Why Give?
It's a very important question, but if you're reading this the chances are you haven't visited our schools or met our students. First and foremost they are the reason to give because they are incredible individuals who are literally disproving statistics about Newark's students every single day. But lots of schools say they're closing the achievement gap, so here are a few, more tangible, reasons why we consider TEAM to be a wise investment: Note: Results are from 2009-10
Fifth grade students from TEAM Academy give themselves a clap after reciting Dr. King's "I Have a Dream speech" from memory on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. They'll spend their week in DC mostly at museums and on college tours.
Academic Results
TEAM is closing the achievement gap for hundreds of Newark kids and opening the doors to college. In a few years, when our first elementary school gets to full size and their founding class goes into middle school, the sky is the limit.
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College
83% of TEAM's alumni are in college. Nationally, 39% of KIPP students graduate college, four times the average for students from low-income communities.
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High School
98% of TEAM's high school juniors passed the state test (HSPA ) in English and 79% passed in math (compared to statewide averages for New Jersey in 2008 of 83% and 75%, respectively).
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High School HSPA: Math
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High School HSPA: Reading
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Middle School NJASK: Math
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Middle School NJASK: Reading
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Middle School
The average TEAM eighth grader is outperforming the rest of the country*, despite entering fifth grade 2 or more years behind the national average in reading.
*According to the subjects tested: math, reading, laugauge, and science, on the MAP Assessment.
Elementary School
88% of TEAM's first kindergarten class finished the school year reading on a first grade level or above. That's after 62% entered the school year below a pre-K level. As promising as the results in TEAM's upper schools are, perhaps the most exciting indicator for the future of education in Newark is how TEAM's first class of kindergartners is doing. They are on track to be above grade level by middle school, instead of multiple years behind.
Elementary Schools: STEP
The Need
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The need to raise money
TEAM, like all charter schools, receives funding on a per pupil basis from the state for every student enrolled in our schools. We raise philanthropic support to cover growth costs and some expenses like scholarships that are not eligible for public funding.
TEAM does more with less - sending 90% of our students off to college with 28% less funding than the surrounding district. TEAM's efficiency is the result of a disciplined, student-focused approach to budgeting that minimizes administrative overhead and focuses dollars on serving students. -
Per-pupil spending
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The need to open more schools
One out of every 10 children in the city of Newark is currently on the waitlist to get into TEAM Schools and that number is growing every week.
That's over 4,500 students demanding access to a world-class public education and college. Every donation helps us grow to serve more Newark children and brings us a step closer to the day when every child in Newark has access to an excellent education.
*TEAM Schools pays rent and busing costs the district does not pay. The district has existing buildings and provides public transportation vouchers. | ** If charter expenses are deducted from the district budget, the district's cost per pupil goes up to $22,856 because the money is spent across fewer students.
Growth
TEAM Schools has invested in building the infrastructure to serve thousands more Newark students. We have the capacity, the plans and the people to grow to meet the need but face three main hurdles ahead:
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Hiring amazing teachers
More so than anything else, teachers have the greatest impact on student achievement. Filling schools with a strong staff of instructors and leaders is the most important factor in putting our students through college. As Newark gains greater attention in the national ed-reform discussion, this becomes an even greater challenge, as selecting from the pool of strong candidates becomes more competitive.
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Finding permanent school buildings
As a New Jersey charter school, TEAM not only gets fewer dollars per pupil, but also has to pay for it's own facilities. Our high school, for instance, has will have moved three times in four years by 2012. We're working to build an advocacy movement in Newark so that charter schools no longer have to face this challenge which takes time and money away from our staff and students.
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Raising start-up funds
When we open a new school it serves just the entering grade level in its first year, then an additional grade each year after that until reaching full size so that the students all leave with the same exposure to our education. But those first years are expensive to pay for facilities and staff without distributing with a larger student body.
Return on Investment
When TEAM reaches full size it will no longer have to raise money and will be completely sustainable on public funding. Your gift, in helping us get that point, will continue to serve thousands of new college-bound students in the years to come.
Leverage
Charter schools have the unusual advantage among non- profits of leveraging private philanthropy with public dollars. Because we fund 90% of our operating expenses with public funds, every $100 dollars of private support is multiplied to provide $900 in support to our students.
Sustainability
TEAM also has the unusual advantage of reaching financial sustainability on public funding once our schools are fully enrolled. The fundraising required is similar to a venture investment to get us through the startup phase. Once we are sustainable, the ROI of that initial philanthropy grows exponentially as we serve more kids for years to come. A gift to TEAM is one that quite literally keeps on giving.
Schools Reaching Sustainability
Newark
Over the next few decades, the growth of schools that send 83% of their alumni on to college will mean billions of dollars in increased lifetime earnings for our students and reduced social costs for the community. The combined impact of the two has the potential to financially transform the communities our students come from and give back to. Your donation is not only a transforming force here and now for our students, but a lasting contribution to the future of Newark.
