What you're going to read below makes them sound like a great school, but keep reading.
Windsor Prep states on their website :
What is a charter school?
Charter schools are independently-operated public schools. Parents can choose to send their children to a public charter school outside of their “zoned” public school. There is no charge or tuition to attend a public charter school. While charter schools have flexibility in choosing curriculum and developing innovative teaching practices, charter schools must test students and report results, just like the government-operated public schools, as required by federal and state laws.
What can you tell me about the schools’ curriculum?
Project Based Learning (PBL) with technology integration is a central focus at Windsor. Students are actively engaged in various projects and educational pursuits, while at the same time learning the essential knowledge and skills as outlined in the Common Core standards
Project Based Learning is defined as “a systematic teaching method that engages students in learning essential knowledge and life-enhancing skills through an extended, student-influenced inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks.
Testing and Assessment
Windsor students participate in the state assessment -FCAT as well as other school and district assessments
What sets Windsor Prep apart from other schools?
Windsor offers a choice for parents and students within the public school system. Windsor is often referred to as a private school without the tuition. We place high emphasis on parent involvement and require parent participation. Our curriculum offers small group learning , allowing the teacher to focus on the needs of the individual child. Students learn PBL ( Project Based Learning) with a focus on technology.
Windsor Prep has:
- Rigorous academic standards
- Grade level Looping
- An average of 18 students in each K-3 classroom
- An average of 22 students in each 4-5 classroom
- Integrated Technology into each project or lesson
- Promote diversity and cultural awareness through a Multicultural Enrichment Class
- Offer after school clubs i.e. karate, dance, musical instruments, , drama, engineering, spanish and cheerleading
- Student involvement in community projects
- School Uniforms
- Community business partnerships
- Parent involvement through volunteering or similar activities
- Enhanced learning environment with a strict discipline policy
(And most of those extra curricular activities are fee based/parent paid access or arrangements made with local dance, gym, martial arts businesses)
http://www.windsorprep.org/content/curriculum :
Curriculum
Our Curriculum:
At Windsor Prep, our philosophy and approach to education is to provide an academic experience that exceeds all other school offerings. Windsor currently utilizes curriculum that is rich in current common core standards and expectations for all students. Our teachers have been extensively trained in their curriculum areas, as well as in common core.Windsor staff not only partake in District professional development, but also school level trainings as they pertain to our program.
Windsor Prep is known for its focus on PBL- Project Based Learning. This is critical in a child's world as we teach them how to problem solve and develop critical thinking skills, all while learning to use and incorporate technology. The focus of PBL allows for each child to be provided with an individual learning experience that is tailored to their learning needs.
Windsor Prep believes in hands-on, interdisciplinary learning methods. Windsor's leaders and teachers have experienced this first hand in public, private and charter school environments. Most schools and teachers have also witnessed the benefits of hands-on learning through individual and group projects, and know the value of engaging, challenging projects and interdisciplinary activities that enrich classroom instruction and curriculum.
Learn more about the background and overview of Project Based Learning.
Character Education
PBS
What is School-wide Positive Behavior Support?
PBS is our school-wide discipline plan and the way of work to monitor behavior. The PBS goals are to increase the number of students being successful and to reduce the number of students receiving numerous referrals. Students need to be TAUGHT the correct behavior and this is best done through modeling and repeated practice. Paw prints reward students when they are showing the correct behavior. Achievement scores also increase when students are actively listening and participating in class. Paw prints are used to buy rewards throughout the year, whether it be a special show or popcorn or in the school store.
PBS...
• Is a collaborative assessment-based process to developing effective interventions for problem behavior
• Aims to build effective environment in which positive behavior is more effective than problem behavior.
• Emphasizes the use of preventative, teaching, and reinforcement based strategies to achieve meaningful and durable behavior and lifestyle outcomes.
What does PBS look like in our school?
• Uses schoolwide expectations and rules in specific settings to teach students appropriate behavior.
• Reward system (Paw Prints) to encourage and model appropriate behavior, and effective consequences to discourage inappropriate behavior.
• Wildcat assemblies to reward appropriate behavior and learning gains.
• Big events to reward students with no referrals and events that students have saved their paw prints to attend.
• Use data from referrals and minor infractions to target problem behavior.
Levels of PBS are:
• School-Wide: Procedures and processes intended for all students, staff, in specific settings across campus.
• Classroom: Processes and procedures that reflect school-wide expectations for student behavior coupled with pre-planned strategies applied within classrooms.
That all sounds pretty good, huh? But then there's this:
But why would they come under such scrutiny? They are a charter after all which is supposed to mean they are better than public school, right? Windsor Prep is supposed to be like a private school education without the cost. Funny thing that...private schools don't teach the same exact curriculum as the Pinellas County Public School system does, and in an alarmingly similar way. And what especially amazes ( or alarms) me is that
A- this highly educated, supposedly qualified Principal, Mrs. Clements had no answers for the School Board when questioned.
B- She has worked for another struggling school in the recent past ( Imagine Schools)
Their Charter agreement states they can only fail two out of the five years of the charter grant:
More people need to step and fight for legislation regulating Charter Schools like Windsor. Our tax dollars pour into these. Windsor was paid more than $3million of our tax dollars for the elementary students they have enrolled this year, and more that $700,000 for the 65 middle school kids they can't even house on site. Here they are, an F school, and they are approved to open a second school. The same principal will oversee both...how, if she can't get one school to meet standards, will she manage both? And if they do fail, they still own the property and any assets they have acquired.
Seriously...google East Windsor Middle School charter agreement and charter clarification. Search for Windsor Preps charter agreement. Do searches on the school, the parent company, the staff...it's eye opening to say the least.
MORE TO COME!!!!!!