Rochester Career Mentoring Charter School
"We care about your future"
FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions About Rochester Career Mentoring Charter School
1. What is Rochester Career Mentoring Charter School?
This charter school will be the first 9th – 12th high school in the city of Rochester. It opens its academic door to 9th graders only beginning August 20, 2012. Each year we will increase our student population by 80 students until we reach our maximum size of 320.
Rochester Career Mentoring Charter School will be a technology rich learning environment and will offer its students both online and teacher lead personalized courses in each Regents content area to prepare for the requirements to earn a Regents diploma.
2. Where is the charter high school located?
Currently the Board of Trustees and the Founder/CEO of Rochester Career Mentoring Charter School are looking for an appropriate building to house our students. Prospective buildings are being seriously considered at this time. Once known, we will immediately display the name and location of the building on our website.
3. Can anyone apply to the school?
Only an 8th grade student living in New York State who will be promoted to 9th grade can apply. 8th graders residing in the city of Rochester will be given first preference in the enrollment process. This charter school shall not discriminate against or limit the admission of any student on any unlawful basis, including on the basis of ethnicity, national origins, gender, disability, intellectual ability, race, creed, national origins, religion, or ancestry.
4. How do you select students to enroll in your charter school?
We will have a lottery to establish an enrollment list and a waiting list. Each valid student application will be entered into a drawing. Names will be randomly selected by an independent third party with no stake in the charter school. The State of New York is still reviewing our plans for the lottery. Additions or changes in the conduct of our lottery and admission guidelines will be posted here as soon as they are available.
5. As a high school student, will I be treated both as an individual and as a person by my teachers?
The answer is definitely YES! This is what makes our charter school unique. Our students will be introduced to a Wrap Around Advisement, which is a small community within the school that provides each student a personal approach to learning through an adult coach and advocate. Students remain with the same advisory for two to four years in order to build relationships that will sustain the student as he or she works through each career exploration, personal, academic, social/emotional and family-related issue. Teacher-advisors will move with their students into year two and will help them continue to plan their learning strengths and concerns, outlining the Regents requirements for a 10th grader, and refining their career interest and goals.
6. As a high school student in your charter school, am I required to take Regents courses and the Regents exams?
Yes, you are required to take Regents courses and exams in order to receive a Regents diploma.
7. What is so unique about your charter school?
Rochester Career Mentoring Charter School will use a curriculum framework which is aligned to the New York State Common Core Standards, core curriculum, and assessments. As such, project-based learning will serve as the primary delivery model of the curriculum, incorporating teacher-designed student inquiry projects. In order to facilitate and strengthen our teachers’ understandings and use of project-based learning (PBL), our teachers will participate in project-based learning models presented by the Buck Institute for Education (www.bie.org).
The school also utilizes a team based approach to teaching, which means all our teachers will be working together to ensure the success of each student.
8. Do your charter school students explore careers and jobs for the future?
Our charter school students will carefully explore careers in the 9th grade and begin to select a career of their interest in 10th grade. Students will be able to extend both their academic and job readiness skills in an internship program in grades 11 and 12. Career mentors will work with our students while they are engaged in real world job training. Also, our students will learn and demonstrate the job readiness skills necessary to be successful in the career path of their dreams.
9. How will the students use technology?
Rochester Career Mentoring Charter School will be a technology rich learning environment and will offer its students both online and teacher lead personalized courses in each Regents content area to prepare for the requirements to earn a Regents diploma. Every student will be provided either a laptop or tablet computer.
