Hall's first charter school okayed by state BOE

ATLANTA - The state Board of Education Thursday voted to grant charter school status to Hall County's World Language Academy, the first such designation for a school in the county school system.

"This is a great opportunity for Hall County students to participate in yet another 'world class' program," Superintendent Will Schofield said. "We thank the staff and community members who have made this a reality."

When it welcomes students for the first time in August 2008, the World Language Academy will be using the existing Chestnut Mountain Elementary facility on Highway 53. This public charter elementary school will be unique in that it will be a school of choice, will host both a dual-immersion school and a world language academy. In addition, it will have a teacher-development center partnership with North Georgia College and State University (the first in the north Georgia region).

A dual-immersion school is one in which English and Spanish-speaking students learn together for most of the day with academic subjects taught in both languages. The home language of all students is maintained and developed while additional language is acquired. Students develop fluency and literacy in Spanish and English as they learn to listen, speak, read, and write both languages. The first year of implementation will be open to students in kindergarten and first grade. Subsequent years will add a grade-level until at the end of a five year period, the dual language school will be K-5.

The world language academy will serve students in grades 2-5. It will boast a cross-grade educational environment with hands-on and inquiry-based learning along with standards-based assessment and grading techniques. Spanish will also be taught through immersion in a content area. The "Singapore Math Program" will be taught to all students, and Mandarin Chinese and other rigorous exploratory classes will be offered to students daily.

All Hall County elementary students have been eligible to apply to attend this school. However, priority has been given to students in the Chestnut Mountain, Chicopee Woods, Friendship, Jones, Lyman Hall, Martin, and Spout Springs Elementary School districts, and bus transportation will be provided to students from these schools.

Principal David Moody reports that all enrollment goals and projections have been met for the upcoming school year and anticipates around 400 students when the new school year begins in August 2008.