The Museum School and Leadership Prep earn recognition for DeKalb
Two DeKalb County School District (DCSD) charter schools have taken home top honors courtesy of the Georgia Charter Schools Association (GCSA).
Leadership Preparatory Academy was named the Innovative Charter School of the Year at the most recent Georgia Charter Schools Association Annual Conference, which took place in Savannah, Georgia on February 13 through February 15, 2019. At the same event, The Museum School of Avondale Estates was named the Georgia Charter Schools Association’s 2019 Academic Charter School of the Year.
The Innovative Charter School of the Year is an inaugural award that recognizes a charter school that achieves measurable student growth through innovative practices.
Leadership Preparatory Academy is a public charter school founded in Lithonia, Ga., in 2010. Its governing board and administrative team have the goal of becoming the highest performing charter school in the nation through rigorous academics. The school prides itself on cultivating curiosity, achieving to the highest standard, and granting appropriate levels of support and challenges.
“This recognition is a culmination of utilizing research-based best practices that are supported and grounded in evidence-based decision making,” said Dr. Tonya Williams, principal at Leadership Preparatory Academy. “The autonomy and flexibility that exists in the charter environment, allows educators to collaboratively work together to explore new ideas and implement them in real time learning environments. This approach allows for more instantaneous data collection which drives instruction. As a result of this data driven approach incremental adjustments to fiscal policies and resource allocation ensures student success.
The Museum School of Avondale Estates’ honor as the Georgia Charter Schools Association’s 2019 Academic Charter School of the Year is an award recognizes charter schools who demonstrate academic excellence; score high on College & Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI) tests; and remain autonomous in its governance.
The Museum School of Avondale Estates is a public charter school founded in 2010. The Museum School promotes personal exploration and hands-on experience for education, partnering with such institutions as Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta History Center, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, the High Museum, the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University, Zoo Atlanta and others to inform a curriculum integrated with a robust program of expeditions outside of the school.
“We are deeply honored to be recognized as the GCSA Academic Charter School of the Year,” said Principal Katherine Kelbaugh. “There are so many innovative, successful charter schools in the state and we are so proud to be among them. Our learning model is preparing our students for real world success and we are so grateful for the support of our parents, teachers, staff and local community, without which we would not be receiving this award.”
In 2018, Principal Katherine Kelbaugh earned the Georgia Charter Schools Principal of the Year Award, also known as the Shoot for the Moon Award.