Gem Prep. Meridian South’s attendance boundary is outlined as follows: From the centerline of the road, starting at the corner of E. Victory Rd and Meridian Rd, following Victory Rd east to the corner of Victory Rd and S. Cloverdale Rd. South on Cloverdale Rd to the junction with W. Hidden Valley Rim Rd. Then west following the southern boundary of the Xxxx Xxx School District to Meridian Rd. Then north on Meridian Rd back to the corner of Meridian Rd and E. Victory Rd. (See Appendix F1: Letter to Local Superintendent.) Student Demand Access for low-income students. The current Gem Prep Meridian school serves a student population of 48 percent low income students, as compared to the Xxxx Xxx district overall that is approximately 25 percent low income. Attracting a diverse student population and serving them well is central to Gem Prep’s mission Student success. While Gem Prep Meridian students serve a student demographic that represents a variety of backgrounds, Gem Prep students perform well when compared with the Xxxx Xxx district.
Gem Prep. Meridian will graduate students who are: College and career ready Problem solvers Life-long learners Self-motivated Responsible citizens Educational Program and Goals In developing an initial school model, the leadership team sought to incorporate successful best practices from its virtual school (I-DEA) as well as high performing charter schools across the nation. The founding team has been influenced by the success of high performing blended learning schools such as Rocketship, XXXX LA, Summit Public Schools, Alpha Public Schools, Rocky Mountain Prep and others. At the same time the school model created is unique to Gem Prep: Meridian, as it strives to meet the needs of the target student population and work within the Idaho operating environment. Differentiated from what has traditionally been referred to in the current educational landscape as blended learning, the Gem Prep: Meridian model pivots strongly on rigor and personalization. Students will be enabled to progress through curriculum at their own pace while still enjoying meaningful community with their peers, who may be at a completely different academic level on any given subject. The table below summarizes the origins of each component of the models described below: Component of current I-DEA model Offline curriculum (K-12) Some online curriculum selections Assessment cycles and data driven instruction Dual enrollment Learning Management System Single subject acceleration model (students working ahead of grade level when ready) 7-12 asynchronous statewide instruction model Practice drawn from other high performing school models K-6 in classroom rotational model (including multi-age grouping for core Math/ELA content) 7-12 Flex Model Some online curriculum selections Staffing model Principal residency model Actionable data reporting for teachers to inform instruction The key components of our model are as follows:
Gem Prep. Meridian will provide transportation for special needs students if it is determined that this is necessary to provide for a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Gem Prep: Meridian will follow state and federal laws regarding assessment of Special Education students.
Examples of Gem Prep in a sentence
Very much related to the above, the importance of continual improvement and innovation will be a focus for Gem Prep.
Gem Prep is committed to evaluating the academic impact of its instructional model and making any necessary adjustments in order to meet all academic goals.
Gem Prep will be grounded in the importance of using data to drive instruction.
One way Gem Prep does this is by placing students in the grade level of their comprehension, not necessarily in the grade level of their birth year.
Gem Prep is currently investigating two options for implementing the lunch program.
More Definitions of Gem Prep
Gem Prep. Meridian will serve all children including special education, Gifted and Talented, students requiring Section 504 Accommodations and EL (English Learner) students, etc. (See Tab 3 for more information and how Gem Prep: Meridian will serve these students.) One full year prior to opening and active recruiting, the school is generating a significant interest among local families. As of July 18, 2017, over 250 students have expressed an interest in enrollment. (83% are located in the Xxxx Xxx area with 10% currently living in Boise.)
Gem Prep. Meridian is expected to have 288 students enrolled in year one of the charter. It is expected these students will come from various schools within the Treasure Valley area with Xxxx Xxx School District being the primary source of the student transfer. Assuming all 288 new students transfer from WASD, there will be a reduction of 11.80 support units (assuming an ADA of 95%) with an estimated reduction of State foundation support to WASD of $1,270,270, which is approximately 0.65% of their projected foundation funding for FY2018-2019.
Gem Prep. Meridian is considering using Illuminate or PowerSchool. In addition to the SIS the leadership team is currently investigating the addition of Illuminate’s Data and Assessment Management System, which would work with either of the student information systems. The Illuminate DNA system would give teachers and administrators access to reports, built in assessments, the ability to capture assessment data, data analysis tools and support, as well as data forecasting tools. The organization ensures that student progress is closely tracked with two annual administrations of a criterion-referenced assessment across all grade levels. This data provides the school with important growth data over the course of a school year. Gem Prep: Meridian will consider the use of the NWEA MAP assessment for these bi-annual administrations.
Gem Prep. Meridian will invest any money coming into the hands of the school in investments permitted by section 67-120 of the Idaho Code Enrollment, Admissions, Attendance Policies
Gem Prep. Meridian plans to offer student transportation in their first year. School leadership is currently investigating two options for transportation. Based on a successful implementation of a similar plan at Gem Prep: Pocatello, the first option will take advantage of public transportation allowing students to ride the public bus system to and from school. The school plans to negotiate with Valley Ride on the use of current and future public bus routes for their students. The second option will be contracted services. Gem Prep: Meridian will follow all state reporting requirements for transportation per Idaho Code 33-5208(4). A formal bid process as outlined by the Idaho State Department of Education and Idaho Code 33-402(2) will be followed. Transportation will be provided to the student population as outlined in Idaho Code 33-5208(4)(a)(b). Students with special needs will be provided transportation in accordance with requirements of state and federal law. A student’s IEP will determine if transportation is required and the best method of transportation. All transportation will adhere to the IDEA. Transportation of field trips, excursions, and extracurricular activities will be provided by the school through contracted services, and supported through appreciated donations from families, as well as philanthropic avenues.
Gem Prep. Meridian will seek a partnership with the Xxxx Xxx School District. Following the model used at Gem Prep: Nampa, the district manages the full nutrition program including state and federal reporting, collection of FRL forms from families, and food preparation and delivery. Lunches will be delivered daily to the school. Gem Prep: Meridian expects there to be a contracted fee for delivery of the lunches, however, payments for food and federal reimbursement will flow directly through Xxxx Xxx SD. The School Operations Manager will manage the serving of lunch using a combination of school staff and parent volunteers.
Gem Prep. Meridian PTO: Administration will attend PTO meetings. The School and PTO will work well together, boosting parent involvement, communication, community awareness, project funding, etc.