Georgia College and Career Academies Project (GCCAP)
Heart of Georgia College and Career Academy (HGCCA) Quarterly Report
March 30, 2013
Mission and Goals
The mission of HGCCA is “to improve public educational outcomes and ensure a viable 21st century
workforce for the Heart of Georgia region.”
Our goals, as stated in our charter contract with the State Board of Education, are as follows:
Academic Goals
The State Board shall hold the Charter School accountable for the full performance of each of the academic
goals listed below starting at the end of Year One (a year from now).
Goal 1: The Charter School will make Adequate Yearly Progress as defined by Georgia state requirements and
No Child Left Behind. Students in all Subgroups will demonstrate proficiency and improvement over prior
years’ performance.
Measure 1: During each year of its charter term, the Charter School will make Adequate Yearly Progress
as demonstrated by meeting or exceeding the Annual Measurable Objectives for Mathematics and
English Language Arts on the GHSGT and all other requirements as established by the Department each
year.
Measure 2: During each year of its charter term, the percentage of students scoring in the
Advanced/Honors categories on the Mathematics and English Language Arts portions of the GHSGT
will exceed the baseline established in Year 1 by an additional 3% per year until the percentage of
students scoring in the Advanced/Honors categories is at or above 50%. At that point, the Charter
School will increase the number of students in the Advanced/Honors categories by 1% per year for the
remainder of the charter term.
Measure 3: The Charter School’s graduation rate, as measured by the Department, will meet or exceed
the state AMOs.
NOTE: DOE has advised HGCCA that “NCLB/AYP” and “AMO” are no longer valid accountability terms;
however, in lieu of amending our charter, we are permitted to meet the new statewide STPs (State
Performance Targets). Also, GHSGT targets are replaced by our performance on End of Course Tests. Both
of these changes were communicated via a June 1, 2012 letter from DOE and Morgan Felts.
Goal 2: Students will demonstrate college and/or career readiness.
Measure 1: From the regional baseline average of five (5) dual enrolled students in 2010-2011, the number of
students receiving post-secondary credits through dual-enrollment in career and technical post-secondary
programs will increase by ten (10) students each year of the charter term.
Measure 2: From the regional baseline average of forty-five (45), the number Charter School students
participating in work-based learning programs, such as job-shadowing, internships, apprenticeships, etc., will
increase by ten (10) students each year of the charter term.
Measure 3: From the regional baseline average of 1,274 Work Ready Certificates earned per year, the number
of seniors enrolled at the Charter School earning a Bronze Level certificate or higher from the Georgia Work
Ready program will increase by twenty (20) students each year of the charter term.
Organizational Goals
The fulfillment of the following organizational goals will be reported annually by the Charter School in addition
to their Annual Report starting a year from now.
Goal 1: The Charter School will increase the connection between CTAE programs and its related business
partners.
Measure: From the regional baseline of twenty-five (25) employers participating per year in work-based
learning programs, the number of employer participants will increase by five (5) employers each year of
the charter term.
Goal 2: Each year, the percentage of parents and students satisfied with the overall quality of the Charter School
as measured by a survey, shall meet or exceed 85%.
Goal 3: The Charter School will be economically sustainable.
Measure 1: Each year, the Charter Schools will operate in a fiscally sound manner as measured by an
external audit.
Measure 2: Actual and proposed budgets for each school year will demonstrate effective allocation of
resources.
Measure 3: Yearly balance sheets will demonstrate that the Charter School maintains adequate cash
reserves.
Measure 4: The Charter School will meet all Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP) as
demonstrated by external, annual audit reports.
Measure 5: The Charter School will increase private sector donations by $2,500 each year of the charter
term, beginning from a baseline amount of $5,000 in Year 1.
Note: HGCCA is nearing the end of its first full academic year and is actively tracking progress toward
achieving these goals. We will report on their achievement to DOE by October 1, 2013 and to TCSG in the
September 2013 quarterly report.
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Need
HGCCA budgeted for a comprehensive, online needs assessment of regional employers in the GCCAP grant.
The survey was officially launched on November 1, 2011. We closed data collection at the end of June, at
which time 76 respondents had completed the survey. The final report has been published and shared with
HGCCA’s Board and Operations Committee, and it has also been sent to all the stakeholders who responded to
the survey.
The 102-page report can be downloaded from the following link:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/58223661/Needs%20Reports/HGCCA%20Needs%20Assessment%20Report%200124
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The needs assessment report’s recommendations have been used to finalize HGCCA’s course offerings for
Year Two and beyond (see College and Career Focus below).
Partnerships
As Georgia’s second regional charter “college and career academy,” HGCCA is working with its permanent
Board (see Governance below) to reach out and include as many local stakeholders as possible. Our partnership
represents four public school systems (Bleckley, Laurens and Wheeler Counties and Dublin City), three
chambers of commerce (Dublin-Laurens, Cochran-Bleckley and Wheeler County), the Dublin-Laurens County
Development Authority, Oconee Fall Line Technical College (OFTC) and Middle Georgia State College
(MGSC). We plan to add a seat for MGSC on our Board of Directors this calendar year.
Our partners also include – at a minimum – the 77 employers who responded to our needs assessment.
These partners employ 14,900 workers, or 39% of our regional workforce.
HGCCA currently distributes its monthly newsletter via email to 157 stakeholders who have “opted in” and
asked to receive it.
Budget
HGCCA accessed grant funding at the end of June 2011 and began begin spending it as budgeted in July 2011.
HGCCA has filed for 501(c)(3) status last summer and will begin adding donated private assets to our public
funds from the grant. The Board of Directors of HGCCA, Inc. is managing all assets. The Board created a
bank account and receives monthly financial reports from Treasurer David Gay (Chairman of the DublinLaurens Chamber of Commerce).
HGCCA, Inc. has signed a 20 years for $10/year with the Laurens County Board of Education to occupy and
use the old West Laurens High School campus and facility. HGCCA will reimburse LCBOE for utilities and
insurance. As long as the corporation is intact, the building will remain with HGCCA; if the entire corporation
is dissolved, it goes back to LCBOE.
At its March 2013 meeting, the HGCCA Board of Directors adopted the CM@Risk protocol (Construction
Manager At Risk) to use for the completion of our facility renovation. We have been using architect Bill
McLees from Macon since the Fall 2012. Building plans are complete and we are following the CM process to
secure our contractor. Estimated completion of the facility renovations is January 2014.
CEO Abney is leading the partnership through a capital campaign to raise $250,000 to sustain HGCCA through
its first operational year. That amount was identified by the Operations Committee as the amount needed to
carry the partnership’s operational costs in its first school year until such time as state QBE dollars “catch up”
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to students who enrolled this year. The districts have assured the board that operational costs can be covered
with funds that follow each student after this one-time adjustment. As of March 2013, HGCCA’s partners have
raised $70,000 toward that goal.
Governance & Leadership
The Board of Directors of HGCCA, Inc. (see membership below) adopted a new meeting schedule at its
January meeting and now meets every other month on the second Thursday. Meeting locations cycle through
each educational partner’s high school or college campus.
Most of the permanent Board of Directors of HGCCA, Inc. was appointed in June 2011. We have the following
Directors in place (with one vacancy remaining):
Representing
Dublin-Laurens County Chamber of Commerce
Laurens County Schools
Dublin-Laurens County Chamber of Commerce
Bleckley County Schools
Dublin City Schools
Wheeler County Schools
Oconee Fall Line Technical College
Wheeler County Chamber of Commerce
Bleckley County High School parent
Cochran-Bleckley Chamber of Commerce
Laurens County High School parent
Director
Joe Thomas (Chair)
Dr. William Rowe (Vice Chair)
David Gay (Secretary/Treasurer)
Donald M. Turknett
Laura Travick
Arnold Horton
Erica Harden
Eileen Futral
Roger Bryant
Jennifer Brannon
Vacant
Last July, our Board had a grant-funded, day-long Training and Orientation retreat. We engaged a consultant to
facilitate the meeting and review applicable laws, Board roles and responsibilities, the charter contract, our
mission and goals, and our next steps.
In March, the Board contracted with Dr. Howard Abney to serve as CEO for two years.
HGCCA officially opened in August 2012. Since our donated facility is undergoing renovation (see below), we
opened in the existing five high schools being run by our four public school system partners, and also with dual
enrollment classes at Middle Georgia State College in Eastman and Oconee Fall Line Technical College in
Dublin.
See College and Career Focus below for details about students served and programs offered this year and to
be offered in the new facility in 2013-14.
Timelines
HGCCA opened in each district on the first day of school in August 2012. Last fall, the Board unanimously
voted to accept the offer of the former West Laurens High School facility, vacated by Laurens County several
years ago, to be the main facility for HGCCA. That site has received official site approval by DOE, and
HGCCA is working with an architect (Bill McLees) on developing the program for bids. HGCCA will operate
out of the five existing high schools and both colleges until the facility is open. Other major milestones for 2012
include:
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Needs Assessment – data collection closed in June 2012 and report was published in January 2013.
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Curriculum Planning and Marketing – completed by Operations Committee in May 2012. Website is
now active (hgcca.org) and our logo has been adopted (see top of page 1). Many items have been
produced and are being distributed to students.
CEO hired – March 2012
Facility Renovation – will begin once the contractor is chosen through the CM@Risk process.
Renovation should take less than 12 months, and we should be able to begin using the building during
our second full year of instruction.
November 2012 – CEO and Board commenced capital campaign to raise $250,000 to cover operational
costs through Year One. To date, $70,000 has been raised.
Career & College Focus
The permanent Board inherited the Operations Committee established by the initial Board of Directors in 2010.
“Operations” is made up of all four superintendents and select senior staff from each school system, two college
presidents, and business representatives planning how the school will operate, including curriculum. Meetings
are called by the CEO, and the committee chair (Dr. Chuck Ledbetter, Dublin City Schools Superintendent)
reports at every meeting of the HGCCA Board of Directors. While most of the courses offered in Year One are
high school CTAE electives, please note that our goals above include a significant improvement in dual
enrollment with OFTC and our newest partner, Middle Georgia State College.
In addition to high school courses (see Enrollment below), 72 students are enrolled in dual enrollment courses
with either Middle Georgia College or Oconee Fall Line Technical College. With the Oconee Fall Line,
Technical College 4 Dublin students are enrolled in Nurse Aide and Cosmetology programs, 2 East Laurens
students are enrolled in the Nurse Aide and Cosmetology program (one each), 1 Wheeler student is enrolled in
Nurse Aide and 6 West Laurens students are enrolled in Nurse Aide, Cosmetology, Welding, and Machine Tool
programs. Students enrolled with Middle Georgia include: Bleckley 24 students in Aviation, English, History,
Math and Economics; Dublin 13 students in English, Math, Government, Economics, and Chemistry courses;
West Laurens 21 students enrolled in English, Math, Economics, History, Sociology and Biology courses; and
Wheeler with one student in Spanish and Math classes.
Programs to be Offered as Result of the Needs Assessment
The needs assessment documented that the top four sectors needing employees in our region are: Healthcare (13
respondents need to add 255 jobs, most of which require at least a technical college certificate), Manufacturing
(six respondents need to hire 180 employees who have high school diplomas), Education (five respondents need
to hire 125 employees who have bachelors degrees), and Financial Services (eight respondents need to hire 50
employees who have high school diplomas).
Our Operations Committee planned and recommended the following course offerings for Year Two, which are
going through registration at our high school partners now. High school courses offered at the newly renovated
HGCCA near I-16 Exit 51 will include:
 Cosmetology
 Early childhood care
 Air Force JROTC
 Basic welding
 Culinary arts
 Building construction
 Auto collision repair
 Computer Instruction
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HGCCA students will be offered the following dual enrollment opportunities for Year Two through Oconee
Fall Line Technical College (Dublin campus) and Middle Georgia College (Eastman campus):
 Diesel mechanics
 Industrial maintenance
 Industrial electronics
 HVAC
 Machine tool
 Law enforcement
 Instructional technology
 Allied health: pharmacy tech, EMT, Nursing asst.
 CDL: 18 years old
 Early childhood care
 Business office
 Aircraft structural tech
 Aircraft maintenance
 Construction welding
Students and parents are encouraged to use our website for the latest information: http://www.hgcca.org/
Grade Levels
HGCCA enrolls primarily high school juniors and seniors from each participating district, with some select
sophomores attending.
Enrollment & Student Focus
HGCCA’s opening enrollment in August 2012 was 192 students. By high school, the student totals are as
follows: Bleckley County 24, Dublin 129, East Laurens 2, West Laurens 27, and Wheeler 10.
At the beginning of the second semester of Year One, enrollment was 184, with four fewer students in ROTC
and dual enrollment dropping slightly, from 72 to 68.
CEO Abney is working closely with the principals and counselors. His focus in early April is to secure the
enrollment for Year Two with growth in all areas.
Student Support
Students are supported mostly by the counseling efforts of our five partnering high schools. This support will
expand significantly with the opening of our facility in 2014, which will have dedicated counseling and student
support staff onsite.
Mentoring is also offered through the existing efforts of the high schools. With our own facility, HGCCA will
host and manage its own mentoring program starting in 2014.
Structure
HGCCA has been building our brand (or culture) through our logo, direct communications with students and
parents, and online newsletter and website for more than a year; however, we expect and plan to have more
success with cultural awareness and brand when our dedicated facility is officially open in 2014. It will have an
interstate presence with signage on I-16, it will be obviously aligned with one college partner (OFTC) by
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geography (the two will be neighbors), and we will finally have a “place” that is uniquely “ours” to control, host
events, and educate students.
Standards & Curriculum
We have Advisory Committees for every CTAE program at all five participating high schools (Laurens County
has two high schools). We are following state standards for all classes and used needs data (see Need above) to
determine course offerings. We opened in August with students taking AP classes, Career Tech electives at all
five high schools, ROTC, and dual enrollment. See above sections for enrollment levels and course offerings.
Faculty & Staff
Year One faculty are the CTAE instructors of select programs and the counseling staff of all high schools and
dual enrollment instructors at our two college partners. Our CEO, Dr. Howard Abney, is currently the only
employee of HGCCA. Year Two faculty will expand with the opening of our dedicated facility. Faculty
decisions have yet to be made for those 2014 course offerings. CEO Abney is working with the Board’s
Operations Committee to develop those recommendations.
Evaluation
The Operations Committee and our consultant are collaborating (under the oversight of our Board of Directors)
to develop a unique database for HGCCA that will be used to prepare annual reports for DOE and all
stakeholders. Our first annual report is not due until October 2013. HGCCA is using the Evaluation and
Improvement form from the GCCAP grant application and our list of charter goals above as templates for
developing that database.
Cycle of Improvement
HGCCA has committed through its charter contract to conduct annual surveys of parents. We are including
satisfaction prompts in our employer needs assessment, and we will also do student surveys every year. The
Operations Committee is performing a student interest survey to help with Year Two planning. We will also
follow the several pages of evaluation and improvement measures submitted with our GCCAP grant
application.
Charter School Law
HGCCA’s charter was approved by all four school systems in March, 2011 and by the State Board of Education
on April 13, 2011. The charter contract was signed by all parties in May 2011 and went into effect on July 1,
2011 for a five-year term.
HGCCA, per a vote by its Board, voluntarily made its first charter year into a planning year and notified DOE.
Thus, the second year of the charter was “Year One” for serving students, and thus all mentions of Year One
and Year Two actually refer to the second and third years of HGCCA’s charter term.
Images from recent Board meetings and monthly newsletters:
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Images from recent HGCCA Board of Directors meetings at Wheeler County High School in Alamo and East
Laurens High School in East Dublin.
Current view of the old West Laurens High School facility that DOE has officially approved as the site for the
new Heart of Georgia College and Career Academy, as seen from I-16. Renovations will commence
immediately on the structure and a new safety fence around a pond between HGCCA and OFTC's Dublin
campus.
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