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Charter Board Approves Transaction Between Septima Clark PCS and Achievement Prep Academy PCS
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Achievement Prep approved to expand to serve early childhood students
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Release Date:
Monday, March 04, 2013
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Contact: Audrey Williams 202-328-2748
awilliams@dcpcsb.org
Washington, D.C. — DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB) approved the acquisition of Septima Clark PCS by Achievement Prep Academy PCS (Achievement Prep). Septima Clark, the city’s first all-boys school, will relinquish its charter and close at the end of the school year. Achievement Prep is a Tier 1 school, serving students in fourth through eighth grades. Both schools are located in Ward 8.
As part of the acquisition agreement, Achievement Prep will enroll Septima Clark students in grades kindergarten through sixth for the 2013-2014 school year and provide deferred admission into kindergarten until the 2014-15 school year for Septima Clark students currently enrolled in PK3. Achievement Prep also will assume certain assets to assist with the transition of the Septima Clark students into the Achievement Prep student body.
For Septima Clark families who do not choose to send their boys to Achievement Prep Academy, there will be a school fair Tuesday March 5 featuring charter schools that serve students in grades 1 to 5. The fair will be held at Howard Road Academy, 701 Howard Road SE from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information, please contact Jessica Sutter, jsutter@dcpcsb.org
Septima Clark’s Board of Trustees told PCSB it decided to take this course of action after struggling academically, scoring below the state average on the District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment System (DC CAS) for the last three years. It was rated a Tier 2 school in 2012, earning 37.1% of 100 possible points on PCSB's Performance Management Framework (PMF). The school's lease expires June 30 and with such low performance, Septima’s Board of Trustees said, it was difficult for the school to receive a loan or other financial assistance to rent or buy a permanent facility. The Board of Trustees further said after failing to offer it students a high-performing school, it explored options to best meet the academic needs of its students and thought a partnership with the high-performing Achievement Prep would be the best option for Septima Clark families.
Achievement Prep’s Founder and Head of School, Shantelle Wright told the PCSB Board at the February monthly meting that she was happy to step in and help Septima Clark parents. “We believe that Septima Clark boys can be successful in our program. Our boys have thrived and outperformed girls – which is rare. We found a way to reach our boys so that they are successful,” Wright said.
In addition, PCSB approved with conditions Achievement Prep's separate request to expand its charter to serve grades PK through third; adopt the PMF as its goals; establish an LEA structure with three campuses; elect to become a DCPS LEA for the purposes of special education; and increase its enrollment ceiling from 315 students to 765 students.
Achievement Prep also will expand its middle school to offer a PreK-8 program, which will be divided into three campuses under its existing charter – an early childhood campus, an elementary school campus, and its already existing middle school campus. The early childhood campus, managed by AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter School (AppleTree PCS), will be called AppleTree at Achievement Prep and will serve prekindergarten three and four year-olds. Achievement Prep will enter into a management agreement with AppleTree PCS to operate and manage AppleTree at Achievement Prep. This campus will open in August 2014.
Achievement Prep Elementary School campus will serve grades kindergarten through third grade and will open August 2013.
About PCSB: The DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB) is setting a national model for creating quality public school options through its rigorous review of new charter applications and effective oversight of charter school performance that is leading the transformation of public education in Washington, DC. PCSB currently oversees 57 public charter schools on 102 campuses serving 34,673 students living in every ward of the city. Learn more at www.dcpcsb.org.
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