FAQ
What is a charter school?
Charter schools are public schools and are free to attend. They are responsive to student needs and held accountable for student achievement and financial responsibility.
Charter schools can be sponsored by local school districts, Career Technology Centers, universities, federally-recognized Indian tribes, and the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The Academy of Seminole is sponsored by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
The basic concept of a charter school is to exercise increased autonomy in return for accountability. Charter schools are responsible for several groups for both academic results and fiscal practices: the sponsor that grants them, the parents who choose them and the public that funds them.
Charter schools are given the freedom to innovate, choose their own curriculum and create their own discipline systems.
Is the Academy a Private School?
No – TAOS is a public charter school, free to attend and open to any student in the state of Oklahoma. Public charter schools are open to all students to enroll. When applications exceed the school’s capacity, a random lottery is held.
Charter schools cannot “limit admission based on ethnicity, national origin, gender, income level, disabling condition, English proficiency, measures of achievement, aptitude, or athletic ability.”
What is an Early-College High School?
Early College High Schools (ECHS) are innovative high schools that allow students to attend college an opportunity to earn a high school diploma and 60 college credit hours.
Early College High Schools:
- provide dual credit at no cost to students
- offer rigorous instruction and accelerated courses
- provide academic and social support services to help students succeed
- increase college readiness, and
- reduce barriers to college access.