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FAQ
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What is a Charter School? Charter schools were created in Minnesota in the early 1990's to provide families with more educational options. Unlike the district you reside in, your resident district, charter schools will have a more focused approach to your child's needs, however, the particular charter school may not be equipped for your child. Charter schools generally specialize in a particular area and parents choose the school because of its unique features. Your resident district is obligated to be prepared to offer you a free and appropriate education, regardless of your child's special circumstances. Charter schools may or may not be equipped to deal with each circumstance. It is best to schedule an appointment with the director of the school you are interested in and INVESTIGATE!
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Does it cost money to attend a charter school
No. Charter schools are free public schools that parents can choose as an alternative to the traditional school system. The revenue or funding that a student generates in the state of Minnesota will follow the student to whichever school he or she attends. There may be certain fees a charter school may ask its parents to pay for special offerings, but the primary education is free and paid for out of tax dollars. |
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Is a charter school education better or worse than a traditional school education?
It depends. Everyone is looking for something different. One of the best features of most charter schools is that they are much smaller than traditional schools. When schools are smaller, they can treat each student like an individual. Research shows that smaller schools can have a greater impact on a students learning simply because they can get more of the attention they need. However, most charter schools, because of their size, will have a limited number of courses to offer its students. Therefore, each family should carefully weigh the positive and negative attributes of the individual charter school and make a decision on what is best for the child as an individual.
Is a charter school diploma as good as a diploma from a traditional high school?
In most cases, yes. There are thousands of high schools across America. Nobody really cares what high school you graduate from, except for people who feel closely connected to a school they once attended, or were otherwise affiliated with. What is probably more important than the actual high school is the transcript of the individual student. The transcript is what actually tells the world what type of student you were. Transcripts, regardless of the classes taken, will tell how well individuals performed no matter how rigorous or difficult the classes may have been. In short, a diploma is a diploma. A transcript has the true value.
Is New Heights School a place where troublemakers enroll?
Absolutely not. For years, a few people in the community have always thought that New Heights, because of its alternative nature, is the place in town to send the troubled kids. In fact, the opposite is true. Because of the size of our school, it becomes much more obvious when students don’t do what is expected of them. When that happens, there are a variety of interventions that the school can use to assist in correcting the behaviors, but ultimately, if the students cannot manage their behavior in a positive and productive way, they will be asked to withdraw and attend their traditional school in their resident district
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Are there extra-curricular opportunities through charter schools?
Many charter schools offer extra-curricular activities. At this time, a few charter schools have their own sports teams, but they are not recognized favorably by the traditional school system. Most charter schools with students who want to participate in these activities make arrangements with the local resident districts to allow the students to participate, for a fee, in the traditional school’s after school programs. Of course, there are difficulties in this such as different dismissal times, transportation issues, and political problems stemming from the fact that the students do not attend the school they intend on representing through the extra-curricular program. These are things best discussed with the administrator of the school you are considering. It should be noted that many charter schools have, as part of their core program, specialty courses that some schools only offer as extra-curricular activities. For example, there is a charter school that focuses on recording arts. Undoubtedly, this type of class is hard to sponsor in a more traditional school.
Are there students with special needs at New Heights?
Yes. Each year, approximately 30-40% of the students in attendance have an identified learning disability. This number does not compare well with the average of Washington County, which is approximately 9-10%. Special education students at New Heights are generally expected to attend their mainstream classrooms with minimal pullout. This is possible because of our low class sizes, and the school’s flexibility in programming. Teachers, in conjunction with special education case managers, create modifications and accommodations based upon the individual needs of the special education students. With such modifications and accommodations, the students are able to attend their main stream classes, and the school can maintain the goal of placing students in the least restrictive environment with their regular education peers for as much time as is possible. At New Heights, there is no stigma attached to being a special needs student.
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Are charter schools exempt from standardized testing?
No. Charter schools are public schools funded by Minnesota tax dollars. The stakeholders are the exact same people as those from the traditional sector. The common misunderstanding is that charter schools are weird schools that can do whatever they want and are not held accountable. The truth is, charter schools were given some flexibility to try new and innovative ways to teach our students, but most of that has given way to legislation that binds charters to the exact same standard as traditional schools. All students in Minnesota public schools have to make certain benchmarks, or they are at risk of not graduating. The legislature is currently in the process of revising several of the core areas of study in all Minnesota public schools. New Heights and other charter schools are obligated to meet all of the same standards that all Minnesota public schools do.
What percentage of New Heights’ students goes on to attend a college or trade school?
It depends. There is no hard and fast rule as to the number of college bound students a school produces. Our goal at New Heights is to help each individual student reach his or her own potential. Ultimately, our goal ends with graduating seniors from high school. Once a student graduates from high school, it is up to him or her whether or not to attend a post-secondary program. We feel strongly about preparing students for life after high school, but we are not in control of the desires, or abilities of the students who enroll. In order to prepare for life after high school, we offer programs such as post-secondary enrollment options, which is a program that allows juniors and seniors in high school to attend a portion or all of their school day in college level courses, as long as they meet the criteria. In addition, we have a guidance counselor on site everyday to assist students with planning for life after high school. We also offer career courses to assist students in discovering their talents and interests so that when it is time to make some decisions, students have a good idea about what is out there for them. Ultimately, the number of students in any given year that apply for, or attend a college or trade school is impossible to answer. However, if that is the goal of any student at New Heights, we will work hard to assist them in reaching their goals.
Are all of the students at New Heights School from the Stillwater area?
No. Each year, approximately 80% of the students come from district 834. However, since the school opened in 1993, New Heights has served students from as many as 13 school districts, as well as a number of private schools. New Heights is now the 3rd oldest charter school in the nation. Its reputation is growing as a school that truly cares about students and their individual needs. The word has spread about New Heights and enrollment is on the rise. More and more families are choosing to explore their options, and New Heights is one that many families look into each year.
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Are there openings at New Heights for my student?
Yes. Although we cap our classes at 25 students, we have rarely had 25 in any one class. It is best to call the main number of the school and schedule an appointment with the principal to find out more about the opportunities and availability of the program.
How do I schedule an appointment?
Simply call the main phone number (651-439-1962) and one of the secretaries will ask you a few questions and schedule you to meet with the school’s principal, Tom Kearney. Initial meetings usually take approximately 30 minutes to one hour. It is helpful if you can obtain things like past report cards, transcripts, and special education documents such as IEPs and Assessment Summary Reports to bring with you. The process takes a little more time with special education students because of the importance of providing appropriate programming based on the learning disability of the student. Once it is determined that the school is an appropriate fit for your child, the main office will issue you a proposed start date. A start date is usually designated in accordance with the start of a week, or the first day after a natural break in the traditional school year, and only once all official records are obtained. Students may start school at New Heights through the month of April, and in special cases, may even begin in May if they intend on returning the next school year. It is customary that seniors may not enroll at New Heights past the first day of classes in their senior year. Special consideration may be given for unusual circumstances.
May we tour New Heights, or schedule a trial day?
Yes. You may receive a tour of the school during hours when students are not present. It is important that we not interrupt the learning process for outside tours. If you are still undecided, and your child is in grades K-6, we will offer you an opportunity to send your child to school for ½ day, in order to assist in your decision. There are no trial days for students in grades 7-12. No exceptions.
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Since New Heights is a K-12 program, how do you separate the students?
In all there is an average of 140 students in the school at any one time. The customary breakdown is 100 secondary students and 40 elementary students. The elementary program is located on the main floor. Currently, there is one teacher for all kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders, one teacher for 3rd and 4th graders, and one teacher for 5th and 6th grade students. This multi-grade approach has its pros and cons. Obviously, the ratio of students per teacher is one of the greatest benefits we have to offer. The secondary students spend the majority of their school day on the top floor of the school. Secondary student in grades 7-12 attend six 50-minute classes, and transition from class to class with grade appropriate peers. In some cases, secondary students will be paired with students of another grade, for example 7/8, 9/10, and 11/12. When we combine grades, it assists us in keeping class sizes more balanced, and it also allows us to offer ability groupings so that the higher level students and lower level students can have schoolwork issued to them that more closely meets their needs. The elementary students rarely come in contact with the secondary students. Safety is never a concern. There has never been a case in the school’s existence of a secondary student harassing or otherwise hurting an elementary student of our school. Students once attended one-room schoolhouses. We are able to offer a K-12 educational experience that is safe and unique in this area.
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What is your school’s policy on homework?
We have no “policy” on homework. However, it is our feeling that students in traditional schools are given too much homework. In many cases, students of traditional school systems take home anywhere from an hour, to three hours of homework at least three nights per week. When students take work home, they often forget the instructions issued by the teacher and are therefore at risk of doing the work incorrectly. In other cases, students rely on the help of their parents, but they were not present for the teacher’s lecture and instructions and often are confused about what the teacher wants. The other obvious issue with homework is that in too many cases, it never finds its way back to school. All of these scenarios lead to students receiving poor, if not failing grades for work that was issued at school, but is to be completed as “homework.” Therefore, our best practice is to simply expect that students report to school and work hard while they are there. Rather than assign work to be done at the home, we prefer that the students work while in class. Students who have questions or are confused about the assignment can then ask the teacher for assistance in getting it completed correctly. If students miss school due to an illness or other reason, they are still responsible for the work issued on the day they missed. In that case, they may have to take some schoolwork home, but it is technically not “homework.” We have found that by reducing the amount of “homework” issued to students, we have also reduced the amount of undue stress felt by parents and students. If the students give us 6.5 hours of solid effort per day, they should have virtually no “homework.”
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What evidence do you have that students are learning at New Heights?
If you were to search for information on standardized test results for New Heights School, you would probably find that our students have not fared well when compared against the national average. However, there is much that is not being reported in those raw numbers. For example, most students at New Heights are transfer students. That means that either some, or most of their school life has been spent somewhere else. In many cases, students that are required to take the 8th grade reading and math tests enroll at New Heights either just prior to taking the tests, or after they have already unsuccessfully taken the tests. If they are enrolled at the school and take the test at New Heights, they are counted as a New Heights student and the school receives the credit or blame for their success or failure on the tests. The reality is that somewhere along the line, our transfer students didn’t get what they needed in the first 8 years of their education in order to pass those tests. What you might find if you kept looking for test data is that students enrolled at New Heights are gaining ground at a much faster than average rate. Although they may have come to us deficient in some testable area, we have shown that we will get them to where they need to be either prior to, or at the time of graduation in the vast majority of cases. We do not perform miracles, but standardized tests (NWEA) show that students enrolled at New Heights, over time, will move ahead at 5, 6, or even 8 times the norm. This can only be attributed to the smallness of the school, the comfort students feel in our program, and the dedication on the part of the teachers who go out of their way to form positive relationships with their students. Once that is accomplished, a significantly higher level of learning can take place.
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Is transportation available to my student?
Most charter schools work in conjunction with the district they are located in for their transportation needs. Law currently allows for transportation services for families living within the district boundaries that the charter school operates in. To be clearer, New Heights is located in ISD 834-Stillwater Area School District. Therefore, families living within the 834 boundaries are eligible for a school bus ride to and from school as long as they meet the distance provisions of the district, which are currently 1 mile from the school your child attends. There is talk that those distances could increase due to budget issues, but that is completely up to the Stillwater school board members to decide. If you live outside of the district boundaries, you would be responsible for the transportation of your child(ren). Also, many of the students who have obtained their driver’s licenses drive to school. Occasionally, we have assisted in putting together a carpool situation for those families who would like to join our program, but would struggle with the transportation aspect. There is no fee for a parking permit. Students driving their cars must simply park on the street in accordance with local ordinances.
Do you have a hot lunch program?
Yes. We are also participating in the National School Lunch Program. Eligible families may receive either a free, or reduced price lunch. Other families can choose to eat the lunch prepared by the school, bring a lunch from home, or purchase one of the items found on the ala carte menu. The school cafeteria is equipped with microwaves for student use, and there are some refrigerators for the student who occasionally brings a frozen item for lunch. Over ½ of our students eat the hot lunch everyday.
Is there an after school daycare program?
No. However, there are various programs available locally. In some cases, we can assist in connecting parents with the operators of the daycare programs we have been affiliated with over the years. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the parents to care for their children up to 30 minutes prior to school, and no more than 30 minutes after school, as the school does not have staff on board more than 30 minutes before or after school.
Are there opportunities for parents to get involved?
Yes! There are a number of ways parents can contribute. Elementary parents often are asked to chaperone or volunteer to drive to field trips. Parents often offer their talents to assist in the annual elementary holiday program, as well. Parents of older students may assist with the graduation ceremony, or they may offer to be a presenter in a class regarding their career or other interesting characteristic. But, the primary way we encourage parents to assist, other than ensuring your child gets to school on time each day, is to help the school by paying the fees, or assisting in the fundraising efforts we utilize in order to preserve our specialty programs. It takes a lot of money to offer enrichment programs to students, and New Heights must find creative ways to fund these programs. It is most helpful when parents contribute either financially, or offer to assist in some way during our fundraisers.
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