north star academy charter school of newark
TRANSCRIPT
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North Star Academy Charter School of Newark
10 Washington Place, Newark, NJ 07102
2015 Charter Renewal Application
October 15, 2015
Transmitted to: Christopher Cerf, State District Superintendent, Newark Public Schools
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Table of Contents
Section 1: Basic Information ....................................................................................................................... 3
Part 1.1 – Basic Information ............................................................................................................... 3
Part 1.2 – School Demographics ........................................................................................................ 3
Section 2: Organizational Performance Areas ........................................................................................... 4
EDUCATION PROGRAM AND CAPACITY ................................................................................................... 4
Part 1.1 – Mission and Key Design Elements .................................................................................... 4
Part 1.2 – Curriculum .......................................................................................................................... 6
Part 1.3 – Instruction ......................................................................................................................... 10
Part 1.4 – Assessment ...................................................................................................................... 10
Part 1.5 – Organizational Capacity ................................................................................................... 13
SCHOOL CULTURE AND CLIMATE .......................................................................................................... 17
Part 2.1 – School Culture and Climate ............................................................................................. 17
Part 2.2 – Family and Community Engagement .............................................................................. 18
BOARD GOVERNANCE ............................................................................................................................ 18
Part 3.1 – Board Capacity ................................................................................................................. 18
ACCESS AND EQUITY .............................................................................................................................. 21
Part 4.1 – Access and Equity ............................................................................................................ 21
Part 4.2 – Special Education............................................................................................................. 22
Part 4.3 – English Language Learners ............................................................................................. 24
COMPLIANCE .......................................................................................................................................... 25
Part 5.1 – NJSMART Compliance ...................................................................................................... 25
Part 5.2 – EpiCenter Compliance ..................................................................................................... 25
Section 3: Fiscal Viability .......................................................................................................................... 25
Part 1.1 – Financial Framework ........................................................................................................ 25
Part 1.2 – Financial Audit .................................................................................................................. 26
Part 1.3 – Budget Information .......................................................................................................... 27
Section 4: Five-Year Planning ................................................................................................................... 30
Part 1.1 – Maximum Enrollment ....................................................................................................... 30
Part 1.2 – Five-Year Planning ............................................................................................................ 30
Appendix A Description of Instructional Practices Template ................................................................. 34
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Section 1: Basic Information
Part 1.1 – Basic Information
Part 1.2 – School Demographics
SCHOOL DEMOGRAPHICS*
# Total Students 3998
# and % Free or Reduced
Price Lunch Students
3417 and 85.5%
# and % Special Ed Students 336 and 8.4%
# and % LEP Students 17 and 0.4%
# and % Asian Students 14 and 0.4%
# and % Black Students 3384 and 84.6%
# and % Hispanic Students 346 and 8.7%
# and % White Students 79 and 2.0%
# and % Other ethnic groups 175 and 4.4%
*Note: Data from 10/09/15
BASIC INFORMATION
Name of School North Star Academy Charter School of Newark
Year School Opened 1997
Grade Level(s) in 2015-2016 K-12
Current Enrollment 3998*
Maximum Enrollment 4950
Current Waiting List 2535
School Address(es) 10 Washington Place, Newark, NJ 07102
District(s) / Region of
Residence Newark
Website Address http://northstar.uncommonschools.org
Name of Board President Rick Rieder
Board President email
address [email protected]
Board President phone
number
212-810-5105
Name of School Leader Michael Ambriz
School Leader email
address [email protected]
School Leader phone
number 973-642-0101
Name of SBA Olugbenga Olabintan
SBA email address [email protected]
SBA phone number 201-230-7518
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Section 2: Organizational Performance Areas
EDUCATION PROGRAM AND CAPACITY
Part 1.1 – Mission and Key Design Elements
The mission of North Star Academy is to prepare each student to enter, succeed in and ultimately
graduate from a four-year college. The education model consists of two core pillars: a highly rigorous
academic curriculum paired with a focus on strong character development.
This model is supported by an internationally recognized instructional leadership model (Leverage
Leadership) designed by North Star instructional leaders. Instructional leaders drive quality from
seven levers:
Data-driven instruction
Observation & feedback
Planning (curriculum, unit and lesson planning)
Professional Development
Student Culture
Adult Culture
Managing leadership teams
This instructional leadership model has been ground-breaking nationally and internationally. Three
books have been published by North Star leaders (Leverage Leadership, Driven by Data, and Great
Habits, Great Readers) and a fourth is set to be published in June (Get Better Faster: A Guide to
Developing Rookie Teachers in the First 90 Days). These have resulted in over a quarter-million
copies sold, 15,000+ participants in international workshops, and schools in fifteen different cities
becoming the highest-achieving or highest gaining schools in their cities while using this leadership
model in thirteen major urban districts across the country: Baltimore, Chicago, D.C., Memphis,
Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York City, Newark, New Orleans, Oakland, Ogden,
Rochester, Salt Lake City, and Sacramento. What follows are maps of the U.S. and world: each state
or country in blue has schools that have been trained by North Star leaders and are intentionally
replicating North Star’s instructional leadership model:
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Each of these leadership levers will be detailed in various sections of this application.
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North Star has built itself around consistently identifying innovative best practices and then codifying
them to replicate across all schools and classrooms. In addition to the overall leadership model,
North Star’s recent innovations include:
K-4 Reading & Math models: North Star elementary schools are the highest achieving in the
state of New Jersey, largely because of the new models built around Math and Reading
instruction. Heavily detailed in the book Great Habits, Great Readers, the reading model is
built on small group reading instruction built around rigorous texts and adept teaching
questioning to get students to do the thinking. Math heavily focuses on conceptual
understanding via guided discourse by the teacher.
High School Instructional Lesson Types: North Star’s High School has the highest SAT scores
that we can find from an urban high school in the country. A large factor in this success is
the creation of HS instructional lesson types to bridge the gap from K-8 instruction to college.
These lesson types prepare students for a college-like environment while also learning
college-level material. The lesson types are:
o College Lecture: training students how to take notes during a lecture, ask the
“professor” (their teacher) critical questions, and study together from their notes
o Guided & Student-led Seminar: preparing students for the small class college
seminars by teaching them how to argue effectively, cite evidence and write quality
essays
o Inquiry lessons: learning History/Science through lab experiments, analysis of
primary/secondary source documents, etc.
o Guided Practice: a continuation of the basic lesson model that is used K-12 as a
bridge from their K-8 experience
Student Advisories: small groups of students who gather to support each other and push
each other to even greater heights. These advisories grow in importance at each grade
range and become a critical component of the High School
University Science partnership: North Star has created a ground-breaking new partnership
with Seton Hall University and other local universities so that every HS senior participates in
a college research project under the direct tutelage of a college science professor. This
results in a culminating paper/poster presentation at the college’s science expositions. As a
result of the project, the percentage of North Star students interested in majoring in STEM
quadrupled over a two-year span.
After School Enrichment Program: Both in and out of the classroom, North Star has
developed a wide array of offerings to help students become well-rounded individuals. At the
elementary school level, after school programs include step, dance, art, capoeira, choir,
double-dutch, and karate. Middle and high schools also offer basketball, soccer, field
hockey, flag football, cross country, volleyball, and rugby in addition to non-athletic programs
such as yearbook, debate, gardening, entrepreneurship, and mock trial. Opportunities for
performing arts are available at all grade levels to support students in developing the skills to
present themselves confidently and professionally in front of audiences.
Part 1.2 – Curriculum
North Star teachers and instructional leaders have developed the school’s curricula directly from the
NJ State Core Curriculum Content Standards (NJCCCS) through a common, school-wide approach by
creating: a scope and sequence for each subject in each grade; detailed syllabi for each course, an
integrated list of objectives and concepts to be mastered; and a database of unit and daily lesson
plans.
The school’s Curriculum Committee developed a Curriculum Plan rubric to evaluate and revise
selected Scope & Sequence documents. In conjunction with the Assessment Committee, the
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Curriculum Committee utilizes the Curriculum Plan rubric and the North Star assessments to align
each curriculum with the NJCCCS, adjusting timelines to place emphasis on the most important
standards within each unit and grade level.
In the spirit of continuous improvement, North Star staff recognizes that the school must always
search out ways to better educate students. North Star continues its school-wide focus on the
powerful tools of data-driven instruction and curriculum planning to further drive students’ academic
performance. This begins with the annual revision of North Star’s curricula and interim assessments
(given at 6-8 week intervals) in grades K-12 in an effort to guarantee alignment to New Jersey State
Standards and the Common Core. NSA has worked relentlessly to ensure alignment between the
interim assessments and the curriculum. With this end in mind, North Star staff members are
charged each year with creating updated curriculum maps and plans which align the standards and
objectives with rigorous activities and assessment questions. This process will continue with the
development of strategies to: 1) gauge student understanding and mastery, 2) analyze the results of
interim assessments, and 3) ensure the students’ mastery of content moving forward.
The annual revisions of North Star’s curricula and interim assessments follow a three-year review
cycle that spans all grade levels and is conducted by the Curriculum Committee under the
supervision of our Chief Schools Officers. In Year 1 of the cycle the ELA curricula & assessments are
reviewed; in Year 2, the focus is on the Math curricula & assessments, and in Year 3 the content-
area curricula (Science, History, Arts, Foreign Languages and Physical Education) come under
scrutiny. This is the culmination of a long history of improvements. Between 2008-2012, North Star
revised or developed interim assessments in Literacy and Math for K-12, History and Science for
grades 5-12, and Spanish, Arts and Physical Education for 9-12. In 2012-16, these interim
assessments and accompanying curricula were revised for a deeper alignment to the Common Core.
Additionally, the high school added interim assessments for courses like AP Computer Science and
re-aligned all HS interim assessments to the new SAT/AP exams while maintaining alignment to the
Common Core/PARCC tests.
Each curriculum and assessment revision is accompanied by rigorous analysis and workshops
designed to meet teachers’ professional needs. North Star instructional leadership will continue to
analyze assessment results across campuses to ensure that we are designing strong professional
development sessions that meet the needs of our students.
Planning (curriculum, units, and lessons) is one of the core seven leadership levers of North Star.
Leaders follow tried and tested models for developing teachers in their planning. Instructional
leaders use a Planning Meeting protocol to guide lead planners in their lesson planning:
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They also have a Weekly Data Meeting protocol that directly aligns planning, teaching and looking at
student work:
At the heart of weekly data meetings is the core principle of responding to student needs. All
students’ exit tickets are analyzed to offer individualized instruction. This applies to every student
and is thus the foundation for serving SPED and ELL students in inclusion, pull-out and replacement
class settings.
Students with special needs are able to participate in North Star’s curriculum through the
implementation of accommodations and modifications as needed. These supports are determined
based on the individual needs of each child and outlined in their Individual Education Plan. Students
with curricular modifications are held accountable for an appropriate percentage of standards
determined by the Child Study Team. This percentage serves as a guide for teachers as they plan for
the most essential objectives students with curricular modifications are expected to master.
English language learners also participate in North Star’s curriculum by applying strategies in the
general education classroom that they have learned during ELL instruction. North Star’s contracted
certified ELL teachers collaborate with general education teachers to ensure that their instruction is
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aligned to North Star’s curriculum. This consistency and collaboration allows ELLs to access the
same curriculum as their English speaking peers. When appropriate, ELL teachers also provide
support for their students within the general education classroom as they begin to transition back
into a fully English speaking program.
In addition to the on-the-ground daily work, North Star also commits significant time to curriculum
revision. In the summer, lead teachers spend significant time revising curriculum, enhancing
activities and assessments, and planning for the following school year. They draft common
assessments and common lesson plans to disseminate to relevant teachers. The curriculum
provides a scope & sequence (timeline, an overview of the year-long goals, an assessment
framework, a unit-by-unit breakdown, and an explicit reference of which NJCCCS are being taught)
and suggested activities for the teacher. In the week leading up to the opening day of the next
school year, school leaders and lead teachers guide the faculty in planning for the implementation of
the North Star curriculum. Workshops are offered around “power standards” (standards of greatest
importance) and general lesson planning.
Part 1.3 – Instruction
North Star creates schools with high instructional and behavioral expectations that align to the
mission of the school. These are best described in North Star’s Student Culture and Rigor Rubrics,
which are attached to the Appendix. Accommodations are clearly laid out in the Special Education
section of this document.
Part 1.4 – Assessment
North Star Academy is recognized internationally as being a leader in the field of data-driven
instruction, as noted by the success of Driven by Data and the hundreds of schools internationally
that have improved achievement results by using North Star’s data-driven instructional model.
Since launching data-driven instruction in the summer of 2003, North Star has written and revised
more than 200 assessments in Math, English, Science, History, Spanish and the Performing Arts for
grades K–12. These assessments are aligned not only to NJ/Common Core standards but also
college-ready standards as measured by exams like the SAT and AP. Each assessment is also
precisely aligned to the curricula’s scope and sequence. In addition, at the elementary school level,
teachers use STEP Assessments from the University of Chicago to gauge progress in literacy.
As another sign of North Star’s commitment to use assessments not only for the benefit of their own
students but for all students, North Star’s interim assessments have been shared with over 1,000
schools internationally. Driven by Data contains in detail all the elements of North Star’s
assessment model and can be read for anything that is missing in this report.
Teachers deeply analyze the results on those interim assessments in order to modify instructional
practice to directly target students’ needs. Here are the guides teachers and leaders follow to
analyze the results:
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Effective data analysis meetings then drive student achievement by allowing teachers the
opportunity to reflect and revise their upcoming lesson plans to best meet their students’ needs. As
mentioned previously, teachers also look at daily and weekly student work to make real-time
adjustments to their teaching (see the previous sections for the “Weekly Data Meeting Protocol”).
North Star continually evaluates its educational model to determine its effectiveness and identify
areas for growth. At the heart of that evaluation are a yearly school inspection and an additional
school walkthrough. The yearly inspection is a full-day purely instructional inspection where 4-5
instructional leaders from other North Star campuses and other high-achieving schools within
Uncommon Schools and nationwide spend the entire day observing instruction, interviewing
staff/leaders, and creating recommendations for the school to improve. The following chart has the
inspection protocol:
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This annual inspection is accompanied by an annual school walkthrough by other North Star
principals. Each walkthrough either focuses on student culture or rigor. Attached to this application
are the Student Culture and Rigor rubrics that are used to score the school and give feedback on
how to improve.
Finally, these walkthroughs are complemented by annual staff and student surveys that collect more
information on the leader and the school to help make continuous improvements.
Part 1.5 – Organizational Capacity
Organization Structure
North Star has a dual leadership model: an instructional leader and operational leader that work
side-by-side. At the network level, Managing Director(s) and the Chief Operating Officer manage the
overall North Star network of schools, and each campus has a principal and director of operations.
Operational leaders take care of everything operational so that principals can focus entirely on
instructional leadership.
Decision Making
Decision-making is nearly always done collectively by the different leadership teams. North Star’s
Board of Trustees makes and approves all major decisions related to the budget/finances,
policies/procedures, and overall direction of the school.
North Star has two all-campus leadership teams—instructional and operational—that meet monthly to
develop their own expertise and make network-level decisions beyond the scope of the board. Each
campus in turn has a leadership team that makes school-level decisions.
Evaluating School Leaders
As a New Jersey State approved tool, The Leverage Leadership Performance Model is a set of
performance management tools that drive excellent principal performance and can lead to a
summative evaluation. This performance model has been published in Leverage Leadership and has
been used to train over 15,000 school leaders worldwide. The tools utilized in this performance
model have been formally embraced by Chicago Public Schools and the New York State Department
of Education and they have been embedded in many other districts across the country.
The North Star principal evaluation rubric (attached) is built around the seven levers of Leverage
Leadership. By focusing on these seven levers, leaders are able to leverage considerably more
student learning from every unit of time they invest in their work.
Data-driven instruction – define the roadmap for rigor and adapt teaching to meet the
students’ needs
Observation and feedback– coach teachers to improve the learning
Instructional planning – prevent problems and guarantee strong lessons
Professional development – strengthen culture and instruction with hands-on training that
sticks
Student culture – create a strong culture where learning can thrive
Adult/Staff culture – build and support the right team
Managing school leadership teams – train instructional leaders to expand your impact across
the school
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Each school leader has weekly meetings with a managing director that allows them to grow and
develop. Once a year they have a formal evaluation on the rubric, and at that meeting they set the
principal’s goals for the subsequent months.
Evaluating and Coaching Teachers
North Star has used the Leverage Leadership instructional model to create unprecedented levels of
support and development for teachers. One of the core best practices is the sequence of action
steps for teachers which is the seminal guide of the upcomigng book Get Better Faster: A Guide to
Developing Rookie Teachers in the First 90 Days.
This guide identifies the core action steps to work on with a teacher in the first four phases of their
teaching development. They empasize bite-sized, high-leverage action steps that can quickly move a
teacher from novice to proficient. When the use of the guide began, novice teachers at North Star
started to reach profciency on the North Star Teacher Evaluation rubric far more quickly than before.
Here is the guide:
ROOKIE TEACHER ACTION STEPS Sequence of Most Frequently Used Action Steps by Top-Tier Instructional Leaders 2015-16
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Each teacher gets feedback at least once every other week (most get feedback more than once a
week), and this is the core driver of their development. Once a year, they receive a formal evaluation
on the NJDOE approved North Star Teacher Evaluation Rubric.
Staff and Professional Development
North Star provides high-quality professional development that well exceeds the 100 hour minimum
requirement of the NJDOE. Every new teacher has 3-4weeks of professional development over the
summer (over 100 hours before school even begins), and returning staff members have two weeks
of summer professional development. During the year, staff participates in weekly professional
development meetings of 90 minutes and once a month they have half-day professional
development sessions.
Contrary to most professional development programs, North Star does not lock in set topics for the
year but rather responds to the needs of the teachers based on leader observations and interim
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assessment results. As a result, North Star’s PD directly develops teachers where they need it the
most.
Over the course of the last five years, North Star leaders have codified and developed PD sessions
for each action step listed in the Rookie Teacher Scope & Sequence (see above) and multiple PD
sessions for each content area (Literacy, Math, Science, History) as well as additional sessions as
the need arises.
SCHOOL CULTURE AND CLIMATE
Part 2.1 – School Culture and Climate
Student Culture
Student culture is not formed by motivational speeches or statements of values. It is formed by
repeated practice—using every minute of every day to build good habits. From opening morning
routines to the final bell, students receive a constant message that nothing is as important—and
engaging—as learning. The Student Culture rubric (attached to the appendix) defines how student
culture is measured. More details can be found in the Student Culture section of Leverage
Leadership. As another sign of student culture, North Star student attendance has stayed at or
above 95% for all 18 years of North Star’s existence.
Staff Culture
Great staff cultures don’t come from irreplicable charisma; they come from a consistent number of
tiny actions that create a strong foundation. From hiring to onboarding to daily interactions,
exceptional leaders keep their ear to the rail to ensure a positive, joyful, strong staff community.
Each leader maintains a staff culture tracker that highlights all the small and large actions they take
to maintain a strong staff culture. Staff complete an annual survey where they assess their
satisfaction at the school. In the 2014-15 survey, 87% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed with
the statement that “Overall, I am satisfied at my school.”
Developing Instructional Leaders
Principals do not lead a school on their own. A strong cohort of teachers who are also trained to lead
instructionally sets up a culture where everyone is improving their craft. In addition to full-time or
part-time teaching, they coach a handful of teachers in the school. Instructional Leaders attend
monthly half-day professional development sessions to master each lever of Leverage Leadership,
which in turn provides even more support for their teaching peers in each school.
As mentioned throughout this application, one of the core pillars of North Star is strong character
development and student culture. That begins with Community Circle, where students gather to the
beat of the Djembe drum and share inspirational stories. But the work to support the social and
emotional health of students doesn’t stop there. Advisories are a core part of the high school, where
students from single-gender small groups, under the guidance of a teacher, meet regularly and
create a peer support group. One of the highlights of the North Star advisory group is the way in
which peers hold each other accountable to getting stronger grades and making it to college.
For the students for whom even small student support groups are not enough, North Star leverages
its team of Social Workers to provide individual support to students with the greatest social-
emotional needs. The social workers work closely with leaders, teachers and parents to support
students through whatever challenging personal situations arise.
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Part 2.2 – Family and Community Engagement
North Star Academy values our families and neighbors as partners in providing the foundations of
success for our students and supporting the needs of our community. We engage our families in fun,
innovative ways, and have worked with them to develop strong community ties.
North Star Academy’s positive relationships with families are reflected in our 93% parent satisfaction
rate, as measured by annual parent surveys, which is a result of numerous family involvement
initiatives. Furthermore, parents of elementary school students select North Star on the One Newark
enrollment application more than any other school. North Star actively engages parents as a critical
pillar of academic support. At events such as our Back to School Night, we lead a classroom session
(similar to daily instruction) showing our parents how to best support their children in their academic
pursuits using tools we provide. We maintain constant lines of communications with our families
and our elementary and middle school campuses utilize parent communication binders with daily or
weekly academic and behavioral logs that allow for exchanges of information between families and
teachers about academic achievement and social-emotional health. North Star embraces an active
Parent Council at each of our campuses in which parents are able to develop, lead and participate in
school cultural events that promote unity such as Latino Cultural Celebration, Black History Month
Celebration, and The Heroes Dance Showcase. Parents also play a critical role in determining the
future of our school and two Parent Council members serve on North Star’s Board of Trustees to
represent families’ interests.
Our parents offer feedback and suggestions on how we can improve our relationship with them
through various mechanisms including completing annual parent surveys and ongoing conversations
with our teachers and school leaders as part of North Star’s open door policy. We value our parents’
honesty and testimonials, which help ensure we are best supporting students on their road to
college. This year we are working to build a deepened parent engagement plan tied to our core
values that will strengthen our bond with families.
Our engagement work extends to the broader community. School events are open for both families
and neighbors to enjoy. School performances, cultural celebrations, and graduations are just a few
ways that we invite parents and neighbors to celebrate our community. We also provide free
services that foster positive development for our community such as GED test preparation and free
professional development workshops. To date we have offered professional development workshops
on topics including college readiness, financial literacy and freedom, career development and
entrepreneurship. By working with families and neighbors, North Star Academy demonstrates our
core values of caring, community, respect, responsibility, and justice.
North Star has several partnerships with educational institutions and community organizations that
support our education program. North Star has shared professional development events with
Newark Public Schools teachers and administrators to promote sharing of ideas to strengthen our
teaching practices. We partner with Relay Graduate School of Education to provide enhanced
training for our new teachers. Uncommon Schools provides North Star with curriculum and
instructional support to make sure all scholars succeed. To offer programs that support our students
academically, we are partnering with educational institutions like NJIT, Seton Hall, and MIT as well as
the organizations Girls Who Code and Code HS to enhance our STEM offerings. All initiatives work to
further support our school’s mission of offering students the high quality education that will prepare
them to graduate from a 4-year college and lead a life of success.
BOARD GOVERNANCE
Part 3.1 – Board Capacity
As of September 2015, the North Star Board consisted of the following parties:
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Member’s
Name
Current
Term
Expiration
Date (if
applicable)
Officer
Role
Expertise Committee
Membership
Email Address
Rick Rieder June 2017 President Strategic
oversight &
management;
development
Finance &
Facilities
Paul
Bambrick-
Santoyo
June 2016 Secretary Curriculum &
instruction
pbambrick@uncommonscho
ols.org
Bob Howitt June 2017 Strategic
oversight &
management
Nicole
Albano
June 2016 Legal [email protected]
Trish
Scipio-
Derrick
September
2015
Community
Member
(parent)
Ravi Bellur June 2016 Finance &
real estate
Finance &
Facilities
Scott
Sleyster
June 2017 Finance &
development
m
Lawrence
Evans
June 2016 Finance &
development
Finance &
Facilities
Nikkia
Taylor
September
2015
Community
member
(parent)
James
Verrilli
June 2017 Curriculum &
instruction
Michael
Ambriz
ex-officio Vice-
President
School &
district
operations
Finance &
Facilities
Michael
Mann
ex-officio Curriculum &
instruction
Serena
Savariraya
n
ex-officio Curriculum &
instruction
Juliana
Worrell
ex-officio Curriculum &
instruction
As mentioned in North Star’s last renewal, since year one, North Star Academy Charter School of
Newark has had an active and engaged Board of Trustees in place, which has grown in size to match
the growing enrollment of North Star over the past seventeen years. The school’s Board of Trustees
is composed of ten voting members and four ex-officio members. Two of the ten voting members are
parents. Since its inception, the Board has been committed to ensuring that all members of the
North Star community have a voice in the governance of the school. Each North Star Academy
campus has a Parent Council, with parent-elected leadership. This group of parent leaders is the
pool from which Board representatives are selected for one-year terms.
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In the 2009-2010 school year, North Star created its first committee: the Finance & Facilities
Committee. This committee is charged with reviewing monthly financials, school budgets, audits
(reports, findings, corrective action plans), and all facility lease reviews, while also monitoring cash
flow, debt service, and lease requirements (e.g., financial covenants). The committee then presents
each of these related items to the Board for approval as needed. The Committee sets annual goals
related to North Star’s growth and financial compliance at the start of each fiscal year, and closes
the year with an annual presentation to the Board regarding their progress to those goals. This
ensures that North Star has a focused eye on its financials, in addition to its large real estate
transactions, by working with Lowenstein Sandler (North Star’s legal partner), the North Star
operations teams, and relevant Uncommon Schools (charter management organization) home office
functions (e.g., finance, facilities & real estate).
As North Star Academy has grown over the years, so have its requirements for expertise at the Board
level. North Star strives to ensure a diversity of the board related to expertise, including strategic
oversight, financial management, legal expertise, community involvement, and curriculum expertise.
The Board works to maintain a balance of these priorities, and although the Board does not actively
recruit new members ongoing, there is consistent conversation with existing Board members about
potential prospective members who could benefit the governance of the school. Once an individual
is identified as a prospective board member, there are a series of steps that must be completed to
assess their candidacy:
An initial school tour is hosted to review our instructional program, school culture model, and
answer any preliminary questions.
An initial interview is had with the Chief Operating Officer to assess alignment and cultural fit.
All North Star Board of Trustees must demonstrate strong alignment to our mission and
approach of preparing students to enter, succeed, and graduate from college; understand
that instruction “comes first” in much of our decision-making and discussions; demonstrate
a commitment to our school and in fulfilling our trustee expectations; and exhibit a desire for
ongoing involvement at the school level (participating in all-school events, etc.)
A meeting with the Board Chair is had to review any outstanding questions or concerns
identified throughout the process
A final determination meeting is had with the Board Chair, Chief Operating Officer & Chief
Schools Officer to assess fit in the overall diversity of the Board, and current needs
The North Star Academy Board reviews school policies annually to ensure that it revises according to
any relevant statutes or best practices. Annual policy reviews include: personnel policies (including
nepotism, leave policy, etc.), student discipline policies (including its Code of Conduct, HIB, student
technology use, etc.), travel policies, and financial policies. Each of these policies is carefully
reviewed, typically with the assistance of legal counsel, and updated to ensure compliance. In June
2015, for example, the personnel policies were revised to include updated language on staff use of
social media, and on the leave policy in regards to NJFLA and FMLA laws
In addition to school policy review, each summer North Star’s Managing Director provides a “State of
North Star” presentation, during which he reviews the academic goals of the previous year, the
schools’ performance in relation to those goals, the challenges of the previous year, and plans in
place to improve upon performance in the upcoming school year. Based on those results, the board
works jointly with the Managing Director to build the strategic priorities for the coming school year,
while also reviewing enrollment growth targets, leadership changes, mobility, State test data, and
college readiness data (AP & SAT passing & participation rates, college acceptance rates, etc.).
Based on the review, strategic priorities are set related to student achievement (i.e., assessment
data), staff or student culture (i.e., creation of new teacher training), growth (i.e., facilities
acquisition) and any other areas of focus. At Board meetings throughout the year, school leaders
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from the elementary, middle, and high school levels present progress against their strategic
priorities. The Board also reviews quarterly dashboards for each school and grade-level (elementary,
middle, and high school), which include data on academic performance, enrollment, and other
measures related to these goals. Finally, the board evaluates the resume and credentials of all new
staff members, including incoming school leaders, to ensure that their background and experience
align with the school’s mission and that their skills will positively impact the school’s progress to the
strategic priorities
ACCESS AND EQUITY
Part 4.1 – Access and Equity
North Star also measures student culture to the extent that students stay at North Star. Contrary to
perception, North Star students have a much lower attrition rate than other schools in Newark. In
2013-14, Newark Public Schools created school snapshots (pulled directly from NJDOE data) for all
67 Newark district and charter schools. They showed that students leave North Star at less than half
the rate of other schools in Newark.
The graphic below summarizes North Star’s Transfer Rate both to schools out of Newark and to
schools in Newark:
Source: Newark School Snapshots - http://www.nps.k12.nj.us/departments/data-policy/school-snapshots-for-families/. NSA data sourced from state provided student-level data.
North Star has one of the lowest transfer rates of any of the schools in Newark. Between October of
2012 and the start of the next school year, less than 10% of North Star students transferred out of
the school. This number is less than ½ the District rate (22%) and lower than 58 of the 68 schools
in Newark for which data was available.
To maintain these strong results, teachers and leaders maintain frequent contact with parents that
may have any concerns that could eventually lead to attrition. We believe that early communication
is critical and as students show signs of struggle, school leaders and teachers reach out to parents
to communicate a revised lesson plan and offer ways for parents to support their children. Schools
also explore every possible angle before transferring a student out of their school. We work to fix
transportation issues, student development, and parental support.
North Star’s suspension and expulsion policies are aligned to N.J.A.C. 6A:16. They are as follows:
Suspension:
To create and maintain a safe, supportive, fair and reliable school community and culture,
North Star suspends students from school when there are serious breaches of the Core
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Values or of the discipline code. A student may be suspended for one to ten days by a School
Leader. In certain circumstances, the board may determine that a suspension of a greater
length is appropriate. In all cases, parents or guardians will be informed of a suspension and
will be required to attend a conference and the school will follow the appropriate procedures,
as indicated in N.J.A.C. 6A:16-10.2.
Removal From School For Certain Offenses
There will be zero tolerance for bringing a gun, knife or other deadly weapon to school or for
any assault on school employees or students. Students, other than students with disabilities,
shall be immediately removed from school for any of the following offenses:
1. Conviction or adjudication of delinquency for possession of a deadly weapon, or for
committing a crime while in possession of a deadly weapon, on any school grounds, on a
school bus or at a school-sponsored function. Deadly weapon shall mean a “weapon” as
defined by N.J.S.A. 18A:37-2.2.
2. Possession of a firearm on any school grounds, on a school bus or at any school-
sponsored function
3. Assault with a weapon upon a teacher, administrator, other employee, board member or
another student on any school grounds, on a school bus or at any school-sponsored
function.
4. Assault, without a weapon, upon a teacher, administrator, other employee or board
member acting in the performance of his or her duties and in situation where his or her
authority to act is apparent, or as a result of the victim’s relationship to the school
Expulsion
A student may be liable for expulsion for possession of any weapon on school grounds, on a
school bus or at any school function; assault on any school official or another student;
possession, use of, or selling of alcohol or controlled dangerous substances while on school
property, such as a school bus or at any school-sponsored activity; for sexual misconduct; for
intentional, severe or repeated violations of the Academic Integrity Policy; continued and
willful disobedience or open defiance of authority; and/or any of the causes included in the
Code of Conduct as suspendable offenses. For a student to be expelled, a process consistent
with N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.5 and N.J.A.C. 6A:14-2.7 and 2.8, as applicable, must be initiated by
the principal and must include a formal hearing with the student's parents before the Board,
a committee of the Board, a school administrator or an impartial hearing officer . Any student
or parent challenging an expulsion may do so by way of petition to the Commissioner of
Education, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:3.
Since North Star’s last charter renewal, only 1 student has been expelled from the school. This rate
compares favorably to school districts across NJ. In every disciplinary case North Star has moved to
keep students in school and continue working closely with them. Our average annual suspension
rate since our last charter renewal is 30%, as described in our annual reports.
Part 4.2 – Special Education
North Star Academy currently serves 336 students classified as having a disability and 105 students
with a 504 classification. Disabilities of students with IEPs include a specific learning disability,
communication impairment, intellectual disability, autism, other health impairment, such as ADHD
and sickle cell anemia, those who have multiple disabilities, an emotional disturbance, or those
eligible for speech and language services.
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The process of support for students of concern follows NJDOE guidelines. North Star just completed
its NJDOE SPED evaluation and is fully in compliance with all aspects of a NJ special education
program.
When students of concern are identified at North Star, a referral is made to the Intervention and
Referral Services (I&RS) team. Parents or guardians are informed and an action plan is developed to
support the student and address the concerns. Interventions and their effectiveness are tracked for
six weeks. If students do not demonstrate sufficient progress, they are referred to the Child Study
Team (CST) for an evaluation. Students are also referred for an evaluation when parents submit a
written request. North Star Academy employs a network Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant
(LDT-C) and a School Psychologist who complete the educational and psychological evaluations,
respectively. Social workers are assigned to each campus and complete the social history
evaluations. If needed, related service evaluations are conducted by one of our contracted certified
therapists. With these evaluation results, eligibility for special education and related services is
determined by the CST in accordance with the definitions of disabilities outlined in the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
North Star Academy’s Network Special Education team includes a Senior Director of Special
Education, Director of Special Education Compliance, a licensed Learning Disabilities Teacher
Consultant (LDT-C), and a School Psychologist. These network staff members meet regularly with
campus Special Education teams to ensure that services are being provided according to students’
Individualized Education Programs. Each North Star campus has a Special Education Coordinator
and Case Manager who work together to arrange special education and related services. In addition
to providing services for students who are already classified, the Coordinator and Case Manager
facilitate the Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) and Child Study Team Process for those who
are suspected to have a disability.
North Star is founded on the principle that all students can achieve greatness. Therefore, the school
is dedicated to meeting every student’s individual needs, and every school program initially targets
every student. In addition to the hard work of each classroom teacher, additional services are
provided to meet the varying needs of our students:
Skills Room: The Skills Room is one of North Star’s means of reaching students who are
struggling to achieve within the rigorous curriculum. The Skills team of Special Education
teachers provides small group instruction for students with disabilities, students who are in
need of skills intervention and students who require support with study and organizational
skills. The teachers coordinate and provide these services for students at the elementary,
middle and high school levels. In addition, they regularly collaborate with classroom
teachers, helping to implement the best techniques for reaching struggling students within
the classroom, and with the Dean of Students on any behavioral needs of students with
special needs. They also provide individualized and small group skills work in literacy and
math to students in need of skill intervention. All North Star students receive strategic
tutoring designed to help them master specific skills necessary for tasks in their core
academic courses.
Special Education Services: North Star works hard to eliminate the stigma and low
expectations associated with the Special Education classification. To that end, North Star has
an inclusion model in which students in the school are not made aware of any special
education classifications that some of their classmates may have. These students are
provided individual pull-out instruction, small group instruction, and in-class support. For
students who benefit from a more restrictive environment, North Star also provides a
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Replacement Resource Program in the areas of English, Math, History, and/or Science. In
this setting, the general education curriculum and instructional strategies are modified
based on the needs of the students.
Special Education team members have the opportunity to attend professional development sessions
offered both within North Star and outside of the network to stay informed about current practices
and regulations in Special Education and how to best support struggling learners. Additionally,
general education teachers receive professional development on a variety of Special Education
related topics, such as common disabilities at North Star, best practices in the inclusive setting to
support students with disabilities, modifications and accommodations, and proper administration of
standardized test accommodations.
To determine the quality of our Special Education program and how it is reaching the needs of our
students, IEP goals and objectives are assessed throughout the year and progress is reported to
families quarterly. North Star provides high quality learning environments while differentiating to
meet the individual needs of our students. During the 14-15 school year, our students with IEPs
graduated at the following rates:
Promotion Percentage of Students with Special
Needs
4th grade 100%
8th grade 93%
12th grade 100%
Parents of students with special needs frequently commend North Star for supports given to their
children and the progress they are able to make. One parent of an elementary school student with
special needs wrote, “Within six months, my fourth-grader, who came to North Star on a kindergarten
level, had learned to read on a third-grade level. He learned to do math. He wants to go to college.
No, he knows he's going to college. He wants to be a businessman one day, and if he can stay at his
North Star school, I believe he can do it.”
Part 4.3 – English Language Learners
When parents register their children at North Star Academy, they complete a Home Language
Survey. North Star then follows its policies and procedures for ELL students. If the home survey and
faculty input agree to the need for ELL instruction, North Star contracts with certified ELL instructors
who administer an initial state approved English proficiency test to necessary students. In
accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:15, multiple indicators are considered, including reviewing the previous
academic performance of students including their performance on standardized tests in English,
reviewing teacher input, along with the proficiency assessment results. Students who do not meet
the standard on an approved language proficiency test, and who have at least one other indicator,
shall be recommended to receive ELL services. At this point, a formal ELL program is put into place
in accordance with state code and school policy.
In 2014-15, there were 18 students (0.5% of network student population) who received ELL services
at North Star. For this population, in accordance with 6A:15-1.4, North Star provides ELL instruction
for up to two periods based on student language proficiency. This curriculum is delivered by a
certified ELL teacher and addresses the WIDA English language development standards according to
the instructional needs of ELL students. It is designed to improve English reading, writing, speaking,
and listening. The ELL teachers collaborate with general education teachers to ensure that their
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instruction is aligned to content areas. In addition, ELL students are provided with appropriate
accommodations on the PARCC exam.
North Star’s ELL students are assessed annually using an approved English language proficiency test
to determine their progress in achieving English language proficiency goals and readiness for exiting
the program. With the implementation of WIDA Access 2.0 for 2015-16, students who achieve a
score of 4.5 or better shall be strongly considered for exiting the program. Along with these
evaluation results, readiness will further be assessed by considering classroom performance, English
reading level, and teacher input.
COMPLIANCE
Part 5.1 – NJSMART Compliance
NJSMART compliance is handled by Karin Gerald, Director of School Support
Part 5.2 – EpiCenter Compliance
EpiCenter compliance is handled by Karin Gerald, Director of School Support
Section 3: Fiscal Viability
Part 1.1 – Financial Framework
For Fiscal Year 2014, North Star’s Unrestricted Days Cash was the only metric that did not meet
standard. In FY14, NSA was just shy of a positive one-year trend to fully meet the Unrestricted Days
Cash ratio standard. However, we are comfortable with the level of cash and ability to meet operating
needs during the year based on our thorough budget projections.
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FY12 FY13 FY14 Criteria to Meet Standard Standard Status
Near term
indicators
Current Ratio 5.32 5.65 9.49
Current Ratio is greater
than 1.1
Meets Standard
Unrestricted
days cash 41.27 42.23 41.91
60 days cash, OR
• Between 30 and 60 days
cash and one-year trend is
positive
Does not meet
standard - see
explanation
Enrollment
variance 100% 100% 100%
Meets or exceeds planned
enrollment in
most recent year
Meets Standard
Default N/A N/A N/A
School is not in default of
loan covenant(s) and/or
is not delinquent with debt
service payments
Meets Standard
Sustainability
Indicators
Total margin 2% 2% 3%
Aggregated three-year total
margin is positive
and the most recent year
total margin is positive,
Meets Standard
Debt to Asset N/A N/A N/A
Debt to Asset Ratio is less
than 0.90
Meets Standard
cash flow 1,506,693 1,276,495 990,083
Three-year cumulative
cash flow is positive
and cash flow is positive
each year
Meets Standard
Debt Service
Coverage ratio N/A N/A N/A
Debt Service Coverage
Ratio is equal to or
exceeds 1.10
Meets Standard
In FY15, we project that NSA will increase its Unrestricted Cash ratio. Further, we anticipate that
NSA will continue to move towards and exceed 60 days of unrestricted cash on hand over the course
of the charter. Moving forward, North Star’s plan is to adjust its budget to ensure the budget surplus
is growing at a rate that will meet the Unrestricted Days Cash ratio by FY16.
Projected Timing to Fully Meeting Metric
Actual Projected
FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17
Unrestricted Days Cash 5,779,792 8,123,298 11,272,072 14,506,408
Expenses/365 137,910 170,125 187,407 218,885
Days of Cash 41.9 47.7 60.1 66.3
Part 1.2 – Financial Audit
During the charter term, North Star Academy has had a strong audit track record with no financial
findings. North Star Academy has had lessons learned through a few compliance findings in its
audits.
Repeat Findings
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The only repeat finding North Star Academy has had during its charter term is, on occasion, lacking a
Purchase Order and/or a Claim for Payment.
Factors that led to the recurrence
1. New staff.
a. Given North Star is a significantly sized organization, each year there are new people
that need to be trained on our fiscal policies which makes compliance more difficult.
However, we have established trainings in advance of any purchasing work for all
new staff to prevent this from being an issue.
2. Misunderstanding of some of the requirements.
a. In the past, we had believed that we did not need Purchase Orders for 100% of
transactions including things like recurring bills and payments under contracts. We
have subsequently updated our policies to reflect that Purchase Orders are required
100% of the time.
Evidence of progress towards resolving repeat findings, including the name of individual responsible
for task and date(s) of each action taken
1. Established updated policies stating clearly that all expenses must have a Purchase Order
created and approved in advance of placing an order and the invoice must have a claim for
payment. Directors of Operations and Chief Operating Officers, including the Lead Person,
Michael Ambriz, were responsible for implementing and overseeing the compliant purchasing
process. These policies are re-distributed to Operations staff each fiscal year.
2. Instituted additional trainings. Each year, all new and some returning staff members who will
be processing purchase orders and invoices are trained on compliance. The North Star
Academy Chief Operating Officers, including the Lead Person, Michael Ambriz, with the
support of the Uncommon Schools Finance Team, are responsible for these trainings held
each year in June and July, as well a refresher in the Fall.
3. Implemented a new online Purchase Order system that requires POs for everything and
claims for payment. North Star had a system custom built that would enforce our fiscal
policies and procedures. To get a check, staff is required to create a PO in advance by
entering in the system. POs are electronically sent for two layers of approval. Once an invoice
arrives, it is entered against the PO and is sent for approval before Finance reviews and cuts
the check. The system reinforces our controls by requiring approved POs for all purchases.
This system was implemented under the oversight of the Lead Person by the Uncommon
Schools Finance team in June of 2014.
4. The Board, in its governance role, has supported the resolution of issues cited in the audit.
Each year, all findings are addressed with Board members by the Lead Person, Michael
Ambriz, and the Uncommon Schools Director of Finance. The Lead Person provides the
summary of corrective actions to the Board who asks questions, vets the corrective action
plan and requires a follow up on the status of finding resolution later in the year. The Board
is fully committed to North Star Academy’s compliance with all requirements and expects
that North Star Academy leadership with take all steps necessary to resolve any outstanding
issue in a timely manner.
Part 1.3 – Budget Information
2016-17 BUDGET NARRATIVE Revenues
General Fund
Budgeted Fund Balance: Based on most recent NSA 2015-16 revised budget.
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Equalization Aid - Local Share: Based on 4,683 student estimation and flat Charter School Aid in
2016-17 as compared to 2015-16. The 2015-16 aid is based on correspondence from the NJ
DOE Office of School Funding: $9,356 in Equalization Aid per pupil. The breakdown between
Local and State Share is based on projected 2015-16 percentages in State Aid Notice, 14.2%
local and 85.8% state.
Equalization Aid - State Share: Same as above.
Categorical Special Education Aid: Based on conservative SPED student estimation (317 students)
and Speech-only (55 students) as a percentage of total Newark SPED enrollment.
Categorical Security Aid: Based on conservative FRPL student estimation and FY17 at-risk security
per pupil rate (same as FY16 actual figures).
Restricted - Special Revenue Fund
Revenue from Federal Sources:
Source: NCLB: Based on projected FRPL for 2016-17 as well as previous year adjustment.
Source: Federal Child Nutrition Program: Based on projected FRPL for 2016-17 and historical data
on food consumption rates by FRPL students.
Source: IDEA-B: Based on projected SPED enrollment and level of SPED services for 2016-17
student enrollment.
Source: Erate Reimbursement Based on a partial reimbursement of projected internet, telephone
and cell phone spending.
Revenues from Other Restricted Sources
Source: ACE Program: Projected private donations in support of support program for NSA
graduates. Budget based on previous year’s support of program from private foundations and
individuals.
Expenditures-Instruction
Salaries of Teachers: Includes all instructional staff salaries for NSA’s projected 14 campuses.
Budget based on teacher salaries for 405 teachers at an average salary of $63,945. Includes 15
Deans with an average salary of $85,000 and a speech therapist with an assumed salary of
$65,000. Note: a portion of salaries allocated to Federal Funds expenditures.
Purchased Professional/Technical Services: Expenses related to NSA’s comprehensive afterschool
enrichment program offered to all students, instructional coaches that work with NSA’s teachers
throughout the year, and assessment grading services.
Other Purchased Services: Includes the photocopier leases as well as contracted technology
support services.
General Supplies: Includes instructional materials, classroom supplies, novels for classroom
libraries, furniture and equipment below $2,500 per item. Note: a portion of general instructional
supplies allocated to Federal Funds expenditures.
Textbooks: Textbook expenses for new grade levels at existing campuses(1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 8th
grades), additional students in existing grade levels (9th through 12th grades) as well as
replacement textbooks at all campuses. Note: a portion of expenses are included in Federal CSP
Special Revenue expenditures.
Miscellaneous Expense: Includes fieldtrip fees, educational speakers and events, and student
interns. Budget based on per student estimation (fieldtrips) as well as projected speaker, events
and student intern budgets.
Expenditures- Administrative
Salaries of Administration: Salaries for 14 Principals (average: $116,910); and 15 Directors of
Operations (average: $98,732). Also includes 10 Network Staff (average: $76,366), 4 Full Time
network SPED staff (average: $79,359) and 8 Fellows (average: $85,000). Note: part of the
SPED Coordinator salary included in IDEA-B expenses.
29
Salaries of Secretarial/Clerical Assistants: Salaries for office managers (average: $55,000) and
Special Projects Coordinators at each of the 14 campuses (average: $65,000). Also includes 4
receptionists (average: $40,000) and copy techs for each campus. Budget based on historical
salary information.
Total Benefit Costs: Includes health, vision and dental insurance and workers comp ($6,100 per
FTE); taxes for non-certified staff; payroll processing fees (projected at $105 per FTE);
fingerprinting; and PERS appropriation fees. Note: a portion of benefits included in Federal
Project expenditures.
Legal: Based on a budgeted amount to hold in the event legal services are required and historical
data.
Other Admin Purchased Professional/Technical Services (Consultants): Auditor fee and
management fee for Uncommon Schools. Management fee is based on a percentage rate of
“countable public revenue” at each of the campuses.
Other Purchased Services: Included professional development and certification expenses for NSA
teachers and leaders. Budget based on per FTE estimation. Note: a portion of professional
development expenses allocated to Federal Funds expenditures.
Communications/Telephone: Expenses related to telecommunications (telephone and internet) at
the 14 NSA campuses. Budget based 15-16 projected expenditures.
Supplies and Materials: Office supplies for administrative staff. Based on historical spending
trends.
Miscellaneous Expense: Postage expenses and NJ Charter Association dues.
Judgments against charter school, interest, mortgage: N/A
Expenditures- Support Services
Salaries of Support Services: Salaries for custodians (average: $40,000); nurses (average:
$64,960); and Social Workers (average: $69,021).
Purchased Professional/Technical Staff (Consultants): Includes contracted special needs services
for NSA students. Note: portion of contracted special needs services included in Federal
expenditures budget.
Other Purchased Services: Includes cleaning maintenance contracts (waste, pest control) and
building repairs across 14 facilities.
Rental of Land and Buildings: Rent associated with 14 campus facilities – based on lease
agreements and estimates for new facilities.
Supplies and Materials: Includes building supplies.
Transportation - Other than to/from school: Includes travel expenses related to fieldtrips (mostly
middle and high school.) Budget based on per student estimation.
Reserve for Future Use: N/A
Energy Costs (Heat and Electricity): Utilities expenses for water and electric at all NSA buildings.
Based on the historical actuals for each building.
Capital Outlay
Miscellaneous Expense: Capital needs based on actual renovation work necessary at specific NSA
campuses.
Federal Projects:
Source: NCLB: Projected expenses based on detailed program budget approved by grant
administrator.
Source: FCNP: Projected expenses based on detailed program budget approved by grant
administrator.
Other: IDEA-B: Projected expenses based on detailed program budget approved by grant
administrator.
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Other: CSP: Based on projected start-up and scale-up spending.
Other: Erate Reimbursement: Projected expenses based on detailed program budget approved by
grant administrator.
Other Restricted Expenditures:
Source: ACE Program: Expenses related to the support of NSA graduates in college. Costs include
salary and benefits of program director as well as travel to and from colleges to see North Star
alums.
Budget Years after 2016-17
Future year budget projections are not outlined as all assumptions are the same but with costs
increasing due to 1) student growth and 2) cost of living increases. North Star Academy does not
anticipate any other changes to its model.
Section 4: Five-Year Planning
Part 1.1 – Maximum Enrollment
As an outcome of North Star’s 2010 Charter Renewal, North Star’s currently approved maximum
enrollment includes seats for a sixth elementary and middle school campus that were originally
projected to open in 2014, however those schools are not currently opened. The 2010 Charter
Renewal also projected the opening of a new high school in 2016 to accommodate the growing size
of graduating middle school classes. North Star has revised its timeline and plans to open all three
new campuses for the 2016-17 school year.
Grade 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21
Pre-K 0 0 0 0 0 0
K 450 540 540 540 540 540
1 450 450 540 540 540 540
2 422 450 450 540 540 540
3 422 422 450 450 540 540
4 332 422 422 450 450 540
5 450 540 540 540 540 540
6 360 450 540 540 540 540
7 360 360 450 540 540 540
8 360 360 360 450 540 540
9 190 303 309 317 396 476
10 140 166 259 271 278 346
11 86 135 161 251 264 272
12 84 85 134 159 249 262
Total 4106 4683 5155 5588 5957 6216
Part 1.2 – Five-Year Planning
Changes and Improvements
North Star has four improvement goals that the school will focus on in the next five years:
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Goal: Actions:
1 Revise and strengthen the
continuum of assessments,
curriculum, and lesson plans to
meet the bar of NJ CCSS,
Common Core, and college-
ready placement exams (e.g.,
SAT, AP).
Invite college professors and leading national educators
to observe North Star’s practices and recommend areas
to continue to develop and improve
Backwards plan from the AP/SAT to improve the K-12
alignment preparing students for the highest success in
college
Revise K-12 assessments and curriculum to meet these
higher needs
Codify master lesson plans to use with teachers across
all subjects and grades
2 Develop the content knowledge
& expertise of North Star
teachers in Math, Literacy,
History, Science, Foreign
Languages and the Arts
Lead year-long working groups in core content strands
Film best teachers and codify their practices
Lead professional development sessions for teachers to
disseminate these best practices
3 Strengthen the onboarding and
development of novice
teachers
Film and codify best practices around new teacher
development
Train instructional leaders in developing novice teachers
Sharpen and lead summer professional development for
new staff, including heavy amounts of practice and
teaching rehearsals
Create targeted novice teacher PD to be delivered at
critical timeframes during the year to support their
mastery of skills
4 Create a strong cohort of
master teachers and
instructional leaders to drive
instructional excellence at the
schools
Build observation schedule for instructional leaders to
give feedback to teachers on a weekly basis
Provide targeted training for continuous development of
these instructional leaders and master teachers
Create a career pathway for master teachers, including
participation in content working groups and other
incentives
Pilot a teacher sabbatical to do research and contribute
to North Star’s growth
5 Year Facilities Plan
North Star currently operates eleven campuses in Newark and with the addition of three new
campuses beginning in 2016-17, North Star will operate six elementary, six middle, and two high
school campuses.
Since August 2010, North Star has leased distinct educational facilities from Newark Public Schools
across the City of Newark which provides academic space for students in grades K-8. In addition to
the four buildings North Star currently leases from Newark Public Schools, North Star and
Uncommon Schools have also acquired and financed several buildings throughout the city of Newark
to meet the growing demands of North Star enrollment. A summary of each of these facilities, the
timeline on which they were acquired, their current utilization and total capacity are listed below.
a. 10 Washington Place – This facility is home to North Star’s first middle school, the Downtown
Middle School, and is located in a three story building that was formerly a financial institution.
North Star Academy has leased this building since its opening in 1997. North Star originally
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leased this building from Children’s Educational Enterprise, but in 2009 the school entered into
a new lease with Uncommon Schools. Uncommon Schools purchased the building in 2008 with
New Markets Tax Credit financing and entered into a long term lease with North Star at that time.
At the time of purchase, Uncommon Schools was also able to upgrade portions of the building to
support North Star’s growing student body. The building is 25,000SF and currently has capacity
for over 300 students; the DTMS has a current enrollment of 339. This space is leased at
approximately $10/SF.
b. 2 Washington Place – This facility is adjacent to 10 Washington Place and is currently shared by
the Downtown Middle School and the high school. The building was formerly an art exhibition
center and dance hall but was converted to an educational facility in 2005 when Uncommon
Schools purchased the building. This building is small (18,000 SF) and has the capacity to serve
over 125 students split between the middle and high school. This space is leased at
approximately $8/SF. The high school building lease was significantly reduced by acquiring New
Market Tax Credits in 2006 as a part of the facility financing—a savings of $250,000 per year.
c. 600 Clinton Avenue – This facility houses North Star’s second middle school, Clinton Hill Middle
School (CHMS) and is a former Catholic school building that was acquired in 2008 by Uncommon
Schools. Uncommon secured New Markets Tax Credit financing in order to secure the building
and then entered into a long-term lease for the property with the Archdiocese of Newark. North
Star Academy subleases the building from Uncommon. The building has capacity for over 355
students and is 40,000SF. The Clinton Hill Middle School is fully enrolled and there are 378
students in the building currently. This space is leased at approximately $7/SF. The Clinton Hill
building lease was significantly reduced by Uncommon’s acquiring of the New Markets Tax
Credits in 2008. The tax credits resulted in a savings of over $300,000 per year.
d. 24 Hazelwood Avenue – This facility currently houses North Star Vailsburg Elementary School
(VES) and Vailsburg Middle School (VMS). The building is a former Catholic school building that is
leased from the Archdiocese of Newark. Uncommon Schools currently leases the building and
subleases to North Star Academy. Uncommon has secured the option to lease the building from
the Archdiocese for up to 98 years, ensuring that this building could provide a long term
permanent home for North Star Academy’s Vailsburg schools. The building has capacity for 800
students and is 89,000 SF. The building has a current enrollment of 792.
e. 13-25 Central Avenue – This facility currently houses North Star’s first high school. The land
acquisition for the campus was secured by Uncommon Schools, who was also responsible for the
construction of the facility. Financing sources included a $16.4M allocation of Qualified School
Construction Bonds (QCSBs) from the City of Newark/State of New Jersey plus an allocation of
New Markets Tax Credits. The school has capacity for 630 students and is 60,000 SF. The
building has a current enrollment of 513.
f. 108 S. 9th Street – This facility currently houses Fairmount Elementary School and Liberty
Elementary School. The building is currently leased by North Star Academy from Newark Public
Schools. The lease expires June 2046. North Star moved into this building in 2012. The
building has the capacity to serve over 950 students and is 119,000 SF. The building has a
current enrollment of 829 students.
g. 557 15th Avenue – This facility currently houses West Side Park Elementary School and West
Side Park Middle School. The building is currently leased by North Star Academy from Newark
Public Schools. The lease expires June 2046. North Star moved into this building in 2010. The
building has capacity for 850 students and is 86,000 SF. The building has a current enrollment
of 817.
h. 43 Alexander Street – This facility currently houses Alexander Street Elementary School. The
building is currently leased by North Star Academy from Newark Public Schools. The building is
currently leased by North Star Academy from Newark Public Schools. The lease expires June
2046. The school has capacity for 700 students and is 75,000 SF. The building has a current
enrollment of 358.
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i. 72 Central Avenue – This facility currently houses Central Avenue Middle School, North Star’s
newest school. Uncommon holds a 75-year lease for the building with St. Patrick’s Pro Cathedral,
which was executed in May 2015. The building is currently being subleased from Uncommon
Schools by North Star Academy. The school has capacity for over 360 students and is 40,000
SF. The building currently only enrolls a 5th grade with total enrollment at 88 students.
j. 15 Boylan Avenue – This facility is an annex that is located next to Alexander Street Elementary
School. It is leased by North Star Academy from Newark Public Schools, but will not be occupied
until June of 2016. The building is 23,000 SF and has a capacity for 200; although, no students
or staff currently occupy it.
Note: Enrollment data quoted for facilities is from 9/17/15
STRONG FACILITY USE AND IMPROVEMENT: During the last five years, North Star, supported by its
charter management organization, Uncommon Schools has utilized several sources of private grants,
philanthropic donations and federal bond products to fund the acquisition, renovation and
construction of several new facilities for North Star’s students. These facilities included the
acquisition and renovation of North Star’s Vailsburg Campus including the construction of a gym
addition, which serves Vailsburg Elementary School and Vailsburg Middle School, the renovation of
the Downtown Broad Street building which serves the Downtown Middle School and North Star High
School. North Star and Uncommon Schools also worked to secure four Newark Public School
buildings via 32-year leases. These buildings are used by North Star’s Liberty Elementary School,
Fairmount Elementary School, Alexander Elementary School, West Side Park Middle School and West
Side Park Elementary School campuses. These facilities continue to be renovated in stages to meet
the needs of school operations. North Star and Uncommon Schools are planning to acquire and
develop two privately owned sites. These sites will be used to serve North Star’s next high school,
middle school and elementary school, which are slated to open in August of 2016.
MULTI-CAMPUS TECHNOLOGY PLAN: North Star has upgraded the capacity of their wireless network
to accommodate up to 200 students simultaneously taking high stakes computer based
assessments. Each building is equipped with a high speed fiber internet connection in addition to a
secondary internet connection for failover purposes. The school’s server is securely backed up, and
ensures that volumes of critical data across school functions are completely safe. The school has
utilized the most effective and efficient software solutions. All North Star campuses are operating on
a single electronic structure, one that the school could easily extend and replicate.
Other Significant Changes During Charter Term
None at this time.
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Appendix A
Description of Instructional Practices Template
Please provide a short description of how the school defines high quality instruction and a
description of what instructional practices, behavioral expectations, and types of accommodations a
site visit team should expect to see. Please note that this description will be one of the primary
mechanisms by which the site visit team will evaluate instruction at the school.
Instructional Practices
Guiding questions:
What should the team see in classrooms that will let them know what the students
are expected to learn?
What should the team see in classrooms that will let them know that students are
learning?
What will teachers be doing that will demonstrate that they are implementing the
school’s instructional model?
How does the school define high-quality teaching and what should high-quality
teaching look like in the classroom?
School’s Description:
North Star’s vision for instructional practice is captured in the attached rubrics: Teacher
evaluation rubric, Student Culture rubric, and Rigor rubric (see attachments). These clearly
delineate what how instruction should be implemented at North Star and what the team can
expect to see when visiting classrooms.
The evidence of student learning can be found in North Star’s interim assessments and in
the observation of teachers monitoring student learning during the classroom (see
“Aggressive Monitoring” section of the Rigor rubric.
In addition, teacher lesson plans are continuously posted in classrooms so that it is easy for
an instructional leader or a visitor like yourself to see the degree of rigor happening in the
classroom.
Behavioral Expectations
Guiding questions:
What is expected of students in terms of behavior?
What interventions should the team expect to see if behavioral expectations are not
met?
What might observers see teachers doing to encourage students to meet the
behavioral expectations?
School’s Description:
See above. The student culture rubric captures what the team should see when visiting.
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Accommodations
Guiding questions:
What might the team see in classrooms to show that the school is supporting
students with diverse learning needs?
How might the team know that teachers are implementing IEP accommodations?
How are teachers expected to deliver ESL instruction in the relevant classrooms?
School’s Description:
Students with special needs are supported in a variety of ways within our classrooms. Our
teachers are thoughtful about where all students sit, either in the front and close to the
teacher, on the perimeter where students are more accessible for frequent check-ins, or next
to strong peers who can offer support. Auditory presentation of material is often
accompanied by visuals and models, students are called upon to repeat key phrases, and
there are frequent checks for understanding as well as a breakdown of questions when there
is a lack of understanding.
Most of our students with special needs receive push-in services in English and Math. During
this time, a second certified teacher is present for a portion of the lesson to deliver
scaffolded instruction and/or additional guided practice in a small group or guidance within
the larger group. Curricular modifications are also made and can be seen on handouts using
a star modification system. You may see one or two stars next to specific questions on
classroom handouts and homework assignments. This cues students with curricular
modifications to answer questions related to the highest leverage objectives for that lesson
for which they are responsible.
Students with behavioral accommodations are provided additional non-verbal and verbal
reminders prior to the implementation of the school wide behavior system. Some students
have customized behavior plans to address individual behavioral needs as well and may be
encouraged to take frequent breaks as needed.
Students with sensory needs may be seen with tactile supports such as stress balls, velcro
strips, bumpy cushions, and stability balls, allowing them the movement and sensory output
they need to remain focused and on task.
In our Skills Rooms, we provide small group supplementary instruction to support students
with their individual areas of growth. Students in this setting receive instruction even more
specific to their IEP goals and objectives.
Our Resource Replacement classrooms provide instruction for students who require more
significant curricular modifications. While these environments are aligned to North Star’s
high expectations, the work is even more tailored to meet the needs of the students.
Students who receive ESL instruction are pulled out of a non-academic class and work in a
small group with an ESL certified teacher. When appropriate, ESL teachers also provide
support within the general education classroom as students begin to transition back into a
fully English speaking program.