Envision Schools

Envision Schools is a school management organization, founded in June 2002, that will eventually encompass eight charter-based public high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. [Lenz, Bob. [http://www.edutopia.org/incredible-journey "A Model for Charter Schools: The Marin School of Arts and Technology"] , The George Lucas Educational Foundation. Accessed December 15, 2007.] The schools in the network are intended to reach minority and disadvantaged students who have not succeeded in traditional, large urban public high schools. [Bender, Kristin. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20030604/ai_n14551247 "Charter schools to target minorities"] , "Oakland Tribune", June 4, 2003. Accessed December 15, 2007.]

Investment

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation helped launch the school network with a $3 million investment in 2003 to form an initial group of five charter schools. [ [http://www.gatesfoundation.org/UnitedStates/Education/TransformingHighSchools/Schools/Announcements/Announce-051129.htm "New Investment in Envision’s Network of Charter High Schools Boosts Efforts to Expand"] , Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation press release dated November 29, 2005.] In 2006, the foundation invested another $6.9 million aimed at helping the program duplicate its arts and technology programs. [Eslinger, Bonnie. [http://www.examiner.com/a-402020~Bill_Gates__foundation_awards__6_9M_to_S_F__based_charter_school_group.html "Bill Gates’ foundation awards $6.9M to S.F.-based charter school group"] , "San Francisco Examiner", November 16, 2006. "The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has showered a San Francisco-based charter school organization with $6.9 million — on top of $3.8 million granted three years ago — so they can continue to open new high schools that replicate its arts-and-technology model."]

chools

Current

* [http://www.es-cat.org/ CAT - City Arts and Technology] in San Francisco, opened in 2004 with an inaugural class of 100 freshmen. [Knight, Heather. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/12/24/WBGLNAF2451.DTL "Mayor's visit energizes Ingleside charter school's inaugural class"] , "San Francisco Chronicle", December 24, 2004. Accessed December 16, 2007.] The school now has students in all four high school grades starting with the 2007-08 school year. CAT has also graduated its first class of Seniors!!
* [http://www.es-metro.org/ Metro - Metropolitan Arts and Technology] in San Francisco, opened in 2004, and is now operating for grades 9-12 starting as of 2007-08.
* [http://www.es-urban.org/ Academy - Envision Academy of Arts and Technology] in Oakland, opened in 2007-08 school year with students in grades 9 and 10.
* [http://www.es-impact.org/ Impact - Impact Academy of Arts and Technology] in Hayward, California, opened for 2007-08 with 125 students in grade 9. [ [http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_7690467 "Charter schools safer, quieter, report finds"] , Neil Gonzales and Kristofer Noceda, Inside Bay Area, 12 November 2007]

Defunct

*Marin School of Arts and Technology (MSAT) opened in September 2003 at the College of Marin in Novato, California. By the end of the 2006-07 school year, the school graduated its first class, but was closed, blaming conflicts with the Novato Unified School District. Most of its students switched to the Metro program for the 2007-08 school year, commuting to San Francisco, reportedly because not all of their credits would transfer to non-charter high schools. [Speich, Don. [http://www.marinij.com/marin/ci_6070892 "Novato's charter high school calls it quits"] , "Marin Independent Journal", June 5, 2007. Accessed December 16, 2007.]

Instructional model

Envision high schools are small and academically rigorous and use project-based learning, art and technology. This is predicated on studies that show that students in small high schools fare better academically than those in large ones. The schools are characterized by what Environ terms 'the three R's':
* Rigorous, challenging instruction
* Relevant curriculum linked to real world experience
* Meaningful relationships with adult mentors and personalized learning [ [http://www.envisionschools.org/page.php?page_id=4 "Teaching and Learning - Instructional Model"] , Envision Schools, "accessed 17 December 2007"]

References

External links

* [http://www.envisionschools.org Official site]