GREENE COUNTY
Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) announced at this week’s Board of Governors meeting that it was recently awarded state accreditation for another five-year term. Its new charter, approved and submitted last month, awaits final state approval, which is expected to be verified by May following a review with the state next month in Atlanta.
State accreditation is key in ensuring levels of academic quality.
Accreditation means LOA has demonstrated positive student outcomes in graduation rates, student retention, and future employment. Some industry certifications or professional designations specifically require degrees from accredited institutions.
LOA is embarking in the development of a new strategic plan, and much like the Board of Education (BOE), it will encompass a few steps before sharing it for final approval. According to Executive Director Brad Bowling, the first step involves input from various stakeholders.
“We have put together an initial strategic plan team to review the process,” he said. “Action items include a survey that will go out to both students and parents to engage their input. This will help us identify our internal strengths and weaknesses.”
From there, the plan will include focus group participants to help gauge further strengths and will include family group implementation, staff focus group implementation, data review and drafting, and ending public review. The target date for completion is July of this year with the first draft occurring in May.
The plan, updated every five years, will focus on specific goals with student performance in key subjects and accountability to stakeholders.
Of interest was a comparison presented of how LOA compares with other high-performing charter schools in the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
In all cases comparing content mastery scores against the CCRPI (Career Readiness Performance Index), LOA scored below the average of the other five schools for all grade levels. In progress, the middle school and the high school performed the highest on the cumulative average.
It also performed the highest in closing gaps but was two points below in readiness in for the elementary. Readiness was the highest in high school but lower for elementary and middle schools. Cumulative averages against the other five schools were lower in elementary and middle school but higher in high school.
According to Dr. Otho Tucker, consultant to the board and former executive director, these figures do not take into account the diverse, economically disadvantaged, and full student population. Board Chairman Michael Tompkins said it provides a good snapshot of the successes LOA has had but also those areas needing improvement.
“We are comparing against many metrics,” Bowling said. “The comparison will help us in the strategic planning process, giving us a starting point and a goal of always striving harder.
“We definitely need to look at content mastery and how we can do this in this county,” Tucker said. “Are these kids prepared? Have we given them enough time? If you don’t look at goals and not chase them, you will not get there.”
Tompkins expressed that LOA needs to celebrate its successes thus far and remain committed to continuous improvement.
Presently, 53 children remain as first-priority admittance, 248 applications received with 72 applicants for preschool alone. 87% of students are HOPE eligible, and 44.5% are eligible for the Zell scholarship, which affords a free college education. 64% of its graduating class has been accepted into college with the highest admission rate to the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega.