Special Features

Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools

The Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools honors the public charter management organization that has demonstrated the most outstanding overall student performance and improvement among the country’s largest urban charter management organizations in recent years while reducing achievement gaps for poor and minority students.

The Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools mirrors The Broad Prize for Urban Education that is awarded to traditional school districts and seeks to:

• Recognize those charter models that show the best academic outcomes, particularly for traditionally disadvantaged students 
• Create an accessible repository of high-quality data on student achievement, policies and practices in the largest urban charter management organizations across the country 
• Showcase the best practices of successful public charter management organizations so that other public charter schools and traditional public schools can learn from their success

Student Performances

Attendees will be treated to performances from some of the country's best young performers, including:

Emma Taggart
Classically Trained Pianist
Emma Taggart is a nine year old classically trained pianist. Taggart has performed in music festivals all over the world and has received top prizes and awards for her work, including the Varallo International Piano Festival Performance Award in 2010.

High School for Recording Arts BMOR Crew
Hip Hop Musical Group
The High School for Recording Arts BMOR Crew is a hip hop musical group from St. Paul, Minnesota. The group is known for its work with the 26 Seconds campaign, which promotes awareness of the high school dropout rate.

School Tours

Special thanks to the following Minneapolis charter schools that are graciously opening their doors to the national charter school community. Shuttles will be provided for conference participants to and from each campus.

Concordia Creative Learning Academy
Wednesday, June 20
12:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Concordia Creative Learning Academy (CCLA) is a Pre-K-8 school that provides a diverse, family centered education with a foundation in literacy. CCLA has small class sizes of 15 to 1 and every child receives an individual learning plan that is developed with parents.

Harvest Preparatory School/BEST Academy
Thursday, June 21
12:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Started in the home of 2012 Hall of Fame Inductee Eric Mahmoud, Harvest Preparatory School and BEST Academy are K-8 college preparatory programs serving 99% African Americans and 91% students of poverty, respectively.