Enrollment Update

• At full enrollment: 629 students (charter cap 628, 2% variance allowed)
  • One over due to staff child on waitlist; no class-size impact as one 6th grader is in resource for most of the day
• Waitlist exceeds total enrollment, an anomaly for charter schools right now
  • APS has lost 7,000 students since 2016 due to birth rate trends and urban outmigration
• FTE count window open; enrichment and extension program expected to increase state funding vs. last year
  • Each gifted-identified course with a gifted-endorsed teacher generates additional FTE funding
  • Teacher endorsement push serves both student outcomes and funding

Enrichment and Extension Program

• Cluster model: differentiation happens within the regular classroom, not pull-out
  • Teachers use graduated difficulty, SCAMPER, choice boards, and quilt challenges
  • Students have product choices; divergent thinking and creativity are explicit goals
• Giftedness defined broadly: not just high academic achievement
  • Creative, artistic, and divergent thinking all part of identification
• Twice-exceptional students (IEP + gifted) served concurrently through both programs
  • Scheduling allows services in both areas without conflict
• Teachers now have access to APS Gifted Drive, PBL Project website, and state DOE Inspire resources
• ANCS joined the Georgia Association of Gifted Children; group attending annual conference in late February
• Program information published on the website, with careful language: “enrichment and extension” not “gifted program” to avoid pull-out misconceptions

Professional Development: Elementary Campus

• Literacy focus driven by House Bill 1193 (requires a literacy coach at every school)
  • Two instructional coaches working with Metro RESA to ensure compliance
  • Continuing Metro RESA literacy specialist support (coaching coaches and teachers, as in prior year)
• Benchmark curriculum: Amy from Benchmark returning in spring for a second visit this year
• PLC-style collaboration: structured meetings facilitated by teacher leaders, building leadership capacity
• Teacher Clarity: moving from awareness (last year) to consistent practice in all 4 components
  • Success criteria, standards clarity, and student-facing learning expectations
• SEL theme for the year: community, what it means to be part of one and contribute to it
  • Lindy and Leslie developing responsive lesson plans for classroom use
• Community and culture: Alina facilitating faculty meetings at both campuses; identity work session coming this month
• New teacher monthly meetings: deeper dives into Conscious Discipline, curriculum implementation, grading, and assessment
• Conscious Discipline: Nicole Mercer (18-year partner) visited Tuesday, met with all teams and parents

Professional Development: Middle Campus

• Data-driven instruction is the school-wide goal for Georgia LEADS this year
  • Teachers bring formative data to staff meetings; broken down by reteach, small group, or extension needs
  • Roll-off days used for subject-area teams to work with instructional coach and MYP coordinator
  • This year’s roll-off focus: assessment design and math borrowing across 7 non-math subjects
• IB framework: ANCS became an IB school in 2018; next evaluation cycle approaching
  • IB Global Conference attended by Dale Scott (IB/MYP coordinator) to stay current on rubric changes
    • Rubrics moving toward standardization across all subject areas
  • Mackenzie (Canadian educator) training attended: “Exploring the Inquiry Mindset, Cultivating Cultures of Curiosity”
  • IB subject-area trainings and “Creating Authentic Units” planned over the next couple of years
• Math highlights
  • 50 students now enrolled in online Algebra 1 (up from ~30), driven by MAP scores and data
  • Planning year for an in-person Algebra class; timeline and entry criteria being finalized
  • Roll-off day planned soon to tighten the plan; Aaliyah Clemens leading data-driven instruction work

AI in Schools

• Faculty meeting this week: teachers took 2 Gemini/NotebookLM modules (baseline awareness + practical tools)
  • Tools linked to teacher clarity and math integration work
  • Teachers also shared how they are currently using AI with students (data collected for future PD)
• AI working group led by Keisha and Dale Scott (K-8, both campuses)
  • Developing policies, procedures, and school philosophy around AI
  • Intentionally includes AI enthusiasts and skeptics (especially humanities teachers)
  • Deeper questions: what does AI mean for constructivist, IB learning? How to prioritize questioning over answer generation?
  • Report and recommendations expected in spring; will be brought to this committee

Next Meeting and Upcoming Business

• Vote on the 2028/29 school calendar
• AI task force report-out 
• Charter compliance report updates as needed
• Email LaNiesha to add or amend draft agenda topics

Next Steps

• Email LaNiesha to add or amend future agenda itemsDraft agendas shared with committee; any additions or changes go directly to LaNiesha.
• Share FTE funding update with the board once numbers are confirmed (Alastair)Enrichment and extension program expected to increase state funding; figures pending FTE count window close.
• Bring AI working group report to the Educational Excellence Committee Recommendations on AI policy, procedures, and school philosophy expected in spring.