The School District of Palm Beach County Mr. Rick Swearingen, Principal 2161 North Military Trail West Palm Beach, FL 33409-3103 Document Generated On December 13, 2012
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? The Adult Education Center, located at 2131 North Military Trail, West Palm Beach, Florida, 33409, enrolls approximately 2000 adult students (over the age of 16) each semester and an additional (approximately) 800 students for a 6-week summer term. The AEC has no boundaries, serving adults throughout Palm Beach County in daytime and evening Adult ESOL and ABE/GED programs. The school also houses the GED Chief Examiner of the State of Florida and is one of five GED test sites in Palm Beach County. Student population is approximately 5% Caucasion, 62% African-American, 28% Hispanic, 5% Asian or other ethnicity.the staff is racially and ethnically diverse, comprised of 15 full-time teachers, 40 part-time teachers, 11 clerical/secretarial, 3 custodians, and 1 full-time police officer. The most significant change and challenge to Adult Education in Florida is the result of legislation that went into effect July 2011: All adult students must pay tuition--$30/semester for students who have been residents in the State of Florida for 12 consecutive months (documentation required), and $120/semester for students who cannot provide 12-month Florida residency documentation. To date, enrollment at the AEC has remained high, even with this tuition requirement. 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. The purpose of the Adult Education Center is to change lives through education by helping individuals to reach their full potential. In an ongoing effort to facilitate learning, we equip adult students, ages 16 years and older, with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills that are essential for personal and intellectual development. Our goals include responsible citizenship and productive employment. The mission of the Adult Education Center is to assure the opportunity for all students to acquire knowledge and to develop skills to succeed in life and work. The AEC is a performance-based school, and attendance is voluntary. The student population is comprised of approximately 2000 adults. It is a diverse ethnic, multicultural, and mobile population. New students take diagnostic tests before entering classes. The focus of all classes is effective student involvement in meaningful activities at an appropriate learning level. Ongoing assessments monitor each student's progress. The Adult Education Center embraces the broader Mission, Vision, and Goals of The School District of Palm Beach County: MISSION--The School District of Palm Beach County is committed to providing a world class education with excellence and equity to empower each student to reach his or her highest potential with the most effective staff to foster the knowledge, skills, and ethics required for responsible citizenship and productive careers; VISION--The School District of Palm Beach County envisions a dynamic, collaborative, multicultural community where education and lifelong learning are valued and supported, and all learners reach their highest potential and succeed in the global economy; GOALS--Increased Literacy, Student Performance, School Safety and Environment, Challenging Curriculum, Staff Development, Financial Responsibility, Parental Involvement, Productive Citizenship. 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. The Adult Education Center has met or exceeded both the District's and the State's record of adults earning Literacy Completion Points (LCPs) in Adult ESOL and ABE/GED programs, for the last three years. With the addition of targeted Professional Development, state-of-theart classroom technology, instructional support staff, and administrative monitoring, the AEC expects to improve our LCP completion results during the next three years. 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 Adult Education Center is open daily, Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM, and Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM year-round, excluding holidays and other exceptions noted on the school district calendar. The phone number is 561-616-7800. Students may register for the GED in the Main Office. Call during regular school hours for information on registration, fees, documents required for proof of residency, and GED fees. Staff vacancies (instructional and non-instructional) are posted on the district website under "Employment". The AEC follows all policies and procedures established by the district related to employment. Only applications attached to vacancies via the website will be accepted. Page 5