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Enrolling in Our School

Thank you for your interest in applying to North Star Academy. Students are most successful at North Star when they are inquisitive, flexible in their thinking, pick things up quickly, and enjoy learning. We promote  an atmosphere of respectful learners who enjoy exploring diverse points of view.

Families interested in having their child attend our school should follow this process:

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to do to apply for North Star? 

As part of the application process, all student applicants need to participate in the CogAT assessment test.  All RCSD 2nd graders participate in this assessment in their classroom at their current school on a regular school day. There's no need for RCSD 2nd graders to sign-up for testing. All other students (Non-RCSD 2nd graders and all RCSD and non-RCSD 3rd-7th graders) need to sign-up to visit North Star for testing. 

Where is the testing session held for non-RCSD 2nd graders?

Testing for non-RCSD 2nd graders takes place at North Star Academy, which is located at 400 Duane Street. You can park on the street. Walk your child into the front office where he/she will be greeted. Please arrive 5 minutes early for their testing time.

Monday, November 18 - Sunday, November 31, 2024:

North Star Academy (NSA), the Redwood City School District’s (RCSD) 3-8 grade school that houses the District’s Compacted Curriculum specialized program, welcomes applicants for the 2025-26 school year, which starts with the Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®). The CogAT is the assessment RCSD uses in the NSA admissions process.

RCSD welcomes families of 2nd graders who don’t attend RCSD schools, but live within the RCSD attendance zone, as well as all 3rd-7th graders (including RCSD 3rd-7th graders), to sign up to take the CogAT assessment. The CogAT for these two groups of students will take place at North Star Academy on the following dates and times:

  • Thursday, December 5, 3:00 pm
  • Saturday, December 7, 8:30 am, 10:30 am, 1:00 pm, or 3:00 pm

Families who plan to have their student participate in testing on any of these dates for non-RCSD 2nd graders and all 3rd-7th graders need to sign up prior to the assessment day.

Requests for Testing Appointments is Now Closed

for the 2025-26 Enrollment Process

Monday, December 2 - Friday, December 6, 2024

Current RCSD 2nd grade students will participate in the CogAT assessment at their current RCSD school during the school day. RCSD schools will administer the CogAT assessment to RCSD 2nd graders on the following dates:

Adelante Selby Spanish Immersion School: Friday, December 6
Clifford School: Thursday, December 5
Garfield School: Tuesday, December 3
Henry Ford School: Tuesday, December 3
Hoover School: Monday, December 2
Orion Alternative School: Monday, December 2
Roosevelt School: Wednesday, December 4
Roy Cloud School: Thursday, December 5
Taft School: Friday, December 6

Current RCSD 2nd-grade students do not need to register for the assessment as testing will take place at their current school during their school day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I bring to the testing date?

  • Water bottle
  • Snack
  • Headphones

Do I come inside for the test with my child?

No, this is a drop off for testing. Please arrive back around 65 minutes later. Some students may need up to 90 minutes to complete the test.

What does testing look like?

  • The students will be in a classroom with 20-30 other students.
  • The test is conducted with a qualified proctor.
  • They will be given a computer device and directions.
  • Typically the test takes 60 minutes to complete (3 sections)
  • We will walk the students through the campus to see the school briefly on the way out.
  • You will be notified of your child's score by mail.  Results will be mailed December 20th, 3 pm.

How can my student prepare for the test?

Once you have signed up for a CogAT 7 testing appointment, we will email you a test sample prepared by the company, to help familiarize you and your student with the test format. Please be aware that there are other books and programs available. However, we recommend that you use the materials that we make available to you as these are the items that we have found to be closely aligned to the test. The CogAT 7 measures a student’s individual abilities. The very best preparation is getting a good night's sleep, eating a healthy breakfast, and coming with a positive attitude about the test. While we should also encourage our students to do their very best on the test, we should also be conscious about not turning our encouragement into pressure.

Thursday, December 5 and Saturday, December 7

Families interested in their students attending North Star Academy who signed up for the CogAT assessment between November 18 and November 22, will be participating in this assessment.

Assessment results will be mailed to parents during winter break starting on Friday, December 20. 

Friday, December 20, 3 PM:

North Star Academy begins to mail out CogAT assessment results to families of all students who participated in the assessment program. 

Please note: These assessment results are mailed out using regular U.S. postal mail service.

Monday, January 6, 2025, 9 AM:

Application to North Star Academy opens. Using the CogAT assessment results, families will determine if they would like to apply for the 2025-26 school year. Only students who have already participated in the CogAT assessment in December of 2024 will be able to apply for the 2025-26 school year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to do to complete the application?

Once testing is completed and your student's results are received, the next step is to complete the application process. 

PLEASE NOTE: only students who have already participated in the December testing will entered in the random computerized lottery. 

What happens if I have not taken the test, but I still want to apply?

Only students who have already participated in the CogAT 7 assessment will be able to apply.

What happens if my child qualifies?

Once students are considered qualified, they will be placed in the RCSD School of Choice random computerized lottery.

How does the lottery work?

The lottery is computerized. Priority is as follows:

  1. Qualified students currently on the North Star Academy waitlist and who have reapplied to remain on the North Star Academy wait list on or before the School of Choice deadline.
  2. Qualified RCSD students and siblings of current students.
  3. Qualified Redwood City residents, from within the RCSD attendance boundary, who currently do not attend an RCSD school.

Students who qualify for admission after classes are full will be placed on a waitlist according to priority. The waitlist rolls over each school year. Students do not need to retest every year to stay on the waitlist. Students applying for higher grades will be rolled over to the top of the current waitlist. Newly qualified students will be added to the bottom of the wait list in the lottery priority.

What are my chances of getting into North Star?

North Star Academy takes a holistic approach when reviewing student applications. We assess applicants in a variety of areas. Students receive points based on their scaled scores on three subtests of the CogAT 7. More information on the application process and evaluation will be sent home with the testing results after they are taken, this will help families to determine if their students would do well at North Star.

Can you apply from out of district?

All applicants need to reside in the Redwood City School District attendance zone in order to apply.

What happens if my child does not qualify?

Students who do not qualify are welcome to reapply the following year. Each application is evaluated independently regardless of past submissions.

Can I apply for another year?

Applications are only accepted annually for the upcoming school year. We invite families to apply each winter for the upcoming school year.

Do siblings automatically qualify?

Siblings must qualify on their own merit. Once they qualify, siblings would have priority to be placed together in the lottery system.

Two Different Application Pathways

Application Pathway for Non RCSD Students

Once the assessment is completed and results received via mail, parents may determine if their student qualifies.

Students who are not currently enrolled in an RCSD school, but live within the RCSD attendance zone, first will need complete the enrollment application followed by the School of Choice application. A link to the School of Choice application will be found at the end of the enrollment application. 

Application Pathway for Current RCSD Students

Students who are currently attending an RCSD school may directly fill out the School of Choice form:

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I have more questions or want to see the school?

If you would like to know more about North Star, the school will hold special events to help families decide if they would like to apply.

In-Person Information Night

Information night for the 2025-2026 school year is now closed. 

In-Person School Tours

Information night for the 2025-2026 school year is now closed.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the application due?

The application will follow the School of Choice application deadline.

Friday, January 17, 2025, 3 PM:

Applications close for families of students interested in North Star Academy for the 2025-26 school year. All North Star Academy applicants will be entered in a random computerized lottery.

Families who applied to North Star Academy will be notified starting Friday, March 7.

Friday, March 7, 2025, 3 PM:

RCSD begins the 4th Round of notifications. This notification is for program or school placement based on the family’s School of Choice application and random lottery results. The district also will notify families if they are placed on a waitlist.

The families who will be notified during this 4th Round are families who applied for the following grade level and program:

3rd Grade Notifications: Incoming 3rd grade students at North Star Academy