The New Orleans Military Maritime Academy

339 Pages·2010·10.3 MB·English

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TYPE 2
CHARTER SCHOOL
APPLICATION
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The New Orleans MilitarylMaritime Academy
AUGUST 24, 2010
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Executive Summary
MIssIOn: The mission of the New Orleans Military/Maritime Academy
(hereinafter the "Military/Maritime Academy") is to educate high school
students, no matter their background or preVIous school experience, to fully
achieve their personal and academic potential through the acquisition of core
knowledge and the skills of analYSIS, problem-solving, communication, and
global responsibility.
The Military/Maritime Academy Will provide an educational environment
based on a model of self diSCIpline that fosters positsve behavioral attitudes,
builds self- esteem, instills personal responSibility, creates accountability, and
teaches ethical decision making. The academy will provide a safe and
effective learning Institution, providing a learning environment that is
conducive to the educational and overall well being of students.
The academy Will engage student cadets in learning expenences and
activities that will enable them to exceed Louisiana state academic goals and
tests and to prepare them for post secondary education The academy will
develop and improve student cadet skills in the areas of leadership,
citizenship, character development, self discipline, communication, group
dynamics, team building, and other related areas The academy will structure
the educatlona! experience in order that student cadets gain the ability to
( think logically and to communicate effectively.
AcademIC Philosophy The MilitarylMaritime Academy believes that the
purpose of education is primarily the development of Skills, concepts,
knowledge, processes, and attitudes necessary for students to become
responsible, productive clbzens The MllitarylMantime Academy also
recognizes the characteristics that are unique to each individual and Will
provide a process for development and expression of each student's Innate
potential and talents.
A standards-based managed curriculum model shall be used to ensure that
Graduates have had the learning experiences necessary to develop the skills,
concepts, knowledge, processes and attitudes that are essential to success in
higher education and in the work place.
A standards-based cumculum model IS based on the following:
• All students are capable of achieVing at higher levels In learning
core academiC knowledge prOVided by formal schooling
• Schools, in partnership With parents and the community, have the
responsibility of controlling the conditions of success.
• Schools can maximize the learning enVIronment for all students through
explicit and clear objectives, high expectations for all students, and a
) continuous, balanced assessment of student learning.
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• The Instructional process can be adapted to improve learning
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• Successful student learning must be based on providing meaningful
experiences to insure maXimum student achievement.
The Military/Maritime Academy's JUnior Reserve Officer's Training Program
(JROTC) Academy Will provide a unique learning opportunity for highly
motivated students who desire a distinctive educational experience.
Established by the National Defense Act of 1916 and expanded in by
Congress in 1964, the JROTC program operates within a disciplined military
framework to train student cadets in leadership and motivational skills that Will
serve them dUring their school years as well as throughout their lives.
The Military/Maritime Academy seeks to replicate (with regional and cultural
adaptations and even greater academic success) the successful model of the
Noble Street Charter School In Chicago, IL Appendix A is an Information
Paper (with enclosures) that addresses the academiC success of the Noble
Street Charter School
Finally, by using the strategic framework offered by the CHARACTER
COUNTS!® coalition, students Will receive expliCit instruction In the area of
moral literacy; Ie, character development, values, ethics and ethical
decision-making; and be Immersed in a school community that embodies
these values AppendiX B contains statistics relative to the success of
( 1 CHARACTER COUNTSI® in school systems throughout the country. An
overview of the CHARACTER COUNTSI® organization and framework can
be found at www charactercounts org.
Students who chose the Military/Maritime Will be privileged to study in a
focused, college preparatory environment guided by a team of teachers and
retired military instructors who bring unparalleled experience to the
classroom. The expectation of the Academy is that cadets Will develop their
minds In an atmosphere where active learning stimulates curiosity. The
MilitarylMantime Academy Will provide the structure and personal motivation
needed by youth to succeed in our changing world.
Core Values About Teaching and Learning: Shared beliefs of all stakeholders
are
• The best pOSSible education is the birthright of every indiVidual,
• All students can learn, and every student should be challenged to
reach hiS or her full potential,
• Parents should be actively engaged partners in their student's
academic learning;
• Academic placement and Instruction should correspond to the
indiVidual's profiCiency, but Instruction in and attainment of grade level
expectations for all students is a moral Imperative of the school;
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- , • Students functioning below grade-level should receive remedial
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instruction to catapult them forward;
• Students funcbonlng above grade level should be allowed to
accelerate through the curriculum,
• Character education is the primary obligation of families, but schools
share this responsibIlity;
• Schools should offer explicit instruction In character development and
ethical decision-making;
• Schools must estabhsh a positive moral ethos and provide an
environment of high ethical standards and respect that is Integrated
Into all aspects of school life;
• Adults must serve as consistent models of moral leadership;
• Nurture of the whole student through the arts, athletics, and community
service IS vital to academic, social, and ciVIC accomplishment;
• Substantial and dIrect involvement of all stakeholders (students,
teachers, parents, support staff, and community) IS essential in the
development and realization of the school vision
School structure and LeadershIp Team: The Military/Mantlme Academy shall
be governed by a three to seven member board of directors. The Board of
Directors Will be composed of ciVIC or educational leaders from the greater
New Orleans commumty The membership of thiS board will be composed of
( a rich cross-section of the community, with each member bringing a needed
and valued Skill-set and perspective to school governance Broadly speaking,
the responsibilities of the Board of Directors are as follows.
• Formulation and supervision of overall school pohcy,
• Formulation of long-term and annual goals;
• Approval of and supervision of the execution of the school's annual
operations budget,
• Support the school's mission and purposes;
• Select the School Leadership Team and assess Its performance;
• Ensure effective organizational planning and sound broad policy,
• Ensure adequate resources,
• Oversee the management of school resources by the Leadership
Team;
• Enhance the school's public standing;
• Ensure legal and ethical integnty and maintain accountability;
• Recruit and orient new board members and assess board
performance; and
• Large-scale fund-raising.
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The make up of the Mili+..ary/Maritime Academy Leadership Team shall exhibit
a solid balance of educational and military experiences and excellence. The
Leadership Team must articulate and demonstrate a vision of integration of
military practices into the high school environment. The Commandant reports
directly to the Board of Directors and IS the Board's pnncipal advisor on all
military and academic matters. The Commandant IS charged with total
Implementation of the military academy program to include complete
coordination all Department of Defense elements. The Commandant will
supervise the Principal in the performance of his duties. The PrinCipal reports
directly to the Commandant and is responsible for coordinating and directing
all daily academic and extracurncular activities of the academy The leaders
will work cooperatively to ensure the requisite balance and integration of
these two essential programmatic components to fulfill the school's mission
and viSion. The AsSistant Principal and JROTC Officer are the chief deputies
of the academy leaders, and are likewise charged With the balance and
integration of the military, character education, academiC, and extracurncular
components
Short and Long-Term Goals: The Military/Maritime Academy's short term
goal IS to open school in the fall of 201 0 With an enrollment of approximately
100 ninth graders. All pieces of the Instructional model will be In place, on a
small scale, for these students who Will become the graduating class of 2015
Depending upon the status of the renovation of the desig nated school
buildings on board the Federal City, these students may be housed in an
alternative site proVided by the Recovery School District These students will
be offered the curriculum (academiCS, military discipline and procedures,
ethics) outlined In Section three of thiS application. Student progress Will be
evaluated and assessed In accordance with guidelines delineated in Section
3. Each year the school Will add a ninth-grade class and grow by one-grade
level, apprOximately 100 students each year. Staff and activities Will grow
proportionately. Short-term (within the first four years) academic goals are:
• 80% of freshmen will be on track to graduate,
• 50% of Juniors will meet or exceed state standards,
• 80% of all student cadets Will gr~duate within five years of entry,
• 80% of graduates Will enroll in post secondary education (full or part
time), and
• The Academy Will post a 90% annual attendance rate.
Long-term (year five and beyond) academiC goals are.
• 80% of freshmen Will be on track to graduate,
• 70% of Juniors (who have been with the school since ninth grade) will
meet or exceed state standards,
• 95% of all student cadets Will graduate Within five years of entry,
• 85% of graduates Will enroll in post secondary education (full or part
time), and
• The Academy Will post a 95% or better annual attendance rate.
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Operationally, from day one, the Military/Maritime Academy will exhibit sound
fiscal practices and posture. The school will expand in size and scope
systematically and incrementally each year, so as to ensure funding, faCilities,
equipment, programs, and personnel are not over-extended or of poor quality;
and that adequate planning and preparation has been accomplished prior to
each expansion The long-term operational objectives of the school are a
modern, well-maintained facility; modern equipment and superb technology; a
sustained record of sound fiscal management, a track record of superb
operational support of programmatic elements, and the establishment of an
endowment to ensure future fiscal solvency and modernization and
refurbishment as the school becomes an older and established educational
institution.
Effectiveness of the School Model in ImproVing Student Achievement and
Appropriateness for aJ/ students in the Target Population:
All ninth grade Students of the Military/Maritime Academy will be enrolled in
the LA Core 4 Curriculum. The LA Core 4 Curriculum was one of the
recommendations of the members of the High School Redesign
Commissioners and was adopted by the Board of Elementary and Secondary
Education (BESE) In 2007. It IS designed to graduate students from our high
schools that are more prepared to be successful In the real world. The LA
Core 4 Cumculum addresses the goal of prodUCing students that are both
( career and college ready. This CUrriculum is a more rigorous set of course
requirements Students will have to pass four academic subjects in each of
the following areas: English, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Only after
their second year In high school will students be given the option to opt out of
the LA Core 4 Cumculum with parental permission. Students who opt out Will
be able to receive a regular high school diploma. Based on research and
intensive study of best practices, BESE adopted the LA Core 4 Curriculum In
order to speCifically add ngor and relevance to high school studies. In
implementing both the LA Core 4 college preparatory curriculum and the
school-to-work curnculum, the school will utilize the Louisiana
Comprehensive Curriculum which IS aligned to state content standards (as
defined by grade-level expectations) and organized into coherent, time-bound
Units. The Louisiana ComprehenSIVe Cumculum content and suggested
activities are likewise grounded In research-based strategies and documented
best practices.
The balance and Integration of the three educational components offered at
the MilitarylMantime Academy (academic, social, and character education)
will provide a unique learning opportunity for highly motivated students who
desire a distinctive high school educational experience. The Military/Maritime
Academy Will afford the structure and enVIronment to foster academiC
success and the personal motivation and skills needed by our youth to
succeed in our changing world.
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Mission and Vision
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MIssIon' The mission of the Military/Maritime Academy is to educate high
school students, no matter their background or prevIous school experience, to
fully achieve their personal and academiC potential through the acquisition of
core knowledge and the skills of analysIs, problem-solvmg, communication,
and global responsibility
The Military/Maritime Academy Will provide an educational environment
based on a model of self discipline that fosters positive behaVioral attitudes,
bUilds self- esteem, instills personal responsibility, creates accountability, and
teaches ethical decision makmg The academy will provide a safe and
effective learning Institution, providing a learning environment that is
conducive to the educational and overall well-being of students.
The academy will engage student cadets m learning experiences and
actiVities that will enable them to exceed LOUisiana state academic goals and
tests and to prepare them for post secondary education The academy will
develop and Improve student cadet skills in the areas of leadership,
citizenship, character development, self discipline, communication, group
dynamics, team building, and other related areas. The academy will structure
the educational experience In order that student cadets gain the ability to
think logically and to communicate effectively.
VIsion: Our vision IS to become a renowned educational institution wherein
young women and men are challenged and nurtured by a rigorous, college
preparatory or education-to-career curricula; both of which are designed to
assure student learnmg, student progress, and student achievement resulting
in exceptional post-secondary qualifications The qualities of self-discipline
and intnnsic motivation to excel will be mstilled through a superior Junior
Reserve Officers' Trammg Program. The process of ethical decision makmg
will be mculcated through an expliCit character education program.
Philosophy. The MihtarylMantime Academy believes that the purpose of
education is primarily the development of skills, concepts, knowledge,
processes, and attitudes necessary for students to become responSible,
productive citizens. We believe that our students have a right to receive a
quality education, to learn in a safe. protected, and disciplined environment,
and they should be encouraged by the academy, the parents and the
commumty to manifest their dreams through self-actualization.
We believe that the educational Institution should foster academic and
personal excellence, develop the Ideals of respect, Integrity and fairness; and
embrace community participation within a safe school environment. Shared
beliefs of all stakeholders are
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• The best possIble education is the birthright of every indIvIdual;
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•
All students can learn, and every student should be challenged to
reach his or her full potentIal;
• Parents should be actIvely engaged partners in theIr student's
academic learmng;
• Academic placement and instruction should correspond to the
Individual's proficiency, but instruction in and attainment of grade level
expectations for all students is a moral imperative of the school,
• Students functlomng below grade-level should receive remedial
instruction to catapult them forward,
• Students functlomng above grade level should be allowed to
accelerate through the cUrriculum,
• Character education is the primary obligation of families, but schools
share this responsibility;
• Schools should offer expliCit instruction In character development and
ethical decision-making;
• Schools must establish a positive moral ethos and provide an
environment of high ethical standards and respect that is integrated
into all aspects of school life,
• Adults must serve as consistent models of moral leadership;
• Nurture of the whole student through the arts, athletics, and commumty
service IS vital to academic, social, and civic accomplishment,
• Substantial and direct Involvement of all stakeholders (students,
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teachers, parents, support staff, and community) IS essential In the
development and realization of the school vIsion.
The JROTC component is elemental to the realization of the school vIsion.
The JROTC mission is "To motivate young people to become better citizens,"
which is accomplished through.
• promoting CItizenship,
• developing leadership,
• communicating effectively,
• strengthening self-esteem,
• providing the incentive to live drug free.
• Improving physical fitness,
• promoting graduation from high school, and
• working as team members
Established by the National Defense Act of 1916 and expanded In by
Congress In 1964, the JROTC program operates within a military framework
to train student cadets In leadership and motivational skills that will serve
them during their school years as well as throughout their lives.
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The CHARACTER COUNTS!® constituent is likewise Integral to fulfillment of
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the mission and attainment of the organization's viSion· The seminal
mamfesto of the CHARACTER COUNTS!® framework for the teaching of
morality and ethics states, "The character and conduct of our youth reflect
the character and conduct of society, therefore, every adult has the
responsibility to teach and model the core ethical values, and every social
institution has the responsibility to promote the development of good
character" (The Aspen Declaration, 1992)
Target PopulatIOn· The Mllitary/Mantlme Academy Will target high school
students in the greater New Orleans area, to include students who reside in
Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard Parishes.
The Military/Maritime Academy IS designed to be "on par" with other
successful college preparatory schools in the area and should thus be a
Viable choice for all area students, both those who will pursue post-secondary
education and those who will choose the education-te-career track. Students
who are accepted Into the academy Will have successfully completed the
eighth by meeting minimal state standards and demonstrating basic skills in
reading, communication, and mathematiCS.
Due to the extra standards Imposed upon students at the Military/Maritime
Academy (JROTC drill, code of conduct, character education), and the
( "school of chOice" descriptor conjoined with charter school philosophy, it IS
expected that students who apply will have the desire and motivation to be
challenged academically and succeed in the Corps of Cadets The academy,
parents/guardians, and the student cadet will sign a compliance contract
which expliCitly states that attendance at the Military/Maritime Academy is
voluntary, but that enrolled students must partiCipate in the JROTC program
Failure to satisfactOrily partiCipate In JROTC will result in ineligibility to attend
the school
The Superintendent of the LOUisiana Recovery School District, Mr. Paul
Vallas, was the Superintendent of Chicago Public Schools when the Noble
Street School was established He was influential in the conceptual and
actualization stages of development, and thus he and his staff are committed
to the establishment of the Military/Maritime Academy and wholehearted Iy
supportive of Its success in order that students In the greater New Orleans
area, so long deprived of sufficient quality public education choice, can avail
themselves of the proven efficacy of this model.
The Military/Maritime Academy Will initially partner with the Recovery School
District (RSD) for proviSion of several essential student services (Food
service, transportation services, provIsion of homeless liaison, security and
safety) and altematlve schooling for expelled students Additionally, the
Military/Maritime Academy will petition the LOUisiana High School AthletiC
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Association (LHSAA), and If allowed by the LHSAA, MIlitary/Maritime
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student cadets will be allowed to participate in intra-scholastic athletics as
members of 0 Perry Walker High School (LHSAA Class 4A) teams. (A
Memorandum of Agreement with the RSD is appended, Appendix C.)
The Military/Maritime Academy Will, also, partner With Belle Chasse Academy,
a kindergarten through eighth grade Type 2 charter school, which serves 900
students, 95% of which are military dependent students. Belle Chasse
Academy Will serve as a primary feeder school to the Military/Maritime
Academy, and will offer partnership In the following areas· Response to
Intervention (Rtl) Implementation, pupil appraisal services, JOint professional
development, shared electives Instructors, and joint extracurricular activity
participation. Memorandum of Agreement with Belle Chasse Academy is
appended, Appendix D )
Enrollment Projection Chart:
Name of School: Military/Maritime Academy, Type 2 Charter School
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Grade Level Year Year Year Year YearS
i
Pre-K 0 0 0 0 0
( K 0 0 0 0 0
,
1S1 0 0 0 0 0
!
2"C 0 0 0 0 0
I
3rd 0 0 0 0 0
I I
4m 0 0 I 0 0 0
! I;
5m 0 0 0 0 0 I
,
6'" 0 0 0 0 I 0
I
7m I 0 0 0 0 0
I
8m ! 0 0 0 0 0 I
j
9'" ! 100 100 100 100 100
i
I
10111 0 100 I 100 100 100
I
11'" 0 0 ! 100 100 100
12th 0 0 0 100
Total 100 200 300 400 400
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