Charter School Stands Out Among San Francisco Public Schools

    SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Following impressive gains in test
scores last year, Edison Charter Academy, a California state-chartered
elementary school serving grades K-5, posted strong gains on this year's state
assessment, meeting the state AYP Annual Measurable Objective for the 2002-
2003 academic year.  Notably, only 36 of 73 schools in the San Francisco
Unified School District met the state AYP target for the 2002-03 school year.
    The Edison students on average posted double-digit gains in English
Language Arts and Math across all grades, beating both local and state average
gains.  These gains represent significant progress from one year to the next
in a stable school population with a low turnover rate.  85% of Edison
Charter's students are low income, inner city children from predominantly
African-American or Hispanic families.
    The school improved the percentage of students posting Advanced or
Proficient on the California Standards Test (CST) by an average of 12% in
English Language Arts and 11% in Mathematics from Spring 2002 to Spring 2003.
In contrast, the state of CA posted average gains of 3% and 8% in English
Language Arts and Mathematics, respectively, while the San Francisco Unified
School District posted average gains of 4% and 10% in English Language Arts
and Mathematics, respectively.
    More remarkably, across grades 2-5, an average of 27% of students at
Edison Charter Academy tested Proficient or Advanced in English Language Arts;
in Math, an average of 34% of students were Proficient or Advanced.  The State
AYP Annual Measurable Objectives for Spring 2003 were 13.6% in English
Language Arts and 16.0% in Mathematics.
    "This year's test results only continue to confirm that the choice we made
for this school in the beginning, and our fight to save this school, were the
right choices," stated Charter Board President and parent Laura Baker.  "The
Edison Design does work, and our children are the clear benefactors."
    One of only seven schools state-wide, and the only school in San
Francisco, to be granted a charter by the state of California, Edison Charter
Academy had been, until recently, embroiled in controversy.  After three
failed attempts by the San Francisco Unified School District to reconstitute
the school, in 1998 then-Superintendent Bill Rojas turned over management of
the school to the coincidentally named Edison Schools, a private education
management company.  Despite noticeable improvements in the school and in
student achievement, and against vehement parent protest, the S.F. School
Board moved to revoke the school's charter in 2001.  Led by parent advocates,
the school subsequently applied for and was granted a charter by the State so
that it could continue to be managed by Edison Schools.
    Parents attribute the success in student performance to core components of
the Edison School Design.  The Edison program offers rigorous, standards-based
curriculum in reading, math, science, and social studies, as well as classes
in core values, art, music, and P.E.  Additionally, monthly benchmark
assessments allow both students and teachers to receive immediate feedback on
critical student performance data.  These assessments help teachers to
evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching, make appropriate adjustments,
and target students who require additional resources, such as tutoring, to
stay on track.  Teachers also work in teams daily to review and discuss
student progress and share teaching strategies.
    "The difference between our methods and that of other schools is that we
teach kids how to succeed, rather than assume that they already have those
skills," said Vincent Matthews, Regional Director of Edison's West Coast
Operations, and Edison's former principal.  "We also provide a structured
environment that reinforces every day what we expect of our students, and what
each child can expect of him or herself.  This is a place that doesn't put
boundaries on learning."

Link to this page: