Georgia Career Academies Project II
Quarterly Report
June 2012
Mission and Goals
The mission of the Lanier Charter Career Academy is to, “improve the graduation and career advancement
potential of students whose educational goals and dreams are not currently being met in traditional high
school settings.” The four overarching goals are:
1. To create an environment in which students are encouraged to focus on career goals while earning
both high school and dual enrollment postsecondary credit while attending high school
2. To encourage high aspirations and commitment among students by providing career enhancing
courses and a real business network related to opportunities that are locally available
3. To foster increased student achievement and higher graduation rates in a non-traditional high school
setting which allows exploration, internship, career mentoring, apprenticeship, and entrepreneurship
4. To foster and model core ethical workplace values
Partnerships
One of our digital media partners has completed installation of a roadside sign that allows our students to
showcase digital media on the signage and to promote meeting and events in our facility.
Budget
We are continuing to utilize instructional operating funds from several sources. Our school system provides
funding to our career academy using the same funding formulas and ratios that are used with all other
schools in the system. We utilize grants from Perkins, State Extended Year funds, State Extended Day
funds, and Industry Certification funds.
Funds raised through our non-profit businesses sustain most of the operating costs incurred by those
businesses. In addition, we’ve been able begin funding a long-term equipment replacement budget for all of
our programs, and have been able to hire occasional part-time student-staff for evening and weekend
events.
Using tips from patrons in our businesses, our Governing Board awards student scholarships twice a year.
This year, the Board awarded just over $5000 in scholarships for leadership conferences, college tuition and
national competition fees.
Governance & Leadership
Our current Governing Board is our most active Board to date. Board meetings are held quarterly, and are
well attended. They provide tremendous guidance for each of our career programs, and are excellent
advocates for us in the larger community.
Timelines
We have completed construction of a new cosmetology program that will operate “The Reflections Salon &
Spa” for the public beginning in November, 2012. We are in the process of interviewing possible private
partners (e.g., Paul Mitchell, Pivot Point, and Avanti) for support & sponsorships.
Career & College Focus
We have been disappointed that our initial hopes for dual enrollment courses to be taught on our career
academy campus have not come to fruition. In spite of that, we do have students that are pursuing culinary,
healthcare science and hospitality marketing fields after graduation, though many are doing this through
Gwinnett Technical College and private colleges such as Johnson & Wales, & Cordon Bleu.
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Grade Levels
For the spring 2012 semester, we served a total of 266 students enrolled in Career Academy courses,
compared to 314 students in the fall of 2009. These students represented the following pathways and grade
levels:
 Culinary Arts – 151 students (105 students in the Fall of 2009)
 Healthcare Science – 20 students (61 students in the Fall of 2009)
 Hospitality Marketing – 71 students (121 students in the Fall of 2009)
 Advertising & Promotion – 24 students (27 students in the Fall of 2009)
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9th Grade – 33 students (55 students in 2009)
10th Grade – 91 students (115 students in 2009)
11th Grade – 72 students (88 students in 2009)
12th Grade – 70 students (56 students in 2009)
Enrollment & Student Focus
Consistent with the terms of our charter, enrollment is open to any student who resides within the Hall
County Schools attendance zone. Beginning fall of 2012, we will be relocating our Healthcare Science
program onto a traditional school campus. At the present time, 95% of the healthcare science enrollment
comes from the relocation high school. In its place, LCCA will be opening a cosmetology program, with a
fully operational spa & salon.
Student Support
We have two types of student advisement: one for the Class of 2013, where the focus is on transitioning
from high school to college or career. The second advisement is for underclassmen, where we meet every
three weeks to talk about dual enrollment opportunities, graduation requirements, and other special
presentations on topics such as sexting and DUI.
Standards & Curriculum
We utilize the Georgia Performance Standards in all of our courses. In addition, we supplement this
curriculum with skills required in local industries &/or on end-of-pathway credentialing exams.
Faculty & Staff
All staff members have been hired and oriented to the goals of the career academy. Both of our Marketing
teachers possess Industry Certification in Marketing. All of our teachers have multiple years of experience in
the industries in which they teach. Our most recent teacher (for Cosmetology) has multiple years of
experience as a teacher, a cosmetologist and aesthetician, and as a national trainer for Avanti. She was
also Georgia’s Skills teacher of the year several years ago.
Evaluation
Pioneer RESA is serving as our evaluator for our charter.
Cycle of Improvement
In February, 2011, our school underwent a Georgia Assessment of Performance on School Standards
(GAPSS) review. This review, along with the school system’s Balanced Scorecard, help to guide the
direction of our School Improvement Plan (SIP).
Charter School Law
We were approved by State Board of Education at their March 2009 meeting. No changes to note.
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