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Neighborhood Centers Charter Schools Earn Exemplary Rating
Neighborhood Centers Charter Schools (Ripley House Charter School District) earned the state’s highest rating – Exemplary – according to the Texas Education Agency’s annual accountability ratings released in July. The basic performance standards required for an Exemplary rating were a 90 percent or better passing rate in all Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) subjects for all students and for all student groups that meet minimum size criteria.
"This ‘Exemplary’ rating really reflects the extra time our students spend in the classroom and the commitment of our teachers and staff to do whatever it takes to help children succeed," said Angela Blanchard, president and CEO of Neighborhood Centers.
Although many schools and districts throughout Texas received higher ratings for 2009 as a result of the Texas Projection Measure (TPM), which measures improvement as well as achievement, Neighborhood Centers schools earned the Exemplary rating based solely on students’ achievement on the 2009 Spring TAKS scores.
"We look for – and embrace – kids who are a challenge," said David Chaumette, chair of the Choices in Education committee and board secretary for Neighborhood Centers. "Getting to know the kids and their families at an early age is the key to later success."
Chaumette points to a combination of three factors that make the school district unique:
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A long-term, holistic approach.
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An unwavering vision of where children can go instead of where they are now.
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A strong emphasis on parent involvement.
"We are so proud of all of our students and teachers," said Pamela Sailors, vice president of Choices in Education for Neighborhood Centers and superintendent of Neighborhood Centers Charter Schools. "It really takes all of us working together – students, faculty, staff and the community – to achieve such remarkable results. We are especially pleased to note that all of our high-performing fourth and fifth grade classes were instructed by first-year teachers who came to our district through our partnership with Teach for America."
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Percent Met Standard |
| Reading |
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All Students |
95% |
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Hispanic |
95% |
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Economically Disadvantaged |
95% |
| Writing |
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All Students |
91% |
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Hispanic |
91% |
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Economically Disadvantaged |
91% |
| Mathematics |
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All Students |
95% |
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Hispanic |
95% |
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Economically Disadvantaged |
95% |
| Science |
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All Students |
95% |
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Economically Disadvantaged |
>99% |
Neighborhood Centers Charter Schools include Ripley House Charter School, Harbach-Ripley Charter School, Baker-Ripley Charter School and the NCI Charter School Without Walls.
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