Charter Schools General
Imagine IAM General
Imagine IAM Curriculum and Delivery Program
Imagine IAM Attendance and Enrollment
Charter Petition
Charter Schools General
What is a charter school?
A charter school is a public school that operates according to the terms of a charter, or contract, that has been approved by a local board of education and the State Board of Education. The charter school may request waivers from provisions of Title 20 of Georgia state law and any state or local rule, regulation, policy, or procedure relating to schools in the school district. In exchange for this flexibility, the charter school is bound by contract to be held accountable for meeting the performance-based objectives specified in the charter.
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How are charter schools funded?
A charter school that is approved by the Cobb County Board of Education and the State Board of Education shall be included in the allotment of funds to the Cobb County School District. The District and the State Board shall treat the charter school no less favorably than other District schools with respect to the provisions of funds for instructional and administrative programs. An approved charter school shall also receive local funds according to the formula set out in the Charter Schools Act. The charter school shall also be eligible for federal funds on the same basis as other schools in the District. The charter school shall not charge tuition.
The Cobb County Board of Education will provide no "up-front money" of any kind to charter school petitioners. Charter school petitioners requesting fiscal autonomy will receive their fair share of state and local funds as earned on a pro-rata basis (elementary, middle, or high). Funds will be prorated to the charter school just as the state prorates revenues to the District.
There will be an annual audit of the charter school performed by the Cobb County School District Internal Audit Department. A charter may be revoked or not renewed by the Board of Education if the Board determines that the charter school failed to meet generally accepted standards of fiscal management as described by the Cobb County School District Financial Services Division.
http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/adminrules/I_Rules/Rule%20IHBHD.htm
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How are charter schools different from traditional public schools?
Charter schools are generally viewed as schools of choice. This means that the local school district (Cobb County, in this case) will not automatically assign students to the school. Rather, parents of students have to explicitly apply to IA Mableton to have their child enrolled in the school.
Additionally, charter schools, generally have more flexibility in key areas such as curriculum, fiscal management, and its overall school operations. In fact, a charter school application will generally have a better chance of approval if it intends to offer an educational program that is more innovative as compared to traditional public schools. IA Mableton will offer the IB curriculum on the pk-8 grades. There is no other school in Cobb County that offers this curriculum at the pk-8 grade levels. Campbell High School offers the IB curriculum as part of its magnet program. Consequently, IA Mableton will be an ideal complement to Campbells program.
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Are students who attend charter schools required to take the CRCT and the GHSGT?
Are charter schools subject to Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and other NCLB provisions?
Imagine IAM General
What is The Imagine International Academy of Mableton?
The Imagine International Academy of Mableton will be a tuition-free, public charter school serving students kindergarten through eighth grade. The students will participate in a curriculum that follows the guidelines set by the International Baccalaureate Organizations (IBO) Primary Years Program (PYP) and Middle Years Program (MYP). The school will explore and celebrate cultural differences in an academically challenging, nurturing and intentionally multi-ethnic environment.
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Who is Imagine Schools Non Profit (ISNP)?
Imagine Schools is a national organization comprised mostly of teachers. Imagine operates elementary and secondary (K-12) charter and independent schools nationwide. Imagine Schools' purpose is to assist parents and guardians in educating their children, through a challenging program of study and strong moral development within a nurturing and orderly learning environment. Imagine Schools has exceptional teachers, excellent thematic curricula, positive character development programs, vibrant leadership and solid financial strength. For more information on Imagine Schools visit them at
http://www.imagineschools.com.
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What is the anticipated opening for Imagine IAM?
We anticipate the opening of our doors in July 2007.
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Where will Imagine IAM be located?
After many months of due diligence and work, the International Academy of Mableton has a signed contract on 6.4 acres of prime real estate in Southeast Mableton in the 6000 block of Mableton Parkway next to Brownwood Baptist Church.
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What are the target class sizes for Imagine IAM?
Imagine IAM will have a target class size in grades 1 -3 of 18 - 21 students per class, and 22- 24 students in grades 4 8. The class sizes will use the Georgia Department of education class sizes as a minimum standard for the school.
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What is a balanced calendar?
In order to meet the high demands of the IBPYP/IBMYP program, the Charter school year will be 188 days long. These days will be divided throughout the year, adopting a balanced-year school model. Typically, students will attend school for 47 days, followed by 10 to 15 days off for fall, winter and spring breaks. The summer break will be approximately 6 weeks long. The proposed balanced calendar can be viewed here:
complete description view (.pdf) or
at a glance view (.pdf)
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Will there be a uniform?
Will Imagine IAM have a breakfast and lunch service?
We are excited to have the opportunity to create a nutritious meal program to provide to students. We are currently working with vendors who are interested in partnering with Imagine IAM to offer healthy meals to our students. Through the selected vendor, we will be able to offer a healthy breakfast, lunch and after school snack to students. Once the vendor has been chosen, more information on the meal program, such as the cost of each meal, will be available. Additionally, we will apply for the Free and Reduced-Price Meal program, and qualifying families will be able to take part in this nationally-funded program.
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What is required of families enrolled at Imagine IAM?
There will be a minimum yearly requirement of 30 hours for a dual care giver family and 15 volunteer hours for a single care giver family. More information can be found in the
Family Contract and our
Charter.
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Will there be transportation offered?
No, but Imagine IAM is researching options on carpooling.
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Imagine IAM Curriculum and Delivery Program
What will be the curriculum for Imagine IAM?
Imagine IAM will utilize the Chancellor Beacon Standards-Based Curriculum, which is characterized by challenging academic standards that seek high achievement for all students. The Chancellor Beacon curriculum is built upon national standards, often exceeding them in ways that enrich the learning process. Imagine IAM will also seek approval to use the International Baccalaureate Organization's (IBO) Primary Years Program (IBPYP or PYP) and International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (IBMYMP or MYP) from the authorizers as a framework for delivery of the curriculum.
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What is the IBO?
The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), founded in 1968, is a recognized leader in the field of international education. It is a non-profit, mission-driven foundation that works with 1,597 schools (November 2005) to develop and offer three challenging programs in 122 countries to approximately 200,000 students. In the USA, 41 public schools are approved to use the PYP (with 100 more in the application process, including APS school Garden Hills), 66 the Middle Years Program (MYP) and 444 the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program. There are currently no public IBO approved PYP or MYP schools in Georgia and 18 approved IB Diploma schools. Newsweek magazine, May 16 2005 identified the top one hundred public high schools in the United States. In the top ten of these, positions 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 10 were held by IB schools. Overall, 40 of the top 100 are IB schools. Georgia has no schools in the top 100. It is the intention of Imagine IAM to provide a strong foundation for their students to compete on all levels with their peers across the nation by seeking approval to use the PYP and MYP to frame the curriculum. This approval can only be granted after the school has used this approach for at least two years. At that stage, the authorizers send in a team to examine the school and make recommendations. The process is similar in some ways to seeking accreditation from an outside agency such as the Southern Association of College and Schools (SACS). For more information on the International Baccalaureate Organization visit them at http://www.ibo.org.
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What is the International Baccalaureate Program?
The framework consists of a process whereby teachers plan activities, engage students in learning, assess the success of their students in reaching the goals established, and then reformulate the plan according to the results. It is an international, interdisciplinary program designed to foster the development of the whole student encompassing social, physical, emotional and cultural needs as well as academic welfare. While the IB programs cultivate internationalism and respect for other cultures, they also adapt to the local environment and allow students to maintain a strong sense of cultural identity. Students are taught to be active learners, well-rounded individuals and engaged citizens, who gain practical experience of being part of a global community.
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Will Imagine IAM offer a second language?
Yes, a requirement of the International Baccalaureate Program is to offer another language. The second language for Imagine IAM will be Spanish.
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Will there be "specials" or extra-curricular activities?
Imagine IAM is now offering Before Care and After School Enrichment for its students.
Activities will include (but are not limited to): Music-band, strings, etc., tutorial sessions,
board games, public speaking which will include debate, poetry, and plays, cooking/baking,
sewing/needlework, and sports.
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Will there be a gifted program?
The blending of the IBO curriculum delivery framework with the Chancellor-Beacon Curriculum (CBC) sets Imagine IAM apart from other public schools. This program actively engages students in their own learning and asks them to work with their teacher to set goals, plan and carry out learning activities, and assess what they have and have not learned. With this level of integration, and the focus on project based learning, it will not be necessary to separate the gifted kids within the classroom. The students will go at their pace and the grades will reflect the level of understanding and work produced.
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Imagine IAM Attendance and Enrollment
How many students will Imagine IAM serve?
Imagine IAM plans to grow to a total of 800 students over ten years.
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Who can attend Imagine IAM?
Imagine IAM does not discriminate against any student on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender or disability. Students with limited English and with special needs or disabilities will be welcomed at the school. Students in the primary attendance zone will have priority enrollment. If space is available after applications have been submitted for the primary attendance zone then enrollment will be open to all students residing in Cobb County.
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What is the primary attendance zone for Imagine IAM?
Imagine IAM will use the geographic boundary of the 30126 zip code as its primary attendance zone. The school will be open to all residents of Cobb County if there is space available after we complete the registration of 30126 residents on January 15th. If you are not a resident of 30126, but live in Cobb County, please submit your application and it will be considered promptly after January 15th (if room is available for your child's grade level).
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Charter Petition
When was the Imagine IAM Charter Petition submitted?
The Imagine IAM Charter Petition was submitted to the Cobb County School District on Friday, July 7th, 2006.
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What happens to the Charter Petition after submission?
After the Charter Petition is submitted a panel of 6 executive administrators - guided by Dr. U.S. Davidson - will review the document against a 30+ page checklist to ensure that all the required information was included. Dr. U.S. Davidson will then make a recommendation to the Superintendent of the Cobb County School Board, Fred Sanderson. Fred Sanderson will then make his recommendation to the Cobb County School Board, who will make the final decision as to whether the Charter Petition is accepted or denied. A final decision will be given in 60 days.
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