As the first charter high school in the rural, underserved counties of Vance and Granville, Oxford Preparatory High School is in the position of changing the expectations for an upper school experience and academic outcomes for the area. We have been pleased that many families consider OPHS as a valuable option for a positive high school experience. The number of applications has exceeded 100 per year, and as we prove our value to the community we have enrolled more students each year. OPHS seeks to better match enrollment projections to the market, and therefore is proposing that each new high school class be capped at 80 students.
Over the past two years, we have also been made aware of a need for the addition of small 8th and 7th grade classes. Adding 40 students in 8th grade and 40 students in 7th grade would allow students and their families earlier access to the rigor and culture of a school focused on ensuring that college is an attainable goal. OPHS is seeking to restructure the offerings of the school by adding 8th grade in 2015-2016 and 7th grade in 2016-2017. The small numbers for all grades would allow us to continue to provide our students a highly personalized educational environment by preserving the small class sizes throughout the school. This reconfiguration does not increase the anticipated student enrollment. Instead, this sustains the overall student enrollment plan by matching high school population plans to the market while also allowing middle school students access to the rigor of study within a high school environment and with high school instructors.
Including the middle grades will allow students in the area a better opportunity for academic success. According to ACT’s The Forgotten Middle, the middle grades, especially 8th grade, are critical for students in their pursuit to successfully complete high school requirements and gain access to a college degree. “Waiting until high school to address preparation gaps is too late for the majority of students who have fallen behind … Catching up those students is a daunting challenge even for the most effective high schools.” (Source) We are already seeing some students come into OPHS who have a strong desire to pursue a college education but lack essential skills in even the most basic concepts. As ACT notes in its research, there are more young people who are off track by the time they enter high school in areas of high poverty such as ours. By opening our doors to 7th and 8th graders, we seek to provide high school resources that can help to better support students earlier in their educational career in becoming college and career ready. OPHS has already put in place additional supporting math and English classes that targeted students take in addition to their regular classes. This is just one of the resources we can extend to those incoming middle school students who need additional support using our current resources.
Just as important as improving the opportunity for low performers is the ability to provide an accelerated curriculum for students who are ready in 7th or 8th grade to complete high school work. Students could choose from a menu of high school core courses as well as electives. High school classes offered to middle school students will be taught by certified high school teachers who are also responsible for teaching other courses in the curriculum sequence. Consequently, the teachers with whom these young people engage will have a more intimate knowledge of the depth of understanding that students must attain and can provide a more solid foundation for students who wish to move into more difficult academic pursuits quickly.
Reducing the cap to 80 students for high school classes at OPHS better matches the market results. Adding a 7th and an 8th grade, each capped at 40 students, opens a new opportunity to better prepare students for high school expectations within a high school environment. Restructuring the school does not increase the anticipated student body population and therefore, does not require resources beyond those already in the plan. Plans are being finalized to expand temporary facilities for the 2015 – 2016 school year, move in to permanent construction for the following 2016 – 2017 school year once near full enrollment growth. Yet the restructuring provides an immense opportunity for families in the community – an opportunity not usually available except to those who can afford to send their children to private prep schools.
*This Charter Amendment Request is Pending State Board of Education Approval in January or February 2015