October 19, 2007

Dear Parents:

As you know, our school is dedicated to providing all students with the educational foundation necessary to succeed in school and in life. To ensure your child’s success, we have set high standards that are reflected in what is taught in our classrooms. While holding high expectations for our students is not new, the way our school and student achievement is measured and reported will be different under a new federal law known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

NCLB was signed into law on January 8, 2002, by President George W. Bush. It represents the federal government’s largest expansion and involvement in K-12 education. Two of the most prominent and highly publicized components of this new federal legislation include provisions of limited “school choice” and “supplemental educational services” for students attending schools that have been identified as needing improvement. Improvement status is determined by adequate yearly progress (AYP), which is based primarily on the results of the New Jersey state assessments given to students in grades 3, 4, 8, and 11. Schools that do not make AYP for two or more years in a row in the same content area are designated as “schools in need of improvement.”

We are very pleased with the progress our students have made during our short nine years of operation. We are very excited to inform you that Golden Door has made all of the NCLB benchmarks for AYP in every grade-span, every subject and every subgroup for the 2006-07 school year! Although our school made AYP last year, prior to 2007, Golden Door was identified as a school in need of improvement. In order to come out of the In Need of Improvement status, our school must make AYP for two consecutive years. This year, according to NCLB, Golden Door is in a Hold Year. We anticipate making AYP in 2008, at which time the school will be taken off of the In Need of Improvement status. To further our efforts for achievement, Golden Door has hired a fulltime Language Arts Literacy Coach and a fulltime mathematics coach/department chairperson. Both specialists work daily with our students and our teachers as side-by-side coaches and program experts.

As a charter school Golden Door continues to be one option for a free public education for your child. It is important that you understand that school choice is still an option and that you have the right to choose a different intra-district public school if you are not satsified with Golden Door.

We hope to continue serving your child, and we’ll use all the resources available to us to help our students achieve. We have developed a School Improvement Plan to address our school improvement needs, including those identified under NCLB. Building and maintaining a high-quality school is a job for the entire community and we need your help in reaching these goals. We encourage you to provide input as we strive to help our students succeed now and in the future. Contact Mrs. Lisa Lupi at extension 3410 or llupi@goldendoorschool.org if you wish to become involved in this initiative.

Sincerely,

Brian Stiles

Chief Academic Officer

The Golden Door Charter School