What is a charter school?

Charter schools are independent public schools designed and operated by educators, parents, community leaders, educational entrepreneurs, and others. Charter schools are schools that provide parents with a choice. Charter schools are accountable to their sponsor-- usually a state or local school board -- to produce positive academic results, adhere to the charter contract, and all local, state, and federal laws. In addition:
Charter schools are tuition free, non-sectarian, and non-discriminatory in practice.
Charter schools are PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Charter schools must be approved by the Texas State Board of Education

How can I enroll my child at Austin Community School?

Our school will be a public charter and, as such, will be free to any Austin child. However, according to Texas law, charter schools operate under a lottery system. What this means is that there is limited space, so any interested families sign up for the lottery and have an equal chance of attending the school. This process will begin as soon as the charter is granted.

Where will the school be located?

We're still searching for a site, but the general area will be south/southeast: south of highway 71/Ben White and near I-35. Our goal is to be close to main roads and bus lines for families who use public transportation.

Will my child learn English, especially reading and writing, as well as students in an all-English program?

Absolutely. Your child’s teacher must teach the district curriculum in reading and language arts
– this is the same curriculum as other classes with “English-only” students.

What age groups does this school serve?

ACS plans to open with grades K-1 and eventually offer grades K-8. Each year a new grade will be added.

How does the school receive funding?

A charter school receives tax dollars allocated for public education for each child it serves as well as being a potential recipient of grant opportunities.

Has Dual Immersion been proven to be an effective education model?

Yes. In large-scale studies over many years, university researchers have documented a very high rate of success in achieving academic proficiency for both Spanish and English-speaking children in programs similar to ours. Typically, both Spanish and English speakers achieve native or near-native fluency in their new language. On standardized academic tests, both groups outperform their counterparts who have been educated in monolingual classrooms. Spanish speakers also outperform their counterparts who have been educated in traditional bilingual classrooms. For additional information please visit the center for applied linguistics web site at www.crede.ucsc.edu.

How do Spanish speakers specifically benefit from this program?

Spanish-speakers get the chance to advance academically and socially while becoming bilingual. In this model, all students have the opportunity to be both first language models and second language learners. They can maintain their first language, Spanish, while learning a second language, English, at a time when their brains are most receptive to language learning. Spanish-speakers also gain socially by making friendships across cultural, ethnic and linguistic boundaries and are found to hold positive attitudes about people from other cultures.

How do English speakers specifically benefit from this program?

English speakers get the chance to acquire a new language in the years when their brains are most receptive to language learning. Most become highly proficient in the target language, a standard that most adult Americans, who typically began to study a foreign language in middle or high school, can never hope to attain. English speakers also gain socially by making friendships across cultural, ethnic, and linguistic boundaries. Researchers who study this phenomenon find that English speakers in language-immersion programs hold positive attitudes about people from other cultures. In this model, all students have the opportunity to be both first language models and second language learners.

As an "international" school, do you cover Texan and American history?

A key component of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program is "Who We Are". This means that the children will be taught in a way that is relevant to them and their world. So, for example, Texan and American history is a very important part of the student's lives, and that knowledge is woven into the rest of the curriculum:
-Who we are-
-Where we are in place and time
-How we express ourselves
-How the world works-
-How we organize ourselves-
-Sharing the planet-

Why did you choose the 90/10 model?

There is a seeming logical impression that it is more equitable to share the languages half and half, as in the 50/50 model. The truth is, our society is so English dominant that starting at 90:10 in K-1 is more equitable. (The ratio changes 10% each year until it becomes 50/50). A great deal of research has pointed to this method. A citation to look at is "Dual Language Education" by Kathryn Lindholm-Leary. It's a huge longitudinal study of many DL programs in California. She compares the 50/50 to the 90/10 models:
- for English learning, 50/50 and 90/10 do as well or better than Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) or ESL models at teaching English to English Language Learners (ELLs). English Only (EO) students' English learning is as strong or stronger than students in regular programs, no matter which model.
- for Spanish learning, 90/10 is stronger at producing highly literate academic Spanish in ELL students, and EO students also learn a great deal more Spanish in 90/10 than in 50/50.
- for academic/content area learning, both dual language models do a better job for ELL students than TBE or ESL. EO students learn just as much or more content area/academics in dual language as they do in regular programs.
- both models allow kids to cross cultural boundaries and feel more comfortable exploring new cultures.