Lawrence Family Development Charter School FY’16 was Lawrence Family Development Charter School’s (LFDCS) twenty‐first year operating as a Commonwealth public charter school. This year emphasized three major areas: 1) innovation in the classroom 2) interdisciplinary opportunities with LFDCS curriculum: planning to revise the STEM curriculum and partnerships 3) disseminating the charter school’s best practices across the Commonwealth Through the launch of Schoology (an internet‐based Learning Management System), teachers and students gained new 24/7 access to LFDCS curriculum which extended their teaching, learning and assessment opportunities. Interdisciplinary efforts were also enhanced by the opening of a new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Center and the hiring of a STEM Coordinator. LFDCS continued into year two of its Lawrence Public Schools’ partnership and also granted access to video clips of LFDCS’ best teaching and SEI practices to members of the Massachusetts Charter School Association for their use in other urban classrooms. Other highlights of FY’16: Bequeathed $378,000 in scholarship funds from the Mr. R. Kingman Webster Trust Received gifts for interactive projectors in all first‐year kindergarten classrooms Added WiFi and 40 new Chromebooks to pilot “paperless” learning for grade 7 students Achieved Level 1 School status on MCAS testing for the 5th year in a row Reconfigured STEM learning goals with Quarrybrook Outdoor Learning Center (NECC) while beginning afterschool STEM activities with the Girl Scouts of America Graduated 61 students from grade 8 and 80 students from K‐2 LFDCS’ teaching with technology efforts are enhanced through the leadership of our Digital Instructor, Dr. June Kim. At the charter school’s June graduation ceremony, Dr. Kim was honored as a 2016 Outstanding Employee for her leadership of technology development for students’ use and for professional development of a LFDCS’teachers’ corps. Her efforts with innovative instructional practices leverage technology for dissemination of curriculum and sharing of SEI practices. In FY’ 2016, Dr. Kim and the LFDCS Leadership Team, launched Schoology providing teachers and students 24/7 access to curriculum —-thus extending teaching, learning and assessment opportunities. Early adoption of these new teaching practices, coupled with the school’s Level 1 curriculum, allow LFDCS to impact other urban classrooms, while providing our students “anywhere/anytime” learning opportunities. This work also benefits our partnership with Lawrence Public Schools, and Commonwealth-wide it benefits the MA Charter School Association's Communities of Practice. LFDEF, INC FY’2015‐2016 ANNUAL REPORT PAGE 11
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