Newark High School Fair is Saturday

The Newark Public Schools will introduce a new, citywide high school admissions process for the 2013-2014 school year. The revamped application process will provide all Newark 8th graders and their families the opportunity to express high school preferences and ultimately enroll at a school that s/he wants to attend.

The new, common online application launched on March 1. Students and families will have till March 22 to select their choices.

To learn more about the array of high school options and the new citywide admission process in general, students and families are encouraged to do the following:

Attend the NPS High School Fair on Saturday, March 9 at Central High School (250 18th Ave) from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. At the Fair, students can talk to representatives from each school and learn about classes, services, and programs. Read the High School Directory and Guide that was sent to families and schools on March 1. These resources will describe programs at different schools and outline the various options and process.

Tour individual schools: Beginning in early March, each school will announce a schedule and dates for students and families to visit different campuses.

Superintendent Cami Anderson said building a diverse portfolio of secondary schools that offers a wide range of instruction themes, small learning communities, career academies, partnerships with higher education and business, and multiple pathways to graduation is key to making students college and career ready.

“The research on effective high schools is clear – when students attend a school of their choice – one that is of interest to them, where they feel safe, and where adults really know them, they are more likely to graduate,” she added. “By improving our schools and moving towards a universal, transparent, accessible and equitable high school admissions process, NPS is re-imaging itself and striving to provide the top tier schools for all of our students.”