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Northern Michigan charter schools doing better
every year
by Lisa Hayes, Petoskey News Review, September 2002
For more articles on disabilities and special ed visit
www.bridges4kids.org.
When parents were given the right to choose between public and
charter schools, many looked to the innovative curriculum
offered in some charter schools as the answer for their
struggling kids.
Initial standardized test scores weren't great, as some
low-achieving students chose charter schools as a public
school alternative. But as time went on, test scores rose at a
rate several times faster than public schools.
"I think charter schools are the answer for a lot of students,
as long as they're looking for innovation and creativity in
the curriculum," said Rick Branson, co-director at Concord
Academy Petoskey. "Some charter schools focus on a particular
education framework that maybe some unsuccessful students fit
better in."
Recent national studies found that charter schools fell behind
public schools on standardized tests, but later began catching
up as they became more established. However, they continue to
lag in scores and that has many parents worried.
In Northern Michigan, test scores didn't lag for long. When
Concord Academy Petoskey opened in 1994, Branson said that
like any school, they were working on establishing a strong
foundation. But students' standardized test scores, which are
compared to those of students in public schools across the
state, bounced up drastically within a few years - sooner than
the charter's public and charter school counterparts
downstate.
"Part of it is, at least in our area, all the schools in
Northern Michigan do an excellent job in what they do,"
Branson said. "It's not that people are dissatisfied with
public schools, it's that they're looking for an interesting
curriculum."
According to Branson, students who attend Concord Academy
Petoskey now range in achievement levels and backgrounds.
"We get most of our students because of the ambitious
curriculum and the integration of the arts," he said.
"Students like it so much that we have a very high retention
rate."
While many students make the choice to go to charter schools,
it's also up to the parents - especially when their children
are in the early grades. And involved parents are key to
success in education, which could be one reason for the rising
scores at charter schools.
"The important thing is about the choice they're making,"
Branson said. "When someone makes a choice they're making a
commitment, and we notice a high involvement rate with our
parents."
While they're scoring well on MEAP (Michigan Educational
Assessment Program) tests, which are what schools are measured
against in Michigan, Concord Academy Petoskey students aren't
rushing to learn solely what's on them. One accusation against
public schools has been that they're so focused on MEAP
material, they lag in other subjects that are crucial to a
well-rounded education. Branson said it hasn't been too much
of an issue in Northern Michigan, but he's still not looking
to the MEAP for a curriculum model.
"There has been so much speculation to MEAP scores and the
hows and whys the state uses them the way it does," he said.
"I think a lot depends on how the school addresses the MEAP
scores."
Instead of teaching to build MEAP scores, Concord Academy
Petoskey's curriculum leans toward teaching kids according to
their unique learning styles and involving the fine arts. And
test scores are showing that, over time, students are
better-prepared than those in the public schools that teach
for the MEAP. In fact, Concord Academy Petoskey students
out-scored those in the public schools system on the 2002
standardized tests.
"We're not trying to compete with other schools," he said.
"Especially up here, we enjoy a good relationship with all of
the schools. We're all educating, and in Northern Michigan
we're all doing a good job. It's just that here, we're doing
something unique and different."
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