Explaining Advanced Placement at Oracle Charter High School

The other day, I told a student, “Keep this up and you’ll be in AP in two years.”  He looked at me blankly and asked “What’s AP?”

What is AP?

AP stands for Advanced Placement.  Advanced Placement courses are offered through the College Board, the same organization that administers and scores the S.A.T.’s (Standardized Assessment Test).  Advanced Placement courses are designed to push students further than the traditional classroom.  While they are open to all students, and all students are encouraged to take Advanced Placement courses, these courses are ideal for students with a passion and interest in the specific content area.  Oracle Charter School currently offers three Advanced Placement courses, in United States History and Geography, United States Government and Politics, and English Language and Composition.

Why take an AP course?

AP courses help students acquire higher level thinking skills needed in college.  Consider AP courses as a practice run of freshman year in college.  The rigor, the texts, the expectations, the discussions, and the assignments are all based on college level courses.   The work load is greater, but so are the rewards.

What is the benefit of taking an AP course?

AP courses allow students to explore their passions for a subject area more fully.  These courses delve in to the content deeply and more thoroughly than the general curriculum.  The projects, research, readings, and assignments give students the opportunity to stretch their thinking and their knowledge base.  In AP Government and Politics, for example, students held a moot Supreme Court, similar to a mock court.  Some students were lawyers, others were justices of the United States Supreme Court.  Using their knowledge of previous court cases and the U.S. Constitution, the AP students wrote arguments supporting or rejecting the current Universal and Affordable Health Care Acts’ controversial Birth Control Mandate.  The students who served as justices had to research the issue as well, listen to the arguments of the lawyers, ask informed questions, and ultimately decide of the constitutionality of the mandate.  This decision was written in the style of a Supreme Court opinion with some students drafting the majority opinion and others drafting a dissenting opinion.

During another unit, students participated in a mock Congress, being assigned to various committees such as the Department of Defense.  Within these committees, students drafted bills, then presented their bills to the entire Congress, and lobbied to have their bills passed.  Each student was assigned a political role – Republican or Democrat, and had to act ‘in character’, or, in keeping with the political ideological beliefs associated with that party.  The result was students were able to experience the legislative process as well as apply the concepts learned in previous units on political ideology.

Not only do AP courses helps students prepare for college by giving them a taste of what college courses are like, and increasing their higher level thinking skills, AP courses can have a financial benefit as well.  At the end of the course, students take an AP test.  This test can help students earn college credits, and save in tuition fees, if students score high enough on the exam.  Take for example, the U.S. History exam which is scored out of 5.  Students who earn a 3 on the exam, will generally find that the college they are accepted to will release them from taking U.S. History 101 their first year of college. (Most schools include two U.S. History courses as part of their general studies curriculum, required by all students regardless of major)  A student, who earned a 4 on this exam, should find that they are released from taking U.S. History 101 in the fall, as well as U.S. History 102 in the spring.  This frees up the students schedule to take other classes.  A student who earned a 5 on the exam, will most likely not only be released from taking these two courses, but will also earn the credits, meaning this student can start college with 3 or 6 college credits!  That can be the difference between having to take a semester with 21 credits in order to graduate on time or having to take summer classes – which charge extra.   At Buffalo State, for example, their policy states that students who earn a 3, 4, or 5 on the U.S. History exam are awarded 6 credits for both the fall and spring U.S. history courses.  Students who earn a 3 on the English Language and Composition exam earn 3 credits, and students who earn a 4 or 5 earn 6 credits.  For students who elect to take AP Government, scoring a 3, 4, or 5 on the exam earns them 6 college credits.

What is the work load like AP?

Generally speaking, AP courses are more challenging than general education courses.  They are essentially, college level courses, while students are still in high school.  The amount of work required outside of the class room is therefore, much greater.  Students who want to score a 4 or a 5 on the AP exam can expect to put 2 hours every night into their course work.  AP courses require a great deal of outside reading and writing.  This includes over the summer as all AP courses include a summer assignment – usually a book or research project.  Students who are not willing to commit to this level of work outside of the classroom generally struggle in AP.

Thinking about taking an AP course?

Talk to the content area teacher about your interests.  Generally, students need to hit mastery on the Regents exams in the content area, but this not the sole qualification.  Content Area teachers will also nominate students they think possess the ability and potential to meet the high demand of an AP course.  Students will then be meeting with the teachers of each AP course to discuss the demands, summer reading assignment, syllabus and contract.  Students with low scores on Regents exams or in classes may be asked to write a brief essay explaining why they want to take an AP course and how they will meet the demands of the course.  Parents will be invited to an AP night to discuss the AP program further, and must sign off on a contract which verifies that both the parent and the student understand the work and time expected of an AP student.

- Lauren Baier

For students who already have strong ideas about what they would like to study, this was an opportunity to refine the process and zero in on which schools in the area offer  programs to suit them.  “It gives me more of a variety of schools that have my major,” commented Senior, Londen Moss, “I would recommend this to future Juniors, for more help on going to college, because it gives you information on more options of the things you want to do.”  For other students, just learning about what career programs are available will help them to determine what field of study interests them most.

Unlike most college fairs that target juniors and seniors, at this event all grade levels were strongly encouraged to come and learn about what our local colleges have to offer, including newly accepted students who plan to attend Oracle as freshmen in the fall.  Oracle believes that it is “never too early” to begin talking about and exposing students to college opportunities.

The event was conceptualized by Deb Skok Watson, Oracle Charter School’s college counselor along with and Dave Musielak, student intern from Canisius College.  Basketball coaches Mike McKee and Brian Pawloski supervised activities in the gym and instructors Colleen Connors and Barbara Payne coordinated the door prizes.   The prize baskets comprised by faculty and business donations, were skillfully assembled by MyLynn Gidney and Simone Morris, two Oracle Seniors, and about half of Oracle’s senior class donated their time to assist with the event.

As the students entered the event, they received tickets for door-prize drawings.  They also received a scorecard which documented the college representatives that they visited with.  The scorecards entitled them to shoot baskets to earn more door-prize tickets.  Students enjoyed participating in this activity as well as earning extra tickets!

After witnessing the enthusiasm of the parents, students and college representatives who participated, I would say that this event was a “Slam –Dunk!”

by Barb Payne – OCS SPED

Does your son or daughter receive services through the special education department? If so, did you know that you, as the parent, have many rights that have been set in place to best meet the needs of your child?

For example, as parents/guardians you may invite any individual or specialist you wish, to attend the IEP meetings with you. This is to ensure that you understand the IEP process and that the rights of your child are protected. Also, please be aware that parents/guardians do have the right to refuse special education services.

Here atOracleCharterSchoolwe have a special education department that uses the guidelines established byNew YorkStateto best address and meet the individual needs of your child.

To begin, all students who have been identified as benefiting from special education services will have an IEP written on their behalf. You may be wondering what is an IEP? An IEP is a written document. It is an “individualized education plan” that is created in order to help the student meet their goals while receiving accommodations/modifications in the classroom. This is just the beginning step to get your child on the path to academic success.

The IEP development process must consider:

• your child’s strengths
• your concerns for your child’s education
• the results of your child’s individual evaluation
• the results of any State or district wide tests or assessments
• and, any unique needs related to your child’s disability (such as communication needs, behavior, etc.).

Remember… the school must receive written consent from parents/guardians before proceeding with any evaluation, special education services, or before conducting a test or evaluation.

We encourage you to be an active member of your child’s educational planning and learning process.  No one knows your child better than you!  You can take the opportunity to tell us your child’s strengths as well as areas needing improvement.

We know that children benefit even more from their education if their parents/guardians are both involved and well informed. As a parent/guardian, you need to understand the special education process, your rights, and how to become more involved in your child’s program.

Please contact the special education department if you have any concerns.  Your child has a caseworker who will be happy to assist you.

“It’s extremely comforting as a parent to have these kinds of resources offered to you if your child needs help.” Ms. Darby said, adding “It’s also really important to offer different kinds of strategies to reach students, depending on their unique situations.”

For instance, she cites an example of a parent who had a student that was hospitalized and couldn’t attend school for an extended period of time. The parent was relieved to find out that through Oracle’s Home Tutoring program, their child could continue with schoolwork and not fall too far behind. And with the recent introduction of NovaNET (a New York State-approved online instructional program), a student enrolled in Home Tutoring can now work on achieving coursework objectives online during the day, before their teacher arrives at their home after school.

Besides those in Home Tutoring, students at school also use NovaNET. In fact, we’ve recently set up a lab on-site with six computers that our students can use to recover missing credits throughout the day. One such student – Brianna – is in her fourth school in four years. When she came to Oracle Charter School in October, she was thinking of dropping out of high school entirely because she needed 11 credits to graduate. But with NovaNET, she’s been able to work on recovering those credits during lunch periods and on breaks during the day, as well as at home on nights and weekends. “It’s really convenient and you can go at your own pace,” Brianna said. She’s now on track to graduate in June and plans on attending college to become a social worker.

Students who are credit deficient in areas like technology, arts, and languages other than English can participate in an Independent Study Project. For example, a student in need of art credits might be tasked by their instructor to create a piece of artwork related to French Impressionism, as well as research, analyze, and write about other French Impressionist artwork and artists. If they do so successfully, then they are able to recover their outstanding credits.

That said, our intervention strategies aren’t only in place to support struggling students; we also employ them to challenge advanced students as well. Jade is one such student. She is currently Auditing an Algebra 2/Trigonometry class to help her prepare for the Algebra 2/Trig Regents exam. She completes all the same class work and tests as the other students in the class; she just doesn’t earn any credits or receive a grade. If she goes on to pass the Regents exam in June, she’ll be able to earn a Regents Diploma With Advanced Designation rather than just a Regents Diploma. Regardless, she’ll graduate in June and has already been accepted to four colleges. She plans on becoming an anesthesiologist.

Another intervention strategy parents are often interested in learning about is Flex Scheduling. Particularly in today’s economy, some students have to hold down a job; it’s simply a reality of life. To help them better balance these family commitments and employment responsibilities with their educational needs, students enrolled in Flex Scheduling are permitted to arrive late or leave early.

In addition, some senior students have earned most of their credits and only need to attend school part-time in order to graduate. Ryan, for instance, is one of those students, arriving at school each day at 10 a.m. This scheduling option helps ensure students like him don’t get bored and drop out or become disruptive in the classroom because they’re forced to take unnecessary classes. “I come to school a lot more because I’m only in the classes I need to be in,” he added.

At the end of the day, our goal at Oracle Charter School is to ensure every student graduates and goes on to college. In 2011, for instance, 90% of our graduates/graduating seniors were accepted into college. By employing the intervention strategies discussed above – along with educating parents about the resources available to them – we’re hopeful that our students will be able to achieve that same success in 2012…and beyond.

But the real excitement of what’s happening at Oracle goes beyond just teaching them these basics. In fact, you could say that our students have taken charge of their own curriculum with technology.

They’re doing it using several different types of technologies, from PC, Windows-based computers, to MACS, to mobile hand-held devices. They’re then experimenting with what can be done with each type of device – and supporting both their classmates and teachers in integrating these technologies into our curriculum.

Take, for instance, students in Mr. Meister’s Digital Media class. They are currently guiding students in Mr. Basil’s Social Studies classes in a project to incorporate protest posters and messages into a video production using relevant online footage and a green screen. Ultimately, the Digital Media Group will act as a production studio for content driven by other areas.

The Digital Media Group also produces a daily news show, called OCast, using iMovie and the school’s Mac lab. Different students take charge of producing news, as well as in-depth segments on sports, music, and video biographies of people of interest to the students. The students experiment with new presentation and video techniques for each OCast.

The Nerd Herd “Alpha” group is just another example of how Oracle empowers students through technology. The group is an elite team that works with Mr. McKee, Oracle’s technology coordinator, to perform basic troubleshooting and maintenance work on Oracle’s computers. They worked all summer to prepare the school’s computers and other electronics to be ready for the school year and act as a help desk for most of the equipment in the building. You might find them drilling holes to run wires, or in the Head of School’s office troubleshooting a printing problem. The Nerd Herd is also extending their services to local non-profit organizations that can’t afford the cost of a day-to-day technology staff.

In addition, mobile carts of Androids are being maintained and programmed by DROID Club students, self-designated as The Nerd Herd “Beta” group. These DROID Club students act as a help desk for teachers and classmates less familiar with the equipment.  The club has also created Regent’s reviews for classmates to use, as well as downloaded eBooks to the Droids. The audio capabilities of the equipment are even being taken advantage of by the Special Education students and in the Spanish classrooms. And in the afternoons, Mr. Capitumino’s room turns into a “techie workshop” where DROID Club students look for new ways to utilize the equipment.

Meanwhile, Mr. Schroeder’s AP History class is being taught almost exclusively using Samsung Galaxy tablets. Mr. Capitumino’s Spanish class students also use tablets during class to log into their Google accounts and communicate with each other and their teachers, turn in assignments, participate in online workshops, and explore the resources of the Internet. Useful “apps” are tested out and shared, as well.

Oracle’s two PC labs are always in full use with students in seminar classes looking up information on colleges, filling out applications, and writing essays using Google Docs. Likewise, students in Oracle’s English classes use Prezi, an online presentation tool, to map out and write essays.

Students at Oracle Charter School move effortlessly between equipment and technologies, enhancing their computer skills and gaining confidence with real-world use of the equipment. The experimentation that students engage in provides student-initiated learning that education experts complain is missing from today’s test-driven curriculum, and the student’s use of technology reinforces their learning in core subjects.

The fact that Oracle students are partners in the school’s technology program – and are using technology in authentic ways – makes them confident and capable of succeeding in today’s society and tomorrow’s careers.

Take, for instance, Buffalo’s Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). If you aren’t familiar with the RMHC, it offers a “home away from home” for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. Through their “Cooks for Kids” program, Oracle students plan a meal approximately once a month for guests staying at the house and then go over there to actually cook them dinner. They’ve made everything from avocado and olive oil pizzas to jalapeno cornbread to sweet potato chips.

For parents who are far away from home – and doing all they can to help their sick children get well – a hot meal in a warm and friendly atmosphere means a lot. In fact, according to Ms. Lynn Hughes, House Manager at RMHC, guests are oftentimes overwhelmed with gratitude. “After a long day at the hospital, for them to walk through the doors, smell a home cooked meal, and just be able to relax for a moment, it means the world,” she said.

But the guests aren’t the only ones who benefit from the program. The students themselves also get a lot out of this kind of experience. They have the chance to interact with guests – which include many little siblings – and they also learn that community service isn’t a chore; it can actually be both meaningful and fun.

Besides the RMHC, Oracle students have also been giving back at the Food Bank of WNY once a month through our Community Service Club. Most recently, during Spirit Week in November, students were allowed to dress down, as long as they donated to a fund for the Food Bank. I’m proud to say we raised over $150! In the coming weeks, students will head over there to help sort and package donated goods, which will then be distributed to needy families.

Another project members of the Community Service Club have just started participating in is WNY Shares. The program helps teachers from low-income school districts get the supplies they need for their classrooms. Since 2003, WNY Shares has distributed more than $1 million of school supplies to area schools and after-school programs. Oracle students help out at their facility on the first Wednesday of every month by packing up supplies for teacher orders.

It is through experiences like these – beyond the comfort zones of home and school – our students come to understand the importance of charity, kindness, and giving back to those in need. We hope it’s the start of lifelong habit; one that makes a positive impact on the world in years to come.

The Varsity Soccer season just ended with resounding success. This year, Oracle combined with the Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School to create the first Section XI soccer team in school history. Led by Oracle’s athletic director, Mr. Doug Williams, I’m proud to announce that the Oracle Phoenix soccer team had an undefeated season, beating both City Honors and Tapestry. Go Oracle!

With the end of this year’s soccer season came the start of the 2011-2012 Basketball Season. Practice began the week of November 7th for the junior varsity and varsity boys’ teams (coached by Mr. Williams and Mr. Brian Polowski, respectively), as well as the varsity girls’ team (coached by Ms. Aurea Espada). The athletes are engaged in weight training sessions and back on the court, with practice Monday through Thursday.

Notable upcoming events for the boys’ basketball teams include the Lancaster Tournament, November 29 – December 2, and the Cassadaga Valley Tournament, December 26 – 27. The girls’ team will compete in the Park Tournament, December 2 – 3. We’re looking forward to an exciting basketball season from all our players!

The Drill Team is also well underway and practicing for a repeat performance of last year’s Drill O Rama under the watchful eyes of Ms. Dea Denison and Xavier Peterson, last year’s senior captain. The 2011 event was held at Kleinhans Music Hall and Oracle won both 1st Place and Best Dressed, both in the High School Division. Well done, Drill Team!

To help keep our students in shape, Oracle also has several active athletic clubs. The clubs have been bolstered by our recent purchase of variety of fitness equipment from Allentown Athletix after its closing.

Led by Mr. Williams, along with Mrs. Sheryl Kelley, Mr. Kristopher Harrington, and Ms. Sara Komoroske, the Fitness Club began the second week of school and holds sessions Monday through Thursday. It’s designed to offer students an opportunity to work out through a variety of sport-specific training programs. Each workout unit is aligned with a sports season. So for instance, workouts are now geared toward basketball; in the spring, they will be geared toward track and field.

Likewise, the Sports Training Club, offers sport specific training, with a focus on speed and agility during pre-season for fall and spring sports. The workouts will concentrate on increasing power and core strength through a variety of biometric training activities.

Another new club slated to begin in February is the 6-Pack Club. Led by Mr. Williams, who also worked as a personal trainer for many years, the 6-Pack Club will be similar to an abdominal workout class at a gym and will focus on abdominal and core strength training. It’s open to both Oracle staff and students (just in time for Spring Break!).

Once basketball season is over in early spring, Track and Field will start. Oracle is currently in a league with several other Buffalo charter schools, which will be practicing at Johnnie B. Wiley Stadium. Mr. Williams will serve as the team’s distance coach, Mr. Harrington as the sprinting coach, and Mr. Coleman as the field coach.

Bowling Club will also be back come springtime, run by Mrs. Sheryl Kelley and Mr. Adams. One of our most popular clubs, last year’s team had more than 40 students on it! Oracle is currently in a charter school league that bowls at Kerns Avenue Bowling Center.

In addition to our many existing and new sports-related clubs and activities, Oracle also began an Athlete of the Month program in October. Student athletes are chosen based on their leadership abilities, both on and off the field; their commitment to their team and chosen sport; having good grades; and acting respectfully towards all. October’s Athlete of the Month was soccer player Mohammid Salim and November’s was Jatoya Winfrey, a member of the Drill Team. Congratulations Mohammid and Jatoya!

Of course, Oracle’s extracurricular activities go beyond just sports and fitness. We also offer an extensive range of clubs and activities based around arts, technology, and many other interests.

For instance, through Peer Mediators, led by Mrs. Diane Morgante, students are specially trained to resolve conflicts between other students. Mediation sessions take place during lunch time or after school, as needed.

Model UN is also in full swing. Last year’s group experienced quite a success when it participated in the Model UN Competition at the University at Buffalo, where over 100 students from more than 60 high schools from Western New York and Pennsylvania were present. The Special Political and Ad Hoc Political Committees selected Oracle’s resolution on genocide for debate at the event. This was particularly exciting considering it was Oracle’s first time competing in a Model UN competition. The students placed 5th on the Ad Hoc Special Political Committee and 8th place on the Special Political Committee.

Other popular clubs running again this year include Art Club, GSA, and Yearbook.

•    The Art Club offers students an opportunity to express themselves through a variety of artistic mediums. Run by Ms. Dennison, the club is currently hard at work making three-dimensional words out of papier mache.

•    GSA recently sponsored movie night at the Market Arcade where they watched the “Laramie Project” along with other local GSA clubs. They also went to see Judy Shepard, Matthew Shepard’s mother, speak at UB Alumni Arena.

•    Ms. Amanda Finn and Ms. Sarah Salminen are running this year’s Yearbook staff. The students are already working on the cover art for the yearbook, which will be published in May, and snapping photos of Oracle staff and students to fill the book with many happy memories and moments.

•    The Service Club, overseen by Ms. Beverly Wedmore, has been to the Food Bank and made dinner for Ronald MacDonald House already this year, as well as started a paper recycling program.

The Nerd Herd is geared towards students interested in computers and technology. They are currently helping out our IT maintenance department. In fact, over the summer, they helped to clean up all the teacher’s computers, as well as set up new computers. Likewise, the new DROID Club is taking on the school’s growing number of DROIDs and tablets.  I’m sure their expertise will be much needed – and appreciated – throughout the year!

The Theater Club is also new this year. While a production has not yet been planned, the club is currently working on voice and acting exercises.

Chess Beats the Streets has been holding introductory chess workshops at Oracle on Tuesdays in November, and the Outdoor Activities Group is putting together plans for the first tubing event as soon as the snow falls.

If your child would like to get involved in any sports or fitness-related activities, please contact Mr. Doug Williams at dwilliams@oraclecharterschool.org or 716.362.3188. For other clubs and activities, please contact Oracle’s front office at 716.362.3188.

Interim Assessments Defined

First, interim assessments are mid-term exams that help us gauge where each student is in terms of understanding the material being taught. In other words, they help us check student progress. However, unlike unit tests, which are given at the end of every unit, interim assessments cover 10 weeks of instruction.

How the Process Works

Our first round of interim assessments is coming up in early November. Assessments are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, November 2nd and 3rd, and will be given in four core areas: Math, Science, Social Studies, and English.   Once students complete these assessments, the Oracle teaching staff will begin grading them immediately. In fact, we turn around grades within 48 hours so that teachers have access to critical data by Monday morning. If students are struggling, we want to know as quickly as possible.  Armed with this data, our teachers can discuss what students misunderstand, why they misunderstand it, and how the material can be taught more effectively. Our teachers can then plan specific re-teaching efforts to focus on areas that need additional work. Students who are already proficient in these areas are given extension and enrichment activities.  If a student is still struggling, even after the material has been re-taught several times, we take further measures to intervene. For example, Oracle offers access to extra help outside of classroom time, including tutoring before and after school, as well as tutoring during lunchtime.

Why Interim Assessments Are So Important for Students

At the end of the day, interim assessments help us pinpoint weaknesses. As a result, we can shore them up and then narrow the achievement gap along the way.   Grant Wiggins, President of Authentic Education, summed it up best when he said:  “The more you teach without finding out who understands the information and who doesn’t, the greater the likelihood that only already proficient students will succeed.”  In many classrooms around the country, the typical approach to teaching is to assess, determine a grade, and then move on to the next topic, regardless of the results. Here at Oracle, we take a different approach. We believe it’s what the students actually learn that is most important, not what the teachers taught. And it is through continuous interim assessments we are able to evaluate what students learn and then create a practical plan of action for achieving better performance.  And the results speak for themselves.   For instance, in 2009-2010, Regents test scores in English were 59%. In 2010-2011, after a year of interim assessments, they jumped to 76%. Likewise, in Algebra 9, test scores for 2009-2010 were 53.7% and increased to 70.5% in 2010-2011.  While interim assessments aren’t solely responsible for the vast difference in test scores, they certainly played a vital part. Not only do assessments enable us to verify that students understand the material, but it is through the assessment process that students are repeatedly exposed to the kinds of questions they will face on the Regents exams. As a result, our students are far more prepared – and more confident – going into Regents week in June.

What You Can Do

As a parent, you might be wondering where you fit into this process. Your child’s interim assessment grades will appear as comments on his or her report card. Should you have any questions, please speak with your son or daughter’s teachers. They will be happy to work with you and offer guidance and ideas on how you can help your child at home if he or she is struggling.

Together, we can help our students to achieve more.