Our History

North Texas Collegiate Academy was established as an open-enrollment public charter school on November 3, 1999 and opened our first campuses in August, 2001. The charter holder is Salvaging Teens At-Risk, Inc (STAR, Inc), a non-profit 501c3 organization. Under contract with the Texas Education Agency and the United States Department of Education, we are charged with providing an incredible academic experience for all students.

Our Services

We are dedicated to working in partnership with parents and the community to provide a quality educational experience to all students while providing access to resources for the entire family. Our goal is to identify and remove barriers that may impede a child’s success through a powerful model of student care that truly makes us #MoreThanASchool.

Without charging any fees, we provide the following resources for our families:

• Academic and extra-curricular programs that exceed state requirements

• Assistance with transitional housing needs through local agency partners

• Assistance with food insecurity through partnerships with Tarrant Area Food Bank and North Texas Food Bank

• Counseling and mental health services through UT Southwestern and our Student Assistance Programs

• Family financial literacy and adult education support through local agency partners

• Assistance with applying for TANF, SNAP, Medicaid and other resources

• After-school programs that offer intensive academic support and student-interest clubs

Our Core Values

Our program is centered around the promise to know every child in our schools by name, strength and need; our students thrive in an environment of love, support and community where each is valued and honored.

We hold to 3 Core Values:

• Inspire with character.

• Invest in community.

• Instill with confidence.

Our core values reflect our intent to model and teach traditional character traits so our students learn to maintain healthy relationships, manage their emotions and live with integrity. We also believe it’s essential for us to train our students to “give back” to the community that serves us so well through annual community service and leadership projects. Finally, we know that our students can excel at high levels if given a nurturing environment under the direction of highly-trained educators; we want our students to have the confidence to accomplish their personal goals.

Our Four Fundamental Beliefs

1.  Every child has value. 

2.  Every child can learn.

3.  Every minute matters.

4.  Every day brings improvement.

Our Academic Program

Our curriculum, designed around Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills as well as the "College and Career Readiness Standards" for Texas, is a blended approach in which technology and small-group instruction are partnered with individual support.  Although we have 1:1 devices at our campuses and incorporate technology into every academic area, we believe that technology must be balanced with traditional instructional methods.

We provide an academically rigorous college-preparatory curriculum to ensure that our students are prepared for success in high school and college.  Our students are accountable for the same high-stakes assessments as any other public school in Texas.  The difference is that we do not focus on those tests.  We believe that if every day of instruction is rigorous, well-planned, and relevant, our students will perform above the standard on state tests. We allow these tests to show how well our students have mastered the standards for each grade level and subject area. 

NTxCA does not assign homework.  We use every minute of our instructional day to its fullest and then respect that our families are busy and our students deserve time to just play and be kids in the evenings.  Of course, we encourage our students to read or be read to each day, but this should be for enjoyment and practice, not part of an assignment.

Our middle school have the choice of a variety of CTE courses and can begin earning high-school credits in 7th grade. Health Sciences, Pre-Law, and Criminal Justice are just a few of the career-related courses offered.

Our Character Education Focus

Character education is a huge part of the NTxCA program.  Every class, every day, in every grade level starts the school day with a character trait lesson focusing on our district character trait of the week.  Without character, academic knowledge is of little benefit.  We know that instilling values and ethics in our students, coupled with our strong academic program, equips them for life long success.  

Our character education program has 4 primary goals: 

          (1) to promote and model use of respectful language,

            (2) to build relationships of acceptance and respect for diversity,

            (3) to manage student behavior, and

            (4) to encourage perseverance, consistency, and integrity in our attitudes and actions. 

Our Campuses

Every NTxCA campus is small by design with no more than 330 students. To provide the intentional support our students deserve and to maintain the strong relationships we desire with our families, we think it’s important for our campuses to be large enough to offer a variety of programs and opportunities but small enough to know every child by name.

Enrollment is open to students who meet residency requirements listed HERE.

Once classes in grade levels fill, all additional applications for enrollment are wait-listed. As seats become available, a lottery in held to draw names for students to fill those seats.

For more information, visit the FAQ and explore our website. Call the campus location of your choice to schedule a tour!

Social and Emotional Learning at North Texas Collegiate Academy

NTxCA showcases the five components of SEL from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL): 

• Self-Management

• Self-Awareness

• Social Awareness

• Relationship Skills

• Decision Making

   

The goal of our SEL program is equip staff and students with tools to stay emotionally, physically and socially healthy by helping them manage tension and stress, resolve conflict in productive ways, and create meaningful relationships that foster the most positive learning environment possible. 

Each school day starts with an intentional focus on our weekly character trait and an SEL lesson based on “Second Steps,” an award-winning curriculum that helps build our staff members’ and students’ emotional intelligence. We wrap up the school day with a reflection on our SEL focus.  

A committee of teachers and administrators spent 6 months exploring numerous SEL platforms and options to ensure the successful implementation of our SEL program.  Every staff member was trained by a committee member to guarantee unity in our approach and in our presentation across every campus and in every classroom. SEL committee members provide continuous support for all staff and students. Through our intentional commitment to SEL in a character-based learning environment, we are staying true to our fundamental belief that we must #LOVEfirstTEACHsecond. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

North Texas Collegiate Academy will provide educational equity so all children receive the education and services they deserve, empowering them to excel academically, socially, and emotionally regardless of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, or gender. Additionally, we seek to sustain positive school culture through teaching models and instructional practices that honor our cultural diversity. 

We intentionally and relentlessly work to ensure that all NTxCA students experience equal access to high-quality instruction, social and emotional learning, nutritional meals at no cost, extra-curricular activities, and a personalized learning approach that meets their individual needs. 

Although surveys show high levels of parent, student, and staff satisfaction with our programs and efforts thus far, our equity work is not yet finished.  We continuously seek to eliminate performance gaps in all subgroups, to increase ways to support and embrace our cultural diversity, to increase participation in parent and family engagement activities, and to eliminate equity gaps that may manifest in any part of our program.

Parent Testimonials

Our son attends NTxCA and we are very pleased with the education they have provided to him as well as the attention and love that the teachers, the principal, and the staff offers.  We like the way they keep us informed about everything and help us with services that are important to our family. They keep the students safe by knowing every child’s name and by knowing us personally as parents.  We appreciate the school. --Jesus and Patricia B.

My son has attended NTxCA for the past 3 years. I’m very fond of the small class sizes and the teachers’ ability to give my son undivided attention.  My son’s grades have improved at NTxCA. He is doing well in all subjects and his confidence is much higher now.  I offer huge thanks to everyone at the school for loving my son. –Norma A.

With all the unexpected changes this year due to COVID-19, I saw again how special this school really is. The staff has gone above and beyond to continue to teach the kids.  They even call just to ask if we need anything.  I’m sure the behind-the-scenes work was crazy, but it was all done with positivity and love.—Shelby D. 

My son has learned more than I imagined he could in just his first 2 years at NTxCA (Pre-K and Kinder). We love the structure of the school, things like weekly character traits and the support from the principal are exactly what we envisioned when we chose NTxCA.—Juli G.

I have nothing but good things to say about this school.  They truly care about the kids and their families.  The staff is amazing and I cannot thank them enough.  I have seen a change in my son when they began to work with him and they never give up!  I’m so blessed to have found this school and honored to be able to have my children attend there. –Joy S.

I love how everyone there seem to always be involved and actually show they care for the kids.  My kids love it at NTxCA and they show it with the excitement they have just to go to school!  You are all wonderful and I couldn’t be happier that I chose this school. --Lori H 

We love North Texas Collegiate Academy! I’ve always thought the staff was caring and supportive but since the Coronavirus shut down, they have gone above and beyond.  The teachers have been so helpful and encouraging as we try to have school at home.  All the staff have really helped make this difficult transition easier to manage.  --Becky C 

I love this school!  I love the attention the students get from the teachers and staff.  I have great communication with my children’s teachers as well as the administrators.  I love the fact that the staff are responsible and take good care of the students; the principal pays close attention and is involved in the classes every day.  –Heidi F. 

I’ve been with this school for five years and my children have learned so much.  I love that the school focuses on strong academics and character education.  I recommend this school to anyone!  My children are treated with great love and care. –Paola D. 

This school has shown great respect towards our religious beliefs; they love and respect my family.  We appreciate how they respond to our questions and concerns and have genuine care for our children. –Diana L. 

Every teacher at NTxCA is helpful and loves their job! My daughter had such an amazing experience during her first year at the school that she looks forward to going again next year! –Brigette M

I was a student at NTxCA from 2002-2008 and now my own children attend.  I won’t consider putting them in any other school because no other school will love and serve them like NTxCA will.  Ashley B.

Staff Testimonials

I have always known that teaching is my divine calling and working at NTxCA has solidified that belief. The staff at NTXCA works together like a family to provide services and care to not only the student, but to their families as well. Working for NTXCA has stretched me in so many ways and has made me a better teacher. –Janae Robinson,

I like working at NTxCA because I feel like I am able to make a difference in the lives of my students, both academically and personally.  I think what makes NTxCA special is that the overall well-being of the students is important, not just their academic achievements.  All progresses that students make, academically and socially, are celebrated.  I am proud to be a part of NTxCA because I love knowing that I can really get to know my students and their families and that I can really make a positive impact on my students.—Christina Bynum

 I love teaching at NTxCA because of the caring and supportive culture. The school’s small size allows us to get to know teachers and students in other grade levels and to form bonds that are conducive to our students’ academic, social, and emotional development. My co-workers and administrators strongly support me in creating the best outcomes for my students. –Dana Tucker

 I love working at NTxCA because we are a small school district with BIG growth always in mind. We have a dedicated administration and staff that focuses on our students' academic needs, well-being, and their community.  We are a family and I am proud to be a part of it! --Mae Gonzalez