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Roosevelt
Spring 2010
Spring 2010 $64.00 USD $68.81 CAN
Children’s Academy This New York charter school may only be celebrating its 10-year anniversary, but they’ve already made their mark as the top performing charter school in New York state and it is in the top three percent of charter schools in the U.S.
Above & Beyond
FEATURE
With a small community that allows for individual attention to students, Roosevelt Children’s Academy stands out as one of New York’s top charter schools by Jane Caffrey
This year, Roosevelt Children’s Academy will celebrate its 10th birthday. There will be much to rejoice in for the K-8 charter school located in Roosevelt, New York: a strong and evolving curriculum, active parental involvement, social participation within the community, and future plans for expansion. All of these attributes have set Roosevelt Children’s Academy above and beyond within the educational system, and the academy has earned a ranking in the top 3 percent of U.S. charter schools. Yet the school’s administration does not believe that these milestones signify the opportunity to ease efforts. “We will make sure that our vision is carried out to be one of the top charter schools in the country,” Superintendent Roxanne Greco Ashley, said. “Not just in New York, because we’ve already reached that goal. Success is never final; we cannot let down our guard for one moment. We 2 Education Leaders Today
Spring 2010
SPOTLIGHTS ROOSEVELT CHILDREN’S ACADEMY
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FEATURE
have to keep up the pace. The academy remains committed to the Roosevelt Children’s Academy is currently Roosevelt Children’s Academy was construction of a high school facility within the highest performing charter school in founded in 2000 to meet parental demand the next two to three years. the state of New York. and a clear community need. “The Efforts on the part of the school have These statistics largely arise from Roosevelt district itself was taken over not gone unrewarded. A reflection of a academy’s researched-based curriculum, by the state, and we wanted to give the personal environment and individualized which the administration designs parents of the community another option,” attention, Roosevelt students rank above based on top educational publications, Ashley said. the 90th percentile on standardized tests, samples, teacher input, and New York Starting out with grades K through 2, and the attendance rate is at 94.8 percent. state standards. Classes are designed to the school quickly expanded to emphasize leadership and learning, K through 8; it now enrolls 550 and to account for diverse levels students and is growing. With among students. Huge effort is Roxanne Greco Ashley four campuses to divide various devoted to literacy and math, while Superintendent age groups and a staff of over 100, other classes enhance education leading to a 2 to 25 teacher-student with art, music, and physical ratio, the academy retains the education. We will make sure that our vision is ambience of a small and intimate “We make sure that the community. curriculum we use is meeting carried out to be one of the top charter “We pride ourselves as being our mission,” Doris Llaurado, a small school, which makes us Elementary Assistant Principal, schools in the country. Not just in New a small community,” Ashley said. said. “We do continuous curriculum York, because we have already reached Nonetheless, Roosevelt Children’s mapping, and we work on filling Academy hopes to extend in gaps between grade levels. It’s a that goal. Success is never final; we membership in its community to living, working document, and we older students in the coming years. improve on it each year.” “Assistant cannot let down our guard for one With students currently returning Instructional Principal, Catherine to the larger public schools after Jackvony, oversees the curriculum moment. We have to keep up the pace. the eighth grade, there is immense growth each year.” Ashley said. parental demand for a high school. At Roosevelt Children’s Academy,
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ROOSEVELT CHILDREN’S ACADEMY
education also revolves around engaging in the broader world. “The school incorporates a variety of programs that offer this opportunity to students such as career exploration programs and partnerships with a number of universities that assign graduate field placement teachers, college tutors to read to elementary students, and allow eighth graders to investigate options for higher education,” said Ella Portero, Public Relations Director. “The academy also organizes a number of unique community involvement activities
such as “Elected Officials Family and Friends Night”, student art exhibits in the local library, and student participation in community events that connect curriculum to real life. These activities also demonstrate to our students and families the value of community,” Portero said. In 2010, for instance, Middle School Principal Simone Roberts, will spearhead the students fieldtrips to Canada and Washington D.C. “We take them on field trips to many places. We go to Disney World, an annual trip initiated by Jackvony
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four years ago, not just to ride the rides, but to gain the educational experience by participating in the behind the scenes activities that show how classroom learning comes alive. It helps the students connect what they’re doing in the classroom to the real world,” Ashley said. Students at Roosevelt Children’s Academy also have access to a network of support from teachers, social workers, and parents. “What is significant is that we have two adults per classroom: a teacher certified with the state of New York and a certified cooperating teacher,” Ashley said. As superintendent, Ashley visits each of the four campus buildings at least once or twice a week, while principals and assistant teachers are in the classroom two to three times each day. To ensure continuous education and improvement, teachers participate in professional development every month. “We are proud of our Board of Directors who provide oversight, strong fiscal stewardship for our school and unconditional support for our children. We are also proud of our dedicated faculty,” said Ashley. Five percent of the teachers have been with Roosevelt Children’s Academy throughout its ten-year life, while the majority of the others joined the school shortly there after. “We’ve had a lot of staff stay with us or come back to us. We have a solid foundation with staff at RCA,” Ashley said. In addition to academic encouragement,
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Roosevelt Children’s Academy strives to provide students with social support. The state of New York requires schools to hire one social worker per 800 students; yet Roosevelt Children’s Academy surpasses this goal by hiring two guidance counselors for 550 students. Teachers and principals regularly meet with parents to ensure both the academic progress and social development of each student. Parental involvement is also high, and the school regularly organizes meetings, parent workshops, and volunteer opportunities for families on field trips. Roosevelt Children’s Academy hosts a “Family and Friends” night each quarter. The well attended events feature buffets for families and rooms where children can display their work or give demonstrations to share what they are learning. “The academy also brings in local elected officials, community leaders and charter school advocates to deliver speeches, including Senators Charles Fuschillo and Malcolm Smith, Deputy Speaker Earlene Hooper, Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby and New York Charter School Association representatives Peter Murphy and Ken Peterson,” Portero said. At a “Family and Friends” meeting in January of 2010, the Roosevelt Children’s
Academy community came together in support of progress for the school. As one of the highest performing charter schools in the nation, the academy has seen reduced funding due to statewide budget cuts. At a roundtable meeting led by the New York Charter School Association, 108 parents and staff members signed a petition for the academy to receive additional funding and will take that message to their State Legislatures in Albany during Legislative Advocacy Day. “We are very much in the limelight in Albany, and in our fight for equality throughout the United States,” Ashley said. “We’re high performing, and at a meeting everyone in the state knew about Roosevelt and held us out there as a model.” Although facing the difficult reality of budget cuts during a tight economic period in the United States, Roosevelt Children’s Academy forges forward, fighting for the rights of all charter schools and, more importantly, seeking to ensure the success of each individual student. At Roosevelt Children’s Academy, the focus is clear -- “Our children can and will succeed…we will continue to show all schools in New York that all children can learn,” stated Ashley. ELT
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Roxanne Greco Ashley Superintendent
What is significant is that we have two adults per classroom: a teacher certified with the state of New York and a certified cooperating teacher.
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