Charter schools that choose to work together, sharing site licenses, can reduce curriculum expenses while increasing teacher effectiveness, which means more time with the students and easier lesson planning. Students can also choose to use the distance learning programs through the CTC after completion of a year of in-house schooling. Web hosting services, along with e-mail, provide schools greater exposure with less cost. Internet content filters installed on-site keeps clean content delivery for students and teachers. Communities benefit through reduced costs, greater accessibility of Internet or Web-related services, while building capacity in the development of the network of organizations and service to the community. (see Appendices – CTC Cash Flow Projection – Year 1)
Youth Residential Treatment Facility (RTC)
At-risk students are often wards of the court and/or in behavioral/correctional programs. Additional funding sources are available through RTC development and utilized in the overall educational programs offered by Spectrum Academy. A peer-based community wrap-around model, including support systems of family, friends, teachers, therapists, probation officers, etc. is currently a goal established with the partnership of the Arizona Juvenile Corrections Department and Value Options as service provider. Recidivism decreases dramatically through peer-based programs that empower leadership development. (see Appendices – RTC Start-up )
Market Segmentation
The Town of Gilbert, Arizona is the initial site development location. Gilbert is the eighth largest city in Arizona with a 10-year 265% increase in population. The Per Capita income was $24,792 in 2000 with a near 80% Caucasian population. Service area will include Maricopa County as program expands.
Target Market Market Needs -
Holistic education
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Special needs programs
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College prep
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Life skills
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Technology-driven
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Peer-community
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ESL inclusion
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Home schooling
Educational Trends
There are 116,910 public and private schools with K-12 students in the United States alone, of which 89,508 are public. Virtually every public school is now connected to the Internet. In the US alone, there are over 52 million K-12 school students and 4.2 million K-12 teachers. USD 351 billion was expended on K-12 education in 1999 with an additional USD 232 billion spent on post secondary education, not including vocational, specialty and professional development training. (Source: National Center for Education Statistics) It is estimated that schools write 25 million purchase orders in a year at a cost of between USD 100 and USD 150 above the actual cost of the product for each requisition. (Source: Lamar Alexander, CEO of Simplexis.com, February 1, 2000).
Ten Educational Trends Shaping School Planning and Design
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The Lines of Prescribed Attendance Areas Will Blur
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Schools Will Be Smaller and More Neighborhood Oriented
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There Will Be Fewer Students Per Class
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Technology Will Dominate Instructional Delivery
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The Typical Spaces Thought to Constitute a School May Change
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Students and Teachers Will Be Organized Differently
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Students Will Spend More Time in School
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Instructional Materials Will Evolve
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Grade Configurations Will Change
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Schools Will Disappear Before the End of the 21st Century (Or Will They?)
(Kenneth, 2002)
According to the National Home Education Research Institute, there were and estimated 1,700,000 to 2,100,000 children (grades K-12) home educated during 2002-2003 in the United States. In 2000-2001 the number was about 1.5 million to 1.9 million, demonstrating a continued growth in home educated youths. Now the concept of holistic education is reaching the halls of academia.
Holistic Education... -
is concerned with the growth of every person's intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, creative and spiritual potentials. It actively engages students in the teaching/learning process and encourages personal and collective responsibility.
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is a quest for understanding and meaning. Its aim is to nurture healthy, whole, curious persons who can learn whatever they need to know in any new context. By introducing students to a holistic view of the planet, life on Earth, and the emerging world community, holistic strategies enable students to perceive and understand the various contexts, which shape and give meaning to life.
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recognizes the innate potential of EVERY student for intelligent, creative, systemic thinking. This includes so-called "students-at-risk", most of whom have severe difficulties learning within a mechanistic reductionistic paradigm, which emphasizes linear, sequential processes.
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recognizes that all knowledge is created within a cultural context and that the "facts" are seldom more than shared points of view. It encourages the transfer of learning across separate academic disciplines. Holistic education encourages learners to critically approach the cultural, moral and political contexts of their lives.
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values spiritual literacy (in a non-sectarian sense). Spirituality is a state of connectedness to all life, honoring diversity in unity. It is an experience of being, belonging and caring. It is sensitivity and compassion, joy and hope. It is the harmony between the inner life and the outer life. It is the sense of wonder and reverence for the mysteries of the universe and a feeling of the purposefulness of life. It is moving towards the highest aspirations of the human spirit. (Holistic Education Network, Tasmania, Australia)
Market Growth
Table 1 shows the number of charter schools in 1999-2000. Arizona alone went from 207 in 1999-2000 to 464 in 2002-2003, a 124% increase over two academic years. Table 2 shows the number of youth involved in the Maricopa County Juvenile Corrections from 1998 through 2003. Table 3 shows increase in new and recommitment of youths in the Arizona Juvenile Corrections System from 1992 to 2000.
Table 1 – Number of Charter Schools
Table 2 – Fiscal Year Juvenile Numbers (AZ Supreme Court)
Table 3 – New / Recommitment 1992-2000 (AZ Supreme Court)
Tables 4 through 8 show Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections statistical information gathered from 2003 data collection. This data demonstrates current need.
Table 4 – Juvenile Court Activity FY03
Table 6 – Juveniles Referred FY03
Table 7 – Juveniles Detained FY03
Table 8 – Projections of Juvenile Population Growth
In the last 15 years, the number of juvenile offenders under the age of 15 increased 94%. For the same period, here are specific trends given FBI category counts:
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Simple Assault --- up 98%
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Aggravated Assault --- up 64%
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Carrying a Weapon --- up 50%
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Murder --- up 39%
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Robbery --- up 37%
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Auto Theft --- up 17%
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Arson --- up 17%
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Vandalism --- up 15%
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Larceny-Theft --- up 11%
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Burglary --- down 17%
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Rape --- down 20%
(O’Connor, Tom, Ph.D., 2003)
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