Georgia College and Career Academies Project (GCCAP)
Bartow County College and Career Academy (BCCCA) Quarterly Report
March 30, 2013
Mission and Goals
The mission of BCCCA is “to provide educational opportunities for high school students and ensure a viable 21st Century workforce for Bartow County and the surrounding area.”
Our goals, as stated in our charter contract with the State Board of Education, are as follows:
A.Academic Goals. The State Board shall hold the Charter School accountable for the full performance of each of the academic goals listed below. The requirements of each goal are independent of and do not supersede the requirements of any other goal.
1.Goal 1: The Charter School will enhance Bartow County and surrounding counties by increasing the number of students completing high school prepared with viable 21st Century job skills and a career plan.
a)Measure 1: By the end of its charter term, the cohort graduation rate of the Charter School will increase by 20% from the 2011-2012 baseline of 67%.
b)Measure 2: In each year of the charter term, 100% of juniors attending the Charter School will complete the Assets and the Compass assessments.
2.Goal 2: Students at the Charter School will become “Career Ready” inorder to be gainfully employed and/or to be “program ready” to enroll in post-secondary education, vocational or apprenticeship programs
a)Measure 1: The Charter School will increase the percentage of graduates completing three or more pathway courses by 3% each year of the charter term.
b)Measure 2: The Charter School will increase the number of pathway completers by 12% by the end of the charter term from the baseline established in the first year of the charter.
c)Measure 3: The Charter School will increase the percentage of students earning college credits via dual enrollment, Move-On-When Ready, and articulated credit programs by 3% in each year of the charter term.
d)Measure 4: The Charter School will increase the number of students successfully completing End of Pathway Assessments from 5% in year two to 25% by the end of year 5.
e)Measure 5: The Charter School will increase the percentage of students who are employed in a job directly related to technical certificates received or enrolled in post-secondary education within six months of graduation from high school by 8% by the end of the charter term after a baseline is established in Year 1 of the charter.
B.Organizational Goals. The fulfillment of the following organizational goals will be reported annually by the Charter School in addition to their Annual Report.
1.Goal 1: The Charter School will ensure that all instructional programs meet the needs and expectations of local business and industry.
a)Measure 1: After establishing a baseline in the first year of the charter term, the Charter School will increase the percentage of CTAE teachers who have industry experience by 20% by the end of the charter term.
b)Measure 2: By the end of the charter term, the Charter School will have 4 CTAE programs achieving industry certification status.
c)Measure 3: After establishing a baseline in the first year of the charter term, the Charter School will increase the percentage of instructors achieving proficient on Teacher Keys standards by 5 each year of the charter term
2.Goal 2: The Charter School will ensure that all stakeholders are aware and engaged with its students and staff.
a)Measure 1: The Charter School will increase business/industry participation in work-based learning by 25 employers by the end of the charter term using 25 employers as the baseline in Year 1 of the charter term.
b)Measure 3: After establishing a baseline in year 1 of the charter term, the Charter School will increase staff and community awareness and support for the school as indicated by annual perception survey results by a total of 20% by the end of the charter term.
3.Goal 3: The Charter School will be economically sustainable.
a)Measure 1: Each year, the Charter Schools will operate in a fiscally sound manner.
b)Measure 2:The Governing Board will review the annual operating budget and financial accounts monthly.
c)Measure 4: Yearly balance sheets will demonstrate that the Charter School maintains adequate cash reserves.
d)Measure 5: The Charter School will meet all Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP) as demonstrated by external, annual audit reports.
e)Measure 6: Each year, the Charter School will operate in a fiscally sound manner as measured by an external audit.
Note: BCCCA will report on achievement of the above goals to DOE by October 1, 2014 and to TCSG in our September 2014 quarterly report, at the latest.
Need
BCCCAformed a Needs Assessment Subcommittee that conducted an online needs assessment from April 23 – May 15, 2012. The results of that assessment were published by the end of May 2012, and the report’s conclusions were used to complete our charter petition in July 2012 and our GCCAP grant application in September 2012.
A total of 90 individual employers participated in the survey. Respondents employ 15,673 workers. Approximately 72% of these employees both live and work in Bartow County based on an average of responses.
- 13,613 full-time employees
- 1,245 part-time employees
- 815 temporary/contract employees
The top five (5) employment sectors represented included:
- Manufacturing
- Service
- Non-Profit
- Hospitality
- Medical
Comparing the profile of survey respondents to Bartow base employment data, we concluded that nearly half (49.2%) of county’s employed workforce was represented by the survey.
Based on survey results from our local industry, regional business and occupational trend data for the State of Georgia, the Committee concluded that our region, at a minimum, has a need for course offerings and career pathways in the areas of: Advanced Manufacturing, Medical/ Healthcare, Service/ Hospitality, Retail Marketing, Transportation and Logistics, and Educational Training.
The needs assessment report’s recommendations were been used to finalize BCCCA’s course offerings for Year One and beyond (see College and Career Focus below).
Partnerships
BCCCA is working with its permanent Board (see Governance below) to reach out and include as many local stakeholders as possible. Our partnership is a joint venture between the community, K-12 education, postsecondary education, business and industry as represented by the Bartow County School System, Chattahoochee Technical College, Kennesaw State University, Georgia Highlands College, the Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce, the Bartow County Development Authority, and the parents and students of Bartow County.
Our partners also include – at a minimum – the 90 employers who responded to our needs assessment. These partners employ more than 15,000 workers, or 49% of our workforce.
Budget
BCCCAis ready to access grant funding, subject to approval by TCSG of our Memorandum of Understanding. BCCCAis filing for 501(c)(3) status and will begin adding donated private assets to our public funds from the grant. The Board of Directors of BCCCA, Inc. will manage all private assets directly.
The partnership will operate under the budgets submitted with the charter and grant applications FY 2012.
BCCCA, Inc. is overseeing the renovation of the existing Bartow Learning Center (the old Cass High School campus) in Cartersville, which will become the headquarters of Bartow County College and Career Academy. The school system still owns and maintains the 185,000 square foot building.
Governance & Leadership
The Board of Directors of BCCCA, Inc. (see membership below) meets at BCCCA every fourth Tuesday at 3pm.
BCCCA Board of Directors:
Janet Queen – BCCCA Chair Person. Special Project Coordinator for Georgia Power Plant Bowen located in Bartow County. She has a wide range of experience in technical support and system engineering.
Richard Kollhoff – BCCCA Vice Chair Person, Commercial Banking for Bank of the Ozarks. Served as Chair of the BCCCA Charter Authoring Committee.
Lynne Gentry – Parent of three children either attended or attending Bartow County Schools and selected by current high school principals. She is also a current volunteer leader with Bartow County 4-H.
Linda Hazelip – Chattahoochee Technical College, special projects for school president, Dr. Ron Newcomb.
Dr. Laura Musselwhite – VP for Academic and Student Affairs at Georgia Highlands College.
Keith Sandlin – Serves as Cartersville Medical Center Chief Executive Officer, served on multiple Boards to include Etowah Foundation, North Metro Technical College, and Chamber of Commerce.
Marty Sonenshine - Executive Director of Anverse Foundation. Mr. Sonenshine oversees the research, planning, construction and operation of the foundation’s endeavors. To date, the foundation has allocated over $100 million to fostering its mission of funding the Arts, childhood development, education, and promoting the general social welfare.
On December 14, 2012, our Board participated in a full dayTraining and Orientation retreat at the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville. We engaged a consultant to facilitate the meeting and review applicable laws, Board roles and responsibilities, the charter contract, our mission and goals, and to develop our next steps.
In January, the Board worked with the school system to interview candidates for CEO. The Bartow County Board of Education unanimously accepted the recommendation to hire Dr. Paul Sabin to serve as CEO.
Timelines
BCCCA will officially open in August 2013. Since our donated facility is undergoing renovation (see below), we will open in a portion of the facility and also the existing three high schools (Adairsville, Cass and Woodland), and also with dual enrollment classes at Chattahoochee Technical College, Kennesaw State University, and Georgia Highlands College.
BCCCA will work with Bartow County Schools as fiscal agent on the facility improvements, which we estimate will be complete before the beginning of Year Two (Fall 2014).
Other major tasks and schedules include:
- The Board of Directors will continue with their monthly meetings through 2013, every fourth Thursday, with minor changes in November and December around the holidays.
- Registration is ongoing now for Year One, with Dr. Sabin working with high school counselors and making presentations in the schools to students and parents.
- The Year One master schedule will be complete by July.
- Work on BCCCA’s performance database will begin in May and be complete by August 2012.
Career & College Focus
The triangulation of needs assessments, student interest and current employment needs provided the data used to develop the curriculum for BCCCA. The career pathways that will be implemented include, but are not limited to, the following clusters (Note: Clusters have been ranked based on needs assessment data.):
1. Advance Manufacturing (Energy, Production, Manufacturing Production Process and Development, Quality Assurance, Health, Safety and Environmental Assurance, and Logistics and Inventory Control)
2. Health Science (Therapeutic Services, Health Informatics, Biotechnology Research and Development, Diagnostic Services, and Support Services)
3. Service Industry (Finance, Retail, Hospitality, Non-Profit)
4. Business Management and Administration (Marketing, Operations Management, and Administrative Support, Business)
5. Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics (Logistics Planning and Management Services, Warehouse and Distribution, Health and Safety and Environmental Management, Transportation Operations, Transportation Systems/Infrastructure Planning, Management and Regulations)
6. Education andTraining (Administration and Administrative Support, Professional Support Services, and Teaching and Training).
7. Government and Public Administration (Governance, Community Planning and Development, Public Management and Administration)
Based on survey results from our local industry, regional business and occupational trend data for the state of Georgia, at a minimum in our region there is a need for course offerings and career pathways in the areas of Advanced Manufacturing, Medical/ Healthcare, Service/ Hospitality, Retail Marketing, Transportation and Logistics, and Educational Training. Using current partners and creating new partners for Work-Based Learning, BCCCA will put into practice student opportunities in cooperative education, internships, job shadowing, youth apprenticeships and clinical experiences with local business and agency partnerships in the available career pathways. Dual and Joint Enrollment courses will initially be available through Chattahoochee Technical College and Georgia Highlands College, with some students earning credit at Kennesaw State University.
Articulation with local postsecondary institutions will be available for students entering BCCCA and will be encouraged for students excelling in Career and Technical programs. Furthermore, there will be opportunities to acquire additional certifications to include, but not limited to Certified Customer Service Specialist, Certified Manufacturing Specialist, and Certified Warehouse and Distribution Specialist. After the start-up phase of the BCCCA, pathways will be developed to lead students from BCCCA into Chattahoochee Technical College, Kennesaw State University, Georgia Highlands College or other postsecondary institutions that can enable our students to eventually complete a two or four-year degree in their desired pathways.
The academy will begin career exploration opportunities in the sixth and seventh grades (for students not yet enrolled at BCCCA) with interest inventories and an introduction to career readiness preparing them for their final eighth grade Individual Graduation Plan (IGP). Interest inventories and skill assessments will be provided to determine student interest in a career pathway. By identifying student interest and skill level in the sixth through eighth grades, students will be prepared to sit for a baseline workplace (foundational) skills assessment. In the beginning of eighth grade, BCCCA will utilize assessments to establish strengths and weaknesses in comparison to regional and national workplace skill requirements. Career fairs and information sessions will be offered periodically to develop students’ SEPs, the vital concept in preparing students for their future education and career.
Grade Levels/Enrollment and Student Focus
Ninth grade students may take courses at the BCCCA; however, introductory career pathway courses of the chosen field will be strongly recommended and encouraged at the student’s home school where they are aligned. Work-based learning experiences will begin in grade eleven and will continue into the student’s senior year. Dual and Joint Enrollment options will be available during student’s eleventh and twelfth grade year. Placement with local business and agency partners aligned to a student’s chosen career path will be emphasized and strongly encouraged during the student’s senior year of school.
BCCCA has estimated that its enrollment for the first five years will be as follows:
9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / TotalYr 1 / n/a / 15 / 125 / 125 / 265
Yr 2 / n/a / 25 / 155 / 200 / 380
Yr 3 / n/a / 35 / 200 / 225 / 460
Yr 4 / 10 / 40 / 220 / 240 / 510
Yr 5 / 20 / 40 / 240 / 250 / 550
Student Support
Students are supported mostly by the counseling efforts of our three partnering high schools. This support will expand significantly with the beginning of school in August, which will see dedicated counseling and student support staff onsite (both high school and college).
Mentoring is also offered through the existing efforts of the high schools. With our own facility, BCCCA will host and manage its own mentoring program starting in August.
Structure
BCCCA has been building our brand (or culture) through direct communications with students and parents for more than a year; however, we expect and plan to have more success with cultural awareness and brand when our dedicated facility is officially open in August. We look forward to having a “place” that is uniquely “ours” to control, host events, and educate students. See attached flyer and website information,
Standards & Curriculum
We have Advisory Committees for every CTAE program at all three participating high schools (Adairsville, Cass and Woodland). We are following state standards for all classes and used needs data (see Need above) to determine course offerings. We will open this August with students pursuing pathway completion, dual enrollment and high school diplomas.See above sections for enrollment levels and pathway offerings.
Faculty & Staff
Year One faculty willbe the CTAE instructors of select programs that will be moved to BCCCA and the counseling staff of all high schools and dual enrollment instructors at our college partners. Our CEO, Dr. Paul Sabin, is currently the only employee of BCCCA.Faculty decisions have yet to be made for those 2013-14 course offerings. CEO Sabin is working with Bartow County Schools to develop those recommendations.
Evaluation
The CEO will develop a unique database for BCCCA that will be used to prepare annual reports for DOE and all stakeholders. Our first annual report is not due until October 2014.BCCCA is using the Evaluation and Improvement form from the GCCAP grant application and our list of charter goals above as templates for developing that database.
Cycle of Improvement
BCCCA has committed through its charter contract to conduct an annual surveys of parents. We will implement our employer needs assessment at least once during the charter term, and we will also do student surveys every year. We will also follow the several pages of evaluation and improvement measures submitted with our GCCAP grant application.
Charter School Law
BCCCA’s charter was approved by the Bartow County Board of Education on July 23, 2012 and by the Georgia Board of Education on November 14, 2012. BCCCA has a Charter to operate for a five-year term beginning on July 1, 2013 and expiring on June 30, 2018.
February meeting with parents and students regarding the College and Career Academy. Dr. Harper, school system superintendent, addressing more than 300 interested parents and students.