Annual Report 2005-06 | Page 12

2. Number of teachers:* During school year 2005-2006 the faculty included 38 teachers, 18 of whom were fulltime, 20 of whom were part-time. 3. Number of teacher aides:* The school had 18 teacher aides during the 2005-2006 school year. 4. Average class size:* The average class size at Carlos Rosario Charter was 22 students. In addition to teaching their classes, many teachers, full- and part-time, donated their time to coordinate multi-cultural festivals with their students, lead extra-curricular activities (e.g. Conversation Club, Reading Club, US Culture in Film, Yoga), and participate in school committees. 5. Qualifications and assignments of school staff:* The school recruits experienced teachers who have graduate coursework in a field related to their assignment such as English as a Second Language, applied linguistics or adult education. Multilingual capability is common among administrators and faculty alike. To maintain a high standard of teacher quality, the school established coursework requirements for all full-time faculty. The coursework requirements were established upon consulting teacher certification requirements for ESL teachers in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, as well as standards set by the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Association. The school requires all full-time faculty to take a total of six courses (18 credits) in adult education, linguistics, and English as a Second Language to be completed within a period of two years after their contract of employment begins. Upon completion of the necessary courses, teachers take six graduate credits every five years to maintain currency in their area. The school continuously strives for excellence and demands its faculty to be Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT), although the Carlos Rosario Charter School is not required to comply with NCLB legislation as a nondegree granting institution and does not receive No Child Left Behind (NCLB) funding. Executive Director Sonia Gutierrez and Business Manager Gwen Ellis have worked together for many years. The school is also fortunate to have several longterm members of its staff still working with the charter school. Seven of the office staff members had worked at the previous school under the DC Public School System. The Executive Director was the Principal of the former Carlos Rosario Adult Education Center, DCPS and has over 30 years of experience. Managers have advanced degrees in Adult Education, Administration, Secondary Education, Curriculum Development, Linguistics, English as a Second Language, or Business Administration. Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School, Annual Report SY 2005-2006 - 11 -