In the summer of 2007, Uncommon Schools welcomed two charter schools in Boston to the Uncommon Schools network. Boston Collegiate Charter School and Roxbury Preparatory Charter School joined Uncommon as associate members. A natural affiliation has existed for years between these schools and Uncommon, as both schools were founded by current Uncommon leaders: Brett Peiser (now Managing Director of Uncommon's New York City schools) founded Boston Collegiate in 1998, and Evan Rudall (now CEO) co-founded Roxbury Prep in 1999. Many of the organizing principles of the Boston schools have helped to shape the schools across the Uncommon network.

In the summer of 2010, Uncommon Schools formally expanded to Boston by welcoming Roxbury Prep into the Uncommon family. Please see the press release for additional information.

Based on academic results, parental demand, and leadership of the charter school movement, both Boston Collegiate and Roxbury Prep are regarded as leading charter schools in Boston and beyond.

Roxbury Preparatory Charter School

Roxbury Preparatory Charter School was founded in 1999 and has grown to serve 230 students in grades 6, 7, and 8. Co-Directors Dana Lehman and Will Austin lead the school, which is located in Roxbury, MA.

Roxbury Prep - an Intel and Scholastic School of Distinction - has established itself as one of the highest-performing middle schools in the state and has demonstrated that the achievement gap can be closed.

• On five of the seven MCAS tests administered in 2008, the percentage of Roxbury Prep students scoring Advanced or Proficient was higher than that of the Commonwealth’s White students.
• 100% of Roxbury Prep’s 7th and 8th grade students passed both the English and math MCAS exams.

• 100% of Roxbury Prep students passed the 7th grade English test. Students scored Advanced or Proficient at a rate of 95%. Roxbury Prep ranked 10th out of 464 schools in the state on the 7th grade English test.
• On the 8th grade math test, 86% of Roxbury Prep students scored Advanced or Proficient. Roxbury Prep ranked 7th out of 462 schools in the state on the 8th grade math test.

Boston Collegiate Charter School

Boston Collegiate Charter School, located in Dorchester, MA, was founded in 1998 and now enrolls 425 students in grades 5 through 12. Executive Director Kathleen Sullivan leads the school, working closely with Lower School Principal Beth Friedman, Middle School Principal Katie Joseph, and High School Principal Jenna Ogundipe. Boston Collegiate benefits from a set of services provided by Uncommon, including an annual inspection visit, strategic guidance, and fund development assistance. It maintains independence around management and operations.

The school posted very strong results in 2008, including the following:

• 100% of the 10th graders passed the 2008 Massachusetts state math and English exams. Since the inception of the 10th grade state exams in 2002, 98% of 10th graders at Boston Collegiate have passed both the math and English exams on the first attempt. 
• Boston Collegiate was the state’s top performer on the 10th grade math exam with 100% of students scoring Advanced or Proficient on the exam.
• On the 2008 7th grade state English exam, 73% of 7th graders scored Advanced or Proficient, compared to 48% of 7th graders in the district. On the state math exam, 67% of 7th graders scored Advanced or Proficient, compared to 28% of 7th graders in the district.
• In 2008, BCCS 7th, 8th, and 10th graders posted higher passing and proficiency rates than Boston and Massachusetts averages on every exam administered.