2015-16 Connecticut Charter School Guidebook

Connecticut Public Charter Schools 2015 - 2016

Connecticut families are fortunate to have a strong and growing high-quality charter school movement – from Stamford to Hartford and beyond and in between. The 2015-16 Connecticut Public Charter School Guidebook serves to help you navigate and explore all that our state’s charter schools have to offer. As you’ll see in the following pages, Connecticut has a wonderfully diverse group of charter schools that serve an equally diverse body of students from all over the state.

This year, Connecticut opened two new charter schools, Capital Prep Harbor and Stamford Charter School for Excellence, bringing the state’s total to 24. Currently, 74 of Connecticut’s 169 towns send children to charter schools. With charter school enrollment at 9,303 students this school year and over 3,600 names on charter waitlists, it is clear that demand for charters is strong. Connecticut’s children deserve access to high-quality public school options that will prepare them to succeed in college and careers. Charters also continue to outperform their host districts. In Connecticut’s first year of using the Common Core-aligned Smarter Balanced Assessment, 81% of charters with reported results outperformed their host district in English Language Arts and 65% did the same in math. And on average, black and Hispanic students in public charter schools perform better on state tests than those in local district schools.

Connecticut’s charter schools are a quality option for families across Connecticut, especially those who are historically underserved by our traditional public school system. We are proud to help the movement grow and flourish. We look forward to our continuing work with these great schools to ensure that all Connecticut children have a chance to attend school that works for them and their family, so that they have a bright future.

Yours in the movement, Jeremiah L. Grace Connecticut State Director

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Connecticut Charter School Facts At A Glance .......................................................................................4

Eastern Connecticut Snapshot .......................................................................................................................5

Integrated Day Charter School ................................................................................................................................6

Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication ...............................................................................................8

Path Academy ........................................................................................................................................................... 10

Hartford Area Snapshot .................................................................................................................................. 13

Achievement First Hartford Academy ................................................................................................................ 14

Explorations Charter School ................................................................................................................................. 16

Jumoke Academy ..................................................................................................................................................... 18

Odyssey Community School ................................................................................................................................. 20

New Haven Area Snapshot ............................................................................................................................ 22

Amistad Academy .................................................................................................................................................... 24

Booker T. Washington Academy .......................................................................................................................... 26

Brass City Charter School ...................................................................................................................................... 28

Common Ground High School ............................................................................................................................. 30

Elm City College Prep .............................................................................................................................................. 32

Elm City Montessori School .................................................................................................................................. 34

Highville Charter School ......................................................................................................................................... 36

Fairfield County Snapshot .............................................................................................................................. 38

Achievement First Bridgeport Academy ............................................................................................................ 40

Capital Prep Harbor ................................................................................................................................................ 42

Great Oaks Charter School ................................................................................................................................... 44

New Beginnings Family Academy ........................................................................................................................ 46

Park City Prep Charter School .............................................................................................................................. 48

Side-By-Side Charter School ................................................................................................................................. 50

Stamford Academy .................................................................................................................................................. 52

Stamford Charter School for Excellence ............................................................................................................ 54

The Bridge Academy ............................................................................................................................................... 56

Trailblazers Academy .............................................................................................................................................. 58

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Focus on the Facts: Connecticut Charter Schools 2015-2016

Connecticut Charter Schools by County

10Fairfield

1Litchfield

6New Haven

3Hartford

Middlesex

Tolland 1Windham

2New London

FAST CHARTER FACTS

active charter schools in Connecticut24

students, grades PreK-12, enrolled in the 2015-2016 school year

9,303

children on waiting lists to attend a Connecticut public charter school (most recent data).

3,633

2015 Charter School Affiliation

State Charter Schools9 Affiliated with a charter management organization

1 Affiliated with a partner organization

13 Are independent

20% of charter schools have a union

Local Charter Schools1 Affiliated with local district

SOURCE: Data via the Connecticut State Department of Education

Number of Connecticut Schools and Charter School Enrollment Over Time

2010

-11

2011

-12

2012

-13

2013

-14

2014

-15

2015

-16

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

Enro

llmen

t

18 17 17 18 22 24

Number of active schools by year.

What is a Charter School?A charter school is a public school established under a charter – which is a contract or agreement – that has been granted by the state. There are two types of charter schools in Connecticut: state and local.

A state charter school receives public funding but operates independently of local district schools and the local board of education of the district in which it is located. Most public charter schools are state charters. A local charter school is funded and governed differently from a state charter. Rather than operating independently, local charters are approved by and associated with their host districts, follow many of the district’s policies, and are subject to local collective bargaining agreements.

5

Focus on the Facts: Connecticut Charter Schools 2015-2016

New London CountyNew London County sits in Connecticut’s southeast corner on the Long Island Sound, and is home to 24 municipalities and over 250,000 people. Most towns in the area run their own public education system, though Lyme and Old Lyme came together to form Regional District 18. Norwich and New London both host public charter schools, which each serve students from a number of towns in the area.

Tolland and Windham CountiesIn contrast to the New London area’s mostly coastal communities, Tolland and Windham Counties are made up of small towns and rolling hills and forests. Together, they include 29 municipalities and over 250,000 people. This region also has some districts with very low-enrollment.

CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THE AREA:

Integrated Day Charter SchoolInterdistrict School for Arts and CommunicationPath Academy

TOTAL NUMBER OF CHARTER STUDENTS:

800

Eastern Connecticut Capsule Summary

6

The Integrated Day Charter School provides a safe, flexible and academically challenging learning environment that meets the unique social, emotional, academic, and physical needs of each child.

The Integrated Day program was initially established within the existing public school system in 1989. When the charter school legislation passed in 1997, veteran teachers Joan Heffernan, June Morrone and Joyce Werden, sought to create an alternative school that was a free, public school option for all members of the Norwich area. These founding teachers and volunteer Sandy Quarto, along with parents and citizens supporting the idea of school choice, joined forces and were granted a charter to establish IDCS. The charter was awarded in February 1997, and the school opened its doors in August 1997 with 175 students and a sizable waiting list. IDCS is truly a community school. Parents, community members, and teachers worked together to ensure the school would open on time, and, against all odds, it did just that. The school now educates 330 students, and has been at full enrollment since its inception.

The goal at IDCS is to facilitate the development of thoughtful students. With a strong sense of self-awareness and respect, these students care and independently seek knowledge. Graduates will be

Integrated Day Charter School (IDCS)

MISSION

FOUNDING & HISTORY

PROGRAM

THE INTEGRATED

DAY CHARTER SCHOOL

7

able to adapt to an ever-changing world by becoming confident, socially responsible citizens and lifelong learners who apply their knowledge to improve themselves and the world around them.

Two omnipresent features animate the IDCS program: integration of the arts throughout the curriculum and use of popular aspects of Montessori education. The curriculum is very project-based, with children exploring themes of their own choosing independently and presenting their research. In 2012, IDCS was named a Connecticut Higher Order Thinking (HOT) School by the state. This is a significant recognition and a tribute to the hard work of the board and staff.

The open plan of some classrooms allows for both teacher-led and student-driven meetings, planning, collaboration, and independent work. Different age groups collaborate in learning, and there is a strong emphasis on content integration and critical thinking as exemplified by student research projects presented three times a year. Students and staff alike sit together at age-integrated lunch tables, where they enjoy healthy meals prepared by IDCS.

IDCS enjoys a sweeping view of the bank of the Thames River from a beautifully renovated thermos factory, which it shares with a residential development. The facility has a gym, playground, library, cafeteria and kitchen. The open-plan library is the hub of the main floor, where there are also enclosed classrooms (one of which features a wooden “pirate loft”). The second floor, occupied by seventh and eighth graders, also has an open common area with an enclosed science lab.

68 Thermos Ave. Norwich, CT 06360

860-892-1900

[email protected]

Founded: 1997

2015-16 Enrollment: 330 Grades: PreK-8

FACILITIES & TRANSPORTATION

8

The Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication (ISAAC) inspires excellence through the arts and project-based learning in a collaborative, multicultural community.

In 1996, parents from the Regional Multicultural Magnet School petitioned the state to create a magnet middle school in New London with a vision to integrate art, music, and multicultural education.

Teachers from the Multicultural Magnet School created a plan and submitted an application to open an arts charter school in New London. ISAAC received its charter from the Connecticut State Board of Education and opened in 1997. Its teachers are unionized and members of the Connecticut Education Association (CEA).

ISAAC is a diverse school serving 12 communities in southeastern Connecticut. The school harnesses the natural passion for learning and fosters the importance of community service. ISAAC is an experiential learning community, where students, families, and teachers are challenged to discover and express the best in themselves and each other while valuing the diversity in its school, community, and the world. It also reduces racial and economic isolation in the region and contributes to the revitalization of downtown New London.

ISAAC’S EDUCATATIONAL MODEL:

¡ Research-based instructional practices: ISAAC teachers and school leaders are trained to maximize student learning opportunities through the use of effective lessons that consider not only the concepts students must know but also the instructional strategies that will help students learn most effectively.

¡ Data-driven instruction: Teachers and school leaders also are trained to make instructional decisions based on student needs, as determined by examination of student work and data such as the SBAC.

¡ Project-based learning: ISAAC is part of the Expeditionary Learning Network and teachers and school leaders prioritize learning standards to develop real-world, interactive, interdisciplinary projects that assess student learning. The school believes students learn best by doing, and these Learning Expeditions are a foundation of learning at ISAAC.

Interdistrict School For Arts and Communication (ISAAC)

MISSION

FOUNDING & HISTORY

PROGRAM

ISAAC students practicing

9

In 2003, ISAAC purchased the former YMCA Building at 190 Governor Winthrop Boulevard, its current location. This tall brick building is located in the heart of downtown New London, near major transportation hubs such as the New London Train Station and the Cross Island Ferry.

In 2013, additions were completed that provided students with a new gym and auditorium. For the first time, ISAAC’s student-written, directed, and produced musical theater piece was performed in their very own auditorium. ISAAC financed the project through bond funding, commercial loans, and private fundraising.

As a school whose expressed mission is to integrate children from across the region, transportation is a perennial sticking point for ISAAC. Despite efforts, most districts outside New London do not fund transportation for their students to attend the school. Some districts allow ISAAC students to ride a bus to a nearby magnet school and walk to ISAAC from there.


190 Governor Winthrop Blvd.New London, CT 06320

860-447-1003

[email protected]

Founded: 1997

2015-16 Enrollment: 270 Grades: 6-8

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The mission of Path Academy is to re-engage over-age, under-credited students in education, supporting them through mastery of the critical skills necessary for success in college, career, and community. Path Academy’s innovative model, academic program and overall vision has been created in service to the Windham region’s over-age, under-credited (OU) students, including the region’s high number of English Language Learners.

Path Academy offers these students a supportive environment and works to turn current and future high school dropouts into scholars achieving high academic standards.

The founding members of the school, made up of various members of the youth development agency Our Piece of the Pie (OPP), worked together to craft a school design focused on helping over-age, under-credited (OU) youth succeed. These members crafted the alternative setting which embodied the school’s core PATH values of Personal Development, Achievement, Teamwork, and Humanity, the operations plan followed from the school vision and design.

Over-age, under-credited students are students who have fallen behind in credits and have therefore fallen behind their original graduating class. This student population is a key contributor to the state’s dropout crisis. A recent study by Dr. Andrew Sum at Northeastern University’s Center for Labor Market Studies, found that each Connecticut dropout costs the state more than $500,000 over his or her working lifetime. Path works to get these students back on track to successfully complete their coursework and eventually graduate high school.

Planning began with a research period, in which founding members learned about best practices and successful strategies. Included in the research period were site visits to high-performing, unique, and innovative high schools serving at-risk youth: KIPP (Houston, TX) and Carpe Diem Collegiate Middle-High School (Yuma, AZ).

After research, the design process began with a discussion of what causes OU youth to disengage from education. Once these foundational items were complete, founding members worked together, and with a number of outside consultants and organizations, to develop the technical aspects of the school design.

Path Academy students earn credits at an accelerated pace with the focus of mastery-based progression versus “time-in-seat” to achieve credits.

With a maximum size of 200 students, the school integrates technology (blended learning), project-based learning, and extended learning time opportunities to ensure mastery of skills and concepts aligned with the Common Core State Standards and Connecticut State Frameworks.

This work is anchored by student supports, such as youth development and postsecondary preparations, which help students to remove barriers, provide long-term guidance, and focus on their academic success.

Path Academy incorporates many recuperative strategies designed to support over-age, under-credited students,

Path Academy

MISSION

FOUNDING & HISTORY

PROGRAM

11

and those students who have fallen behind due to academic difficulties, including difficulties that English Language Learners (ELLs) face. Growing out of the school’s core PATH values, these strategies are reflected in the eight core values about education that guide the innovative school model and educational philosophy:

¡ Core Philosophy 1: Youth must be given the appropriate supports, both within and beyond academics, in order to succeed.

¡ Core Philosophy 2: Students must be active participants in their own learning.

¡ Core Philosophy 3: Technology is a critical 21st century skill, and must be incorporated into every aspect of the school model in order to adequately prepare students for post-secondary success.

¡ Core Philosophy 4: High-quality teacher instruction is crucial for students at every stage of learning – particularly for students who are struggling or behind in skill attainment.

¡ Core Philosophy 5: Students must never move back, only forward.

¡ Core Philosophy 6: Assessment is an ongoing part of good teaching and learning and data is vital in creating a positive and effective school environment.

¡ Core Philosophy 7: More time in school leaves less time to fall behind.

¡ Core Philosophy 8: Parent and community engagement is critical to student success, both within and

beyond high school.

Considering the high numbers of ELL students in the Windham region and the likely high numbers of ELL students within the Windham OU student population, the Path Academy school model took the needs of ELL students into significant consideration. This includes embedding their needs into the above philosophies, such as the built-in structures to provide individualized supports for every student, which include specific supports for special student populations and ELLs, in particular.

Each of these core philosophies is founded in research and tackled at Path Academy through research-based methods and strategies. They have all proven successful for at-risk student populations, but have rarely been integrated, specifically targeting OU youth.

The former YMCA building located at 832 Main Street, Willimantic is the home of Path Academy. The renovation of the building, which had been vacant since the mid-1990’s, is a significant addition to the revitalization of downtown Willimantic. Path Academy completely overhauled of the building, restoring the façade to its original brick and limestone, and creating a state-of-the art education facility that serves up to 200 high school students.

Path Academy works with the Willimantic school district to provide transportation to and from school for their students.


832 Main St Willimantic, CT 06226

860-761-7341

[email protected]

Founded: 2014


12

Hartford, CT

13

Hartford County lies in the center of the state and is home to Connecticut’s State Capitol. The county has nearly 900,000 residents, 29 municipalities, and hundreds of public schools. Hartford itself has been a focus of efforts to improve public education for many years, and the local district currently uses a choice-based portfolio model for the more than 50 public schools in the city. Hartford and the surrounding communities are currently home to a sixth of all the public charter schools in the state.


Achievement First Hartford AcademyExplorations Charter SchoolJumoke AcademyOdyssey Community School


2,332

Hartford Area - Capsule Summary

14

The mission of Achievement First is to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America’s children. It believes all children, regardless of race or economic status, can succeed if they have access to a great education. Achievement First schools provide all of their students with the academic and character skills they need to graduate from top colleges, to succeed in a competitive world and to serve as the next generation of leaders in their communities.

In 1998, a group of founders came together with a clear goal: to prove that urban students can achieve at the same high levels as their affluent suburban counterparts. Amistad Academy opened in 1999 and became the flagship school of Achievement First Charter Schools. Amistad Academy established a strong culture and a set of techniques that have since been replicated throughout Achievement First’s three-state, 25-school network. The Achievement First Hartford Academy opened its doors in 2008.

At Achievement First Hartford Academy Elementary School, there is a tremendous focus placed on reading, which occupies three hours of instruction per day, and is broken into alternating blocks of small group instruction. Teachers and students start the day with Morning Motivation, which includes recognition of exemplary REACH (Respect, Enthusiasm, Achievement, Citizenship and Hard Work) and a school-wide song to put all students on track to have a positive day of learning.

Achievement First Hartford Academy Middle School offers a daily program schedule that provides three-and-a-half hours of literacy instruction for every student in the form of a 90-minute literature class, a 30-minute reading skills block and a 45-minute “literacy” workshop, where small groups of students at similar reading levels receive targeted instruction. Children also receive 90 minutes of math education and 45 minutes of history and science teaching each day. In addition to this intellectual activity, students receive a 45-minute daily physical education class, and one hour is set aside every Friday afternoon for community-building activities.

.

Achievement First Hartford is part of a groundbreaking pilot program in Connecticut to encourage partnerships between districts and charters. One of the benefits of this program is Achievement First’s access to district owned space. Achievement First Hartford elementary, middle, and high schools are all located in the same building, and it shares this facility with Global Communications Academy, a district school.

Achievement First Hartford Academy accepts only Hartford residents, and it has access to busing through the host district.

Achievement First Hartford Academy


MISSION

FOUNDING & HISTORY

PROGRAM

15

305 Greenfield St. Hartford, CT 06112

860-695-6685

[email protected]

Founded: 2008

2015-16 Enrollment: 1,120 Grades: K-12

Opened last school year, Achievement First Summit Middle is the the newest school in the Achievement First network. AF Summit is structured to provide students with a love of learning and the academic and character skills necessary to succeed in college and life. The school provides students with the academic and character skills they’ll need to graduate from top colleges, to succeed in a competitive world and to serve as the next generation of leaders in our community. Students master core skills and knowledge drawn directly from the State learning standards.

At Achievement First Summit, parents are partners; a three-way partnership is forged among the students, teachers and parents, who work as a team to achieve high academic breakthroughs. In December 2013, Benjamin Cruse was named the founding principal of AF Summit Middle School after completing the yearlong Principal-in-Residence program at AF Hartford Academy Middle.

ACHIEVEMENT FIRST SUMMIT MIDDLE SCHOOL

Achievement First SummitMiddle School85 Edwards StreetHartford, CT 06120

860-695-6200

16

Explorations Charter School

MISSION

FOUNDING & HISTORY

PROGRAM


It is the mission of Explorations Charter School to provide an environment that cultivates a positive attitude toward lifelong learning in an experiential, non-traditional educational setting. The Explorations school culture models inter-dependencies as a foundation of society. The program will emphasize activities which foster the acceptance of responsibility.

Explorations Charter School received its initial charter in March 1997. The school was open for students in August 1997. Currently, Explorations is a four-year high school.

Explorations Charter School is one of Connecticut’s first charter schools. Explorations was founded to meet the needs of bright high school students who were full of potential for greater academic achievement but not being motivated in the traditional public school setting. Explorations reaches out to its students by providing personal attention, a curriculum that fosters high levels of motivation, and an environment where students can derive ownership in their future. The school believes that educational success is more attainable when the student is personally invested in the choices that will direct his or her future.

Explorations’ program emphasizes activities that foster the acceptance of responsibility and the development of positive decision-making and problem solving skills. The school encourages students to develop a healthy attitude toward their school, community, work, family, and, most important, toward their own sense of self. Explorations focuses on helping students understand how important it is for them to take ownership in contributing to their education and their future.

It is the goal of Explorations Charter School to develop students into adults who will be good citizens, good and productive role models, and giving individuals who will make a positive contribution to society.

Explorations Charter School is located in the Brian J. O’Neil building in Winsted, CT.

Transportation is an area of concern for Explorations. The school draws from 12 different towns and most provide no public transportation to the school. The school offers a bus that serves students residing in Torrington, Litchfield, and Thomaston.

17

71 Spencer St. Winsted, CT 06098

860-738-9070

[email protected]

Founded: 1997


18

Embracing the philosophy of Jumoke – “a child is loved” in Yoruba, a Nigerian tribal language – the mission of the Academy is to prepare children to successfully compete in the global marketplace, overcoming any cultural, social or economic challenges.

Jumoke envisions urban learning communities of distinction that, through rigor and cultural affirmation, deliver on the promise of excellence and empowerment for generations of scholars

Civil rights leader, educator and child advocate Thelma Ellis Dickerson founded Jumoke Academy in 1997. She previously was a teacher and administrator in Hartford Public Schools before winning an election to the school board in 1983. Thelma served for 14 years, including a term as board president.

Not satisfied with the slow rate of district change, Thelma opened Jumoke in the north end of Hartford. She envisioned a family-oriented and child-centered school in which every student was nurtured and educated.

In 2012, to satisfy growing demands for Jumoke’s programs – its waiting list of Hartford students exceeds 450 families – they founded several new academies: Steps to Prep Early Education Center (Pre-K), Thelma Ellis Dickerson’s Jumoke Academy (elementary school), and two middle schools: Jumoke Academy Honors Science, Math, and Research Technology (a STEM school), and Jumoke Honors at the Hartford Conservatory.

Jumoke Model Elements: The hallmarks of the Jumoke model are a “whole child” approach that includes:

¡ Social and emotional support

¡ Personalized interventions

¡ Academic assistants in every classroom

¡ Strong family outreach

¡ Diverse enrichment opportunities

¡ An affirming culturally responsive curriculum

In order to achieve its results, Jumoke has developed a vision of academic excellence and community engagement that incorporates the following elements:

¡ Summer academies that allow teachers to plan and prepare their curricula for the new academic year.

Jumoke Academy

MISSION

FOUNDING & HISTORY

PROGRAM

19

¡ Development of the “Art and Science of Teaching” that is strengthened by intense and purposeful planning by teachers. Teachers must anticipate learning needs of scholars and plan differentiated lessons so all scholars in the classroom can be properly engaged.

¡ Town hall meetings, which allow families to hear the Jumoke approach and gauge community sentiment about the school.

¡ Site visits to Jumoke Academy schools for prospective parents, staff and other stakeholders, which allow real-time access to the school.

¡ One-on-one meetings with local leadership to gauge sentiment about education in general, and obtain historical perspective and a willingness to become thought partners in Jumoke’s efforts.

¡ Door-to-door outreach to parents to share plans for the year, and provide information on uniforms, the school calendar and school leadership.

¡ Identification of room parents, who serve as liaisons to other parents in that grade or classroom.

Jumoke operates in several facilities that support the teaching, learning and administrative requirements of Jumoke Academy Schools. Transportation is provided to students who live in Hartford. Families who live outside the city must provide transportation for their scholars and often carpool or rideshare.

Jumoke Academy Honors at the Hartford Conservatory (5-8) 875 Asylum Avenue Hartford, CT 06105

860-527-0575 ext. 130

[email protected]

Jumoke Academy Honors – SMaRT (5-8) 339 Blue Hills Avenue Hartford, CT 06112


Dickerson Academy (PreK-4) 250 Blue Hills Avenue Hartford, CT 06112

860-527-0575 ext. 119

860-527-0575 ext. 130

Founded: 1997


20

Odyssey Community School provides a positive elementary and middle school experience that emphasizes academic excellence, the ability to communicate effectively, and the development of strong character and self-confidence.

Odyssey School was founded by Bill Jawitz and Lia Barnes in 1997. At the time, the school was located in the basement of a lighting company in Manchester. Odyssey made the most of these humble beginnings to establish an atmosphere where teachers and students were encouraged to take risks, view the world from different points of view, and question everything. Throughout the years Odyssey has moved into a new building and expanded to include grades K-8. Odyssey has developed a very strong academic program, while remaining true to its foundation of creativity, inquiry, and, most of all, community.

Odyssey’s academic curriculum is rigorous, with a strong focus on helping students become critical thinkers and problem-solvers.

In particular, Odyssey’s founders and staff believe students need to be intelligent consumers of information in this ever-changing media age. The school provides state-of-the-art digital tools and teaches students to use these tools to enhance their education.

Not only the intellect, but the heart and mind of each child is nurtured. Odyssey students are taught to become productive members of their community. They internalize the CIRCLE values: Courage, Integrity, Respect, Curiosity, Leadership and Excellence. These principles guide staff and parents.

Odyssey is a single K-8 program, without separate elementary and middle schools. This is by design, and is used to reinforce the sense of community that is foundational to the school’s character. Staff find ways to involve the older students in supportive roles, such as escorting younger students into the school, volunteering before school in classrooms, and acting as mentors and buddies in academic and enrichment activities. The older students develop very tolerant and helpful attitudes towards the youngest students, exerting positive influence while developing their own leadership skills.

Odyssey Community School

MISSION

FOUNDING & HISTORY

PROGRAM

Odyssey Community School

Co

ur

a ge I n

t eg r i t y R es pec t C o u r i o s i t y Lea d er s h i p

E x c el l

enc

e

21

Odyssey occupies an unassuming commercial building next to a gas station, and could almost be missed from the outside. However, inside is a welcoming, highly-functional interior painted in soothing blues and greens. In 2011, Odyssey’s facilities expanded. For the first time, Odyssey students have a gym, a nautical themed library, and a dedicated special education resource room – in addition to more classrooms for the new grades. The most welcome addition for the students was the playground, where each new piece of equipment became the instant favorite.

All families sending students from outside of Manchester provide their own transportation, because the host school district is required to support transportation only for charter school students from the town. The longest commute of any Odyssey student is about 35 miles, from Norwich.

579 West Middle Turnpike Manchester, CT 06040

860-645-1234

[email protected]

Founded: 1997

2015-16 Enrollment: 327 Grades: K-8


22

New Haven is a college town with thriving arts and culture, which famously embraced a collaborative model of reform touted across the country. There are many magnet and charter schools with overflowing waiting lists, and the New Haven School District conducts lotteries for all of its choice schools, and plays host to the only local charter school – a charter that is first approved by the local board of education and follows most of the district’s policies – in the state of Connecticut. New Haven County is home to over 850,000 people, and comprised of 28 municipalities.


Amistad AcademyBooker T. Washington AcademyBrass City Charter SchoolCommon Ground High SchoolElm City College Preparatory SchoolElm City Montessori SchoolHighville Charter School


2,851

New Haven Area Capsule Summary

23

New Haven, CT

24

The mission of Achievement First is to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America’s children. They believe all children, regardless of race or economic status, can succeed if they have access to a great education. Achievement First schools provide all of its students with the academic and character skills they need to graduate from top colleges, to succeed in a competitive world and to serve as the next generation of leaders in their communities.

In 1998, a group of founders came together with a clear goal: to prove that urban students can achieve at the same high levels as their affluent suburban counterparts. Amistad Academy opened in 1999 and became the flagship school of Achievement First Charter Schools. Amistad Academy established a strong culture and a set of techniques that have since been replicated throughout Achievement First’s three-state, 25-school network.

Amistad Academy Middle School was profiled in the PBS documentary “Closing the Achievement Gap” (2004) and was named Connecticut’s 2006 Title I Distinguished School after having the greatest performance gains of any middle school in the state. The elementary and high schools opened in 2006.

The key to the success at Amistad Academy Elementary is a school culture built on a strong foundation of sharing and caring, working hard, reflecting and enjoying learning. Every morning, the music teacher kicks off Morning Motivation with a chant called “Are you going to have fun today?” For teachers, collegial observation is common, and best practices are constantly shared.

At the middle school, all students and staff gather every week for Morning Circle, where students are recognized by teachers and peers for academic achievement and strong character skills. Town Meetings take place every six weeks and build school spirit with music, skits, cheers and awards. Amistad Academy Middle’s robust after-school enrichment program, Encore!, offers students daily expert instruction in theater, karate, dance, orchestra, volleyball, step team, graphic design and other arts and athletic activities.

Amistad High School combines rigorous academics and high expectations with a host of supports, including SAT prep, intensive college counseling, tutoring, explicit character education and a school culture in which it is “cool to be smart.”

Amistad Academy

MISSION

FOUNDING & HISTORY

PROGRAM

25

Amistad Academy elementary and middle schools are located in New Haven’s Dwight neighborhood, while fall 2015 saw the grand opening of a brand new High School building in the Newhallville neighborhood. Achievement First works with New Haven public schools to provide transportation for their students.

580 Dixwell Avenue New Haven, CT 06511

203-772-1092

[email protected]

Founded: 2008


130 Edgewood Avenue New Haven, CT 06511

203-772-7000


26

Booker T. Washington Academy

Booker T. Washington Academy’s mission is to educate its scholars for leadership and responsible citizenship in society by developing the cognitive, moral, and social skills so they can compete academically and thrive in a diverse global community.

Booker T. Washington was conceptualized by Reverend Eldren D. Morrison, a Pastor of Varick Memorial AME Zion Church in New Haven, Connecticut. The Reverend greatly admired Booker T. Washington for his accomplishments, character, and discipline as an independent African American thinker who triumphed against adversity and became an advocate for education and entrepreneurship.

He decided to bring those ideals to action as he saw the need to improve his community. A committee of parents, educators, community leaders, and charter school experts organized to design a program that would meet those very needs.

On September 10th, 2014, BTWA opens its doors up to 120 students in Kindergarten and 1st grade.

BTWA believes that with a rigorous academic program, high scholar expectations, and strong moral character, all based around the values of Booker T. Washington, they can create pathways to scholar success in school, college, and life. Stemming from this philosophy, the school will provide their students with a world-class education in reading, writing and mathematics, as well as guidance in citizenship and leadership. The core features of the program are:

¡ Extended School Day: An extended school day, which begins with breakfast and includes a full day of instruction, tutoring, homework help and enrichment activities after-school.

¡ Enriched Academic Year: A full academic school year, with a Summer Enrichment Program (“SEP”) and Saturday Academies (“SA”) creates additional opportunities for targeted learning.

¡ Challenging Curriculum: A challenging curriculum based on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), will be implemented and embedded in the themes of the Academy in Reading, Writing, Social Studies, English Language Arts, Science, Technology, Oratory, Music and Art.

¡ Challenging Curriculum: A challenging curriculum based on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), will be implemented and embedded in the themes of the Academy in Reading, Writing, Social Studies, English Language Arts, Science, Technology, Oratory, Music and Art.

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¡ Community Partnerships: By supporting parents in their efforts to insure student success, community partnerships alleviate concerns and address issues that take away from scholar achievement. These partnerships may include: local universities, libraries, cultural centers, health, and counseling services.

¡ Parental Supports: Parent workshops for scholar success extend supports beyond school walls to holistically address scholar needs. Topics may include: health services and nutrition counseling, parenting, homework, child safety, enhancing scholar learning and emotional development, and praise for motivation and positive behavior.

BTWA will be temporarily leasing space from Achievement First on Green St, in New Haven, Connecticut. The district of New Haven and Hamden will provide public transportation for students to and from BTWA.


240 Greene StreetNew Haven, CT 06515

203-691-6535

[email protected]

Founded: 2014


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Brass City Charter School (BCCS) provides a rigorous academic and holistic social-emotional learning program that will eliminate the achievement gap for underserved students. BCCS enables students to soar academically, develop as people of character, and lead meaningful and productive lives both for themselves and for their community.

Brass City Charter School (BCCS) is based on the educational model of Children’s Community School, a small private school which has served the families of Waterbury for 45 years. The school’s Board of Directors, interested in expanding their successful model in order to serve additional children, delegated to Barbra Ruggiero, the school’s Executive Director, that task of developing the application. In June of 2013, the application was approved by the State Board of Education and in September 2014, the school opened its doors for the first time as a state charter school.

Brass City Charter School promises a rigorous academic program coupled with support and strong character development to ensure that each student is poised for success in a competitive high school program.

BCCS creates a culture that demands academic excellence and supports character development and self-empowerment for its students. BCCS is a community of learners based on a culture of high expectations and rooted in the deep belief in the intrinsic worth and potential of every student. Parents are expected to support and participate in their children’s education.

BCCS prepares its students for academic success in competitive high school programs by engaging them in a

standards-based educational program. The Common Core and CT Frameworks provides the curricular foundation upon which mastery learning is built. Students are expected to perform at or above grade level in the core subjects of reading, math, and writing. Frequent assessment, both informal and formal, is the basis for intentional teaching and differentiated instruction. An extended school day, extended school year, and summer program provide increased time on task to help facilitate sustained student achievement.

Recent research and reflection have shown that academic skills alone will not ensure success. BCCS will also focus on the character traits that are the foundation for success. The school believes that character

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212 Chestnut Ave Waterbury CT, 06710

860-527-5942

[email protected]

Founded: 2013



is malleable and can be taught, and the educators at BCCS are experienced using validated techniques for such teaching. BCCS focuses consistently on helping students develop the optimism, zest, grit, curiosity, social intelligence, gratitude and self-control necessary for resilience and for creating successful and meaningful lives. In addition, educators use training based on the most recent brain research to help children understand how their brains work and to aid teachers in assisting students with metacognition.

In keeping with their belief in educating the whole child, BCCS provides opportunities for students beyond the traditional classroom through rich extracurricular programs such as the music education program provided by BRAVO Waterbury!, field trip experiences, and community service projects and through partnerships with other schools and institutions.

Brass City’s campus has been leased to the school by the Archdiocese of Hartford. The campus consists of a three-story main school building, where the majority of instruction takes place, and a church whose lower level rooms serve as a cafeteria and a multipurpose facility.

Waterbury Public Schools provides transportation, special education services, and a part-time school nurse for the school.

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Common Ground High School’s mission is to graduate students with the knowledge, skills, and understanding to live healthy, powerful, and productive lives.

Common Ground’s founders — a group of teachers, environmentalists, concerned citizens, and philanthropists — envisioned programs that would use local parks to teach key ecological concepts and to connect youth to natural resources within their own communities. They believed in the power of place-based education, and in the importance of food as a central environmental and social issue. The group incorporated as The New Haven Ecology Project in 1990 and set the long-term goal that still guides its work today: to promote healthy lifestyles and model environmental practices at a working demonstration farm, school, and environmental center in New Haven.

They tested their early ideas at High School in the Community and the West Rock Nature Center before venturing out to create something of their own. In 1994, a full-time staff of one person ran pilot programs in teacher training, service learning at several middle schools, and an ecology summer camp at the West Rock Nature Center.

Connecticut passed enabling legislation and approved the first ten charters in 1997, including The Ecology Project’s proposal for Common Ground High School. When it opened in 1997, Common Ground was the nation’s first environmentally themed charter school. Subsequently, Common Ground’s programs have received the Green Prize in Public Education, the National Wildlife Federation’s Conservation Achievement Award, and the Green Ribbon School Award.

Common Ground is a small, college preparatory high school, where students experience a combination of individual support and high expectations that help them achieve academic success. It does so through authentic learning that develops:

¡ Academic excellence

¡ Ecological literacy

¡ Strong character

¡ Commitment to community

Common Ground High School takes the urban environment as its organizing focus, using three sites as laboratories for learning: the 20-acre urban farm that is the school’s campus, the natural environment of the adjacent West Rock Ridge State Park, and the urban setting of New Haven. Close study of these

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358 Springside Ave New Haven, CT 06515

203-389-4333

[email protected]

Founded: 1997



places develops understanding of local and global issues. Through this and core academic work, students experience a rigorous high school curriculum that prepares them for competitive colleges, meaningful careers, and purposeful lives.

With only 185 students, Common Ground is able to challenge and support each individual, linking them with on and off-campus opportunities that push them as far and as fast as possible. Students master state standards as they design new green buildings on the school’s site, partner in the research of university scientists, launch successful environmental business ventures, and create outdoor museum exhibits.

During the past six years, Common Ground students have made some of the state’s largest test score gains. Last year, nearly 94% of students were accepted to college and the school’s four-year graduation rate exceeded the state average.

Common Ground maintains Connecticut’s longest-running community farm, producing more than 35,000 servings of vegetables each year, and this harvest provides free lunch to every student. Children also deliver fresh, healthy food to those who need it most – through a mobile farm market, an on-site farm stand, CitySeed Farmer’s markets, and donations to emergency food providers.

In 1997, The Ecology Project negotiated with the New Haven Department of Parks, Recreation, and Trees to lease 20 acres of abandoned parkland at the base of West Rock Ridge State Park. Today, this 20-acre site includes a community environmental education center that partners with the community to serve 10,000 children and adults each year, an urban farm, more than 20 student-designed interpretive exhibits, and a variety of model sustainability strategies.

This past year, construction launched on a new school building, featuring two science labs, an art studio, and a multi-purpose community gathering space. Students and community experts helped design a sustainable plan – from low impact storm water management practices, to geothermal and solar power generation. The plan meets quality standards for LEED Platinum certification, the highest level of environmental design. This will be made possible by state bond funding, competitive government grants, and generous donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses.

Like all charter schools with a significant number of students from outside their host district, transportation is a perennial problem. Common Ground, uniquely among charters, has a 70% target for New Haven students and 30% for non-New Haven students. Currently, students travel from 17 different surrounding towns to attend Common Ground. Common Ground provides free passes on city transit busses, but, in the absence of state transportation funding, many suburban families must make their own transportation arrangements.

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The mission of Achievement First is to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America’s children. They believe all children, regardless of race or economic status, can succeed if they have access to a great education. Achievement First schools provide all of their students with the academic and character skills they need to graduate from top colleges, to succeed in a competitive world and to serve as the next generation of leaders in their communities.

In 1998, a group of founders came together with a clear goal: to prove that urban students can achieve at the same high levels as their affluent suburban counterparts. Amistad Academy opened in 1999 and became the flagship school of Achievement First Charter Schools. Amistad Academy established a strong culture and a set of techniques that have since been replicated throughout Achievement First’s three-state, 25-school network. Elm City College Preparatory opened in 2004.

The elementary reading curriculum centers around a three-hour, sacred reading block that uses a phonics-based literacy program and text-rich classrooms. Immersed in sounds and words, students are quickly provided with a solid, early foundation for more advanced reading. At Elm City College Preparatory Elementary, teachers find creative ways to encourage and reward hard work, such as taking students on trips to local book stores and participating in “Funtastic Friday” celebrations.

Elm City College Preparatory Middle School boasts a “warm demanding” culture where respect, teamwork and hard work are the platinum standard. As with all Achievement First middle schools, students at Elm City College Preparatory Middle School look forward all year to the end-of-year college field trips – a critical component of the college-focused curriculum. The school’s fifth-grade scholars visit Temple University in Philadelphia, sixth graders travel to Bowdoin College in Maine, seventh graders visit Morehouse and Spelman Colleges in Atlanta and eighth graders visit the University of California at Berkeley. During these trips, students tour the campuses, attend lectures, participate in mock interviews with admissions staff and stay in the dormitories. While the college visit is the core of each trip, students’ horizons are broadened in countless other ways. For example, sixth graders go camping, hiking and biking through Acadia National Park, and eat lobster while in Maine.

Elm City College Prep is located on James Street, in New Haven’s Fair Haven neighborhood. The school works with the local district to provide transportation for their students.

Elm City College Preparatory School


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407 James St. New Haven, CT 06511

203-772-7010

[email protected]

Founded: 2004


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The mission of Elm City Montessori School (ECMS) is to offer New Haven families a high quality public Montessori education for children ages three to thirteen. ECMS is building a racially, ethnically and economically diverse community deeply committed to realizing the inherent potential of all children. Students at ECMS will develop within themselves the power to shape their lives and the world around them.

In 2011, a local parent group led by three moms – two born and raised in New Haven – began exploring public school options for their preschoolers. Committed to public education, but challenged by lack of access to their schools of choice, the group began envisioning the ideal school for their young children. They imagined a racially, ethnically and economically diverse school with a nurturing, child-centered approach to early education and strong parent engagement. In exploring different school models, they discovered Montessori education and several successful public Montessori schools in Hartford. In the fall of 2012, parents and other community supporters organized, requested and received the support of the New Haven Board of Education to establish a public Montessori school in New Haven.

The result of this collaborative work is Elm City Montessori School. The New Haven Board of Education approved Elm City Montessori School’s local charter application in May 2013, followed by State Board of Education approval in July 2013. Working in close partnership with New Haven Public Schools, ECMS is not only New Haven’s first public Montessori option, it plays a significant role in the district’s efforts to forge meaningful, coherent school improvement for all New Haven families. Grounded in a research-based, time-tested curriculum model, fueled by a visionary commitment to early childhood education and robust family engagement, Elm City Montessori School is an integral part of New Haven’s efforts to provide a portfolio of exemplary education options. Together, New Haven Public Schools and Elm City Montessori work to ensure that all New Haven Students complete high school equipped with 21st century skills and ready to lead successful lives.

Montessori instruction is, by design, entirely differentiated and individualized. Teachers use an array of developmentally appropriate learning materials and lessons as part of a holistic approach to education. Instruction is tailored to the individual needs of students. Students are grouped according to skill level and receive small group instruction at their level. They receive assignments that vary in complexity according to their ability levels and/or learning styles. Students are encouraged to devote as much time as necessary to achieve mastery of a task, before moving on to more difficult tasks. Such differentiation increases the effectiveness of instruction for individual children and dramatically enhances achievement. The most important aspect of the teacher’s work becomes that of gathering

Elm City Montessori School

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data and continuously assessing students’ performance in order to make appropriate and timely instructional interventions that ensure that every child achieves academic success.

Dr. Maria Montessori developed her educational method initially through working with disabled children in the early 1900’s. Montessori’s hands-on, carefully sequenced program of exploration and experimentation proved to be remarkably successful in addressing developmental challenges and in supporting the academic and social development of students of all abilities. Today, many of the interventions used to support children who are not achieving stated performance standards are components of the Montessori Method. Children who enroll with developmental delays, language deficits, and any other learning challenge that threatens appropriate progress will be served through a rigorous support process that begins with basic classroom modifications, and may progress to more intensive interventions based on the child’s needs. ECMS functions in full accord with federal (IDEA), state, and local laws and regulations with regard to children with special needs. ECMS is committed to providing an inclusive learning community where every child develops their full potential and individual differences are respected and embraced. The school plans to fully support children identified with special needs with special education and related services.

ECMS is located at 375 Quinnipiac Avenue in facilities provided by New Haven Public Schools. As a local charter school, the city of New Haven provides transportation for Elm City Montessori School’s students.

375 Quinnipiac Ave New Haven, CT 06513

203-903-4031

[email protected]

Founded: 2014



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Highville Charter School is an enterprising and caring community with strong parent and community involvement. It prepares and instills a desire for all learners to confidently use technology, think globally, utilize world languages and study various world cultures. Such globally-conscious citizens are values-oriented, wellness conscious, career directed, skillful creative and critical thinkers, culturally sophisticated and acutely aware of global interdependence.

Highville Charter School has the phoenix as its mascot, a potent symbol for the center of learning that rose from the ashes of a struggling school. The school is a successful reboot of Highville Mustard Seed Charter School, where previous leadership had mismanaged finances to the detriment of its students. Veteran superintendent Bill Troy was appointed by the Department of Education to take over the school. After stabilizing the situation, he was inspired by the strong school community and the potential of the Highville vision and the charter governance model. What was to be a short term assignment turned into a five-year stint – during which time he saw the total transformation of his school. Since Troy’s 2012 retirement, Craig Drezek, another former superintendent, has led Highville. He is overseeing Highville’s high school expansion, with plans to serve pre-kindergarten through 12th grade by 2016-17.

Highville blends tradition with an awareness of an interconnected world. Each classroom focuses on a different country or region, whose study is integrated across academic subjects. By the time they graduate, Highville students have studied much of the world, its languages and cultures. Students also participate in the internationally renowned Model UN program.

The school gives students diverse opportunities that incorporate multiple modes of learning, including the meaningful use of technology – all while keeping global perspectives at the center of the curriculum.

These learning opportunities are frequently revised as part of a guiding philosophy of continuous improvement. Staff is committed to professional learning that is continuous, frequent and always aligned with the mission and goals of the school.

Highville places an emphasis on using time effectively to support student learning, and maintains a balance between declarative and procedural knowledge. To measure achievement, Highville strives for varied and thoughtful assessments. Data is used to guide goal setting, decision-making, and practice. This data includes not only test scores and other academic performance measures, but also parent and student satisfaction surveys, parent and student attendance and participation in the life of the school.

The school has a committed and experienced staff and an involved parent community that works collaboratively to help all students achieve. Involving the community in school governance is a

Highville Charter School

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cornerstone of Highville’s model, in tandem with open and effective communications with parents and the school community.

Highville Charter School has the phoenix as its mascot, a potent symbol for the center of learning that rose from the ashes of a struggling school. The school is a successful reboot of Highville Mustard Seed Charter School. Since 2012, Craig Drezek, a former superintendent, has led Highville. He is overseeing Highville’s high school expansion, with plans to serve pre-kindergarten through 12th grade by 2016-17.

One Science ParkNew Haven, CT 06511

860-287-0528

[email protected]

Founded: 1998



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Fairfield County lies in Southwest Connecticut on the border of New York, and hosts four of the state’s largest cities: Bridgeport, Stamford, Norwalk, and Danbury. With over 900,000 residents, spread through 24 municipalities, the county makes up the largest area of the state. Fairfield County is also home to the state’s largest school district, Bridgeport, which is historically low-performing, as well as some of the highest-performing districts in the state, such as Greenwich, New Canaan, and Weston.

Fairfield County Capsule Summary


Achievement First Bridgeport AcademyCapital Preparatory Harbor SchoolGreat Oaks Charter SchoolNew Beginnings Family AcademyPark City Prep Charter SchoolSide by Side Charter SchoolStamford AcademyStamford Charter School for ExcellenceThe Bridge AcademyTrailblazers Academy


3,320

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Achievement First Bridgeport Academy

The mission of Achievement First is to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America’s children. They believe all children, regardless of race or economic status, can succeed if they have access to a great education. Achievement First schools provide all of their students with the academic and character skills they need to graduate from top colleges, to succeed in a competitive world and to serve as the next generation of leaders in their communities.

In 1998, a group of founders came together with a clear goal: to prove that urban students can achieve at the same high levels as their affluent suburban counterparts. Amistad Academy opened in 1999 and became the flagship school of Achievement First Charter Schools. Amistad Academy established a strong culture and a set of techniques that have since been replicated throughout Achievement First’s three-state, 25-school network.

Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Middle School’s 2007 start-up marked the school’s first Connecticut expansion beyond New Haven. Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Elementary was added in 2010.

The middle school’s mascot is the lion, which translates into academics. For scholars, the lion symbolizes a school culture that takes great pride in personal achievement, teamwork and strong community bonds. Students gather on Friday afternoons for Pride Circle, where individuals are recognized for academic accomplishments and for demonstrating the REACH character values of the school (Respect, Enthusiasm, Achievement, Citizenship and Hard Work).

Like all Achievement First schools, Achievement First Bridgeport provides an environment that is structured around high expectations for both academics and behavior. Students can earn rewards for trying their best and acting respectfully toward teachers and peers, and have privileges removed for behaving disrespectfully. The philosophy incorporates strict expectations paired with joy and the celebration of learning. Students soon learn the system and gain the personal discipline that will equip them with the skills they need to persevere through challenges on their path to and through college.

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Both the middle and elementary schools are located in Bridgeport’s East Side neighborhood, one of the neediest in the city. Achievement First Bridgeport is unique because it accepts students exclusively from Bridgeport and gives a preference to residents of its host neighborhood.


529 Noble Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06608

203-333-9128

[email protected]

Founded: 2007


655 Stillman Street Bridgeport, CT 06608

203-338-0593

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The Capital Prep Harbor School, located in Bridgeport, Connecticut, provides grades 6–12 with a year-round, college-preparatory education that encourages students to become scholars and agents of change.

Serving as the anchor for student development, the Harbor School provides an educational environment that creates opportunities for all students to realize and fulfill their academic, social, and civic responsibilities.

At the Harbor School, every student is expected to graduate and attend a four-year college of his or her choice. Capital Prep is an early-college model, which means students will have access to college courses while in high school.

Capital Prep Harbor is led by Dr. Steve Perry, a lifelong educator out of Hartford, Connecticut. Dr. Perry built the school model at Capital Prep Magnet school in Hartford.

Capital Prep began as an answer to the question of a parent, “Why is it that only rich kids get good schools?” The school is confident that it now has an answer. Capital Prep proves that any child from any race or economic setting can be provided access to a world-class education. The year round, grades PreK–12, college preparatory school is a research based, practically proven example of the type of education children from all over the nation can have.

Capital Prep Magnet is a school housed in one of the nation’s poorest-performing school districts (Hartford), yet they were able to attract over 2,000 applications from 22 surrounding suburban communities for just 30 available openings. The school’s approach is simple: focus on discipline and structure with a deep and abiding love that refuses to allow any child to give anything less than their very best. The school believes that correction is the highest form of affection. Said differently, when you love a child you must show them the right way. The school believes its students deserve nothing less. Since Capital Prep Magnet’s first year, it has sent every graduate to a four-year college, become the state’s most improved middle school, as well as, according to U.S. News & World Report, one of America’s Best High Schools.

Capital Prep Harbor will continue that work for the families of Bridgeport and surrounding communities.

Based on the premise that every child can and wants to learn, Capital Prep Harbor simply provides the environment and instruction for them to flourish. As part of the Harbor School curriculum, students engage in core classes, have the opportunity to select electives, and earn college credits.

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Athletic programs also provide an essential element of the Harbor School experience. Students benefit physically, psychologically, and socially; and they learn skills and practice habits that help to maintain lifelong health and fitness.

Capital Prep offers a range of athletic opportunities and activities that appeal to all interested. High school students participate in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, and students in grades six through eight can participate in the Middle Level Athletics Program, which includes indoor and outdoor track, girls’ lacrosse, and basketball.

Capital Prep Harbor is located in downtown Bridgeport on Main Street. As the school grows, they will need to expand to another building, and are looking carefully into additional locations. Capital Prep Harbor works with the local district to provide transportation for their students.

777 Main St.Bridgeport, CT 06604

475-422-5900

[email protected]

Founded: 2015



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Great Oaks Charter School

The mission of Great Oaks Charter School is to prepare students for college success, to train highly effective classroom teachers and to invest in the communities in which the school operates.

The Great Oaks Charter Foundation opened their first charter school in Newark, New Jersey in 2011, and expanded to New York’s Lower East Side in 2013. In 2013, the Connecticut State Department of Education called for more charter schools serving English Language Learners. In Connecticut, educational success is higher for students who only speak English at home.

Great Oaks responded to the Connecticut SDE’s call by launching a school focused on serving English Language Learners. GO-BPT offered a lottery preference for this population. The response was overwhelming; 58% of students in GO-BPT’s inaugural class come from a home where a language other than English is spoken. GO-BPT is committed to providing these students with the tools and knowledge to be successful in and graduate from college.

Great Oaks Charter School has a culture of high academic and behavioral expectations, based on the belief that every child can learn and earn a degree from a competitive four-year institution. The school’s Tutor Corps model along with its Teacher Residency program helps to foster a strong environment for learning. Great Oaks’ academic model is also inspired by the Match School of Boston.

The Teacher Residency program was created by partnering with NYU to provide a pathway to teaching certification and a Master’s degree through a blend of coursework, mentoring and more experiential learning than more traditional theory-based graduate schools of education.

Great Oaks’ model puts strong importance on building relationships with families as well as having a highly individualized instruction provided by the Tutor Corps, which ensures that every student receives a high-quality education.

¡ Individualized Instruction: Every Great Oaks student receives at least two hours of individualized tutoring every day delivered by the full-time Tutor Corps. The Great Oaks Tutor Corps Fellowship is a one-year program that recruits the best and brightest college graduates from across the country. Tutors provide daily individualized instruction to students, while also taking on secondary responsibilities, including academic planning, leadership and coaching of extracurricular activities, and teaching assistant and administrative roles.

¡ More Time on Task: The school day and year is significantly longer than those of the Bridgeport District Schools. The school day runs from 7:30am-4:45pm, with additional enrichment opportunities from 4:45pm-6:00pm.

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¡ Unrelenting Focus on College Readiness: Every GO-BPT student knows that his or her goal is to graduate from college.

¡ Summer Boost Academy: Boost Academy keeps students actively learning through the month of August, providing 20 more instructional days each year than district schools.

¡ Character Development: The school actively develops character traits through a school culture that reinforces the school’s core values.

¡ Relationships: GO-BPT believes that family engagement is a critical component of student success. GO-BPT’s principal, teachers and tutors engage in at least weekly individual parent outreach.

The school is temporarily located at 510 Barnum Avenue. The space is classroom and technology ready to ensure a state-of-the art education. The Bridgeport school district provides public transportation for students to and from Great Oaks Charter School.


510 Barnum Ave Bridgeport, CT 06608

203- 870-8188

[email protected]

Founded: 2014


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New Beginnings Family Academy

New Beginnings Family Academy (NBFA) prepares students for outstanding academic success in high school, college and beyond. Intelligence plus character is its ultimate goal.

NBFA opened Bridgeport’s first elementary charter school in September 2002, serving 156 students in grades K-3. By 2005, NBFA had expanded into the city’s first charter middle school, serving roughly 260 students. NBFA now serves over 400 students in pre-kindergarten through 8th grade.

NBFA distinguishes itself through rigorous academic and character building curricula, an extended school day and year, strong instructional leadership, and a diversely talented teaching staff.

Its classrooms are named after history makers – people like Sojourner Truth, Ben Ochoa, Isaac Newton, Helen Keller – and its walls are filled with flags from colleges all across the country. That’s because NBFA believes it takes both intelligence plus character to properly educate a child in the 21st century.

The school also believes its entire community (students, faculty, parents, administrators, staff and board) must commit to a culture that is positive, uplifting, forward thinking and hard working, ever reaching for the stars. NBFA asks parents to commit time to the school in order to support both student learning and the strong community that sustains achievement.

To meet the expectations of its mission and culture, NBFA has standards and goals that are both demonstrable and measurable. Strategies for meeting these include:

¡ More time on task: Students have an extended regular school day, in which they receive eight hours of instruction compared to 6.75 hours offered in district schools.

¡ Targeted remediation and enrichment: NBFA provides 2.5 hours of additional daily instruction for students who need it the most.

¡ Data-driven instruction: The school administers frequent student assessments to create skill-appropriate instructional groups, inform classroom instruction and identify areas for professional development.

¡ Summer Boost Academy: Boost Academy keeps students actively learning through the month of August, providing 20 more instructional days each year than district schools.

¡ Professional development: NBFA provides teachers and leaders with ongoing, frequent training to support enhanced student learning.

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¡ The Arts: The school provides every student with studio art and musical instruction from full-time, certified staff.

NBFA graduates demonstrate the lasting value of a quality, well-rounded education, receiving scholarships to Fairfield College Preparatory School, Greens Farms Academy, St. Luke’s School and Notre Dame High School.

In May 2005, Friends of NBFA, the school’s support organization, raised money to purchase and transform a century-old building and two adjacent parcels into a beautiful “urban campus” for New Beginnings Family Academy. The refurbished facility offers 51,000-sq. ft. of instructional space, including bright, oversized classrooms, a Library and Media Center with computer stations, an additional second-floor computer lab, a fully-equipped commercial kitchen, and a 3,000-sq. ft. annex for physical education.

Most NBFA students come from Bridgeport and the Bridgeport school district provides transportation for them. The handful of families from other towns drive their children to school.


184 Garden St. Bridgeport, CT 06605

203-384-2897

[email protected]

Founded: 2002


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Park City Prep Charter School

The mission of Park City Prep is to maximize the academic achievement of each student in preparation for, admission to, and success at, selective college preparatory high schools.

As part of a rigorous curriculum that emphasizes mathematics, scientific inquiry and technology, the faculty and staff work to instill in each student the “PREP” values of responsibility, excellence and perseverance, and to imbue students with a vision of a future filled with opportunity and promise.

Founder and Director Bruce Ravage was born and raised in Bridgeport and educated in its public school system. He taught in the Bronx for 25 years, where he became involved with Prep for Prep, a program that prepared talented students of color for admission to selective independent schools.

Shortly after serving as a district-level science coordinator, he had the opportunity to head a city-wide initiative designed to prepare students from under-represented districts for admission to New York City’s specialized science high schools.

Upon retiring from the New York City school system after 34 years, Bruce sought to continue the important work that was his passion – providing students with the greatest educational opportunities available to them. As Director of Side by Side Charter School in Norwalk, Bruce strengthened the school’s science program and continued to mentor graduating students interested in gaining admission to independent high schools. He soon recognized the potential of the charter model to empower his vision.

Based upon his experiences in both New York City and Norwalk, opening his own school focused on science and technology became his goal and his dream. Fittingly, he came home to Bridgeport to found its first public school focused on science.

Park City Prep was approved by the state in 2005, and was funded and opened in 2006.

Science and technology are imbedded in a comprehensive, integrated curriculum. Students learn the social, economic, and political ramifications of scientific research and develop an appreciation for the contributions that science has made in shaping history and improving their lives.

Science is not a textbook-driven course. At Park City Prep, students learn science by “doing” science, conducting investigations and analyzing data. Reading technical,

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informational text and writing with precision are emphasized throughout all areas of instruction, not only in language arts.

Park City Prep places a premium on professional development. Teachers regularly participate in workshops, attend conferences, and benefit from the expertise of literacy and math consultants, who work with them on an ongoing basis throughout the school year.

As its mission states, Park City Prep’s highest priority is to help its students enroll in selective public and private high schools, where they can build upon the foundation established at Park City Prep. The school aims to enable them to be prepared for success in college and future careers. Virtually all of its graduates gain admission to selective private and public choice high schools.

As of August of 2013, Park City Prep is the sole tenant of an impressive facility on the west side of Bridgeport, the former Bead Chain Manufacturing Company, constructed in 1916. The newly renovated building includes state-of-the-art technology and science labs, as well as spacious classrooms with spectacular, wide-windowed views of the surrounding city.

The vast majority of students who attend Park City Prep reside in Bridgeport, and receive transportation through the local district.


1550 State St. Bridgeport, CT 06605

203-953-3766

[email protected]

Founded: 2006


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The mission of Side by Side Charter School is to ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed and every voice is heard. The school engages its students in a challenging and relevant curriculum of the highest standard that will reflect and enhance their diversity and promote their unique gifts and talents.

Side by Side builds character and responsibility through a commitment to community, social justice, and tolerance towards others. It also supports the needs of its families, and strives to perfect the art and craft of teaching by promoting excellence in the profession.

The school offers parents the freedom to choose a public school that is safe, and affords the highest quality education in a racially and socio-economically integrated setting. It attracts both urban and suburban families.

Six public school educators founded Side by Side Charter School in 1997 when Connecticut’s charter school law first went into effect. Key thought leaders on the project were teachers Esther Shatavsky, Carole Oddie, Sally Davids, Amy Oliver, Anne Alpert and Quinnipiac University professor of Education, Dr. Anne Dichele. This group had a clear vision of a school driven by social justice and meaningful integration. That vision is going strong and four of the six co-founders are still with Side by Side: Esther teaches in the lower grades, Carole and Sally in the upper grades and Anne is the Board Chair.

Side by Side strives to foster joy and passion for learning among a diverse community of students while instilling strong social consciousness.

The school’s educational philosophy is based on the developmental and constructivist theories of Jean Piaget, John Dewey, and others. The curriculum is carefully designed to coordinate with children’s developmental stages and include many opportunities for students to experience things first hand.

Side by Side believes that children gain a deeper level of understanding when they have the opportunity to engage in first-hand experience, reconstruct their experiences in the classroom in a variety of ways (writing, talking, block building, painting, museum shares), reflect on their learning, and express and support their ideas and understandings.

Side by Side has an interdisciplinary curriculum organized around a social studies and science core. Curriculum units are designed to build upon each other so that children can use prior knowledge to construct a meaningful understanding of the subject studied. For example, the third graders study the Long Island Sound and the surrounding woodlands before they study the Native Americans who lived in this area or before they study the colonists who settled here.

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In the younger grades, the units begin with the study of things central to the young child’s world, such as themselves, their home and their family. The focus gradually widens to include their school, neighborhood and community. The focus of these units is on our interdependence with each other and the environment, what the community needs and how those needs are met.

Students work with a certified classroom teacher and an intern or assistant at every grade level. This provides a unique opportunity for individual, small group and whole group instruction. In the lower grades (third through fourth grade) classroom teachers provide instruction in all subject areas.

Beginning in fifth grade, students are taught by specific subject-area teachers (language arts, social studies, math and science). All children also receive instruction in movement and physical education, music, and integrated art from certified specialist teachers.

Side by Side is split between two buildings that house the elementary and middle school. The main building is the elementary school. The upper school is housed in a small, prefabricated structure in the parking lot. Side by Side is located in South Norwalk, a diverse urban setting, and students and faculty are able to partner with surrounding businesses and cultural institutions.

All of the many families who come from outside Norwalk provide their own transportation, and like at other charters who integrate students regionally, it means that some students are denied access by their circumstances rather than the lottery.


10 Chestnut St. South Norwalk, CT 06854

203-857-0306

[email protected]

Founded: 1997


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Stamford Academy

Many district schools have not been successful at educating students who need a different learning environment to reach their full potential. Stamford Academy fills that role. A rigorous academic focus, paired with a comprehensive human development model and small classes of approximately 15 students, allows Stamford Academy students to excel academically and build critical social and emotional skills needed for success in high school and beyond.

Since the 1970s, Domus, a non-profit community support organization, has been providing services to Stamford’s most at-risk youth through safe and supportive foster homes and other out-of-school supports. When the charter law was passed, Domus took the opportunity to establish Trailblazers, a middle school that met the specific needs of these students. Then, in 2004, a high school was added based on the success of Trailblazers. However, Trailblazers graduates do not matriculate to Stamford Academy because they are separate charter schools. The hope is that Trailblazers students will be given the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in a district high school environment.

The students who enter Stamford Academy do so primarily because they have been unsuccessful in their prior educational environments. The school was founded to meet the needs of these children. An intensive program allows students to catch up on instruction so they are prepared for post-secondary education, training, or the skilled workforce upon graduation.

Stamford Academy, building on the model first used at Trailblazers, uses family advocates to reach out to students and their families in order to remove social and emotional obstacles to academic achievement.

Many students at Stamford Academy have experienced trauma, sometimes frequent and severe. Domus adopted the Sanctuary Model, a trauma-informed system of organizational change and personal healing whose pillars are non-violence, emotional intelligence, social learning, shared governance, open communication, social responsibility, and growth. These are supported by a four-step healing model called SELF: Safety, Emotions, Loss, and Future and are addressed explicitly for each traumatized youth. Every day, students at Stamford Academy attend community meetings where they can share openly and set goals. They also go over “safety plans,” which are small visual reminders (often outlined on the back of IDs) that list individualized methods to manage emotions and stay internally safe when feeling overwhelmed.

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Stamford Academy is located near the city’s new courthouse in an unused City of Stamford building. A significant number of students at Stamford Academy come from Bridgeport. Domus purchases bus and train passes for these students and staff meets them at the station each day.

229 North St. Stamford, CT 06092

203-324-6300

[email protected]

Founded: 2004



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The mission of the Stamford Charter School for Excellence (SCSE) is to prepare young people to compete for admission to and succeed in top public, private, and parochial schools by cultivating their intellectual, artistic, social, emotional and ethical development. The school will accomplish this by offering a challenging and rigorous academic curriculum – which at the earliest of grades will have an eye towards college preparation. SCSE will achieve this in a supportive and caring environment that all times has high expectations of our students.

The proposed Stamford Charter School for Excellence is based on a proven model from the Bronx Charter School for Excellence (BCSE). BCSE is a 2012 National Blue Ribbon Award recipient, and consistently one of the highest performing charter schools in the state of New York.

In 2012, 95% of BCSE students were proficient in math, and 86% were proficient in reading - nearly double the scores of the district schools in its neighborhood. BCSE consistently receives A’s and B’s on its report card from the New York City Department of Education, and has had a 96% staff and student retention rate for the past five years.

Like BCSE, SCSE believes that community engagement is vital for student success. Its challenging academic program is complimented by parent-driven initiatives, school-wide events and extensive extracurricular offerings that work together to enrich the total child. In New York City, BCSE was chosen to receive a grant to help one of their neighboring district schools improve its practices and learn from our school’s model.

Stamford Charter School for Excellence will open in the fall of 2015 with 168 students starting with grades PreK – 1.

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Stamford Charter School for Excellence, will mirror the work being done in the Bronx, including:

¡ High academic standards focused on preparing kids for college and jobs.

¡ Extended school days.

¡ Broad liberal arts education that stresses teaching critical thinking skills

¡ Data-driven instruction

¡ Rigorous parent engagement

¡ Open collaboration with the community

Stamford Charter School for Excellence is located in a newly renovated school building that played home to a local parochial school for many years. SCSE works with the local district to provide their students with transportation to and from school each day.


PROGRAM

1 Schuyler Avenue Stamford, CT 06902

203-548-0194

[email protected]

Founded: 2015


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The Bridge Academy

The Bridge Academy brings about academic and personal growth in young people by providing a small, caring public charter school with a rigorous learning environment.

Bridge Academy founders Timothy Dutton and Rachel Allison developed the concept for the school in 1996. Tim began his teaching career in Darien, where he earned the Sally Mae Award for Excellence in First Year Teaching. After three years, he started teaching at Harding in Bridgeport. There he met Rachel, a fellow teacher.

Tim and Rachel believed the flexibility of a charter school afforded the opportunity to create an educational model that would create better outcomes for high school students in Bridgeport. Over three years, they discussed what it would take to open a new school, with a different way of approaching education. When Connecticut passed laws allowing charter schools, they immediately began working on an application, along with another Harding High teacher, Felipe Reinoso. They were granted a charter in February 1997, and the Bridge Academy opened that September. Tim Dutton was and still is the school’s principal.

Bridge’s approach is student-driven and focused on real-world outcomes. Its program is responsive to the needs of each student, with differentiated interventions to help students of varying interests and abilities academically and personally achieve. All members of The Bridge Academy community will listen to and communicate with each other, respond to diverse needs and give the consistent effort necessary to fulfill its mission. This intimate school culture empowers staff and students alike.

Staff mentor each child to guide them on their academic journey through

high school. Students participate in small tutoring groups based on their dynamic needs. Bridge Academy fosters relationships within the broader community to create a true learning village, where outside community members often participate in school projects or provide opportunities for students outside of school.

Bridge also focuses heavily on literacy. Along with a specialized reading

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coach, the school uses engaging reading material of scientifically-graduated levels of complexity to allow students of all abilities to progress along the spectrum.

The culmination of a Bridge Academy senior’s educational trajectory is a research project on a topic of interest to them as a potential career. They work with a coach throughout the project, and then make a presentation to a panel of professionals from the Bridgeport community, often working in a relevant field.

The Bridge Academy is located on Pulaski and Kossuth Streets and shares space with the local YMCA.

Almost all Bridge Academy students are bussed from within Bridgeport. The few exceptions are driven to and from school by parents or drive themselves.


401 Kossuth St. Bridgeport, CT 06608

203-336-9999

[email protected]

Founded: 1997


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Many students have not been successful at district schools and need a different learning environment to reach their full potential. Trailblazers helps students excel academically and build critical social and emotional skills needed for success in high school and beyond.

Since the 1970s, the education non-profit organization Domus has been providing services to Stamford’s most high-risk youth through safe and supportive group homes and other out-of-school supports. Trailblazers Academy opened in 1999 when Stamford’s then-mayor, Dan Malloy, approached Domus Executive Director Mike Duggan about the possibility of opening a school with new state charter funds. For years Malloy had discussed with Duggan possible ways to fund such a school, as both knew the district was not adequately addressing the needs of students with social and emotional struggles that caused academic deficits. The premise was that Trailblazers students would be given the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in a district high school environment.

Trailblazers has a rigorous academic focus, paired with a comprehensive human development model that is essential for the population they work with. The school provides some of the city’s most struggling middle school children an educational environment that’s responsive to each child’s social and emotional needs.

Every student is assigned a family advocate. These advocates provide services and supports based on family-identified needs and strengths. Families are equal partners in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of services.

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Family advocates offer direct social and emotional skill instruction, anger management and coping skills development, behavior management strategies, conflict resolution, mediation and healthy relation-ship-building techniques. They also connect families with a variety of other community services, such as affordable mental and physical health care.

The school model features small classes of approximately 15 students and Learning Labs – hands-on courses such as a student garden and a student-run bicycle repair shop. These Learning Labs teach intellectual skills in a non-traditional format and often bring the students into the community.

There also is an intense focus on building literacy skills. Since most students come to the school reading, on average, three grades below level and have fundamental gaps in their reading abilities, the school features a literacy coordinator and literacy specialists who work individually with students as well as classroom teachers.

Trailblazers Academy is located on Stamford’s East Side in an old City of Stamford elementary school building. The location also hosts many community resources and events that benefit the neighborhood and student body.

Most students reside in Stamford and have access to transportation through the Stamford school district.


83 Lockwood Ave. Stamford, CT 06902

203-977-5690

[email protected]

Founded: 1999


necharters.org 203-691-7232 [email protected] @necharters /necharters 50 Elm Street, New Haven, CT 06510

2015-16 Connecticut Charter School Guidebook

Documents

Transcript of 2015-16 Connecticut Charter School Guidebook