Massachusetts Charter Schools

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Community Day Charter Public School

Meeting the Needs of Students, Families, and the Community

Topics: School Culture and Classroom Management Practices
Instructional Practices
Practices in Instructional Leadership
Using school-wide and individual student assessment data to inform curriculum and instruction
Mission: The mission of CDCPS is to provide a Kindergarten through grade eight school that will draw upon our considerable experience in working together as a community to develop and implement a curriculum that discovers and supports the special characteristics and unique learning styles of each student. We will engage that student in meaningful learning experiences for the purposes of clearly stated goals in the areas of understandings, knowledge, skills, habits and social competencies. The curriculum will be embedded in the reality of city life and will reinforce the positive aspects of our city: its culture, art and economy, its working class history and strong work ethic. Our educational philosophy, curriculum and teaching methods are informed by an understanding that learning takes place in the context of family and that family must be supported in ways that make learning for the child possible.
Goals: The goal of the “Keeping the Promise” dissemination and replication project is to document and disseminate best practices from five high performing charter schools serving high need communities.
Summary: Meeting the Needs of Students, Families and the Community (2007). This best practice centers around a standards-based, academically challenging curriculum that draws on the cultural assets of Lawrence; the use of data analysis to improve teaching and learning; a supported immersion model for English language learners; the development of individualized education goals for all students; an administrative structure that outsources management services to established non-profit organization; a collaborative staffing model; mandatory participation in school governance; and the integration of community resources. “Keeping the Promise: The Massachusetts Charter School Dissemination and Replication Project” is sponsored by a National Leadership Grant of the U.S. Department of Education’s Charter School Program in the Office of Innovation and Improvement. This project was envisioned and convened by the Massachusetts Charter School Association, which applied for federal funding support project activities. In addition to Community Day Charter Public School, four other high performing charter schools in Massachusetts were selected to participate in the three-year dissemination project, including Boston Collegiate Charter School, Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School, MATCH Charter Public High School, and Roxbury Preparatory Charter School. Each school wrote and published a paper highlighting effective practices, and will host school visits and workshops for other schools and educators. Educators from around Massachusetts and the country will visit the schools and attend workshops facilitated by the five participating charter schools, including Community Day Charter Public School.”
Partner(s):
Dates: 01/01/2007
01/01/2008
Contact: Mary Chance, Head of Upper School (mchance@cdcps.org/978. 682.6796) Cindy Snow, Massachusetts Charter School Association (snow@masscharters.org/413-625-0135)
Resources: Whole School Paper: “Meeting the Needs of Students, Families and the Community” (www.masscharterschools.org/wholeschool/docs/176/CDCPS.html) Workshop session materials provided to school visitors
Federal Charter Schools Program Funds? MCPSA Keeping the Promise

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Last Updated: January 22, 2025