling every student to succeed in school. VISION STATEMENT Paragon Academy of Technology students will remain actively engaged in the learning process as they acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to become responsible, contributing citizens within the local, state, national, and world community. Paragon Academy of Technology parents will remain actively involved as advocates for their children and supporters of the school programs and staff. Paragon Academy of Technology staff members will actively engage all students in the learning process and teach students to become critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and life-long learners. To meet the challenges of reaching these goals and objectives, PAT places a priority on maintaining a safe and nurturing environment. The teachers and administration developed a very strict discipline plan, essentially, a zero-tolerance policy. We believe that teachers must be allowed to teach and students must be given the opportunity to learn. Consequently, PAT, since its start, has made it a top priority to have on staff a full-time behavior specialist and counselor - Dean of Students. The Dean works closely with teachers, support staff, and community resources to assist students and families with academic, emotional, and social needs. This not only allows other students in the class to learn in a safe and nurturing environment but also allows individual students an opportunity to address their issues, learn problem solving techniques, and find success both in school and at home. Page 3

6 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement Describe the school's notable achievements and areas of improvement in the last three years. Additionally, describe areas for improvement that the school is striving to achieve in the next three years. Paragon Academy was designated a High-Performing Charter School as a result of its academic program and sound fiscal practices. This designation allows schools several options for expanding its program. As a result, Paragon applied for and was approved to add grades 9-12 to our charter. We are now designated a 6-12 charter school. Paragon lost its high-performing status for this school year but maintains its high school status. PAT is proud of its academic success. The data clearly shows increased academic performance in many areas, most notably in math. PAT teachers and administrators agree that improving reading scores at the primary level and improving reading is a priority during the next three years. In addition, it is also important that the school maintain its focus on the technology. Page 4

7 Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. The introduction of the National School Lunch & Breakfast Program (NSLP) was the culmination of years of work and the attainment of a major goal. To become a sponsor, an administrator was required to complete an eighteen month training and registration process. As a result, students and families enjoy two healthy meals every day at little or no cost. For many of our children, this could be their best meals of the day. In addition to the nutritious value or the program, the school has seen a savings of many thousands of dollars each month. Money that is now spent on curriculum development. Page 5