WE ARE WHAT'S NEXT

Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute
1502 College St.
Grand Prairie, TX 75050
Chancellor: Felicia Layne

Phone: 972.343.3120
Fax: 972.343.3159

Vision Statement
The Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute (GPCI) develops 21st-century, scholarly leaders, by providing a rigorous STEM and college readiness environment that promotes lifelong learning and success. We are what's next!

Mission Statement
Our goal is to give scholars in grades 6-12 access to courses in advanced academics, dual credit, CTE (Career and Technical Education), and Advanced Placement with the intent that scholars will complete high school with significant college credits. The college credits earned are through an accredited college partner: two-year community college and/or four-year university.

About Our School
The Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute (GPCI) is a district charter school that provides only advanced, rigorous courses that prepare our scholars for the exciting and demanding fields within Engineering and Medical Science pathways. The scholars who are accepted to GPCI have the advantage of small class sizes, school-issued personal technology devices, and a contemporary learning environment. GPCI blends virtual learning with traditional classroom leadership while being exposed to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) courses and earning significant college credits. GPCI takes a personal approach in creating tailor-made college/career plans utilizing strong partnerships between scholars, parents, colleges and industry leaders.

The GP Collegiate Institute opened Fall 2013 with scholars in grades 6-8. We are an open-enrollment charter school allowing scholars from within and outside the GPISD attendance boundary. The school will enroll up to 50 scholars per grade level and plan to add one high school grade level each year through 12th grade. Full high school enrollment was completed in 2017, with the first class graduating in May 2018.

Awards
The Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute (GPCI) was awarded all educational distinctions for excellence in 2015 and 2016, and one of 19 newly named TEA STEM designated academies in 2015.

• Academic Achievement in Reading/English Language Arts;
• Academic Achievement in Mathematics;
• Academic Achievement in Science;
• Academic Achievement in Social Studies;
• Top 25 Percent: Student Progress;
• Top 25 Percent: Closing Performance Gaps; and
• Postsecondary Readiness.

Educational Equality
Educational equity is achieved through understanding the complexities of a Title I campus. This campus strives to create a culture that cultivates talent and disregards traditional stereotypes.

• Focus on advanced coursework and a corresponding support system: Intentional acceleration, master schedule planning, school-wide implementation of AVID strategies, peer mentoring designed to assist all scholars as well as build leadership capacity
• Projected awarding of an AVID site of distinction 2017
• Teachers strive to connect with their students intellectually to inspire them to pursue their dreams and accomplish their tasks
• Parent learning opportunities are offered to meet the needs of the community
• Four party contracts holding all stakeholders accountable for the growth and success of the campus
• Summer bridge opportunities for all students to transition to the next grade level

Rigorous Learning Environment 
Continuous research, intentional program planning, and innovative thinking are implemented regularly to challenge students. Students are placed in a combination of Advanced Placement courses, dual credit, and career and technical training courses to ensure students are placed in a rigorous learning environment suitable to their abilities.  

• Design and develop the 1^st district blended learning environment
• Evaluate and develop an effective instructional program
• Create a unique schedule that suits the needs of each student
• Create a unique yearly calendar to ensure the needs of all stakeholders are being met
• All students take no less than 1 AP course prior to sophomore year (71% scoring 2 or above; 14% earning college credit)
• Students earn dual credit (8^th grade: 47% of class; 9^th grade: 83% of class; 10^th grade: 80%)
• 100% participation in Project Lead the Way engineering courses
• 2015 and 2016 State Qualifiers for Skills USA CTE competition (1^st 2 years of eligibility)
• 2016 National Qualifiers for Skills USA CTE competition in Engineering
• 2016 Bronze Medal winner at the National Level for Skills USA Middle School Engineering and 5^th place Nationally in Principles of Engineering High school division 

21st Century Skills
Thoughtful planning and collaborating with industry leaders to develop students equipped with 21st-century skills

• One-on-one classroom environment
• Grow student creativity and productivity through multiple software and hardware platforms
• Blended learning for maximum impact
• Develop skills needed to utilize technology, such as traditional processing, coding, and informational delivery
• 3D printing and product creation
• Engineering design and advanced problem solving
• Collaborative learning
• Team design and presentation
• Research requirements and protocols at each level

High-Impact Teaching Protocols
Teachers must create high-impact teaching systems and be able to deliver the material to students in a way that students can comprehend. Teachers are also provided with constant instructional coaching/feedback.

• Data-driven decisions are used in determining individualized student paths
• Cyclical planning focused on lesson design and delivery as the primary means of student achievement
• Creation of processes that empower students to track personal data as well as identify their individual point of confusion in an effort to assist instructors in creating their academic focus plans
• Leveraging Professional Learning Communities to positively drive instruction
• Project-based learning that is utilized in all courses and levels to foster a collaborative learning environment as well as leverage content from multiple disciplines
• Horizontally and vertically aligned curriculum design to ensure student success across classrooms and grade levels.

Individualized Instructor Development
Individualized instructor development to foster a professional learning environment that centers on student success.

• An expectation of multiple certifications and encouragement to add additional certifications {67% hold multiple certifications; 44% earned after being employed at GPCI}
• GPCI instructors encourage content-specific training to meet the needs of all students. Training opportunities include AP/PAP content trained, Gifted and Talented classes, English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), and CPR/AED Training. Staff members are also working toward obtaining English Second Language (ESL) and CPR/AED training.
• Continuous improvement and support for innovative programs, including:
• AVID, Project Lead The Way, blended learning collaborations, and master classes through Alan November
• Encouraging, expecting, and leading training at the campus, district and regional levels
• Kagan planning and coaching that meets the instructor at his/her level

Partnerships with Post-Secondary Institutions
Collaborating and initiating partnerships with post-secondary institutions and industry partners to promote a college-going culture and expectation of future success in the workforce.

• Students can earn dual credit, dual enrollment, and early enrollment through any of our college or university partners. Post-secondary partners include The University of Texas, The University of Texas at Arlington, The University of Texas in Tyler, and the Dallas County College network.
• Industry partnerships are sought for the betterment of scholar preparedness in the workforce. Partnerships include and are not limited to Lockheed Martin, Control Products Corporation engineering, Advanced Carbon, Cyson Technology Group, and much more.

Comprehensive Student Experience
Creating a comprehensive student experience through enrichment, service, and competition

• Scholars visit a minimum of two different college yearly
• All scholars participate in yearly college fairs with investigative purpose specific to their needs
• Learning trips are created to enhance skills as well as provide real-world relevance to content learned in the classroom. For example, geometry students tour Bass Hall architecture; Dual Credit Art Appreciation tour art galleries; and environmental sustainability courses visit Waste Management and the Landfill.
• Projects required and created to fully develop student learning and ideas. For example, Aerospace engineering learns how to build Van’s RV12 plane; Civil Engineering & Architecture designs and builds an outdoor space, and Robotics builds robots to solve real-world challenges.
• All students are required to complete and record community service both on campus and outside the campus. The older the student, the more specific the requirements. The goal is to help develop students into productive community members.

GPCI supports a competitive environment, where students participate in the following activities:

• National History Day
• I-invent with Lockheed Martin
• University Interscholastic League (UIL)
• Robotics
• STEM challenges
• And more!

GPCI School Profile 2023-2024