Siart Foundation Presents $95,000 to Five High Achieving Southern California Charter...

Siart Foundation Presents $95,000 to Five High Achieving Southern California Charter Schools

Sponsored by Bill Siart, Founder and Chairman of ExED, the Grants
Are Awarded to Schools to Increase Academic Achievement or Improve the
School's Instructional Program
LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--The Siart Foundation today awarded $95,000 in grants to five high
achieving Southern California charter schools at an annual luncheon
hosted by Excellent Education Development (ExED). Bill Siart, founder
and chairman of ExED, presented the Charter School Excellence Awards,
which will be used to increase academic achievement or improve each
school's instructional program.

The recipients of the Excellence Awards are Synergy Charter
Academy ($50,000); Keiller Leadership Academy ($25,000); Integrity
Charter School ($10,000); Gabriella Charter School ($5,000); and
Camino Nuevo Charter High School ($5,000). The awards were presented
to charter schools that have demonstrated excellence in academic
achievement while maintaining strong fiscal management. Significant
portions of the student population at each school are also
economically disadvantaged.

"I am thrilled to honor these very successful charter schools
which have excelled both in the classroom and in their overall fiscal
management," said Bill Siart. "The achievement of these schools is
proof that academic excellence can occur among all types of students
in all types of communities, no matter their economic standing."

"Because a successful school is a true team effort, ExED offers
its sincere congratulations to the teachers, students, and parents of
these five charter schools, as well as the staff who help manage the
school so that students are free to excel in the classroom," said ExED
Executive Director Anita Landecker. "These grants sponsored by the
Siart Foundation will go a long way towards enhancing the educational
experience of charter school students by providing them with some of
the tools they need most."

Although 83 percent of its 141 elementary students qualify for
free or reduced price lunch, Synergy Charter Academy has been the
highest performing school in South Los Angeles two years in a row,
having attained an API score of 846. It is also the first school in
South LA to defeat the statewide achievement gap among Latino and
African American students compared to their Caucasian peers, and was
named the 2007 National Charter School of the Year by the Center for
Education Reform. Synergy will use its $50,000 grant to purchase a
variety of needed instructional materials, including an Apple Mobile
Learning Lab with 20 laptops and software, and chapter books for
independent reading.

Based in San Diego, in one of the lowest socioeconomic areas with
one of the highest crime rates in the county, Keiller Leadership
Academy has increased its API score 79 points in two years to 717,
earning a Similar Schools Rank of 10 and WASC accreditation. Keiller
is a conversion charter school with 529 students in grades six through
eight, and an ExED client. The school will use the $25,000 award to
help fund its "Summer Academies" program, which provides extra support
to 120 students to close the achievement gap with computer-assisted
instruction in both Math and Language Arts.

Integrity Charter School's 150 elementary level students have met
their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals, and earned an API score of
789, marking an 88-point increase in two years. As the only charter
school in National City, 80 percent of students qualify for free or
reduced price lunch. With its $10,000 grant, Integrity will launch a
science research laboratory to enable teachers, students, and their
families to utilize the most current standards-based scientific
inquiry materials.

Both $5,000 grant awardees are also current ExED clients. Featured
by Los Angeles Magazine as "one of 60 great elementary schools you
should know about," Gabriella Charter School has earned an API score
of 814 and students scored above the 50th percentile on all areas of
the CAT-6 exam. The dance-themed school will use the $5,000 grant to
do one of the following: update its technology curriculum, establish a
school library, expand the science curriculum or the ST Math and Music
Program, or enhance physical education through "Dance Dance
Revolution" games.

Camino Nuevo Charter High School's focus on preparing students for
college has earned the school an API score of 760, a Similar Schools
Rank of 10, and has enabled Camino Nuevo to meet its AYP every year
since its inception in 2004. The $5,000 grant will allow the MacArthur
Park-based school to contribute towards creating the first of its kind
Parent-College-Student Institute for Service and Action to engage
parents, community members, and students in academic and social work.

ExED is a Los Angeles-based organization that provides business
and management services to charter schools. Since its founding in
1998, ExED's expert team has worked with more than 60 charter schools
to serve more than 10,000 students. The organization assists Southern
California charter schools with the essential functions they often
find most difficult: securing affordable facilities, dealing with
school districts, complying with state and federal regulations,
accounting and payroll. For more information, visit www.exed.net.

for ExED
Kristen Coco, 310-689-7539
kristen@sugermangroup.com

Copyright Business Wire 2007