BALDWIN PARK APPROVES CHARTER SCHOOL

TO TARGET NEEDS OF HOMELESS STUDENTS

District Unanimously Votes to Create Area’s First Homeless Charter,

Innovative Program to be Run By Opportunities for Learning Charter Schools

BALDWIN PARK, Calif. (Feb. 14, 2007) – In what is believed to be a first in Southern California, the Baldwin Park Unified School District (BPUSD) last night unanimously approved the creation of a charter school to focus solely on the unique needs of area homeless students, who represent a large but often neglected student population.

In a 4-0 vote, the board approved an application from Opportunities for Learning (OFL) to start a new charter that will serve some of the estimated 10,000 homeless children in and around Baldwin Park and the greater Los Angeles area. OFL currently operates a successful charter school program in the district that has been effective in dropout recovery and prevention.

“During the past decade, families with children have emerged as the fastest growing segment of the homeless population,” said Tom Goodman, Superintendent of OFL. “Superintendent Mark Skvarna and his board should be commended for recognizing this serious problem and making it a priority to tackle it with an innovative program”

The charter, which is expected to begin operating in late spring, will work with local homeless advocates, government agencies, non-profit organizations and shelters to help identify students and link them and their families to available social services.

The program will place a priority on going out into the community to directly reach the homeless student population. Additionally, OFL will place a priority on meeting the most frequently reported needs of homeless children as reported by state agencies, including:

• Remediation and tutoring
• Continuity and stability in the educational programs
• Sensitivity and awareness training for school personnel and students

“It’s hard to think of a more at-risk student than one who is homeless,” said Superintendent Skvarna. “This important undertaking begins to address a dire need in our community; and our partnership with OFL is a natural extension for the school, which has a proven track record in running dropout prevention and recovery programs.”

Last month, BPUSD approved a five-year renewal of OFL’s existing program; the accredited public charter school serves thousands of the district’s at-risk middle and high school students in Long Beach, Compton, South Central Los Angeles, and the San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys. During the past five years, the Baldwin Park’s OFL school has served more than 20,000 students – 11,000 of whom returned to traditional schools, and another 1,000 of whom graduated from OFL.

In recommending renewal of the charter last month, the district recognized that a sound and effective educational program was being offered by OFL as evidenced by both Academic Performance Index (API) comparison scores and an increase in student enrollment. Based upon the 2006 API – the cornerstone of California’s Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999, which measures the academic performance and growth of schools on a variety of academic measures – OFL-Baldwin Park’s score increased 30 points from the previous year. This was more than twice the target growth set by the State of California.

OFL officials say the school’s educational model works because it offers one-on-one attention from teachers, availability of year-round classes, single subject immersion, high standards, and rigorous attendance and accountability requirements.

“Homeless students will also benefit tremendously by this core approach and philosophy,” said Bill Toomey, OFL’s Director of Instruction. “Our focus will be in going directly to these students, tracking them and making sure they are plugged into a vast network of social services.”

Grady Martine, executive director for Central City Community Outreach programs, agreed, saying, “Education is an important dimension that directly relates to how we as a community need be more effectively solving the homeless problem. I hope other school district’s share and begin to adopt Superintendent Skvarna’s vision of reaching out to homeless students.”