Fall Forum 2010, School Visits: Lighthouse Community Charter School

Register for Fall Forum: http://www.regonline.com/fall_forum_2010

Visit Lighthouse Community Charter School, one of two CES affiliate schools that are public charters in Oakland, CA. Explore what California’s charter law makes possible for its youth.

Visit 5: Lighthouse Community Charter School

The mission of Lighthouse Community Charter School is to prepare a diverse K-12 student population for college or a career of their choice by equipping each child with the knowledge, skills, and principles to be a self-motivated, lifelong learner. In order to achieve our mission, the Lighthouse Community Charter School has committed to five priorities in its school design:

• high expectations
• a rigorous curriculum
• serving the whole child
• family involvement
• teachers as learners

The mission of Lighthouse Community Charter School is to prepare a diverse K-12 student population for college or a career of their choice by equipping each of our 643 students with the knowledge, skills, and principles to be a self-motivated, lifelong learner. In order to achieve our mission, the Lighthouse Community Charter School has committed to five priorities in its school design: high expectations, a rigorous curriculum, serving the whole child, family involvement, and teachers as learners. Lighthouse Community Charter School has created an innovative educational design that sets us apart from traditional educational choices. In our K-8 and high school divisions, we utilize low student to teacher ratios. Students are engaged in hands-on, real world projects that integrate standards and subject areas. Literacy is a focus throughout the entire school and interwoven into every subject area. We commit more time to teaching and learning, with an extended day and extended year program. After school programs focus on tutoring and enrichment. Every child has an Individualized Learning Plan. Families are involved from volunteering to school governance to teaching and learning. Teachers are supported to be constant learners.

Focus of Visit: College Readiness

 Your visit experience includes observation of core instruction as well as Crew. Crew is Lighthouse's analogue to advisory time.  Lighthouse is taking the time to deliberately focus Crew upon developing College Ready Skills in all students.  Additionally, you will be introduced to the different ways Lighthouse leverages technology to maximize our  standards based assessment systems to increase effective sharing of vital student information amongst all school community members.  Following lunch, you will have access to a student panel to question them directly about how well Lighthouse is equipping them with College Ready Skills.  At the end of the day you will be able to share out your findings with Lighthouse staff.

Lighthouse has drafted a differentiated set of College Ready Skills that range from grades 7 to 12.  These skills are intended to equip students with the habits that will ensure they can be successful within the framework of college expectations that demand more independence and self-advocacy.  Please collect data throughout your observations that support our contradict our efforts to equip students with these skills.

• Ethnic Breakdown, grades 9-12: African American: 17% | American Indian/Alaska Native: 0% | Asian: 2.8% | Filipino: 1.7% | Hispanic or Latino: 77.8% | Pacific Islander: 0% | White not Hispanic: 0.6% | Multiple or No Response: 0%

Register for Fall Forum: http://www.regonline.com/fall_forum_2010