AMIGOS POR VIDAFRIENDS FOR LIFE CHARTER SCHOOL

School Profile Mariolga B. Parra Spring 2014

The Story of Amigos Por Vida

5503 El Camino del Rey St., Houston TX, 77081

Known for its poor, young, and mobile Hispanic population, the Gulfton community in Houston, Texas is unique in many ways:
Gulfton is one of the densest communities in Houston, with

16,327 population per square mile; this compared to the Citys average of 3,500 population per square mile. 74% of the population is Hispanic but growing in diversity. Common to all ethnicities is the level of poverty, with more than 62% of Gulfton residents earning incomes at or below 100% of the federal poverty line. Quality charter schools like Amigos Por Vida are critical to the success of Gulftons youth, where an above state average 98.1% attendance rate makes a difference in student success.

Mission
Our mission at Amigos Por Vida is to empower our students to become life-long learners and achieve academic and personal success, by providing an excellent education in a safe environment.

Responsible, Respectful and Ready! is the backbone of our learning approach

Our Students
School population: 510 children

Grades offered: Pre-K3 to 8th grade.

At-risk population: 93.9% Hispanic students: 99.6% Economically disadvantaged: 99% Limited English Proficient: 90.4%

Amigos Por Vida is an open enrollment charter school, students are selected by lottery, preference goes to siblings of enrolled students.

Our Staff
According to the Texas Academic Performance Report (2013) APV has a 36.8 count average staff: Certified Teachers 36.8 Professional support 12.7 Leadership 1 Males 6.8 Females 16.3 Minority 31 Average years of experience 4.9 Average years with APV 2.7 Salaries are within state average.

Our Academics for 2013*

STAAR Phase I level or above All Grades Reading State 77% 80% APV 2013 71% 69%

Math
Writing Science Social Studies

70%
63% 82% 76%

85%
55% 61% 57%

2013 Accountability Rating; Met Standards on: Student Achievement Student Progress Closing Performance Gaps System Safeguards: 96%
*More detailed data available on the 2012-13 Texas Academic Performance Report

Special Programs
Special education: Wide array of placements from

resource to mainstreaming to provide all the needs identified in the students IEPS. Enrolment is 4.5%
Bilingual Program: One-Way 50-50 Dual Language: Prek-

3 to 5th, and ESL: 6th-8th. Enrollment is 93.1%

Response to Intervention (Rti): Three tiered model for

math and reading including after school tutorials; for students who need the extra support and/or time to master curriculum.

Athletics
Physical education: Pre-K-8th

Soccer: Boys and girls teams 6th-8th grades

Volleyball: girls teams 6th-8th grades

Visual and Performing Arts

Art class: K-8

Dance: K-8th

Lego Art. Photo by: Ahmad Hernandez

Special Interests CLubs

Honor Society: selected 3rd-8th grades Robotics team: selected 7-8th grades Theatre: selected 7-8th grades Journalism Club: selected 7-8th grades Technology is incorporated daily in the curriculum and

students have weekly computer classes within their ancillaries rotations from kinder to 8th grade.

College Awareness Program

All our classes represent a different university, flags are

displayed at the front of each classroom and for a year the students root for their specific college.
Field trips are organized to take eighth graders to local

colleges every year.

Special Awards
Proud TEA recognized school: 2007-2008, 2008-2009,

2009-2010. Texas School Ready Certified: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 In 200607, APV received the Governors Excellence Award as a high-poverty school that performed in the top quartile on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). See report in link:
http://www.amigosporvida.com/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=26 1810

Collaborative Entities
Gesthemane Lutheran Church -

http://www.stlukesmethodist.org/gethsemane/ Houston Baptist University - www.hbu.edu/hbu/Default.asp University of Texas - www.utexas.edu/ City of Houston Human Health Services Department www.houstontx.gov/health/ Baker-Ripley Center - www.neighborhood-centers.org/enus/content/baker-Ripley+Neighborhood+Center.aspx Gulf Coast Adult Continuing Education Depelchin Children's Center - www.depelchin.org/ Smile Mobile Dentist - www.mobiledentists.com/aboutus.html University Eye Institute - www.opt.uh.edu/uei/ Houston Health Department - www.houstontx.gov/health/ One Sight Luxottica - www.luxottica.com/en/one_sight/ Prevent Blindness - www.preventblindness.org/TX/ Eye Care for Kids - www.eyecareforkids.org/

Our Students

Our Classes

Student Work

Our Students Make a Difference

Disabilities Awareness

Student Achievement

Our Teachers

We Carry the Spirit