public prep 2012-2013 annual report

2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

CHARTING A COURSE TOWARD

College Completion For All Scholars

1 | 2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT

SPRING (2012)

Every Public Prep

seat was filled for the

2012-13 school year,

with 4.7 applicants per

kindergarten seat at Girls

Prep LES and 8 at Girls

Prep Bronx, an increase

from 3.5 and 6.5 applicants

per seat respectively.

AUGUST (2012)

940 home visits were

conducted by teachers for every

enrolled scholar at Public Prep.

This annual effort included 370

more visits than the previous

year due to the to the new fifth

grade class at Girls Prep Bronx

and kindergarten class at Girls

Prep Lower East Side.

SEPTEMBER (2012)

Girls Prep Lower East Side

Middle School scholars

and staff showed profound

resilience when they were

placed in a temporary

school for four months

after being evacuated

from their regular school

building due to a structural

issue.APRIL (2013)

The Girls Prep Bronx Choir

performed at a Celebration

of Music in partnership with

the instrumental chamber

ensemble at the Chapin

School, a private all-girls

school in New York City.

MAY (2013)

529 Day—On May 29th, parents from

throughout the network were encouraged

to sign their daughter up for a NY529

College Savings Account*. Annual Family

contributions were matched by Public Prep.

JUNE (2013)

100% of the inaugural eighth grade class at Girls Prep

LES Middle School graduated yielding excellent high

school placements. 94% were accepted into their first-

choice high school, including Phillips Exeter Academy,

LaGuardia School of Music and Performing Arts,

NEST+M, and Manhattan/Hunter Science High School.

* The New York State 529 College Savings Plan enables families to save in a high-yield, tax deductible account with flexible usage for postsecondary expenses.

Founded in 2009, Public Prep is a nonprofit

organization that develops single-sex elementary and middle

public schools that pursue excellence through continuous

learning and data-driven instruction. Public Prep is in its fifth year

of operation, and this is the second year we have published an

annual report. Our model is designed to empower each scholar

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. As an organization dedicated

to continuous improvement, we regularly refine our model. Each

year brings new improvements, which we are excited to share in

this report.

For well over 2,000 years, navigators have used the North

Star to chart their course. Likewise, every scholar in the Public

Prep Network is supported in navigating her life’s journey by

establishing college completion as the North Star. We are proud

of the accomplishments of the 2012-2013 school year, especially

the graduation of our inaugural class of eighth grade students, as

this accomplishment is a significant milestone on the path towards

college completion.

Public Prep served approximately 940 scholars throughout New

York City in kindergarten through eighth grade in the 2012-2013

year. Comprised of 152 talented and dedicated staff members

amongst the three schools—the flagship Girls Prep Lower East

Side Elementary, Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle, and Girls Prep

Bronx Elementary—Public Prep is offering young women (and

young men starting with Boys Prep Bronx Elementary in 2014) from

throughout New York City an exceptional single-gender, public

education focused on college completion and the character traits

to support that goal.

THE PUBLIC PREP NETWORK

2012-2013 ANNUAL REPORT | 2

“Know what you want...Do the right thing...and Never, never, never give up.”

When Girls Prep opened in 2005 as the first all-girls public charter

school in New York City, it was founded with the simple idea that

any parent—regardless of race, zip code, or income level—should

have the right to choose a great public school that would put their

daughter on a path to our North Star of college completion.

Eight years later, that initial promise is being fulfilled. In June 2013,

the italicized trinkets of wisdom above were shared by Dianne

Lynch, the President of Stephens College—the nation’s second

oldest women’s college—who was the commencement speaker at

the inaugural graduation ceremony of Girls Prep Lower East Side.

Forty-seven graduating eighth graders—several of whom have

been with Girls Prep since first and second grade—proudly wore

their gowns and sashes, beaming with the honor that they will

forever be known as the first graduating class of Girls Prep.

More than half of our girls are now attending high schools that are

ranked by US News & World Report as being among the best in

the state. And four years from now, one of these graduating eighth

graders will receive a guaranteed, four-year, full-ride scholarship to

Stephens College, which has committed to award this scholarship

annually to one deserving eighth grade Girls Prep graduate.

Beyond the success of the inaugural graduating class, in 2012-

13 both Girls Prep Bronx and Girls Prep Lower East Side schools

earned the highest “A” rating on the NYC Department of Education

Progress Report. Moreover, our schools continued to outpace all

public schools across New York City in English Language Arts and

Math. And more than 98% of all of our fourth graders passed the

New York State Science Exam, a testament to our commitment to

develop a new generation of female engineers and scientists.

Yet despite this progress, we know more must be done to prepare

our students to truly compete in a global marketplace. With the

financial support we were able to secure in 2012-13, Public Prep

strengthened its academic team to lead our efforts to increase the

rigor of our core curriculum. We are also investing more resources

in professional development for our faculty and continuing to

improve our systems for assessing student performance to inform

instructional practice.

We could not be more proud and appreciative of the relentless

effort by our scholars, our families, and our staff who all worked

together to make this progress. Perhaps no one could show this

appreciation more than our first valedictorian speaker, Kesi, whose

excerpted speech is to the right.

Thank you for joining us on this journey, and for taking the time to

read this annual report and learn more about Public Prep.

With gratitude,

Ian Rowe

CEO, Public Prep Network

An excerpt from Kesi’s Valedictorian Speech from the 2013 Eighth Grade Graduation Ceremony:

Our years together have been both momentous and fulfilling. Even

off campus, our strength and unity was evident. From chanting

loud and proud on the streets of New York to the Bronx Zoo, from

Chelsea Piers to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, from Stephens

College to Georgia Tech, and from Cornell University to Spelman.

Everywhere we went, we were unstoppable. Looking back on those

memories just makes it that much clearer that we, individually and

as a unit, are truly amazing.

When the times are tough, as I know they’ll be, and I can’t just

look to the left or to the right and see you, I’ll take some time to

remember: Taylor’s sly sarcasm, Arianna’s proudly worn spunk,

and Mariah’s class.

You girls have become a part of me, and not a part that eventually

falls off and gets left behind like a strand of hair or a flake of skin.

You have taken permanent residence in my brain and in my heart.

I truly do love you girls, and nothing can break our bond, I just

know it.

To everyone else, we are truly thankful. For teachers, who didn’t

give up on us (even when the option was there). For friends, who

had our backs, even when they were against the wall. For parents,

who advocated for us and loved us unconditionally, even when we

were walking on thin ice.

Staff members, parents, there’s only so much you can protect us

from. Ultimately, it’s up to us. We must take control of our actions

from here on out, because every environment will not be as

supportive as this one.

Keep Girls Prep in your hearts and in your thoughts as you go to

your various destinations, as I know I will do up at Phillips Exeter

Academy.

IAN ROWE CEO PUBLIC PREP NETWORK

KESI ALUMNA PUBLIC PREP NETWORK


NEW YORK CITY PROGRESS REPORT 2010-2013

In 2012-13, all of the schools within the Public Prep Network – Girls Prep Lower East Side Elementary and Middle Schools, and Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School – earned the highest “A” rating on the NYC Department of Education Progress Report. Indeed,

• Girls Prep Lower East Side (Elementary and Middle) performed better than 86.8% of all NYC K-8 schools.

• Girls Prep Bronx Elementary performed better than 95.6% of all NYC elementary schools.

This success made Public Prep one of the highest-achieving public charter school networks in all of New York City and State, both in terms of

absolute academic performance and year-to-year growth. Girls Prep schools showed significant gains in key areas, including overall grade,

school ranking, ELA and Math growth percentiles, and Effect Size. Below is a summary of 2012-13 results:

GIRLS PREP LOWER EAST SIDE

ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL

GIRLS PREP BRONX

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WHAT IT MEASURES

OVERALL GRADE A AOverall assessment of the school’s contribution to student

learning generated by the NYC DOE.

CITYWIDE RANKING87th Percentile

(of all K-8 schools)

96th Percentile (of all elementary schools)

School’s Progress Report score compared to those of schools

of the same type citywide (elementary, middle, or K-8).

STUDENT

PROGRESS GRADEA A

Student improvement on NY State Exams in ELA and Math

between 2012 and 2013, compared to other students who

started the year at the same level.

STUDENT

PERFORMANCE GRADEA A

Absolute performance of all grade 3-8 students on the 2013 NY

State Exams in ELA and Math.

SCHOOL

ENVIRONMENT GRADEB A

Attendance and conditions for learning as reflected by surveys

of families, teachers, and students.

CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP CREDIT ✓ ✓

Both Girls Prep Lower East Side and Girls Prep Bronx received

additional credit for “closing the achievement gap” —

achieving exceptional gains among students with disabilities,

English Language Learners, and students who started the year

among the lowest academically performing citywide.

EFFECT SIZE FOR ECONOMICALLY

DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS (Generated by SUNY CSI)

Exceeds Expectations


School’s performance compared to the performance of public

schools across New York State serving a similar percent of all

economically disadvantaged students (calculated by SUNY

Charter School Institute).

PERFORMANCE MEASURESPER NYC DOE PROGRESS REPORT AND CSI

These charts reflect the citywide rankings and DOE Progress Report grades for each of Public Prep’s schools over the last four years. They illustrate Girls Prep Lower East Side and Girls Prep Bronx’s trajectories toward their current positions among New York City’s highest rated public schools.

GIRLS PREP BRONX

Perc

enti

le R

anki

ng C

ompa

red

to A

ll Pu

blic

Sc

hool

s Th

roug

hout

New

Yor

k Ci

ty

GIRLS PREP LOWER EAST SIDE

2010 2011 2012 2013

1423

54

87A

B

CC

27

96

2012 2013

A

C

WHAT IT MEASURES

OVERALL GRADE A AOverall assessment of the school’s contribution to student

learning generated by the NYC DOE.

CITYWIDE RANKING87th Percentile

(of all K-8 schools)

96th Percentile (of all elementary schools)

School’s Progress Report score compared to those of schools

of the same type citywide (elementary, middle, or K-8).

STUDENT

PROGRESS GRADEA A

Student improvement on NY State Exams in ELA and Math

between 2012 and 2013, compared to other students who

started the year at the same level.

STUDENT

PERFORMANCE GRADEA A

Absolute performance of all grade 3-8 students on the 2013 NY

State Exams in ELA and Math.

SCHOOL

ENVIRONMENT GRADEB A

Attendance and conditions for learning as reflected by surveys

of families, teachers, and students.

CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP CREDIT ✓ ✓

Both Girls Prep Lower East Side and Girls Prep Bronx received

additional credit for “closing the achievement gap” —

achieving exceptional gains among students with disabilities,

English Language Learners, and students who started the year

among the lowest academically performing citywide.

EFFECT SIZE FOR ECONOMICALLY

DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS (Generated by SUNY CSI)



School’s performance compared to the performance of public

schools across New York State serving a similar percent of all

economically disadvantaged students (calculated by SUNY

Charter School Institute). Empowering the Next Generation of Female Scientists

Public Prep is invested in generating interest in the subjects of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and

mathematics). Girls Prep scholars have done exceptionally well on the NYS Science Exam, as 98% of fourth graders

at Girls Prep Bronx and Girls Prep LES Elementary Schools passed the exam in 2012-2013. To build upon these

results, and to keep girls engaged in STEM, Public Prep is making several key curricular changes in 2013-2014 to

ensure that students are prepared to enter a STEM-focused career.

• Dedicated science teachers in grades K-8, who will plan science

lessons related to topics covered in core subject areas.

• A new scope and sequence, which includes FOSS science kits

and adheres to Next Generation Science standards.

• A focus on hands-on inquiry and discovery that allows students

to see science discoveries in action.

• Increased collaboration across schools, allowing for shared

lesson plans and best practices throughout the network.

SEEKS TO ENSURE SCHOL ARS ARE

on a path to college completion.Public Prep is determined to graduate eighth grade students who are ready to

excel at high-performing high schools, and ultimately complete a postsecondary

degree from an institution that best fits their aspirations and enables them to

realize their dreams. To that end, we have aligned organizational priorities to the

five points of our North Star of college completion.

Character Development

Family and Scholar Satisfaction & Engagement

Academic Achievement

Organizational Stability & Staff Satisfaction

College Knowledge


Character Development

In How Children Succeed—Grit, Curiosity, and the

Hidden Power of Character, author Paul Tough challenges

the conventional wisdom that success in academics and

life is dependent solely on a student’s cognitive abilities or

intelligence.

Rather, he argues that a set of noncognitive skills or character-

based strengths — like grit, curiosity, perseverance, resiliency,

self-control, gratitude, and optimism — are more crucial to

success than any other factors. Moreover, these strengths

are not just innate; they can be developed through deliberate

means.

Since our inception, Public Prep has believed in cultivating

within our students what is now popularly called a “growth

mindset.”

These two ideas — the need to develop cognitive and character-

based strengths — are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, they

are mutually reinforcing. Students who believe that they can

improve their own life outcomes through hard work, a positive

outlook, and relentless effort deal better with adversity and

apply themselves more fervently to difficult academic tasks.

This is why Academic Achievement and Character Development

(along with College Knowledge) are all points on the Public

Prep North Star of college completion. Each is necessary, but

not sufficient. But together — through a deliberate curricular

approach — Public Prep can empower our students to build

the cognitive and character-based strengths necessary to

overcome the inevitable hurdles encountered on the path to

and through college.

Character in Action in 2012-2013

• Students at Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle School showed

extraordinary resilience after being displaced for four months

due to a structural issue with their school building. The

entire Girls Prep community came together, demonstrating

sisterhood and optimism under challenging circumstances.

• Students at all three Public Prep schools participated in

several service learning projects, including cheering for

participants of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer; making

Happy Dolls for children impacted by Hurricane Sandy;

participating in the Jump Rope for Heart Event to support the

American Heart Association; growing their own vegetables

with the educational nonprofit Green Generations; conducting

a Student Council Food Drive; participating in Earth Day to

protect our environment, and holding a Community Service

Day in their neighborhoods.

• All three schools continued to hold bi-monthly Unity Meetings,

which gives each class an opportunity throughout the year to

lead the whole school, parents, and community members in

the study and practice of a specific core value, as well as to

celebrate and recognize students who are exemplars of one of

the four core values.

• Public Prep created a media library which contains more

than 100 pieces of video and text content that faculty can

incorporate into their lessons to teach and reinforce character-

based strengths. The database is searchable by the four core

values of responsibility, sisterhood, merit, and scholarship, as

well as by character traits such as resiliency, determination,

gratitude, optimism, grit, and perseverance.

Public Prep Core Values

SCHOLARSHIP“I learn new things

every day.”

MERIT“The harder I try,

the more I achieve.”

SISTERHOOD/COMMUNITY

“I support my sisters and they support me.”

RESPONSIBILITY “I choose to do the

right thing (even when no one is watching).”


GIRLS PREP LOWER EAST SIDE (“GIRLS PREP LES”) was opened in

2005, adding one grade annually, and became a fully grown K-8 school in

the 2012-13 school year. Grades K-4 are housed at the elementary campus

and grades 5-8 are housed at the middle school campus. The first all-girls

charter school in New York City, Girls Prep LES’s elementary campus is

located near the Baruch Housing Projects in Community District 1. Eight

years since its doors opened, Girls Prep LES is changing the educational

landscape in this community by enrolling a higher than average percentage

of students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch and out-performing

peer schools across the city. In fact, Girls Prep LES earned an A on the NYC

DOE Progress Report for the 2012-13 school year, outperforming 87% of

schools throughout New York City.

Opened in 2005

Served grades K-8

575 students

Lower East Side, District 1

IMPROVED PERFORMANCE OVER TIMEGirls Prep LES continues to improve in a number

of measures, including student progress and

student performance, increasing their score on

the NYC Department of Education Progress Report

to an overall grade of an A.

See page 3 for more information.

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTSSUNY Charter School Institute conducted a regression analysis to

determine the “Effect Size” of Girls Prep LES. This study compares

performance of economically disadvantaged students at our school

to others with a similar socioeconomic status. Girls Prep LES far

surpassed the benchmark of 0.3 in its accountability plan, achieving

a 0.79, which SUNY CSI considers, “higher than expected to a medium

degree.”

IN LOVING MEMORY OF A FOUNDING GIRLS PREP LES BOARD MEMBEROn June 6, 2013, the Public Prep community lost one of its most beloved members and tireless advocates.

Mary Mitchell, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Scholastic Education, died from complications

arising from cancer. As a founding Girls Prep Lower East Side Board Trustee and a member of the Board

Assessment Committee, Mary challenged us to strive for nothing less than the very best for our students.

We honor Mary Mitchell for her unwavering dedication to our organization, passion for excellence, and

commitment to strengthening the educational opportunities we offer our students. Girls Prep Lower

East Side, Girls Prep Bronx, and Public Prep would not exist without Mary’s love and relentless focus

on student achievement. Her memory and tenacious spirit will continue to inspire us. We will use her

memory to strengthen our work together, and we will miss her deeply. To commemorate her memory, and

her passion for literacy for all, in 2013-2014 the Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle School Library will be

remodeled and renamed the Mary Mitchell Student Learning Center.


• 2012-13 RESULTS AND STATS

A2012-2013PROGRESS

REPORT


35% 35%

28% 29%

MATH

35%

33%

26%

31%

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

% o

f Pas

sing

Sch

olar

s (S

core

d 3/

4)

Girls Prep Lower East Side MIDDLE SCHOOL • 2012-13 RESULTS AND STATS

AT WORK AFTER SCHOOLGirls Prep LES Elementary School launched an after school program to boost reading skills for struggling readers. The program proved

to be highly effective as fourth graders who participated had significantly more growth on the Common Core State Standard Lexile

Range than those who didn’t participate (163.2 points compared to 105.7 points).

AHEAD OF THE CLASSFifteen high-performing eighth graders were chosen to take an Algebra I Regents course during their final year at Girls Prep LES

Middle School. 100% of the students passed the Regents exam, and many are now taking honors math courses in high school.

48% AFRICAN-

AMERICAN

44% LATINA

<1% CAUCASIAN

7% OTHER /

UNDECLARED

60% YES

40% NO

13% YES

87% NO

43% AFRICAN-AMERICAN

42% LATINA

<1% CAUCASIAN

14% OTHER/UNDECLARED

81% YES

19% NO

RACE/ETHNICITY

RACE/ETHNICITY

ELIGIBLE FOR FREE/

REDUCED PRICE MEALS

ELIGIBLE FOR FREE/

REDUCED PRICE MEALS

15% YES

85% NO

RECEIVE SPECIAL

EDUCATION SERVICES

RECEIVE SPECIAL

EDUCATION SERVICES

40%42%

34% 35%

MATH

29%

35%

31%28%


% o

f Pas

sing

Sch

olar

s (S

core

d 3/

4)

Girls Prep Lower East Side ELEMENTARY SCHOOL • 2012-13 RESULTS AND STATS

New York State Assessments GRADES 3-4

New York State Assessments GRADES 5-8

CSD 1

CSD 1

CSD 1

CSD 1


GIRLS PREP BRONX (“GIRLS PREP BRONX”) opened in 2009 with

grades K-1, and will be a fully grown K-8 school in 2016. Girls Prep Bronx

Elementary School is located in Community School District 8, in the

Longwood neighborhood in the Bronx, where the poverty level is significant

at 42%. In the spring of 2013, Girls Prep Bronx Elementary School scholars

took the New York State assessments in ELA and Math for the second time.

Girls Prep Bronx scholars outperformed their host and neighboring district

by a wide margin, demonstrating that Girls Prep Bronx offers a superior

academic option for South Bronx families. In addition, Girls Prep Bronx

scholars made significantly more than a year’s worth of growth on the New

York State and Terra Nova assessments. Growth was especially strong for

the students who performed at the lowest level on the 2011-12 Terra Nova

assessment.

Girls Prep Bronx will continue to expand next year with the opening of Girls

Prep Bronx Middle School, beginning with grade 6 and growing to grade 8.

42% AFRICAN-

AMERICAN

46% LATINA

0% CAUCASIAN

12% OTHER /

UNDECLARED

78% YES

22% NO

15% YES

85% NO

RACE/ETHNICITY ELIGIBLE FOR FREE/

REDUCED PRICE MEALS

RECEIVE SPECIAL

EDUCATION SERVICES

32%

23%

34% 35%

MATH

27%

18%

28%31%


% o

f Pas

sing

Sch

olar

s (S

core

d 3/

4)

New York State Assessments GRADE 3-4


RAPID IMPROVEMENT OF PERFORMANCEGirls Prep Bronx improved in a number of measures

from 2011-2012 to 2012-2013. In fact, the school

increased its NYC Department of Education Progress

Report grade from an overall C to an A in one year.

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTSSUNY Charter School Institute conducted a regression analysis to

determine Girls Prep Bronx’s “Effect Size.” This study compares

performance of economically disadvantaged students at our school

to others with a similar socioeconomic status. Girls Prep Bronx far

surpassed the benchmark of 0.3 in its accountability plan, achieving

a 0.71, which SUNY CSI considers,“higher than expected to a medium

degree.”

Opened in 2009

Served grades K-4

369 students

South Bronx, District 8

• 2012-13 RESULTS AND STATS

A2012-2013PROGRESS

REPORT


Family & Scholar Satisfaction and Engagement

More than forty years of research on parent involvement in schooling has proven an inarguable fact: parent satisfaction

and engagement are critical to the success of students.

With this in mind, Public Prep positioned family satisfaction and

engagement as a point on our North Star of college completion. Our

school model is built on codified norms requiring frequent family

communication (including annual home visits for all scholars and

access to staff outside of the school day), designated family support

staff at each campus, and myriad opportunities for meaningful

family participation.

Parents are invited to attend bi-monthly Unity Meetings in addition

to family events hosted by the school and Community Council.

Last year Girls Prep LES Elementary School provided 133 events for

families.

Each campus has its own Community Council. Members discuss

pertinent matters at the school, host family events, and fundraise

for the school. To ensure that the parents have a voice in school

governance, the president of each Community Council joins their

respective school board for a year-long commitment.

Public Prep is proud of the level of family satisfaction and

engagement at our schools. In fact, satisfaction scores from all

three schools on the 2012-2013 parent survey exceeded averages

from throughout the city on all survey points. Parent participation in

the survey at Girls Prep LES was 85% and 82% at Girls Prep Bronx,

compared to the city-wide parent participation average of 54%.

Satisfied Parents

100% were satisfied or very satisfied with

the IEP development process at Girls

Prep Bronx.

98% agreed or strongly agreed that Girls

Prep LES helps prepare their child

for college, a career, and success in

life after high school.


Prep Bronx encouraged their child

not to give up on challenging work.


Prep LES had high expectations for

their child.

Engaged Parents

• Parents had real-time access to their

child’s interim assessment data

through a new innovative data platform

we’ve invested in called Upraised

Learning (formerly SnappSchool).

• Parents helped to secure the expansion

of GP Bronx through their advocacy at

PEP meetings and Public Hearings.

ENGAGEMENT IN 2012-13

AVERAGE ATTENDANCE

94%SCHOLAR RETENTION

94%


In the New York City Department of Education annual school survey, an increasing number of Public Prep Middle

School scholars expressed that they are satisfied with their education and feel safe and supported at school.

“This is my daughter’s sixth year at Girls Prep and I have nothing but

high accolades of praise for Girls Prep Lower East Side for doing a

phenomenal job of providing a great learning environment for my

daughter. My daughter has blossomed into such an articulate young

lady, and I have to give credit to the wonderful staff at Girls Prep. We

are off to a great start at the middle school this year, and I am looking

forward to all the great accomplishments and strides my daughter will

make throughout this year. My daughter truly enjoys waking up each

morning and looks forward to attending Girls Prep each and every day.”

NICOLE JULIUS

(pictured above with her daugher Nichelle)

PARENT AND COMMUNITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

GIRLS PREP LOWER EAST SIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL

97%

COMPARED TO 95% LAST YEAR.

SCHOLARS KNOW THEY NEED

TO WORK HARD TO GET GOOD

GRADES AT PUBLIC PREP

90%

SCHOLARS KNOW THERE IS A

PERSON OR PROGRAM TO HELP

THEM RESOLVE CONFLICTS

99%

COMPARED TO 94% LAST YEAR.

SCHOLARS KNOW THEIR TEACHERS

EXPECT THEM TO CONTINUE THEIR

EDUCATION AFTER HIGH SCHOOL


Public Prep’s commitment to college graduation for every scholar goes beyond a caring, supportive school

environment and rigorous academic preparation. Public Prep schools prepare scholars, starting in kindergarten,

with the skills and knowledge they must develop as they chart their course towards college completion.

The College Knowledge regimen includes explicit coursework to build the skills a college graduate needs, as well as experiences and opportunities

that ensure scholars have a self-expectation of college completion that includes an understanding of what will be required of them in order to be

accepted at and to thrive in high-caliber colleges.

College Knowledge

COLLEGE EXPERIENCES

FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR COLLEGE

COLLEGE KNOWLEDGE COURSEWORK

COMPETITIVE COLLEGE-PREP HIGH SCHOOL PREPARATION

Starting in kindergarten,

every Girls Prep scholar

visits a college campus

annually, with visits

throughout New York City and

the greater northeast region.

An annual College and Career

Week provides intensive focus

on college experiences from

families, staff, and volunteers.

Partnerships with summer

programs at universities

provide Girls Prep scholars

access to rigorous

programming with other

college-bound peers while

living and learning on

college campuses.

Stephens College Leadership

Academy and Cornell

University Summer Academy

were specifically designed

to offer 20 selected Girls

Prep scholars STEM, creative

writing, and leadership

programming each year.

Last year Public Prep

contributed $25 for

every elementary school

scholar and $50 for every

middle school scholar

who opened a NY529

college savings account.

Stephens College, the

second-oldest women’s

college in the country,

announced that for the

first time in its 179 year

history, it will offer a

four-year, full-tuition

scholarship to a scholar

from Girls Prep Lower East

Side Middle School.

In 2012-2013 seventeen

out of forty-seven

graduating eighth

graders qualified for

the scholarship. Eligible

students must be active

alumnae, earn the

Presidential Volunteer

Award, maintain a B

average in high school,

and commit to mentoring

Girls Prep scholars.

College Knowledge curriculum at

all grade levels provides students

with information and strategies

necessary to plan for college by

building time management, goal-

setting, decision-making, and

other skills critical to success.

Middle school students participate in

weekly College Knowledge classes

that provide more in-depth preparation

for the path to college graduation,

including practice with interviewing,

resume-building workshops, essay

writing, and other requisite skills.

In 2012-2013, ten Girls Prep LES

Middle School students participated

in the Bella Abzug Leadership

Institute Debate Training Workshop,

paving the way for them to take

on leadership positions in high

school, college, and beyond.

School-wide celebration of

achievements and character traits

critical for college graduation

are a regular part of the school

calendar, and the College Knowledge

curriculum clearly aligns these

achievements to scholar goals.

Students participate in visits

to elite private and public

high schools for student-

led tours, panel discussions,

classroom observations, and

informal interaction on campus

with high school students.

Each scholar and her family receive

close coaching and support as

they navigate the high school

application and admissions

process, including guided research

on high school options, school

visits, and scholarship

application support.

The top tier Girls Prep LES Middle

School scholars are nominated

based on grades and test scores

for TEAK and Prep for Prep,

two coveted and challenging

independent and boarding school

prep programs. A maximum of

1-2 students may be selected

for each program annually from

partner schools. Girls Prep LES

Middle School has had at least

one scholar accepted into TEAK

every year for the past 3 years.

Public Prep’s Commitment to College Graduation

In June 2013, the inaugural eighth grade class graduated from Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle

School. Remarkably, nearly 94% of eighth graders received an offer from one of their top five high

school choices. Here is a list of all the schools our alumnae are now attending:

Bedford Academy High School

Brooklyn High School of the Arts

Broome Street Academy

Central Park East High School

Cooke Center Academy

East Side Community High School

Esperanza Preparatory Academy

Essex Street Academy

Phillips Exeter Academy

Harvest Collegiate High School

Health, Education, and Research

Occupations High School

High School for Health Professions

and Human Services

High School of Environmental Studies

High School of Fashion Industries

Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School

of Music and Performing Arts

Landmark High School

Lower Manhattan Arts Academy

Manhattan/Hunter Science

High School

Marta Valle High School

The Mary Louis Academy

Millennium High School

Millennium Brooklyn High School

Monsignor McClancy

Memorial High School

Murray Hill Academy

Edward R. Murrow High School

New Explorations Into Science,

Technology, and Math School

NYC iSchool

NYC Museum School

Science, Technology and

Research Early College

High School at Erasmus

Secondary School for Law

Syracuse University Project Advance

Talent Unlimited High School

The Urban Assembly Institute of Math

and Science for Young Women

The Urban Assembly New

York Harbor School

The Young Women's Leadership

School of Brooklyn


“You are not some ordinary stranger.

Ordinary strangers cannot teach. They are

not patient. They do not have the ability to

simplify extreme concepts to the best of

their ability and still watch as some students

lug those concepts around like rocks.”

KESI IN A SPEECH SHE GAVE TO THE PUBLIC PREP STAFF AT

A NETWORK-WIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY


Research shows (and our experience confirms!) that teacher quality is the most crucial factor in creating

successful schools. With this in mind, Public Prep has positioned

staff growth and development as a critical element to

organizational stability. Recruiting and selecting the best

teachers, and then developing and supporting them to grow

professionally, has enhanced Public Prep’s ability to realize its

mission. To this end, we have created several network-wide

consistencies over the past year:

• Individualized professional development plans for staff

members to meet them where they are and help staff attain

their development goals,

• Goal-setting by teacher, class, and cohort to drive coaching

and professional development,

• Internally-developed leadership pipeline that enables our

most successful teachers to influence success in classes

throughout their school,

• Protocols for collaboration that support horizontal and

vertical teaming across campuses, and;

• Network-based curricular and instructional support to

complement the expertise at each school site.

Staff Support By The Numbers:

New York State determines teacher effectiveness

ratings by the mean student growth percentiles

of all students in a teacher’s class. Student

growth percentiles are calculated by comparing

each student’s performance on the 2013 NYS

tests to the performance of all other students

who earned the same score on the 2012 NYS

tests. As a result, effectiveness ratings were only

calculated for teachers of English Language Arts

and Mathematics in grades 4-8.

4Average number of years a

2012-2013 Public Prep teacher

had been teaching.

PPN Teacher Effectiveness

Effective

Highly Effective

Staff members promoted

in the 2012-2013 year

21

39%61%


Public Prep benefits from the efforts of the Public Prep Leadership Council, a group of young professionals with a

deep interest in education, who contribute to Public Prep’s development initiatives by leveraging support on behalf of

our scholars. In FY 2013, the Leadership Council organized a fundraiser to purchase technology for Girls Prep Bronx

Elementary School through a cocktail party and silent auction.

The following tables summarize the financials of each

of the three existing Public Prep entities: Girls Prep Bronx, Girls

Prep Lower East Side (Elementary and Middle School), and the

Charter Management Organization, Public Prep Network. Each of

the three entities had a clean audit in FY 2013 and the totals below

reflect highlights from those audited financials.


FY 2013

TOTAL NETWORK REVENUE

Revenue

Public Prep, Inc. $ 4,183,650

Girls Prep Bronx 6,134,748

Girls Prep LES 9,861,042

Total $ 20,179,440

PUBLIC PREP CMO SUMMARY

Revenue

Management fees $ 1,315,961

Contributions (In-Kind and Cash) 2,834,292

Government Grants/Insurances 33,397

Total $ 4,183,650

Expenses

Programming $ 1,939,417

Management and General 576,203

Fundraising 263,956

Total* $ 2,779,576

* Total revenue and expenses include actual dollar amount of in-kind pro bono legal services from Mayer Brown LLP that were recorded for audit purposes at the market value for services rendered.

Revenue Sources for

LES and Bronx Schools

Sites

91% PUBLIC

9% PRIVATE

Expenditure Detail for

LES and Bronx School

Sites

91% PROGRAMING

9% MANAGEMENT & GENERAL

< 1% FUNDRAISING

MORE THAN MORE THAN MORE THAN$3.5 MILLION

RAISED IN FY2013 INCLUDING MULTI-YEAR

COMMITMENTS

$664,354 $759,664

OF BOARD MEMBERS PLEDGE THEIR SUPPORT TO THE NETWORK

THROUGH AN ANNUAL DONATION OF CASH AND/OR IN-KIND SUPPORT

SPENT ON PROGRAMMING DEDICATED

TO EDUCATING THE WHOLE CHILD

(YOGA, MUSIC, ART, AND MORE)

SPENT ACROSS THE NETWORK ON

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND

TEACHER SUPPORT


Looking Forward

We are building capacity across the network:

• We have added dedicated science teachers at all elementary

schools who are focused on developing a more comprehensive

science program.

• We have introduced a Director of Curriculum and Assessment at

each school. The DCAs are collaborating with the network academic

team to ensure that we are delivering high-quality instruction and

tracking student performance and growth over time.

• We have expanded our network academic team to include a

Director of Curriculum and a Director of Instructional Technology.

The academic team is in the process of developing interdisciplinary

units and overseeing assessments to ensure data-driven

instruction.

We are enhancing our academic model:

• We have doubled the time for social studies and science in our

daily school schedule.

• We have piloted science units and mini-interdisciplinary units

in kindergarten, first, second, third, and fourth grades. We have

piloted a full set of interdisciplinary units in fifth grade.

We are aligning our instruction with the Common Core:

• We are focusing on building knowledge, requiring textual evidence

through text, talk, and task and incorporating complex texts and

academic language into lessons.

• We have revamped our professional development for staff by

providing targeted support and opportunities for growth and

learning.

We are collaborating better:

• We have increased our data analysis by developing Data Inquiry

Teams that focus on analyzing student work samples from

students and creating a balanced assessment strategy.

• We have added “like” meetings where key staff members of each

team or department meet monthly across the network to share

best practices and problem-solve.

We are extending our reach this fall:

• We have hired Martha Zornow as the Founding Principal for Girls

Prep Bronx Middle School. She will lead our girls in their next step

towards college completion in grades 6-8.

• We have hired Peter Herzberg as the Founding Principal for Boys

Prep Bronx Elementary School. He will lead our first-ever all-

boys public charter school in our network, beginning with 120

kindergarten and first grade students.

• We will be launching our first-ever early learning program for four-

year olds. We will serve forty boys and girls in the Bronx.

During the 2013-14 school year and beyond, Public Prep is advancing several network-wide changes in order to ensure we

remain a strong and sustainable organization.

MANHAT

TAN

THE BRONX

BROOKLYN

QUEENS

GIRLS PREP LOWER EAST SIDEELEMENTARY • MIDDLE

GIRLS PREP BRONX ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

GIRLS PREP BRONX MIDDLE SCHOOL

PUBLIC PREPARATORY NETWORK

FUTURE SITES OF BOYS PREP BRONX ELEMENTARY & GIRLS PREP BRONX MIDDLE SCHOOLS

BOYS PREP BRONX ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Public Prep celebrated its Third Annual

Namesake Luncheon, honoring Whoopi

Goldberg and Barclays in the spring of

2013. Barclays has been a supporter of

Public Prep since its inception, and our

organization has grown stronger with

their increasing patronage.

STUDENTS, JOAN GANZ COONEY, AND WHOOPI GOLDBERG ARE PICTURED AT THE EVENT HERE.

Photo Credit: Patrick McMullen


NORTH STAR CIRCLE $100,000 and aboveBarclaysJoan Ganz CooneyThe Carson Family

Charitable TrustThe Lawrence FamilyThe Leslie and Daniel

Ziff FoundationTiger Foundation

NAMESAKE CIRCLE $50,000-$99,999R. Boykin Curry IV &

Celerie KembleRavenel and Elizabeth

Curry Foundation

UNITY CIRCLE $10,000-$49,999Bloomberg

PhilanthropiesCary Davis & John

McGinnCecilia CanningCharles Hayden

FoundationDavis Polk & Wardwell

LLPDominique C. SchulteLauren & Brian FrankLower Manhattan

Development Corporation

Mark Diker & Deborah Colson

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Matching Gift Program

Senator FoundationSidney and Jane Harman

FoundationThe Reiss Family

Foundation

PATRONS $1,000-$9,999A. Gary & Margaret

Shilling Adam MaxAnn & Andrew TischAnthony MunkBonnie Englebardt

Family Charitable TrustBrett HeymanCheyne Munk & Michael

BeysColgate-Palmolive Donald FelixElizabeth McLeodEmma BloombergESPN FilmsHerb Allen IIIHilary C. FeshbachJames KempnerJoshua and Sarah

Slocum Charitable Fund

Julian BakerK & J Charitable Gift

Fund

Kamila Mirza IslamKim Jennifer CookLaura WeilLauren Braun Costello

and Sean CostelloLauren Lieberman &

Steve Sanchez Lisa BlauMargery MayerMark LantzMary MitchellMelanie Munk Michal KatzMichael KarangelenMickey & Leila StrausMolly Jong-FastMona BrownNitzia LogothetisOakcliff CapitalPaul & Robin VermylenSandra Landau RippeScholastic Inc.Select Equity Group

FoundationStanley S. & Susan C.

TrotmanValerie & Charles Diker

FundThe H Group FoundationThe Wein Family

Foundation Inc. William Morris

Entertainment

SUPPORTERS $500- $999Abby LevyAdriana ClancyAlex MitchellAlexandra ShumanAlison Killilea NeuwirthAmy KorpusBeth KojimaCarol SaperCaroline GreenwaldClaire RossColleen HaskellCynthia RoganDaniel AbramsonDanielle EnglebardtDavid & Jennifer

MillstoneDominick & Sara MaggioEdith BartleyElizabeth C. EverettEric GrannisGeorge S. TsandikosHenry & Erica BabcockElissa Kramer &

Jay Newman Jennifer JoelKara Nesburg &

Patrick Dennis Kelny DenebeimKristen KlabinLauren & Darren LevyMelissa CrandallConley & Meredith

RollinsNicholas RudenstineNicole Pullen RossPatricia LizarragaPaulina Mejia

Robert & Barbara J. Holland

Sophie WadeVanessa Cornell

FRIENDS $1- $499 Abby WeismanAbigail JohnsonAdriana SolmsonAlex KarnalAlexandra PappasAlexandra PolitesAlexis SheehanAli SamadiAlison WeiskopfAllison DobsonAlyssa GrzeshAmanda FreemanAmanda WaldronAmanda WillingerAmeya BijoorAmir RozwadowskiAmy RubensteinAndie KullyDave & Ann LarsonAnn DavidAnonymousArthur H. & Vivien K.

WhiteAshley JohansenAurora FarewellBarbara YoungBonnie BrennanBreanna BarlowBryan BernsteinCarmine GalimiCarol EspositoCarol GoldbergCarol SchindlerCarolina de Neufville Clarita & Alexander

FodorDan & Catherine BuellChristina MamakosChristina MonteroChristine L. D’AgostiniChristopher GaillardChristopher KerrChristopher SailerCindy ButlerClara PangCoralie Charriol &

Dennis PaulDalila BestDaniel J. McSwiggan Dave and Ann KrawetDave and Rob @ Your

ServiceDavid & Julia PopowitzDavid & Sarah SchimmelDavid BlackDavid RimochDeborah Van EckDenaka L. PerryDinneen CatoDr. & Mrs. Terrence

BevenDuncan & Katie YoungEarl GordonEdwin & Valerye ForrestEkwutozia NwabuzorElanore Hawke

Elizabeth McCooeyElizabeth McNamaraElizabeth RightElizabeth RossElizabeth ScharpfElizabeth StamperEmily MilliganEmmanuel Sakellarios

Manoli Erica BlobErica DesaiErica SamuelsErnest & Amy FleishmanEsther KimFranya BarnettGary SuskauerGenevieve SonsinoGoldman SachsGreg YaeckerHaley SatnickHeather GrayHeather McAuliffeHelin SirisJacqueline DidierJacqueline Hayot BaJames L. & Elizabeth R.

McCabeJami HollandJanet FrancisJeanne Ellen WalkerJeannemarie O’BrienJeffrey MazurJennifer BlankJennifer JohnsonJennifer MaloniJerome & Linda FeilerJerome CaulfieldJessica ColeJessica CosmusJessica FainmanJessica LevitasJKS EventsJoanna CharakJoanna RomanowJoanne DavidsonJohn AbrahamsJohn H. ScaifeJohn RobbinsJonathan RightJoseph DaprocidaJoshua & Dawn AlperJustine TrubeyJoe & Karri RosenthalKatherine BuckelKatherine HoffmanKatie FernandezKelly MooreKevin CappelliKim Saperstein Kimberly Kravis

SchulhofKiran Melwani Kristin DeVivoLauren BreslowLeanna LandsmannLena BradleyLeonardo & Jeanette

TrivingoLeonora Shalet Leslie HermansonLewis BernsteinLex & Helen HarisLiane Ginsberg

Scott & Lilo UkropLinda AxleyLinda RiceLinda ShusterLinda St. GeorgeLindsay CaineLiz EverettLiz MichelisLizzy MarkusMagii, Inc. Margaret MaloneyMarilyn AdamsMario CaicedoMary Curtis Mary HoodMary Lou CavanaughMelinda AronsMelissa ArnoldMelissa BesteMelissa HutsonMeredith BerkowitzMeredith LernerMia Anderson Michael CaperonisMichael GrohmanMichael HaninMichelle ShkediMike ClancyMiles KronbyMissy OwensMrs. Alfred ThompsonNancy BlakeNicole PorcelliOlga VotisPatricia SoussloffPatti StadlinPaul & Linda MitchellRebecca LiebermanRichard & Dorothy

SiracusaRobert & Linda

PolenzaniRobin Wood SailerSally C. HarrisonSally RosenthalSara Sinek-ToborowskyWilliam & Sarah RhodesSarah Bennison

MachielsSarah TrabucchiShawn Tesser Snehal ThakkarSteven SpektorSusan LivingstonTammy L. GrigsbyTatyana MironTiffany & Joshua Liston Tim & Kimberley Hutfilz

Tommy & Diane DunivenValerie OwensVirginia S. HumphreyVirginia SterlingVivia CostalasWilliam & Kathleen

ClarkeWilliam & Colleen

SehulsterZibby Right

IN-KIND DONATIONSAndrew O’ConnorEmily Overlock CurryEquinoxJames MalliosJoe De SimoneJoe YoungJohn Meadow/LDV

HospitalityJosh FlyKara Nesburg DennisLionel MellulElizabeth McNamaraLynn Y.S. LinMayer Brown LLPNeda Talebian FunkNel GrzeshOwen IversonRaquel MartinSarah MeriansScholastic EducationVeronica ValerioWillard J. & Katherine

S. Overlock

PARTNERSCornell UniversityGo ProjectMake It BetterMayer Brown LLPNational Dance Institute New York City Charter

School CenterUpromiseRiverdale Country

SchoolScholastic Inc. Sesame WorkshopSpecial Education

CollaborativeStephens CollegeThe Brearley School The Chapin School The Educational AllianceThe Spence School

Our SupportersWe are thankful to our supporters and partners who give generously to our schools and our network. The fiscal

model for each school is designed to be sustained on public funding alone once the school is at capacity. Generous

support enables exceptional single-sex education for our scholars before we reach self-sustainability.

Special thanks to Girls Prep Bronx Elementary

School classroom namesake, Joan Ganz Cooney

(pictured on the opposite page), who has been a

dedicated supporter of Public Prep since 2009.

She has been instrumental in developing the

partnership with Sesame Workshop and Public

Prep to create the early learning program we

plan to launch in the fall of 2014.

BOARD OF TRUSTEESPhilip O.Brandes Yaritza Cortez R. Boykin Curry Girls Prep Bronx Board Chair

Cary Davis Boys Prep Bronx Board Chair

Mark Diker Lauren Frank Eric Grannis Nicole Greene Edwin Gordon Nicole Julius Michael Karangelen

Michal Katz Bryan R. Lawrence Public Prep Board Chair

Margery Mayer H. Melvin Ming Nairobi QuinonesMary Claire Ryan Girls Prep LES Board Chair

Nicole Pullen Ross Dominique Schulte Paul A. Vermylen Jr. Laura Weil Maria Zimmermann

LEADERSHIP COUNCILCheyne Munk Beys Imani Crawford Coralie Charriol Paul Jessica Cosmus Lauren Braun Costello Kara Nesburg Dennis Erica Desai Tessa Deutsch Allison Dobson Co-Chair

Donald Felix Katie Fernandez Kristina Fink Rebekah Flohr-Reuter

Clarita Fodor Roei Gurvitz Jacqueline Hayot Abigail Johnson Alison Killilea Lauren Levy Lauren Lieberman Jennifer Lippman Tiffany Austin Liston Jenny Maderal Elizabeth McNamara Paulina Mejia Emily Milligan

Alex Mitchell Co-Chair

Ekwutozia Nwabuzor Laura Elaine Patterson Claire Ross Claudia Slacik Alexandra Steele Lindsay Tomenson Samantha Wagar Lesle Williams Stacey Williams

442 E Houston Street, Room 312New York, NY 10002Phone: (212) 388-0241www.girlspreples.org

420 E. 12th Street, Room 203New York, NY 10009Phone: (212) 358-8216www.girlspreplesmiddle.org

681 Kelly Street, Room 205Bronx, New York 10455Phone: (718) 292-2113www.girlsprepbronx.org

291 Broadway, Suite 1202New York, NY 10007Phone: (212) 346-6000www.publicprep.org

Exceptional expectations lead to exceptional achievement.

public prep 2012-2013 annual report

Documents

school year

public prep seat

public prep network

chapin school

regular school

temporary school

private allgirls school

middle school scholars