District Administration - April 2012 - (Page 25)

It takes me two hours and 40 minutes to drive from Columbus to Toledo.” Her management team includes four assistant regional superintendents (one of whom is in Florida) who work with her on curriculum, including special education, supervision and student assessment. EdVantages schools have three psychologists, a guidance counselor, a treasurer and a fitness director. The three Florida schools under Performance Academies collaborate with the Lee County Public Schools and share a special education director. And all the charter schools have fitness instructors. At each school, Satow says she conducts rigorous walk-through evaluations, while teachers’ lessons are monitored. She looks for the “Marzano 9,” instructional strategies known to help improve student achievement across content areas and grade levels. The students earn points for positive behavior shown toward other students. The prize could be lunch with their school principal or iTunes cards. Every month, the management team holds professional learning community meetings to review student assessments and provide teachers feedback on instruction. Other than the two Performance Academies that just opened this school year, the charter schools are getting high ratings in Florida and Ohio. And since EdVantages started, the Performance Index Score Trend, which is a measure of academic performance on the Ohio Achievement Test, has increased for grades 3-8 in all schools from an average of 77 out of a total score of 100 in 2007 to 85 in 2011. “My goal is to ensure every EdVantages school reaches ‘excellent’ or ‘effective’ on the Ohio rating system,” Satow says. Last year, two schools were rated “excellent,” and two were “effective.” The improvement paid off. EdVantages is in the running to receive the 2012 Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools, which will be announced at the National Charter Schools Conference in June. The winner will receive $250,000 for collegereadiness efforts for low-income students. “The recognition alone that we show strong performance serving an at-risk www.DistrictAdministration.com Satow oversees a fourth-grader taking part in a science lesson on weather at Trotwood Prep and Fitness Academy in Dayton, Ohio. population of students with our emphasis on college readiness is huge,” Satow says. Teaching and Learning The school year in the charter systems is 1,200 hours, compared to 920 hours in a typical public school—and each day includes two hours each of reading, 1.5 hours of math, and one hour each of social studies and science. Physical education in the charter schools is untraditional. Students compete for yellow or black belts in the martial arts, for example, or they often compete in regional and statewide tournaments in soccer and tennis. For those students will graduate from college. “We are trying to guide them to good high schools,” Satow says. “We tell them, ‘When you go to college …’ not ‘If you go.’” High Accountability The eight boards that oversee the eight EdVantages schools ensure that policies are being followed. The boards meet at least six times a year to review the school finances, and approve the monthly treasurer’s report and the monthly budgets. They ensure the students are being educated and treated well. Board members are nominated by other board members for one-year terms. Gregory A. Hoffbauer, chairman of EdVantages’ Mt. Healthy Preparatory and Fitness Academy and the Middletown Preparatory and Fitness Academy, is impressed with Satow’s energy, commitment and 24/7 schedule. “The things that amaze me about Myrrha is her dedication to the kids,” Hoffbauer says. “She has created a vision, being the founder of this group. And she definitely has a lot of love for the students.” Hoffbauer mentions the few times parents have visited school upset about their child’s academics or about bullying, but Satow and her staff are trained to minimize outbursts. “Unfortunately, a lot of the students are economically disadvantaged, and they bring a lot of baggage with them,” he says. “You’re dealing with some of the toughest kids to teach. I think it’s almost miraculous.” DA Angela Pascopella is managing editor. April 2012 25 “It’s back to the basics curriculum. I want the students to be able to read, write and do math —that’s my goal. -Superintendent Myrrha Satow the first 10 minutes of physical education class, coaches discuss topics such as heart health, oral hygiene or good nutrition. Technology takes a back seat. Classrooms have two or three computers, and a few schools have computer labs to use for test preparation or software programs. “It’s a back to the basics curriculum,” Satow says. “I want the students to be able to read, write and do math—that’s my goal. And that’s really where we put our resources.” Character education and college readiness are other elements of the program. Posted outside every classroom is the year http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - April 2012

District Administration - April 2012
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Special Ed Update
Facilities Update
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Robust and Safe BYOD
Success Breeds Success
Funding Building Projects in a Tough Economy
Widening Participation to an IB Education
Why All the Chatter about #EdChat?
Supervisor’s Opinion
Going Mobile
New Directions
Crisis Response
Student Counsel
Product Focus
Online Edge

District Administration - April 2012