MEMBER PROFILE: Perspectives Charter School

1930 S. Archer Ave., Chicago
(312) 225-7400
Visit their website
Contact: Kim Day, Co-Founder & Principal

Perspectives Charter School was founded on a vision for a new school in Chicago that invited hope, fostered confidence, and inspired achievement. Through A Disciplined Life ©, Perspectives creates a compassionate and ethical learning environment that provides students with the foundation for academic and social success. The goal at Perspectives is to teach students to be critical thinkers and equip students with the skills they need to succeed in an ever-changing global economy. To this end, Perspectives holds high standard for its students and expects each student to graduate from high school and attend college. Thus far Perspectives has had remarkable success-in the past 3 years the graduation rate has been 100% and the college acceptance rates have been higher than 95%. Last year was a landmark year for Perspectives: its student body doubled in size and it moved into a newly constructed building.

BASIC INFORMATION:

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SIGNATURE PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES:

• A Disciplined Life ©: A code of living designed to instill the values of academic performance and personal growth. Students are required to take A Disciplined Life © classes where students and teachers discuss how living by the code can help them make positive life decisions. View supplementary materials.
• Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.): A 30 minute time period at the beginning of each day in which students read a book of their choice to themselves.
• Strong Parent & Family Involvement: All parents are required to be actively involved in their child's education and to volunteer at Perspectives. Perspectives reaches out to parents by scheduling regular face-to-face conferences, organizing parent workshops, and making regular phone calls home to discuss their child's positive and negative behavior.
• High Expectations for Teachers & Constructive Feedback: This includes a summer retreat and in-depth observation, mentoring, peer coaching, and small group feedback sessions.
• Travel Program: Perspectives students travel locally, nationally, and internationally as a part of their educational enrichment. The travel program includes an annual college tour and a trip to Washington, D.C.
• Internship Program: 9th and 11th graders participate in an internship program and work with a mentor for two days per month for six months.
• Community Service Requirement: Students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades are required to work on a community service project.

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CALENDAR AND SCHEDULING

Schedule: Middle School students' regular school day is 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and High School students school day schedule is 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. While regular class periods of 50 minutes are used, block scheduling is also employed to provide greater time for varied instruction. At least two Wednesdays each month, students engage in Extended Field Studies, in which learning extends beyond the classroom, and students take specialty courses such as Social Justice, College Prep, and Internship, or students complete Community Action Projects.

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ACADEMICS

Curriculum: All Students will take Science, Math, English, History, and A Disciplined Life © courses. In addition, students are required to choose an elective course such as Speech and Communication Arts, Health and Fitness, Spanish, Computer Technology, Music, and Visual Arts.

Graduation Requirements: Perspectives Charter School believes in evaluating the whole child. Therefore, the promotion policy is based on passing grades in all courses and test scores. Perspectives does not promote students based on standardized test scores alone.

Advancement from the 8th grade is earned by successfully passing all coursework and "Passages," Perspectives' unique, large-scale student assessment.

High school seniors must earn a total of 29 credits for graduation. In addition to the course requirements and Passages assessment, each Perspectives senior must be admitted to a post-secondary educational option, admitted to college, trade school, the military, or must show proof of gainful employment to earn graduation status. Although college attendance is the aim for every student, those who choose not to go to college must show proof that they have a post-graduation plan in order to graduate.

Programs/Practices of Note

• Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.): A 30 minute time period at the beginning of each day in which students silently read a book of their choice. To create the environment for reading teachers play instrumental music during D.E.A.R. time. Teachers also create the D.E.A.R. environment for tardy students so that they can read when they arrive to school. Teachers monitor student progress by a number of methods including: asking students to respond to their books in a daily reading log, having students turn in a weekly report of the highlights of their book and the progress they are making, etc.
• Travel Program: In order to expand students' horizons and broaden their perspectives all students will travel as a part of their academic curriculum. 6th and 7th grade students will go on a camping trip; 8th grade students will go on a trip to Washington, D.C.; 9th graders will go on a trip to Springfield, IL; 10th and 11th graders will go on a college tour; and 12th graders will go on a trip internationally. The travel program is funded by grants, student fundraisers, and family contributions.
  • Annual College Tour: The annual college tour is an annual week-long bus trip that takes 10th and 11th grade students to visit numerous colleges and universities across the country. Each tour focuses on a region of the country and students see both small and large campuses, public and private schools, and two-year and four-year schools.
• Field Studies: Field studies are designed to expose students to cultural, political, and commercial events in Chicago. One to two field studies are organized each month and through these field studies students attend exhibits, plays, speeches, concerts, rallies, etc. To maximize the educational value of the field study trips students are asked to complete pre-trip assignments in order to acquire knowledge before the trip and post-trip assignments to demonstrate their learning.

  For example, 8th grade students as a pre-trip activity to the Mexican Fine Arts Center read an autobiography of Carlos Cortez and articles concerning The Day of the Dead. After touring the related exhibits, the post-trip activity required students to create their own altars, modeled after those they’d viewed at the museum.

• Internship Program: 9th and 11th graders participate in an internship program and work with a mentor for two days per month for six months. Through the internship program students experience life in a professional work environment and learn about the skills necessary to be successful. To ensure that students are knowledgeable about the internship program and are matched with an organization best suited to their interests, Perspectives holds an annual Internship Fair where students and mentor discuss their experiences in the program. Additionally, Perspectives holds a "Meet & Greet" for parents, students, and mentors before internships begin to discuss the details of the internship program and what responsibilities the student intern will have. Currently, more than 60 companies and organizations participate in the internship program. Perspectives staff, including the Academic Dean and Assistant Principal, teach the Internship classes.

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STUDENT ASSESSMENT

Grades and Progress Reporting: Perspectives employs a unique form of student assessment. Students are involved in helping set the goals against which they will be evaluated. Students create a plan to meet personal and academic goals. Then, students identify the characteristics of quality work and set out to utilize those skills in their school projects. Teachers will thus assess a student's performance based in part on goals a student sets. Additionally, teachers will evaluate whether students write fluently and whether they engage in critical reflection on A Disciplined Life principles. In order to gauge a student's progress in following the precepts of A Disciplined Life, students will be evaluated on the projects in which they synthesize what they have learned, reflect how they have changed, and rate how they are embodying the principles of A Disciplined Life.

In-School Assessment: Perspectives students are required to pass a unique large-scale assessment during the 8th and 12th grades called Passages. Viewed as a type of exit interview from the 8th and 12th grades, Passages is a long-term project that will emphasize student research on identity and preparing for the future. Passages serves as a benchmark from middle school to high school, and high school to college. The all-inclusive 8th grade project is called Understanding My Identity: A Family History Project and includes a research paper, presentation, and narrative that will integrate A Disciplined Life© with skills and learning from the classroom. Passages requires students to explore their heritage and culture to better understand who they are and where they come from. Students uncover stories of their family's accomplishments and struggles, embracing and celebrating their family history. Students also have an opportunity to share their stories with their peers in a student forum. This forum is a vehicle for students to learn from each other and celebrate their differences and individuality.

The High School Passages project called, My Future: Planning Ahead, requires seniors to demonstrate their ability to create a five-year plan post-Perspectives to meet their personal and academic goals.

Standardized Testing: Perspectives believes that while standardized tests are not a full measure of a student's academic performance they can be a useful tool. To help increase standardized test scores, teachers will design some tests to resemble standardized tests and teach students test preparation strategies.

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STUDENT CULTURE

Philosophy: To create a student culture that prepares students to be intellectually reflective, compassionate, and ethical individuals capable of succeeding in a changing and competitive world.

Methods for Fostering School Culture:

• A Disciplined Life ©: A code of living that guides students to live a peaceful and productive life. Through A Disciplined Life © classes students learn lessons in embracing diversity and respecting and celebrating differences. View supplementary materials.
• Monthly Peace Prize: Students who have demonstrated high ethics and strong character are awarded Peace Prizes.
• Academic Success Publicized: Academic highlights are publicized weekly to the entire school. Additionally, students on the honor roll are celebrated.
• Dress code: Students are required to wear a uniform shirt, black pants/skirt, and black shoes.
• Healthy Lifestyles Initiative: Perspectives promotes good nutrition and incorporates regular exercise into its educational program. Our Healthy Lifestyles Initiative focuses on the importance of daily health and nutrition through our on-site meal program and education about family nutrition. Perspectives promotes a healthy school by supporting wellness, good nutrition, and regular physical activity as a part of the total learning environment. As our own School Food Authority, we offer nutrient-dense foods that provide both students and staff with calories rich in the nutrient content needed to be healthy.
• Discipline Roundtable: Students who repeatedly violate A Disciplined Life principles are required to attend a Discipline Roundtable. The entire faculty that is working with the student is present for the roundtable and the student's entire family is invited to attend. To prepare for the roundtable students are asked to respond to a series of questions, such as: Why are you here? What would you do differently? Is this the place for you? Do you belong here at Perspectives? Why? Together the members of the roundtable create an action plan for the student that must be addressed within 30 days. If the student fails to address the action plan, the student is advised to find another school.

Programmatic Approaches to Increasing Student Achievement:

• Extended Day: The school day for teachers at Perspectives was lengthened to run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The extra hour gives teachers the opportunity to better address student needs, specifically the needs of low-achieving students.
• After-school Program: The after-school program at Perspectives includes the homework club, tutoring, computer training, and student clubs. The purpose of the after-school program is to increase the performance of the lowest achieving students.

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TEACHERS AND STAFF

Governance: Teachers report directly to an Instructional Leader. Instructional Leaders are teachers who serve as coaches for improved instruction, professional growth, and mentorship. Additionally, Instructional Leaders are teacher leaders who serve in administrative capacities while remaining teachers. The Special Education Team/Case Manager, College Counselor, Teacher Aides, and After-School Coordinator report to the Assistant Principal. While the Principal is the chief administrator in the school, at the top of our governance structure are our students, who determine all that we do.

Professional Development: Perspectives is dedicated to having a skilled, creative, and committed staff. Every summer before school begins, professional development occurs via CORE and CAMP Perspectives. The objective of this unique professional development model is to build a collegial teaching team, anchored by trust, informed by a culture of cooperation and flexibility, and equipped with the skills needed for working with a diverse student population. On a monthly basis during the academic year, all teachers participate in structured professional development sessions that are designed to enhance teaching competencies, and that respond to the pedagogical and curricular needs of the staff and students. These monthly sessions include workshops led by our Special Education Team Teachers on making modifications and accommodations for special education students and on participation in the IEP process.

Perspectives is also committed to developing staff and resources to meet every students needs. This is accomplished by:

• Incorporating best practices for teaching diverse learners into professional development sessions, through the participation of Special Education Team Teachers.
• Ongoing communication between teachers.
• Creating community partnerships to give us best practices in addressing needs.

Additionally, professional development includes observation and reflection based on visiting other teachers' classrooms. Teachers observe their own colleagues within the building, and they will also have a chance to observe teachers in their field at other schools. Teachers are assessed on how aggressively they work on improving their practices through professional development.

Teachers are expected to pursue professional development opportunities and attend conferences that put them in contact with education professionals from across the city, state, and country. Annually, each teacher is provided with $1000 for professional development. Perspectives Charter School has a strong track record of teachers not only attending professional conferences but also leading presentations and discussions at national meetings. Examples include the Illinois Conference on Charter Schools, the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS), and the New Leaders for New Schools conference.

Teacher Evaluation: Perspectives Charter School understands the importance of helping teachers grow their practice. Perspectives implements a thorough, rigorous teacher evaluation process designed to improve the quality of teaching and learning, and to nurture and retain dedicated teaching faculty. Our teacher-designed evaluation tool includes:

• Observations
• Small Group Feedback Sessions
• Mentoring by Instructional Leaders
• Peer Coaching and Instructional Leader Coaching
• Formal and Informal Evaluations

The Instructional Leader serves as a coach who evaluates and mentors teachers, providing weekly feedback and discussion opportunities, informal observations, formative evaluations, and final evaluations. The Instructional Leader accomplishes this evaluation process through frequent observations and individual meetings with teachers. A Teacher Evaluation Rubric, designed by teachers for teachers, structures the observations and conversations, providing the Instructional Leader and teachers with a common language and common goals for quality teaching. Teacher evaluations include the quality of service to students with special needs. In addition to in-service training led by Case Managers and monthly coordination on the delivery of services to students with special needs, Instructional Leaders coordinate with Case Managers on teachers’ quality of services to special needs students. View the Teacher Evaluation Rubric PDF.

Perspectives takes assessing educators seriously and believes in the importance of accountability. The school places a strong emphasis on formative evaluation. Near the end of the first semester, the Instructional Leader completes the first formal formative evaluation. In the spring, after months of support and feedback, the Instructional Leader conducts an additional evaluation for the school year that assesses a teacher's progress in satisfying the criteria on the rubric. These evaluations are passed on to the Principal, who makes all final decision regarding faculty retention.

Both the Instructional Leader and the Principal review evaluations, and ultimately the Principal evaluates the Instructional Leader. It is the goal of Perspectives Charter School to create a professional culture where teachers will be able to lean on other teachers to improve their practice, whether it is by having a critical conversation around curriculum, or inviting colleagues into classrooms to help better their craft.

Staff Culture: Each August Perspectives hosts a teacher retreat, CORE, where teachers have the opportunity to bond and plan for the upcoming academic year. Teachers use this time to update Perspectives' strategic plan. Teachers begin CORE in August, and throughout CORE, teachers discuss the history of the school, the mission, the Five Guiding Principles of the school. (View these principles) and become comfortable with each other through large and small group discussions. Teachers learn about collegiality and how to interact as a team, and about common practices in the inquiry process - a process by which teachers pose critical questions to themselves and colleagues about teaching and learning. Teachers are constant learners and this process insures that our educators continue to grow and strengthen their practices.

Several days are devoted to discipline and classroom management. It is here where scenarios upon scenarios of classroom management techniques serve as excellent exercises in preparing teachers for setting the climate and responding to student behavior. CORE also include sessions on federal and state requirements for educating students with disabilities, including teachers’ responsibilities and a yearly refresher on referral, evaluation, and reevaluation of special education students. Our Team Teachers and Special Education Case Manager present to the general education teachers on best practices regarding teaching students with diverse learning styles in their classrooms, as well as positively addressing their needs throughout the school environment.

More than orientation or training, CORE is an induction into the Perspectives culture and A Disciplined Life©. Above all, CORE builds trust, a critical factor in being receptive and open to lessons offered during observation. Teachers learn that observations are two-way communications, not accusations, where information flows both ways.

In addition to CORE, Perspectives teachers and staff participate in an annual retreat called Camp Perspectives. Teachers come together to learn about A Disciplined Life©, design field studies, work with parents, plan curricular units, and build a community of readers. Educational strategies and the goals for the year are also discussed. Team building exercises, social celebrations, and the experience of being away together for a few days helps teachers feel comfortable with and supportive of each other. All are guided and encouraged to begin applying the principles of A Disciplined Life© in their interactions with each other and in their planning for the classroom.

A Disciplined Life© is the foundation of our staff and school culture that permeates all aspects of school life. It is that framework from which we build and sustain staff culture.

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PARENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Perspectives believes that parent involvement is key to student and school success. Parents are seen as joint partners in the education of their children and Perspectives has a goal of creating an open dialogue between parents, teachers, and administrators. To help build this open dialogue, teachers are encouraged to speak with parents at least twice per quarter. Perspectives fosters and encourages parent involvement in numerous other ways.

Opportunities for Parent Involvement:

• Parent Volunteerism: Parents are expected to volunteer at Perspectives and parent volunteer hours are regularly monitored.
• Parental Participation on Committees: Parents participate on committees to express their views about their children's education.
• Parent Contract: In order to meet the needs of the lowest performing students, a contract between parents, their children, and prospective staff is drawn up, committing to academic and social success.
• Parent Projects: Perspectives provides opportunities for parents to implement projects of their own to help the school.
• Parent Workshops & Seminars: Perspectives holds informative workshops to discuss parenting skills.
• Staff-Parent Communication: Teachers and staff engage in frequent conversation with individual parents and discuss their child's progress.

Community Involvement:

• Community Service Requirement: Students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades are required to work on a class-wide community service project.
• Guest Speakers Program: Guest speakers from in and around Chicago are invited periodically to Perspectives. Through this program students have an opportunity to learn about the different life and career paths others have taken.

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HELPFUL RESOURCES

• The Smithsonian Education Website: Provides great resources for lesson planning, devising activities, and creating dynamic historical and cultural celebrations or events.
• EdWeek: EdWeek's website provides current educational research updates, current educational happenings, coupled with expansive teacher resources.

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LINKS AND SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

A Disciplined Life©
Contact: http://www.perspectivescs.org/adl.html
Amber Donell, Academic Dean adonell@perspectivescs.org

Overview
A Disciplined Life© is the guiding philosophy at Perspectives Charter School. A Disciplined Life is both a set of principles formulated to provide students with a code of conduct and a positive perspective on life as well as a thematic class where students and teachers discuss and practically apply A Disciplined Life © principles to daily situations.

A Disciplined Life© Principles
Perspectives Charter School aspires to instill the principles of A Disciplined Life© in every student and hopes that students incorporate these principles into their school life as well as their lives beyond the walls of Perspectives. A Disciplined Life© principles are grouped into three areas: self-perception, communication, and productivity. The principles are grouped and listed below:

Self Perception
Accept only quality work from yourself
Take responsibility for your actions
Seek wisdom
Be open-minded
Think critically and be inquisitive
Love who you are
Demonstrate honesty and integrity and decency
Be generous
Be a life long learner
Live a healthy lifestyle

Communication
Communicate effectively
Challenge each other intellectually
Show gratitude
Solve conflicts peacefully
Respect each other's differences
Be positive and supportive of each other
Show compassion

Productivity
Demonstrate a strong work ethic
Use your time wisely
Listen actively
Be punctual and prepared
Be organized
Be Reflective
Be reliable
Take initiative
Demonstrate perseverance

A Disciplined Life © Class
During A Disciplined Life © classes teachers and students discuss topics of personal and social concern with the goal of having students learn to make peace, to communicate openly and effectively, and to make thoughtful decisions. Middle school students take a 45-minute A Disciplined Life © class every day, while high school students take a one-hour A Disciplined Life © class twice a week.

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