APPENDIX B: RENEWAL APPLICATION
PART 1: APPLICANT INFORMATION AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Complete Table 1.A, providing the school’s general information.
Table 1.A: Charter School General Information
Name of Charter School:

Year School Opened:

Common Ground High School

1997

Street Address:

City/Zip Code:

358 Springside Avenue

New Haven, CT 06515

Name of Board President:

Email/Phone for Board President:

Frank Mitchell

wfrankm@cshore.com, 203.887.4607

Signature of Board President:

Date:
Nov 21, 2014

Name of Charter School Director:

Email/Phone for Charter School Director:

Lizanne Cox

lcox@commongroundct.org, 203.389.4333

Signature of Charter School Director:

Date:
Nov 21, 2014

2. Provide a concise summary of the school’s unique model, student population, performance, and future
goals. Provide evidence to substantiate the school’s impact and explain why the State Board of
Education (SBE) should renew the school’s charter.
Founded in 1997, Common Ground High School launched as one of Connecticut’s first charter schools, and as
the nation’s first environmental charter high school. Today, Common Ground High School is creating the next
generation of successful college students and powerful environmental leaders. Common Ground uses three
learning laboratories – the forested ridge of West Rock State Park, our 20-acre educational farm, and the city of
New Haven – to engage students and provide relevant learning experiences, all driven by Common Core and
state content area standards. In their science classes, for instance, students publish original research on the
biodiversity impact of habitat restoration efforts, and develop permanent outdoor interpretive exhibits in
partnership with the Yale Peabody Museum for Natural History. They work with professional actors from the
Elm Shakespeare Company to mount public theatrical performances, and apply calculus skills to measure the
volume of Common Ground’s compost pile. Beyond the classroom, they join in 2 dozen after-school programs,
take on paid green jobs, conduct ocean biogeochemistry research in the Dominican Republic, and intern with
the Nature Conservancy. They join in six advanced placement courses, take courses for credit at three local
universities, and get the individualized supports they need to master this challenging content through intensive
academic supports. In order to graduate, these students must defend an electronic portfolio that demonstrates
their growth as an environmental leader, and complete capstone projects that integrate research and
community action projects.

1

 This unique educational environment has helped our 180 students – nearly 75% young people of color, 65%
from the City of New Haven, more than half qualifying for free and reduced lunch – make real progress.
Common Ground’s 4-year graduation rate (89.5%) significantly exceeds the state (85.5%) and New Haven
(71.4%) averages. Between 2007 and 2014, our students have made some of the state’s most dramatic test
score gains. These test score gains and excellent graduation rates earned Common Ground recognition as a
Connecticut School of Distinction – one of the state’s 10 schools making the greatest progress toward state
educational grains. Our students’ success continues beyond high school, as well. In each of the last five years,
93% or more of graduates have been accepted to college or another post-secondary education program. In
October, Common Ground was one of four Connecticut high schools to make Newsweek’s list of “Beating the
Odds” schools, chosen for their track record for helping low-income students make successful transitions to
college.
Common Ground High School is the largest program of the New Haven Ecology Project – a community non-profit
founded in 1992. Our mission: to cultivate habits of healthy living and sustainable environmental practice with a
diverse community of children, young people, adults, and families. We achieve this mission through the work of
Common Ground High School, as well as through our urban farm and our community environmental education
programs. Last year, these programs engaged nearly 15,000 children and adults, and our urban farm grew more
than 8,000 pounds of healthy, local produce for the New Haven community.
Moving forward, Common Ground’s focus is clear, steady, and ambitious. We will:
1) Push every student to reach high standards, and graduate college-ready, by continuing to strengthen
both core teaching and learning and the above and beyond supports we provide our students.
2) Work unrelentingly toward equitable opportunities and outcomes for our students – eliminating internal
gaps, and building our capacity for culturally relevant teaching and curriculum.
3) Ensure that students make successful transitions to college, and persist on their way to 4-year degrees –
recognizing that our job is not done when students walk across the stage at graduation.
4) Support and encourage every student to grow into a powerful leader through an integrated, school-wide
environmental leadership strategy.
5) Complete work on important changes to our 20-acre site, so we can expand to serve 225 students and
give these students the learning environment they deserve.
6) Fulfill charter schools’ promise to act as laboratories for innovation by engaging in sustained, highimpact efforts that build the capacity of other public schools in Connecticut and beyond.
3. Request any material revisions to the school’s charter, if applicable.
All of the essential features of Common Ground’s charter – mission, geographic focus, organizational context,
and grade level focus – remain steady. We are requesting no material revisions in our charter.
4. Complete Table 4.A, summarizing the school’s demographics, enrollment, and three-year growth
projections. Demographic data should reflect the school’s 2014-15 student population.
Table 4.A: Charter School Enrollment and Demographic Information
School
Year:

Actual Enrollment:
PK

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Total

2010-11

52

46

27

38

163

2011-12

59

42

41

23

165
2

 2012-13

58

44

35

32

169

2013-14

71
54

38
59

43
33

28
34

180
180

2014-15
School
Year:

Growth Projections:
PK

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Total

2015-16

53

49

53

30

185

2016-17

59

50

41

45

195

2017-18

65

58

59

38

210

2014-15 Student Demographic Information:
Majority sending city/district:

New Haven Public Schools

Percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced price meals:

52.7%

Percentage of special education students:

16.6%

Percentage of students with limited English proficiency:

0.01%

Percentage of Asian students:

0.01%

Percentage of Black students:

32.2%

Percentage of Hispanic students:

35.5%

Percentage of Caucasian students:

27.7%

5. If applicable, provide a rationale for the proposed expansion outlined in Table 4.A.
Common Ground is ready to grow our student body from 180 to 225 students, incrementing at 5 students in
2015-16, 10 students in 2016-17, 15 students in 2017-18, and 15 students in 2018-19. This relatively slow rate of
increase mirrors previous periods of Common Ground’s growth, and gives us confidence that we can sustain
positive school culture and build appropriate educational opportunities as we expand our reach.
We undertake this expansion in large part because of the demand among prospective students and their
families. For the 2013-14 school year, Common Ground received applications from 150 prospective students to
fill 67 open seats. The number of applications for 2014-15 increased to 222, while the number of open seats
decreased to 51. Common Ground’s staff and board are committed to respond to this unmet need for the
educational opportunities and impact that we create.
Just as importantly, expanding from 180 to 225 seats will also allow us to better meet the educational needs of
our students. As we have grown our student body to from 150 to 180, we have been able to add a certified
chemistry and physics teacher, expand from 0 to 6 advanced placement courses, and develop more intensive
intervention programs for students who need them. Additional course offerings and certified staff allow us to
better meet the individual needs of students, including those most struggling to reach high academic standards.
At 225 students, we will be able to offer additional sections of courses like chemistry and physics, expand
advanced English offerings, and develop a much more robust set of arts courses, for instance.
The pro forma budget projections attached to this proposal demonstrate an additional benefit of expansion. The
current per pupil funding for charter schools is not adequate to meet the educational needs of our students. At
present, we must raise more than $3,000, per student per year, to supplement state and federal funding – and
even this level of fundraising activity leaves us at a per pupil funding rate significantly below the New Haven
3

 average. Our budget projections indicate that growing to 225 can help us realize additional economies of scale –
operating more efficiently, and realizing some cost savings.
Thanks to facilities funding from the State of Connecticut, and from more than 300 individuals, foundations, and
businesses, Common Ground is poised to start construction on a new school building that will support this
growth to 225 students. We have already undertaken the first major phase of construction – focused on site
preparation – and are posed to complete this project by spring 2016. This new building – including two
outstanding science labs, a dedicated art classroom, and a half court gym – will allow us to enhance the
educational opportunities we provide students. At present, Common Ground’s science classrooms do not
include any prep space, and are shared with non-science classes, preventing our students from taking on the
more sophisticated experiments involved in Advanced Placement or honors courses. Our largest gathering space
– our school cafeteria – barely holds our entire student body for assemblies, and does not support the highquality physical education and drama programs our teachers have created. At present, we can only offer one
level of art course, and our students are demanding more. Additional facilities, possible at 225 students, will
allow us to better meet our students’ educational needs.

PART 2: SCHOOL PERFORMANCE
6. Complete Table 6.A, summarizing the school’s record of student achievement.
Table 6.A: School Performance Data
Performance Metric:

2010-11:

Average daily student attendance rate:

2011-12:

93.4%

Student chronic absenteeism rate:

2012-13:

2013-14:

94.6%

94.0%

94.4%

12.8%

14.5%

16.6%

Number of in-school suspensions:

18

17

*

13

Number of out-of-school suspensions:

*

*

*

12

Number of expulsions:

0

*

*

0

Cohort graduation rate (if applicable):

86.8%

90.3%

89.5%

89.7%

Holding power rate (if applicable):

92.1%

93.5%

96.6%

N/A

Overall School Performance Index (SPI):

69.4

65.3

73.8

Overall host District Performance Index (DPI):

53.1

52.1

53.3

Math SPI:

65.1

53.4

63.7

Math host district DPI:

46.9

46.2

47.0

Reading SPI:

75.6

71.4

73.9

Reading host district DPI:

52.6

53.1

51.3

Writing SPI:

77.6

78.2

86.9

Writing host district DPI:

68.0

70.0

69.1

Black/African American SPI:

n/a

n/a

n/a

Black/African Am. host district DPI:

47.0

44.8

46.9

Hispanic/Latino SPI:

n/a

n/a

n/a

Hispanic/Latino host district DPI:

48.1

47.9

47.8
4

 Table 6.A: School Performance Data
ELL SPI:

n/a

n/a

n/a

ELL host district DPI:

27.8

23.9

25.3

FRL SPI:

n/a

60.7

65.7

FRL host district DPI:

49.5

48.3

47.2

Special education SPI:

n/a

n/a

n/a

Special education host district DPI:

28.1

31.5

30.7

* N<=5. Suppressed to protect student confidentiality.
7. Discuss the school’s academic achievement. Summarize the school’s performance from absolute,
comparative, and growth perspectives. Address progress toward closing achievement gaps. Provide
data evidencing performance and progress during the 2013-14 school year. Given the transition in state
standardized assessments, the applicant should provide alternate data that speak to 2013-14 student
performance and progress.
In the five years since Common Ground’s last charter renewal, our students have made significant and sustained
academic progress. Between 2008 and 2013, the percentage of Common Ground students earning “proficient”
and “goal” scores on state CAPT tests doubled or more than doubled in every subject area. In 2009, sustained
test score gains made Common Ground the state’s only high school to exit No Child Left Behind “In Need of
Improvement” status. In 2010, the percentage of Common Ground students reaching goal-level performance on
the statewide CAPT tests doubled or tripled in every subject area – the largest gains of any Connecticut high
school, according to analysis by ConnCAN.
Percent of Common Ground Students
Demonstrating Proficiency on State Tests
100

90
80

70
60

Math

50

Science

40

Reading

30
20

Writing

In 2013 – the final year of CAPT administration –
Common Ground students once again made
significant gains. The percent of students reaching
“proficient” rose in every subject but reading,
including a 17 point gain in math and an 18 point
gain in science. Students’ proficiency scores in
writing (97.7%) and reading (81.4%) surpassed the
state average for the third straight year, and math
(76.7%) and science (79.1%) scores increased to
within 2-3 points of the state average. At the same
time, the percentage of Common Ground students
reaching “state goal” rose by double digits in every
subject area: increasing by 18 points (to 27.9%) in
math, by 15 points (to 39.5%) in science, by 14
points (to 39.5%) in reading, and by 25 points (to
61.4%) in writing.

10

Often, charter school skeptics wonder whether
gains like these are possible because more
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
challenging and lower achieving students are being
pushed out of the school system. Four-year graduation rates provide one helpful indicator of whether students
are dropping out or being pushed out. Common Ground’s four-year graduation rates have ranged from 89.5 to
0

5

 90.5% in each of the last three years, exceeding the state average by 4 or more points in each of those years,
and significantly exceeding graduation rates in Connecticut’s urban school districts. In 2014, Common Ground’s
subgroup 4-year graduation rates for black (100%) and Hispanic (92.3%) students were above the school
average, as were graduation rates for special education students (100%) and reduced price lunch eligible
students (100%). The 4-year graduation rate for of students who qualify for free lunch was slightly below the
school average (86.4%), but still above the state average for all students.
As a result of our progress toward goals for test score performance and graduation rates, Common Ground was
named a School of Distinction in 2013, one of 73 Connecticut schools to receive this designation. Common
Ground was singled out as one of the 10 schools making the most progress toward the state’s goals for
academic performance and graduation rates. Common Ground was also identified as a “Progressing” school —
the second highest category in the state’s 6-tiered school classification system. Common Ground was one of a
handful of the state’s urban high schools to reach this level of performance.
Year-to-year increases in performance are one important measure of student success, but they do not indicate
whether a particular student or cohort of students is making academic progress. Data analysis indicates that
Common Ground students are also making significant progress between the 8th grade CMT and the 10th grade
CAPT. While only 42% of Common Ground’s Class of 2014 had earned proficient scores of all sections of the
middle school CMT, 58% earned proficiency on all four sections of the high school CAPT test when they took that
test as 10th graders.
Moving forward, CAPT performance is not – we believe – an adequately high bar for judging student success.
Common Ground has embraced the transition to more challenging Common Core standards, and has developed
assessment systems that align with SBAC assessments. While state testing data are not available for the 2013-14
school year, a number of indicators demonstrate sustained academic growth and achievement during last school
year. These results provide further evidence that students’ academic performance grows significantly while they
are at Common Ground:






Between Fall 2013 and Fall 2014, the average Common Ground student gained 1.84 grade levels in
reading, based on results of the Nelson-Denny Reading Assessment. This represents, on average,
progress from just above the 8th grade reading level to just below the 10th grade reading level.
School-wide, the percent of students reaching “goal-level” performance on our English/Language Arts
benchmark assessment1 increased by 22 points – from 19% to 41%. Students made significant gains at
every grade level.
Students demonstrated significant progress on school-wide math benchmarks this year. At the start of
the year, only 1% of students reached goal-level performance; by spring, 23% had reached goal, a 22
point increase. The gains were greatest among students taking Algebra 1 and Algebra 2; our most
struggling math students, who needed to take Pre-Algebra as high school students, did not make
significant gains in mastery of Common Core standards.

Common Ground is fully committed to helping all students succeed, and to eliminating persistent achievement
gaps based on race, income, and geography. Common Ground’s student body – in 2013-14, 77% students of
1

In the transition between CAPT and SBAC tests, Common Ground has had to rely on internally developed benchmark
assessments in both reading and math. These internal benchmarks reflect strong alignment with Common Ground’s
mission; for instance, ELA benchmarks challenge students to demonstrate argumentative writing skills in response to a set
of sources focused on a community environmental issue. However, we would much prefer to use these in-house
benchmarks in combination with externally validated assessments, and look forward to the availability of released SBAC
items and reliable SBAC tests that would allow us to do so.

6

 color, 57% qualifying for free/reduced price lunch, and 65% from the City of New Haven – reflects our
commitment to serve a diverse student body and reduce isolation. Because of our small student body, racial and
economic subgroups are often too small to yield significant or publicly reportable achievement data. At the
same time, the data we do have makes clear that students arrive at Common Ground with gaps in reading,
math, and other key areas, and that it is our job to eliminate these gaps. We share some of the strategies we are
using to create equitable opportunities and outcomes in other sections of this application.
Perhaps the most important measures of Common Ground’s impact are whether our students succeed after
graduation, and whether they are growing as leaders as well as learners. In 2014, for the 5th straight year,
Common Ground’s college acceptance rates exceeded 93%. Approximately 75% of our graduates enrolled in
college in the fall following graduation, up from 71% the previous year. A new analysis by Newsweek – based on
college enrollment, college-going supports, and college-ready academic results – identified Common Ground as
one of four “Beating the Odds” high schools in Connecticut – “performing better than statistically expected for
their level of poverty” in preparing low-income college students for college.
8. Describe the school’s academic program and efforts to align to the Common Core State Standards and
next-generation assessments. Describe efforts to support special education students, high-risk students,
and English language learners (ELLs). Identify areas for growth and improvement in the school’s
academic program. Discuss areas of concern and plans to address identified deficiencies, if any.
Common Ground’s curriculum is designed to foster authentic learning – learning that is real, relevant, and
meaningful for students – in a challenging, college-prep environment. Authentic learning at Common Ground is
achieved through a mix of semester-long, 60-minute courses and interdisciplinary block classes. Interdisciplinary
courses meet for two hours each day and are team-taught. Our inquiry-based, experiential curriculum
encourages students to become mentally and physically active as they engage in real tasks that help them to
understand fundamental concepts, reason carefully, draw connections, and pose new questions. Across courses,
the local environment – natural and built, cultural and physical – is a laboratory for student learning. Common
Ground’s urban farm, West Rock Ridge State Park, and the greater New Haven community all act as essential
learning laboratories for Common Ground students.
Throughout the curriculum, our focus is on helping students master the core academic competencies that will
prepare them for success in college, civic life, and employment. In classrooms, students take on long-term
projects and challenging tasks that are aligned both with the immediate requirements of standards-aligned
assessments and the demands of competitive colleges. Common Ground’s guidance program emphasizes
college readiness beginning in the freshmen year. Many juniors and seniors take Advanced Placement and dual
enrollment college courses to advance in specific subjects and to prepare for higher education, and we
consistently connect students with out-of-school learning opportunities that further stretch their capacity to
learn. Our guidance curriculum affords all students comprehensive college and career exploration opportunities,
as well, and all juniors explore careers through off-site job shadows. Seniors complete capstone service learning
senior projects through a required Senior Seminar.
Common Ground has continued to push forward with work to align our curriculum, teaching strategies, student
assessment, and teacher evaluation systems with a clear goal: that every student master challenging Common
Core standards, building the academic capacities that will prepare them for college success. We are now in our
fourth year of Common Core alignment work; we see this curriculum revision work as a constant, ongoing
process. Across content areas, teachers have received intensive embedded professional development around
text selection, developing reading strategies, developing academic language, and questioning strategies. In Math
and math-intensive disciplines like science, the curriculum is built around Standards of Mathematical Practice –
7

 focused on building conceptual understanding, and alternately contextualizing and decontextualizing
mathematical practices.
Across the curriculum, assessment practices are built around Common Core standards, as well. School-wide
benchmark assessments aligned with SBAC released items, as well as daily formative assessments, help us
measure and promote standards mastery. Significant performance tasks, build into every academic class, also
align with Common Core standards and mirror SBAC assessments. By developing these assessments in house,
we maximize their impact as opportunities for school-wide work around issues directly related to our
environmental mission and issues of relevance to our student body.
An integrated, comprehensive academic intervention system supports all students as they work toward mastery
of challenging Common Core standards. Teaching assistants partner with certified classroom teachers, providing
support to struggling students and making it possible consistently and quickly to use formative assessments to
diagnose student learning needs. In 2014-15, Common Ground has instituted a daily 45-minute long
intervention block, in which every student is matched with small group support – ranging from computeradaptive mathematics work, to office hours with classroom teachers, to small study groups with a teaching
assistant. In addition, Common Ground’s robust after-school program offers additional resources for academic
support and enrichment; nearly every one of Common Ground’s students participates in this after-school
program. Academic advisors and our after-school team work with each student to create a set of after-school
commitments that meets their academic needs, and also pursue their passions for the arts, careers, outdoor
adventures, or other offerings.
Common Ground’s inclusive and diverse learning community integrates special education students into regular
courses. Collaborative learning groups, hands-on and project-focused courses, differentiated curriculum, and
team-teaching provide individualized support for students with different learning styles, challenges, and skills.
Our successful students are active learners who become motivated and responsible for their own educational
growth.
Technology continues to be an area of increasing focus at Common Ground. In 2014, Common Ground made the
transition to 1:1 computer to student correspondence and “smart” technology in every classroom. Students and
teachers use a variety of instructional technology applications daily, ranging from Google applications, to a
learning management system, to specialized programs intended to extend specific academic content topics.
NETS-S standards and technology components are mapped into all courses.
Embedding academic skills and concepts within serious environmental contexts in the classroom promotes the
school’s environmental mission and fosters student engagement through study couched in real world and
relevant contexts. The school’s environmental leadership strategy helps to promote meaningful environmental
learning opportunities for all students and ensures that leadership development opportunities are consciously
mapped through all aspects of the high school, including the curriculum, guidance, extracurricular offerings and
employment opportunities. All teachers map leadership opportunities into their courses and all students collect
leadership artifacts to include in a student portfolio intended to reflect the student’s mastery of 21st Century
Learning Skills. Students must successfully defend their leadership portfolio before a panel during their senior
year in order to graduate.
Common Ground’s curriculum work is never done. We will continue the last four years of work to fully integrate
the shifts embedded in Common Core standards with our commitment to active, authentic learning and
individual student support. Within this context, we are focused on several areas of development in the coming
year:

8

 







Plans to grow our student body to 225 means that we can and must plan intentionally for how our
curriculum meets the needs of this larger student body. This shift will both allow us to broaden our
course offerings to meet individual needs, while also creating a more coherent curriculum that provides
more structure and common experience in 9th and 10th grade, and more variety and college-level work in
11th and 12th grade.
Our science teachers have begun to rebuild courses to integrate Next Generation Science Standards – in
order to be prepared for potential adoption by the State of Connecticut, and because we believe that
these standards strengthen science teaching.
As one strategy for continuing to work toward equitable opportunities and outcomes for all students,
Common Ground is committed to re-examining and revising our curriculum to increase cultural
relevance. This work builds on our long-term commitment to active, authentic learning and using the
local environment as a learning laboratory, and adds an additional focus on incorporating the
experiences of our racially and culturally diverse student body into the curriculum.
As a small stand-alone charter school, our teachers play a substantial role in the curriculum
development process. While this has significant advantages – teachers are teaching curriculum they
understand intimately, and that is responsive to their students – it also stretches our teacher’s capacity.
We are seeking opportunities to partner with other educators to expand our curriculum development
capacity – for instance, through ACES curriculum councils, and through partnerships with other urban
environmentally themed public schools.

9. Discuss the school’s culture and climate (e.g., attendance, student behavior, college-going culture,
professional culture). Identify areas for growth and improvement in the school’s climate. Discuss areas
of concern and plans to address identified deficiencies, if any.
Common Ground’s school culture focuses on high, clear, and universal expectations: every student can succeed
in college, and every student can become a powerful leader. Since 2008, Common Ground’s school culture work
has been driven by the school’s creed, POWER – Pride, Ownership, Wonder, Effort, and Respect. POWER is the
basis for Common Ground’s school-wide leadership standards, updated by faculty in summer 2014, which are
used alongside academic standards to drive Common Ground’s curriculum. POWER assemblies – taking place
every other month – recognize students who embody these aspects of leadership, and give students the
opportunities to hear from community leaders reflecting on the role of POWER in their own lives. Students’
leadership portfolios, assembled over their four years at Common Ground, incorporate artifacts and reflections
that demonstrate each of the aspects of POWER.
A variety of all-school traditions – including the POWER assemblies described above – help reinforce a shared
culture of community, leadership, and college going. Long-standing traditions – including the annual all-school
hike, family-style lunches, and the end of the year Step Up ceremony – bring the entire school community
together. Common Ground’s Mix It Up Day engages students in a full day of activities focused on diversity,
equity, and community-building. Twice annual Presentations of Learning, our senior portfolio defenses, and
school-wide discussions of topics raised by ELA benchmark assessments build a culture of high academic
expectations. Every one of our students participates in these all-school traditions.
At a smaller scale, Common Ground’s guidance curriculum provides a context for community-building, goal
setting, and personal development. Students work with the same guidance teacher throughout their four years
at Common Ground, and meet with the approximately 15 members of their guidance group for 30 minutes daily.
In 9th and 10th grade, the guidance curriculum focuses on decision-making, health, and academic success. In
junior and senior year, guidance focuses primarily on college and career planning – including job shadows,

9

 career interest inventories, college visits, and the application process – and on completion of students electronic
portfolios of learning.
Common Ground employs a progressive, restorative discipline approach to build positive student behavior. We
view discipline situations as learning opportunities for all individuals involved, and engage students, families,
and teachers in helping students take responsibility for their behaviors and make things right. Student
behavioral expectations are clearly laid out in a code of conduct, and students understand the consequences of
their behaviors.
A number of indicators demonstrate the impact of Common Ground’s approach to school culture:






Discipline rates have declined significantly over the last five years. The total number of detentions has
declined 40% between 2008-09 and 2013-14, for instance. These discipline numbers vary somewhat
year to year, due to changes in school policy; in 2013-14, for instance, the number of detentions
increased because of the decision to award detentions when students skipped mandatory after-school
academic supports. However, the overall downward trend in discipline issues is clear and significant.
Nearly all students choose to engage in voluntary learning activities beyond the school day. In 201314, 76% of students (136 individuals) attended after school activities at least weekly (30 hours per year).
Nearly every one of our 180 students engaged in after-school programs in some way – 98% were in one
or more after-school programs, and 41 students participated in after school activities 60 or more of the
days they were offered.
A majority of students take on active leadership roles in the school community. In 2013-14, at least
58% of students (98 individual students, some of whom played multiple leadership roles) assumed
significant school leadership positions this year.

While Common Ground’s school culture is positive and has improved measurably over time, there is still
significant opportunity for growth. Common Ground’s daily attendance rate (94.4% in 2013-14) needs to be
higher, and we must reverse the increase in chronic absenteeism over the last two years (which increased to
16.6% in 2013-14, up from 14.5% in 2012-13. As we noted above, discipline rates also increased somewhat in
2013-14, with the number of in school suspensions increasing to 13 and the total number of detentions
increasing from 713 to 908. We also see the opportunity to increase the number of students who agree or
strongly agree that they have a voice in class and school-wide decision-making (60% in 2013-14), and who
believe their opinions are respected (57%). Some of these culture challenges are unique to conditions in 201314, when staffing changes meant that our Dean of Students was also responsible for providing special education
services, and when we were working to build positive culture within the largest freshman class in our school’s
culture (constituting a third of our entire student body). At the same time, we are committed to reversing these
trends – and have already put a number of strategies in place to address them, building on our already strong
culture and climate systems:




Measurable improvements in school culture are a key goal in Common Ground’s 2014-15 school
improvement plan – one of our primary tools for school change, and a driving force in our significant
progress over the last five years. Our School Improvement Plan sets clear targets for reducing chronic
absenteeism (to 10%), increasing the percentage of students who feel they have a voice in classes and
schools (to 80%), and ensuring that our discipline system is equitable and fair in its treatment of all
students.
To reduce chronic absenteeism, Common Ground is implementing a combination of preventive and
responsive work: adding a support staff person who is reviewing academic achievement and attendance
data and working with parents and students to create attendance/academic plans; strengthening the
10

 





intervention system and moving more academic interventions into the school day; adding additional
teaching assistants; partnering with the Housing Authority of New Haven, whose staff also do truancy
work; and continuing to focus on classroom practice, especially formative assessment and
differentiation.
In 2014-15, we moved a major component of our academic intervention system into the school day,
creating a 45-minute school-wide support period four days each week. This change eliminates a large
number of discipline referrals for students who skip mandatory after-school interventions. More
importantly, this change ensures that every student has academic supports targeted to their individual
needs – eliminating a major potential cause of student disruption, and the potential stigma attached to
receiving additional academic supports.
In the current school year, Common Ground also initiated town hall meetings, a new structure for
engaging students in school-wide decision-making and problem-solving. Each of Common Ground’s
guidance groups take part in a problem-solving conversation on an important issue – e.g., attendance
and chronic absenteeism. The entire school community then gathers in our cafeteria to share the
solutions generated by these guidance conversations, and to determine which strategies we will put into
place.
To ensure that our school creates equitable opportunities and outcomes for all students, Common
Ground has launched intensive, organization-wide work around building an inclusive, just, equitable
culture. An external consultant with decades of experience in educational and non-profit settings is
leading this work, which includes a series of half- and full-day workshops for all staff, as well as more
intensive work with Common Ground’s diversity committee.

Common Ground also leverages a positive professional culture, with an unrelenting focus on continuous
improvement, to build student success and address climate challenges like those described above. All teachers
and school staff complete professional development plans and set learning objectives aligned with school goals
and mission, and with teacher evaluation standards developed by the State Department of Education. Faculty
are released from some teaching responsibilities to provide coaching to peers, and to support curriculum
planning and professional development work. Professional development is embedded into weekly faculty
meetings, which serve as a primary vehicle for building staff’s capacity. These professional development
workshops, and a two-week summer institute, allow additional school improvement and professional
development work around a range of critical themes. For instance, in 2014, this professional development work
focuses on achieving equitable outcomes for all students, building common academic culture, developing course
web sites to hold curricula for all courses, improving formal assessment in courses, text selection, integrating
community-based learning and leadership opportunities into academic courses, differentiation, building shared
understanding of Common Ground’s vision and values, and revising Common Ground’s environmental
leadership standards.
10. Discuss progress aligned to the school’s mission-specific goals, as stated in the school’s 2014 annual
report.
Common Ground High School’s mission drives all our work:
To graduate students with the knowledge, skills, and understanding to live healthy, powerful, and
productive lives. We do so through authentic learning that develops academic excellence, ecological
literacy, strong character, and commitment to community.
Common Ground High School takes the urban environment as its organizing focus. Common Ground
uses three sites as laboratories for learning: the urban farm that is the school’s campus, the natural
11

 environment of the adjacent West Rock Ridge State Park, and the urban setting of New Haven,
Connecticut. Close study of these places develops understanding of local and global issues. Through this
study and core academic work, students experience a rigorous high school curriculum that prepares
them for competitive colleges, meaningful careers, and purposeful lives.
To achieve this mission, Common Ground works concertedly toward four goals – academic and college success,
ecological literacy and leadership, a school culture that builds character and commitment to community, and a
professional culture of continuous improvement. Throughout this renewal application, we share evidence of
Common Ground’s progress toward this goal: a strong track record of academic success, a curriculum that
combines high academic standards and engaging environmental learning opportunities, a school culture building
toward college success and powerful leadership. In addition to this evidence of impact, we are happy to report
on the following progress toward our mission-specific goals:
Goal 1: Academic Excellence – Leading to College Success
In 2014, 93% of our students were accepted to college or other post-high school educational programs. Students
were admitted to colleges including Quinnipiac University, Hampshire College, Mount Ida College, Lesley
University, Newbury College, Mass School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Wheelock College, Salve Regina
University, Southern Connecticut State University, University of Connecticut, Central Connecticut State
University, Fairfield University, Sacred Heart University, Baypath College, University of Maine, Green Mountain
College, University of St. Joseph’s, Lincoln College, Sterling College, University of Vermont, University of New
England, and Le Moyne College.
In all, 75% of 2014 graduates enrolled immediately in post-secondary education programs. Members of the class
of 2014 are now studying at the University of Connecticut, Southern Connecticut State University, Wheelock
College, Green Mountain College, Lincoln College, University of New Haven, Sterling College, Curry College, the
University of Bridgeport, and Gateway Community College.
Goal 2: Ecological Literacy – Growing Environmental Learning & Leadership
In 2014, 100% of Common Ground seniors successfully defended portfolios demonstrating their growth of
environmental leaders. This was the first year that portfolio defense was a graduation requirement; every senior
stepped up to this new challenge, completing an electronic portfolio that included leadership artifacts and
reflections aligned with Common Ground’s POWER leadership framework: Pride, Ownership, Wonder, Effort,
and Respect. Three seniors required a second opportunity to defend before demonstrating proficiency on a
comprehensive rubric that judged their mastery of school-wide leadership standards, the quality of their written
reflections, and a formal 20-minute long presentation. The remaining members of the senior class met or
exceeded expectations on their first attempt.
At least 79% of Common Ground students chose to participate in substantive, voluntary environmental learning
and leadership experiences during the 2013-14 school year. For instance:





8 students participated in an ocean science internship that culminated in a week-long study and
service trip to the Dominican Republic in partnership with Amistad America.
4 students completed summer-long competitive internships through The Nature Conservancy in
North Dakota and Connecticut.
40 students completed paid environmental jobs through Common Ground’s Green Jobs Corps.
30 students helped to run small businesses through Environmental Ventures.
12

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

13 students joined Common Ground’s team for the national Envirothon competition.
37 students participated in school-wide Presentations of Learning, sharing major projects from
classes like Food & the Environment and Environmental Justice.

In addition, 100% of students joined in environmental learning and leadership opportunities as part of academic
classes and school-wide events. For instance:






100% of students took courses that integrated Common Ground’s school-wide environmental
leadership standards.
100% of students were involved in the creation and/or dedication of Common Ground’s new
educational wetland, and the groundbreaking of Common Ground’s new model green school
building.
100% of entering students participated in orientation activities that build understanding of Common
Ground’s environmental mission and site.
100% of students completed a school-wide benchmark SBAC-aligned benchmark assessments that
focused on environmental and community issues.

Goal 3: Strong Character and Commitment to Community – Embodied by Acts of Leadership & Service
96% percent of students completed ten or more hours of service during the 2013-14 school year. All Common
Ground students are required to participate in community service in order to earn credit in their guidance
classes and to graduate. Students are encouraged to engage in service opportunities that involve repeated and
long-term commitments to a project or organization, that make a measurable community impact, and that allow
them to explore issues and careers of personal interest. Common Ground helps to facilitate these types of
experiences by offering ongoing service opportunities on our own site, in our community environmental
programs, at Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, via a tutoring partnership with Katherine Brennan Elementary
School, and through school-wide service days. In 2013-14, Common Ground expanded service opportunities for
younger students within our Green Jobs Corps, engaging 12 students in long-term volunteer positions as a
gateway to paid environmental jobs. Through their own initiative, students also built community gardens,
worked at homeless shelters, provided technology support, worked in a therapeutic riding program, and assisted
at senior centers, among hundreds of other service experiences. Many students choose to include artifacts and
reflections on their service experiences in their environmental leadership portfolios
At least 58% of students (98 individual students, some of whom played multiple leadership roles) assumed
significant school leadership positions this year. For instance:










7 were elected to student government
11 stepped up as Orientation Leaders
4 maintained Common Ground technology as Geek Squad members
62 participated in Common Ground’s peer mentoring program
13 were trained as peer mediators
6 served as peer tutors
40 participated in Green Jobs Corps youth leadership program
13 operated small Environmental Ventures
1 student served on Common Ground’s Board of Directors

Goal 4: A Professional Culture of Continuous Improvement
13

 100% of teachers completed professional development plans aligned with school goals and mission, and with
new teacher evaluation standards developed by the State Department of Education. All teachers attended a
week-long summer institute, focused on Core Six Essential Strategies for Achieving Excellence w/ The Common
Core: Writing Strategies, Reading Strategies, Inductive Reasoning, Vocabulary, Compare and Contrast, and Circle
of Knowledge. Sessions at Summer Institute also focused on integrating Common Ground’s site and the
upcoming building project into academic courses; 100% of teachers planned lessons, units, and performance
tasks that included place-based learning on Common Ground’s site.
100% of teachers and school leaders participated in 18 or more hours of professional development aligned with
Common Ground’s school improvement goals and mission. The average Common Ground teacher completed 51
hours of professional development in 2013-14. All teachers participated in on-site, ongoing, embedded
professional development focused on fully integrating Common Core, including (1) Core Six Strategies for
Achieving Excellence with the Common Core, (2) Depth of Knowledge, (3) CCSS lesson planning, and (4) SBAC
testing formats. All teachers joined in mandated training focused on bullying and harassment, restorative
discipline, universal precautions, mandated reporting, and building positive relationships with students. All
teachers took part in a series of workshops focused on using Common Ground’s site and building project as
learning laboratories, including sessions led by staff from Common Ground and The Nature Conservancy. All
math faculty worked intensively with a consultant from ACES throughout the year, and all English, Science, and
Social Science faculty participated in ongoing Common Core-aligned literacy work with another ACES consultant.
In addition, individual faculty participated in professional development including:









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





Teacher evaluation 5-day proficiency workshop (5 participants)
Teacher Quality Program – Using school gardens, schoolyards, and school resource issues to build
Common Core mastery (5 participants)
AP Language and Composition trainings & teacher meetings
Cornell Ornithology Lab on-site workshops
Approaching Walden – week-long place-based education seminar
ACES Curriculum, ELA, Science, Math, and Social Studies Councils
Islam & Slavery in America
Beyond Diversity 101 (5 participants)
PIMMS Lab Safety
CT Educators Computer Association Conference
Connecticut Council for the Social Studies Fall Conference
Yale Rep: Teaching Hamlet with Common Core
Yale University Art Gallery
Differentiating Instruction
Community Leadership Program, supported by the Graustein Memorial Fund

In addition, teachers and staff planned and led professional development opportunities for educators from
other schools:
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



Turning Problems into Solutions & Campuses into Learning Tools, presented at the Green Schools
National Conference
National Retreat of The Nature Conservancy’s LEAF Educators Network (Common Ground staff coplanned and facilitated the retreat)
Building a New, Diverse Generation of Environmental Leaders: A day-long workshop at Common Ground
No Compromises: Combining Challenging Academic Standards & Active, Authentic Environmental,
presented at the New England Environmental Education Alliance annual conference
14

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

Planning Projects & Assessments That Use The Local Environment to Develop Standards Mastery; School
Gardens in the Curriculum – Part of the CT Green Leaf Schools Teacher Quality Program Professional
Learning Community
Digging Into Diversity: Cultivating Culturally Responsive Practice, the first state-wide school gardens &
outdoor education conference, co-organized by Common Ground’s School Garden Resource Center and
the Connecticut Outdoor and Environmental Education Association

These professional development opportunities reflect Common Ground’s commitment to fulfill the original
promise of charter schools as laboratories for educational innovation. Toward this end, Common Ground has
engaged in a number of pilot efforts – like those described above – to build the capacity of educators and
schools who share our commitment to integrating standards-based reform with active, authentic learning
opportunities. These pilot efforts show promise. For instance, 80% of participants in our day-long workshops
agreed or strongly agreed that the experience helped them change their thinking, and 80% agreed or strongly
agreed that they would act differently based on this experience. Full enrollment at these workshops indicates
that there is a hunger for experiences like these.
At the same time, we believe that longer-term, more substantial investments in the capacity of schools and
educators will make much more difference. For that reason, Common Ground is pursuing a coherent strategy for
growing our impact beyond our campus, focused on sustained engagement with other public schools in
Connecticut and beyond. We have begun to put elements of this strategy into action. Over the last year,
Common Ground’s School Garden Resource Center has worked in partnership with a number of public schools
to create schoolyard habitats, outdoor classrooms, and school gardens, and to provide the support and
modeling schools need to integrate these outdoor classrooms into their curricula. Common Ground has also
partnered in the development of the Teacher Quality Program professional learning community described above
– another substantial investment in a core of committed schools and teachers. This approach – rather than
traditional charter school replication – seems to us the right approach to growing impact for an independent,
place-based charter school like ours.

PART 3: STEWARDSHIP, GOVERNANCE, AND MANAGEMENT
11. Complete Table 11.A, summarizing the school’s financial health.
Table 11.A: School Financial Information
Financial Information:

FY 12

FY 13

FY 14

Total margin (net income / total revenue)

0.049

0.224

0.234

Debt to asset ratio (total liabilities / total assets)
Debt service coverage ratio (net income + depreciation
+ interest expense) / (principal + interest payments)
Current asset ratio (current assets / current liabilities):
Days of unrestricted cash
(total expenditures - depreciation) / 365
Cash flow (change in cash balance)

0.24

0.18

0.078

NA

NA

NA

1.024

1.396

1.765

31.72 days

64.8 days

27.5 days

+60,108

+244,397

-239,601

12. Identify areas for growth and improvement in the school’s governance, financial systems, and core
operating procedures. Discuss areas of concern and plans to address deficiencies.

15

 Common Ground’s governance, financial systems, and core operating procedures are strong. Our Board of
Directors reflects the diversity of the community we serve, and includes the expertise necessary to function
effectively as a board of education – including a retired school principal, a budget/finance professional, parent
and faculty representatives, university faculty and staff, and individuals with strong professional background
related to our school’s mission. Our most up-to-date financial statements, included with this application, reflects
both strong management systems (there were no substantive findings), and a strong financial position
(increased revenues and assets, and a balanced budget).
Over the past 5 years Common Ground has completed a number of initiatives intended to strengthen
governance, financial systems and operating procedures. Completed initiatives include:
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



Updating the Accounting Manual to include additional financial control procedures (2011)
Instituting a more rigorous annual budgeting process (2012)
Developing a new, easier to read and evaluate format for presenting monthly statements of financial
activity to the Board of Education (2010)
Constituting a Management Team that meets weekly and is responsible for addressing all financial,
human resource, programmatic, legal or other critical management issues that arise (2010)

Common Ground is currently in the process of:




Developing a “dashboard” that will provide a quick summary of organizational performance (financial as
well as educational) for the Board at their monthly meeting (by June of 2015)
Developing a Board training and orientation kit for new, incoming Board members (by Sep of 2015)
Recruiting 3 additional members to the Board (by June of 2015)

13. Please make the case for the school’s long-term viability over the next five years.
Common Ground is about to begin construction of a new building that will allow its student body to grow from
its current population of 180 students to 225 students over the next 4 years. Common Ground is very
intentionally increasing its student population in order to:




Provide additional spaces for students who want to attend Common Ground High School
Take advantage of increased scheduling flexibility that will come from having a larger student population
Take advantage of economies of scale that can be realized over time with a larger student population

This increase in student population will increase Common Ground’s annual state enrollment grant by a total of
$495,000 in 2018-2019 school year (assuming the state enrollment grant remains at its current level of $11,000
per pupil). Staff will need to be put in place beginning next year to cover the actual and anticipated increase in
student population. By 2018-2019 the full benefit of this increase in revenue should be realized and Common
Ground’s financial status should stabilize in a strong position.
In addition to the anticipated additional revenue from the state enrollment grant Common Ground plans to
grow its philanthropic revenues. Over the past 4 years Common Ground has invested heavily in its fundraising
capacity. For the past 2 years this additional capacity has been focused on completing a successful $2.1 million
capital campaign to raise funds for our building project. Coming out of this successful capital campaign,
Common Ground is now working to convert many of its major capital campaign contributors to annual donors.
Our goal is to increase annual philanthropic revenue by approximately $225,000 by 2017-2018, an increase 60%
over 2014-2015 values.

16

 Common Ground High School has remained financially viable since its founding 17 years ago. Between the
anticipated growth in revenues from our state enrollment grant and the focus on increasing philanthropic
revenues over the next 4 years Common Ground will not only remain financially viable but will be entering a
period of significant financial strength as it approaches its 20th year of operation. We are looking forward to
many more years of helping our students achieve excellent educational outcomes.

PART 4: STUDENT POPULATION
14. Summarize the school’s efforts to attract, enroll, and retain special populations. Explain how the
school’s demographics reflect that of the target population and/or the communities the school seeks to
serve. Provide evidence to substantiate the school’s ability to effectively serve low-income students,
students with disabilities, and ELLs.
Common Ground reaches out to students of all educational backgrounds to become our students, and is fully
committed to educating and graduating every student who walks through our doors. We attract and enroll
students who belong to special populations by:






A comprehensive student recruiting plan that includes (1) mail to all students and families in
surrounding districts, (2) visits to all schools who offer us the opportunity to meet with prospective
students, (3) open houses and opportunities to shadow at Common Ground, (4) bilingual recruitment
brochures, and (5) translators available for all student interviews, shadows, and open houses. These
opportunities actively engage all interested students, regardless of educational background.
Close cooperation with special educators, guidance counselors, and middle school teachers from
sending schools and districts in order to support the smooth transition of students with specific learning
needs into the Common Ground community.
An intake process – including informational interviews, mandatory family orientations, and benchmark
testing – that welcomes all students and provides the information we need to meet their educational
needs.

The results of these efforts are measurable. Common Ground’s student body reflects our commitment, laid out
in our school charter, to overcome racial and geographic isolation:






The percentage of minority (78.3%) and non-minority (21.7%) students reflects our goal of educating a
racially diverse student body and reducing racial isolation. In 2013-14, Common Ground’ student body
was approximately 42% Hispanic, 32% African-American, and 22% white, with 57% of students
qualifying for free or reduced price lunch – creating a variety of opportunities for interactions among
students of different racial and economic backgrounds, a core goal of Common Ground.
In 2013-14, 35% of Common Ground students came from suburban communities, and 65% from the
City of New Haven. These numbers reflect Common Ground’s commitment to reduce geographic
isolation and engage students from both urban and non-urban communities.
In 2013-14, Common Ground employed a range of strategies to ensure that 100% of our students are
involved in meaningful, positive interactions with students and adults from backgrounds different that
their own.

As a small charter school, the percentage of students in identified special populations varies significantly from
year to year. At the same time, Common Ground serves a significant number of students in these populations:

17

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Special Education Status: In 2013-14, the percentage of Common Ground students who qualify for
special education services was 17%, significantly exceeding sending district and state averages.
Free and Reduced Lunch: In 2013-14, the percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch was
approximately 57% – significantly above the state average.
History of Low Academic Performance: In 2013-14, the average Common Ground 9th grader entered
high school 1.5 years below grade level in reading, according to results of the Nelson-Denny assessment.
Before entering high school, only 42% of Common Ground’s Class of 2014 had demonstrated proficiency
on all four sections of the middle school CMT.

The number of Common Ground students who are classified as English Language Learners has been historically
small; only 1 student was officially designated ELL in 2013-14. Common Ground has, however, taken a number
of steps to welcome families whose native language is not English: including translating recruiting materials into
Spanish, and offering translation services at recruiting and family events. We are actively working to strengthen
relationships with middle schools with large Hispanic and immigrant populations.
We believe that every one of our students can reach high academic standards and grow into powerful
environmental leaders. We use a variety of strategies to retain students who face barriers to academic success,
and to ensure that they overcome these barriers:








Special education services are planned in close partnership with sending school districts; Common
Ground’s full time certified special educator works with aides, part-time staff, and district staff to ensure
that students’ educational needs are met.
Common Ground’s Student Support Team – including social workers, student affairs staff, and school
nurse – develop, implement, and monitor individual support plans for all students who face barriers to
educational success, in order to promote their retention.
Intensive academic intervention programs provide support to 100% of students during the school day,
with additional opportunities for academic support after school.
Small advisory group support students from grades 9-12.
Green Jobs Corps, a year-long youth employment and leadership development program, connects 40 of
our students with paid work placement opportunities, a year-long career and leadership curriculum, and
a range of wraparound supports, including one-on-one mentoring with a college student or young
professional. Twenty of the 35 spaces in Green Jobs Corps are specifically reserved for students who
face multiple barriers to educational success – including family income significantly below the poverty
line, history of behavioral and social difficulties, low academic performance, etc.

These strategies make a measurable difference in the educational outcomes of Common Ground students:





In 2013, Common Ground’s 4-year graduation rate (89.5%) was significantly above the state average.
In 2012, the last year for which subgroup graduation rates were statistically significant according to the
state, special education and ELL 4-year graduation rates were both 100%. In 2014, as noted earlier in
this application, 4-year graduation rates for students who qualify for free and reduced price lunch were
both above the state average for all students, and 4-year graduation rates for students qualifying for
special education supports was 100%.
As we noted above, only 42% of Common Ground’s Class of 2014 had earned proficient scores of all
sections of the middle school CMT. By comparison, 58% earned proficiency on all four sections of the
high school CAPT test when they took that test as 10th graders -- an indicator that students with a
history of low academic performance are making significant gains.
18

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In the class of 2013, 93% of students were accepted to college. As already noted, analysis conducted for
Newsweek’s “Beating the Odds” list placed Common Ground among the nations’ top 500 high schools
for helping low-income students succeed in college, one of four Connecticut high schools to make this
list.

We will continue to work, concertedly and tirelessly, to ensure that we recruit and retain high needs students –
and that we help all students reach high academic standards, regardless of the barriers they face.
15. Complete Table 15.A, providing student mobility information for the past three school years.
Table 15.A: Student Mobility Information
Mobility Data:
Number of students who left during the school year
Number of students who did not re-enroll the next school year
and had not completed the highest grade at the school

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

12

13

23

10

13

9

16. Complete Table 16.A, summarizing demand and community support for the charter school. Explain how
the charter school is increasing educational opportunities and equity for the students it seeks to serve.
Provide information regarding the school’s attrition rate (i.e., the number of students leaving the school
during the school year) and how the school seeks to decrease attrition.
Table 16.A: Waitlist Information2
2010-11
56

2011-12
69

2012-13
109

2013-14
83

2014-15
171

Students and families have demonstrated that they are hungry for the educational opportunities that Common
Ground offers. As noted above, the number of students applying for spaces at Common Ground increased from
150 in 2013-14 to 222 in 2014-15, while the number of available spaces decreased from 67 to 51. Over the last
five years, the number of applications and size of our waitlist have increased significantly. In 2013-14, the size of
the waitlist decreased from the previous year; this was the result of an increase in Common Ground’s total
student body from 165 to 180, allowing us to meet more of the demand among students and families. Even in
the context of an expanding student body, the number of interested applicants significantly outstrips our
capacity to welcome these families. As a result, Common Ground has succeeded in filling the number of funded
charter school seats in each of the last five years.
Beyond application and waitlist numbers, a number of measures indicate strong community support for
Common Ground. Our 2014 school climate survey asks students’ families to share their experiences of Common
Ground; 97% of respondents agree or strongly agree that the school environment supports learning (0%
disagreed or strongly disagreed), 93% would recommend Common Ground to other parents (0% disagreed or
strongly disagreed), and 92% agree or strongly agree that they are satisfied with their child’s education (0%
disagreed or strongly disagreed). As noted earlier, more than 300 community members and institutions donated
$2.1 million to support the construction of Common Ground’s new school building. Local news media published
at least 36 stories on Common Ground last year; 100% of these stories were positive in tone.
2

Wait list numbers reflect the difference between the number of applications and the number of admitted students. The
exact number of students on the NHPS waiting list is difficult to determine, given the data provided by New Haven Public
Schools.

19

 While family and community support is positive, we know that we can and must do more to decrease student
attrition. Some of the factors leading to students leaving Common Ground are beyond control; for instance,
19.5% of the students who left Common Ground between 2011 and 2014 did so because their family moved out
of state. According to our calculations, nearly all of the remaining students (80%) successfully landed in another
educational setting – 67% to another high school, 6% to adult education, and 6% to home schooling. For many of
the suburban students who leave Common Ground (29% of all departing students), the lack of publicly funded
transportation is a major obstacle to staying at Common Ground. In a number of other cases, students choose to
leave Common Ground because they want to more easily access programs – sports teams, ROTC, advanced arts
offerings – that match their passions.
We are acting on a number of fronts to increase student retention rates. Many of these strategies, which begin
with recruitment and continue through successful graduation, have already been described in this proposal. In
particular, we are:








Encouraging all prospective and students to engage in shadow days, informational interviews, and open
houses so that they have all the information they need to decide whether Common Ground is the right
school for them.
Employing a range of strategies to increase parental contact throughout students’ time at Common
Ground – including many parent workshops and events, clear targets for the number of parent
communications built into teacher goal-setting, and additional staff capacity to engage parents,
including parents who receive stipends to organize other parents.
Continuing to strengthen our capacity to identify and supporting students who are at risk of leaving
Common Ground – through a robust student support team, a systematic approach to academic
intervention, to data systems that track students at risk of departure.
Continuing to offer students engaging, relevant learning opportunities that allow students to pursue
their passions – from diverse after-school offerings, to Green Jobs Corps, to community-based and
culturally relevant curriculum – and to increase opportunities for student voice and choice in their
school experiences.

These strategies reflect Common Ground’s all-out commitment to equitable opportunities and outcomes. We
genuinely believe that every student can succeed in college and grow into a powerful environmental leader. To
reach this goal, we combine universally high academic standards, opportunities for active authentic learning,
and above and beyond supports that meet students’ individual needs. We work relentlessly to improve and to
help all students thrive. We hope and trust that the State Department of Education will support us as we
continue to do this work.

20

 APPENDIX C: STATEMENT OF ASSURANCES
It is imperative that charter schools – as with all other public schools – adopt and uphold the highest ethical and
legal standards while delivering excellent academic opportunities for students and their families.
As the authorized representative of Common Ground High School, to the best of my knowledge, I affirm that:
1. All board members and staff have satisfactorily completed background checks, including a state and
national criminal records check and a record check of the Department of Children and Families Child
Abuse and Neglect Registry.
2. If applicable, all charter school management organization (CMO) staff members have satisfactorily
completed background checks, as described in (1).
3. All contractors, if the nature of the contractor's work entails close proximity to students in the
judgment of the Governing Board, have satisfactorily completed background checks, as described in
(1).
4. Records of any and all background checks are on file at Common Ground High School and available
for random audit by the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE).
5. Common Ground High School has adopted written anti-nepotism and conflict of interest policies, and
that no member or employee of the Governing Board has a personal or financial interest in any asset,
real or personal, of the charter school.
6. All board members have received training in board responsibilities and best practices in charter school
governance, and that no board member of Common Ground High School serves on the board of another
charter school or CMO.
7. All public funds received by Common Ground High School have been, or are being, expended prudently
and in a manner required by law.
8. All Governing Board meetings are open and accessible to the public, and that Common Ground High
School has posted, and continues to post, on any Internet website that the Governing Board operates,
the schedule, agenda, and minutes of each Governing Board meeting, including any meeting of a
subcommittee of the Governing Board.
9. Common Ground High School does not discriminate in any employment practice, education program, or
educational activity on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, marital
status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or any other basis prohibited by
Connecticut state and/or federal nondiscrimination laws.

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 By signing this Statement of Assurances on behalf of the Governing Board of Common Ground High School, I
acknowledge that I understand the terms contained herein and affirm the validity of each statement to the best
of my knowledge. I further understand that Common Ground High School may be subject to random audit by
the CSDE to verify these statements.

Signature:

___________________________________________________________

Name of Board Chairperson:

Wm Frank Mitchell

Date:

November 21, 2014

CO

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