Robert Treat Academy Charter School Inc

CHARTER SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN OFFERING AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.

ROBERT TREAT ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL COMPLETED ITS TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF OPERATION IN JUNE 2023. ROBERT TREAT ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL HAS TWO CAMPUSES. THE STEPHEN N. ADUBATO CAMPUS IS LOCATED AT 443 CLIFTON AVE, NEWARK NJ AND HAS AN ENROLLMENT OF 472 STUDENTS. THE JACKIE ROBINSON CAMPUS IS LOCATED AT 180 WILLIAM STREET, NEWARK NJ AND HAS AN ENROLLMENT OF 227 STUDENTS. TOTAL ENROLLMENT IS 699 STUDENTS. BOTH ROBERT TREAT ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL CAMPUSES OFFER AN ELEVEN-MONTH SCHOOL YEAR WITH A SEVEN HOUR INSTRUCTIONAL DAY AND AN EIGHT HOUR PROFESSIONAL DAY. EARLY CARE BEGINNING AT 7:30 AM AND AN EXTENDED SCHOOL DAY (UNTIL 5:30 PM) ACCOMMODATE WORKING PARENTS AND PROVIDE TIME FOR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. OUR REMEDIAL SERVICES IN ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS AND MATH AS WELL AS REMEDIAL AND GUIDED READING, TUTORING AND HOMEWORK HELP, TAKE PLACE DURING THE EXTENDED DAY INSURING THAT STUDENTS DO NOT MISS CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONAL TIME BECAUSE THEY ARE RECEIVING ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTION. THE EXTENDED DAY PROGRAM OFFERS EXTRACURRICULAR ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES INCLUDING A ROBOTICS CLUB AND RECREATION (BOYS AND GIRLS' BASKETBALL, GOLF, SWIMMING, TENNIS), ARTS PROGRAMS (INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC INSTRUCTION, CHORUS, STEP DANCING, ARTS AND CRAFTS, AND CREATIVE WRITING) AS WELL AS ACTIVITIES TO ADDRESS CHARACTER EDUCATION. PARENT PARTICIPATION CONTINUES TO BE A KEY ELEMENT OF OUR FOCUS AS WITNESSED BY THE HIGH LEVELS OF ATTENDANCE WE CONSISTENTLY RECORD AT MONTHLY PARENT MEETINGS. PARENTS SERVE ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, THE PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION, AN AUTONOMOUS ORGANIZATION, SPONSORS A VARIETY OF EVENTS FOR TEACHERS, PARENTS AND STUDENTS. PARENT REPRESENTATIVES ALSO VOLUNTEER IN OTHER AREAS (COACHING, RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, AND CHAPERONING STUDENTS ON TRIPS, ATTENDING AND ASSISTING AT SCHOOL-WIDE EVENTS, PLAYS AND PERFORMANCES). IN THE NINE SUBJECT AREAS INCLUDING ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS, MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE (NJSLA FOR 4TH AND 8TH GRADES), SOCIAL STUDIES, TECHNOLOGY, WORLD LANGUAGE (SPANISH), VISUAL AND FINE ARTS, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH, AND 21ST CENTURY LIFE & CAREERS OUR CURRICULA IS ALIGNED TO THE NJ STUDENT LEARNING STANDARDS. IN KEY SUBJECT AREAS, STAFF DEVELOPMENT REMAINS CRUCIAL TO MEETING THE ACADEMY'S OVERALL MISSION. OUR TRAINING SCHEDULE INCLUDED WORKSHOPS IN MATH, ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS, READING, SCIENCE, AND BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT. IN THE AREA OF TECHNOLOGY, STAFF DEVELOPMENT WAS OFFERED TO HELP TEACHERS BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE USERS OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM. EFFORTS TO PREPARE OUR STUDENTS FOR THE NJSLA TEST REMAIN A MAIN AREA OF ATTENTION AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE FOREMOST ON OUR LIST OF GOALS. WE ARE ALSO FOCUSED ON LEARNING LOSS ACTIVITIES AND SATURDAY ACADEMY. THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF ED WAIVED TESTING FOR THE 2019-2020 AND 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR. IN THE LAST TWO YEARS RTA STUDENTS HAVE ONCE AGAIN BEEN RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE TOP PERFORMING SCHOOLS IN THE STATE IN BOTH MATH AND ELA. ACCORDING TO U.S NEWS AND WORLD REPORT WE WERE RANKED IN THE TOP 7% OF MIDDLE SCHOOLS, AND THE TOP 15% OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. DUE TO THOSE RANKINGS BASED ON TEST SCORES AND DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION WE HAVE BEEN NAMED ONE OF U.S NEWS AND WORLD REPORTS BEST SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY FOR BOTH OUR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.AS THE EMOTIONAL WELLBEING OF OUR STUDENTS IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE, ADMINISTRATORS, THE SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER, AND SCHOOL PHYCOLOGIST ARE CONTINUOUSLY STILL ON-CALL TO PROVIDE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO OUR STUDENTS. ALONG WITH INTERNALSUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS THE ACADEMY PROVIDES PARENTS WITH ADDITIONAL OUTSIDE SUPPORT RESOURCES. THIS CONTINUES AS STUDENT'S TRANSITION BACK TO "NORMAII AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO HELPING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES THROUGH THIS TRANSITION. WE FEEL THE NEW KINDERGARTEN CLASS FINALLY SEEMS TO BE SIMILARLY EQUIPPED TO WHAT WE ARE ACCUSTOMED TO SEEING FOR STUDENTS ENTERING THE ACADEMY, SO I THINK WE'VE TURNED A CORNER IN OUR RECOVERY FROM THE PANDEMIC AND OUR BATTLE WITH LEARNING LOSS.AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, PARENTS AND STAFF WERE SURVEYED REGARDING THEIR SATISFACTION LEVELS WITH THE STUDENTDISCIPLINE, SCHOOL COMMUNICATION, ETC. OVERWHELMINGLY, ALL ENTITIES WERE VERY SATISFIED WITH THE GENERAL OPERATION OFTHE SCHOOL FROM BOTH A PARENT AND STAFF PERSPECTIVE.IN JUNE 2023, OUR NINETEENTH CLASS OF EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS GRADUATED FROM THE ACADEMY. THOSE STUDENTS WEREPREPARED FOR THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL BY OUR HIGH SCHOOL PLACEMENT PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM ISRESPONSIBLE FOR WORKING WITH OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO PLACE GRADUATES IN THE MOST APPROPRIATE SETTING FOR THEIR SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION. THOSE GRADUATES EARNED IN EXCESS OF $5.9 MILLION DOLLARS IN FINANCIAL AID AND MERITSCHOLARSHIPS OVER A FOUR-YEAR PERIOD TO ATTEND SOME OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS PRIVATE, INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS IN THE NATION.WE WERE ABLE TO HOLD OUR TRADITIONAL GRADUATION CEREMONY AND THE CATHEDRAL BASILICA OF THE SACRED HEART. ATTENDANCE WAS UNLIMITED AND OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER WAS SISTER JUNE FAVATA FROM ST. VINCENT ACADEMY.OUR FIRST GROUP OF ALUMNI TO COMPLETE COLLEGE GRADUATED IN 2013. WE HAVE MAINTAINED RELATIONSHIPS WITH MANY OF THESE STUDENTS AND WILL CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THEM. SEVERAL GRADUATES HAVE JOINED THE STAFF OF THE ACADEMY AS EITHER INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS/TEACHERS OR CLERKS AND IT IS OUR HOPE THAT MANY OF OUR FORMER STUDENTS WILL RETURN TO NEWARK AS PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY.THE ACADEMY ALSO CONTINUED ITS RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. THESE GROUPS INCLUDED THEACADEMIS FOUNDING ORGANIZATION, THE NORTH WARD CENTER, JUST ONE SOCCER WHICH MADE SPORTS ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE, ASWELL AS THE JOHN HOPKINS CENTER FOR TALENTED YOUTH WHICH PROVIDED SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS AS WELL AS ONLINE COURSES FOR GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS. THE ACADEMY ALSO MAINTAINED ITS MEMBERSHIP IN THE NEW JERSEY CHARTER SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION AND THE NEW JERSEY SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION.THE MAJOR EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGE CONTINUES TO BE MAINTAINING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND GROWTH OF OUR STUDENTS MEASURED BY THE NEW JERSEY STUDENT LEARNING ASSESSMENT (NJSLA) TEST. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED THE NJSLA WAS NOT ADMINISTERED IN THE 2019-2020 OR 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEARS AND OUR RESULTS FROM THE SPRING OF 2022 WERE ABOVE THE STATE AVERAGE BUT NOT QUITE AS FAR ABOVE THE STATE AVERAGE AS WE ARE USED TO, THEN THE RESULTS FROM THE SPRING OF 2023 SHOWED PROMISE. WE HOPE TO BE BACK TO WHERE WE HAVE USUALLY BEEN THIS COMING SPRING.THE OVERALL LONG TERM GOAL FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT SET BY THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ESSAACCOUNTABILITY PROFILE IS 80% OF STUDENTS ACHIEVING LEVELS 4 OR 5 N ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (ELA) AND MATHEMATICS BY2030. EACH SCHOOL IS GIVEN TARGETS BASED ON PREVIOUS YEAR'S PERFORMANCE UNTIL THE LONG TERM GOAL OF 80% IS MET. THE STUDENT GROWTH PERCENTILE (SGP) STANDARD IS 40%-58.5% TO MEET TARGET AND 60% + TO EXCEED TARGET FOR ALL SCHOOLS ANNUALLY.THE LONG TERM EDUCATIONAL GOAL IN ELA \S TO ENSURE INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORTS ARE IN PLACE FOR STUDENTS TO BE SUCCESSFULREADERS AND WRITERS. IN 2014, WE INTRODUCED STEP (STRATEGIC TEACHING AND EVALUATION OF PROGRESS) ALONG WITH STRATEGIC GUIDED READING INSTRUCTION. THIS INITIATIVE HAS PROVED EFFECTIVE IN THE TARGETED GRADES OF KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THIRD. IN 2017-18, WE INTRODUCED THE DYNAMIC INDICATORS BASIC EARLY LITERACY SKILLS (DIBELS) AND THE WOODCOCK JOHNSON READING MASTERY TEST. THE DIBELS IS GIVEN EACH SCHOOL YEAR TO ALL FIRST GRADERS. THE WOODCOCK JOHNSON READING MASTERY TEST IF GIVEN TO STUDENTS WHO ARE "FLAGGED" FOR POSSIBLE READING ISSUES ON THE DI BELS AND NEW STUDENTS ENTERING THE ACADEMY BEYOND 3RD GRADE.