Compass School Charter Renewed by State

The Compass School, a K thru 8 public charter school in Kingston, is one of two existing Rhode Island charter schools to be extended for five years recently.

The Compass School’s leadership and strong academic track record are credited for its success and renewal granting. To be considered for renewal, the school passed the rigorous review of the Rhode Island Department of Education.

While the recommendation was based on many considerations, the school’s NECAP results distinguish the Compass School as one of the highest academically performing public schools in Rhode Island for elementary and middle school grade levels.

Allen Zipke, the Compass School director, said, “Education reform is a national concern and our efforts to provide an alternative to traditional public education have placed us at the forefront of a nationwide movement toward better opportunities for our children. We are part of a network of educators, parents and innovators who are committed to revamping the way we teach and how we relate to our students.”

The Compass School recently acquired 20 acres of farmland that the campus resides upon. The expansion is part of a long-term planning effort to broaden the opportunities for experiential learning at the school. This plan includes the development of facilities for additional classroom space and to use the farmland as a resource to enhance student and community education about environmental issues.

With renovations, the farmhouse will be home for our special education program and administration, and it will expand the school’s ability to serve these students, who comprise 20 percent of the population. As a not-for-profit, the school is actively engaging the philanthropic community and friends to support this capital-driven initiative.

The Compass School receives public tax dollars, as well as federal and state grants to support its operating budget. For special projects and initiatives, the school engages in fundraising efforts. In accordance with its charter, all applications are considered, ensuring a student demographic based upon an equally distributed enrollment reflecting the school community. Per the guidelines set forth by RIDE, a lottery is conducted if the amount of applicants exceeds the available openings.

From RIDE’s renewal of the Compass School: “The educational program at the Compass School is an academic success. With few exceptions in its most recent charter term, the school has significantly outperformed its sending districts and similar schools statewide on both the NECAP mathematics and reading. The school’s student growth percentiles have steadily increased over the last three years. Compass’ median SGP has improved from being in the middle 60 percent of schools in Rhode Island to being in the top 20 percent in the most recent year.”

Release courtesy of Seaside Consulting on behalf of the Compass School.