Annual Report
2012-2013
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
2
Mission
The mission of Educators for Quality Alternatives is to provide struggling high school students with the skills,
confidence and experiences necessary to succeed in the education and careers paths of their choice.
The NET Charter High School
The NET was developed after years of research into highly effective opportunities for young people who struggle
academically or behaviorally in traditional high school settings.
This year, Educators for Quality Alternatives (EQA) transformed its pilot program, the NET @ Clark, into a full public
school, The NET Charter High School.
Values
Belonging
Being safe, being accepted and having multiple
chances to succeed
Having strong positive & respectful relationships
with other students & adults
Being a proud, responsible community member
Independence
Taking charge of and responsibility for the
present and future
Taking risks and trying new things
Mastery
Being reliable & prepared
Solving meaningful problems
Practicing a strong work ethic
Meeting high standards by pushing ourselves to
create, get feedback and revise
Generosity
Inspiring and supporting others
Solving conflicts productively and practicing
forgiveness
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
3
60
150 156
2011-2012 AverageEnrollment
October 1st February 1st
Enrollment
1813
3 915
1
29
Graduated Moved outof City
Transferredto anotherhigh school
Transferredto
GED/AdultEd/Job Corp
program
Incarcerated Expelled Dropped out
Exit Reasons
Student Enrollment
Retention, rather than enrollment, continues to be the NET’s challenge.
Because NET students tend to have a lot of instability in their lives, retention
issues are expected. The majority of students who dropped out had
previously dropped out of at least one other school. The majority of transfers
were due to students moving out of or to another part of the city.
Through increased attendance initiatives, improved social supports, and a
new system for communication around adjudication, the NET strives to
increase retention annually.
Based on the district’s One App data, 99% of
students elected to return to the NET for the
2013-2014 school year.
This year, the NET expanded from an
enrollment of 60 students to 150
students. Despite the greater
number of seats and the increased
competition from other high
schools, the school maintained a
waiting list for the majority of the
year. The NET is entirely open
admissions and participated in the
One App process. The school worked
closely with the RSD to support the
placement of struggling students
into the NET. While students were
accepted all year, most students
started in August or January.
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
4
Student Demographics
95%
90%
49%
20%
25%
33%
54%
14%
1%
FREE/REDUCED LUNCH
OVERAGE
HOMELESS
PREGNANT/PARENTING
COURT INVOLVED
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS
SPECIAL EDUCATION
ESL
2012-2013 Student Profile
Every student at the NET has an individual story and each
has unique strengths. Every student at the NET also faces
multiple challenges which create serious barriers to
succeeding in school and beyond.
The NET’s counseling, social work referrals, resources and
innovative restorative & individualized supports are key
to helping students overcome these challenges.
Gifted/Talented14%
Mild/Moderate9%
Emotionally Disturbed
10%Traumatic
Brain Injury10%Other Health
Impairment14%
Specific Learning Disabled
43%
SPECIAL EDUCATION
Student progress data from the year shows that many more students
may be eligible for Special Education. While all students at the NET
receive highly individualized support and attention, the school is
working to improve its identification and evaluation processes so
that, as appropriate, students are quickly and accurately classified to
insure that they receive all the rights and supports of Special
Education both inside and outside of the NET.
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
5
Attendance
0%20%40%60%80%
100%
AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE
Poor attendance rates reflect a handful of
students with serious truancy issues. However,
the vast majority of students also struggled on
some level with attendance and tardiness.
Attendance was the single greatest predictor of
grades. Failure due to attendance, not skill, was
the reason for all students who did not earn at
least 1 year’s worth of credits.
In discussions and surveys, students identify
external issues such as family problems,
homelessness, illness, & legal issues, as effecting
their attendance rather than internal issues such
as a dislike of their teachers or classes.
Truant: Attends less than 50%
Poor: Attends fewer than 4
days per week
Average: Attends 80%-94%
Optimal for Academic
growth: 95% attendance or
better
ATTENDANCE RATES
Initiatives to improve attendance next year include:
Grading system which shows students to the effect of
their attendance and effort on their academic growth
Increase homevisits and community outreach
Case management of adjudicated students to decrease
time out of school
Improved data management & communication systems
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
6
28%17%
37% 59%
36%24%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Literacy Math
Academic Level Distribution
Tier 3: Elementary Level Tier 2: Middle School Level Tier 1: High School Level
Academic Growth
During the 2012-2013 year, the school
improved and codified many of the
components it piloted during the NET @ Clark
year. Two of the most innovative and effective
are:
1. 6 period schedule from 8am-6:30pm:
Students typically take 3 of the 6
periods per day allowing for a variety of
start and end times which help students
parent, work etc. It also allows students
to have shorter or longer school days
depending upon their stamina, focus,
and graduation progress
2. Three distinct learning environments:
Computer Lab for credit recovery and
Math & Reading remediation; Core
Classes for Math and Science; Advisories
for seminar style project driven
learning. Students typically take one
class in each environment. This variation
helps students focus, gain ownership
over their academic growth and receive
highly individualized supports.
Because of the difficulty in gaining information on students prior to
arrival and lack of centralized data systems, tracking student GPA growth
and credit attainment is difficult. Next year the school will develop a
database to effectively analyze such growth. Currently progress is
primarily measured by literacy and math growth and state test scores.
Despite all being high school students, less than 1/3rd of
students arrived at the NET able to read and do math at a high
school level and more than 1/4th were reading at an
elementary level.
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
7
Literacy & Math Growth
2011-2012
2012-2013
50%
56%
32%
47%
Students working below 8th grade level who grew 2+ grade levels
Goal Literacy Math
All students at the NET receive targeted
literacy and math support within their high
school credit classes, Blended Learning
computer programs and academic
intervention groups. This individualized
support resulted in a majority of students
making more than a year’s worth of
academic growth.
The staff and curriculum programs were
strongest in Literacy, particularly in moving
students at the lowest reading levels.
For next year, the NET has added two new
blended learning programs and shifted
academic leaders to work more intensively
with the most struggling students.
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3
Literacy Growth
Unsat (less than 1 year) Basic Growth (1 year) NET Target Growth (2+years of growth) 0%
50%
100%
Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3
Math Growth
Unsat (less than 1 year) Basic Growth (1 year) NET Target Growth (2+years of growth)
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
8
31%
23%
36% 35%
44%
30%
15%
38%
ELA MATH SCIENCE SOCIAL STUDIES
GEE Passage
NET Pilot 2011-2012 NET 2012-2013
Standardized Test Results
In order to graduate, depending upon their high school entry year and special education status, students must pass:
Graduate Exit Exams (GEEs)
End of Course Exams (EOCs)
Louisiana Alternative Assessment 2 Exams (LAA 2) students on this track can graduate with a Certificate of
Achievement or a regular Diploma. Students on this track must ALSO take the EOC exams and ACT type exams.
Louisiana Alternative Assessment 1 Exams (LAA 1) these students graduate with a Certificate of Achievement
For the first time this year, all students must take the Explore (9th grade); the Plan (10th grade); the ACT (11th/12th
grade) exams. These exams do not effect student’s graduation but do effect college access and scholarships.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
ELA Math
GEE Comparative
Orleans Parish Alternative Schools 2010 NET Pilot 2011-2012
ReNew Alternative School A 2011-2012 ReNew Alternative School B 2011-2012
Schwarz Alternative 2011-2012 NET 2012-2013
GEE scores improved in all areas but science. As the test is
being phased out, each year the students taking the tests
are students who are further and further behind which has
truly pushed our and all schools’ teachers’ skills.
GEE scores were not publically released after 2011-2012
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
9
19%
35% 33%22%
76%
62%68%
InitialTesters Only
CrescentLeadershipAcademy
RenewAcceleratedHigh School
#1
RenewAcceleratedHigh School
#2
Joseph S.Clark High
School
JohnMcDonoughHigh School
NO-RSDAverage
NET Alternative Schools Transformation Schools District
Geometry
The comparisons below are among initial testers only. The state only
release the passage rates of initial testers- students who are taking the
EOC for the first time. For the NET and other alternative schools,
between 5%-30% of students may be re-taking the EOC after failing the class or test in the past. The NET has asked for more comprehensive data to be
released in the future.
63%
40%
20% 17%
65%
47%
73%
InitialTesters Only
CrescentLeadershipAcademy
RenewAcceleratedHigh School
#1
RenewAcceleratedHigh School
#2
Joseph S.Clark High
School
JohnMcDonoughHigh School
NO-RSDAverage
NET Alternative Schools Transformation Schools District
Algebra I
The NET met its EOC test passage goal of 60% on all tests
except Geometry and American History. 2012-2013 was the
first year of the American History test was officially released
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
ELA II ELA III Algebra Geometry Biology AmericanHistory
EOC Passage
NET Pilot 2011-2012 NET 2012-2013
In most areas, the NET outperformed the city’s other alternative
schools and in some cases, has comparable scores with
transformation schools. On half of the EOCs, the NET performed
within 10% of the district average. Only in Geometry are the
school’s initial tester scores significantly lagging.
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
10
59% 56%
25%
38%
60%
39%
68%
InitialTesters Only
CrescentLeadershipAcademy
RenewAcceleratedHigh School
#1
RenewAcceleratedHigh School
#2
Joseph S.Clark High
School
JohnMcDonoughHigh School
NO-RSDAverage
The NET Alternative Schools Transformation Schools District
English III
33%27% 29%
36%
67%
25%
67%
InitialTesters Only
CrescentLeadershipAcademy
RenewAcceleratedHigh School
#1
RenewAcceleratedHigh School
#2
Joseph S.Clark High
School
JohnMcDonoughHigh School
RSD-NOAverage
The NET Alternative Schools Transformation Schools District
American History
62% 62%54% 50%
75% 74%80%
InitialTesters Only
CrescentLeadershipAcademy
RenewAcceleratedHigh School
#1
RenewAcceleratedHigh School
#2
Joseph S.Clark High
School
JohnMcDonoughHigh School
NO-RSDAverage
The NET Alternative Schools Transformation Schools District
English II
63%
24%
45%
29%
69%
37%
70%
InitialTesters Only
CrescentLeadershipAcademy
RenewAcceleratedHigh School
#1
RenewAcceleratedHigh School
#2
Joseph S.Clark High
School
JohnMcDonoughHigh School
NO-RSDAverage
The NET Alternative Schools Transformation Schools District
Biology
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
11
Career & Internship Program
63%
79%
55%
Goal 2011-2012 2012-2013
Successful Completion
1522
15
30
14
2011-2012 2012-2013
Number of Internships
Fall Spring Summer
Quotes from 2012-2013 Interns:
“My internship was a good experience. I
learned a lot and I had fun doing
something I really like.”
Abanobi Lawes, Mural Artist Intern
“The internship was a really, really good
experience for me. It taught me how to
become better at music and at working
with kids.”
Andrew Tran, NOLA Mix DJ Class intern
“I love my internship. It’s helping me a lot
to figure out what I want to do in life”
Je’Vente Patterson, Kingsley House Head
Start Intern
“My mentors are two fantastic men! They
really taught me how to be responsible
and confident”
Julio Clotter Bermudez, Son of a Saint &
Groundwork NOLA Intern
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
12
Significant, multi-year Partnerships formed with
Grow Dat Youth Farm
JUMA Ventures
Kingsley House Headstart
Louisiana Groundwork NOLA
LOOP: Louisiana Outdoor Outreach Program
75%68%
97%
Goal 2011-2012 2012-2013
Mentor RetentionNew Internship Sites during 2012-2013
Ashe Cultural Arts Center Kuumba Institute
Crescent City Cuts Barber Shop
Groundwork New Orleans
Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies
NOLA Mix
Shine Tyme Dance School
Son of a Saint
Southern Food & Beverage Museum
The Music Shed Recording Studio
YLC Kicks
Youth Rebuidling New Orleans
Coming 2013-2014!
The NET received funding from the GPOA Foundation to start a Next Steps Program. This program will
help seniors and alumni successfully leverage their diplomas, internships and growth at the NET to find
placements in higher education and the workforce.
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
13
Suspensions, 14%Community Mediations (mediations
which include Cease Fire or
CRA), 2%
Restorative Conversations/Interventions, 68%
Agreements/Contracts, 16%
RESPONSES
Culture & Behavior
The NET received a competitive fellowship to work closely with the Center for Restorative
Approaches for the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 school years. CRA is providing intensive
training, coaching and other support to develop the NET’s restorative practices.
4% 2%1%
42%51%
BEHAVIOR ISSUES
Fighting (physical or adultsprevented physical)
Bullying
Harming Property
Disrespecting an adult
Not following Directions
NET students mostly struggle with themselves—they are
often missing the skills to respond adaptively to
expectations, requests, difficult assignments or
situations. Thus their most challenging behaviors occur
when they are asked to push themselves—stay in class,
complete a difficult assignment, speak respectfully to
someone who upset them etc.
For this reason, the NET responses to behavior are
focused on building students’ communication, conflict
resolution and problem solving skills. Each time a
student’s behavior is inappropriate, the student is
addressed by a staff member and must complete a
process which includes taking responsibility and “making
it right” with whoever they disrespected or hurt. This
process can be a simple conversation, a written
agreement, or a mediation. Overtime, students learn the
skills they need to respond appropriately to challenging
situations inside and outside of school.
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
14
100% 95%
2011-2012 2012-2013
% of Seniors Graduating
Completion
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
26 Graduates to Date!
Diplomas 2011-2012 Diplomas 2012-2013
Certificates of Achievement 2011-2012 Certificates of Achievement 2012-2013
To date, the NET has not had the resources to comprehensively track graduates. With the additions of the Next
Steps Coordinator and additional funding, the school will work to build out both alumni programming and supports
and alumni tracking.
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
15
School Year Highlights One Million Bones
Among the highlights for the 2012-2013 school year was Kara Dorsey’s Advisory
project “One Million Bones.” Ms. Dorsey and her class connected with this
national genocide awareness program through a partnership with the Jefferson
Performing Arts Society. NET students learned to make clay bones while
studying the history and effects of genocides worldwide. Ms. Dorsey and two
NET students were selected to travel to DC to join people from across the
country to lay their bones across the National Mall in a day of remembrance and
awareness.
This project proved to be particularly meaningful for the students as they came
to draw parallels to the violence they
face daily within their own
neighborhoods. As part of their final Exhibition, students wrote letters to New Orleans City
Counsel about the effect of violence on their own lives.
Man vs. Fish
For the first time, the NET was able to run year round as designed. The seven week intensive
session provided an exciting opportunity for teachers to collaboratively plan and teach hands-on
courses. Most popular was Man vs. Fish an Environmental Science course taught by Advisors
Neil Poynter and Farhad Karim. In collaboration with the Louisiana Outdoor Outreach Program in
City Park, students studied both in and out of the classroom, spending much of their summer on
the State’s waterways.
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
16
70% 71%
40%
94%100%
25%
STAFF ASKED TO RETURN STAFF ACCEPTING OFFERS TO RETURN
STAFF PROMOTED
Staff Retention
2011-2012 2012-2013
Staff
40%
60% 60%
100%
40%50%
44%50%
69%80%
44%
25%
MALE NATIVE TO LA STAFF OF COLOR
CERTIFIED STAFF
STAFF WITH 5-10 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
STAFF WITH OVER 10 YEARS OF
EXPERIENCE
Staffing Profile
2011-2012 2012-2013
Staff Profile:
Todd Reynolds, Dean of Students
Todd Reynolds joined the NET leadership team in July, 2012. Thanks to his over 20 years
of experience working with at risk teenagers in New Jersey and New Orleans, “Mr. Todd”
has taken the school’s restorative culture and behavior development systems to the next
level. Rather than a “disciplinarian” to be hated and avoided, students proactively ask
for Mr. Todd because they trust him to listen to them, to be fair, and to help them
solve their problems. Mr. Todd has taught his colleagues the true meaning of patience and
persistence as he models how to support each student by holding them accountable for
constantly growing.
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
17
Facilities The NET moved to 1614 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. in July 2012. The building was
renovated slightly to create the necessary classroom and lab spaces. The fact it is not a
traditional school building has contributed positively to the
NET’s culture as the layout facilitates student and staff
ownership. The school’s location near multiple lines of
public transportation has facilitated student enrollment and
internships. Furthermore, the Oretha Castle Haley
neighborhood is full of likeminded organizations and
partnerships including the Ashe Cultural Arts Center, the
Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, and Café Reconcile.
Operations
Educators for Quality Alternatives contracts with FirstLine Schools to manage the NET’s accounting, federal grants, state
reporting, food service, human resources and facilities. This operational support has been crucial to providing the school
a level of operational quality which would otherwise be difficult given the school’s small size.
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
18
Finance & Fundraising
EQA’s board ran three major fundraisers for the
school this year. The most successful, the
Nothing But NET Basketball Tournament will be
established as an annual event.
The NET received the following major grants:
Perkins grant to start the NET’s carpentry
program
Believe & Include grant to support
Blended Learning and Special Education
GPOA grant to launch the Next Steps
program
Center for Restorative Approaches to
strengthen the school’s restorative
practices
Loyola Work-study program to expand
tutoring at the NET
At the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year,
EQA received the prestigious Walton Family
Foundation Grant of $250,000.
EQA borrowed approximately $60,000 in order to cover the school’s first month’s payroll, the building renovations
and initial curriculum and material costs.
The NET repaid the entire loan and finished the year with a fund balance of approximately $250,000.
$3,699 $14,960.00
$149,000.00
Funds Raised
Fundraisers
Private Donations
Grants
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
19
Voices from the NET Rashawn Ward, Graduated December 2012
“I started attending the NET in the middle of last school year. I chose to come to the NET
because I was falling behind academically and my grades were dropping tremendously.
“It’s not because I wasn’t smart or capable of doing my work but I wasn’t getting the attention
or help I needed from the teachers. That constantly caused conflict between me and the staff
because I get really upset when I don’t understand something. It was not difficult to adjust to
being at the NET because help was always provided and teachers always made time to have
one-on-one time with students. Even the principle made time for students. Attending the NET
is like being with a second family, because the connection with students and staff was always
strong, everyone gets along perfect—we all may have our disagreements or arguments but it
has never torn us apart, out connection at the NET is literally that strong. We look out for one
another, whether it’s academically, personal problems, or just having a bad day, someone is
always there to reach out and talk to us.
“What I like most about the NET is the fact that students only have to work on the credits they
need to graduate, and if you’re coming to school every day doing what you have to do there’s
no way in the world that you won’t graduate, it’s guaranteed. The only thing that is required is coming to school and doing your best, just
don’t ever give up! The staff at the NET always inform students when they’re in danger of failing and they come up with a goal to help them.
I find the NET so helpful because instead of suspending students immediately for their behavior, the staff look further into the situation. The
staff talk to students and make sure that everything is going well at school and what can be the reason for their behavior--- the staff actually
take their time out and talk to us and encourage us to become better as students and young adults.
Educators for Quality Alternatives
Annual Report: 2012-2013
20
“Honestly, before coming to the NET I had my mind set that I was not interested in college at all and I wasn’t going to attend college. Staff at
the NET was concerned about my future, basically more than I was, and that was extremely important to me. One day I sat down and had a
long talk with our Internship Coordinator, Ms. Monique eventually college was brought up into the conversation, I told her I had no plans on
going to college. She sat there and had a long talk with me for about an hour, and it actually encouraged me and I had a whole new mind
state about college, because the things she was telling me were actually true and understandable. Although college will be a long process it
will help me in my future, the better education I get there will be more and better opportunities in life.
“Now that I’m ready to graduate I’ve been improving my attitude. The NET has really helped me as a student, it made me see the things in
me that I never saw in myself, I never even thought I would have been graduating so soon, because I was so far behind. I would tell anyone
that is even thinking about attending the NET to go for it, don’t second guess it. I’m telling you, it’s worth it, they’re here to help you, build
you, and encourage you and over all to help you get that diploma. Work with them and they will work with you, although it’s a very small
population at the NET it’s worth every bit of going there, it’s easier to learn and get individual help with smaller classrooms.
“Leaving the NET I want my fellow classmates, my teachers, and the whole staff to know that I had fun while it lasted. I learned so much
about myself that I didn’t know. I’ve met new nice people who encouraged me and helped me along my journey-- I couldn’t have asked for
better, this day came so soon, I hate to leave the NET but my day finally arrived and I’m officially done with high school. Thanks to all the
staff, I couldn’t have done this without y’all!”
1614 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70113
(504) 267 9060 Fax (504) 267 9059
www.thenetnola.org