Rocketship Education
At a Glance
Focus area(s):
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Description
Impact and Outcomes

What Major Funders Say
Mission & Goals
Program
Impact
Growth Plan
Rocketship plans to fulfill its mission to eliminate the achievement gap in our lifetimes by expanding into the 50 highest-need metropolitan areas across the country by 2021. The organization is committed to partnering with regions only when the necessary conditions to succeed in that region are established. There are four main criteria that are used to determine suitability of a region:
- 8 School Cluster: The region must authorize upfront at least 8 schools that will open within 5 years, contingent upon outstanding academic performance of existing Rocketship schools in that region. This 8 school cluster guarantees the financial sustainability of the region’s Regional Support Office, which will provide academic, operational, financial, and political support to each school in that region.
- Strong School Leader: At the head of every great school is a great school leader. Rocketship recruits and selects individuals that demonstrate a strong potential to excel at running outstanding Rocketship schools. Individuals who are selected to found a new region must first learn and internalize the Rocketship model, and demonstrate success running Rocketship schools in San Jose.
- Clear Plan for Facilities: Lack of access to adequate facilities is plaguing charter schools across the nation. In order to green-light a new region, the Rocketship Board requires a viable plan for the first eight facilities, including a written agreement for the first facility in a community that matches that populations the organization aims to serve.
- Local Financial Support: A unique factor of the Rocketship Model is that a region of 8 schools is financially sustainable running solely on public funding. In order to grow to scale, Rocketship needs to secure a $3.5 million commitment in start-up funding from local funders beyond federal and state funding. In addition to financial necessity, this commitment on the part of local philanthropic organizations also underscores the region’s political and community support, which are equally as important in successfully establishing Rocketship in a new region.
Economic Model
On the school level, all Rocketship schools are financially self-sustaining. Rocketship substitutes tutors and technology for teachers during our two-hour Learning Lab. Instead of certified teachers supervising Learning Lab, Rocketship employs hourly employees trained on basic skills tutoring. All instruction during Learning Lab takes place via computers. This substitution allows Rocketship to hire five fewer teachers for a campus with 450 students, effectively saving 25% of normal labor costs and 15 percent of overall operating costs. At present, this savings equates to $500,000 per year per school in California. Rocketship re-allocates these funds into additional academic enrichment programs, staff leadership development, and teacher compensation.
Location of Sites
To make a contribution to a program site:
- Click on the "Make a Contribution Now" button and include the name, city and state of the program you would like to support, in the "notes" text box on the organization's donation form, if available.
- If a "notes" or "designation" box is not available, write the city and state on your check in the "notes" section or call the national office to designate your contribution to a local program site.
Locations in the following states:
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Financials
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Travel, consulting, marketing, legal, administrative fees, books and supplies, software, IT, student food services, insurance, and other professional services. |