REPORTER: A NEW SCHOOL YEAR KICKED OFF THIS WEEK AT SACRAMENTO’S FORTUNE SCHOOL, FRESH UNIFORMS, NEW BACKPACKS. THE DAY BEGINS WITH ANTICIPATION . >> HOW ARE YOU? NICE TO SEE YOU. REPORTER: MAYBE A LITTLE ANXIETY. IN KEEPING FIRST-DAY CHAOS UNDER CONTROL AS PRINCIPAL KIM HOWARD. >> YOU WILL SEE ME EVERY MORNING. REPORTER: FORTUNE IS ONE OF SEVEN SCHOOLS WITHIN THE FORTUNE CHARTER NETWORK. HERE, CULTURE IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS CURRICULUM. >> GOOD MORNING. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. REPORTER: THE STUDENTS ARE REFERRED TO AS SCHOLARS, A NAME THAT FOLLOWS THEM ON THE PATH FROM KINDERGARTEN AND HOPEFULLY TO COLLEGE. >> THE KIDS EARN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND THEIR ASSOCIATES DEGREE AT THE SAME TIME. THEY START TAKING COLLEGE CLASSES IN NINTH GRADE. REPORTER: BUT THE CEO AND PRESIDENT SAYS IT ALL BEGINS WITH THE LEARNING OF THE SCHOOL CULTURE. >> WITHIN THE FIRST 10 DAYS OF SCHOOL, THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE LEARNING. THE PROCEDURES FOR HOW WE DO SCHOOL. ONCE WE SET THE TONE, THAT IS THE BASELINE. THIS IS THE CLASSROOM AND HOW WE WILL FUNCTION. THEN WE CAN ACTUALLY TEACH THE ACADEMIC CONTENT. REPORTER: THE SCHOOL DAY, WHICH STARTS AT 7:30, IS HIGHLY STRUCTURED, AND STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO KNOW THE RULES AND FOLLOW THEM. >> WHY IS IT THAT WE HAVE THIS PERSISTENT ACHIEVEMENT GAP AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS? WE HAVE TO HAVE HIGH STANDARDS. THE KIDS WILL MEET US WHERE OUR STANDARDS ARE. REPORTER: PARENTS LIKE THEM. >> IT’S A UNIFORM SCHOOL AND WE LOVE IT BECAUSE -- WE GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY, SO EVERY SUNDAY WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT TO WEAR, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO SCHOOL, WE ALREADY KNOW. REPORTER: SCHOLARS, TOO. >> I LIKE HOW WE CAN RAISE OUR HAND BEFORE WE SPEAK, SO WHEN SOMEONE IS TALKING, THE OTHER PERSON WON’T BE LIKE -- BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. >> IT’S A NICE LINE TO HAVE OUR SCHOLARS WALK ON THE RIGHT SIDE. WE ARE A VERY STRUCTURED SCHOOL SO WE HAVE EXPECTATIONS OF HOW WE WALK IN THE HALLWAY, HOW WE TRANSITION, HOW WE ASK FOR A PENCIL. WE ATTEND TO EVERY DETAIL WE CAN SO WE ARE NORMED ON WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE. IT MAKES IT EASY FOR THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL. REPORTER: THEY NOT ONLY ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO EXCEL, BUT OFFER THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES TO TEACHERS. >> WHAT WE WANT IS A CHAMPIONSHIP YEAR, NOT A ROOKIE YEAR. CHAMPIONS HAVE COACHES, SO TEACHERS HAVE COACHES. THEY TRAIN. THEY PRACTICE. REPORTER: WHILE FORTUNE SCHOOLS FOCUSES ON CLOSING THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN ACHIEVEMENT GAP THE CHARTER SCHOOLS A