North Star Academy Charter School

North Star Academy Charter School of Newark
Location
Newark, New Jersey United States
Coordinates	40°44′33″N 74°10′12″W / 40.7425°N 74.170°W / 40.7425; -74.170
Information
Type	Charter school
Established	1997[1][2]
Authority	Uncommon Schools, Inc. New Jersey Comm. of Education[1]
Faculty	77 (on FTE basis)[3]
Grades	K - 12
Enrollment	909[3]  (2009-10)
Student to teacher ratio	11.81[3]
Website	http://www.uncommonschools.org/nsa

North Star Academy Charter School of Newark is a charter school located in Newark, New Jersey that educates students in grades ranging from Kindergarten to 12th. The school was recognized by the Blue Ribbon Schools Program in 2010.

As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 909 students and 77 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.81.^[3]

North Star Academy has been mentioned many times in newspapers and magazines all throughout the tri-state area. Currently, there are five campuses: three middle schools (Clinton Hill, Vailsburg and Downtown Middle Schools), one Elementary School (Vailsburg) and a high school located in downtown Newark.

In 2000, New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman and then-Governor of Texas George W. Bush toured the school, hailing it as an example of reform.^[2]

North Star recently started a new Elementary school (Principal, Julie Jackson) and Music Program, (Connie Graham.) Graham just completed a recent production featuring North Star's kindergarten of "Magic Drums." based on "Jungle Drums" by Graeme Base.

Awards and recognition

For the 2010 school year, the school was honored as a Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education, the highest award granted to American schools.^[4][5]

In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 11th in New Jersey and 507th nationwide.^[6]

In 2008, North Star Academy was awarded a Bronze Medal in the U.S. News & World Report/SchoolMatters ranking of Best High Schools.^[7]

Influences

Due to North Star Academy's success in urban district areas other schools have adopted some of their ideas in managing challenging students and have even modeled themselves after it. One such school is Foundation Academy Charter School located in Trenton, New Jersey which was established in 2007.^[8]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "North Star Academy". greatschools.net. http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/nj/3339. Retrieved 2008-03-19. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Maria Newman (March 30, 2000). "Newark School Shows Off Educational Approach". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E01E0DC153CF933A05750C0A9669C8B63. Retrieved 2008-03-19. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} "North Star Academy Charter School". National Center for Education Statistics. http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolID=340002400289&ID=340002400289. Retrieved 2008-03-19. 
4. ^ 2010 Blue Ribbon Schools All Public and Private, United States Department of Education. Accessed June 26, 2011.
5. ^ North Star Academy Charter School of Newark, 2010 - Blue Ribbon Schools Program application, United States Department of Education. Accessed June 26, 2011.
6. ^ Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: North Star", The Washington Post. Accessed July 24, 2011.
7. ^ "North Star Academy CS Of Newark". U.S. News & World Report. http://www.usnews.com/listings/high-schools/new_jersey/north_star_academy_cs_of_newark. Retrieved 2008-03-19. 
8. ^ ColonTo serve Newark children by building an uncommon school where students partake of a rigorous, 11-month, extended day, academic program that gives them the means to beat the odds in school and life., Rose Y. (2007, April 20). "This school aims to break all the rules". The Times (Trenton): pp. A06 

External links

• North Star Academy Charter School website
• North Star Academy Charter School, National Center for Education Statistics
• North Star Academy Charter School's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education