Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Charter Schools topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
School board approves Olympus International Academy charter improvement plan after D rating
Summary
The board unanimously approved Olympus International Academy's school improvement plan after the charter fell to a D. Principal Nancy Swenson presented steps including expanded early-literacy interventions (UFLI, LLI), targeted ESE support, civics curriculum adjustments, attendance strategies and small-group instruction.
The School Board of Palm Beach County approved the school improvement plan for Olympus International Academy on Oct. 7 after principal Nancy Swenson presented measures aimed at reversing a drop to a D school grade.
"Let me start just real quick by telling you a little bit about Olympus. Olympus is a small charter school. We have about 300 kids," Principal Nancy Swenson told the board. The principal said the school's high percentage of Portuguese-speaking families creates benefits and challenges — parents and some front-office staff communicate primarily in Portuguese while instruction is provided in English.
Swenson outlined the school's major focuses: improving outcomes for students with disabilities, boosting seventh-grade civics instruction and restoring middle-school math acceleration. The plan calls for increased small-group instruction, a reading coach to push UFLI and LLI interventions, three pull-out interventionists for tiers 2 and 3, and curriculum and scheduling adjustments to ensure science and civics minutes are preserved in elementary and middle school master schedules.
The board voted unanimously to approve the charter school improvement plan and authorized the superintendent and board chair to sign related correspondence.
Board members praised the plan and emphasized recruitment/retention of teachers and partnerships with district programs. Vice Chair Marsha Andrews encouraged continued professional development and district supports; Swenson said the school will also pursue community partnerships that support students' needs.
