Charter Schools USA is one of nation’s largest providers of charter school management services in the United States and a leader in the development and design of charter schools. As its mission states, “CSUSA creates and operates high quality schools with: an unwavering dedication to student success, an unyielding commitment to ethical, sound and efficient business practices, providing a superior choice for all stakeholders that fosters education excellence in America.”
Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum
With the CSUSA Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum at its core, the Charter Schools USA Educational Model provides the process for improving student learning and academic achievement. Our Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum includes the Common Core Standards grouped and mapped in a particular way to ensure they can be mastered within the time given. It is the framework of what is taught at each grade level and ensures high expectations with a focus on college and career readiness from primary grades through high school. Teachers have the ability to use various resources to deliver the curriculum in a way that best meets the needs of their students. Recognizing that each state may have state-specific standards, our curriculum maps have supporting crosswalks for teachers to make adjustments to instruction.
Community Centered Academic Programming
Each Charter Schools USA school is an integrated part of the surrounding community and reliant upon strategic partnerships with community organizations, businesses and individuals to drive student success. Each school should serve as the anchor of the surrounding community by facilitating resources and initiatives that meet the unique needs of students, families, and the community, and capitalize on the assets and resources of the local community to enhance the student learning environment. The School integrates community partners in learning to enhance the services offered at the School. This connection drives academic achievement, youth development, post-secondary/workforce preparation and community collaboration while allowing the school to become a center of community support, civic participation, and community engagement.
Community of Character
Our aim is to promote a community of character within the School to support the social and emotional growth of students, which will in turn promote the academic growth of students. Principles from research-based programs drive the development of a safe community in which students learn skills that support citizenship, both in and out of the classroom. Cooperation, empathy, responsibility, and self-management are just a few of the traits students will cultivate in the school environment that values the whole child. Students will be motivated to succeed through building lasting relationships and trust with those around them.
Individualized Approach To Learning
Every child is unique, therefore the School will create a Personalized Learning Plan (PLP) for every student, which is designed to track an individual student’s strengths, weaknesses, and cumulative progress in attaining a year’s worth of learning at a specific grade level. The PLP will empower students to track their own progress, which initiates student ownership of learning goals. The plan’s development is a collaborative effort between the teacher, parent, student, and other staff involved with the student’s academic achievement. Teachers will act as facilitators and coaches for the plans, aiding in creating, monitoring, and challenging the students to push themselves. The parents’ role is to be a cheerleader or mentor, motivating and guiding the students in their endeavors. Most importantly, students are the producers of the plan, faced with the responsibility of understanding their data, making good decisions as learners, and following through with expectations.
Parental Involvement
Meaningful parent involvement in a child’s education is crucial for his or her success, therefore every effort will be made to keep parents engaged and informed. Parent volunteering opportunities are available at the School and individualized to meet the needs, demands, and capabilities of the individual student/family. This volunteer plan has the intention of providing increased parent visibility in the School, which will show students that they are supported in their academic endeavors. Daily communication with the teacher is encouraged through use of the agenda book, in which students track their homework assignments for each day and messages are sent home. Parents will have real-time access to their child’s gradebook to monitor progress in every subject. Progress reports and report cards are distributed every quarter, and parents are encouraged to schedule conferences to discuss student performance and progress toward mastery of grade level standards. The School will offer Curriculum Nights for parents to attend and learn about various educational topics, such as state assessment information or home-reading strategies.
