KEY DESIGN ELEMENTS

The Ark Community Charter School is located in Troy, New York and serves students in Kindergarten through 6th grade.  Our enrollment lottery is open to all students with preference given to children from families who qualify for free or reduced lunch. The ACCS mission is achieved through the following key design elements:

Strong Academic Support- Low Teacher/Student Ratio
Academic success for all students is the vision of all stakeholders at ACCS - the board, leadership team, faculty, students and parents. All other Key Design Elements support this vision. Strong academic support is evident in the board’s monthly meetings, in the weekly meetings of the leadership team and faculty, in the low teacher/student ratio and in the ongoing communications between staff and parents.

Longer School Day – Enrichment Programs
ACCS provides 50 additional minutes to the school day compared to the local school district. This additional time allows for increased instructional time and provides the flexibility to integrate high quality art, music and movement programs into our curriculum. ACCS offers space and support for after-school and summer programs that provide additional academic support and enrichment.

Small School
ACCS is an intentionally small school community with a student population capped at 200 students. The small school size creates a more personalized and successful learning environment.
Safe Environment – Responsive Classroom Training
ACCS creates a school culture that fosters an academic learning environment. In this culture students’ thoughts and feelings are respected and students work collaboratively with classmates and other members of the community. ACCS staff are trained in the principles of Responsive Classroom.

Families as Partners
ACCS families are respected collaborators in the educational process. Staff listens carefully to parents and requires their active partnership in implementing an effective educational plan for their children. The school has an open-door policy for parents/guardians, who have formal representation on the ACCS Board of Trustees.

At-Risk School Design
ACCS is designed to serve at-risk students, including an enrollment lottery preference for children qualifying for free or reduced lunches under federal law.

RENEWAL CHARTER EXHIBIT NO. 9