| LA | 2011-12 | KIPP Believe Primary | Recruitment: 'On the ground stuff. I drove around looking for 5-year-olds. When we met families, we asked them who else they knew. We were seeking a population that hadn't had access to a good education.' Retention: 'We try to keep everyone. We make calls; use intent to return forms, have conversations, do all we can. ' Tracking student and staff retention in all schools is a CMO policy. | Recruitment for Y2 was frustrating and inhibited due to OneApp. KBP reports that OneApp necessitated more conversations with families to help them understand the process. Successful recruit strategy was: 'Making sure parents feel very welcome, valued, accepted--thinking first about their needs. The personal touch is a huge selling point. We are strategic about where and how we recruit. We tell the story of who we are'. | No preschool; they are a feeder for the middle school. | | | In both Y1 and Y2, KBP took a personal approach to recruitment, spending time talking to families. This approach was especially important (frustratingly so) in Y2 because of the confusion caused by OneApp. In Y1 KPB notes that they 'try to keep everyone' and have strategies in place to boost/track retention. |
| LA | 2011-12 | Clark | Recruitment: 'power of Firstline's reputation in New Orleans and community support from the Clark Alumni Association' 'visits to schools last year.'Retention: We have a re-enrollment plan, including parent nights for One-App, Student talent show, three open house events, home visits.' | Clark reports that retention was a high priority anyway, so One App didn't change that. Most fruitful recruitment strategies were: Re-enrollment, by tapping families of last year's 9th graders to enroll siblings, cousins, housemates. Also, home visits conducted AFTER the first wave of OneApp assignments came out, to keep every student assigned to Clark. Clark had to do recruitment earlier and work to make sure that students who were assigned would stay. | Firstline K-8's would be, but a staff member reports that Clark is not a 'best option' high school yet. | | | In Y1, Clark leveraged Firstline's existing reputation and support from the alumni association for recruitment. One App wasn't particularly disruptive to the Y2 approach, although the first round results indicated that Clark would have to focus on keeping students enrolled. Clark faces a conundrum in Y2 regarding feeder schools: the school wants to be the high school of choice for Firstline 8th graders, but they are not currently a high-quality choice, so the Firstline K-8s can't in good conscience funnel students to Clark yet. |
| LA | 2011-12 | Tubman | Recruitment: Enrollment desk across the street from school, hiring someone whose job it was to meet recruitment targets (wanted to make sure all previous Tubman students that wished to enroll did so ahead of the lottery deadline) Retention: We do a lot of talking about why they should return. We make tons and tons of phone calls. We do lots of outreach. | Tubman says that retention from Y1 to Y2 was great; parent satisfaction was very high, word of mouth was positive, and they didn't have to do much recruitment. One App frustrated the recruitment/enrollment process (slowed down registration/waitlist, inaccurate student info, inconsistencies, etc.) | No | | 'We [message our mission and vision] most when we recruit in the spring. 90-95% of our students live in the neighborhood. We don't do extra community things because the community is here.' | Recruitment in Y1 focused on re-enrolling previous students and was staffed accordingly so that recruitment/outreach could be high touch. This approach appears to pay off in Y2, as retention was 'great' and parent satisfaction reported, 'high.' In Y5, Tubman notes that they are rare in that they serve mostly their geographic neighborhood, so 'community outreach' for them doesn't require some of the citywide efforts which other schools make because Tubman's families live in Tubman's neighborhood. |
| LA | 2012-13 | Carver Prep | Recruitment (most fruitful): utilizing 8th grade colleagues, Batiste and Tubman were best. Retention: The plan is our Advisory system: get kids bought in and then their academic growth will keep them here. | Recruitment strategy is to get students who want Sci Academy to put them second. Carver Prep casts a wide net. | No, but they recruit heavily and get a lot of students from Sci-Tech, Tubman, Reed, RCAA, and Dibert | | | Recruitment in Y1 depended on activating connections to colleagues in 8th grades, especially Tubman (an i3 CCS school) and Batiste (a ReNew school). CP's retention plan is to maximize student buy-in. In Y2, CP recruits by 'casting a wide net' and suggests students who want to attend Sci Academy list them as a 2nd choice on One App forms. CP does not have a formal feeder school, but they recruit heavily from a handful of K8s including ReNew and Firstline schools. |
| LA | 2012-13 | Carver Collegiate | Retention: Events. Spring Fling, College trips, Advisory meetings to talk about Summer, AP Status, next year. Recruitment (most fruitful): Visits to schools last year, Word-of-mouth, | Most fruitful recruitment: Relationships with teachers and counselors (these were the most prolific), School campus tours (both Carvers). The principal says OneApp did not affect recruitment. | No, but they recruit heavily and get a lot of students from Sci-Tech, Tubman, Reed, RCAA, and Dibert. | | | In Y1 the most effective recruitment strategies were high touch, e.g., school visits and conversations that supported word-of-mouth. Retention strategies built around one-off events as well as advisory but in both cases leveraged student buy-in. In Y2, this buy-in was also a key strategy - relationships with teachers and counselors brought students (back) to CC. One App didn't impact enrollment. |
| LA | 2012-13 | Cohen | Recruitment (most fruitful): 8th grade visits to ReNEW, Relationships with middle-school principals, Location Retention: 90% retention target | 'We haven't had to do a lot of recruitment because of our location. One App changes our enrollment pattern. I assume a huge amount of flaw by the RSD. I ask for 150 students even if I want 120 because I'm not confident that 30 will show.' Cohen notes that ' A lot of [students] did not select this school, they were sent. A lot went to other schools first and missed the first few weeks here.' Home visits and middle school feeder were most successful. | Yes-elementary and middle. | | | Cohen believes that their location benefits them in terms of recruitment and retention in both Y1 and Y2. They also recruit via relationships with NOCP and ReNew middle schools and in Y2 with home visits. In Y2, One App causes some disruption and Cohen strategically asks to be assigned more students than they plan to serve because they anticipate attrition. Cohen does have formal feeders in the NOCP K-8s. |
| LA | 2012-13 | Craig | Craig didn't actively recruit in Y1. The school was waiting on RSD to know the re-enrollment numbers from the One App, so they felt they couldn't effectively recruit. Radio ads aired in September, Craig participated in a community fair, and they will do more radio/fair outreach in October (got funding from NSNO for this) Craig did a third-quarter retention assessment. Craig offers those with deficiencies summer school at King or Craig. | OneApp did not influence recruitment. Word of mouth and parent outreach at events were the most successful. Craig was conscious of the need to distinguish themselves as a school due to open-enrollment city-wide and OneApp. | no (has own Pre-K) | | | Craig did not actively recruit in Y1 because they didn't have enrollment numbers from RSD in time. Craig did air radio ads and participated in a community fair in Sept, and have funding to do more of the same in Oct. In Y2, Craig reports that One App didn't influence recruitment but also note that they were more aware of having to make themselves known in a citywide recruiting scheme. High touch recruitment such as word of mouth and parent outreach events were Y2's most effective recruitment strategies. Craig is a pK-8 and as such needs no feeder schools. |
| LA | 2012-13 | Crescent Leadership Academy | Recruitment (most fruitful): Visits to schools last year, Word-of-mouth, parent referrals, when parents found out that uniforms were free and they had free food the first 2 weeks. Retention: CLA brought in parents to discuss the vision for next year. CLA also wanted to find a different location, and to implement a band, chorus, dance, football and basketball program. | OneApp hurts CLA because it allows expelled kids to enroll elsewhere (??), says they did not recruit much but enrollment is high | | 'Students like being here. Attendance is 70-80% (we see 100% of students, just not daily).' | | CLA found that school visits, word of mouth, and direct parent engagement are their most fruitful recruitment strategies in Y1. In Y1, CLA hopes to relocate to a better facility and to offer a slate of enrichment options that will keep students bought in and enrolled. In Y2, One App creates unique challenges for CLA given its status as the expulsion center, but that enrollment remains high. By Y4, CLA reports that students 'like being here.' |
| LA | 2012-13 | John McDonogh | Retention: 'No [plan in place]. It needs to be marketing. The method should be engaging and give leadership and decision making opportunities. Want to have students give input on school schedules and uniforms. To create opportunities for extra-curricular and leadership.' Recruitment: word of mouth most fruitful. | John Mc doesn't like OneApp because it 'creates a totem pole'; recruitment targeted middle schools without feeders, but John Mc knows they need more strategies for next year. Despite the dislike of OneApp, John Mc says it did not affect recruitment. | | | | John Mc's original recruitment strategy worked by word of mouth in Y1 and didn't much change in Y2 even with One App. John Mc has no retention plan in place for Y1 although they hope to drive retention through a combination of student empowerment and buy-in as well as enrichment options. In Y2, this hasn't happened, and John Mc knows they need better strategies. Recruitment occurred via targeting K8s with no high school feeder pattern. |
| LA | 2012-13 | McDonogh 42 | Recruitment: radio ads and word-of-mouth were most fruitful. Retention: When One App started McD42 sent letters, phone messages, had teachers call. If families were leaving the school tried to find out why. (Round 1 of One App resulted in 380 students enrolled in McD42). McD42 also targeted students coming from the (closing) Benjamin Mays school. | Recruitment as a new charter with low scores was a challenge and the change of location added to that. No single recruitment strategy was any more fruitful than others. | no | | | In Y1, McD42's most effective strategies were radio ads and word of mouth. To retain students, McD42 worked with families to understand One App and (when relevant) families' reasons for leaving. McD42 also aimed to boost enrollment after the first round of One App by recruiting students from a closing school. In Y2, recruitment remained a challenge as a young school with low scores. McD42 is a K8 with no feeder. |
| TN | 2012-13 | Brick Church Middle School | Recruitment: most fruitful were visits to other schools. | Excellent communication with parents' is the recruitment/retention strategy (they are zoned). | yes | | | BCCP's most effective recruitment in Y1 was visiting other schools, and in Y2 involved open communication with parents; but, as a zoned school, recruitment is less pressing for BCCP (and other TN schools) than NOLA schools. |
| TN | 2012-13 | Humes | Recruitment: visiting elementary schools. Retention plan is at least 85%. | Humes canvassed the neighborhood and used word of mouth. | No | | | Humes visits elementary schools in Y1 and hopes to retain 85% of students; in Y2, Humes also relied on neighborhood canvassing and word of mouth, but as a zoned school, recruitment is less complicated than in New Orleans. |
| TN | 2012-13 | KIPP Memphis Academy Middle | Recruitment: Word-of-mouth, fliers, community walks. Retention: Only one student said they planned not to return next year. Kip policy is to send out a letter and survey to families choosing not to return asking why. KMAM school policy is to pick up the phone and contact family, sit down and see what the concerns are and listen to family, discuss transportation or academics or whatever the concerns are. | Recruitment went ok, believes they need to be out in the community before they need to recruit. Word of mouth and early canvassing were most successful. | KMAM reports no(? ) | KMAM describes engagement strategies that begin at recruitment: 'We train teachers on how to talk about mission, about what an open-enrollment charter school is. Our office manager is our first touch point, and she has customer service down. We have PD for teachers. We support teachers building strong relationships and recruiting locally, so the students know they have adults in their corner who believe in them, who look like them, who come from Memphis.' | | In Y1, KMAM recruited via word of mouth and presence in the community via walkabouts and fliers. Retention was high - only a single student indicated s/he wouldn't return - and KMAM policy is to follow up with all parents who express concerns in person to talk about their decision to re-enroll or go elsewhere. In Y2, word of mouth and canvassing remain successful. By Y4, engagement strategies integrate into the operations of the school via teacher PD specific to recruitment, a commitment to hiring locally, and a process that empowers the school front office manager to be parents' first, friendly point of contact. |
| LA | 2013-14 | Einstein Extension | Retention: Talk to parents, push for pre-registration and follow up if the forms are not filled out, but Einstein Extension is not troubled with families changing between the two Einstein schools. Recruitment: Word-of-mouth, Open House at Intercultural.' | Not a part of OneApp, they advertise in various places, word of mouth is most successful. | No | | | In Y1 Einstein recruited via word of mouth and visits to the closing school. Einstein talks to parents to push for re-enrollment, but Einstein does not see a problem with students moving from Einstein Extension to Einstein charter or vice versa. Einstein is not part of One App in Y2 because of their status as an OPSB charter, so they find that word of mouth remains their most effective strategy. |
| TN | 2013-14 | Cornerstone Lester | Recruitment: Canvassing, getting out in the community. Retention: Make it fun, so the students want to be here. Celebrate learning. We're not lenient; we're strict. But it pays off.' | 'We try to recruit whole families, not just kindergartners. Word of mouth is best for recruitment. Retention is about communication, listening to parents and community. | There is a Pre-K on campus run by a separate org. | | | In Y1, recruitment is managed via canvassing and presence in the community, while retention strategies leverage student buy-in to the fun-but-strict culture. In Y2, there is a commitment to recruiting whole families into the Cornerstone family, not just new kindergartners; this stance also translates to Cornerstone's retention strategy in which they commit to listening to and communicating effectively with parents and community. Word of mouth is a most useful strategy in Y2. |
| TN | 2013-14 | Hanley | Recruitment: Community meetings held during school closure process. Open times when parents could come to talk. Hanley persisted to find key community members. They identify their strength in embracing the community and partnering with them. Retention: Figure out how to provide transportation. Hanley is trying to record where people are moving to so they can send a bus there to pick them up. 40 kids would pay for a bus. Hanley is growing to 8th grade, so they seek to ensure the middle school is competitive with optional middle schools. For example, Hanley's middle school program will focus on computers. Hanley offers site tours to prospective families although no one has taken them up on those.' | 'Community fairs, open houses, anything where they can come here was most successful. | No (have own Pre-K) | | | In Y1, Hanley mobilized intentional recruitment strategies that leveraged community relationships, including hosting meetings during the closure process and working hard to identify advocates within the community. Their most significant challenge in retention is transportation. In Y2, most effective recruitment strategies were community fairs, open houses, or other events that brought families into the school.' |
| TN | 2013-14 | Klondike | Retention: no plan Recruitment: There was a summer program for four weeks, that helped spread word of mouth. | 'Home-visits were helpful for building relationships, but enrollment follow-up wasn't great.' | No, but there is a Pre-K in the building. | | | In Y1 Klondike relied on word of mouth - mostly via their summer program - for recruitment, and they have no retention plan. In Y2, home visits were helpful for building relationships with parents but follow up to translate those relationships to actual enrollment wasn't strong. |
| TN | 2013-14 | KIPP Memphis Preparatory Middle | Recruitment: 'Word-of-mouth/Reputation. We attempted to do individual home visits. One big thing is that we are Memphis home-grown. We are known in the community. We do open houses and canvassing. The message is Preparing all students for college and life. Student retention: A CMO community outreach team handles that. We have also done intent to enroll forms; we ask parents to help recruit. A mandatory ASD parent survey is very helpful, and we can follow up with this. We hold meetings to discuss the reasons for leaving. KMPM has goals for retention and attrition.' | | | | | In Y1, KMPM has numerous strategies for recruitment and retention. They leverage their reputation in the community as a known and home-grown entity. The CMO has a dedicated outreach staff, and the school attempted to do home visits as well. KMPM cultivates parents as advocates, issues intent to re-enroll forms, and follows up in person with parents considering another option. Additionally, KMPM makes use of the mandatory ASD family survey, which provides additional information KMPM can use. |
| TN | 2014-15 | Freedom Preparatory Academy | | 'Being in the neighborhood (part of the community) was the best recruitment strategy. The brand already had a lot of trust which helped a lot. ' | | | | In Y2, Freedom Prep notes that being in the neighborhood and of their community was their best recruitment strategy. They also were able to leverage their existing brand/reputation. |
| LA | 2015-16 | KIPP East Community Primary | Recruitment: Head Starts-there are two in Nola East, and KE have a good relationship with them. Flyering at daycares and with everyone that had four-year-olds. Hustling-at Wal-Mart and going door to door. Somewhat at churches, KE wants to do more there. KE did more this year than last--it was just the founding principal last year, but now the school is staffed. Parents are also spreading the word. Retention: Phone calls, have meetings, work to build relationships.' | | | | | In Y1 KIPP East recruits using a number of strategies including maintaining relationships with nearby Head Start Centers, flyering at daycares and other places serving four-year-olds, canvassing, setting up an information table at Walmart, nascent recruitment through local churches. KE was able to support more recruitment activity in SY1 than they had for their opening year; before opening, only the founding principal was available to support these activities. Now that the school is open there are additional staff and KE has cultivated parents as advocates for recruitment. This cultivation is also a retention strategy: having conversations and building relationships with families |
| LA | 2015-16 | Wilson | Recruitment: We message with high expectations. We discuss the athletic programs and enrichment activities that are available. This school did not have sports or enrichment for the past two years. We have 567 students our goal was 610- Inspire Nola did a great job recruiting students considering our F rating. Retention: Yes. 1.) Review and talk to families leaving to find out why. 2.) Find out grades short of PreK, K and first and recruit students. 3.) Walk this neighborhood and have them get to know us. The consensus seems to be 'Why would I want to send my child to an F school?' and then 'I wouldn't know how great this school is unless I came in the building 'the kids were not being taught, and there was no sense of community.' | | | | | In its first year, Wilson worked to message both their high academic expectations and their enrichment options (things the school lacked under the previous operator). Wilson is pleased with its enrollment numbers and recruitment efforts given that they were recruiting students to an F-rated school. Retention strategies leverage relationships with families to hear concerns and to have a positive presence in the community. Wilson hears from neighbors and potential parents that the F-rating is a barrier to enrollment but that the culture Inspire has created at Wilson surpasses parents' expectations once they visit the school. |