Balfour Education Center
2529 Asheville Highway
Hendersonville, NC 28791
Phone: (828) 697-4629
Fax: (828) 698-6130
During the 2011-12 school year, the United States Department of Education (USED) invited each state educational agency (SEA) to request flexibility on behalf of itself, local school systems, and schools, in order to better focus on improving student learning and increasing the quality of instruction. Last month, the North Carolina Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility Request was approved by USED.
This opportunity will provide educators as well as state and local leaders with flexibility regarding specific requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) in exchange for rigorous and comprehensive state-developed plans designed to improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps, increase equity and improve the quality of instruction. Additionally, states are required to identify three specific categories of schools (Priority, Focus and Reward) under guidelines approved within the Flexibility Request.
I am writing to let you know that the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has identified Balfour Education Center (BEC) as a ‘Priority School’ because its graduation rate has been less than 60% over a number of years.
Priority Schools are required to implement interventions aligned with the following ESEA ‘Turnaround Principals’:
· Strong leadership
· Effective teachers and improved instruction
· Expanded learning time
· Strengthened instructional program
· Use of data
· School safety and discipline
· Family and community engagement
We continue to strive for student achievement and 100% of our students graduating. The vision for Balfour Education Center is “To empower students to realize their unique potential through an academic community, which provides innovative, creative and successful learning experiences, one student at a time.”
We have set the following goals for the 2012-13 school year:
· All students will be required to take Algebra I and English II.
· 100% proficiency level for all students taking Algebra I or English II as indicated on End of Course testing.
· 100% of students will be in attendance at least 85% of the 90 day semester to receive course credit.
o Students who miss more than 15% of the 90 day semester will be offered an opportunity to make up work and time missed during morning sessions and after school sessions with individual teachers. Saturday School will not be offered during the 2012-13 school year.
· All students will be required to take career and technical classes.
· 100% proficiency level for all students taking career and technical classes as indicated by End of Course CTE Exams.
Our students need to experience higher achievement levels, but it will require hard work on the part of staff, students and families. Here are some strategies Balfour Education Center will be implementing:
· Students will identify with, and enroll in a Career and Technical Academy. The Career Clusters offered at Balfour Education Center will be:
o Fire Fighter Academy (Beginning Spring Semester 2013)
o Automotive Academy
o Personal Finance and Business Academy
o Early Childhood Development Academy
o Health Occupations Academy
o Cosmetology Academy
o Art Academy
· Students will be provided Business Casual Academy attire to wear on prescribed days during the school week.
· Academy tutors will be available to work with students during a 45 minute study hall each day.
· Individual class content, assignments and assessments will be available online through Moodle, an online class delivery program available to students 24 hours a day, seven days per week.
· Students will be assigned individual iPads for use during the school day.
· Teachers will participate in five additional professional development days that will be utilized for identifying the needs of our students and to develop alternative methods of delivering instruction that best meets those needs.
· A part-time Social Worker will be on the campus of BEC during the 2012-13 school year. The role of this Social Worker is to provide resources and assistance to students and families of BEC (this is not a Protective Services position) who are experiencing hardships that are impacting student achievement.
Parent involvement is at the heart of our school improvement efforts. Here are some ways you can help:
o Make sure both you and your child are aware of academic expectations set for your child this school year. A list of learning objectives in student friendly language is available from your child’s teacher(s).
o Call me, Kent Parent at 828-697-4629 if you have any questions or concerns about your child, or to set up an appointment to meet with the school staff member who will be working with your child.
o Make sure that your child is prepared and attends school each day.
o Monitor your child’s homework.
o Monitor and limit the amount of time your child spends watching television and playing video games.
o Monitor the progress your child is making and attend meetings with your child’s teacher(s).
o Volunteer at BEC.
Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? Preparing our students so that they can succeed in the 21st century isn’t easy but it is essential. Here are some resources available to assist you:
o Khan Academy, an online website that can help students view subject content to allow for better understanding.
o Graduation Requirements: www.ncpublicschools.org/gradrequirements/
o K-12 standards in academic subjects: www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/
o State student achievement test results; www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/
o N.C. School Report Cards: www.ncreportcards.org/
We’re excited about the 2012-13 school year and are working to make it a success for your child. Already we have:
o Credit Recovery classes (students can retake classes they previously failed)
o Elective classes offered through GradPoint (an online class delivery system)
o A yearlong class (allows a longer period for students to grasp difficult concepts)
o Tutoring sessions (available for students who have fallen behind or need intervention in a class)
o Created a stronger leadership team
We look forward to seeing your child on August 27, 2012.
Sincerely,
Kent Parent
Principal
Balfour Education Center