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SusQ Cyber Charter School

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SusQ-Cyber Charter School
Address
Map
240 Market Street, Suite 15,

Bloomsburg
,
Columbia County
,
Pennsylvania
17815

United States
Information
TypePublic cyber charter school
MottoPennsylvania's First Cyber Charter School
Foundedinitially approved August 1998, charter renewed January 2015 through the end of the 2019-2020 school year[4]
FounderBerwick Area School District, Bloomsburg Area School District and Milton Area School District in conjunction with the Board of Trustees
School boardlocally selected Board of Trustees
OversightCentral Susquehanna Intermediate Unit 16, Pennsylvania Department of Education
PrincipalPatricia Leighow, Chief Executive Officer (2014)
former principal/CEO Karin Lynn Shipman salary $89,266 (2013)
Staff11 non teaching staff members[1]
Faculty15 teachers (2014),[2] 15 teachers (2011)[3]
Grades9th though 12th
Age14 years old to 19 years old
Number of pupils119 pupils (2015)[5]

153 pupils (2014)[6]
178 pupils (2013-14)[7]
155 pupils (2012-13)[8]
178 pupils (2011-12)[9]
72 pupils (2009-10)[10]

194 Pupil (2006-07)
 • Grade 926 (2012), 17 (2010)
 • Grade 1031 (2012), 21 (2010)
 • Grade 1141 (2012), 13 (2010)
 • Grade 1257 (2013), 21 (2010)[11]
LanguageEnglish
AccreditationPennsylvania Department of Education
TuitionNone billed to student. All tuition is state/district funded through school tax dollars.
Websitehttp://www.susqcyber.org/

Susq-Cyber Charter School is a small, public, cyber charter school whose headquarters are located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The school offers grades 9th through 12th. Students residing in any region of Pennsylvania may enroll in the school. The curriculum and instruction is internet based. Teachers are available to pupils, during traditional school day hours via phone and internet. There is no charge to the students or parents. The pupil's public school of residency pays tuition to the charter school each year, on a per pupil attending basis. The amount paid is set each year by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. It is based on the home school district's own per pupil spending.[12] Susq-Cyber Charter School is one of 14 public, cyber charter schools operating in Pennsylvania in 2014.

SusQ-Cyber School follows many of the same mandates as traditional school districts, with the additional requirements of providing an Annual Report to the Pennsylvania Department of Education and reports mandated by Pennsylvania Act 88 of 2002 Cyber Charter School Law. Pennsylvania's public, cyber charter schools are subject to annual office site visits by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.[13] Like several very small Pennsylvania public school district, Susq-Cyber Charter School's CEO serves as a combined principal and superintendent.

In January 2015, the Pennsylvania Department of Education approved the renewal of the charter of the school despite its poor academic record. The PDE reserved the right to revoke the charter if the school does not show progress in improving the pupils' academic achievement, closing the achievement gap by stipulated amounts each school year. The Charter has been renewed through June 30, 2020.[14] The request by the School to expand to offer 7th and 8th grade was denied. The School's administration was required to develop a plan to raise student achievement and submit it to the PDE.

In 2014, 153 pupils were enrolled in grades 9th through 12th, with 63% from low income homes. Additionally, 22% received special education services, while none were identified as gifted. All of the teachers were described as Highly Qualified as defined by No Child Left Behind.[15]

In 2013, Susq-Cyber Charter School reported 155 pupils in grades 9th through 12th, with 62% from low income homes.[16] Additionally, 19% of pupils received special education services, while none or the pupils were identified as gifted. The student population was Females - 65%, Males 34%. Per the PA Department of Education 100% of the teachers were rated Highly Qualified under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

During the 2007-08 school year, the SusQ-Cyber Charter School provided educational services to 306 pupils from 70 sending school districts. The School employed 10 teachers, 6 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 2 administrators. The SusQ-Cyber Charter School received $43,373 in state funding in school year 2007-08. For the school year which ended June 30, 2006, the SusQ-Cyber Charter School provided educational services to 194 students from 34 sending school districts. The school employed: 1 administrator, 8 teachers, and 3 full-time and part-time support personnel.[17]

All students are assigned a Distance Learning Monitor who checks their progress and remains in contact with them through emails, on-line chats through the programs or by phone. Teachers are available to tutor students, to review what their problem areas are, and to set up plans for achievement that the student can follow between tutoring sessions. Tutoring sessions may be held on line using Elluminate or teachers may meet with students either at the testing centers or at various locations throughout the state which include libraries in the students home area, at university library facilities or at community centers.

History

In 1997, five local school districts met with members of the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU16) to discuss establishing a cyber entity. Three of the original five school districts approved the charter that created the SusQ-Cyber Charter School in 1998 (Berwick Area School District, Bloomsburg Area School District and Milton Area School District). In 2002, Pennsylvania Act 88 required all charter schools to be chartered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.[18] The overriding focus was for the School to deliver an educational program to primarily at-risk high school students who are trying to obtain their high school diploma. In 2003, the SusQ-Cyber Charter School was re-chartered as a public school district for grades 9-12 for an additional 5 years. For its first five years, the school was open exclusively to students in the CSIU16 region. In 2005, enrollment opened to all Pennsylvania students who meets the residence and age requirements of Pennsylvania law.

Initially, the School provided courses that were not available in their traditional District's high school. Over time the program has evolved to serve students who are underserved by the traditional local public schools. This includes students who are pregnant and students who need to work to support themselves, for example. Other students have medical problems such as auto-immune deficiency, cancer, or asthma that lead to them missing a significant number of schools days, due to illness or therapy appointments. Another group of students are gifted. They seek cyber school after leaving their traditional school to accelerate their studies. They may have entered college with advanced standing, but have a course requirement outstanding to earn their high school diploma. Some public school principals have reported referring potential drop out to the school to finish their public education and earn a high school diploma.[19]

Graduation rate

In 2015, Susq-Cyber Charter School reported a graduation rate of 32.86%[20]

In 2008, Susq-Cyber Charter School reported graduating 47 students. The school has had a total of 180 graduates in the past 10 years.[26]

Graduation requirements

In 2007-08, the School's Board of Trustees established higher graduation requirements, including: Science 4 credits, Social Studies 4 credits, Mathematics 4 credits and English 4 credits. The total number of required credits to graduate was set at 22.5 credits. Electives required include 2 credits in the arts and the humanities plus 2.5 additional credits. health and Physical Education remained at 1.5 credits and .5 credit for the graduation project course.

By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students were required to complete a project as a part of their eligibility to graduate from high school. The type of project, its rigor and its expectations are set by the individual school district.[27] Effective with the graduating class of 2017, the Pennsylvania State Board of Education eliminated the state mandate that students complete a culminating project in order to graduate.[28]

AYP history

The Susq-Cyber Charter School remained Warning Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status for the 2011-12 school year.[29]

  • 2012 - declined to Corrective Action II status level 4th year due to low graduation rate and chronic, low student academic achievement[30]
  • 2011 - declined to Corrective Action II status level 3rd year
  • 2010 - declined to Corrective Action II status level 2nd year[31]
  • 2009 - Making Progress Corrective Action II status level
  • 2008 - declined to Corrective Action II status level[32]
  • 2007 - declined to Corrective Action I status level
  • 2006 - declined to School Improvement II level
  • 2005 - declined to School Improvement I level
  • 2004 - Warning AYP level due to low graduation rate and lagging student achievement.

Academic Achievement

2015 School Performance Profile

SusQ-Cyber Charter School achieved 45.5 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement. In reading/literature - 55% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 33.33% showed on grade level skills at the end of the course. In Biology, 19.05% showed on grade level science understanding at the end of the course.[33] Statewide, 53 percent of schools with an eleventh grade achieved an academic score of 70 or better. Five percent of the 2,033 schools with 11th grade were scored at 90 and above; 20 percent were scored between 80 and 89; 28 percent between 70 and 79; 25 percent between 60 and 69 and 22 percent below 60. The Keystone Exam results showed: 73 percent of students statewide scored at grade-level in English, 64 percent in Algebra I and 59 percent in biology.[34][35]

2014 School Performance Profile

SusQ-Cyber Charter School achieved 42.4 out of 100. In reading/literature - 35% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, 29% showed on grade level skills at the end of the course. In Biology, 23.8% showed on grade level science understanding at the end of the course.[36][37] According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,134 of 2,947 Pennsylvania public schools (72 percent of Pennsylvania public schools), achieved an academic score of 70 or higher.[38] Fifty-three percent of schools statewide received lower SPP scores compared with last year's, while 46 percent improved. A handful were unchanged.[39][40] Compared with last year, the percentage of schools that earned below 60 declined by nearly 1 percent per Secretay of Education Carolyn Dumaresq. She reported that this is an indication that student achievement is improving as school resources are being used better.[41]

2013 School Performance Profile

Susq-Cyber Charter School achieved 46.4 out of 100. Reflects on grade level reading, mathematics and science achievement on the state PSSAs and Keystone Exams. In reading/literature - 66% were on grade level. In Algebra 1, just 33% showed on grade level algebra skills. In Biology, just 26% showed on grade level science understanding.[42] According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,181 public schools (less than 73 percent of Pennsylvania public schools), achieved an academic score of 70 or higher. In 2013, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania changed its high school assessments to the Keystone Exams in Algebra 1, Reading/literature and Biology1. The exams are given at the end of the course, rather than all in the spring of the student's 11th grade year. Charter school students and cyber charter school students are required to take the Keystone Exams and PSSAs just like their traditional school peers.[43]

In 2011, Susq-Cyber Charter School was noted as having the lowest achievement of cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania in a New York Times article.[44]

PSSA results

Like all other public schools, Charter and Cyber Charter Schools are responsible for their students taking the PSSA’s and are held accountable under the federal No Child Left Behind law. Eleventh grade Pennsylvania System of School Assessments are No Child Left Behind Act related examinations which were administered from 2003 through 2012.

11th Grade Reading:

  • 2012 - 38% on grade level, (36% below basic). State - 67% of 11th graders are on grade level.[45]
  • 2012 - 43% on grade level, (33% below basic). State - 69%[46]
  • 2010 - 25% on grade level, (38% below basic). State - 66%[47]
  • 2009 - 47% on grade level, (26% below basic). State - 65% [48]
  • 2008 - 60% on grade level (16% below basic). State - 65% [49]

11th Grade Math:

  • 2012 - 29% on grade level, (51% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 59% of 11th graders are on grade level.[50]
  • 2011 - 21% on grade level, (54% below basic). State - 60%[51]
  • 2010 - 12% on grade level, (67% below basic). State - 59%[52]
  • 2009 - 36% on grade level, (47% below basic). State - 56%[53]
  • 2008 - 8% on grade level (58% below basic). State - 56% [54]

11th Grade Science:

  • 2012 - 25% on grade level (25% below basic). State - 42% of 11th graders were on grade level.[55]
  • 2011 - 11% on grade level (35% below basic). State - 40%
  • 2010 - 7% on grade level, (45% below basic). State - 40%
  • 2009 - 36.8% (21% below basic). State - 40% [56]
  • 2008 - 35% (7% below basic). State - 39% [57]

ACE

SusQ Cyber Charter School students have access to Bloomsburg University's Summer College and Advanced College Experience (ACE) during the summer of their sophomore, junior and senior years (after high school graduation). Tuition is deeply discounted to 75% of the regular student rate.[58] Successful students earn college credits that can be readily transferred to other Pennsylvania public colleges and universities through the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Center (PA TRAC) system.[59]

Penn College NOW

SusQ Cyber Charter School does not participate in the Penn College NOW dual enrollment program in conjunction with Pennsylvania College of Technology. Penn College NOW classes are taught by approved high school teachers at the high school.[60] Penn College NOW is partially funded by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-270) through the Pennsylvania Department of Education, by the support of Pennsylvania companies through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and by Pennsylvania College of Technology.

SAT scores

In 2014, less than10 pupils at SusQ Cyber Charter School students took the SAT exams. Results were withheld to protect student privacy. Statewide in Pennsylvania, Verbal Average Score was 497. The Math average score was 504. The Writing average score was 480. The College Board also reported that nationwide scores were: 497 in reading, 513 in math and 487 in writing.[61]

In 2013, 5 pupils at SusQ Cyber Charter School students took the SAT exams. Results were withheld from publication to protect student privacy. In 2012, 4 pupils attending SusQ Cyber Charter School students took the SAT exams. Their results were withheld from public publication to protect each student's privacy. In 2011, six SusQ Cyber Charter School students took the SAT exams.

AP Courses

SusQ Cyber Charter School does not offer AP courses to its pupils.

Tuition rate

Charter and Cyber Charter Schools are funded with state and local education funds through a tuition rate at 70-80% of a traditional public school funding.

In 2011, Berwick Area School District paid $9,792.91 per pupil in tuition for pupils attending Pennsylvania public charter schools and, including Susq-Cyber Charter School. The District's per pupil spending was reported as $11,209.[62]

Bloomsburg Area School District paid $8,924.30 per pupil in tuition for pupils attending charter schools. The District's internal per pupil spending was $11,647.20.[63]

Milton Area School District paid $9,058.70 per pupil in tuition for pupils attending charter schools. The District's internal per pupil spending was $12,204.50 (2010).

For special education students, the charter school receives for each student enrolled the same funding as for each non-special education student, plus an additional amount determined by dividing the district of residence's total special education expenditure by the product of multiplying the combined percentage of the special education payment times the district of residence's total average daily membership for the prior school year.[64]

The By-laws of SusQ-Cyber Charter School contained a provision that excess funds from tuition may be returned to the school districts based on their contributions. In 2002, the Charter School returned $225,025.74 to the sending districts.[65]

Health

The school employees a part-time school nurse who maintains student health records including mandated immunization and screenings and makes mandated reports to the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Pennsylvania Department of Health. The nurse coordinates the required 11th grade physical examinations. Since the students do not physically attend school at the offices of the Cyber School the nurse must coordinate and schedule physical examinations and the yearly height, weight, vision, and hearing screenings for students and arrange for the school doctor to conduct physicals. Parents utilize the family physician to meet the 11th grade physical examination requirement. Alternatively, the SusQ-Cyber Charter School has contracted with Geisinger Health Systems for school physician services to conduct 11th grade physicals.[66]

Extracurriculars

By Pennsylvania law, Kindergarten -12th grade students residing in a public school district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, public cyber charter school, a bricks and mortar public charter school and those who are homeschooled, are all eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs of their resident district, including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the public district's schools.[67]

See also

Charter schools in the United States

References

  1. ^ National Center for Education Statistics (2014). "District Details 2011-2012 school year".
  2. ^ US News and World Report (2014). "SusQ-Cyber Charter School Overview".
  3. ^ National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data - SUSQ Cyber Charter School, 2012
  4. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Ed Names and Addresses, 2014
  5. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (November 4, 2015). "Susq Cyber Charter School Performance report Fast Facts 2015".
  6. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (November 6, 2014). "Susq Cyber Charter School Performance report Fast Facts 2014".
  7. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Susq Cyber Charter School Performance report Fast Facts 2013, October 2013
  8. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Susq Cyber Charter School Performance report fast facts 2013, December 5, 2013
  9. ^ National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data SusQ Cyber Charter School, 2013
  10. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Enrollment and Projections by LEA, July 2010
  11. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2014). "Charter School Annual Reports and Enrollment Data".
  12. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2015). "Tuition Rate Calculation".
  13. ^ Charter Schools Office (2014). "Cyber Charter Schools".
  14. ^ Carolyn C. Dumaresq, Ed.D Sec of Education, SusQ 2012 Renewal Decision, January 2015
  15. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (November 6, 2014). "School Performance Fast Facts - Susq-Cyber Charter School".
  16. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, School Performance Fast Facts - Susq-Cyber Charter School, October 4, 2013
  17. ^ Pennsylvania Auditor General, Performance Audit Susq Cyber Charter School, August 14, 2008
  18. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2014). "Cyber Charter Regulation".
  19. ^ Susq-Cyber Charter School, Susq-Cyber Charter School Annual report, November 2008
  20. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (November 4, 2015). "Susq-Cyber Charter School Academic Performance Profile 2015".
  21. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (November 6, 2014). "Susq-Cyber Charter School Academic Performance Profile 2014".
  22. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Susq-Cyber Charter School Academic Performance Profile 2013, October 4, 2013
  23. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 21, 2012). "Susq-Cyber Charter School AYP Data table 2012".
  24. ^ MARY BETH SCHWEIGERT and CHIP SMEDLEY (November 11, 2012). "CYBER-CHARTERS: Cyber-charter pupils not connecting well on Pa. tests". Lancaster Online.
  25. ^ Local School Directory, Susq-Cyber Charter School, 2014
  26. ^ Susq-Cyber Charter School administration, Susq-Cyber Charter School annual report, November 10, 2008
  27. ^ Pennsylvania State Board of Education. "Pennsylvania Code §4.24 (a) High school graduation requirements".
  28. ^ Pennsylvania State Board of Education, Proposed changes to Chapter 4, May 10, 2012
  29. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 21, 2012). "Susq-Cyber Charter School AYP Overview 2012".
  30. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, AYP History by LEA and School, 2013
  31. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Susq-Cyber Charter School AYP Overview 2010, October 20, 2010
  32. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Susq-Cyber Charter School AYP Overview 2008, August 15, 2008
  33. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (November 6, 2014). "SusQ-Cyber Charter School Academic Performance Data 2014".
  34. ^ Jan Murphy (November 4, 2015). "Report card for state's high schools show overall decline". Pennlive.com.
  35. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (November 4, 2015). "2015 Keystone Exam School Level Data".
  36. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (November 6, 2014). "SusQ-Cyber Charter School Academic Performance Data 2014".
  37. ^ Evamarie Socha (November 6, 2014). "Half of Valley districts see state test scores decline". The Daily Item.
  38. ^ Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq, Acting Secretary of Education Announces Results of 2013-14 School Performance Profile; Strong Performance in 72 Percent of Schools, November 6, 2014
  39. ^ Kathy Boccella, Dylan Purcell, and Kristen A. Graham, (November 6, 2014). "Pa. school rankings: Downingtown STEM No. 1; Phila. falters". Philadelphia Inquirer.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  40. ^ Jan Murphy (November 6, 2014). "More Pa. school scores decline than improve, state report card shows". Pennlive.com.
  41. ^ Evamarie Socha (November 6, 2014). "Half of Valley districts see state test scores decline".
  42. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (October 4, 2013). "SusQ-Cyber Charter School Academic Performance Data 2013".
  43. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2014). "PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL PERFORMANCE PROFILE Frequently Asked Questions".
  44. ^ New York Times (December 12, 2011). "Lagging in Performance: Pennsylvania Online Schools".
  45. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 29, 2012). "2011-2012 PSSA and AYP Results".
  46. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 21, 2012). "SusQ-Cyber Charter School Academic Achievement Report Card 2012" (PDF).
  47. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2010). "2009-2010 PSSA and AYP Results".
  48. ^ The Times-Tribune (September 14, 2009). "Grading Our Schools database, 2009 PSSA results".
  49. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (August 15, 2008). "2007-2008 PSSA and AYP Results".
  50. ^ Pittsburgh Post Gazette (October 15, 2012). "How is your school doing?".
  51. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, SusQ-Cyber Charter School Academic Achievement Report Card 2011, September 29, 2011
  52. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, SusQ-Cyber Charter School Academic Achievement Report Card 2010, October 20, 2010
  53. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, SusQ-Cyber Charter School Academic Achievement Report Card 2009, September 14, 2009
  54. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, SusQ-Cyber Charter School Academic Achievement Report Card 2008, August 15, 2008
  55. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (September 21, 2012). "SusQ-Cyber Charter School Academic Achievement Report Card 2012" (PDF).
  56. ^ The Times-Tribune (2009). "Grading Our Schools database, 2009 Science PSSA results".
  57. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (2008). "Report on PSSA Science results by school and grade 2008".
  58. ^ Bloomsburg University Administration (2013). "High School Students (ACE)".
  59. ^ Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (March 2010). "Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement".
  60. ^ Pennsylvania College of Technology administration (2014). "Penn College NOW Dual Enrollment".
  61. ^ College Board (2014). "2014 College-Bound Seniors State Profile Report" (PDF).
  62. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education, Tuition rate by LEA 2011, 2011
  63. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Education (May 2012). "Pennsylvania Public School District Tuition Rates".
  64. ^ Democratic House Education Committee (March 2013). "Charter and Cyber Charter School Reform Update and Comprehensive Reform Legislation" (PDF).
  65. ^ James Street SusQ-Cyber Charter School Administration, SusQ-Cyber Charter School Charter Renewal Application, June 16, 2003
  66. ^ SusQ-Cyber Charter School administration, Student Handbook Health Policy, 2003
  67. ^ Pennsylvania Office of the Governor Press Release (November 10, 2005). "Home-Schooled, Charter School Children Can Participate in School District Extracurricular Activities".

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