New West Charter Middle School

School Summary

Our mission is to provide a vibrant, challenging and inspiring learning environment of modest size and rigorously high academic standards while recognizing that middle school students are at a special age where they have unique needs and different requirements from their elementary and high school counterparts. New West aims to challenge each child according to his/her own ability.

Charter School Status. New West is an independent charter middle school serving grades 6-8 as part of the California Public School System. New West is chartered for 2007-2012 by the State Board of Education and supervised by the California Department of Education. The school is not affiliated with any school district. The Charter Schools Act exempts charter schools from most of the California Education Code to encourage independence, innovation, competition, enhanced performance, and professional opportunities for educators, and school choice for parents.
Opening Date. New West opened on September 8, 2003.
Educational Program. The operational details of New West's educational programs have been formulated by the school's Educational Study Panel. This group of educators and parents has determined the best practices for New West by visiting, studying, and adopting proven successful programs from the six top-performing, similarly-sized and demographically comparable middle schools in California.
Integrated Curriculum & Community Service Learning. Our integrated curriculum will emphasize how things work in the world. Thus, students will learn both theoretical and practical knowledge in science class, then discover how mathematics applies to the science, then research and write about it in language arts and finally apply what they have learned in real world community service projects.
Green School. New West will work continuously with environmental groups like Heal The Bay, Tree People, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and Marine Mammal Rescue to incorporate a "green theme" into just about everything we do. Our environmental policies shall reflect the understanding that many materials must be re-used or recycled. And our purchasing polices shall require that, wherever possible, recycled products will be purchased. Carpooling and ridesharing will be required of all employees and students. And our curriculum will incorporate environmental studies into every appropriate area. Students will learn that everything they do has a potential environmental consequence.
Academic Expectations. New West expects to be a high-performing school. The emphasis on academic excellence and high student achievement will be balanced by equal attention to strong character development and life skills. New West is for families whose high academic expectations of their children are matched by their involvement in their children's education.
Number of Students. For 2009-10, the enrollment is approximately 100 6th graders & 7th graders and 80 8th graders. Full enrollment is expected to be 600 students in grades 6-8 by 2006.
Class Size. The goal is to have a class size of no more than 25 students. The number of students may range from 25 to 33 students per teacher depending on funding. New West will further reduce effective class size by utilizing teaching aides, parent volunteers, and Scholars-in-Residence working under the teacher's direction.
Composition of Student Body. New West is committed to having a co-educational student body that is representative of the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of Los Angeles. Our recruiting effort concentrated solely on the most overcrowded and ethnically diverse areas which resulted in applications from 115 different public and private schools from 57 different zip codes throughout Los Angeles providing New West with a large contingent of diverse families.
Application and Admissions. The application and admissions process is by lottery and enrollment decisions are made in late March or early April for the next September.
Legal Status and Governance. New West operates as a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation. The Corporate Board, which also serves as the school's Governance Council, consists of parents, teachers, community members, the principal and employees of the school.
School Founders. The development of New West is a community effort of involved parents and educators who organized in early 1999 to start a new school that provides for choice in public education. Founders are limited to 10% of the total enrollment of the school.
Leadership. To be announced January 2005.
Teachers. Our credentialed Teachers also reflect the ethnic and cultural diversity of Los Angeles and receive salary and benefits comparable to other public school teachers. Teachers are chosen for their demonstrated excellence in their fields of study, their ability to work collaboratively, their excitement about ongoing professional development, their understanding of the "different" needs of middle school children and their commitment to the opportunities available to charter schools.
Parental Involvement. New West is based on the premise that close, strong, on-going collaboration between parents and educators is the single most important determinant of student success. Accordingly, New West expects a high level of parental involvement as an integral part of the school's educational program, including a Home-School Contract that requires 16 hours of volunteerism per family per year.
Funding. New West has no application fee and no tuition because it is funded directly by the State at the same per student level as any public school in California. State loans, federal implementation grants, and private financing are available for start-up costs. In May 2002, New West received a $400,000 implementation grant. Additionally, New West expects to be successful in attracting grants and charitable donations to enhance the quality and breadth of the school's educational program.
School Calendar. There will be at least 180 days of instruction using a school calendar that is coordinated with local public schools (early September to late June). The school day is anticipated to last from 8:00 AM until 3:30 PM followed by 60-180 minutes of extended day, after-school enrichment, extracurricular activities, remedial instruction, community service and/or homework activities.
Special Education. New West will be fully inclusive, providing all students with disabilities a free and appropriate education in a least restrictive environment as an integral part of the school's educational culture.
Equal Rights Statement. New West does not discriminate against or grant preferential treatment on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or disability.
Matriculation to High School. Students graduating from New West will be prepared in terms of academic excellence, character development, and life-long learning skills to continue their education at any college preparatory high school.