el colegio charter school · el colegio charter school is a public, tuition-free high school with...
TRANSCRIPT
Page 1 of 30
El Colegio Charter School
Annual Report 2016-17
November 1, 2017
4137 Bloomington Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55407
612-728-5728 www.el-colegio.org
Board Approval: Nov. 21, 2017
Website location: http://www.el-colegio.org/about-us-2/board-of-directors/
Page 2 of 30
Section Page
School Overview and Authorizer Information 3
School Enrollment, Attendance, and Attrition 6
Governance and Management 9
Staffing 12
Finances 15
Academic Performance 17
School Operations 24
Innovative Practices and Implementation 25
Future Plans 28
Professional Development of Director 29
Page 3 of 30
School Overview and Authorizer Information
El Colegio Charter School
Norma C. Garcés Executive Director
Phone: 612-728-5728
E-mail: [email protected]
Mailing Address:
El Colegio
4137 Bloomington Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55407
El Colegio Charter School is a small public charter high school in Minneapolis that has been
serving students in English and Spanish since 2000.
El Colegio Charter School is a public, tuition-free high school with an affiliated after-school
program located in the vibrant and ethnically diverse Bancroft neighborhood of south
Minneapolis. Rooted in the Latino experience, El Colegio builds upon the talents of bilingual,
bicultural students and their families to provide the academic preparation, leadership skills,
and community connections necessary to become lifelong leaders and change agents.
We do this by way of our two critical components. First, we offer a high school experience that
Page 4 of 30
builds on the cultural and linguistic strengths of our students are developing a rigorous
academic curriculum, including a soon-to-be-launched dual enrollment option with
Minneapolis Community and Technical College. Second, we support our students, along with
their families and other youth in the community, through a wide-ranging after-school
enrichment program that provides academic support, leadership opportunities, and
community connections.
AUTHORIZER
Pillsbury United Communities Office of Public Charter Schools Pillsbury United Communities is committed to ensuring all students are prepared and ready for life. As a charter school authorizer, we work to make certain that every young person is in school, engaged and in an environment that believes in their endless potential- no matter their current circumstance. 125 West Broadway Ave, #130 Minneapolis, MN 55411 https://www.puc-mn.org/impact-areas/education/office-public-charter-schools# General agency phone: 612-302-3400 General agency fax: 612-302-3414
Mission
Rooted in the Latino experience, El Colegio builds upon the talents of bilingual, bicultural students and their families to provide the academic rigor, leadership skills, college and career preparation, and community connections necessary to become lifelong leaders and change agents.
Vision
Minneapolis will be transformed by the knowledge, skills, and leadership of Latino students and their families.
Core Values
El Colegio is distinct from traditional schools in its embrace of four values that permeate all aspects of its work with youth: identity, community, intellect, justice. Identity: We support our youth and their families in recognizing and embracing their own unique histories, cultures, and languages.
Community: We recognize that we all live in the context of our communities; we must therefore invest in our community as a whole in order to most effectively support our youth.
Page 5 of 30
Intellect: Book learning and intelligence alone may help youth achieve short-term academic goals, but success in life and community change requires critical thinking and a deeper level of consciousness.
Justice: We pursue our work not solely for the individual benefit of the youth and families we serve, but because we believe their role is critical in securing equity and opportunity for all members of society.
The primary statutory purpose of El Colegio is to improve all pupil learning and all student
achievement. The school will report its implementation of this primary purpose annually in its
Annual Report. To improve all pupil learning and all student achievement El Colegio students
are assessed for learning and growth through multiple Academic measures; and career and
college readiness tools. Students have their formal testing through the state of Minnesota and
also are tested three times yearly on the NWEA assessment. An additional statutory purpose
is to increase learning opportunities for pupils. We specialize in offering unique programming
centered around the context of our communities - honoring, recognizing, and utilizing their
histories, their cultures, and their languages.
School Board approval of report: Report can be found online at: http://www.el-colegio.org/about-us-2/board-of-directors/
Page 6 of 30
Student Enrollment, Attendance, and Attrition
2017 Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity
Race/Ethnicity Count Percent
Hispanic/Latino 82 97.6%
American Indian/Alaska
Native
2 2.4%
Asian 0 0.0%
Black/African American 0 0.0%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific
Islander
0 0.0%
White 0 0.0%
Two or More Races 0 0.0%
All Students 84 100.0%
2017 Enrollment by Special Population
Page 7 of 30
Count Percent
English Learner 38 45.2%
Special Education 13 15.5%
Free/Reduced Priced
Lunch
59 70.2%
Attendance
School Year
2014-
15
2015-
16
2016-
17
Overall Student Attendance Rate
84% 83.5% 89.5%
Attendance Goal 85% Final Attendance: 89.5%
Budgeted ADM 85 Final ADM: 86.62
Enrollment Final Enrollment: 88 scholars
33 female 55 male
Aug
Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April May June
ADM 88.11
86.85
78.23
81.96
82.52
78.6 81.18
82.05
85.4 85.08
Attendance
87.07
91.1 91.04
91.1 90.08
90.44
89.73
88.3 89.06
88.72
Page 8 of 30
Number of students enrolled
87 88 87 76 82 83 82 89 92 93 88
Females 30 26 30 31 31 35 35 35 33
Males 57 50 52 52 51 54 57 58 55
Attrition and Mobility
84 students were enrolled as of October 1, 2016.
16 students left before the end of the school year.
81% was our final retention rate.
Page 9 of 30
Governance and Management
2016-2017
Board of Directors
Rene Felix Antrop-Gonzalez Board Chair
Dean and Professor of Urban Education
School of Urban Education
Metropolitan State University
Midway 100B 1450 Energy Park Drive
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108
Ann Zukoski DrPH MPH (December 2012-Current) Vice-Chair
Evaluation & Research Team Supervisor,
Office of Statewide Health Improvement Initiatives (OSHII)
Minnesota Department of Health
2201 W 52nd St
Minneapolis, MN 55419
541-760-6630
Josey Landrieu (August 2015- Current) Secretary
Director of Programs and Evaluation, Diversity and Equity
Minnesota State Colleges & Universities
30 East 7th Street, Suite 350
Page 10 of 30
Saint Paul, MN 55101
651-201-1475
Jennifer Godinez (December 2012-Current) Treasurer
Associate Executive Director
Minnesota Minority Education Partnership
Project Director, Race Equity and Excellence in Education Action Network
c/o MMEP
2233 University Ave. West #220
St. Paul, MN 55114
651-645-7400 x203
Tamara Ramirez Teacher
Member
Teacher
El Colegio Charter School
4137 Bloomington Ave. South
Minneapolis MN 55407
612-728-5728
Kristine Snyder (December 2012-Current) Community
Member
LEAP Director
Project for Pride in Living
1925 Nicollet Ave.
Minneapolis, MN, 55403
612-839-7118
Bianet Castellanos (December 2016-Current) Community
Member
Page 11 of 30
Associate Professor Department of American Studies, University of Minnesota 19 Scott Hall 72 Pleasant St SE Minneapolis, MN 55455 [email protected] 612-626-7266
Jacqueli Yaurincela Bonete (December 2016-Current) Community
Member
Hamline University School of Business
1492 Hewitt Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55104 [email protected] 612-695-4993
Kent Fordyce
Member
Kent's Accounting Service, LLC
Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor
612-889-2959
All board members received on boarding training.
Management
Norma C. Garcés served her fifth full term as Executive Director. Her responsibilities include:
● Implement the Vision and Mission of the School
● Public Relations
● Recruitment
● Funding and Development
● Board Relations
● Strategic Direction School
● Operations
● School Finance
Page 12 of 30
● Staffing
The School Board conducts an annual review of the Executive Director.
Page 13 of 30
Staffing
We recruit our staff from within the community that our students are from. 80% of our staff are
Hispanic Community. It is a challenge to get more experienced teachers because of the
competition of salaries. We do a national search by connecting with organizations that we are
affiliated with such as The National Council La Raza. We also post jobs locally as well as national
websites such as Idealist.org that are known in the Hispanic Community. We partner with the
Chicano Latino Studies Department at the University of Minnesota. We also have a partnership
with the urban education program at Metro State University.
Staff Roster
2017-2018
1 Barrera, Mayra Office Manager 2 Asencio, Steve Teacher - ESL 3 Contreras, Alicia Receptionist 4 Cruz, Alejandra Parent Liaison 5 Davidson, Chad Teacher – Mathematics 6 Derrick, James Teacher – Social Studies
Page 14 of 30
7 Estrada, Adalinda Psychologist 8 Ferguson, Clinton School Counselor 9 Garcés, Norma Executive Director 10 Giebink, Peter Teacher- ELA 11 Glaser, Peter Teacher - Science 12 Gonzalez, Edwin SpEd EA 13 Hammeken, Graciela Student Services 15 Malaga, Didi Head School Counselor 16 Martinez Cardenas, Maribel Kitchen Manager 17 Nelson, Landon Dean of Students 18 Nieves, Gary Electives teacher 19 Paskewitz, Emma Educational Assistant 20 Ramirez-Torres, Tamara Teacher- Spanish 21 Swanson, Teddy SpEd EA 22 Toriz, Nancy Educational Assistant 23 Vasquez, Silvia Teacher, SpEd
Licensed Teachers
Name Position License
Asencio, Steve Teacher - ESL
996335
ENGLISH AS A
SECOND
LANGUAGE
K-12
Davidson, Chad Teacher –
Mathematics
419776
Mathematics
Physics
Glaser, Peter Teacher - Science
473977
LIFE SCIENCES 9-
12
CHEMISTRY 9-12
Page 15 of 30
Gordon, William Teacher - Social
Studies
996536
Social Studies
Lira, Gustavo Teacher-- Art
997135 Community
Expert – Visual
Arts
Manns, Liliana Teacher, SpEd
483926
ENGLISH AS A
SECOND
LANGUAGE
K-12
VISUAL ARTS K-
12
Name Position License
Nagel, Megan Teacher- ELA
433913
COMMUNICATION
ARTS/LITERATURE
5-8
Nieves, Gary Teacher-Electives 496506
HISTORY 7-12
Ramirez-Torres, Tamara Teacher- Spanish
395014
ELEMENTARY
EDUCATION 1-6
SPANISH FULL TIME K-12
Page 16 of 30
Finances
Executive Director: Norma C. Garces
Phone Number: 612-728-5728 Email: [email protected]
Clifton Larson Allen provides accounting services for El Colegio. For complete financials for 2016-17 and/or an organizational budget, contact Norma. C. Garces. Information presented below is derived from preliminary audit figures. The full financial audit will be completed and presented to Minnesota Department of Education no later than December 31, 2017. Revenues El Colegio has strived to have diverse funding sources. The majority of our funding comes from state and federal sources. Total budgeted revenues for 2016-17 were $1,599,605. Approximately 81% of revenue came from state sources and 5% came from federal sources. Other revenue makes up 16% of the rest of our overall revenue. El Colegio saw an increase in enrollment in 2016-17. Average Daily Membership (ADM) ended at 86.6 for 2016-17, which equates to 103.92 Pupil Units. We strive to increase enrollment in the coming years, and understand the need for growth for our long-term sustainability. Student enrollment ended the year on budget at 85 ADM. Expenses Overall budgeted expenses for 2016-17 were $1,580,028. Approximately 72% of budgeted expenses were for staff salaries and wages, benefits, and building lease. An ongoing challenge for El Colegio is to be competitive with teacher salaries. Our staff continues to be young, we have a growing percentage of teachers with 5 or more years teaching experience, and salaries must grow to keep the best teachers in our school. Also, administrative salaries must become competitive with those of other public schools. We deal with this reality by working towards managing other expenses effectively, creating annual fund balances, and developing specific, fair and workable system for salaries and raises.
Page 17 of 30
Fund Balance As of June 30, 2017, El Colegio has a total fund balance of $21,081 compared to $4,354 as of June 30, 2016. This fund balance represents approximately 1.3% of expenditures. The school’s target fund balance, over the long term, is 20%, and the school will continue to grow and increase that fund balance through strategic budgeting and close fiscal monitoring in the years to come. Audit Findings The only audit finding is the timing of payments. Due to cash flow constraints, El Colegio was not able to pay all their invoices within the 35 days defined in statute in fiscal 2016-2017.
Page 18 of 30
Academic Performance
Performance Goals:
Goal 1: 50 percent of scholars, that pre and posttest, at El Colegio will meet or exceed their
RIT Growth Projection on NWEA Measures of Academic Progress in Reading, annually.
86 scholars were tested during the fall and the spring.
58 scholars were tested in BOTH spring and fall
28 scholars only had one test score
27 scholars had growth data projections, of those 40.7% met or exceeded Projected RIT
The average growth for the school year was 5.07 points.
Goal was not met.
Goal 2: 50 percent of scholars, that pre and posttest, at El Colegio will meet or exceed their RIT Growth Projection on NWEA Measures of Academic Progress in Math, annually. 86 number of scholars tested
Page 19 of 30
57 scholars were tested in both fall and spring
29 only had one test score
28 students had growth data projections, of those 53.6% met or exceeded their Map Growth
projection
The average growth for the school year was 5.46 points.
Goal was met.
World’s Best Workforce Goals
Goal 3: The number of scholars earning credit through PSEO will increase on average
throughout the contract term.
Baseline is set at 6 students during the 2015-2016 academic year.
Coming into the SY 2016-17 we had 2 students enrolled for PSEO in the Fall (1 Senior scholar
and 1 Junior scholar). To prepare the next student scholar cohort for PSEO we created a class
called Test Prep Seminar. Test Prep Seminar is designed to prepare students for the Accuplacer
and ACT tests and is a semester long class. In November I took a group of 8 students to MCTC to
take the Accuplacer test and also to familiarize students to the bus route from El Colegio to
MCTC for PSEO. Of the 10 students that tested that day 6 placed college level in at least 1 of the
3 areas assessed. Upon completion of the PSEO application process all 6 students were
accepted into PSEO at MCTC for the Spring semester. In total 8 student scholars participated in
PSEO for the 2016-17 SY. 5 out of those 8 student scholars earned credit through PSEO
(62.5%). Of the 3 student scholars who did not earn credit 2 were experiencing extenuating
circumstances. Upon reflection of this data and student/staff feedback we are redesigning our
support systems for PSEO students for the 2017-18 SY to improve our PSEO student scholar
credit completion rate.
Goal was nearly met.
Goal 4: On each year of the contract, 95% of the graduates will be accepted into college or a
career pathway program.
100% of our graduates were accepted. Seventeen scholars were accepted in the following higher education institutions: Minneapolis Community and Technical College (10), Dunwoody
Page 20 of 30
College of Technology (2), Institute of Production and Recording (1) and Hennepin Tech (4). One scholar received a $20k cap scholarship to attend Dunwoody College of Technology and another was accepted in the Star Scholars Program. Star Scholars funding covers the cost of tuition and fees after your state grants are applied, for two years or up to 72 credits at Minneapolis Community and Technical College Goal was met.
Well-Being Goals
Goal 5: 75% of all students in grades 9-12 will take the Gallup Student Survey. This poll will be used to measure student engagement, hope, career /financial literacy and entrepreneurial aspiration. For the next five years, we will focus in on engagement and hope for professional development and climate development. Baseline will be set in the 2016-2017 academic year and targets will be set for each academic year of the contract term. The Gallup Student Poll is a 24-question survey that measures the engagement, hope, entrepreneurial aspiration and career/financial literacy of students in grades five through 12. The Gallup Student Poll includes non-cognitive metrics with links to student success. This scorecard reflects results from surveys completed in U.S. public schools. Engagement: The involvement in and enthusiasm for school 60% of scholars are engaged El Colegio: 4.29 U.S. Overall: 3.88 Hope: The ideas and energy students have for the future. 52% of scholars are hopeful El Colegio: 4.29 U.S Overall: 4.24 Entrepreneurial Aspiration: The talent and energy for building businesses that survive thrive and employ others.
El Colegio: 2.69 U.S. Overall: 2.42 Career/Financial Literacy: The information, attitudes and behaviors that students need to practice for healthy participation in the economy. El Colegio: 2.79 U.S. Overall: 3.31 See attachment 2016-17 is the baseline year.
Academic Progress
Page 21 of 30
Goal 6: Scholars enrolled for a full semester and in regular attendance will make expected progress toward graduation as shown by credits earned. Specific Target: 2016-17: Average of at least 5.5 credits earned.
Scholars earned an average of 6.2 credits Semester 1. Scholars earned an average of 5.6 Credits Semester 2. Goal was met. Goal 7: Scholar Retention with in the year: Proportion of El Colegio scholars enrolled October 1 who is retained at year’s end will be 65%, annually, excluding any students that left
the state or the county. Baseline for the 2015-2016 school year is 70%
84 students enrolled as of October 1, 2017
16 students left before the end of the school year.
81% is our final retention rate.
Goal was met.
Goal 8: Graduation Rate, five-year: El Colegio’s five year graduation rate as reported by the
MN Department of Education will be 35% or above each year of the charter contract.
14 scholars graduated in five years.
37.8 % is our final five year graduation.
Goal was met.
Parent & Community Engagement
Goal 9: El Colegio faculty will engage caregivers of those students to support academic and holistic well-being. For each academic year of the contract term, 80% of families will attend at least two school events (family conference or school events)
80% of the families attended at least two school events. Goal was met.
Page 22 of 30
Governance
Goal 10: El Colegio Board Members will annually complete a survey to identify area of
improvement. It is expected that 100% of board members complete the survey.
100% of board members completed the survey.
Goal was met.
Finance
Goal 11: El Colegio will increase its fund balance, on average throughout the duration of the charter contract by 5 percentage points from the baseline of -1.29% from the 2014-2015 school’s year.
El Colegio increased the fund balance from to 0.29 during FY 2016-2017.
Goal was met.
NWEA Growth by Grade
The percent of El Colegio students making expected growth on NWEA Measures of Academic
Progress from fall to spring for 2016-2017 is listed below:
Students reaching NWEA growth target from fall to spring - 2016-2017. Math Reading
9th Grade 3/9 or 33% 3/9 or 33%
10thGrade 12/19 or 63% 8/18 or 44%
11thGrade 14/18 or 78% 13/19 or 68%
12thGrade 6/11 or 54% 8/12 or 67%
Page 23 of 30
Action Plan
In the summer of 2016, members of the staff development advisory committee, informed by
informal meetings with parents, met several times to identify professional development needs.
At least 1/3 of our students have been neglected by the educational system. Most students
come here because there is a perception that EC is for credit recovery. A majority come from
other high schools where and behind in credits and skills. 75% will be below grade level. About
50% that enter the school are EL.
Graduation rates are steady. We have also increased the number of students that are persisting
to graduation after entering the school “behind” in credit accumulation. The school has been
doing a better job of getting students on track by earning credit towards graduation. These are
positive trends and we need to continue efforts to see more success on these measures. There
is a strong correlation between attendance and graduation.
Based on MCA and NWEA data analysis, we have continued to notice that vocabulary is an area
of weakness. We need to continue to focus on vocabulary growth and vocabulary strategies.
Developing academic language is another priority. In review of the capacity of our staff in
meeting the needs of our student population, we also realized that we need more training in
“cultural competency.”
The key trends and findings that resulted in our program focusing on vocabulary development,
academic language development, and reading comprehension strategies in math classes were
based on skill analysis of our students based on NWEA and MCA data as well as teacher
observations. The “math lab” courses, the training by our math teacher with other teachers on
building academic language, the additional “math lab” courses, and the training on Cultural
Competency all are aimed to address these needs.
We have selected research based solutions. Cultural competence is a system of behaviors,
attitudes, and policies that enable teachers to work effectively with students in cross-cultural
situations. The term includes using knowledge about individuals and groups to develop specific
standards, policies, practices, and attitudes to use in appropriate cultural settings to increase
every student’s educational performance. The math lab approach is a research based, active
rather than passive form of academic support provided by paraprofessionals in the after school
program and summer school program. Gaps in reading performance between Anglo and Latino
children are associated with gaps in vocabulary knowledge and academic language. Recent
national and state standards reflect a shift towards academic language by calling for
Page 24 of 30
instructional focus on words that appear across content areas, as well as opportunities for
students to develop knowledge of words and concepts through discussion and reading.
Based on these trends and research, we plan to take the following steps to improve academic
achievement:
1. Train teachers and para professionals in the “math lab” method for providing students
more individual guidance within math courses. In Mathlab, students work together with
other students in the same course. Mathlab assistants help with one or two homework
problems at a time, or with key examples from the text.
2. Work on vocabulary development and academic language for both reading and math in
our PLCs.
3. All of our teachers will be trained on Cultural Competency through attending workshops
and study groups at school.
4. Map curriculum expectations between MCA test specifications and the Accuplacer.
5. Increase parent understanding and participation in guiding their students academic
pathway.
6. Hold data meetings periodically to monitor the effectiveness of strategies on student
performance.
Page 25 of 30
School Operations
The administrative team, led by the Executive Director and the Business Manager and
supported by the Receptionist, focused on ensuring a high level performance for food and
nutrition, student transportation, state reporting, finance, and facilities.
El Colegio’s School Nutrition Program contracts Lancer Dining Services for breakfast and
lunch. We hired Magdalena part time to serve lunch service. In addition, we continued to
implement our Wellness Policy to improve practices related to student and staff wellness.
El Colegio continued to use Metro Transit for student transportation to and from school.
We provide students with Student Passes.
El Colegio contracts with Clifton, Larson, Allen for month-to-month accounting needs as
well as audit preparation.
The school’s Executive Director takes the lead on facilities management in collaboration with the Dean of Students.
Page 26 of 30
Innovative Practices and Implementation
Educational Approach
El Colegio engages students in challenging, profound learning experiences that integrate research-based teaching strategies with Latino culture and traditions. All staff, students, and families in the El Colegio community will appreciate the value of proficiency in two languages, high academic expectations, and cross-cultural understanding. We base our educational approach on the following core values:
Dual Language Literacy
Academic success for students is the key purpose for our school. Dual language (Spanish/English) education is critical for students’ academic success and personal growth, so first and second language instruction in both English and Spanish is a foundation of our program.
Arts Education
Art education is essential to the development of a creative, fully developed mind. Therefore, the teaching of art and the integration of art across the curriculum is an important component of our program. Art is a tool, not only for increasing students’ expressive and creative skills, but also to deepen learning in other areas of study.
Cultural Context
Cultural traditions are part of every education. At El Colegio students explore culture and its impact on learning and life by engaging in community cultural practices, exploring their own cultures, learning about other cultures, and investigating and participating in the ongoing creation of culture in our society and world.
Page 27 of 30
Research-based teaching methodology
We use successful teaching and learning models and research proven methodologies as a basis for our work. Where research is lacking we will add to the body of research on effective practices for teaching and learning. We believe that collecting and analyzing data is essential to informing and improving teaching practices.
Individualized attention
All students can succeed when they are treated as individuals and are allowed to bring their unique and innate gifts to the learning process. The small setting of El Colegio allows staff to interact with students in very individualized ways. Our advisory system and student to staff ratio of 8 to 1 create a structure that ensures that each student has a least one adult in the school with whom they connect. Advisors not only help students set goals and develop a plan for graduation, but also they work with students and parents to track that progress.
Family and Community Values
El Colegio is located in a center for Latino culture, arts and education. In keeping with Latino values, the atmosphere of the building is welcoming, safe, respectful and inclusive. Students and families from all cultures are respected and nurtured equally. Values around family and community also come to life in our school. We actively encourage family and community to be partners in our students’ learning, as well as to participate in cultural and arts activities in our building. Students and families of different cultures experience and learn from each other through school curriculum, cultural celebrations, parent meetings and other activities. In addition, students go into the community to improve their learning through community service, internships, and the creation of public art. Community Resources Connected to El Colegio Students The Girl Scouts Latinas Unidas program (Funding and program partner – Girl Scouts of America) which meets every other Monday through May 2 after school to provide career and college readiness and social emotional support. This program serves approximately 15 students. Que Onda (Funding and program partner Planned Parenthood) provides sexual health guidance from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesdays from Sept. – Dec.; and then another new 3 month session in the winter/spring. This program will serve approximately 20 students. El Colegio’s Student Council program (funding partner – Youthprise), is an organization devoted to developing coordinated sustainable systems that provide access to high quality expanded learning for underserved and under-engaged youth) is facilitated by El Colegio teaching staff. This program serves approximately 10 students. The STEM program (Program and funding partner Spark Y, an organization providing sustainable education for youth through local Twin Cities high schools and partner
Page 28 of 30
organizations) focuses on developing problem solving and critical thinking skills. This program serves approximately X students. Casa De Esperanza - Provides a women's shelter and healthy relationship classes for girls.
Page 29 of 30
Future Plans
We have recently hired an Academic Director. Her role is to lead the instructional leadership team, coach and evaluate teachers, and align curriculum to standards. This will be an important role within our school as it will free up the Executive Director to focus on partnerships, mission focused programming, and fund raising. We plan a robust marketing campaign this spring and summer. We will work with a marketing and communication consultant to boost enrollment to over 100 students. The rebranding will be necessary to highlight the positive changes that have happened at the school the last few years and help the community know the strong story of success El Colegio is currently having in increasing graduation rates and college acceptance rates from our graduates. The community partnerships provide our students with opportunities that they would not have if they were attending a larger school where getting individual attention and guidance can be difficult. The school board is looking into the possibility of expanding the facility to house more students in anticipation of increased enrollment as a result of the rebranding and marketing.
Page 30 of 30
Professional Development of Director
Norma Garces focused her professional development last year on building community
partnerships, parent engagement, and cultural competency.
She attended or participated in the following professional development activities:
• She learned through her own study more about curriculum and instruction resources related to cultural competency and college readiness.
• She attended the New Schools Venture Fund Conference to network with other small high schools that serve similar populations.
• A consultant came to the school to work with her to learn about the E3 program (Education, Equity, and Excellence). She learned about using asset-based language rather than deficit-based language in talking about student progress and success.
• She attended the Jeff Duncan Andrade training on Personalized Learning.
• She was trained in NME (Neurosequential Model in Education)
Other 2016-2017 Professional Development Activities
Date of Training Topic(s)
8/17 Special Education Accommodation – Indigo Education
8/18 Movement in the Classroom/Math Lab
8/19 Cultural Competency/Healthy Relationships/CLUES
Minneapolis
8/19 Trauma and the Brain pt 1
8/22 Cultural Competency/Restitution Training, Indigo Education
8/26 Curriculum Mapping and Planning
1/27 Trauma Informed Interventions Pt.2
1/27 Cultural Competency
5/26 Strengths Finder Collaborations