Fell Charter Elementary School


Fell Elementary Charter School is a diminutive, rural, public charter school operating in Simpson, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. The School is located in the upper northeast corner of the county within the political boundaries of Carbondale Area School District. In 2016, the school had an enrollment of 175 pupils in grades K–8, with 78.8% of pupils eligible for a free lunch due to family poverty. Additionally, 16% of pupils received special education services, while none of its pupils were identified as gifted. According to a report from the Pennsylvania Department of Education 80% of the teachers were rated highly qualified in 2016. The school provides full day kindergarten.
In 2014 it reported an enrollment of 164 pupils in grades kindergarten through 8th, with 49% of pupils eligible for a free lunch due to family poverty. Additionally, 12% of pupils received special education services, while none of its pupils were identified as gifted. The school employed 14 teachers. Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 12% of the teachers were rated "Non‐Highly Qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The school provided full day kindergarten. Fell Charter Elementary has a state-approved, longer school day, a longer school year, more intensive core classes, and a specialized, rigorous curriculum. Fell Charter Elementary School is one of two Pennsylvania public charter schools operating in Lackawanna County in 2015.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2012, the Fell Elementary Charter School reported an enrollment of 157 pupils in grades kindergarten through 8th, with 124 pupils eligible for a federal free or reduced-price lunch due to the family meeting the federal poverty level. In 2012, the School employed 14 teachers yielding a student-teacher ratio of 11:1. According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 5 teachers were rated "Non‐Highly Qualified" under No Child Left Behind.
Fell Charter Elementary School opened in August 2002. It was originally chartered on August 1, 2002 for a period of five years by the Pennsylvania State Charter School Board of Appeals. Fell Charter Elementary School is currently chartered by the Carbondale Area School District. In Pennsylvania, public charter schools are initially approved and subsequently overseen by the local school board. Fell Charter Elementary school draws students from the following local public school districts: Carbondale Area School District, Forest City Regional School District, Lakeland School District, Mid Valley School District, Mountain View School District, Valley View School District, Wayne Highlands School District and Western Wayne School District. By law the school district must provide transportation to all schools that lie within 10 miles of the district's borders. Pennsylvania public charter schools have the same academic accountability as traditional public schools and must give the PSSAs to their pupils each year, working to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress status. According to PA Charter School law, if more students apply to attend than there are open slots available, Charter Schools are required to use a random lottery system to select new incoming students. According to the Charter School law, siblings, and children of individuals who help establish a charter school, are granted an “admissions preference.” The Commonwealth bases the funding for charter schools on the principle that the state’s subsidies should follow the students, regardless of whether they choose to attend traditional public schools or charter schools. The Charter School Law also requires that charter schools bill each sending school district on a monthly basis for students attending the charter school.
On October 26, 2006, Fell Charter Elementary School sent a Charter Renewal Package to the District declaring its intent to renew the charter commencing with the 2007–08 school year. The District conducted a comprehensive review of the school, including two site visits to the school in September and November 2006. It then notified Fell Charter Elementary School of its intent to deny renewal. On April 2, 2007, the Carbondale Area Board of Education voted to revoke/not renew the Fell Charter Elementary School charter. Fell Charter Elementary School appealed the decision to the Pennsylvania Charter School Appeals Board. The CAB found that The District did not meet its statutory obligation of presenting compelling evidence to substantiate its reasons for non-renewal and approved a renewal of Fell's charter. The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the charter school's grant and loan application in January 2010. The school will receive a $5 million loan to build a new school facility.
During the school year 2009–10 the Charter School provided educational services to 165 pupils from eight sending school districts through the employment of 14 teachers, 2 full-time and part-time support personnel, and 1 administrator. The Fell Charter Elementary School received approximately $1.6 million in tuition payments from school districts required to pay for their students attending the Charter School in school year 2009–10. The amount each school district pays is set annually by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. It is based on the amount that the student's home school district spends on instruction.
The Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit IU19 provides the school with a wide variety of services like specialized education for disabled students and hearing, speech and visual disability services and professional development for staff and faculty.
In November 2015, Fell Charter School was audited by the Pennsylvania Auditor General's office. Several findings were reported.
In 2015, teachers at Fell Charter School worked without pay due to Governor Tom Wolf withholding funding from Pennsylvania public schools. The governor informed the state's public charter schools that if they closed during the budget impasse, he would pull their charters. Fell Charter School had not received the tuition payments due to it, from local public schools. The local schools refused to send the tuition payments because they had not received state funding payments due to them.

Academics

;2016 School Performance Profile:
In 2016, Fell Charter School was awarded 72 points out of 100.
Fell Charter School PSSA mandated testing results were: 72% of students in 8th grade were on grade level in reading, while 45% of students demonstrated on grade level in mathematics. In science, 73% of eighth grade pupils demonstrated on grade level science understanding. In 7th grade, test results withheld due to only 7 pupils taking exams. Among 6th graders, 45% were on grade level in reading and only 10% were on grade level in math. Sixty-six percent of students in 5th grade were on grade level in reading, while 41.7% of students demonstrated on grade level mathematics skills. In 4th grade, 62% were on grade level in reading, while 38% demonstrated on grade level math skills. In science, 91% of fourth grade pupils demonstrated on grade level understanding of science concepts in the state standards. Among the school's third graders, 43% were on grade level in reading and 47% showed on grade level mathematics skills. No fifth grade writing scores were reported. Statewide just 31% of eighth graders demonstrated on grade level in math and 58% of eighth graders were on grade level in reading. In science, 57.7% of eighth graders showed on grade level proficiency. Among 7th graders, just 37% of students demonstrated on grade evel skills in mathematics. In seventh grade reading, 58% were on grade level. Sixth graders had 61.5% showing on grade level math skills. In reading, 61.5% of sixth graders were on grade level. In the Commonwealth, just 60% of third graders were reading on grade level. Among Pennsylvania 4th graders 58% were reading on grade level and 61% of fifth graders were reading on grade level.
;2015 School Performance Profile:
The PDE withheld SPP scores for all PA public schools. It was reported that 63.6% of 8th grade students at Fell Charter School students were on grade level in reading on the PSSAs given in April 2015. In math/Algebra 1, none of 8th grade students showed on grade level skills. In science, 54% of the school’s 8th graders demonstrated on grade level science understanding. No eighth grade writing scores were reported. In 7th grade, 78% were on grade level in reading, while 43% showed on grade level math skills. Among 6th graders, 54% were on grade level in reading and 23% were on grade level in mathematics. Among fifth graders, 44% of 5th grade students were on grade level in reading. In mathematics, 17% of 5th grade students showed on grade level skills. No fifth grade writing scores were reported. In 4th grade, 53% were on grade level in reading, while 25% showed on grade level math skills. In science, 81% of fourth graders showed on grade level understanding. Among third graders, 54.5% were on grade level in reading and 27% were on grade level in mathematics.
Statewide 58% of eighth graders were on grade level in reading, while 29% demonstrated on grade level math skills. Pennsylvania 7th graders were 58% on grade level in reading and 33% demonstrated on grade level math skills. Among sixth graders, 60.7% were reading on grade level, while 39.7% demonstrated on grade level math skills. Statewide 61.9% of fifth graders were on grade level in reading, while 42.8% demonstrated on grade level math skills. In 4th grade, % were on grade level in reading, while % showed on grade level math skills. In science, % of fourth graders showed on grade level understanding. Among third graders, % were on grade level in reading and % were on grade level in mathematics. Pennsylvania 4th graders were 58.6% on grade level in reading and 44.4% demonstrated on grade level math skills. In science, 77.3% of fourth graders showed on grade level understanding. Among Pennsylvania third graders, 62% were reading on grade level, while 48.5% demonstrated on grade level math skills.
;2014 School Performance Profile:
Fell Charter Elementary School achieved a score of 79.6 out of 100. The score reflects on grade level: reading, science, writing and mathematics achievement. In 2013–14, 71% of the students were reading on grade level in grades 3rd through 8th. In 3rd grade, 86.7% of the pupils were reading on grade level. In math/Algebra I, 73.5% were on grade level. In 4th grade science, just 61% of the pupils demonstrated on grade level understanding. In writing, 84% of 5th grade and 8th grade pupils demonstrated on grade level skills. The achievement exceeded that of Carbondale Area Elementary School which scored just 62.5 in 2014.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,181 public schools, achieved an academic score of 70 or higher. Pennsylvania 11th grade students no longer take the PSSAs. Instead, beginning in 2012, they take the Keystone Exams at the end of the associated course.
;2013 School Performance Profile:
Fell Charter Elementary School achieved a score of 73.4 out of 100. The score reflects on grade level: reading, science, writing and mathematics achievement. In 2012-13, only 57% of the students were reading on grade level in grades 3rd through 8th. In 3rd grade, 64% of the pupils were reading on grade level. In math, 60 were on grade level. In 4th grade science, 76% of the pupils demonstrated on grade level understanding. In writing, 73% of 5th grade and 8th grade pupils demonstrated on grade level skills. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2,181 public schools, achieved an academic score of 70 or higher. The achievement far exceeded that of Carbondale Area Elementary School which scored just 58.5 in 2013.

AYP History

In 2012, Fell Charter Elementary School achieved Warning AYP status, due to lagging student academic achievement. In 2011, Fell Charter Elementary School achieved Adequate Yearly Progress status. From 2004 to 2010, Fell Charter Elementary School achieved AYP status each school year.

PSSA results

Third, sixth and seventh graders are tested in reading and mathematics since 2006. Fourth graders are tested in: reading, science and mathematics. Fifth graders are tested in: reading, writing and mathematics. Eighth graders are tested in: reading, writing, mathematics and Science. Beginning in the Spring of 2013, eighth graders, who are enrolled in Algebra I take the Keystone Exam for Algebra I at the end of the course. The testing of 8th grade in reading and mathematics began in 1999. Testing in science began in 2007. The goal is for 100% of students to be on grade level or better in reading and mathematics, by the Spring of 2014. The tests focus on the state's Academic Standards for reading, writing, mathematics and science. The standards were first published in 1998 and are mandated by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education.
8th Grade Reading:
8th Grade Science:
7th Grade Reading:
;3rd Grade Reading:
In December 2016, the District administration reported that 37 pupils or 20% of the district's pupils received Special Education services, with none of the identified students having a specific learning disability. In 2013, the District administration reported that 25 pupils or 14.8% of the district's pupils received Special Education services, with none of the identified students having a specific learning disability. Special education services in the Commonwealth are provided to students from ages three years to 21 years old. In the 2010-2011 school year, the total student enrollment was more than 1.78 million students with approximately 275,000 students eligible for special education services. Among these students 18,959 were identified with mental retardation and 21,245 students with autism. The largest group of students are identified as Specific Learning Disabilities 126,026 students and Speech or Language Impairments with 43,542 students.
In order to comply with state and federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act rules and regulations, the school engages in identification procedures to ensure that eligible students receive an appropriate educational program consisting of special education and related services, individualized to meet student needs. At no cost to the parents, these services are provided in compliance with state and federal law; and are reasonably calculated to yield meaningful educational benefit and student progress.
To identify students who may be eligible for special education services, various screening activities are conducted on an ongoing basis. These screening activities include: review of group-based data ; hearing, vision, motor, and speech/language screening; and review by the Special Education administration. When screening results suggest that the student may be eligible, the school seeks parental consent to conduct a multidisciplinary evaluation. Parents who suspect their child is eligible may verbally request a multidisciplinary evaluation from a professional employee of the school or contact the school's Special Education Department. In the event a student is identified as needing special education services, the home district pays a higher tuition rate to cover the added costs of those specialized services. Most Special Education students are " unsatisfied " and are unnesisarily pulled out of class.

Wellness Nutrition

Fell Charter Elementary School offers both a free school breakfast and a free or reduced-price lunch to children in low income families. All students attending the school can eat breakfast and lunch. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level are provided a breakfast and lunch at no cost to the family. Children from families with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of the federal poverty level can be charged no more than 30 cents per breakfast. A foster child whose care and placement is the responsibility of the State or who is placed by a court with a caretaker household is eligible for both a free breakfast and a free lunch. Runaway, homeless and Migrant Youth are also automatically eligible for free meals. The meals are partially funded with federal dollars through the United States Department of Agriculture.
In 2013, the USDA issued new restrictions to foods in public schools. The rules apply to foods and beverages sold on all public school district campuses during the day. They limit vending machine snacks to a maximum of 200 calories per item. Additionally, all snack foods sold at school must meet competitive nutrient standards, meaning they must have fruits, vegetables, dairy or protein in them or contain at least 10 percent of the daily value of fiber, calcium, potassium, and Vitamin D. In order to comply with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 all US public school districts are required to raise the price of their school lunches to $2.60 regardless of the actual cost of providing the lunch. In 2014, President Obama ordered a prohibition of advertisements for unhealthy foods on public school campuses during the school day.
Fell Charter Elementary School provides health services as mandated by the Commonwealth and the federal government. A nurse is available in the building to conduct annual health screenings and to dispense prescribed medications to students during the school day. Students can be excluded from school unless they comply with all the State Department of Health’s extensive immunization mandates. School nurses monitor each pupil for this compliance. Nurses also monitor each child's weight.

Grants

In addition to tuition payments, Fell Charter School applied for several grants to increase its funding. Both the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Federal government offer several education grants each year.

Federal Stimulus grant

Fell Charter Elementary School received an extra $19,471 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - Federal Stimulus money to be used in specific programs like special education and meeting the academic needs of low-income students. The funding was limited to the 2009–10 and 2010–11 school years. Due to the temporary nature of the funding, schools were repeatedly advised to use the funds for one time expenditures like: acquiring equipment, making repairs to buildings, training teachers to provide more effective instruction or purchasing books and software.

Race to the Top grant

Fell Charter Elementary School officials did not apply for the federal Race to the Top grant which would have provided nearly one-quarter million dollars, in additional federal funding, to improve student academic achievement. Participation required the administration, the school board and the local teachers' union to sign an agreement to prioritize improving student academic success. In Pennsylvania, 120 public school districts and 56 charter schools agreed to participate. Pennsylvania was not approved for the grant. The failure of districts to agree to participate was cited as one reason that Pennsylvania was not approved.

Extracurriculars

By Pennsylvania law, all K–12 students residing in the school district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, a Pennsylvania public cyber charter school, charter school and those who are homeschooled, are all eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the resident district's schools.