2016 ANNUAL REPORT 2 Table of Contents

Our mission is to create and support schools that prepare all scholars for college success.

Why We are Here 3 The Mayor: Collegiate Is Important to 4 Snapshot of Collegiate: Fast Facts 7 Our Students: Who We Serve 8 Our Schools: Meeting Our Mission 11 Academic Growth for All Students 12 A Day in the Life of a Student 14 Our Vision: Students Are College Bound 16 Our Approach: Responsive Options for Diverse Learners 19 What Is Next: Key Initiatives for 2016–17 20 Finances: Revenues and Expenses for 2015–16 27 Board and Advisory Council 27 Opportunities to Give and Contact Information 28 Collegiate Academies 2016 Annual Report | 3 Why We Are Here

e strive for all of our students to love school and their world outside of school. They will lead happy, healthy lives pursuing their passions. They will change the world. See our Wstudents actively living, loving and changing the world:

Social Innovation

All seniors take a civics course called Seminar in Inno- vation and Change, which culminates in a group cap- stone project. Students choose a social issue they are passionate about, research the problem and propose a viable solution. This year, one group chose to focus on police and community relations, and in January 2016, the students we invited to address New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers during a graduation cere- mony for de-escalation training. The NOPD increased the number of hours its officers are required to spend in de-escalation training. The students commended this step and encouraged NOPD to make sure all officers are properly trained in de-escalation techniques.

Raising the Age

Christina (G.W. Carver), Jasmine (Abramson Sci Acad- emy) and Imani (G.W. Carver) wrote papers in their Civics class about raising the state age for criminal jurisdiction from 17 to 18. They then worked with other students to educate legislators during the 2016 legis- lative session on SB 324, which would raise the age. Their effective advocacy efforts led to the passage of this legislation into law. The bill was signed into law by the Governor in the summer of 2016.

tOAsty’s

Opportunities Academy (OA) is our postsecondary option for students with exceptional learning needs (please see page 22). Students in OA are gaining real-world business skills through an innovative on-site coffee enterprise, tOAsty’s. In May of 2016, Torion and Dong (center, right) graduated from OA. They return to the Abramson Sci Academy campus to mentor students. 4 Collegiate Is Important to New Orleans

New Orleans schools are improving faster than anywhere else in America and the continued success of our high school students is especially critical. Test scores are up and dropouts are down. More of our kids are graduating; more are going to college than ever before.

Collegiate Academies is a great example with 98% of their students accepted to college. This progress is a testament to our incredibly hard working teachers, students, parents, and school administrators. I am so proud of our young people who continue to rise to the top and show all of us what is possible.”

Mitch Landrieu, Mayor of New Orleans Collegiate Academies 20152016 Annual Report | 5 6

Carver is not just a school but a second home: a place where I feel supported and constantly pushed to be my best. These people are my family and they have helped me grow to become the best version of myself and scholar I am today.” Joy Trepagnier, Carver Collegiate Class of 2018 Collegiate Academies 2016 Annual Report | 7 Fast Facts

brand new buildings completed 1,5 0 0 3 for students in New Orleans students enrolled

98% 85% graduating seniors students who will be the who are accepted first generation in their into college family to attend college

organizations 90% 85% on campuses students taking teacher 33 sports, arts, performing AP tests retention rate arts, service clubs 8 Who We Serve Collegiate Academies Collegiate Academies works with every student that attends our schools to achieve his or her most rigorous postsecondary outcome.

COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES NEW ORLEANS* STATE

Economically Disadvantaged 92% 84% 68%

4% 1% 7% 6% 6% Racial Make-up 10% African American 44% Hispanic 87% 87% 46% Asian White Other

Students Receiving 20% 11% 11% Special Education Services

Students Over-Age by 2+ Years 14% 4% COLLEGIATE NEW ORLEANS Collegiate has 3 times as many over-age and ELL students as the rest English Language of the district. Learners (ELL) 11% 4% COLLEGIATE NEW ORLEANS

Collegiate Academies serves 1,5 0 0 total students.

* Schools governed by the Recovery School District (RSD) and Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) Collegiate Academies 20152016 Annual Report | 9

Abramson Sci Academy has an invigorating, inspirational team of teachers and a challenging range of academics that meet scholars at their specific level. I am a very grateful parent.” Michelle Thompson-Carroll Abramson Sci Academy Parent 10

The thing I like most about school is that my teacher believes in me more than I do for myself and that I have a chance to prepare myself for the real world.” Deja Chase, Abramson Sci Academy Class of 2017 Collegiate Academies 2016 Annual Report | 11 Meeting Our Mission Collegiate school leaders have over 40 years of collective experience in schools and work to ensure all students achieve the maximum level of academic and personal growth.

Abramson G.W. Carver Sci Academy High School

Grades 9–12: 565 students Grades 9–12: 775 students Letter Grade: B Letter Grade: D School Leader: Rhonda Dale School Leader: Jerel Bryant

Livingston 2017 Collegiate Collegiate Academy High School

Grade 9: 165 students Grade 9: 120 students School Leader: Evan Stoudt School Leader: Kelsey Lambrecht

Our schools have been featured on: 12 Academic Growth for All Students Analysis indicates that Collegiate Academies students are making more growth than their peers in other high schools (traditional and charter) — both within New Orleans and nationally

The Center for Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford Universi- ty, has performed a rigorous analysis of academic growth at every New Orleans charter school since 2010–11. Each student’s academ- On average, Collegiate ic improvement in Reading and Math is compared to that of “virtual students enter 9th grade twins:” actual students in traditional public schools in that at about a 6th grade share demographic characteristics with our students. reading level.

High quality instruction and strong school culture helped Collegiate students make considerably more academic progress each year than their demographically-similar peers in other Louisiana high schools. The measure that CREDO uses is “days of learning,” with higher fig- ures indicating stronger average academic growth across a school population. Collegiate’s schools have been the top Collegiate stands out for our exceptional academic three in CREDO Effect performance relative to urban charter high schools Size analysis of New nationwide. While charter high schools nationwide are generat- Orleans charters for ing modest additional days of learning (relative to nearby traditional three straight years public schools), Collegiate is dramatically outperforming both its charter peers and traditional public schools in Louisiana.

Analysis of Additional Days of Learning In 2015, Collegiate ranked 1st in growth 221 days over every other school in 21 days New Orleans

AGGREGATE IMPACT OF COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES CHARTER HIGH SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE Collegiate Academies 2016 Annual Report | 13 14 A Day in the Life of a Student Miswa, a Sophomore at Abramson Sci Academy, tells us about her school day below. Miswa has a 4.0 GPA and English is her second language.

Every day when we get to school, we have morning meeting with all the Sophomores and our teachers, who get us pumped up and share any announcements for the day. After that, my day begins:

8:45–9:40am BAND: I get to start my day with music, which is very joyful and really gets me going.

9:43–10:38am GEOMETRY: This is my favorite class, which is great because I get two periods each day.

10:41–11:36am ENGLISH II: We review the books we read at home and learn about how to live in the real world, not just fiction.

11:39–12:34pm MULTI-CULTURAL STUDIES: Mr. McGehee teaches us to think about all sides of an argument and how to write essays that are convincing and interesting to others.

12:37–1:07pm LUNCH: I’m able to have a free vegetarian meal.

1:10–2:05pm CHEMISTRY: We do experiments and learn about how to apply concepts in real life.

2:08–3:03pm GEOMETRY: We do video lessons and exercises on the comput- er then practice on paper.

3:06–4:01pm AP COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT: Ms. Foran teaches this like a college class – she really challenges us to think critically about different types of government structures.

4:04–4:28pm ADVISORY: I have been with everyone in my advisory since last year and it’s like a family; we share so much with each other. This year, we are learning about different career options and what it takes to get there. I want to be a doctor, so I’m learning about the steps I need to take to achieve that goal.

After School There are so many after school activities to choose from and we can get a ride home on the bus afterward. Collegiate Academies 2016 Annual Report | 15

I just love everything about ASA and I’m so glad to be a part of this family.” Miswakumari Lad, Class of 2019

Freshmen and Sophomores take With few exceptions, all Collegiate double periods of Math and English Academies students take AP classes each day, depending on their individual during their course of study. needs, to maximize grade level growth in core subjects.

Every student has the opportunity to Advisory is a space for students to learn participate in an after school activity as the skills and knowledge necessary for all schools provide busing immediately college success. Students are assigned after school and later in the day after a small advisory group in their freshman the students’ activities are finished. year and they remain with this group through their senior year. 16 Students Are College Bound We work to ensure that the barriers our students may face in going to college are removed so they can gain acceptance to the college of their choice, attend, and graduate ready to enter a fulfilling career.

COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES* NATIONAL**

College Acceptance Rate * Rates for our students accepted to a 2 or 4 year college. First class entered college in 2012. 49% 98% ** Rates for low income, minority students

College persistence College graduation rate rate for Collegiate for low-income, minority 50% Academies graduates 9% students nationwide Collegiate Academies 20152016 Annual Report | 17

Our students earned$3.5 million in scholarships in 2015–16.

Our students are currently attending:

Amherst College Clark University Brandeis University Wellesley College Bates College

Bard College Wesleyan Oberlin College University Grinell College Swarthmore Barnard College College Colorado College Missouri Valley College LaGuardia Community Morthland College College Fisk University Concord Career College Rhodes College Sewanee Davidson College Arkansas Baptist College Rust College Mississippi Valley State University Agnes Scott College Birmingham Southern Clark Atlanta University Collin College Talladega College Bethune-Cookman Morehouse College Southeastern Louisiana University University Oglethorpe University Blue Cliff Texas Southern University College Full Sail University University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Florida Memorial Cameron College Grambling State University University Delgado Community College Baton Rouge Community College Nicholls State University Eastern College Louisiana State University Loyola University Southern University Southern University at of New Orleans Xavier University 18

The focus on college success and the help from all of the teachers and staff at Carver have really helped me realize my potential. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.” Tyricha Clay, Class of 2016 Collegiate Academies 2016 Annual Report | 19 Responsive Options for Diverse Learners

Collegiate Academies is committed to serving all students and created programs to serve students who thrive in different settings.

Essential Essential Skills supports students with low incidence disabilities to Skills build literacy, numeracy and transition skills.

Reach Reach targets students with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. The goals of Reach are to achieve significant growth in reading and math by focusing on Common Core aligned literacy, numeracy, and transition skills.

Journey Journey Program serves students who have the most intensive so- Program cial-emotional needs and who have not yet responded to supports within the general education environment. The program leverages therapeutic settings to maximize each student’s ability to achieve academic success. 50% 30% 20% of all students access Collegiate’s compre- access mental participate in Special Edu- hensive support services, including Special health services like cation settings and services Education settings, Response to Intervention counseling, case through an Individualized (RTI), and mental health services. management, etc. Education Plan. 20 CA Next

KEY INITIATIVE

CA Next is Collegiate’s initiative to increase college completion by providing one-on- one support for each of our alumni and building strong relationships with colleges and universities.

Background: Why CA Next? We work to prepare all students for college success in an environment where:

9% 71% 51% Nationally, just 9% of all First-generation college students First-generation college low-income students will have 71% higher rates of students are 51% less likely graduate from college by attrition than second-generation to graduate in four years age 24. students between their first and than second-generation second years of college. students.

First-generation college students make up 85% of our graduates and 92% are economi- cally disadvantaged. If our students are to beat the odds, we must provide extra supports and services to ensure alumni are equipped with college-level knowledge, skills and tools they need to be successful in their postsecondary endeavors.

The Program: Supporting Students Through Every Next Step Collegiate explicitly teaches skills for college success (i.e., financial management, study skills, how to navigate enrolling in classes, etc.) to students while they are still in high school. Because our network exclusively operates high schools, we are sup- porting students on a 10-year journey from 9th grade through college graduation.

Data Drives Success CA Next has created a fully customized data platform that allows us to quickly pinpoint which students need help and when. The platform, called Next Steps, allows CA Next Advisors to efficiently manage and monitor their caseload of alumni in college, track communications with alumni and easily generate reports to identify trends that will help continuously improve programming. Collegiate Academies 2016 Annual Report | 21

Alumni Advising Every alumnus is assigned a CA Next Advisor who provides ongoing sup- port, guidance and assistance with all aspects of life following high school graduation. CA Next Advisors are on hand to assist by:

• Navigating Logistics: Advisors help with all aspects of starting college from registra- tion to financial aid to housing arrangements and beyond. They provide extensive guidance and training on accessing federal financial aid through the FAFSA, TOPS Scholarship reten- tion, and private funding opportunities. • Building Self-Advocacy Skills: Advisors coach students on issues regarding financial aid, social integration and academic needs. Helping alumni find their voices and build self-advocacy skills sets them up for success. • Leveraging On-Campus Resources: Advisors connect students to on-campus re- sources like professor office hours or other academic supports; career counseling and internship opportunities; student affairs; and medical and mental health services. 22 CARE

KEY INITIATIVE

Collegiate Academies’ Restorative Program (CARE) is a network-wide program that focus- es on non-traditional disciplinary strategies to increase attendance, reduce suspensions and build social-emotional skills for students. Since launching CARE in 2014, we have witnessed significant progress and benefits to students.

Decreased Suspension Rates Our out of school suspension rates went from 63% in the 2012–13 school year to 15% in the 2015–16 school year.

Out of School Suspension Rates 63% 15% 2012–13 2015–16

The Program: Supporting Students Through Every Next Step In New Orleans, the average high school daily attendance rate in the 2012–13 school year was 88%. CA’s increased from 87% in the 2012–2013 school year to 91.2% in 2015–16.

Network-wide Attendance Rates 87% 91.2% 2012–13 2015–16

Increased Academic Achievement Paired with Collegiate Academies’ rigorous academic curriculum, CARE is playing an important role in improving achievement outcomes for students:

Network-wide Grade Point Avg. 2.08 2.58 2012–13 2015–16 Collegiate Academies 2016 Annual Report | 23

CARE gives students the opportunity to understand the impact their actions have had on others. Giving students a safe space to be heard and the skills to express their feelings will ensure their success as they progress through life.” Cornelius Dukes Dean of Discipline, Abramson Sci Academy

The CARE program allows students to stay in class, to learn and to perform academically as evidenced by their ACT performance and college acceptance rates.

ACT Performance

Across our schools in 2014– 2015, 84% of seniors scored a 17 on the ACT or higher, scored 17 compared to 38% of all pub- 84% or higher lic high school seniors. Fur- 98% thermore, 53% scored a 20 or higher, the largest propor- CA’s graduating class of tion of seniors qualifying for 2016 was accepted into a full scholarship through the scored 20 a 2- or 4-year college. state college tuition program 53% or higher (TOPS) as compared to any other open enrollment school in New Orleans. 24 Opportunities Academy

KEY INITIATIVE

Opportunities Academy (OA) is a rigorous, postsecondary program that functions like an independent college for scholars on a pathway towards vocational and life skills.

Background: Why Opportunities Academy? As our schools grew and began gradu- ating students, we realized that many of our highest needs alumni were heading into the world without a rigorous, post- secondary option. OA was born out of a specific need to provide students who have moderate to significant disabilities with a meaningful and challenging pro- gram that would allow them to continue to learn and grow.

The Program: What is OA and Who Does It Serve? OA is a rigorous, post-secondary program for scholars with moderate to severe cogni- tive and physical disabilities who are on pathways towards vocational and independent living skills. OA supports each student in achieving his or her highest level of indepen- dence in pursuit of meaningful and fulfilling personal and professional outcomes, in the areas of independent living, community access, and career readiness.

How do students prepare for life beyond OA? Each OA site features an enterprise that reinforces employment and independent living skills, aligned to student goals. For example, “tOAsty’s” is a unique, student-run coffee shop that operates out of the Abramson Sci Academy OA classroom. tOAsty’s was cre- ated to provide authentic, real-world job experiences for students who identified a desire to work in customer service or in the food service industry. It provides students with a rigorous setting to practice crucial, transferable work skills that will prepare students with the necessary tools to find and maintain consistent employment. As a staff member of tOAsty’s, students are also working towards their individual goals in the areas of inde- pendent living, community access and career readiness. Collegiate Academies 2016 Annual Report | 25

The Impact: Where We Are Today 20 90% 80% 100% students are enrolled in are growing towards are growing in their participate in intern- our two OA programs attaining their post- transition-based skills ships and experiences at Abramson Sci Acad- high school goals according to our spe- aligned to their post- emy and G.W. Carver according to a 9-week cialized rubric secondary goals High School evaluation cycle 26

Since he’s been at Livingston, my son has changed. He’s come out of his shell. When he comes home, he raves about his day and is enthused to share what he’s learned. He walks taller and talks about his school and academics with pride.” Roxanne Route, Livingston Collegiate parent Collegiate Academies 2016 Annual Report | 27 Financials and Governance

Revenues Expenses

5% 17% 10% 15%

13%

70% 70%

State & Local Funds Organizational Support* Private Programs and Contributions Educational Programs Federal Program Grants Student Transportation Facilities and Maintenance**

* Most central support team expenses and security services ** Custodial, disposal, lawn care services, building repairs, utilities

Board of Directors Stephen Rosenthal, Board Chair Ashley Heilprin Jonathan Wilson, Vice Chair Jenny Butler Hunter Doug Finegan, Treasurer Terrence Lockett Gregory St. Etienne, Secretary Emily Klein Morris Dana J. Henry Tonya Williams

Advisory Council† Lisa Daggs John Deasy Walter Isaacson Mary Landrieu †Supporting Collegiate Academies in Paul Pastorek an advisory role regarding expansion Nina Rees of the network 28 Opportunities to Give

College Academies Restorative Initiative (CARE) is a restorative program designed to increase attendance and reduce suspensions. We focus on non-traditional discipline methods to increase the time that students spend in school and to decrease suspensions across the network.

Opportunities Academy (OA) is a rigorous, postsecondary program that functions like an independent college for students learning vocational and life skills. OA supports each scholar in achieving his/her highest level of independence in pursuit of meaningful and fulfilling personal and professional outcomes in the areas of independent living, community access, and career readiness.

CA Next is Collegiate Academies’ college persistence program, dedicated to ensuring that each student has one-on-one support to reach his/her highest potential in college or the work place.

Support To learn how you can support us, please contact Our Julia Mitchell, Director of Development, by email Mission at [email protected] or phone at (504) 377-3750.

Tax-deductible donations may be made to Collegiate Academies, PO Box 872110, New Orleans, LA 70187 or online at collegiateacademies.org.

Connect with us! @CollegiateAcad

collegiateacademies.org @CollegiateAcad

/CollegiateAcademies /CollegiateAcademies