On May 24, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) approved AYW’s charter amendment to merge its two campuses, which were following separate models of education, to one campus called the Service Learning Academy (Academy) that will focus solely on teaching high school academics through service-learning.  Starting in the fall of 2011, each student who attends AYW will earn their elective credits by participating in a Corps program where they will complete service-learning projects that benefit the community such as building energy efficient homes and refurbishing computers for low income Austinites, restoring habitat for endangered species or testing for water quality.  In addition, these students will get exposure to career pathways by gaining job skills and by interacting with industry professionals.

AYW has always practiced project-based learning as a way students can engage more fully in their classes and gain job skills through hands-on experience.  About 15 years ago, AYW began to incorporate service-learning practices in order to further enhance the students’ educational experience by giving them an opportunity to address authentic community needs.  The Academy officially started two years ago as a pilot program.  After comparing test scores, attendance rates and dropout rates between students in the Academy and the traditional campus, AYW staff decided they could better serve at-risk youth by merging the two campuses and focusing solely on the model that was getting superior results.

Based on the academic indicators of the TEA, Academy students have shown greater improvements in academics and participation.  The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) TAKS scores for English Language Arts of Academy students rose from 59% passing in 2008 to 87% in 2010 and during the same time period, NCLB TAKS Mathematics scores rose 23%.  Since the inception of the Academy, the attendance rates for its students have increased nearly 20% and the dropout rates have decreased.

In addition to considering test scores, AYW staff also looked at a study performed by, RH2, an independent research group, which compared AYW’s student population to Austin Independent School District (AISD) and statewide populations and studied the effect of the Academy on academics and employment.  The study found that almost 100% of AYW students meet the state criteria for being “at risk” of dropping out of school compared to roughly half of the students in AISD and statewide.  In addition, the study found AYW’s Academy motivates students, in part, by providing opportunities for them to bond in small groups and make contributions to their community.  The study went on to say, “AYW’s service-learning programs tend to have more of a practical vocational orientation to prepare students for their own futures as well as to provide services to the community.”

On May 27, AYW hosted an Enrollment Picnic.  Parents and current or potential students had the opportunity to learn about participating in a Corps program, solve math problems for prizes and enjoy lunch on the back lawn at AYW.