Envision Schools Explained

Envision Education is a Bay Area network of high performing charter schools, founded in June 2002 by Daniel McLaughlin and Bob Lenz,^[2] that currently runs five public middle and high Envision Schools in the San Francisco Bay Area.^[3]

Established in 2002, Envision Education serves approximately 1,500 students in the San Francisco Bay Area: 70% are low-income; 94% from communities of color; and 75% first generation college bound.  From this population, 100% of graduates are accepted to 2- or 4-year colleges, with 77% accepted to 4-year institutions.  Envision graduates also persist in college once they enroll. Their college persistence rate is 87% from first to second year, compared to the national average of 74%.

Envision also operates Envision Learning Partners, a coaching and training division working with schools across the country to adapt and adopt the Portfolio Defense model.  ELP works with more than 1,000 educators in 30+ school networks and reaching more than 200,000 students.

Investment

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation helped launch the school network with a $3 million investment in 2003 to form an initial group of five charter schools.^[4] In 2006, the foundation invested another $6.9 million aimed at helping the program duplicate its arts and technology programs.

Schools

Current

• City Arts & Leadership Academy in San Francisco, opened in 2004 with an inaugural class of 100 freshmen.^[5] The school now has students in all four high school grades starting with the 2007-08 school year. CAT graduated its first class of Seniors in 2008.
• Envision Academy of Arts & Technology in Oakland, California, opened in 2007-08 school year with students in grades 9 and 10; today, it serves students in grades 6-7 and 9-12. It will add 8th grade in school year 2021-22.
• Impact Academy of Arts & Technology in Hayward, California, opened for 2007-08 with 125 students in grade 9.^[6] Today, it serves over 700 students in grades 6-12.

Combined with other Envision Schools

• Marin School of Arts and Technology (MSAT), Novato, California
• Metropolitan Arts and Technology Highschool, San Francisco, California

Notes and References

1. Web site: Charter School Integrates ‘Deeper Learning’. EdSource. Connie Matthiessen. July 17, 2014. March 29, 2018.
2. Web site: Rebooting the American High School With Neuroscience and Purpose Learning. Sanford Social Innovation Review. March 29, 2018.
3. Lenz, Bob. "A Model for Charter Schools: The Marin School of Arts and Technology", The George Lucas Educational Foundation. Accessed December 15, 2007.
4. http://www.gatesfoundation.org/UnitedStates/Education/TransformingHighSchools/Schools/Announcements/Announce-051129.htm "New Investment in Envision’s Network of Charter High Schools Boosts Efforts to Expand"
5. Knight, Heather. "Mayor's visit energizes Ingleside charter school's inaugural class", San Francisco Chronicle, December 24, 2004. Accessed December 16, 2007.
6. http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_7690467 "Charter schools safer, quieter, report finds"