The SEED School Washington D.C.

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The SEED School Washington D.C.

• PADM 282-801
• Drake University MPA
• Scott J. VanDeWoestyne

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U.S. Charter Schools

• Public schools of choice operate with freedom
  from many regulations that apply to traditional
  public schools.
• Charter establishes performance contract that
  details mission, program, goals, students
  served, methods of assessment, and ways to
  measure success.

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U.S. Charter Schools

• Length of charter is usually 3-5 years.
• Charter schools are accountable to their sponsor
  usually a state or local school board.
• The basic concept of charter schools is that they
  exercise increased autonomy in return for this
  accountability.

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Benefits?

• Increased opportunities for learning and access
  to quality education for all students.
• Create choice for parents and students.
• Provide a system of accountability.
• Encourage innovative teaching practices.
• Create new professional opportunities for
  teachers.
• Encourage community and parent involvement in
  public education.
• Leverage improved public education broadly.

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Why a charter school?

• Realize an educational vision.
• Gain autonomy.
• Serve a special population.
• Parents and Teachers high academic standards,
  small class size, innovative approaches and
  educational philosophies.

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Timeline

• 1980s Philadelphia started schools within
  schools and called them charters.
• 1991 Minnesota first charter school law.
• 1992 California
• 40 states had charter school laws by 2003.
• Federal Budget 300 million for charter schools.
  (2002 Budget)

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Iowa profile

• Passed the charter school law in 2002.
• We have 10 charter schools.
• 165 students are enrolled.
• Length of charter 4 years
• Caps the of charter schools at 10.
• Funded by the school district it resides in.

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The SEED School Schools for Educational
Evolution and Development

• First urban public boarding school in the nation.
• Established in 1998
• Classroom and dormitory space for 320 students,
  grades 7-12, selected by lottery.
• Aims to change the face of public urban education.

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SEED School Model

• integrates a rigorous academic program and a
  holistic boarding program that offers a safe,
  secure and nurturing atmosphere 24 hours a day.
  Students live on campus and benefit from a
  collaborative network of families, faculty, staff
  and community members.
• Class size 141

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Why a Boarding School?

• Eric Adler, Co-Founder SEED Schools are
  boarding schools because of our belief that the
  quality of a childs education is seriously
  compromised if he/she lives in an unstable home
  or neighborhood.
• At the same time, they have made it a point to
  build the campus in the southeast DC community
  that the school serves.

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Programs

• SEED's academic program offers a skills-focused,
  standards-based middle school curriculum,
  followed by a college preparatory upper school
  curriculum. Students receive individualized
  attention to ensure that they achieve their
  academic potential.
• SEED's student life program teaches students
  independence and life skills. The program
  encourages each student to take on personal
  responsibilities, such as budgeting, laundry,
  work and time management, mentoring younger
  students and community service.

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Programs

• The college career counseling program works in
  conjunction with the academic and boarding
  programs to identify each student's interests,
  ambitions and skill level and to assist the
  student throughout the college application
  process.
• Athletics and extracurricular activities.

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Results?

• Every year since 1998, majority of students have
  shown greater than one year of academic progress
  in reading and math Standard-9 tests.
• Demonstrated a consistent ability to raise
  performance percentiles between the 7th and 9th
  grades. particularly in math
• 85 of middle-school students pass the Ninth
  Grade Gate (promotion to the upper school)

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Results?

• Encourages positive social growth during the
  crucial adolescent years.
• Youth Risk Behavior Survey CDC
• 96 of SEED students expressed aspirations to
  attend college.
• 95 expressed high self-esteem.

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Results?

• June 2004 first Senior graduating class
• 100 graduated
• 100 college bound
• Compared to 63 graduation rate city wide and 30
  college attendance rate.

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Replicating the SEED Model

• potential sites for future SEED schools include
  the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Chicago
  and Baltimore.
• Wisconsin just completed a feasibility study for
  a SEED School in Milwaukee.

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Affirmation

• Last Spring, Eric Adler overheard a visitor
  asking a SEED sophomore what his summer plans
  were. The kid said, Im trying to get a summer
  job in Paris,
• Adler recalls I was just floored, because there
  are several leaps there. A. There is Paris. B.
  Im allowed to go. C. I might be able to figure
  out how. D. I think Ill try. It was a moment
  when I saw that we have made this child realize
  that the world is his to experience.