Charter school students’ logs show unusual studies

Terry Webster

Thursday, April 13, 2000 | 11:46 a.m.

Odyssey credits

State education officials, in their investigation of Odyssey Charter School, have documented students receiving credit for the following activities:

Playing checkers, 30 minutes.

Brushing hair and teeth; cleaning bathroom, 60 minutes; animal sanitation, 30 minutes; cleaning room and washing walls, 60 minutes.

Running around the back yard with dogs, 60 minutes; playing Frisbee and football, 120 minutes; walking through the neighborhood, 30 minutes; tearing down a playhouse, 90 minutes.

Music

Praise and worship, 30 minutes.

Sunday Bible Stories, 45 minutes.

When the Nevada Department of Education reviewed student logs listing academic lessons in washing walls and playing checkers, the Odyssey Charter School didn't earn any points for creativity.

The student logs are just one of many criticisms the state makes in its heavily documented review of Odyssey, a kindergarten through eighth grade charter school that opened last fall.

Odyssey students receive their lessons from computer software used at home. Teachers were to make weekly visits to the students' homes and communicate with them daily by telephone and e-mail.

But areas of earned academic credit are raising the eyebrows of state officials.

A report released Wednesday by the state shows teachers approved student logs that have included such activities as playing checkers for social studies; brushing teeth or animal sanitation for health; playing Frisbee or running in the back yard with dogs for physical education; and Bible stories for reading.

"If you look through a pile of these (student logs), you will see a lot of this," said Douglas Thunder, the Education Department's deputy superintendent of administrative and fiscal services.

Odyssey could shut down now that the state has decided to cut off funding to the school. The main reason stems from a discrepancy between the number of students Odyssey claims it enrolled (336) and the 55 students the state can officially account for.

Parent Kathy Duffey finds all of it hard to believe.

Duffey said she has worked closely with her 9-year-old daughter, Darcy, for the entire school year.

"She's working on a fourth grade level even though she should only be in the third grade," said Duffey, referring to the computer software program used to provide school lessons. "After all of this, the state is going to tell us our work isn't worth anything?"

Duffey said she wants the state to see her detailed log of student activities, which include lessons in vowels, multiplication, reading and global studies.

"I think most of the parents are really doing their best to try to help their children," Duffey said.

There also is documentation for physical education -- such as in-line skating and swimming -- but those activities aren't done until Darcy's school work is finished, Duffy said.

Darcy's bedroom, equipped with a computer, functions as her classroom. Books on the Apollo space program, Thomas Edison and trees are scattered around her desk. A geological report on the Valley of Fire and other papers are neatly piled on her bed.

The computer software provides lessons in key subject areas, followed by a practice test that announces whether the answer given was right or wrong. Then comes the real test -- and only Darcy's teacher can determine how well she did.

Darcy, who attended John S. Park Elementary School, said she does not want to return to public schools. A strong reader, she was asked to help other students in class.

"That's not her job, it's the teacher's job," Duffey said.

As for socialization, Darcy's friends arrive on her doorstep every afternoon, Duffey said.

The idea to send Darcy to Odyssey came about after the Duffey family grew tired of year-round school scheduling disrupting their lives.

"I knew she could handle it," Duffey said. "She's the kind of kid who can sit down and do what you tell her to do."

Duffey plans to send her daughter to Arizona, where she will stay with her grandmother to finish out the school year in a charter school there.

With just a few weeks left in the school year, Odyssey students could be forced to enroll in other programs or the Clark County School District if the school closes.

"Whatever is decided, I hope it's done in the best interest of the children," Clark County School Board President Mary Beth Scow said.

Terry Webster covers education for the Sun. She can be reached at (702) 259-4091 or by e-mail at terry@lasvegassun.com