Uwharrie Charter Academy - North Carolina Public Schools

1 Uwharrie Charter Academy Charter Application For Fall 2013 Opening Submitted to Office of Charter Schools North Carolina State Board of Education by The Board of Directors of Uwharrie Charter Academy (Formerly the Uwharrie Green School) Uwharrie Charter Academy April 13th , 2012 Uwharrie Charter Academy Page 2 of 133 I. APPLICATION COVER PAGES NAME OF PROPOSED Charter SCHOOL: Uwharrie Charter Academy NAME OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION UNDER WHICH Charter WILL BE ORGANIZED OR OPERATED: Uwharrie Green School Foundation, Inc. (to be revised to Uwharrie Charter Academy , Inc.) HAS THE ORGANIZATION APPLIED FOR 501(c)(3) NON-PROFIT STATUS: Yes Provide the name of the person who will serve as the primary contact for this Application.

2 The primary contact should serve as the contact for follow-up, interviews, and notices regarding this Application. NAME OF CONTACT PERSON: Heather Soja TITLE/RELATIONSHIP TO NONPROFIT: Incorporator MAILING ADDRESS: 1737 Burney Rd. Asheboro, NC 27205 PRIMARY TELEPHONE: (336) 381-2888 ALTERNATE TELEPHONE: (336) 953-7004 E-MAIL ADDRESS: Location of Proposed Charter School (LEA): Randolph County Schools Conversion: No Description of Targeted Population.

3 Uwharrie Charter Academy will seek to serve 9th to 12th grade students (mostly from Randolph, Montgomery, Moore, Davidson and Chatham counties) who desire to learn in an academically challenging environment with an emphasis on making meaningful connections between academics and the real world through service to the community, the state, and the environment. Uwharrie Charter Academy Page 3 of 133 Proposed Grades Served: 9-12 Proposed Total Enrollment: 500 Projected School Opening Year: 2013 Month: August School Year Grade Levels Total Projected StudentEnrollment Year Round YES NOFirst Year 9-10 200 X Second Year 9-11 320 x Third Year 9-12 445 x Fourth Year 9-12 500 x Fifth Year 9-12 500 x I certify that I have the authority to submit this application and that all information contained herein is complete and accurate, realizing that any misrepresentation could result in disqualification from the application process or revocation after award.

4 I understand that incomplete applications will not be considered. The person named as the contact person for the application is so authorized to serve as the primary contact for this application on behalf of the applicant. Signature Title Printed Name Date Page 4 of 133 Uwharrie Charter Academy TABLE OF CONTENTS I. APPLICATION COVER 2 II. TABLE OF 4 III. MISSION, PURPOSES, and EDUCATIONAL 6 A. 6 B. EVIDENCE FOR 6 C. PURPOSES OF PROPOSED Charter 8 D. EDUCATIONAL IV. A. PRIVATE NONPROFIT B. TAX-EXEMPT C. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF PRIVATE D. PROPOSED EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT E. ADMISSIONS V. EDUCATION A.

5 INSTRUCTIONAL 1. EDUCATIONAL THEORY AND INNOVATIVE 2. TEACHING APPROACH AND COURSE 3. REGULATIONS FOR SERVING EXCEPTIONAL 4. ENTRANCE AND EXIT 5. THE SCHOOL 6. PROGRAM 7. STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT GOALS, 8. STRUGGLING 9. PARENT AND COMMUNITY 10. MEETING THE NEEDS OF DIVERSE Page 5 of 133 Uwharrie Charter Academy .B. SPECIAL C. STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE D. VI. BUSINESS A. PROJECTED STAFF AND B. QUALIFICATIONS FOR C. STUDENT 1. Projected Enrollment 2013-14 through 2. Budget: Revenue Projections and Allocations 2013-14 through 3. Working Capital and/or D. MARKETING E. SCHOOL F. HEALTH AND SAFETY G.

6 CIVIL LIABILITY AND H. I. VII. LEA IMPACT VIII. IX. SIGNATURE Page 6 of 133 Uwharrie Charter Academy III. MISSION, PURPOSES and EDUCATIONAL FOCUS MISSION: The Uwharrie Charter Academy will exist: To provide a truly rigorous pathway to college and career readiness; To afford students the benefit of a small learning community with a low teacher/student ratio in an effort to promote strong relationships with students and individualized support for learning; To imbed the curriculum with STEM focused content through problem-based learning, historical developments in technology, hands-on math, and inquiry science that requires engineering and ingenuity To promote hands-on, project-based learning in all courses.

7 To support the development of 21st century skills integrating the use of technology; To partner with parents so that they understand their role in their child s education; To build relationships with local institutions in order to provide real-world connections and opportunities for applied learning; and To promote environmental stewardship including the adoption of green practices in student s everyday lives and the integration of NC s Environmental Literacy Plan in a cross curricular approach. III. B. EVIDENCE FOR NEED OF THE PROPOSED SCHOOL WITH THE SELECTED MISSION: No Charter school currently exists in Randolph County. Therefore, Uwharrie Charter Academy s mission is to serve those students and families who seek educational options in an area of the Piedmont Triad which is currently underserved.

8 As an economically-distressed Tier II county, Randolph needs a non-traditional, publically-funded option to prepare the student pipeline for the labor force skills and post-secondary environments that will be needed as the economy shifts to service, biotechnology, and other skilled trades. The current educational setting insures that students at the lowest levels of performance receive thorough academic attention, while other students often tend to fall through the cracks and graduate without exposure to the rigor required by a collegiate environment. Entry level employers in the Piedmont Triad region report that too many graduates who lack the communication skills and problem-solving confidence needed for available positions require costly remedial training.

9 The Uwharrie Charter Academy will serve as a regional Charter school which will make for an easy transition into the collegiate or career setting. It will be accessible not only to families in Randolph, but will also give families in Moore, Montgomery, Chatham, Davidson and even Guilford counties an alternative for students interested in a truly rigorous, college prep environment . According to the 2008 report to the Department of Public Instruction which inspired the overhaul of North Carolina s student evaluation methodology, the current testing program and accountability system do not ensure that students are graduating from high school globally competitive for work and postsecondary education and prepared for life in the 21st Century.

10 The current testing program and accountability system do not reflect 21st Century skill sets ("Blue Ribbon Commission to Review State Public School Testing Program ). North Carolina s current accountability model produces a false sense of academic preparedness, leaving many students unpleasantly surprised when they are required to take remedial courses despite leaving high school feeling ready for college. According to the John Locke Foundation, an alarming number of students entering community colleges lack basic English and math skills. They found that during the Page 7 of 133 Uwharrie Charter Academy 2009-10 school year, 64 percent of new community college students enrolled in one or more remedial courses, an alarming 7 percent increase from two years prior.