Dean Lopez
Classical Charter Schools of Leland Receives National Award for the CLT8
Classical Charter Schools of Leland has earned its ranking in the Classic Learning Test’s (CLT) 2022-2023 CLT8 School Rankings as one of the top twenty schools in the entire country.
The CLT8 diagnostic test is given each year to middle-school students at hundreds of schools nationally to evaluate their reading, grammar, and mathematical skills. The award recognizes CCS-Leland’s student body for collectively receiving the highest score on the exam of any charter school during the 2022-2023 academic year.
“We’re extremely proud of our students and staff,” said Headmaster Laurie Benton, who noted that CCS-Leland was the only tuition-free, open-to-all charter school on the list of top performers. CCS-Leland is also a Title I school, with a large diverse enrollment of low-income and disadvantaged students. All of the other schools in the top twenty, she noted, are “private schools charging tuition.”
The CLT8, designed for 7th and 8th graders, is a cumulative diagnostic assessment offered by the Annapolis, MD based Classic Learning Test, providing a comprehensive measure of achievement and aptitude. Much of the content is drawn from classic literature and historical tests, which are central to the curriculum at CCS-Leland and the other Classical Charter Schools of America campuses.
Since its inception in 2016, Classic Learning Test has offered assessments steeped in more intellectually rich and rigorous content than other standardized tests. CLT’s suite of assessments now serves grades 3-12.
“Out of the hundreds of schools that take the CLT8 every year,” CCS-Leland’s ranking is “a remarkable achievement,” CLT officials said.
Dean of Classical Humanities Jessica Lopez adds, “The nationally high ranking that our 8th grade students achieved on the CLT8 is a testament to our 25 years of curriculum development. The high results are also a reflection of the superior training and standards provided by the Roger Bacon Academy to its educators. I offer my gratitude and accolades to our students and staff for this well-deserved outcome of our first time participating in the CLT8.”
The CCS-America Spelling Bee
The first annual CCS-America Spelling Bee kicked off in October, with students at each campus competing in the first of two mock Spelling Bees to narrow the field down to just five students in grades 1-8. These finalists from each campus competed last Friday, January 19th, at CCS-Leland to crown the overall winner in each grade.
The journey to the final Spelling Bee showcased the academic talents of the participating students and celebrated their achievements in spelling. Congratulations to the winners!
1st grade: Cebastian Valdez from CCS-Whiteville
2nd grade: Brynlee Gooden from CCS-Whiteville
3rd grade: Benjamin Gomez from CCS-Southport
4th grade: Emma Evans from CCS-Southport
5th grade: Wyatt Midgett from CCS-Leland
6th grade: Benjamin Antosiak from CCS-Leland
7th grade: Jackson Boren from CCS-Whiteville
8th grade: Callum Brown from CCS-Southport
Photo by Matt Born, StarNews
CCS-Wilmington Marches in the MLK Day Parade
Classical Charter Schools of Wilmington joined the Wilmington community on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the annual downtown Parade.
This year marked 10 years of CCS-Wilmington’s participation in the event to honor Dr. King. This parade serves as an opportunity to bring people together and pay tribute to the positive changes he brought to our country.
Dr. King was due to visit Wilmington on April 4, 1968, the day he was killed. He had postponed his trip to assist striking sanitation workers in Memphis, where he met his untimely death.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Parade
Celebrating Your Choice
National School Choice Week, which is being observed this year from Jan. 21-27, is here! As we celebrate your choice in your student’s education, here are some facts on the charter school movement:
The charter school movement started in 1992 when Minnesota parents revolted against the state’s failing government-run schools. The legislature allowed privately operated groups to establish schools under a charter granted by the state.
North Carolina passed its charter school law four years later in 1996.
In 2024, 46 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam have charter school laws.
There are over 3.7 million charter students in 7,996 charter schools nationwide.
In North Carolina, 131,624 students are enrolled in 206 charter schools.
Since opening in 2000 with 53 students in a single location, CCS-America now serves over 2,000 students in four schools. Thank you for choosing CCS-America to educate your students and for being part of the movement!