Leland — Charter Day School students ranked as top performers among local public schools according to the End-of-Grade testing results for the 2018-2019 school year. The test results were recently released by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and measure achievement on the state’s Common Core curriculum which is mandated for all state-run schools.
Charter Day School is one of a family of tuition-free charter schools managed by The Roger Bacon Academy. As charter schools, they are permitted to teach their own classical curriculum with topics such as grammar, spelling, cursive, literature, history, traditional math, Latin, and other fundamental topics that have been largely abandoned in Common Core schools. However, the schools are required to administer the state’s Common Core tests to all their students.
“The fact that our students score highly on Common Core tests in spite of not being taught Common Core speaks volumes for the versatility and the timeless value of classical subjects,” explains Headmaster Nikki Chaney of Douglass Academy, The Roger Bacon Academy’s Wilmington school. “Coupling the classical curriculum with our caring classroom atmosphere makes a winning combination that effectively benefits every student,” Chaney added.
“Our responsibility is to teach your Kindergarten child to read before Easter. Being able to read in Kindergarten does wonders for your child’s self-confidence and eagerness to learn,” said Teaching Coach Amanda Kelly. “With that foundation skill, your child can then be guided progressively to build skill upon skill to become a life-time independent learner,” she said.
Charter Day School’s elementary campus and its sister school South Brunswick Charter joined the district’s Union Elementary School as the top three highest-scoring elementary schools in Brunswick County.
Charter Day School’s middle school campus provided Brunswick County’s highest-scoring middle school, by a margin of 13.1 percentage points. State and Brunswick County EOG performance averages are 58.8% and 59.5%, respectively.
Charter Day School’s performance average of 74.6% exceeds the state average by 15.8 percentage points and the county average by 15.1 percentage points. Charter Day School is a Title 1 school, which means that 40% or more of its students are economically disadvantaged. Charter Day School and its sister school, South Brunswick Charter School, were two of five elementary schools in Brunswick County to earn a School Performance Grade of “B.”
Jamie Dyer, a parent at Charter Day School, observed: “In the nine years our family has been at Charter Day School, I have seen my boys take joy and excel in their areas of interest (science and math), develop a deep love of reading and learning in general, and discover art and sketching for enjoyment. Charter Day School’s curriculum is well rounded, interactive, relational, and creates an environment where students love learning. It also encourages character growth in students, growth in truthfulness, citizenship, justice, fortitude, charity, and perseverance.”
Charter Day School is one of four charter schools managed by The Roger Bacon Academy, Inc. founded in 1999 by education pioneer Baker Mitchell. The other schools include Douglass Academy in Wilmington, Columbus Charter School in Whiteville, and South Brunswick Charter School in Southport with a combined enrollment of over 2,100 students in K-8. All four are tuition-free, charter schools that welcome all students, regardless of income, ability, or address. To learn more or enroll online, please visit EnrollRBA.com
