Charter schools report test-score growth, program highlights at board work session

Five charter-school principals reported academic gains, program highlights and community partnerships at the district's work session Tuesday, citing MAP growth measures, new curriculum adoptions and expanded community ties.

Watershed Charter School principal Jared Decker presented a one-page report and said the school is revising its mission as part of a strategic plan; APC chair Sina Gilbert described finalizing objectives, reviewing bylaws and focusing on stewardship and place-based learning. Decker highlighted project-based learning and winter-to-winter MAP growth figures and described monthly service activities, including a fifth-grade program at Pioneer Home.

Effie Cochran principal Josh Snow told the board Effie's charter had been renewed for 10 years by the state and described flexible credit-recovery arrangements for older students: Snow gave an example of a high-school student who joined Effie mid-April and completed two courses by working with staff to finish assignments weekly. Board members praised student engagement and community ties; several said students and visitors consistently spoke highly of Effie.

Discovery Peak principal Nathan Pick reported notable MAP gains after adopting HMH curriculum materials and district-aligned math training; he credited targeted use of the IXL skills program for tactical math skill-building and described schoolwide efforts to increase outdoor movement and skiing. Pick said third-grade literacy growth had been particularly strong and acknowledged an increased focus on teacher training for Singapore Math, a curriculum several charters are adopting jointly.

Chinook principal Carlson described Montessori-based practice, reported MAP growth where 59 percent of students met or exceeded expected growth in reading/language usage and 48 percent in math, and said the APC had formalized a complaint-resolution guide and changed attendance and recess-related practices (the school no longer keeps students inside from recess to finish work). Chinook also runs a schoolwide buddy program and community outings.

Boreal Sun principal Fauci (with APC member Heidi Collins) said Boreal Sun adopted Dimensions Math (Singapore) for next year, logged more than 2,218 volunteer hours, and reported MAP fall-to-winter math growth at about 73 percent; the school used 2024 AK STAR science figures in its one-pager, with 57.9 percent proficient or above. Fauci and Collins described expanded literacy interventions, higher attendance at after-school tutoring following personal outreach, and continued Waldorf arts-integrated curriculum work.

Board members asked about differences between MAP's growth metrics and proficiency measures and urged the administration to provide spring MAP proficiency numbers across charters. Several board members asked each principal what program elements could be shared with neighborhood schools; answers included place-based learning, partnerships with elders and community agencies, student-led service learning, increased outdoor movement, and low-technology, play-and-arts-based early-grade practices.

Ending: The charter principals will return as part of regular reporting and the administration agreed to circulate additional MAP proficiency details to the board; no formal board actions were taken during the presentations.