Codman Academy Charter School Revenue and Competitors

Codman Academy Charter School is located in the Codman Square section of Dorchester, Massachusetts, a neighborhood of Boston, and is the only charter high school in Dorchester. We received our charter on February 27, 2001 and opened on September 4, 2001 with 33 ninth-graders. 60% of our students are African-American, 18% are Haitian-American, 12% are Latino, 3% are Vietnamese, 3% are Cape Verdean, and 3% are Caucasian. Language barriers have posed a hurdle to our faculty, as 33% of our students speak a language other than English at home, and 6% of our students have been residents of the United States for less than five years. Another obstacle our program faces is that of economic instability. 85% of our students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, and 81% of our students entered our school in September reading below grade level. In addition, many of our students are members of non-traditional, single-parent homes, or come from homes where their grandparents are their guardians. At CACS while we have made great strides toward increasing parental involvement, there are always obstacles to overcome. Studies show that while affluent communities tend to have higher parent involvement, parents in economically depressed communities interact on a much more limited capacity. To assist our families in participating in the program, we meet with families outside of traditional school hours. We also have language interpreters available (our faculty members are fluent in the languages most in need of interpreting), and we extend our sessions with families as needed. In addition, we encourage our immigrant families to participate in the community organizations available to help them to develop a supportive and nurturing program for their family. Given the hurdles we face, it is essential that our program establish a trusting and open relationship with the families we serve, so staff members are privy to the economic, cultural, and social challenges that our students may be facing, and appropriate action can be taken to provide the services the family needs to be an active partner in the child's education. We have had some successes. In May 2002 the CACS Dean of Enrichment conducted a survey of parents, in order to get their input on the school and their children's academic achievement. 97% of parents responded, and of those, 61% reported that their child's academic performance has improved since enrolling in CACS.