FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)

IWhat is a charter school?
How is a charter school funded?
Do you charge tuition?
Why Single Gender?
In what ways do the boys and girls classes differ?  Do the teachers teach the same material?
What are your school hours?
What do the students do for Lunch?
What is your discipline system?
Do you have demerits?
Did Langston make AYP?
What standardized tests are required at Langston?
What qualifications and training do teachers at Langston have?
Do you offer after-school help if a student is struggling in a class?
What is the Homework policy?
Why is a uniform required?
What is the uniform?
What classes do you offer at Langston?
What is the average class size?
Do you offer any advanced or Honors classes?
What kind of field trips do the students go on during the year?
What is the process for admission?
Do you follow the Greenville County School Calendar?
Do you have after school clubs or sports?
What are the community service requirements?

What is a charter school?

A charter school is a public school governed by a board of directors elected by the parents of students and the school faculty. Charter schools provide an opportunity for the organization and operation of flexible, innovative, and substantially deregulated public schools. Charter schools must teach according to the South Carolina state curriculum standards and students are required to take the PACT test.

How is a charter school funded?

Charter schools receive per pupil funding through the local school district.  This funding is a combination of both state and local education dollars.  Out of this allotment, the charter school must pay all of its expenses.  Charter schools are responsible for their own facilities and payroll. The only items supplied to a charter school are state-adopted textbooks.  Langston Charter Middle School is classified as a public charity under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Do you charge tuition?

Charter schools may not charge tuition.  They may charge fees normally assessed at other district-operated public schools, such as fees for field trips or student planners.

Why Single Gender?

Boys and girls are different; they learn differently, their brains develop differently.  In the single gender classroom a teacher can teach to his or her audience.  Using what we know about how girls and boys learn, we can create an academic environment that will enhance the students’ educational opportunities.  For more on the science and research on single gender education visit www.singlesexschools.org

In what ways do the boys and girls classes differ?  Do the teachers teach the same material?

Classes may differ in the approach that is taken to meet the standards, but the same standards are taught to all students at each grade level.  Boys and girls take the same tests.  Rooms may be arranged differently, different novels may be selected for boys or girls, explanations may be stated differently, projects may be assigned to meet different areas of interest.  The key is being able to work to the strengths of boys and girls while holding high expectations for learning.

It is inappropriate to generalize and say “all boys learn better one way and all girls learn better another.”  However, there are strategies that tend to work well with each group in a single gender setting. 

What are your school hours?

Monday – Thursday, 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Friday, 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Students may arrive as early at 7:30 AM
Prompt after-school pick up is expected because there is no late stay program.

What do the students do for Lunch?

We do not have a school cafeteria so students must bring their lunch.  There are no microwaves.  Most students bring their lunch in an insulated lunch box with an ice pack or use a thermos to keep food warm.  Parents operate a Take-Out Lunch program 3 days a week.  Students may, on a monthly basis, order and prepay for meals from local restaurants.  The restaurants change from year to year, with this year’s lunches being provided by Roly Poly, Stevie B’s Pizza, and Chick-fil-A.

Students eat outside on picnic tables when the weather is good or inside at their desks if there is rain.  Lunch time is also single gender.

What is your discipline system?

Teachers are the administrators in their classrooms and are expected to set and enforce policies for appropriate school behavior.  Behavior concerns are addressed first with the student and then to the parents.  If there are continued concerns, the problem is referred to the administration.

Students are expected to take responsibility for their learning and their behavior.  Actions which disrupt the learning environment can result in lunch detention, after-school detention/work detail, suspension from school, or other appropriate measures. 

It has been our experience that parental support and reinforcement of school policies is a very effective solution to most behavior concerns. 

Do you have demerits?

Our Demerit system targets specific infractions to encourage students to learn from mistakes and make corrections.  Demerits are assigned for things like dress code violations, not having a school planner, chewing gum, being tardy to school or class.  These are things that are within every student’s ability to control and the demerits help call attention to areas in need of attention.   As demerits accumulate, there is an escalating list of consequences. 

Did Langston make AYP?

In our first two years of operation, 2006 and 2007, LCMS achieved AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) as required by the federal No Child Left Behind guidelines.  We were the only middle school in Greenville County to achieve AYP each year.

What standardized tests are required at Langston?

What qualifications and training do teachers at Langston have?

Our teachers are either subject certified in Middle School education or are working to attain their middle level accreditation in addition to their secondary or elementary degrees.  This is in accordance with the “highly qualified” requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind legislation.

All together, our teachers have over 90 years of experience in the classroom.  Nine of our teachers have advanced degrees – 8 Masters Degrees and 1 Doctorate.

In addition to their educational credentials, all teachers participate in ongoing professional development to enhance their skills and knowledge in working in a single-gender environment.  The faculty has attended workshops and conferences, both in-state and out, to meet with nationally recognized experts in the field.  We also network with teachers across the state, sharing ideas, strategies, and insights into working with all boys or all girls classes.  Our teachers share ideas with one another here and work together to build their resources. 

We have now reached the point where our faculty is presenting to others at conferences and training sessions.  In October 2007, our teachers attended the international conference of the National Association for Single Sex Public Education in Chicago.  Two of our teachers, Dr. Elaine Wiegert and Mrs. Sandy Lorick presented the findings of their research on achievement in single gender mathematics classrooms to an audience of educators from as far away as Iceland and Australia.  Several teachers will also conduct workshops for other state educators at a conference in Columbia in March 2008.

All of our teachers are participating in Continuous Quality Improvement training sponsored by the Greenville Chamber of Commerce and the Carolina First Center for Excellence.  They are learning strategies to encourage students to monitor their own progress and take a more active role in their educational careers.

Do you offer after-school help if a student is struggling in a class?

Teachers offer help sessions for students who work diligently in class yet struggle with concepts or other course requirements.  These are generally held after school once per week.  These sessions are meant to reinforce recent classroom instruction and help students as they prepare for upcoming assessments.

What is the Homework policy?

Homework is assigned, as needed, by all teachers.  It is meant to be a review or practice of material presented in class.  Homework must be turned in on time for credit to be received. 

Sixth grade students often go through an adjustment period with middle school work levels – adjusting to changing classes, having a different teacher for each subject, etc.  This almost always works itself out by the end of first quarter as students adapt and learn new routines.  Parents can help by providing structure and support at home for homework.  Helping keep backpacks and folders clean and organized, providing a quiet workspace, and helping students pace themselves with short- and long-term assignments are all valuable strategies to employ.

Why is a uniform required?

The uniform helps students focus on education instead of “fashion” during the school day.  Students are able to stand out by what they do and what they know instead of what they wear.  The value of school uniforms is addressed in our Core Values Statement.

What is the uniform?

All students must wear the approved uniform in order to attend class at Langston.  All uniforms must be purchased from Educational Outfitters on Woodruff Road. 

We hold a used uniform sale at the end of the school year and assistance is available to any family needing help purchasing school uniforms.  See page 19 of the Parent Student Handbook posted on the main page of our website for more information on the uniform.

What classes do you offer at Langston?

All students take 6 classes each year.  Math, Science, English, Social Studies, and Spanish meet every day.  PE and Leadership classes meet every other day.

All students are enrolled in the advanced mathematics curriculum.  All sixth graders take Pre-Algebra I Advanced.  Seventh and eighth graders enroll in one of the following classes according to their level of readiness:  Pre-Algebra III, Algebra I Honors, and Geometry I Honors.

In keeping with the school’s academic focus, all classes are designed to provide a challenging educational experience for our students.

What is the average class size?

Classes at Langston average 21 students per class.

Do you offer any advanced or Honors classes?

All 8th graders take Spanish I for high school credit.  Students who qualify may take Algebra I Honors and Geometry I Honors for high school credit.  We also offer English I Honors for high school credit to eighth graders who qualify.

What kind of field trips do the students go on during the year?

What is the process for admission?

All students who submit a complete application prior to January 24, 2008 will be included in the lottery for admission.   The state law prescribes that if a charter school has more applicants than slots, it must hold a lottery to determine admission.  Our student lottery will be held on January 26, 2008.  Students apply for a specific class (such as: 6th grade girls or 7th grade boys) and a lottery is held for each class.  A waiting list is kept and as spaces become available we offer them to the next student on the list.  Students who apply after the lottery are placed on the waiting list in the order that completed applications are received.

Do you follow the Greenville County School Calendar?

Do you have after school clubs or sports?

All clubs and sports are parent-initiated and parent-led.  See a list of current clubs under the About Langston tab on the home page.  Charter school students are currently not permitted to participate in the Greenville County middle school or high school athletic programs.

What are the community service requirements?

All students are required as part of the Leadership class to do community service.  Sixth graders must complete 10 hours per quarter.  Seventh and eighth graders must complete 15 hours per quarter.  While students discuss community service opportunities in class, they are responsible for making sure they complete these hours outside of class.  See Mr. Black’s faculty page for more information.