American Indian Model Schools facts for kids
Quick facts for kids American Indian Public Charter School II |
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| Faculty | 23 |
| Grades | K–8 |
| Enrollment | 616 (2015) |
American Indian Model Schools (AIM Schools) is a group of charter schools in Oakland, California. It started with the American Indian Public Charter School (AIPCS). This was a middle school created in the late 1990s to help Native American students.
By 2007, the system grew to include another middle school and a high school. The main campus is in the Laurel area. It has AIPCS for grades 5–8 and American Indian Public High School (AIPHS) for grades 9–12. High school students can also take some classes at Merritt College. American Indian Public Charter School II (AIPCS II) teaches grades K–8 at a second campus in Oakland's Chinatown. By 2012, most students (90%) in AIM schools were Asian American.
The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) gave the school system its charter, which is like a special permission to operate. The AIM school system has its own school board and rules.
Under the leadership of Ben Chavis, a Native American professor, AIPCS students greatly improved their test scores from 2000 to 2007. More students also joined the school. The first middle school, AIPCS, was recognized nationally in 2007. However, some of Chavis's strict discipline methods caused disagreements. He left his role as principal in 2007. But the school board kept him in an important leadership position for the school system. In 2012, Chavis left the charter system and moved back to North Carolina.
For a while, the school system's charter from the OUSD was at risk. But in 2012, a court allowed it to keep operating. Because of new management and students' good test scores, the school system's charter was renewed in 2013 for five years. This also allowed AIPCS II to teach younger students from kindergarten to 4th grade.
Contents
About AIM Schools
AIM Schools started as a small charter school to help Native American students in Oakland. At first, it struggled to improve student performance. In 2000, Ben Chavis became the principal. He brought in new teachers and set up very strict rules for discipline and studying.
Over the next few years, test scores went up a lot, and more students enrolled. The student population also changed, with more students from Asian, African American, and Latino backgrounds.
The AIM system grew in 2007, adding two more charter schools: another middle school and a high school. The schools were praised for their academic success. However, Chavis's discipline system and how he treated students and teachers caused some disagreements. He resigned in 2007 but still had influence at the schools.
In 2012, a state review found that Chavis had directed school payments to businesses he owned. The school board was also criticized for not managing money well.
The Oakland School Board had tried to close American Indian Public Charter School II (AIPCS II) in 2011. But the school system got a court order to keep its three schools open.
School History
The American Indian Public Charter School first opened in 1996. It was meant to help Native American students in Oakland, California. Historically, Native American students had lower academic results in public schools. Martin Waukazoo, a founder, later stopped supporting the school. He felt it focused too much on Native American culture and not enough on basic school skills.
After it opened, the school had many teachers leave and not enough money for books or computers. In 2000, the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) thought about closing it. A newspaper reported that the school, with only 37 students, was "sinking fast."
Evelyn Lamenti, an OUSD employee, asked Ben Chavis to be the principal. Chavis was a professor. Lamenti believed he would succeed because of his teaching background and interest in helping inner-city children.
In 2000, Chavis took over the school. He hired new teachers and removed most of the Native American cultural classes. He said he wanted teachers who believed students could succeed. By 2001, he had replaced almost all the teachers.
By 2002, the school had three times as many students, and test scores were rising. In 2006–2007, Chavis and the board created the American Indian Model School system. They added the American Indian Charter High School in September 2006.
In 2007, AIPCS became the first public school in Oakland to win the National Blue Ribbon Award. This award recognizes excellent schools.
Some parents and teachers complained about Chavis's behavior. OUSD officials asked the AIM board to address these concerns. On March 15, 2007, Chavis told the AIM school board he was leaving his principal role. He remained a part-time employee for a while.
Janet Roberts, a former teacher, became the head of the school system that year. She said that the school's academic success continued even after Chavis left.
On June 2, 2009, the first class of 18 students graduated from AIPHS. All of them were accepted into good colleges.
Challenges and Renewal
In 2011, a special state review began for AIPCS. It looked into how the school used its money. The report was released in June 2012. It found issues with how money was handled.
During the 2012 process to renew the charter for AIPCS II, the Oakland Office of Charter Schools found some practices that did not follow the rules. They also noted problems with the school board's management and money tracking.
On April 4, 2012, the OUSD board held a hearing about renewing AIPCS II's charter. The OCS suggested not renewing it. However, many parents, staff, and students spoke in favor of the school. The OUSD board voted 4–3 to renew the AIPCS II charter for another five years. This renewal also allowed AIPCS II to expand and include elementary grades K–4.
In September 2012, the Oakland School Board voted to issue a "Notice of violation" to AIPCS. The school board said they wanted to help the school fix its problems, not close it. However, the American Indian Public Charter School's Board sued the Oakland School Board.
On January 23, 2013, the OUSD Board voted to try to take away the AIMS charter. On March 20, 2013, the OUSD board voted 4–3 to officially cancel the AIMS charter, effective June 30, 2013. Supporters said they would appeal this decision.
On July 15, 2013, a judge allowed all three AIM campuses to continue operating. After this, and considering the students' good scores and changes in leadership, the AIMS charter was renewed for five years.
School Campuses
As of 2017, the AIM system has three schools:
- American Indian Public Charter School (AICPS) for middle school (grades 5–8).
- American Indian Public Charter School II (AIPCS II) for grades K–8.
- American Indian Public High School (AIPHS) for high school (grades 9–12).
The school system has two main locations. The original American Indian Public Charter School and the main high school campus are in a converted church in the Laurel area of Oakland. AIPCS II is at a different location in Oakland's Chinatown. High school students taking dual credit classes also attend some lessons at the Merritt College campus.
AIPCS II shares a campus with Little Hands School. AIPCS II serves students living in Chinatown and the Lake Merritt area. AICPS also accepts students from other parts of Oakland. The school says it will consider applications from students living outside of Oakland too.
How the Schools Operate
In 2009, Kevin Drum from Mother Jones described AIPC as a "super-strict" school that focuses on teaching for tests and gets good results.
Student Discipline
Mitchell Landsberg of the Los Angeles Times reported in 2009 that AIM students follow strict discipline rules, similar to a military school. Students who are late, don't do homework, or break the dress code get detention. If a student misbehaves once in a week, they get one hour of after-school detention. If they misbehave again that week, they get another after-school detention and a four-hour Saturday detention.
Landsberg noted that by eighth grade, discipline is usually not a problem. Classes are very quiet and focused. Visitors might notice that students don't even look at them. They are told to focus on their work, and they do.
Discipline Under Ben Chavis
During the time Ben Chavis was in charge, some students who broke rules often faced harsh punishments. Some parents and teachers complained about these methods. A poster in the AIPCS hallway quoted Chavis saying, "You do outstanding things here and you'll be treated outstanding. You act like a fool and you'll be treated like one." Landsberg said in 2009 that this idea was still used, but it was "toned down" after Chavis left his main role.
School Philosophy
Under Chavis, the school system had a strong focus on certain values. It was praised by some who liked its strict approach. Columnist George Will liked the school system because he felt its "new paternalism" could help close learning gaps between different groups of students.
School Uniforms
Students at AIM schools must wear school uniforms. They wear white shirts and dark-colored pants. Students are not allowed to wear makeup, jewelry, or bright hair accessories.
Student Population
From 2000 to 2012, the student population at these schools changed a lot. By 2012, over 90% of the students were Asian American. In 2000, the small AIPCS had 62% Native American students. In 2001, the school grew to about 100 students, with 52% being Native American.
During Chavis's time, the number of Native American students in AIPCS and the new schools decreased. By 2010–2011, over 86% of AIM system students were Asian American. The next largest groups were African Americans and Hispanic Americans. In 2009, almost all students came from low-income families.
Some people felt it was strange that a school named "American Indian" mostly served Asian American students. They wished the school would change its name because it could be misleading.
In 2012, AIPCS II was very close to Lincoln Elementary School, a high-performing public school. Many students from Lincoln Elementary started going to AIPCS II. An OUSD board member said AIPCS II had a "rigorous teaching style." This style might appeal more to Lincoln's mostly Asian-American parents. Several Chinese-American parents of AIMS students supported the school's strict methods in 2012.
Teachers
As of 2009, most AIM system teachers were young. They had degrees from good universities. They were described as "self-confident" and "mature."
What Students Learn
In AIM middle schools, one teacher usually teaches all subjects to a class. This teacher stays with the same class for all three years. This helps them build a close relationship with the students. This is different from most American middle schools, where students move to different teachers for each subject.
Mitchell Landsberg of the Los Angeles Times noted that this system saves time. He said that "Five minutes per passing period might not sound like much, but over the course of a year, American Indian saves the equivalent of more than a week's worth of instruction." However, he also noted that high teacher turnover meant this policy was "more theory than reality."
Each middle school day starts with three hours of language arts and math classes. English and math make up 90 minutes per day. After that, students have a 30-minute lunch break. Students also have 60 minutes of physical education each day. The school system has few classes that are not directly related to standardized test scores. The school only allows art classes to take place after school.
AIM system schools do not have laboratory equipment for science classes. They focus on learning from textbooks. As of 2011, AIM classrooms did not have computers or televisions. The schools also do not have a playground or a science lab. Chavis believed these things could lead to theft or unexpected costs.
Students get a lot of homework. They usually have at least three hours of homework each night. Middle school students at AIM schools must attend four weeks of summer school every summer. They also have a lot of homework on weekends and during breaks like summer and spring break.
All AIM middle school students take Algebra I in eighth grade.
Admissions
In California, charter schools must accept all students who apply if they have enough space. If too many students apply, the school must hold a lottery. As of 2009, the AIM school system had never needed to hold a lottery. Ben Chavis and Janet Roberts, a principal in the AIM system, said they never had enough students to require one.
In the fall of 2008, California did not allow the AIM system to open a new campus. One reason was that officials felt the school could not clearly explain its student selection process.
Chavis and Roberts said in 2009 that the American Indian system attracts a mix of students from different elementary schools in Oakland. Ron Smith, a principal at Laurel Elementary School, said that about 70% of his students who went to AIM schools were strong academically. The other 30% were a mix of students.
The AIM school system did not share the elementary school test scores of its students. This made it hard to know if students already had high scores before joining AIM schools.
Some critics thought the school tried to recruit high-performing elementary students. They also thought the school might encourage lower-performing students to leave before testing season. However, Ben Chavis and Janet Roberts said this was not true. The school system stated that it had never expelled any student. Some students left because their families moved or felt the school was not a good fit.
Academic Success
In May 2009, American Indian Public Charter School had a very high Academic Performance Index (API) score of 967. The state API target is 800. The average for public middle and high schools in California is 750. For schools with students from disadvantaged backgrounds, the average is 650.
AIM schools had some of the highest API scores in California. What made them special was that their African American and Hispanic students also performed very well. This was unusual in American education, where these groups often lag behind. Janet Roberts, the head of the AIM system, said that the idea that Asian students caused the high scores showed low expectations for other student groups.
Mitchell Landsberg said the school system performs well because it:
- Attracts students who want to learn.
- Focuses heavily on teaching for tests.
- Uses school time very efficiently.
- Hires smart young teachers.
- Requires almost perfect attendance.
- Gives a lot of homework.
- Does not promote students who are struggling.
- Keeps discipline very strict.
- Requires summer school.
Landsberg added that these methods are similar to those used by KIPP charter schools or private religious schools.
Between 2001 and 2005, under Ben Chavis, AIPCS's API score increased by over 200% to 880. This made it the middle school in Oakland with the highest API in 2005.
In 2008, every eighth grader in the AIM system scored "proficient" or higher on the California algebra exam. This was much higher than the state average.
Kevin Drum of Mother Jones pointed out that while AIM schools get high test scores, their teaching style might not work everywhere. He noted that AIM schools are small and attract motivated students. He also mentioned that teachers work very hard, which can lead to many teachers leaving.
Student Progress
Ron Smith, a principal, shared the test scores of 51 students from his school who joined the AIM system in 2004. This showed their progress in English and math from 6th to 8th grade. Of these students, 39 finished all three years at the AIM system.
Some students who started with lower scores showed progress. The school system said that in 2009, it had never expelled any student. They said students who left usually moved away or found the school wasn't right for them. Around 2005, about 10 students left the school each year.
Patricia Gimbel, from a private preparatory school, said in 2005 that AIPCS had "taken kids who are not the brightest and propelled them to the top of state standards." However, the president of the Oakland teachers' union said that AIM schools had a reputation for recruiting students who would do well and getting rid of those who wouldn't. Ben Chavis and Janet Roberts denied this.
See Also
- Amethod Public Schools
