Frequently Asked Questions

GENERAL

1. What is a charter school?
   Charter schools are innovative tuition-free public schools of choice designed to deliver programs tailored to the needs of the communities they serve, and held accountable for student results.  Most charter schools in Texas are funded directly by the state on a per-student basis.
    
2. How are charter schools different from traditional public schools?
   Charter schools are independently-operated public schools with unique educational programs that provide additional choices for parents within the public education system.  Parents and students can choose to attend charter schools if they feel the school is a good fit for their educational needs.    

ADMISSIONS

1. How will students be selected for admission to the school?
   All students eligible to attend public school within our Primary Geographic Boundary (McKinney ISD, Frisco ISD, Allen ISD, Melissa ISD, Celina ISD, Prosper ISD, Princeton ISD, and Lovejoy ISD) may apply to be admitted to the school between November 1st, 2011 and March 1st, 2012. Application forms are available on our website and must be mailed in, with one application completed per student.  By March 1st, 2012, if we receive more applications than we have space available for at any grade level, all applicants for each oversubscribed grade level will be entered into a random lottery process to determine admission.  Students must be 5 years old by September 1st, 2012 in order to be admitted to Kindergarten.
    
2. How many students will be accepted for admission?
   We can only accept approximately 100 students per grade level at this time.
    
3. Will siblings receive preferential admission?
   Once a student is admitted to the school, his/her siblings will automatically be admitted to the school as well, as long as there is space available in the grade levels desired.
    
4. What if I live in the Transfer Boundary?
   All students eligible to attend public school within our Transfer Boundary may apply to be admitted to the school after the application period for students within our Primary Geographic Boundary has ended.  If there is available space at any grade level after March 1st, 2012, we will accept students from our Transfer Boundary on a first-come first-served basis until each grade level is full.  Our Transfer Boundary includes Plano ISD, Little Elm ISD, Wylie ISD, Anna ISD, Richardson ISD, Garland ISD, Aubrey ISD, Farmersville ISD, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, Community ISD, Gunter ISD, Lake Dallas ISD, Blue Ridge ISD, Rockwall ISD, Pilot Point ISD, and Van Alstyne ISD.
    
5. What happens to those students who are not selected in the random lottery process?
   Once each grade has been filled through the lottery process, names will continue to be drawn for placement on a waiting list for each grade level.  If a student that has been admitted to the school cannot attend for any reason, we will contact the next student in line from the waiting list until each student spot has been filled. 
    
6. What can I do right now to make sure my child gets in?
   Make sure the school meets your family's educational needs and then download and complete an admissions application form from our website beginning November 1st, 2011 for each student interested in attending the school and mail it to the school as soon as possible.  We will contact you to confirm receipt of your admissions application form.  We will notify all families if a lottery is needed.
    
7. If a lottery is necessary, when will it take place?
   If needed, the lottery for admission will take place within one week after the admissions application period has ended.

ACADEMICS

1. What will your student-teacher ratio be?
   Our maximum class size from K-12 will be 25 students per teacher.  In-class parent volunteers will always be welcome at the school, as needed.
    
2. Will your teachers be state-certified?
   We plan to hire highly-qualified staff members to teach at the Academy, which includes state-certified teachers, as well as subject-area experts (such as college professors).
    
3. Will students have to take state testing?
   Yes, as a public charter school, all students will have to participate in the annual state-mandated STAAR examinations.  Testing, however, will not be the primary focus of our educational program.
    
4. What additional standardized testing will be given?
   In order for us to know at what level your student is currently performing and how to best meet his/her academic needs, we will be utilizing SAT-10 testing in the fall and spring of each year.
    
5. Will you provide special education services?
   We plan to have certified Special Education teachers on staff, as well as work closely with the Region 10 Education Service Center and local Special Education Cooperatives to provide services to those students needing assistance.
    
6. Will a separate program be offered for students identified as Gifted/Talented?
   Instructional strategies and methods used in the rigorous International Baccalaureate programs are considered to be best practices in education, and used frequently to serve the needs of G/T students.  As our school plans to implement the International Baccalaureate continuum of all three programs (PYP, MYP, and DP), we will not be offering a separate program for students identified as gifted/talented.
    
7. How will you meet the needs of students performing above grade level?
   We feel strongly that students should be allowed to meet their potential, no matter how advanced they may be. We plan to do this through a combination of (a) in-class differentiation with teachers trained to meet the needs of varying students within a classroom, and (b) grade-level and/or cross-grade flexible grouping of students in order to make sure that each student is challenged to the best of their abilities.  We anticipate these flexible groups to be fluid, as students meet goals and are ready to move on to the next level. 
    
8. How will you meet the needs of students performing below grade level?
   We are committed to meeting students where they are and taking them to where they need to be.  Students coming in to the school performing below grade level will be expected to work closely with their teachers and attend before/after school tutoring, utilize computer-based resources in school and at home to bolster what they are learning, and complete additional independent parent-supervised work at home.
    
9. How long will it take for the school to become IB-authorized for all three programs?
   IB authorization takes between 2-3 years per program.  We plan to begin the authorization process for all three programs in the spring of 2012.
    
10. What subjects will be offered as part of the school curriculum for the Primary Years Program (Grades K-5)?
    In grades K-5, students will receive instruction in Language A (English), Language B (Spanish), Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Arts, and Personal/Social/Physical Education.
     
11. What subjects will be offered as part of the school curriculum for the Middle Years Program (Grades 6-10)?
    In grades 6-10, students will receive instruction in Language A (English), Language B (Spanish), Humanities, Sciences, Mathematics, Arts, Physical Education, and Technology.
     
12. What subjects will be offered as part of the school curriculum for the Diploma Program (Grades 11-12)?
    In addition to completing state requirements for graduation, students in grades 11-12 will study six courses at the IB Standard Level (SL) and IB Higher Level (HL).  One subject must be chosen from each of groups 1-5 (Language A-English, Language B-Spanish, Social Studies, Experimental Sciences, Mathematics) and a sixth subject may be from group 6 (Arts) or a second subject from groups 1-5.  Additional information about the specific courses to be offered will be released in the spring.
     
13. What will your graduation requirements be?
    We expect our high school seniors to be able to graduate under the state of Texas Distinguished Achievement Program, which requires the completion of 26 credits, including advanced measures such as original research.  Additional information about the Distinguished Achievement Program may be accessed on the Texas Education Agency’s website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us
     
14. Will there be an emphasis on developing strong Math and Science skills?
    At the Primary Years and Middle Years levels, the interdisciplinary inquiry-based IB curriculum will provide students with a solid foundation in math and science.  At the Diploma level, students may choose between 2-3 challenging IB Math courses, depending upon their skill level, as well as choose to take a second IB Science course in lieu of an Arts course.
15. Will the arts be a part of the school curriculum?
    Yes, the Arts (Visual Art, Music, and Drama) will be part of the school curriculum from K-12, as required by the International Baccalaureate.
     
16. What foreign language will you offer and in which grades?
    We plan to offer Spanish as our foreign language, beginning in Kindergarten.  Opportunities to learn additional languages may be offered after school on a fee basis subject to student interest.
     
17. Will band and/or orchestra opportunities be available?
    Opportunities to participate in band, orchestra, and/or string ensembles will be offered after school on a fee basis subject to student interest.
     
18. What kind of athletic opportunities will be available?
    PE will be part of the school curriculum.  Specific athletic programs such as basketball, volleyball, swimming, etc… will be offered after school on a fee basis subject to student interest.  We welcome qualified parent leaders for these activities.  Students may also participate in approved off-campus PE programs for credit.

CULTURE/BEHAVIOR

1. What can students expect from the school with regards to student behavior?
   The Academy will have a strict Code of Conduct, and students violating the Code of Conduct will be subject to suspension and/or expulsion.  As a school of choice, students should choose to come to the Academy daily prepared to participate respectfully in an environment with high expectations of them.  Additionally, students can expect to receive progressively challenging coursework, and to graduate from high school functioning at the level of an introductory college student.  This requires a strong commitment to academics on the part of each student, including:
   • a willingness to work hard and develop personal study habits, such as self-discipline, time management, and self-motivation
   • being challenged by teachers to think critically and develop inquiry skills
   • a commitment to learning and participating in an environment with high behavioral expectations
   • being able to cope with several academically rigorous classes at the high school level
   • an interest in becoming fluent in a second language
   • an international outlook with genuine concern for others

SCHOOL OPERATIONS

1. What will the school hours be?
   We are presently considering a school day beginning around 8:15 AM and ending around 3:45 PM.  School hours will be similar to local public schools.
    
2. What will your school calendar look like?
   Our school calendar will be very similar to that of McKinney ISD.  A finalized school calendar will be released in the spring.
    
3. Will uniforms be required?
   Yes, school uniforms will be required from K-12.  Additional information about uniforms will be released in the spring.
    
4. Will school lunches be available?
   Yes.  We are committed to providing healthy nutritious school lunches and are presently researching various providers.  Additional information will be released in the spring.
    
5. Will before/after-school care be provided for working parents?
   Before/after-school care will be provided for a fee.
    
6. Will the school provide transportation?
   No.  The school will not provide transportation for students, but will work with families to coordinate carpooling opportunities.