Navigating Equity and Streamlined Enrollment: The Newark Common App Story
Are you curious about how a common application can transform the enrollment landscape in a community? Look no further! We had the pleasure of sitting down with our wonderful clients at New Jersey Children’s Foundation (NJCF) to discuss how the Newark Common App (NCA) is redefining equity and accessibility in school enrollment in the city of Newark. From its inception to the future ahead, here's what you need to know about this innovative approach and some strategies to take back to your community.
Defining Equitably Improving Enrollment
What does it mean? The Newark Common App team believes in recognizing the unique challenges and opportunities that students and families face. They provide tailored support, address language and technological barriers, and give preference to underrepresented students in school lotteries, always keeping equity in focus. Their core values revolve around removing barriers and understanding diverse needs of families.
The Origins and Launch of Newark Common App
The Newark Common App (NCA) originated in response to the need for enrollment reform in Newark. It was born out of a unique context where most participating schools were part of a previous common enrollment system led by the district in Newark. Despite challenges, schools wanted to maintain a universal common application process, highlighting the value of such a system. When the previous system became unsustainable for many schools, NJCF stepped in to coordinate the NCA, aiming to preserve the benefits of a common enrollment process for families and schools.
The goal of the NCA was to create a streamlined and user-friendly enrollment system that benefited both families and schools. The NCA launched in December 2022 and included eight participating networks representing 43 schools, covering approximately 80% of the charter sector in Newark, serving 16,000 students. It was designed to accommodate schools of various sizes, ensuring that the system could cater to both small and large schools.
The Newark Common App enables Newark families to apply to multiple schools using a single application. The system employs a common lottery, in partnership with Avela, to match students with the highest-ranked school possible, simplifying the enrollment process for families and schools.
Benefits for Stakeholders
The benefits for stakeholders, including schools and families, involved in the NCA are centered on streamlining the enrollment process and promoting equity.
For families: NCA simplifies enrollment by allowing families to apply to multiple schools with one application, making it accessible and efficient.
For schools: Minimizing barriers for families to access their preferred schools is in the best interest of schools. Plus, the data generated by NCA can inform educational policy decisions.
Initial Planning Steps Taken
When embarking on work focused on families and equity in enrollment processes, the Newark Common App team offers valuable advice:
Remain True to Core Values: Stay committed to your organization's core values and mission. These values should guide every decision and action, ensuring that the focus remains on serving families and promoting equity.
Transparency is Key: Be transparent about challenges and difficulties. Whether you're communicating with schools or families, openly acknowledge challenges and actively work on solutions. Building trust through transparency is essential.
Foster Collaboration: Establish a collaborative and inclusive environment. Involve all stakeholders, including schools, families, and even students, in the decision-making process. Ensure that every voice is heard and respected.
Continuous Improvement: Encourage a culture of continuous improvement. Solicit feedback from schools and families to understand what is and isn't working and adapt your processes accordingly.
Prioritize Families: Always put families at the center of your efforts. Ensure that your actions and decisions align with your primary goal, which is to serve families and provide equitable access to educational opportunities.
By following these principles, organizations can effectively focus on families and equity, creating enrollment processes that better serve their communities.
Ensuring Equity in the Application and Lottery Process
Equity within the application and lottery process of the Newark Common App is ensured through a multifaceted approach. The team focuses on making the application accessible to all families, regardless of their location, language preferences, or specific educational needs. They aim to meet families where they are, offering support to ensure that everyone feels welcome and supported when applying to participating schools. This equity perspective is considered at every stage of the process, from planning and data management to technical elements, with the goal of making the application and information presented as accessible and accurate as possible.
Outcomes in the First Year
In its first year of operation, the Newark Common App has achieved several notable outcomes:
Received over 5,000 applications, 3,400 during the main application round, with a significant increase in applications throughout the spring and summer, indicating that the application process is accessible throughout the year.
Achieved a high match rate for families, with 98% of kindergarten applicants being matched to their top-choice schools, ensuring that families were able to secure their preferred school options.
Preliminary findings indicate that the lottery process successfully increased the representation of student groups with preferences (e.g., students with IEPs, English language learners, students eligible for free lunch) in line with or above the citywide average.
Actively gathered feedback from schools and families to continually improve the process, with the primary positive feedback being that the application is user-friendly and streamlined.
Participating schools have met or exceeded their enrollment goals in the first year, demonstrating the success of the Newark Common App in supporting schools in achieving their enrollment targets.
The Newark Common App has achieved several notable outcomes in its first year of operation.
The Future for Newark Common App
The future for the Newark Common App holds several key objectives and aspirations:
Expansion of Enrollment: The Newark Common App aims to expand its enrollment by partnering with more diverse schools, not limited to a specific type of school but inclusive of all schools within the city of Newark. These expansion efforts include discussions with private and parochial schools.
Family Outreach and Empowerment: Year two focuses on extensive outreach to families, not only to promote the Newark Common App but also to educate and empower them in the entire application process. This encompasses understanding school choices, how to access them, and the steps before and after submitting an application. The goal is to ensure that families are informed, empowered, and feel supported throughout the entire enrollment process.
Long-Term Vision: The long-term vision for the Newark Common App is to establish it as the citywide enrollment system for the entire city of Newark. The ultimate goal is to provide families with a seamless, easy-to-use process that allows them to submit one application and access their top-choice schools. Whether the Newark Common App continues to manage this system or another entity takes over, the focus remains on creating a citywide enrollment system that supports all types of schools and serves the best interests of families.
Family Engagement: An integral part of the long-term vision is fostering deep and lasting engagement with families. The goal is to provide families with tools and resources to advocate for themselves, ensuring they remain actively engaged throughout their child's educational journey, from pre-K to 12th grade. This extended engagement is viewed as an opportunity to have families share their positive experiences and enhance the overall school community.
The Newark Common App is more than just a system; it's a testament to the power of equity, transparency, and collaboration. With a strong foundation and a vision for the future, NCA is changing the way families access educational opportunities in Newark. A big thank you to Sarah, Leslie, and Kate from NJCF! Check out the recording of our conversation.
