Since our founding in 2006, our free public schools have served Rochester families with an award-winning instructional model that supports students’ academic and personal growth leading to consistent top performance on state and nationwide exams. As the first K-12 charter schools in Rochester, our students are immersed in college-prep culture from day one. Our teachers infuse joy into every day, creating an active engaged learning environment and preparing every student to succeed in college and beyond. All of our scholars graduate with college acceptances and our alumni are attending top colleges and universities near and far from Carleton College to Syracuse U and succeeding.
We believe that every child deserves an outstanding education, and we are committed to working beyond the walls of our schools to achieve that goal. We partner with teachers and leaders from public school districts in New York and New Jersey to improve classroom instruction. Our books—including Get Better Faster and Driven by Data—and professional development workshops have helped millions of teachers around the world achieve better outcomes for their students.
Our schools are joyful and rigorous, full of love and learning, and fiercely dedicated to closing the achievement gap and changing history.
2,591
Student Population96%
Students of Color1.2%
English Learners10.6%
Students with DisabilitiesSpecializations
Rochester Prep offers a wide range of Advanced Placement Courses, technology-based courses, as well as other unique classes to challenge and expand your child’s mind and skills. We are pleased to offer formal special education programs to students who may need additional support or are English Language Learners. Our goal is to ensure every child has the tools needed to succeed.
Activities and Sports Offerings
Being a full K-12 program, Rochester Prep has a lengthy list of clubs and offerings, check our website for more information!
Rochester Prep is constantly expanding its athletic offerings. We have 9 Varsity sports including bowling and football that feature a partnership with Bishop Kearney. An assortment of JV and modified sports as well. Plans for the 2021-2022 athletic department included expanding offerings to:
- Modified Girls Volleyball
- Modified/JV Soccer
- JV Boys Basketball
- Modified/JV Football (Merger with BK)
Notable Achievements
- In 2019 our boys indoor 4x200m relay team won the Section V Class D Championship.
- In the Spring of 2019 Senior James Jones won Section V titles in the 100m and 200m for Outdoor Track.
- Our 2020 Girls Varsity Volleyball and Varsity Cheerleading teams were named a NYSPHAA Academic Award winners for having 75% of the team having over a 90% average in the classroom.
Community Partnership Programs
Rochester Prep High School is proud to partner with the Rochester Institute of Technology! Professors teach classes, college students mentor our students, regular field trips to RIT campus, and Senior Capstone projects, are just some elements of this wonderful partnership. As a result of this partnership, 14 Rochester Prep alumni are currently attending RIT thriving in a range of majors from photojournalism to health sciences.
Instructional Model
Rochester Prep classes reflect a traditional classroom setting, with teachers and co-teachers at the elementary and middle school levels. Rochester Prep’s instructional model is inclusive of a full continuum of service for students with special needs.
All Rochester Prep Schools are academic successes; the schools demonstrate high levels of performance as evidenced by:
- Rochester Prep schools posted high ELA achievement, outperforming the Rochester City School District by 30 percentage points in 2018-19.
- In Mathematics, Rochester Prep schools exceeded the targets for growth during the 2018-19 school year and achieved proficiency at more than 4 times the rate of the District.
- Rochester Prep posted high graduation and college matriculation rates for 2019-20. Notably, 91% of its first Graduation Cohort graduated after four years, and 85% of those students matriculated into college the following year.
Certification Requirements
No certification required. To support teachers obtaining certification, Rochester Prep Schools partners with Relay Graduate School of Education to enroll uncertified teachers into certification programs.
With two offerings, uncertified teachers can join our team as Relay Residents where they learn the skills required to be successful in the classroom through support and coaching at school as they work towards certification. Experienced teachers can join the Rochester Prep team and enroll in Relay Graduate School of Education’s Masters of Arts in Teaching program. We are fully committed and invested in the growth of our teachers and will fully reimburse the cost of the program after four years of teaching at Rochester Prep.
New Teacher Starting Salary
Uncommon Schools Rochester Prep offers competitive salaries commensurate with education and experience
Benefits
Medical
Dental/Vision
FSA
403(b) plans
Voluntary life insurance and hospital indemnity plans
Childcare leave
Life and Disability Plans
Employee Assistance Programs
Working Advantage/Discounts
Moving Reimbursement
Mentoring
Rochester Prep educators receive the support vital to develop, grow, and enhance their instructional skills. Educators have one-on-one coaching sessions with their instructional leader, getting invaluable real-time feedback and thought partnership to continuously improve instructional practices through collaboration and targeted development within their school community.
Professional Development
All Rochester Prep educators are provided quality training and ongoing support around driving culture and achievement, data-driven instruction, and building relationships with students. We help our teachers and school leaders to be the best they can be.
- New Rochester Prep teachers receive 3 weeks of high-quality training prior to entering the classroom
- Rochester Prep partners with Relay Graduate School of Education and other local education programs to provide additional training, and to subsidize the cost of a master’s degree and certification
- All teachers receive 3 hours of professional development and collaborative work time each week.
- Rochester Prep offers leadership pathways for those who are passionate about leading outstanding schools via our highly regarded Instruction and Operations Fellowship development programs which provide hands-on experience in cultural leadership and management.
Supports for Teachers of Color
Grounded in our mission of preparing students to get to and through college, strengthening our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts is an organizational priority. We believe that all students deserve to see themselves in the adults who shape their lives, and that diverse teams are strong teams.
Rochester Prep has proudly built schools where approximately one-third of our teachers identify as people of color, where our leadership team reflects the diversity of our staff, and where diversity and inclusion practices inform how we work together as an Uncommon team. We cultivate and strengthen our diversity through hiring, retention, and leadership development practices. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team develops deeply reflective staff training sessions, facilitates a regional speaker series, and supports authentic student and staff discussions across our schools, and more to help ensure that our school and workplace culture allows all of us to bring our whole selves to work every day.
Find Rochester Prep’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan is here.
Locations
Rochester Prep Elementary School (grades K-4)
899 Jay Street
Rochester, NY 14611
Rochester Prep Elementary School – West Campus (grades K-4)
305 Andrews Street
Rochester, NY 14604
Rochester Prep Elementary School 3 (grades K-4)
85 St. Jacob Street
Rochester, NY 14621
Rochester Prep Middle School (grades 5-8)
630 Brooks Avenue
Rochester, NY 14619
Rochester Prep Middle School – West Campus (grades 5-8)
432 Chili Avenue
Rochester, NY 14611
Rochester Prep Middle School 3 (grades 5-8)
85 St. Jacob Street
Rochester, NY 14621
Rochester Prep High School (grades 9-12)
14 Mark Street
Rochester, NY 14621