University Preparatory Charter Academy
Encyclopedia
University Preparatory Charter Academy, also known as "U-prep" or "UPREP", was a charter
high school
in the Oakland Unified School District
, California
. It was founded in 2001 by Isaac Haqq
in the Eastmont Town Center
. The school doubled in size from some 130 to 260 students in 2004. Haqq claimed "We have made it cool to be smart at this school".
A large portion of the student body were minorities including 78% African American
, 15% Hispanic
and the remainder scattered from there. UPREP was very successful in getting its students into top colleges and universities across the U.S. including University of California, Berkeley
and Stanford University
.
In 2007 the School District nullified the school's 2006 exam results threatened to revoke the school's charter after scandals involving alleged cheating by an adult student and alleged grade changes by teachers. The founder, Isaac Haqq, resigned from his directorship on July 12. At a board meeting to discuss the future of the school, parents praised the school's achievements and opposed its closure.
The governing board of UPREP voted to close the school in July 2007 after allegations of fraudulent attendance reporting (creating fraudulent collection of state funding estimated at $260,000). In addition the State Department of Education invalidated the school's test scores in 2006 and announced its intention to invalidate the results for 2007, in both cases because of cheating.
On August 2, 2007, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the school had been closed and the district was scrambling to find placement for its students.
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in the Oakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District is a public education school district which operates elementary schools , middle schools , and high schools in Oakland, California.-History:...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It was founded in 2001 by Isaac Haqq
Isaac Haqq
Isaac Haqq is an American businessman, educator, former municipal politician and father of two. He currently resides in Oakland, California, U.S.A...
in the Eastmont Town Center
Eastmont Town Center
Eastmont Town Center is a shopping mall and social services hub located on bounded by Foothill Boulevard, Bancroft and 73rd Avenues, and Church Street, in the Eastmont neighborhood of East Oakland. The mall opened in 1970 on the site of a 1920's-era Chevrolet truck factory. Architect William...
. The school doubled in size from some 130 to 260 students in 2004. Haqq claimed "We have made it cool to be smart at this school".
A large portion of the student body were minorities including 78% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 15% Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
and the remainder scattered from there. UPREP was very successful in getting its students into top colleges and universities across the U.S. including University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.
In 2007 the School District nullified the school's 2006 exam results threatened to revoke the school's charter after scandals involving alleged cheating by an adult student and alleged grade changes by teachers. The founder, Isaac Haqq, resigned from his directorship on July 12. At a board meeting to discuss the future of the school, parents praised the school's achievements and opposed its closure.
The governing board of UPREP voted to close the school in July 2007 after allegations of fraudulent attendance reporting (creating fraudulent collection of state funding estimated at $260,000). In addition the State Department of Education invalidated the school's test scores in 2006 and announced its intention to invalidate the results for 2007, in both cases because of cheating.
On August 2, 2007, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the school had been closed and the district was scrambling to find placement for its students.