FRIENDSHIPPUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

2007-2008ANNUAL REPOR

OUR MISSION

The mission of Friendship Public Charter School

(FPCS) is to prepare students to become ethical,

literate, well-rounded, and self-sufficient citizens

by providing a world-class education that moti-

vates students to reach high academic standards,

enjoy learning, achieve success, and contribute

actively to their communities.

Curriculum Design and Instructional ApproachPre-KindergartenElementary School

Middle SchoolHigh School

Friendship Public Charter School Campus Descriptions(Includes Unique Accomplishments and Student and Staff Data)(Includes Unique Accomplishments and Student and Staff Data)

Chamberlain ElementaryWoodridge Elementary and MiddleSoutheast Elementary AcademyBlow Pierce Junior Academy

Collegiate Academy High School

Governance and Leadership

FinanceFinance2007-2008 Budget

2007-2008 Donations and Grants

Friendship Public Charter School Evidence ofPerformance and Progress

Approved Accountability PlansChamberlain Elementary

Woodridge Elementary and Middle Woodridge Elementary and MiddleSoutheast Elementary AcademyBlow Pierce Junior Academy

Collegiate Academy High SchoolAccountability Plan Performance

Chamberlain ElementaryWoodridge Elementary and MiddleSoutheast Elementary AcademySoutheast Elementary AcademyBlow Pierce Junior Academy

Collegiate Academy High SchoolAdditional Performance Criteria

Certification Regarding Relevant AuthorizationsAddressing Program Development Review Findings and

Public Charter School Board Action Taken

Lessons Learned and Actions TakenLessons Learned and Actions Taken

Reporting Accountability Information

22344

699121518

21

2224

2525

2629353841

4447475255586161

61

6262

63

2

CURRICULUM DESIGN AND INSTRUCTIONALAPPROACH

Pre-KindergartenElementary SchoolMiddle SchoolHigh School

4

At the FPCS, the foundation of our curriculum design is the belief that all children can, do, and will learn. We use the District of Columbia standards combined with rigorous national standards (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Council of Teachers of English, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Habits of the Mind) to create a rich and rigorous educational experience for our students.

Over the past two years, FPCS has undertaken a school community-wide effort to reform its acaOver the past two years, FPCS has undertaken a school community-wide effort to reform its aca-demic design. The result of this initiative has been the creation of a standards-based curriculum and instructional model, moving FPCS away from scripted instruction to the use of curriculum maps and a variety of texts to support the delivery of instruction across content areas. This effort included teachers and administrators from across the FPCS community, and the intent of this reform is to aid teachers in the differentiation of instruction for varied student needs. Within the design, teachers work collaboratively to determine the big ideas and essential questions inherent in each standard and plan instruction to ensure that students achieve high levels of learning. Asin each standard and plan instruction to ensure that students achieve high levels of learning. As-sessment is used as a tool to gauge students’ mastery of standards and helps teachers identify the individual needs of each student. Through a continual cycle of inquiry, teachers are able to in-dividualize instruction and address deficiencies immediately.

We know that the success of our students is largely determined by what our teachers believe, know, and are able to do. Therefore, we invested a great deal of time and energy and many finan-cial resources in ensuring that our teachers receive the best professional development available and in providing students with extended learning opportunities such as the Saturday programs.

Pre-KindergartenFPCS provides a comprehensive full day proFPCS provides a comprehensive full day pro-gram for children aged three to six. Our pre-kindergarten and kindergarten learning envi-ronment features hands-on learning centers, classroom libraries, and computer learning sta-tions. Centered on Friendship learning stan-dards, our program is primarily based on The Creative Curriculum. Endorsed by the National Association for the Education of Young Chil-dren (NAEYC), The Creative Curriculum encour-ages children to make self-directed and guided choices throughout the day. We also utilize Open Court Reading and Everyday Mathemat-ics as resources to support literacy and mathematics.

A typical daily schedule may includeMorning Meeting (attendance, weather, news and announcements, etc.)Vocabulary Building (word wall and vocabu-lary building activities)Learning Centers (writing center, science center, dramatic play, etc.)Read AloudContent Area Lessons (mathematics, sci-ence, and social studies)Outdoor Play

Our program is designed to challenge and Our program is designed to challenge and support the social/emotional, physical, cog-nitive, and language development needs of all children. At the core of The Creative Cur-riculum are well-planned learning centers that offer children multiple opportunities to explore, discover, and learn a given skill. We also use Open Court Reading as well as Everyday Mathematics to support our lit-eracy and mathematics programs.

Home and school are a young child’s two most important worlds. Recognizing that parents are vital to the success of our pro-gram, Friendship encourages parents to become a part of the Friendship community. Parents are encouraged to go to student as-semblies and performances, visit classrooms, participate in school clubs and extra-curricular activities, attend parent work-shops and trainings, and join the Parent/Teacher Association.

We are committed to providing a world-class education. Our full day early childhood pro-gram provides the necessary foundation for our students to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.