SEI Academy:  Where students realize their academic and personal potential.

SEI Academy is a full service, grades 6-8 public charter school dedicated to helping all students realize their full academic and personal potential. The school is founded on the principles of integrity and respect, and on the SEI tenet that every child will be successful.

SEI Academy opened in Fall 2004 and any student in Portland Public School District may enroll. SEI Academy is a Title 1 school that primarily serves children from North and NE Portland who are seeking an alternative to their neighborhood public schools, which unfortunately rank among the lowest in the state in reading and math scores.

SEI Academy is located in the Center for Self Enhancement in North Portland, which is served by the Jefferson High School cluster. For years Jefferson High School has been the lowest academically achieving high school in the region. The K-8 schools in the Jefferson Cluster also rank poorly in annual state assessments.

Each year, 70 percent of the new students that enter SEI Academy from another school come to us testing far below grade level, with many students testing 2-3 grade levels behind. These are the very students most likely to drop out of high school if there is no intervention. The recent decline in enrollment, administrative turnover, and persistent low achievement results in the Jefferson Cluster have accelerated the community’s demand for change.

SEI Academy provides a necessary choice and opportunity for parents who are frustrated with failing schools and with their lack of control over their child’s education. Parents recognize SEI’s track record for success, cultural competence, and the tangible benefits that SEI Academy delivers:

In a standardized parent survey by Portland Public Schools during 2007-08, 92 percent of parents stated they were satisfied or very satisfied with their child’s academic progress at SEI Academy. Ninety-two percent said SEI Academy was supporting innovative practices and 100 percent stated that the school’s unique opportunities for their child were very important in their decision to enroll.

SEI Academy provides families of failing schools a voice and option in their child’s education. Operating under the auspices of Self Enhancement, Inc., SEI Academy embodies the philosophies and strategies of SEI, which has a strong track record of empowering underprivileged youth to graduate high school and reach their potential academically, personally and professionally. 

SEI Academy combines this with a rigorous in-school curriculum to create a full-service institution that meets the unique needs of local at-risk youth who have been unable to achieve success in traditional public schools.   SEI Academy’s primary goal is for all students to meet or exceed 8th grade benchmarks and to prepare all students for success in high school.

SEI Academy utilizes a holistic approach that encompasses the whole child and engages guardians/parents in the child’s education. Specific strategies include:

- SEI Relationship Model. Understanding that youth must have strong, positive relationships with caring adults to nurture growth, SEI Academy prioritizes strong 1-on-1 relationships with students to ensure personalized instruction and guidance that at-risk youth need.

- Small environment. Research demonstrates that smaller learning environments are most effective in building student achievement. SEI Academy’s size creates a low teacher-to-student ratio (12.6:1, compared to the district’s 14.4:1), more individualized attention, and a system that supports each child, preventing youth from getting lost in the shuffle.

- Student Coordinators. Every student at SEI Academy benefits from an individual Student Coordinator, who serves as a teacher, mentor and parent to each child on their caseload.

- Individual Success Plan. Every student develops an Individual Success Plan with their Coordinator. This plan sets personalized short-term and long-term goals in academics and personal growth and establishes specific strategies and activities to obtain these goals.

- Innovative Instruction. SEI Academy’s evidence-based methods utilize project-based learning, critical thinking skills, service-based learning (through community learning opportunities), inquiry-based learning, and information literacy (emphasizing critical research skills for the new “Information Age”).

- “Full Service” Program. All students participate in SEI’s after-school, weekend, and summer programs. The result is students who are engaged all-day, all year long through task-focused curriculum and activities. For students who lack a supportive family life and are surrounded by negative influences, SEI is a home away from home and a second family.

- Family Involvement. SEI Academy has a track record of engaging parents/families in their child’s education. Family Coordinators perform home visits to assess risk levels, connect families with community assistance, and offer additional assistance to ensure children have a supportive home environment. Parents are encouraged to volunteer, serve on a Parent Advisory Council, and attend regular events.

- Top level instruction. All Academy teachers are certified, highly qualified instructors. On average, instructors have 8.2 years of experience, the most of any Portland charter school.

SEI Academy Board of Directors

John Trachtenberg, Chair
Tony Hopson Sr.
Suzanne Geary
Nathan Jones
Marcella McGee
Faresa Niece
Quontica Sparks
A.W. Williams

THE LOTTERY PROCESS:

If the number of applications exceeds fifty, all applications will have an equal chance of being admitted through a random selection process or lottery. The lottery will be conducted in the spring before school opens and the Charter School Sixth Grade Transition Committee is required to hold the lottery in a public place. Enrollment preferences will be given to: 1) applicant sibling of currently attending student and 2) applicant sibling of an applicant selected during the lottery process. No offer shall be made to any student not properly entitled to the available space. If there are more names in the lottery pool than spaces available in the grade level, those students’ names not selected will form a Waiting List. All other applications will be placed after them in order of their submission to the Waiting List. If space becomes available during the school year, admissions will be offered to the next student on the Waiting List. If a child’s name is selected, the family/guardian will be sent a Congratulations Letter and a Commitment to Enroll form. An applicant will be required to affirmatively respond to an offer of acceptance in writing within seven business days. Those applicants not responding within this designated period of time will be removed from the Waiting List and will be required to reapply should they wish consideration for any future openings.