Widener Partnership Charter School

The Widener Partnership Charter School is a public charter school located at 1450 Edgmont Avenue, Chester, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Originally a K-3 school it had grown by Fall 2013 to educate K-7 elementary students. The goal of this school is to educate each and every student in the way that they will become component, self-motivated, and lifelong learners. The program not only focuses on how a child learns, but it focuses on the whole child as well. There is a ratio of 17 to 1 students to teacher in each class allowing for more personal attention with each child. The school mandates students wear a standardized uniform. Widener Partnership enrollment was 250 pupils in 2010 and grew to 300 in 2011. Fourth grade was added to the school in 2009-10. Fifth grade was added in 2010-11. In November 2011, the school received approval to add sixth through eighth grades from the Chester Upland School Board.The school has an active Parent Caregiver Council with membership in the PCC is open to all parents and caregivers of students enrolled in the school. The PCC holds monthly meetings on topics of concern for the entire school community.The school serves a second purpose as it provides Widener University students with experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students not only in education, but also in social work, clinical psychology, nursing and physical therapy. Widener University faculty use the school for research across a myriad of disciplines. The school was established in fall 2006, by Widener University. It was approved for opening by the Chester Upland School District Empowerment Board.Academic achievementIn both 2010 and 2011, the school achieved Adequate Yearly Progress in reading and math based on growth in achievement. The school attendance rate was 97% in 2011, while there was a 96% attendance rate in 2010.