Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools William Leach, Principal 9000 Robert D Snyder Dr Charlotte, NC 28223-1 Document Generated On February 13, 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 3 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 4 Additional Information 5
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
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? (CEEC) is located on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. We opened our doors in August of 2014. We serve grades 9-13. We are a magnet school that serves the entire CMS Community. Students are admitted via the CMS School Options Lottery. 100 ninth grade students are admitted each year. CEEC will continue to grow over the next three years and we will eventually serve 500 students in grade 9-13. Our program of study offers students the opportunity to complete their high school diploma and receive up to 60 hours of transferrable college credit while enrolled in the school. We currently have 191 students enrolled. We have 92 ninth grade students and 99 tenth grade students. 52% of our students are African- American, 22% are White and 18% are Hispanic. For the 2015-16 school year, we have 11 teachers and 5 support staff. Over the next three years, we will add 300 new students and six new staff members. Any student enrolled in CMS can apply for admission to our school in the ninth grade. We also admit students during the tenth grade based on availability. In 2015, we had nearly 500 students apply for admission to our school. CEEC is the first early college high school in our school district. We have been able to work with a variety of partners to design and implement our school program. Our small program allows students the opportunity to spend five years focused on an engineering course of study. Our students have the opportunity to earn their high school diploma and up to sixty hours of transferrable college credit at a four year institution. Students are admitted to our school using no admission requirements. Any student in CMS entering the ninth grade has the opportunity to apply and be enroll if they are selected via the lottery. We are working with our students to prepare them for a difficult program of study. Page 2
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. Vision Statement Every student at CEEC will graduate ready for college, a career in engineering and life. Mission Statement To be an innovative community of learners in which all stakeholders use their minds well and care for one another. We engage in challenging, personalized academics with a commitment to continuous improvement. Share Beliefs (Adapted from the Coalition of Essential Schools) - Our central intellectual purpose is helping students use their minds well. - A governing practical metaphor will be "student-as-worker, teacher-as-coach" - Teaching and Learning will be documented by student performance on real tasks - The tone of the school will be one of trust, challenge and support - An essential body of knowledge and skills will be identified for student mastery. Less is more, depth over coverage - CEEC goals apply to all students - CEEC will be highly personalized - The principal, staff and teachers will act as generalists first and specialists second - Resources will be modest and therefore positioned toward teaching and learning - CEEC will emphasize democratic, fair and equitable practices Our program of study provides the opportunity for students to complete their high coursework and up to sixty hours of transferrable college credit. We put special emphasis on preparing our students for college and an engineering career. We focus on the skills needed for students to be successful in their college coursework. Our all honor's level courses provides a rigorous high school curriculum that will prepare students to be successful at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. We believe that all students can be successful in our program with the necessary supports and interventions. Page 3
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. Our most notable achievement was opening our doors and offering an amazing opportunity for students in the Charlotte Community. It shows a commitment by our school district to provide access to college for all students. We are attempting to support the business community by providing a pipeline of future engineers. Our school was approved by our school board in November of 2013 and we opened our doors in August of 2014. We have had tremendous interest in our program and hope to serve as a model for STEM education in North Carolina. Our most notable area of improvement since opening in 2014 has been building a school culture focused on challenging, engaging instruction with high expectations for all students. As we continue to add new staff members and students, we must continue to provide the necessary professional development for our staff to innovate in the classroom. Over the next three years, we are striving to develop and implement the necessary interventions and supports that will meet the needs of our students. Page 4
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 Charlotte Engineering Early College and North Carolina New Schools are partnering to design and implement the early college model on the campus of UNC Charlotte. North Carolina New Schools helps teachers, principals and administrators engage and motivate students toward increasingly higher levels of achievement to prepare them for success in an ever-changing world. We partner with educators in local schools and districts to design new and more effective approaches to teaching, learning and leading in sync with the sweeping changes transforming the education landscape. As a proven provider of high-value professional learning services for educators and administrators, NC New Schools helps transform classrooms into student-centered, personalized learning environments that align with the knowledge, skills and abilities required for success in jobs and higher education. By blending high school, college and work-based learning, schools and districts can achieve sustained high performance and ensure that every student graduates fully-prepared for the demands of the 21st century. Through this aligned approach to education, students in our partner schools and districts get better results. NC New Schools track record demonstrates success in reducing dropouts, improving graduation rates, outperforming traditional schools on state testing results, and increasing overall student achievement. NC New Schools partners with more than 120 schools and more than 2,500 educators serving nearly 30,000 students statewide. We also partner with 59 North Carolina community colleges and universities and more than 85 employers across the state to design solutions that enable students to graduate with significant transferable college credit. North Carolina needs an educated workforce like never before - our state's continued economic development and progress depends on educational opportunity for all, especially those students who have been historically under-served. That's why NC New Schools is committed to a future where every student gradates ready for college, careers and life. Vision Every student in North Carolina graduates ready for college, careers and life. Mission To accelerate systemic, sustainable innovation in schools across the state. Page 5