Public Prep 2012-2013 Annual Report by Public Prep

CHARTING A COURSE TOWARD 2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

College Completion For All Scholars

THE PUBLIC PREP NETWORK

Founded in 2009, Public Prep is a nonprofit organization that develops single-sex elementary and middle

SPRING (2012)

AUGUST (2012) 940 home visits were conducted by teachers for every enrolled scholar at Public Prep. This annual effort included 370 more visits than the previous year due to the to the new fifth grade class at Girls Prep Bronx and kindergarten class at Girls Prep Lower East Side.

Every Public Prep seat was filled for the 2012-13 school year, with 4.7 applicants per kindergarten seat at Girls Prep LES and 8 at Girls Prep Bronx, an increase from 3.5 and 6.5 applicants per seat respectively.

SEPTEMBER (2012)

APRIL (2013)

Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle School scholars and staff showed profound resilience when they were placed in a temporary school for four months after being evacuated from their regular school building due to a structural issue.

public schools that pursue excellence through continuous learning and data-driven instruction. Public Prep is in its fifth year of operation, and this is the second year we have published an annual report. Our model is designed to empower each scholar to build strong character, demonstrate critical thinking, possess a core body of knowledge, and be on a predictive path to earn a degree from a four-year university. As an organization dedicated to continuous improvement, we regularly refine our model. Each year brings new improvements, which we are excited to share in this report. For well over 2,000 years, navigators have used the North Star to chart their course. Likewise, every scholar in the Public Prep Network is supported in navigating her life’s journey by establishing college completion as the North Star. We are proud of the accomplishments of the 2012-2013 school year, especially the graduation of our inaugural class of eighth grade students, as this accomplishment is a significant milestone on the path towards college completion. Public Prep served approximately 940 scholars throughout New York City in kindergarten through eighth grade in the 2012-2013 year. Comprised of 152 talented and dedicated staff members amongst the three schools—the flagship Girls Prep Lower East Side Elementary, Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle, and Girls Prep Bronx Elementary—Public Prep is offering young women (and young men starting with Boys Prep Bronx Elementary in 2014) from throughout New York City an exceptional single-gender, public education focused on college completion and the character traits to support that goal.

The Girls Prep Bronx Choir performed at a Celebration of Music in partnership with the instrumental chamber ensemble at the Chapin School, a private all-girls school in New York City.

MAY (2013)

JUNE (2013)

529 Day—On May 29th, parents from throughout the network were encouraged to sign their daughter up for a NY529 College Savings Account*. Annual Family contributions were matched by Public Prep.

100% of the inaugural eighth grade class at Girls Prep LES Middle School graduated yielding excellent high school placements. 94% were accepted into their firstchoice high school, including Phillips Exeter Academy, LaGuardia School of Music and Performing Arts, NEST+M, and Manhattan/Hunter Science High School.

* The New York State 529 College Savings Plan enables families to save in a high-yield, tax deductible account with flexible usage for postsecondary expenses.

2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

“Know what you want...Do the right thing...and Never, never, never give up.”

An excerpt from Kesi’s Valedictorian Speech from the 2013 Eighth Grade Graduation Ceremony:

When Girls Prep opened in 2005 as the first all-girls public charter school in New York City, it was founded with the simple idea that any parent—regardless of race, zip code, or income level—should have the right to choose a great public school that would put their daughter on a path to our North Star of college completion.

Our years together have been both momentous and fulfilling. Even off campus, our strength and unity was evident. From chanting loud and proud on the streets of New York to the Bronx Zoo, from Chelsea Piers to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, from Stephens College to Georgia Tech, and from Cornell University to Spelman. Everywhere we went, we were unstoppable. Looking back on those memories just makes it that much clearer that we, individually and as a unit, are truly amazing.

Eight years later, that initial promise is being fulfilled. In June 2013, the italicized trinkets of wisdom above were shared by Dianne Lynch, the President of Stephens College—the nation’s second oldest women’s college—who was the commencement speaker at the inaugural graduation ceremony of Girls Prep Lower East Side. Forty-seven graduating eighth graders—several of whom have been with Girls Prep since first and second grade—proudly wore their gowns and sashes, beaming with the honor that they will forever be known as the first graduating class of Girls Prep. More than half of our girls are now attending high schools that are ranked by US News & World Report as being among the best in the state. And four years from now, one of these graduating eighth graders will receive a guaranteed, four-year, full-ride scholarship to Stephens College, which has committed to award this scholarship annually to one deserving eighth grade Girls Prep graduate. Beyond the success of the inaugural graduating class, in 201213 both Girls Prep Bronx and Girls Prep Lower East Side schools earned the highest “A” rating on the NYC Department of Education Progress Report. Moreover, our schools continued to outpace all public schools across New York City in English Language Arts and Math. And more than 98% of all of our fourth graders passed the New York State Science Exam, a testament to our commitment to develop a new generation of female engineers and scientists. Yet despite this progress, we know more must be done to prepare our students to truly compete in a global marketplace. With the financial support we were able to secure in 2012-13, Public Prep strengthened its academic team to lead our efforts to increase the rigor of our core curriculum. We are also investing more resources in professional development for our faculty and continuing to improve our systems for assessing student performance to inform instructional practice. We could not be more proud and appreciative of the relentless effort by our scholars, our families, and our staff who all worked together to make this progress. Perhaps no one could show this appreciation more than our first valedictorian speaker, Kesi, whose excerpted speech is to the right. Thank you for joining us on this journey, and for taking the time to read this annual report and learn more about Public Prep.

When the times are tough, as I know they’ll be, and I can’t just look to the left or to the right and see you, I’ll take some time to remember: Taylor’s sly sarcasm, Arianna’s proudly worn spunk, and Mariah’s class. You girls have become a part of me, and not a part that eventually falls off and gets left behind like a strand of hair or a flake of skin. You have taken permanent residence in my brain and in my heart. I truly do love you girls, and nothing can break our bond, I just know it. To everyone else, we are truly thankful. For teachers, who didn’t give up on us (even when the option was there). For friends, who had our backs, even when they were against the wall. For parents, who advocated for us and loved us unconditionally, even when we were walking on thin ice. Staff members, parents, there’s only so much you can protect us from. Ultimately, it’s up to us. We must take control of our actions from here on out, because every environment will not be as supportive as this one. Keep Girls Prep in your hearts and in your thoughts as you go to your various destinations, as I know I will do up at Phillips Exeter Academy.

IAN ROWE CEO PUBLIC PREP NETWORK

KESI ALUMNA PUBLIC PREP NETWORK

With gratitude,

Ian Rowe CEO, Public Prep Network 2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

In 2012-13, all of the schools within the Public Prep Network – Girls Prep Lower East Side Elementary and Middle Schools, and Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School – earned the highest “A” rating on the NYC Department of Education Progress Report. Indeed, • Girls Prep Lower East Side (Elementary and Middle) performed better than 86.8% of all NYC K-8 schools. • Girls Prep Bronx Elementary performed better than 95.6% of all NYC elementary schools. This success made Public Prep one of the highest-achieving public charter school networks in all of New York City and State, both in terms of absolute academic performance and year-to-year growth. Girls Prep schools showed significant gains in key areas, including overall grade, school ranking, ELA and Math growth percentiles, and Effect Size. Below is a summary of 2012-13 results:

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

E SID OOL T H S EA SC ER DLE NX L W RO HOO O MID L B EP & EP SC PR ARY PR ARY S S RL NT RL NT GI E M E GI E M E L E EL

PER NYC DOE PROGRESS REPORT AND CSI

OVERALL GRADE CITYWIDE RANKING STUDENT PROGRESS GRADE STUDENT PERFORMANCE GRADE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT GRADE CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP CREDIT EFFECT SIZE FOR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

Overall assessment of the school’s contribution to student learning generated by the NYC DOE.

87th Percentile

96th Percentile

(of all K-8 schools)

(of all elementary schools)

School’s Progress Report score compared to those of schools of the same type citywide (elementary, middle, or K-8).

Student improvement on NY State Exams in ELA and Math between 2012 and 2013, compared to other students who started the year at the same level.

Absolute performance of all grade 3-8 students on the 2013 NY State Exams in ELA and Math.

Attendance and conditions for learning as reflected by surveys of families, teachers, and students. Both Girls Prep Lower East Side and Girls Prep Bronx received additional credit for “closing the achievement gap” — achieving exceptional gains among students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and students who started the year among the lowest academically performing citywide.

✓

Exceeds Expectations

NEW YORK CITY PROGRESS REPORT 2010-2013 These charts reflect the citywide rankings and DOE Progress Report grades for each of Public Prep’s schools over the last four years. They illustrate Girls Prep Lower East Side and Girls Prep Bronx’s trajectories toward their current positions among New York City’s highest rated public schools.

Percentile Ranking Compared to All Public Schools Throughout New York City

(Generated by SUNY CSI)

| 2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

School’s performance compared to the performance of public schools across New York State serving a similar percent of all economically disadvantaged students (calculated by SUNY Charter School Institute).

GIRLS PREP LOWER EAST SIDE

GIRLS PREP BRONX 96 A

87 A 54 B

14 C 2010

WHAT IT MEASURES

27 C

23 C

2011

2012

2013

2012

2013

Empowering the Next Generation of Female Scientists Public Prep is invested in generating interest in the subjects of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Girls Prep scholars have done exceptionally well on the NYS Science Exam, as 98% of fourth graders at Girls Prep Bronx and Girls Prep LES Elementary Schools passed the exam in 2012-2013. To build upon these results, and to keep girls engaged in STEM, Public Prep is making several key curricular changes in 2013-2014 to ensure that students are prepared to enter a STEM-focused career. • Dedicated science teachers in grades K-8, who will plan science lessons related to topics covered in core subject areas. • A new scope and sequence, which includes FOSS science kits and adheres to Next Generation Science standards.

• A focus on hands-on inquiry and discovery that allows students to see science discoveries in action. • Increased collaboration across schools, allowing for shared lesson plans and best practices throughout the network.

SEEKS TO ENSURE SCHOL ARS ARE

on a path to college completion. Public Prep is determined to graduate eighth grade students who are ready to excel at high-performing high schools, and ultimately complete a postsecondary degree from an institution that best fits their aspirations and enables them to realize their dreams. To that end, we have aligned organizational priorities to the five points of our North Star of college completion.

Character Development

College Knowledge

Organizational Stability & Staff Satisfaction

Academic Achievement

Family and Scholar Satisfaction & Engagement

Character Development In How Children Succeed—Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, author Paul Tough challenges the conventional wisdom that success in academics and life is dependent solely on a student’s cognitive abilities or intelligence. Rather, he argues that a set of noncognitive skills or characterbased strengths — like grit, curiosity, perseverance, resiliency, self-control, gratitude, and optimism — are more crucial to success than any other factors. Moreover, these strengths are not just innate; they can be developed through deliberate means. Since our inception, Public Prep has believed in cultivating within our students what is now popularly called a “growth mindset.” These two ideas — the need to develop cognitive and characterbased strengths — are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, they are mutually reinforcing. Students who believe that they can improve their own life outcomes through hard work, a positive outlook, and relentless effort deal better with adversity and apply themselves more fervently to difficult academic tasks. This is why Academic Achievement and Character Development (along with College Knowledge) are all points on the Public Prep North Star of college completion. Each is necessary, but not sufficient. But together — through a deliberate curricular approach — Public Prep can empower our students to build the cognitive and character-based strengths necessary to overcome the inevitable hurdles encountered on the path to and through college.

Character in Action in 2012-2013 • Students at Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle School showed extraordinary resilience after being displaced for four months due to a structural issue with their school building. The entire Girls Prep community came together, demonstrating sisterhood and optimism under challenging circumstances. • Students at all three Public Prep schools participated in several service learning projects, including cheering for participants of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer; making Happy Dolls for children impacted by Hurricane Sandy; participating in the Jump Rope for Heart Event to support the American Heart Association; growing their own vegetables with the educational nonprofit Green Generations; conducting a Student Council Food Drive; participating in Earth Day to protect our environment, and holding a Community Service Day in their neighborhoods. • All three schools continued to hold bi-monthly Unity Meetings, which gives each class an opportunity throughout the year to lead the whole school, parents, and community members in the study and practice of a specific core value, as well as to celebrate and recognize students who are exemplars of one of the four core values. • Public Prep created a media library which contains more than 100 pieces of video and text content that faculty can incorporate into their lessons to teach and reinforce characterbased strengths. The database is searchable by the four core values of responsibility, sisterhood, merit, and scholarship, as well as by character traits such as resiliency, determination, gratitude, optimism, grit, and perseverance.

Public Prep Core Values

SCHOLARSHIP

MERIT

“I learn new things every day.”

“The harder I try, the more I achieve.”

SISTERHOOD/ COMMUNITY “I support my sisters and they support me.”

RESPONSIBILITY “I choose to do the right thing (even when no one is watching).” 2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

Academic Achievement GIRLS PREP LOWER EAST SIDE (“GIRLS PREP LES”) was opened in

• 2012-13 RESULTS AND STATS Opened in 2005 Served grades K-8 575 students Lower East Side, District 1

2012-2013 PROGRESS REPORT

2005, adding one grade annually, and became a fully grown K-8 school in the 2012-13 school year. Grades K-4 are housed at the elementary campus and grades 5-8 are housed at the middle school campus. The first all-girls charter school in New York City, Girls Prep LES’s elementary campus is located near the Baruch Housing Projects in Community District 1. Eight years since its doors opened, Girls Prep LES is changing the educational landscape in this community by enrolling a higher than average percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch and out-performing peer schools across the city. In fact, Girls Prep LES earned an A on the NYC DOE Progress Report for the 2012-13 school year, outperforming 87% of schools throughout New York City.

IMPROVED PERFORMANCE OVER TIME

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

Girls Prep LES continues to improve in a number of measures, including student progress and student performance, increasing their score on the NYC Department of Education Progress Report to an overall grade of an A.

SUNY Charter School Institute conducted a regression analysis to determine the “Effect Size” of Girls Prep LES. This study compares performance of economically disadvantaged students at our school to others with a similar socioeconomic status. Girls Prep LES far surpassed the benchmark of 0.3 in its accountability plan, achieving a 0.79, which SUNY CSI considers, “higher than expected to a medium degree.”

See page 3 for more information.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF A FOUNDING GIRLS PREP LES BOARD MEMBER On June 6, 2013, the Public Prep community lost one of its most beloved members and tireless advocates. Mary Mitchell, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Scholastic Education, died from complications arising from cancer. As a founding Girls Prep Lower East Side Board Trustee and a member of the Board Assessment Committee, Mary challenged us to strive for nothing less than the very best for our students. We honor Mary Mitchell for her unwavering dedication to our organization, passion for excellence, and commitment to strengthening the educational opportunities we offer our students. Girls Prep Lower East Side, Girls Prep Bronx, and Public Prep would not exist without Mary’s love and relentless focus on student achievement. Her memory and tenacious spirit will continue to inspire us. We will use her memory to strengthen our work together, and we will miss her deeply. To commemorate her memory, and her passion for literacy for all, in 2013-2014 the Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle School Library will be remodeled and renamed the Mary Mitchell Student Learning Center.

| 2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

Girls Prep Lower East Side

40%

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL • 2012-13 RESULTS AND STATS

35%

RECEIVE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

81% YES 19% NO

15% YES 85% NO

43% AFRICANAMERICAN 42% LATINA <1% CAUCASIAN 14% OTHER/ UNDECLARED

28%

% of Passing Scholars (Scored 3/4)

ELIGIBLE FOR FREE/ REDUCED PRICE MEALS

34% 35% 31%

29%

RACE/ETHNICITY

42%

CSD 1

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

MATH

New York State Assessments GRADES 3-4

AT WORK AFTER SCHOOL Girls Prep LES Elementary School launched an after school program to boost reading skills for struggling readers. The program proved to be highly effective as fourth graders who participated had significantly more growth on the Common Core State Standard Lexile Range than those who didn’t participate (163.2 points compared to 105.7 points).

Girls Prep Lower East Side

35%

MIDDLE SCHOOL • 2012-13 RESULTS AND STATS

35% 35% 33%

ELIGIBLE FOR FREE/ REDUCED PRICE MEALS

RECEIVE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

48% AFRICANAMERICAN 44% LATINA <1% CAUCASIAN 7% OTHER / UNDECLARED

60% YES 40% NO

13% YES 87% NO

28%

26%

% of Passing Scholars (Scored 3/4)

RACE/ETHNICITY

31%

CSD 1

29%

CSD 1

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

MATH

New York State Assessments GRADES 5-8

AHEAD OF THE CLASS Fifteen high-performing eighth graders were chosen to take an Algebra I Regents course during their final year at Girls Prep LES Middle School. 100% of the students passed the Regents exam, and many are now taking honors math courses in high school.

2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

Academic Achievement

• 2012-13 RESULTS AND STATS Opened in 2009 Served grades K-4 369 students South Bronx, District 8

2012-2013 PROGRESS REPORT

GIRLS PREP BRONX (“GIRLS PREP BRONX”) opened in 2009 with grades K-1, and will be a fully grown K-8 school in 2016. Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School is located in Community School District 8, in the Longwood neighborhood in the Bronx, where the poverty level is significant at 42%. In the spring of 2013, Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School scholars took the New York State assessments in ELA and Math for the second time. Girls Prep Bronx scholars outperformed their host and neighboring district by a wide margin, demonstrating that Girls Prep Bronx offers a superior academic option for South Bronx families. In addition, Girls Prep Bronx scholars made significantly more than a year’s worth of growth on the New York State and Terra Nova assessments. Growth was especially strong for the students who performed at the lowest level on the 2011-12 Terra Nova assessment. Girls Prep Bronx will continue to expand next year with the opening of Girls Prep Bronx Middle School, beginning with grade 6 and growing to grade 8.

RAPID IMPROVEMENT OF PERFORMANCE

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

Girls Prep Bronx improved in a number of measures from 2011-2012 to 2012-2013. In fact, the school increased its NYC Department of Education Progress Report grade from an overall C to an A in one year.

SUNY Charter School Institute conducted a regression analysis to determine Girls Prep Bronx’s “Effect Size.” This study compares performance of economically disadvantaged students at our school to others with a similar socioeconomic status. Girls Prep Bronx far surpassed the benchmark of 0.3 in its accountability plan, achieving a 0.71, which SUNY CSI considers,“higher than expected to a medium degree.”

RACE/ETHNICITY

ELIGIBLE FOR FREE/ REDUCED PRICE MEALS

RECEIVE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

42% AFRICANAMERICAN 46% LATINA 0% CAUCASIAN 12% OTHER / UNDECLARED

78% YES 22% NO

15% YES 85% NO

| 2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

% of Passing Scholars (Scored 3/4)

31%

34% 35%

32%

28%

27%

23% 18%

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

New York State Assessments GRADE 3-4

MATH

Family & Scholar Satisfaction and Engagement More than forty years of research on parent involvement in schooling has proven an inarguable fact: parent satisfaction and engagement are critical to the success of students. With this in mind, Public Prep positioned family satisfaction and engagement as a point on our North Star of college completion. Our school model is built on codified norms requiring frequent family communication (including annual home visits for all scholars and access to staff outside of the school day), designated family support staff at each campus, and myriad opportunities for meaningful family participation. Parents are invited to attend bi-monthly Unity Meetings in addition to family events hosted by the school and Community Council. Last year Girls Prep LES Elementary School provided 133 events for families.

Each campus has its own Community Council. Members discuss pertinent matters at the school, host family events, and fundraise for the school. To ensure that the parents have a voice in school governance, the president of each Community Council joins their respective school board for a year-long commitment. Public Prep is proud of the level of family satisfaction and engagement at our schools. In fact, satisfaction scores from all three schools on the 2012-2013 parent survey exceeded averages from throughout the city on all survey points. Parent participation in the survey at Girls Prep LES was 85% and 82% at Girls Prep Bronx, compared to the city-wide parent participation average of 54%.

Satisfied Parents

Engaged Parents

satisfied or very satisfied with 100 % were the IEP development process at Girls

•

Parents had real-time access to their child’s interim assessment data through a new innovative data platform we’ve invested in called Upraised Learning (formerly SnappSchool).

•

Parents helped to secure the expansion of GP Bronx through their advocacy at PEP meetings and Public Hearings.

Prep Bronx.

98 %

agreed or strongly agreed that Girls Prep LES helps prepare their child for college, a career, and success in life after high school.

99 %

agreed or strongly agreed that Girls Prep Bronx encouraged their child not to give up on challenging work.

agreed or strongly agreed that Girls Prep LES had high expectations for their child.

ENGAGEMENT IN 2012-13

94% AVERAGE ATTENDANCE

94% SCHOLAR RETENTION

2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

“This is my daughter’s sixth year at Girls Prep and I have nothing but high accolades of praise for Girls Prep Lower East Side for doing a phenomenal job of providing a great learning environment for my daughter. My daughter has blossomed into such an articulate young lady, and I have to give credit to the wonderful staff at Girls Prep. We are off to a great start at the middle school this year, and I am looking forward to all the great accomplishments and strides my daughter will make throughout this year. My daughter truly enjoys waking up each morning and looks forward to attending Girls Prep each and every day.” NICOLE JULIUS (pictured above with her daugher Nichelle) PARENT AND COMMUNITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT GIRLS PREP LOWER EAST SIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL

In the New York City Department of Education annual school survey, an increasing number of Public Prep Middle School scholars expressed that they are satisfied with their education and feel safe and supported at school.

97% COMPARED TO 95% LAST YEAR. SCHOLARS KNOW THEY NEED TO WORK HARD TO GET GOOD GRADES AT PUBLIC PREP

| 2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

90 % SCHOLARS KNOW THERE IS A PERSON OR PROGRAM TO HELP THEM RESOLVE CONFLICTS

99 % COMPARED TO 94% LAST YEAR. SCHOLARS KNOW THEIR TEACHERS EXPECT THEM TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

College Knowledge Public Prep’s commitment to college graduation for every scholar goes beyond a caring, supportive school environment and rigorous academic preparation. Public Prep schools prepare scholars, starting in kindergarten, with the skills and knowledge they must develop as they chart their course towards college completion. The College Knowledge regimen includes explicit coursework to build the skills a college graduate needs, as well as experiences and opportunities that ensure scholars have a self-expectation of college completion that includes an understanding of what will be required of them in order to be accepted at and to thrive in high-caliber colleges.

Public Prep’s Commitment to College Graduation COLLEGE EXPERIENCES

FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR COLLEGE

COLLEGE KNOWLEDGE COURSEWORK

COMPETITIVE COLLEGE-PREP HIGH SCHOOL PREPARATION

Starting in kindergarten, every Girls Prep scholar visits a college campus annually, with visits throughout New York City and the greater northeast region.

Last year Public Prep contributed $25 for every elementary school scholar and $50 for every middle school scholar who opened a NY529 college savings account.

College Knowledge curriculum at all grade levels provides students with information and strategies necessary to plan for college by building time management, goalsetting, decision-making, and other skills critical to success.

Students participate in visits to elite private and public high schools for studentled tours, panel discussions, classroom observations, and informal interaction on campus with high school students.

Stephens College, the second-oldest women’s college in the country, announced that for the first time in its 179 year history, it will offer a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to a scholar from Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle School. In 2012-2013 seventeen out of forty-seven graduating eighth graders qualified for the scholarship. Eligible students must be active alumnae, earn the Presidential Volunteer Award, maintain a B average in high school, and commit to mentoring Girls Prep scholars.

Middle school students participate in weekly College Knowledge classes that provide more in-depth preparation for the path to college graduation, including practice with interviewing, resume-building workshops, essay writing, and other requisite skills.

Each scholar and her family receive close coaching and support as they navigate the high school application and admissions process, including guided research on high school options, school visits, and scholarship application support. The top tier Girls Prep LES Middle School scholars are nominated based on grades and test scores for TEAK and Prep for Prep, two coveted and challenging independent and boarding school prep programs. A maximum of 1-2 students may be selected for each program annually from partner schools. Girls Prep LES Middle School has had at least one scholar accepted into TEAK every year for the past 3 years.

An annual College and Career Week provides intensive focus on college experiences from families, staff, and volunteers. Partnerships with summer programs at universities provide Girls Prep scholars access to rigorous programming with other college-bound peers while living and learning on college campuses. Stephens College Leadership Academy and Cornell University Summer Academy were specifically designed to offer 20 selected Girls Prep scholars STEM, creative writing, and leadership programming each year.

In 2012-2013, ten Girls Prep LES Middle School students participated in the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute Debate Training Workshop, paving the way for them to take on leadership positions in high school, college, and beyond. School-wide celebration of achievements and character traits critical for college graduation are a regular part of the school calendar, and the College Knowledge curriculum clearly aligns these achievements to scholar goals.

2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

In June 2013, the inaugural eighth grade class graduated from Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle School. Remarkably, nearly 94% of eighth graders received an offer from one of their top five high school choices. Here is a list of all the schools our alumnae are now attending: Bedford Academy High School Brooklyn High School of the Arts Broome Street Academy Central Park East High School Cooke Center Academy East Side Community High School Esperanza Preparatory Academy Essex Street Academy Phillips Exeter Academy Harvest Collegiate High School Health, Education, and Research Occupations High School High School for Health Professions and Human Services High School of Environmental Studies High School of Fashion Industries

Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Performing Arts Landmark High School Lower Manhattan Arts Academy Manhattan/Hunter Science High School Marta Valle High School The Mary Louis Academy Millennium High School Millennium Brooklyn High School Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School Murray Hill Academy Edward R. Murrow High School New Explorations Into Science, Technology, and Math School

NYC iSchool NYC Museum School Science, Technology and Research Early College High School at Erasmus Secondary School for Law Syracuse University Project Advance Talent Unlimited High School The Urban Assembly Institute of Math and Science for Young Women The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School The Young Women's Leadership School of Brooklyn

Organizational Stability & Staff Satisfaction Research shows (and our experience confirms!)

Staff Support By The Numbers:

that teacher quality is the most crucial factor in creating successful schools. With this in mind, Public Prep has positioned staff growth and development as a critical element to organizational stability. Recruiting and selecting the best teachers, and then developing and supporting them to grow professionally, has enhanced Public Prep’s ability to realize its mission. To this end, we have created several network-wide consistencies over the past year:

Staff members promoted in the 2012-2013 year

• Individualized professional development plans for staff members to meet them where they are and help staff attain their development goals,

Average number of years a 2012-2013 Public Prep teacher had been teaching.

• Goal-setting by teacher, class, and cohort to drive coaching and professional development, • Internally-developed leadership pipeline that enables our most successful teachers to influence success in classes throughout their school, • Protocols for collaboration that support horizontal and vertical teaming across campuses, and; • Network-based curricular and instructional support to complement the expertise at each school site.

PPN Teacher Effectiveness

61%

“You are not some ordinary stranger.

39%

Effective Highly Effective

Ordinary strangers cannot teach. They are not patient. They do not have the ability to simplify extreme concepts to the best of their ability and still watch as some students lug those concepts around like rocks.” KESI IN A SPEECH SHE GAVE TO THE PUBLIC PREP STAFF AT A NETWORK-WIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY

New York State determines teacher effectiveness ratings by the mean student growth percentiles of all students in a teacher’s class. Student growth percentiles are calculated by comparing each student’s performance on the 2013 NYS tests to the performance of all other students who earned the same score on the 2012 NYS tests. As a result, effectiveness ratings were only calculated for teachers of English Language Arts and Mathematics in grades 4-8.

2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

Organizational Stability & Staff Satisfaction The following tables summarize the financials of each of the three existing Public Prep entities: Girls Prep Bronx, Girls Prep Lower East Side (Elementary and Middle School), and the Charter Management Organization, Public Prep Network. Each of the three entities had a clean audit in FY 2013 and the totals below reflect highlights from those audited financials.

Revenue Sources for LES and Bronx Schools Sites

Expenditure Detail for LES and Bronx School Sites

FY 2013 TOTAL NETWORK REVENUE Revenue Public Prep, Inc.

Girls Prep Bronx

6,134,748

Girls Prep LES

9,861,042

Total

20,179,440

1,315,961

PUBLIC PREP CMO SUMMARY Revenue Management fees Contributions (In-Kind and Cash)

2,834,292

Government Grants/Insurances 91% PUBLIC 9% PRIVATE

91% PROGRAMING 9% MANAGEMENT & GENERAL

< 1% FUNDRAISING

Total

MORE THAN

$664,354

SPENT ON PROGRAMMING DEDICATED TO EDUCATING THE WHOLE CHILD (YOGA, MUSIC, ART, AND MORE)

33,397 $

4,183,650

1,939,417

Expenses Programming Management and General

576,203

Fundraising

263,956

Total* OF BOARD MEMBERS PLEDGE THEIR SUPPORT TO THE NETWORK THROUGH AN ANNUAL DONATION OF CASH AND/OR IN-KIND SUPPORT

4,183,650

2,779,576

* Total revenue and expenses include actual dollar amount of in-kind pro bono legal services from Mayer Brown LLP that were recorded for audit purposes at the market value for services rendered.

MORE THAN

$759,664

SPENT ACROSS THE NETWORK ON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TEACHER SUPPORT

MORE THAN

$3.5 MILLION RAISED IN FY2013

INCLUDING MULTI-YEAR COMMITMENTS

Public Prep benefits from the efforts of the Public Prep Leadership Council, a group of young professionals with a deep interest in education, who contribute to Public Prep’s development initiatives by leveraging support on behalf of our scholars. In FY 2013, the Leadership Council organized a fundraiser to purchase technology for Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School through a cocktail party and silent auction. 15

| 2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

Looking Forward During the 2013-14 school year and beyond, Public Prep is advancing several network-wide changes in order to ensure we remain a strong and sustainable organization. We are building capacity across the network:

We are collaborating better:

• We have added dedicated science teachers at all elementary

• We have increased our data analysis by developing Data Inquiry

schools who are focused on developing a more comprehensive science program.

Teams that focus on analyzing student work samples from students and creating a balanced assessment strategy.

• We have introduced a Director of Curriculum and Assessment at

• We have added “like” meetings where key staff members of each

each school. The DCAs are collaborating with the network academic team to ensure that we are delivering high-quality instruction and tracking student performance and growth over time.

team or department meet monthly across the network to share best practices and problem-solve.

• We have expanded our network academic team to include a Director of Curriculum and a Director of Instructional Technology. The academic team is in the process of developing interdisciplinary units and overseeing assessments to ensure data-driven instruction.

We are enhancing our academic model: • We have doubled the time for social studies and science in our daily school schedule.

• We have piloted science units and mini-interdisciplinary units

We are extending our reach this fall: • We have hired Martha Zornow as the Founding Principal for Girls Prep Bronx Middle School. She will lead our girls in their next step towards college completion in grades 6-8.

• We have hired Peter Herzberg as the Founding Principal for Boys Prep Bronx Elementary School. He will lead our first-ever allboys public charter school in our network, beginning with 120 kindergarten and first grade students.

• We will be launching our first-ever early learning program for fouryear olds. We will serve forty boys and girls in the Bronx.

in kindergarten, first, second, third, and fourth grades. We have piloted a full set of interdisciplinary units in fifth grade. THE BRONX

We are aligning our instruction with the Common Core:

GIRLS PREP BRONX ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

• We are focusing on building knowledge, requiring textual evidence through text, talk, and task and incorporating complex texts and academic language into lessons.

AT TA N NH

providing targeted support and opportunities for growth and learning.

• We have revamped our professional development for staff by

BOYS PREP BRONX ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

GIRLS PREP BRONX MIDDLE SCHOOL

BROOKLYN GIRLS PREP LOWER EAST SIDE ELEMENTARY • MIDDLE PUBLIC PREPARATORY NETWORK

FUTURE SITES OF BOYS PREP BRONX ELEMENTARY & GIRLS PREP BRONX MIDDLE SCHOOLS QUEENS

2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

Public Prep celebrated its Third Annual Namesake Luncheon, honoring Whoopi Goldberg and Barclays in the spring of 2013. Barclays has been a supporter of Public Prep since its inception, and our organization has grown stronger with their increasing patronage. STUDENTS, JOAN GANZ COONEY, AND WHOOPI GOLDBERG ARE PICTURED AT THE EVENT HERE.

Photo Credit: Patrick McMullen

Our Supporters We are thankful to our supporters and partners who give generously to our schools and our network. The fiscal model for each school is designed to be sustained on public funding alone once the school is at capacity. Generous support enables exceptional single-sex education for our scholars before we reach self-sustainability. NORTH STAR CIRCLE $100,000 and above Barclays Joan Ganz Cooney The Carson Family Charitable Trust The Lawrence Family The Leslie and Daniel Ziff Foundation Tiger Foundation

NAMESAKE CIRCLE $50,000-$99,999 R. Boykin Curry IV & Celerie Kemble Ravenel and Elizabeth Curry Foundation

UNITY CIRCLE $10,000-$49,999 Bloomberg Philanthropies Cary Davis & John McGinn Cecilia Canning Charles Hayden Foundation Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP Dominique C. Schulte Lauren & Brian Frank Lower Manhattan Development Corporation Mark Diker & Deborah Colson Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Matching Gift Program Senator Foundation Sidney and Jane Harman Foundation The Reiss Family Foundation

PATRONS $1,000-$9,999 A. Gary & Margaret Shilling Adam Max Ann & Andrew Tisch Anthony Munk Bonnie Englebardt Family Charitable Trust Brett Heyman Cheyne Munk & Michael Beys Colgate-Palmolive Donald Felix Elizabeth McLeod Emma Bloomberg ESPN Films Herb Allen III Hilary C. Feshbach James Kempner Joshua and Sarah Slocum Charitable Fund Julian Baker K & J Charitable Gift Fund

Kamila Mirza Islam Kim Jennifer Cook Laura Weil Lauren Braun Costello and Sean Costello Lauren Lieberman & Steve Sanchez Lisa Blau Margery Mayer Mark Lantz Mary Mitchell Melanie Munk Michal Katz Michael Karangelen Mickey & Leila Straus Molly Jong-Fast Mona Brown Nitzia Logothetis Oakcliff Capital Paul & Robin Vermylen Sandra Landau Rippe Scholastic Inc. Select Equity Group Foundation Stanley S. & Susan C. Trotman Valerie & Charles Diker Fund The H Group Foundation The Wein Family Foundation Inc. William Morris Entertainment

SUPPORTERS $500- $999 Abby Levy Adriana Clancy Alex Mitchell Alexandra Shuman Alison Killilea Neuwirth Amy Korpus Beth Kojima Carol Saper Caroline Greenwald Claire Ross Colleen Haskell Cynthia Rogan Daniel Abramson Danielle Englebardt David & Jennifer Millstone Dominick & Sara Maggio Edith Bartley Elizabeth C. Everett Eric Grannis George S. Tsandikos Henry & Erica Babcock Elissa Kramer & Jay Newman Jennifer Joel Kara Nesburg & Patrick Dennis Kelny Denebeim Kristen Klabin Lauren & Darren Levy Melissa Crandall Conley & Meredith Rollins Nicholas Rudenstine Nicole Pullen Ross Patricia Lizarraga Paulina Mejia

Robert & Barbara J. Holland Sophie Wade Vanessa Cornell

FRIENDS $1- $499 Abby Weisman Abigail Johnson Adriana Solmson Alex Karnal Alexandra Pappas Alexandra Polites Alexis Sheehan Ali Samadi Alison Weiskopf Allison Dobson Alyssa Grzesh Amanda Freeman Amanda Waldron Amanda Willinger Ameya Bijoor Amir Rozwadowski Amy Rubenstein Andie Kully Dave & Ann Larson Ann David Anonymous Arthur H. & Vivien K. White Ashley Johansen Aurora Farewell Barbara Young Bonnie Brennan Breanna Barlow Bryan Bernstein Carmine Galimi Carol Esposito Carol Goldberg Carol Schindler Carolina de Neufville Clarita & Alexander Fodor Dan & Catherine Buell Christina Mamakos Christina Montero Christine L. D’Agostini Christopher Gaillard Christopher Kerr Christopher Sailer Cindy Butler Clara Pang Coralie Charriol & Dennis Paul Dalila Best Daniel J. McSwiggan Dave and Ann Krawet Dave and Rob @ Your Service David & Julia Popowitz David & Sarah Schimmel David Black David Rimoch Deborah Van Eck Denaka L. Perry Dinneen Cato Dr. & Mrs. Terrence Beven Duncan & Katie Young Earl Gordon Edwin & Valerye Forrest Ekwutozia Nwabuzor Elanore Hawke

Elizabeth McCooey Elizabeth McNamara Elizabeth Right Elizabeth Ross Elizabeth Scharpf Elizabeth Stamper Emily Milligan Emmanuel Sakellarios Manoli Erica Blob Erica Desai Erica Samuels Ernest & Amy Fleishman Esther Kim Franya Barnett Gary Suskauer Genevieve Sonsino Goldman Sachs Greg Yaecker Haley Satnick Heather Gray Heather McAuliffe Helin Siris Jacqueline Didier Jacqueline Hayot Ba James L. & Elizabeth R. McCabe Jami Holland Janet Francis Jeanne Ellen Walker Jeannemarie O’Brien Jeffrey Mazur Jennifer Blank Jennifer Johnson Jennifer Maloni Jerome & Linda Feiler Jerome Caulfield Jessica Cole Jessica Cosmus Jessica Fainman Jessica Levitas JKS Events Joanna Charak Joanna Romanow Joanne Davidson John Abrahams John H. Scaife John Robbins Jonathan Right Joseph Daprocida Joshua & Dawn Alper Justine Trubey Joe & Karri Rosenthal Katherine Buckel Katherine Hoffman Katie Fernandez Kelly Moore Kevin Cappelli Kim Saperstein Kimberly Kravis Schulhof Kiran Melwani Kristin DeVivo Lauren Breslow Leanna Landsmann Lena Bradley Leonardo & Jeanette Trivingo Leonora Shalet Leslie Hermanson Lewis Bernstein Lex & Helen Haris Liane Ginsberg

Scott & Lilo Ukrop Linda Axley Linda Rice Linda Shuster Linda St. George Lindsay Caine Liz Everett Liz Michelis Lizzy Markus Magii, Inc. Margaret Maloney Marilyn Adams Mario Caicedo Mary Curtis Mary Hood Mary Lou Cavanaugh Melinda Arons Melissa Arnold Melissa Beste Melissa Hutson Meredith Berkowitz Meredith Lerner Mia Anderson Michael Caperonis Michael Grohman Michael Hanin Michelle Shkedi Mike Clancy Miles Kronby Missy Owens Mrs. Alfred Thompson Nancy Blake Nicole Porcelli Olga Votis Patricia Soussloff Patti Stadlin Paul & Linda Mitchell Rebecca Lieberman Richard & Dorothy Siracusa Robert & Linda Polenzani Robin Wood Sailer Sally C. Harrison Sally Rosenthal Sara Sinek-Toborowsky William & Sarah Rhodes Sarah Bennison Machiels Sarah Trabucchi Shawn Tesser Snehal Thakkar Steven Spektor Susan Livingston Tammy L. Grigsby Tatyana Miron Tiffany & Joshua Liston Tim & Kimberley Hutfilz

Tommy & Diane Duniven Valerie Owens Virginia S. Humphrey Virginia Sterling Vivia Costalas William & Kathleen Clarke William & Colleen Sehulster Zibby Right

IN-KIND DONATIONS Andrew O’Connor Emily Overlock Curry Equinox James Mallios Joe De Simone Joe Young John Meadow/LDV Hospitality Josh Fly Kara Nesburg Dennis Lionel Mellul Elizabeth McNamara Lynn Y.S. Lin Mayer Brown LLP Neda Talebian Funk Nel Grzesh Owen Iverson Raquel Martin Sarah Merians Scholastic Education Veronica Valerio Willard J. & Katherine S. Overlock

PARTNERS Cornell University Go Project Make It Better Mayer Brown LLP National Dance Institute New York City Charter School Center Upromise Riverdale Country School Scholastic Inc. Sesame Workshop Special Education Collaborative Stephens College The Brearley School The Chapin School The Educational Alliance The Spence School

Special thanks to Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School classroom namesake, Joan Ganz Cooney (pictured on the opposite page), who has been a dedicated supporter of Public Prep since 2009. She has been instrumental in developing the partnership with Sesame Workshop and Public Prep to create the early learning program we plan to launch in the fall of 2014. 2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

Exceptional expectations lead to exceptional achievement.

291 Broadway, Suite 1202 New York, NY 10007 Phone: (212) 346-6000 www.publicprep.org

681 Kelly Street, Room 205 Bronx, New York 10455 Phone: (718) 292-2113 www.girlsprepbronx.org

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Philip O.Brandes Yaritza Cortez R. Boykin Curry Girls Prep Bronx Board Chair Cary Davis Boys Prep Bronx Board Chair Mark Diker Lauren Frank Eric Grannis Nicole Greene Edwin Gordon Nicole Julius Michael Karangelen

442 E Houston Street, Room 312 New York, NY 10002 Phone: (212) 388-0241 www.girlspreples.org

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL Michal Katz Bryan R. Lawrence Public Prep Board Chair Margery Mayer H. Melvin Ming Nairobi Quinones Mary Claire Ryan Girls Prep LES Board Chair Nicole Pullen Ross Dominique Schulte Paul A. Vermylen Jr. Laura Weil Maria Zimmermann

Cheyne Munk Beys Imani Crawford Coralie Charriol Paul Jessica Cosmus Lauren Braun Costello Kara Nesburg Dennis Erica Desai Tessa Deutsch Allison Dobson Co-Chair Donald Felix Katie Fernandez Kristina Fink Rebekah Flohr-Reuter

Clarita Fodor Roei Gurvitz Jacqueline Hayot Abigail Johnson Alison Killilea Lauren Levy Lauren Lieberman Jennifer Lippman Tiffany Austin Liston Jenny Maderal Elizabeth McNamara Paulina Mejia Emily Milligan

420 E. 12th Street, Room 203 New York, NY 10009 Phone: (212) 358-8216 www.girlspreplesmiddle.org

Alex Mitchell Co-Chair Ekwutozia Nwabuzor Laura Elaine Patterson Claire Ross Claudia Slacik Alexandra Steele Lindsay Tomenson Samantha Wagar Lesle Williams Stacey Williams