above grade level and 95% go on to graduate high school. students here come with no special advantages. half live below the poverty line. fourth grader kaitlyn rogers recently transferred from public school to cornerstone. at my old school, nobody really cared. they fell asleep in the classroom. reporter: at cornerstone students, teachers, and parents care enough that the school year is 11 months long. yeah, only get one month of summer vacation. reporter: does that bother you? not really when you get the chance to learn about the school because it s actually fun at the school. it s like we re actually on vacation. reporter: easy to see why with afterschool activities like fencing. cornerstone embodies what education should be, you get the reading, math, but in addition to that you re learning how to be a well-rounded person. you know, how to love each other, how to get along. reporter: cornerstone also motivates children to achieve.
reporter: violin lessons for everyone begin in third grade. mandarin chinese is mandatory beginning in kindergarten and individualized computer challenges reinforce what s taught in a classroom. in a city plagued with academic underachievement, cornerstone schools one prief and the two charter schools that are pat of the public system are over achievers. students on average test a year above grade level and 95% go on to graduate high school. students here come with no special advantages. half live below the poverty line. fourth grader caitlin rogers recently transferred public school to cornerstone. at my old school nobody really cared and they d fall asleep in the classroom. at cornerstone, students, teachers and parents care enough that the school year is 11 months long. i only get one month this summer vacation. does that bother you? not really when you get the chance to learn about the school because it s actually fun at the