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Patterson Park Public Charter School
27 North Lakewood Avenue, 21224; 410-558-1230
Charter/zoned school: Charter school
Grades served: Kindergarten through eighth grades (adding eighth grade in fall of 2009)
Application process and deadlines: Admits students city wide, although has a cap on enrollment. Adheres to Baltimore City open enrollment deadlines, which vary from year to year. Generally, applications received between January and March are placed in the public lottery process for limited slots. The school maintains a waiting list. Applications received after the open-enrollment period closes are placed on a waiting list behind those in the lottery process and are offered placement if space becomes available.
Uniform: Uniforms must be purchased from Flynn & O’Hara. Limited financial assistance is available.
Brief school history: Patterson Park Public is a new public charter school that opened in 2005 and is housed in the old St. Elizabeth Catholic School buildings. Members of the various community associations and local organizations surrounding Patterson Park were instrumental in securing the charter and opening the school. The school’s mission is to develop well-educated community-minded children by providing high-quality, community-based education that capitalizes on the diversity of nearby neighborhoods and uses the resources of Patterson Park. The school culture is based on students, staff, and parents functioning, seeing themselves, and behaving as one community.
School Leadership
Principal: Charles (“Chad”) Kramer, Ed.D., assumed leadership of Patterson Park Public Charter School in 2007. He holds a master’s and doctorate in special education with a concentration in counseling from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Kramer has worked in Baltimore City for 14 years, primarily in special education, at Kennedy Krieger and elsewhere. He has experience in both administration and in developing programs for public schools. He is a resident of Washington Hill, just north of Fell’s Point. Phone: 410.558.1230, ext. 4
Vice Principals: The school has two vice principals, Ms. Shannon Schmidt and Ms. Diya Hafiz, both hired in 2007.
Academics
Curriculum: Patterson Park Public uses a cross-curricular learning model that incorporates real-world experiences with traditional classroom-based learning. The school believes that when subjects are integrated, learning becomes more real and engaging, enhancing understanding of the targeted concepts. The school views the neighborhoods and Baltimore City as a living classroom, and supplement classroom learning with field trips that utilize Baltimore City’s breadth and depth of cultural, educational, historical, environmental, and scientific institutions.
Examples of the school’s instructional methods include the following: whole body and hands-on learning and role playing infused in small-group and whole-class activities; cooperative learning; one-on-one tutoring; peer tutoring in projects and daily lessons; instruction in technology; field trips; demonstrations; presentations involving hands-on items relevant to the unit of study; creation of models, diagrams, and projects; and experimentation.
The curricula for students are organized around quarterly themes, and coursework is integrated around these themes. In 2008-2009, the themes included Around the Town; Rivers of the World; Perspectives, culminating in reading Gulliver’s Travels; African-American History; and Ancient Egypt.
The following text resources are used for all students beginning in kindergarten: Mathworks (Math), Houghton Mifflin (Reading), FOSS (Science), and trade books in accordance with the quarterly theme. The curriculum aligns with the Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum and Core Knowledge standards, assuring that students are prepared to succeed on the Maryland State Assessment (MSA) tests.
Supplemental instruction: All students receive art, music, physical education, and Spanish once per week. Students have recess once per day for 20-25 minutes, under the supervision and guidance of the Sports 4 Kids program (see www.sports4kids.org for more information).
Students also participate in the school’s Character Education Program, which focuses on the following expectations: respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, caring, fairness, and citizenship; tolerance; integrity; community service and membership; and understanding and appreciation of cultural differences.
ESOL (English as second language): Yes.
Special education: PPPCS uses a full inclusion model to serve students with special needs. Students with IEPs are also invited to attend the Coach classes afterschool and during lunch periods as well as the Supportive Study Program, which offers instruction on study skills as well as a supervised quiet space to complete assignments.
Test Scores
Patterson Park Public made Adequate Yearly Progress in 2008. Specific scores are available here.
Enrichment Activities
Gifted/talented programs: The school’s Enrichment Program will be in its second year during 2009-2010. The program will include pull-out services for students identified as gifted/accelerated learners as well as push in services to assist classroom teachers in differentiating instruction for high performers. Student are identified for pull-out services through teacher and parent recommendation as well as student performance on class work and assessments.
Tutoring: The school offers Saturday School for students in grades 3-6 and Afterschool tutoring for all students in need of additional academic support.
After-school clubs: There are a number of after-school clubs available to students. These include: Art Club (all grades); Dance Club (grades 2-6); Math Homework Club (all grades); Sports for Kids (all grades); Chess (all grades); Creative Movement (all grades); Girls Group (one older, one younger); Girl Scouts (all grades, several different troops); Track (all grades); Latino Cultural Group (all grades); Garden and Nature (all grades); and Boy Scouts (all grades).
Before/after care: After care is currently provided via a partnership with Fitness Fun and Games on the PPPCS campus as well as the Virginia Baker Recreation Center in the park. Both are fee-based with limited space.
Teaching Staff and Classroom Management
Class size: The class size for kindergarten is approximately 20 students. The class size for middle school classes is approximately 25 students. Teaching staff: Average years of teaching experience vary among staff, from teachers with less than five years of experience to several with considerable years of experience.
Paraprofessionals: The kindergarten classes have one teacher and one paraprofessional educator. The education of the paraprofessionals varies from some with college credit and others with college degrees.
Student Population
Number of students: In the 2008-2009 the number of students was approximately 515. Total enrollment will be capped at 550 once phase-in of all grades is complete.
Ethnic breakdown: 70% African American; 20% Latino; 10% other ethnic groups (mainly Caucasian/white)
Percentage on free/reduced lunch: 80%
Percentage of ESOL students: 15%
Percentage with Individualized Educational Plans (IEP): 12%
More specifics on demographics are available here.
Parent Involvement
Parent group: Hands on Patterson Park Public (HOPPP)
Parent group contact: HOPPP@pppcs.org
School philosophy on parent involvement: Patterson Park Public embraces the research that shows that students with families that are involved in their education perform better in school. All families choosing to enroll at Patterson Park Public commit to 15 or 30 volunteer hours (depending upon whether it is a single or dual parent family) per school year. This volunteer commitment can be met in many ways, from volunteering in the classroom to participating in various school committees or taking your child to a museum. The school also encourages involvement in Hands on Patterson Park Public (HOPPP), the organized group at our school the supports the voice of school families. Parents also vote for the parent-at-large position to the school’s board of directors.
Number of active members: 40-50
Number of times group meets per year: Monthly
Description of activities: The group takes on a range of activities from fundraisers to hosting school events. School administrators are present at every monthly meeting to provide parents with an update on current issues and to respond to questions and concerns from parents.
Facility Description
The school is located in the former St. Elizabeth's Catholic School buildings. During the 2008-2009 school year, the school completed renovations which included a new cafeteria, gymnasium, and music room. Long-term construction plans include a science laboratory, large art studio, and separate space for the middle school. The existing school building has an art room, library, computer lab, and family resource room. The school has a courtyard that is used for recess, in addition to the playground at Patterson Park, just one block away.