Uncommon Schools is proud to announce that North Star Academy received the 2019 College Success Award, which honors high schools that excel in ensuring students are prepared for, enroll in, and succeed in college.<\/p>\n
North Star Academy is one of the approximately 20 percent of eligible schools in New Jersey that won the College Success Award.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur students are ambitious and have goals\u2026 and North Star is preparing them in order to achieve those goals,\u201d says Michael Mann, Principal of North Star Academy Washington Park High School.<\/p>\n
North Star Academy has adopted practices to support their students\u2019 college preparation and success, including a rigorous science curriculum that mirrors college-level science courses and labs, program offerings that provide students with an opportunity to explore their passions outside core academic subjects such as music production and glass blowing, and an interaction and model that focuses on students’ K-12 outcomes to guide college preparation.<\/p>\n
In addition to course offerings, North Star took a targeted approach that emphasizes GPA starting in 9th grade. After noticing that North Star alumni with lower GPAs were struggling in college, Mann and his staff developed a process where students analyzed their grades using real time data, and then created weekly SMART goals towards academic success.<\/p>\n