SCHOLARSHIP • MERIT • COMMUNITY • RESPONSIBILITY
Grow a girl. Build a boy. www.publicprep.org
As the founding principal of Girls Prep Bronx, I am continually inspired by the powerful teaching and learning that takes place each day in our school. Our teachers partner with each other and with our amazing families to maximize the academic and social success of each of our girls. JOSIE CARBONE, Principal Masters from Baruch College Masters from Bank Street College Bachelors from Smith College
Message from CEO
“Dream big, Darling.” My two-year old daughter smiles each time I recite this phrase to her because she knows it is Daddy’s way of saying that there is no limit to what she can achieve. When Moms, Dads, and other loving family members choose to enroll their daughters in Girls Prep, it is because they also have big dreams for what their little girls can achieve. They know that through their daughters’ hard work and their commitment as caring parents, their girl will grow into a woman of bold intellect, admirable character, and sweet curiosity. Yet in order for our girls to fulfill this promise, these families and I know that she has to receive a great education from the beginning. She has to attend an elementary and middle school that views parents as partners and that continuously recruits and develops an incredible faculty that is fueled by the simple belief that exceptional expectations lead to exceptional achievement for each and every student. Fulfilling this promise is why Public Prep’s schools exist and why we are excited for you to learn more about us and to join our family. Since 2005, when Girls Prep Lower East Side Elementary School opened as the first all-girls charter school in New York City, we have changed lives for the better. As a school community - principals, teachers, families, and students - we have lived by our four core values: Scholarship, Sisterhood/Community, Merit, and Responsibility. Since then, we have grown into a network of schools that serves nearly 800 girls and have added Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle School and Girls Prep Bronx Elemen tary School. We are excited to open Girls Prep Bronx Middle School, and our first all-boys charter school, Boys Prep Elementary School, in the next few years. As we grow, we become even more determined that each Public Prep school ensures that all of our students have a selfexpectation of college completion, and are part of a peer culture and rigorous academic program that reinforces and supports their college aspirations. As our 2010-11 New York State exam results demonstrate, Girls Prep scholars out-performed district, city, state, and charter school wide averages. Yet given what we know is necessary for our students to succeed in college, comparable success is not enough. We know that we have to continue to do better, especially in strengthening student performance in English Language Arts and literacy, given the inextricable link between early reading skills and college completion years later. It is why we have defined our North Star of College Completion, and why we now set annual S.M.A.R.T. goals against which Public Prep will hold each school accountable and measure progress in academic achievement, character development and college knowledge. As we prepare for the 2012-13 academic year, we are humbled that in June 2013 our first class of 8th graders will proudly shift the tassel of their graduation caps from the left to the right side, and embark on their journeys to a competitive high school, and ultimately to and through the college of their dreams. We are inspired to help these students dream big. If you are inspired to do the same, please join us. With gratitude,
Ian V. Rowe www.publicprep.org | 1
Public Prep Mission and Model OUR MISSION The Public Prep Network is a nonprofit organization that develops single-sex elementary and middle public schools that pursue excellence through continuous learning and data-driven instruction. Our model is designed to empower each student 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.
WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR CLASSROOMS? • Students engage in dynamic whole class instruction, work in small groups, and receive 1-on-1 support from specialists and teachers. • Instructional staff assesses our students’ progress towards individualized goals and makes curriculum and pacing decisions based on their results. • Students’ unique talents are cultivated through high-caliber instruction in the core academic subjects and in visual arts, performing arts, fitness, and foreign language. • The needs of all learners are supported through Collaborative Team Teaching, Learning Specialists, and English Language Learners Coordinators, as needed. • Early childhood classrooms have two teachers – a lead teacher and a fellow (assistant teacher).
WHAT DO OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES LOOK LIKE? • Schools are small, tight-knit communities inclusive of all students, staff, and family members. • The core values of scholarship, merit, community, and responsibility are embodied inside and outside of our schools. • School communities come together at biweekly Unity Meetings to celebrate success. • Students learn from the achievements of influential classroom namesakes.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE A FAMILY MEMBER AT OUR SCHOOLS? • Families commit to our extended day and school year. • Families welcome teachers each summer during annual home visits. • Families have an active voice in their daughters’ education through daily interactions with teachers, the parent-led Community Council, family-school events, parent-teacher conferences, and monthly field trips. • Families receive a financial contribution to their daughter’s New York State 529 college savings account.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE ON OUR TEAM? • Network-wide professional development days provide opportunities for collaboration. • Instructional staff plan curriculum units and problem solve around individual students. • School-based staff attends weekly professional development and receives coaching and support from the leadership team. • Schools provide leadership opportunities, such as Grade Team Leader and Department Head. 2 | www.publicprep.org
After five years of teaching in district and charter schools, I found Public Prep and became a founding teacher at Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School. During my time there, I was committed to becoming a change agent in education and was afforded opportunities to exercise leader ship in my teaching role. After two years, I was motivated to impact the entire network and now support staff development for all of our schools.
KELLY CASSARO, MD, Leadership Development Bachelors from Ohio Wesleyan University Masters from Bank Street College
www.publicprep.org | 3
OUR SCHOOLS Girls Prep Lower East Side Elementary School (K-4) Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle School (5-8) Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School (K-4)
WHO WE SERVE • Students receiving free or reduced price lunch: 80% • Student retention rate: 97% • Student Ethnicities: - Black: 44% - Latina: 46% - Other: 10%
Our Results Public Prep measures the success of its schools on a variety of metrics around academic achievement, character development, family commitment, college knowledge and staff satisfaction. The below results show how Girls Prep Lower East Side performed in 2010-11 in grades 3-6 on the New York State ELA and Math exams. Girls Prep Bronx will have its first set of state results this year. The school is proud to report that 81% of our English Language Learners made gains on the NYSELAT English proficiency exam in 2010-2011, making the school the highest performing in the New York City Charter School ELL Consortium. To see more of our results, please visit our website. EL A PROFICIENC Y
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Girls Prep is a place where teachers are innovating instruction , and I joined to help launch the school’s first collaborative team teaching classroom. The school has since expanded the model and continually reflects on how to make inclusion meaningful. I’ve been provided with leadership opportunities here which supplement my graduate coursework, and I’m becoming a better-rounded educator.
MELISSA LOPEZ, 1st Grade CTT teacher Girls Prep Lower East Side Elementary School Bachelors Masters from New York University
SCHOLARSHIP • MERIT • COMMUNITY • RESPONSIBILITY
Public Preparatory Network 291 Broadway, Suite 1202 New York, NY 10007 www.publicprep.org Girls Prep Lower East Side Elementary School 442 East Houston Street, Room 312 New York, NY 10002 www.girlspreples.org Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle School 420 East 12th Street, Room 203 New York, NY 10009 www.girlspreples.org Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School 681 Kelly Street, Room 205 New York, NY 10455 www.girlsprepbronx.org