Last school year, approximately 260 students attended Noble Academy with 90 percent of the student body being African American.

By RHONDA CROWDER

Staff Reporter

Amid charter schools closing and transformation plans, there’s one Cleveland-area school epitomizing the idea of excellence in education. That school is Noble Academy, located on E. 200th Street in Euclid, in the former St. Paul School.

Noble Academy, a kindergarten through eight grade public charter school, is managed by Concept Schools – an Illinois based independent, not-for-profit charter school management organization that currently manages 27 high quality charter schools in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Horizon Science Academy, the national blue ribbon school of excellence on S. Marginal Road, is a sister school to Noble Academy.

Noble Academy’s mission is to create a school culture built on success, respect, and accountability. The founders recognize that the success of students is dependent upon the school’s ability to create a culture that fosters meaningful, sustained relationships between teachers, students, and parents and holds all stakeholders responsible for outcomes. Since its inception, they’ve managed to live up to their mission.

The school opened in 2006 with 68 students and, for the last three years, has been rated Excellent by the Ohio Department of Education including an “Excellence with Distinction” rating in 2010.

It was the only charter school to receive such rating out of 350 charter schools.

Last school year, approximately 260 students attended Noble Academy with 90 percent of the student body being African American.

Noble’s administration is proud of their diversity and makes every attempt to recognize different cultures. In fact, Concept Schools were founded by a group of Turkish American educators with a teaching experience in Turkey, Russia, and the U.S. while the combination of teaching styles allows them to apply a more global educational model.

“It’s a great experience for our students,” said Ms. Lea Hammond, Noble Academy’s instructional coordinator. “We get teachers from the best colleges in Turkey.”

Hammond, who has taught in public, private, and charter schools, said she sees a strong collaboration between teachers that goes beyond the classroom at Noble, and that makes a difference when it comes to educating children.

“Teachers work closely together, as a team, sharing best practices,” she said. “Teachers learn from each other and how to reach the students. That benefits the students.”

Mr. Murat Efe, superintendent of Concepts Schools, commends Noble’s teachers as well.

“Noble has a lot of young teachers who have the heart for making a difference in young people’s lives,” he said. He also said the teachers realize the principal is not the boss and that Noble is their school.

At the same time, all Concept schools set high standards and expectations.

Noble Academy Director Mr. Hakan Bagcioglu, said the number one reason cited by parents removing their children from Noble is they give too much homework.

Also, at Noble, all students are required to prepare science projects and a number of students go on to compete in various science fairs in Ohio and neighboring states.

Just recently, they implemented The Ivy League Mentorship Program (IMP), an initiative designed to prepare a select group of advanced students for top colleges in the country. This program gives students the opportunity to visit Ivy League schools, take cultural trips, and provides ideas for them to strive in the future. Selected students must maintain academic and citizenship requirements to participate.

On the other hand, Noble does accept students with learning disabilities. There is an intervention specialist who heads the department. The also have a school psychologist and speech therapist.

Class sizes are kept to 25 students with a 13:1 student to teacher ratio.

Additionally, a number of extra-curricular activities are available to Noble Academy students including men’s basketball and cooking classes.

“It’s a jewel. It’s a great school,” said Joe Calinger, Regional Sponsor Representative with Buckeye Community Hope Foundation – Noble’s sponsor.

Calinger oversees 16 schools.

He went on to say the administrators are great people, very easy to work with. Then, when asked about school’s secret of success, he said number one: their community involvement and number two: their STEM inspired curriculum.

“There is no other school that has as much involvement from the parents,” he said. He spoke of participation in their annual international dinner and how teachers as well as administrations conduct home visits. “Sometimes parents struggle in relationships with school. That leads itself. It goes far. There are few schools doing that.”