Employer-Linked Charter School Initiative

School Profile
INDIAN RIVER CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL, Vero Beach, FL

About the School	Curriculum and Instruction
Formation Dynamics	Real-World Practices
Philosophy and Valued Outcomes	Challenges and Solutions
Involved Groups and Decisionmakers	Contact

ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The Indian River Charter High School, located in Vero Beach, Florida, opened in the fall of 1998 and currently serves approximately 240 students in grades 9-12. The school's charter is granted by the board of the Indian River County School District. It was founded as a means of replacing the county's adult high school, which had lost its funding, and has evolved into a school that attempts to serve students who often require remedial education. The primary means of assisting students are by providing a range of vocational choices, an individualized educational environment, and opportunities for college experiences.

FORMATION DYNAMICS

As noted above, the initial impetus behind the school's founding was that the adult high school operated by the Indian River school district lost its funding, and charter status was viewed as a way of continuing this program under a different (charter school) format.

PHILOSOPHY AND VALUED OUTCOMES

Indian River's core philosophy, in the words of its lead administrator, is to "provide a school that can meet the needs of most every student" by creating "an individualized educational plan that will either provide remedial work or college experience." Smaller class sizes and the school's focus on each student's character and vocational future are the main mechanisms for carrying out this philosophy. As evidence of success in meeting these goals, the school notes that it has been "extremely successful in raising achievement among lower end, struggling students who need remediation."

Specific outcomes that Indian River values most highly for its students include the following:

Preparation for the reality of life in the 21st century.
Readiness for college, a trade apprenticeship, or work.
Understanding and use of technology (computers, software, etc.).
Knowledge about a wide range of career and education options.
Knowledge of workplace behavior, expectations, and skills.
Ability to actively pursue personal interests and career goals.
Skills related to teamwork, communication, responsibility.
Critical and independent thinking skills.

INVOLVED GROUPS AND DECISIONMAKERS

Top of Page

Educators, parents, and business/industry are described as the most prominent stakeholders at Indian River in terms of participation in the planning and development phases of the school. Decisions regarding the school's policies and its organizational mission and direction are made predominantly by the principal/director and representatives from business and industry, while decisions influencing curriculum and instruction are made by these same two parties plus teachers. Students also have a voice in policy and decisonmaking in the form of a leadership council described as having "real input into the school."

Indian River's governing board is described by its lead administrator as "influential in a few matters and issues," while employers are characterized as involved in governance (but not in other roles such as direct interaction with students and involvement in curriculum planning). Parents are utilized to provide resources such as funding and materials, as well as in-kind support such as volunteer time. The school's lead administrator listed no organizations with which the school is involved as partners.

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

The curriculum at Indian River is described as "somewhat different" from that in a traditional high school, most notably in that it involves hands-on projects and real-life instruction. Teachers operate under very few constraints in terms of having a prescribed curriculum, as they instead have a great deal of freedom to design student experiences. The school's administrator describes as "very important" the goals that Indian River students (a) be prepared for a particular career, career cluster or occupational cluster; and (b) understand links between academic subjects and adult life in the real world. The most common instructional methods within the Indian River curriculum include student work in small groups or teams and assigned research projects.

REAL-WORLD PRACTICES

Indian River places a "strong emphasis" on attempts to provide students with real-world learning opportunities, although its lead administrator notes that between 50-74% of them are actually engaged in learning that is based upon this principle. Specific forms of real-world practices that are available to students include the following:

Classes that involve early preparation for certain career fields (examples of career fields: design, health occupations, or technology).
Creation of marketable products such as a house or a computer network.
Placement in a work site for more than two weeks (a paid or unpaid internship/fellowship).
Part-time jobs that are used as a supplementary learning experience.
Job shadowing (a short visit to a workplace).
Work in a school-based business such as a school store.
Community development or service learning.
Classroom lessons on work skills and behaviors.
Lessons on resume writing, applying for a job, or interviewing.
Completion of a research project on a possible career.

CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

Top of Page

In terms of major challenges to achieving its goals, Indian River's lead administrator identified "keeping our goals and growing at the same time….Growth brings in all the problems and bureaucracy of regular school systems." Two additional challenges that have confronted the school include implementing state testing requirements and funding. No specific details on how the school has attempted to meet these last two challenges were provided.

CONTACT