Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Atlas Prep Visit


Yesterday I visited the new Atlas Prep in the south part of Colorado Springs. The charter school is authorized by the Harrison 2 School District and will serve middle school students. This year the school has enrolled 82 fifth grade students and will grow through eighth grade. There are twice as many boys as girls enrolled this year.

School leaders, Zach McComsey and Julian Flores, have established numerous partnerships in order to best serve the targeted at-risk student population. The school focuses on preparing all students for college and as you can see by the photo, college banners line the hallways. Each of the classrooms are designated by the homeroom teacher's college banner.
Atlas Prep began school on Aug. 3rd. The school's students wear uniforms and the school is designed to focus intensely on raising student achievement in the core subject areas. The school offers a longer school day and a longer school year.
In the school's materials the question is asked, "Did you know the highest average ACT score of any high school in our area that serves more than 30% low-income students is a 17? You need, on average, a 24 to get into a four-year state school."
A previous blog about Atlas Prep is here. Ed is Watching blogged on Atlas Prep here.

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