Widener Partnership Charter School

The Widener Partnership Charter School is a public charter school located at 1450 Edgmont Avenue, Chester, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Originally a K-3 school it had grown by Fall 2013 to educate K-7 elementary students. The goal of this school is to educate each and every student in the way that they will become component, self-motivated, and lifelong learners. The program not only focuses on how a child learns, but it focuses on the whole child as well. There is a ratio of 17 to 1 students to teacher in each class allowing for more personal attention with each child. The school mandates students wear a standardized uniform. Widener Partnership enrollment was 250 pupils in 2010 and grew to 300 in 2011. Fourth grade was added to the school in 2009-10. Fifth grade was added in 2010-11. In November 2011, the school received approval to add sixth through eighth grades from the Chester Upland School Board.^[2]

The school has an active Parent Caregiver Council with membership in the PCC is open to all parents and caregivers of students enrolled in the school. The PCC holds monthly meetings on topics of concern for the entire school community.

The school serves a second purpose as it provides Widener University students with experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students not only in education, but also in social work, clinical psychology, nursing and physical therapy. Widener University faculty use the school for research across a myriad of disciplines. The school was established in fall 2006, by Widener University. It was approved for opening by the Chester Upland School District Empowerment Board.

Academic achievement

In both 2010 and 2011, the school achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in reading and math based on growth in achievement.^[3] The school attendance rate was 97% in 2011, while there was a 96% attendance rate in 2010.^[4]

PSSA Results

5th Grade Reading:

• 2011 - 60% on grade level (11% below basic). In Pennsylvania, 67.3% of 5th graders are on grade level.^[5]

5th Grade Math:

• 2011 - 57% on grade level (11% below basic). State - 74% of 5th graders are on grade level.

4th Grade Reading

• 2011 - 49% (21% below basic), State – 73%
• 2010 - 68% (19% below basic), State - 73%

4th Grade Math

• 2011 - 67% (26% below basic), State – 85%
• 2010 - 74% (13% below basic), State - 84%

4th Grade Science

• 2011 - 36%, (19% below basic), State – 82.9%
• 2010 - 62%, (21% below basic), State - 81%

3rd Grade Reading

• 2011 - 54%, (30% below basic), State – 77%
• 2010 - 47%, (34% below basic), State - 75%
• 2009 - 75%, (20% below basic), State - 77%

3rd Grade Math

• 2011 - 54%, (22% below basic), State – 83%
• 2010 - 72%, (6% below basic), State - 84%
• 2009 - 71%, (4% below basic), State - 81%

Special education

In December 2010, the district administration reported that 23 pupils or 9.5% of the district's pupils received special education services.^[6] Among the school's special education students, 52% received Speech or Language Impairment intervention. State and Federal funding for special education services are funneled to the school through the Chester Upland School District. Widener Partnership Charter School has a certified special education instructor who provides services to students in the least restrictive settings appropriate, according to developed individualized educational plans (IEPs). A strengths-based approach is emphasized, including early identification and intervention so as to prevent the development of deficits that can have cumulative detrimental effects on overall development and the acquisition of academic skills.

School habitat garden

Friends of Heinz Refuge at Tinicum, Pennsylvania, helped Widener Partnership Charter School create a school yard habitat.^[7] Teachers use nearby John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge as a resource to support their classroom teaching of environmental education. Students engaged in virtual field trip to share their habitat knowledge with students in Trinidad using laptops and Skype.

The school uses the research based FOSS program (Full Option Science System) to teach science. FOSS is correlated to National and State Science Education Standards. The FOSS modules are designed to monitor student progress in content knowledge, conducting investigations, and building explanations. The scope and sequence for the kindergarten included Trees, Fabric, Wood & Paper, and Animals Two by Two. For first grade, the scope and sequence included Insects, New Plants, Air & Weather, and Pebbles, Sand & Silt.^[8]

Grants

The school received $94,643 in federal stimulus funds. The funding was for the 2009–10 and 2010–11 school years.^[9]

Using a $1 million technology grant of Fujitsu products and services, the Widener Partnership Charter School developed modern technology, including laptop computers, plasma TVs, projectors, scanners, and a server in addition to a brand new 4,000-volume library.

In January 2012, the Pennsylvania Department of Education selected Widener Partnership Charter School for a $629,363 21st Century Community Learning Challenge Grant. The school is funded over three years. Widener Partnership was selected from among 57 schools and organizations statewide to receive a grant from a total of $64.4 million as part of the 21st Century Community Learning Challenge Grant. The grant funds a five-day-per-week extended day instruction program for WPCS students. The program will include academic instruction and cultural enrichment activities, and students will be offered dinner at the end of each program day. This federally funded grant was established under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.^[10]

The school was a recipient of a 2009 Dollar General Literacy Foundation Back to School and Youth Literacy Grant.

PECO identified Widener Partnership as one of 18 local schools to participate in its 2012 PECO Energizing Education Program (PEEP). PEEP is an environmental education program designed to teach local middle school students about the science of energy, renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, electricity generation and energy efficiency both at home and at school. Each school received $1500 in funding from PECO. In the program, students participate in a school energy audit and receive home energy audit kits. Widener Partnership school also received $2,500 in funding from PECO for an energy efficiency project.

In July 2012, Widener Partnership Charter School received a federal grant which is run by the PDE. The grant calls for the establishment and sustainability of community learning centers that provide additional educational services to students in high-poverty and low-performing schools. The grant was competitive. Applications for the grants were reviewed and scored by a panel of representatives from the educational field and professional grant writers. The school received $114,061. While 101 entities applied for the funding, only 66 were approved, including eight charter schools. The funding is for the 2012-13 fiscal year.^[11]

References

Delaware County, Pennsylvania schools
Main school districts Chester Upland Chester High School Science and Discovery High School Smedley Allied Health School Chichester Chichester High School Garnet Valley Garnet Valley High School Haverford Township Haverford High School Haverford Middle School Interboro Interboro High School Marple Newtown Marple Newtown High School Penn-Delco Sun Valley High School Radnor Township Radnor High School Radnor Middle School Ridley Ridley High School Rose Tree Media Penncrest High School Springton Lake Middle School Southeast Delco Academy Park High School Springfield Springfield High School Upper Darby Upper Darby High School Wallingford-Swarthmore Strath Haven High School William Penn Penn Wood High School
Other schools Charter schools Chester Community Charter School Widener Partnership Charter School Private schools Academy of Notre Dame de Namur Agnes Irwin School Christian Academy Delaware County Christian School Faith Temple Christian School George Crothers Memorial School Media-Providence Friends School New Beginnings Academy Valley Forge Military Academy Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia Archbishop John Carroll High School Archbishop Prendergast High School Cardinal O'Hara High School Monsignor Bonner High School Unionville-Chadds Ford (partially located in Chester County) Unionville High School West Chester Area (partially located in Chester County) West Chester East High School West Chester Henderson High School West Chester Rustin High School Fugett Middle School Peirce Middle School

Coordinates: 39°51′33″N 75°21′44″W / 39.85913°N 75.36224°W / 39.85913; -75.36224