Academia Cesar Chavez

Programs: Academia cesar chavez (acc) is a unique charter school with a focus on reading, literacy and academic achievement, offering comprehensive wrap-around services that enhance the school's academic program and promote family engagement and community collaboration. The school serves a significant english learner population and uses highly effective instructional strategies. An innovative aspect of acc's academic program is its dual language enrichment program, which includes english language development and enrichment for all students, as well as spanish language arts development. Acc will close the achievement gap by focusing on strengthening reading, writing and literacy skills in both spanish and english with an emphasis on academic language and content knowledge in all academic programs. The school establishes high expectations for students' academic and social growth. Acc incorporates the following unidosus core qualities: high expectations and high supports; collaborative leadership; partnership with institutions of higher education; cultural competence; bilingualism and bi-literacy; sustained meaningful relationships; family engagement and community collaboration; and continuous performance-based assessment. The school community including teachers, scholars, parents, families and the community-at-large focuses on the goals for achievement in learning and teaching. Acc's enrollment has also grown over the 17 years of operation. At the end of the 2016-2017 school year, acc total enrollment was 461 scholars (prek-6th grade) with a total staff of 69. Acc continues to offer a high quality pre-k program. In 2016-17, acc received pathway ii scholarship funds from the minnesota department of education to continue to offer scholarships for pre-k scholars. This scholarship helped alleviate the cost of operating a pre-k program. In addition, during the 2016-17 school year acc started receiving per pupil funding to support its pre-k instructional program. Acc's families continue to show interest in the pre-k program and as a result we expanded the program to serve 40 scholars. We continue to provide support to increase early literacy for students along with the necessary professional development for teachers to implement the new programs. In 2016-17, acc continued to serve scholars in the summer freedom school program using 21st century funds. We complemented the program by using general education funds to grow the summer school program by adding the summer school research lab and we served almost 210 scholars. Acc continued to provide innovative instruction using the cargill grant to promote healthy eating and active leaving for all scholars. Acc partnered with two other schools (cornerstone montessori and st. Paul city school) to create a classroom partnership and share their experience with healthy eating and active living. Scholars in partner schools attended a spring health fair at acc and presented on their project which included making smoothies with fresh ingredients. Other community based organizations attended the health fair and displayed their services for scholars to know and learn about these organizations. Acc also received a two year grant from ramsey county to expand the wellness program in our school by engaging the larger latino community. Acc received a $50,000 grant from midwestone bank to improve the media center and build a playground. The playground has been installed since july and the media center work was completed this summer. We hired a media specialist to continue the work and serve our scholars. In 2016-17, acc scholars did not improve academically in math and reading as measured by the minnesota comprehensive assessment test (mca). In reading we declined by four percentage points. Only 25% of acc scholars were proficient in reading. In mathematics we declined by fifteen percentage points. Only 10. 8% of acc scholars were proficient in mathematics. We have made adjustments to ensure that we show improvement in the 2017-18 school year. Coaches will be observing classrooms three times per day, mathematics instruction will be observed and teachers will receive feedback; a math interventionist will be added to support small groups.