AMERICAN ACADEMY FOR LIBERAL EDUCATION
1050 17th Street, Suite 400, Washington , DC 20036
T: 202-452-8611 / F: 202-452-8620
www.aalecharters.org / charters@aale.org

DATE: June 14, 2005
CONTACTS: Meg Cotter, Deputy Director of School Relations, Charter School Accreditation Program

AMERICAN ACADEMY FOR LIBERAL EDUCATION GRANTS NATIONAL ACCREDITATION TO BASIS SCOTTSDALE IN SCOTTSDALE, AZ AND PAUL PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IN WASHINGTON, DC.

The American Academy for Liberal Education (AALE), announced today that its Board of Trustees granted national accreditation to two high performing charter schools: BASIS SCOTTSDALE in Scottsdale, Arizona and Paul Public Charter School in Washington, DC. BASIS SCOTTSDALE is only one of three AALE accredited charter schools in the Phoenix area while Paul Public Charter School is the first charter school in the District of Columbia to receive this honor. As AALE member schools, BASIS SCOTTSDALE and Paul Public Charter School join the prestigious ranks of current AALE charter school members.

BASIS SCOTTSALE joins its sister school BASIS TUCSON as an AALE member school. Despite having been founded in 2003, BASIS SCOTTSDALE has already proven itself among the highest achieving middle schools in the state of Arizona based on its AIMS results. BASIS is particularly notable for its use of High School level Economics courses in the middle school and for its comprehensive exam requirement administered to all students.

“AALE commends BASIS SCOTTSDALE for outstanding work in liberal arts education. Pioneering educators Olga and Michael Block have proved that their wildly successful program in Tucson, AZ can be replicated with equal success,” comments AALE Charter Director Dr. Sarah Cunningham. “How many middle schools in the country teach high school economics in 8th grade, in addition to teaching high school level chemistry, physics and biology? Principal, Diane Moser has created a student culture that welcomes such academic challenge with enthusiasm and passion, embracing a liberal arts mission.”

Paul Public Charter School was the first DC Public School to convert to a charter school after receiving their charter in 1999 by the D.C. Public Charter School Board. Paul serves over 600 students in grades 6-9 and continually ranks among the highest scoring schools in the district. “The administrators, teachers, and staff of Paul Public Charter School (PPCS) reflect a singular commitment to the academic and moral education of DC students. PPCS’s 6th grade Preparatory Academy is a model program to transition students into a more challenging curriculum and to prepare them for college-prep high schools,” remarked Dr. Cunningham. “We are proud to count Paul Public Charter School among our members, especially as the first DC school to gain AALE recognition.”

The American Academy for Liberal Education began its national program to accredit charter schools in 2002. The program offers a badge of academic excellence attained through an external review based on high standards in all areas of institutional health. The AALE Charter School Accreditation Program is designed “to recognize public charter schools of high distinction” and ensure that young people are prepared with the knowledge and skills required to succeed in liberal arts colleges and universities throughout the nation.