Beacon Academy Called 'High-Quality Charter School'

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has named 24 top-performing charter schools that are eligible to apply for grants from Minnesota’s Federal Charter Schools Program Grant Project to expand and/or replicate their education model.

The 24 schools identified as “High-Quality Charter Schools” have a track record of increasing student achievement and student success and were identified based on proficiency and growth on standardized state tests, graduation rate (for high schools), and demographics. 

The grants will provide funding for high-quality charter schools that wish to significantly expand or replicate beyond the initial plans approved in the school’s original affidavit and charter. Grants are awarded for up to three years (one year of planning, and the first two years of operation) and range from $100,000 to $225,000 per year. Eligible schools will first be able to apply for a grant in spring 2014.

"Minnesota has been a national leader when it comes to charter schools as a part of a comprehensive system of high-quality education," said Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius. "This grant opportunity will allow charter schools showing tremendous success to grow and benefit more of Minnesota’s children."

The expansion/replication grants were made possible by a five-year grant that MDE received from the U.S. Department of Education to increase charter school quality and authorizer accountability. Minnesota’s Federal Charter Schools Program Grant Project is designed to:

• Increase the number of high-quality public schools in the state.
• Establish a framework for charter school accountability to increase academic performance and decrease the achievement gap.
• Help authorizers more effectively oversee and hold charter schools accountable.
• Collect and share promising and innovative practices of high-quality charter schools to each school in the state.

The 24 charter schools eligible to apply for a 2014 grant: 

• Beacon Academy (Maple Grove)
• Beacon Preparatory School (Bloomington)
• Best Academy (Golden Valley)
• Cologne Academy (Cologne)
• DaVinci Academy (Blaine)
• Duluth Public Schools Academy (Duluth)
• Eagle Ridge Academy School (Eden Prairie)
• Face To Face Academy (St. Paul)
• Global Academy (Columbia Heights)
• Harbor City International Charter (Duluth)
• Harvest Preparatory School (Minneapolis)
• Hiawatha Leadership Academy (Minneapolis)
• International Spanish Language Academy (Minnetonka)
• Math and Science Academy (Woodbury)
• Minneapolis Academy Charter School (Minneapolis)
• PACT Charter School (Ramsey)
• Paideia Academy Charter School (Apple Valley)
• Schoolcraft Learning Community Charter (Bemidji)
• Seven Hills Classical Academy (Bloomington)
• St. Croix Preparatory Academy (Stillwater)
• TrekNorth School (Bemidji)
• Twin Cities Academy High School (St. Paul)
• Ubah Medical Academy Charter School (Hopkins)
• World Learner Charter School (Chaska)