The New City School Strategic Plan

Since opening its doors in downtown Long Beach in 2000, The New City School has become a singular example of innovative urban public education at its finest. No other public or private school in California, and perhaps the country, offers The New City School's exceptional combination of constructivist theory, project-based learning, dual immersion (English-Spanish), and an emphasis on the arts.

Adding to its uniqueness are such NCS cultural elements as its sense of family, a commitment to the environment, student performances, and community interaction via field trips. Throughout its six years of existence, NCS has attained consistent and at times remarkable growth in its academic achievement.

Now, with its enrollment at capacity and an ever-present waiting list, The New City School is embarking on an ambitious ten-year expansion plan to extend its success and affect system-wide positive change.

Public education in the Long Beach and Los Angeles Unified School Districts has reached crisis levels in low achievement, dropout rates, and overcrowding. The New City School intends to address L.A. County's need for urban education reform by expanding from a single campus to opening three new K-8 schools and a high school within the next five years. These new campuses will all be located in underserved communities from Long Beach to downtown Los Angeles. At capacity, the original NCS campus and subsequent sites will collectively educate 1,800 K-12 students from ethnically diverse communities across L.A. County.

In keeping with its commitment to the environment, NCS will locate its campuses within a half mile of light rail stops and design its schools according to sustainable ("green") practices.

The expansion plan also calls for the creation of New City Public Schools (NCPS), a charter management organization that will oversee and support all the New City schools. Rather than replicating existing school district bureaucracy, NCPS will be a lean, scaled-down entity that grants considerable autonomy to the individual schools.

The New City School (NCS) is a public charter school with a unique education program that emphasizes bilingualism, multiculturalism, visual and performing arts, reasoning, and community engagement. NCS offers 200 K-8 grade students an alternative to a public education system that has lost an entire generation of students to dropout and low achievement.

NCS is focused on meeting the needs of its urban community, particularly in educating students from low-income households in underserved neighborhoods. The education program is based on the constructivist theory of Jean Piaget, whose work established that learning must be active and relevant, and that meaning needs to be constructed by each individual.

History

In 1999, schoolteachers Ted Hamory and Stephanie Lee began working to gather support for a new school in downtown Long Beach, California. They led a group of parents and educators who were concerned about public education and dedicated to providing a high quality, free and public education alternative.

The New City School opened its doors in August 2000, with the goal of becoming a compelling design for urban education in the 21st century. The founders have since transformed their dream into a vibrant, successful school whose waiting list far exceeds the number of students enrolled.

In 2004, NCS was recognized for its outstanding community service by the Long Beach City Council. In 2006, the USC Center on Educational Governance added NCS's Visual and Performing Arts Festivals to its "Compendium of Promising Practices."

The NCS campus is a gem in what was an otherwise neglected part of the city. The school's initial rehabilitation project transformed a blighted, boarded-up eyesore into 8,000 square feet of light-filled learning space. The three-story building, built as a medical clinic in 1948, now has 10 classrooms, a large playground, a beautiful organic garden, and grounds landscaped with California native plants and trees.

A Singular Achievement

Although many schools throughout L.A. County offer some form of dual language education, none offer a school-wide dual immersion program as The New City School does. After extensive research, NCS has found that it is highly likely that no school in California, and perhaps the country, has The New City School's exceptional combination of dual immersion, constructivist theory, social justice, and an emphasis on visual and performing arts.

The Class of 2006 cohort gained an average of 32% and 13.6% in Math and ELA respectively over a four-year period on the California Standards Tests.

We will provide a thoughtful, healthy, intimate environment in which community building is valued over competition. Through a curriculum enriched by the arts, technology, and the natural environment, we will teach students to develop into independent critical thinkers who demonstrate expertise in reasoning and problem solving, English and Spanish literacy, creative expression, and historical perspective. Toward these goals, the families and staff of the New City School will work together as partners to understand the needs and interests of the students, to act in the service of justice, and to extend learning opportunities into the home and community.

La Nueva Escuela Urbana

Brindaremos al alumno un medio ambiente sereno, íntimo y saludable en el que se valore más la participación comunitaria que el espíritu competitivo. A través de un currículo enriquecido por las artes, la tecnología y el medioambiente natural enseñaremos a los alumnos para que desarrollen un pensamiento crítico e independiente y que demuestren dominio en razonamiento y resolución de problemas, lengua española e inglesa, expresión creativa, y perspectiva histórica.

The key elements of the New City School Expansion Plan:

• Facilitate urban education reform on a wider scale by opening more New City Schools
• Educate an ethnically diverse student population in underserved communities in L.A. County
• Create New City Public Schools, a charter management organization
• Implement The New City Public Schools Education Program
• Expand upon and disseminate the unique New City School culture

The vision: to open and operate a total of five campuses at sites located along the Metro Rail Blue Line, in communities of need from downtown Long Beach to Los Angeles. The New City School intended to grow steadily over the next ten years to serve 1,800 students in grades K through 12.

Key design features of the NCPS Education Program:

• Constructivist theory
• Project-based learning
• Small school and class size
• Multi-age groupings
• Teaching teams
• Dual immersion (English-Spanish)
• Visual and performing arts
• Wellness approach
• Weekly learning excursions

The Ed Program is reviewed and revised by NCPS teaching teams with clear guidance and feedback from education consultants, the Content Standards for California Public Schools, the California State Frameworks, the District, and the school charter.

The prototypical New City Public School campus is an urban sanctuary that provides its students and faculty a beautiful setting for their educational experiences. Just as they do with their curriculum, the students actively participate in creating the look and feel of their surroundings — from the organic garden to the artwork that adorns the hallways.

Sustainable Design

One of the key criteria for New City site selection is proximity to a Metro Rail stop. By utilizing sustainable ("green") design, NCPS facilities enhance the health and learning environments of students, faculty, and staff. Elements include appropriate lighting, acoustical comfort, thermal comfort, HVAC systems, renewable energy technologies, water efficiency, and low-emission materials.