Potential Charter School Applicant Orientation January 4, 2018 Inform you of the purpose of charter schools and state requirements for the application Introduce you to Volusia County s application process, timeline, and expectations for completion Discuss potential challenges Answer questions 1
Our Students Enrollment: 62,948 students in PK-12 th grade 85 schools 45 Elementary 12 Middle 9 High 2 Combination (K-8 / 6-12) 1 District Virtual Instruction Program 9 Alternative/Special Centers 7 Charter Our Employees 7,458 employees 4,512 teachers 192 school-based administrators 71 district-based administrators 2,683 support staff 2
Traditional Public Schools Charter Schools Volusia Virtual Schools McKay Scholarships Home Education Career Academies College Prep (AP, IB, AICE) School Website Name of the School Type of the School http://www.burnsscitech. org/ Burns Science and Technology Charter School Traditional: K-8 Contact Information Dr. Janet McGee jmmcgee@volusia.k12.fl.us http://www.easterseals.c om/necfl/ Easterseals Northeast Central Florida ESE: Pre-K Noelle Bee NBee@esnecfl.org http://ivyhawnschool.org/ Ivy Hawn Charter School of the Arts Traditional: K-8 Kelly Conway kaconway@volusia.k12.fl.us http://readingedgeacade my.org/ Reading Edge Academy Traditional: K-5 Peg Comardo macomard@volusia.k12.fl.us http://rmaflorida.org/ Richard Milburn (East and West) Alternative: 9-12 Art Sands asands@rmacademy.org http://readingedgeacade my.org/sa/ Samsula Academy Traditional: K-5 Peg Comardo macomard@volusia.k12.fl.us http://www.thechilesacad emy.com/ The Chiles Academy Alternative: Teen Parent Focus Anne Ferguson afergus@volusia.k12.fl.us 3
Legislation establishes the following: o Purpose of charter schools o Requirements for the application o Eligibility criteria for students o Role/responsibility of the charter school operator and sponsor o Funding sources o Training for charter school governing board approved by DOE Charter schools shall fulfill the following purposes: o Improve student learning and academic achievement o Increase learning opportunities for all students o Encourage the use of innovative learning methods o Require the measurement of learning outcomes Charter schools may fulfill the following purposes: o Create innovative measurement tools o Provide rigorous competition to stimulate continual improvement o Expand the capacity of the public school system o Mitigate the educational impact of new residential developments o Create new professional development opportunities for teachers 4
An application that offers an innovative, alternative to traditional public schools and meets all statutory requirements. Model Application (revised 2/9/16) o Standard/High Performing o Virtual Application Evaluation Instrument Florida School Choice: Charter Statutes and Rules VCS uses the state approved applications as required in statute 5
Remember you must: o Follow the application process exactly as delineated in the 2016 Model Application o Organize as a non-profit o Meet federal requirements: civil rights, ADA, Section 504, IDEA o Employ practices that are nonsectarian o Participate in the statewide assessment program o Meet state graduation requirements o Employ certified teachers o Application Cover Sheet o Executive Summary (not to exceed 2 pages) o Table of Contents to include page numbers o Narrative o 110 pages or 140 if completing Addendum(s) o Page Formatting: o Single sided o No smaller than 1 inch margins o 12-point font o Single spaced o Applicant History Worksheets o Attachments o 10 additional pages permitted o Board member information forms o Addendum 6
Plagiarism o Prohibited and cause for denial Technical and nonsubstantive corrections o Prior to approval/denial o Must receive written notification o 7 calendar days to complete Public Disclosure o All proposals are considered public record pursuant to Charter 119, Florida Statutes Concise overview of proposed plan for the school o Mission and vision o Educational need for school o Anticipated population o Education plan and school design o School culture o Community engagement and partnerships o Applicant team s capacity (Not to exceed 2 pages and does not count against page limits.) 7
Section 1: Mission, Guiding Principles and Purpose o Mission Statement o Consistent throughout all portions of the application o Demonstrates how the school will meet the purpose and guiding principles o Provide page numbers throughout the application where the information is found Section 2: Target Population and Student Body o Anticipated Student Population o Projected enrollment for each year for the charter by grade level o Brief explanation of enrollment projections o Rationale for number of students and grade levels served 8
Section 3: Educational Program Design o Clear and coherent educational program o Research base for program design o Sample daily schedule and school calendar (Attachment B) o Supports attainment of the state adopted standards Section 4: Curriculum and Instructional Design o Core curriculum and instructional strategies to serve ALL, including multi-tiered level support o Curricular choices o Sample scope & sequences (Attachment C) o Proposed choices and the plan to finalize o Reading is the primary focus using a research-based curriculum (Attachment D) o Additional academic standards beyond state requirements o Research-base and foundation materials in curriculum development o Curriculum areas other than core academics o Systems and structures to support students at risk 9
Section 5: Student Performance o Performance Goals o Expected baseline and growth for state accountability o Mission specific goals not captured by state accountability o Placement and Progression o Course and placement procedures o Pupil Progression Plan (Attachment E) o Promotions standards and graduation requirements o Assessment and Evaluation o Proposed assessment schedule (Attachment F) o Data use, training, sharing and privacy o Corrective actions in academic shortfall Section 6: Exceptional Students o Plan to identify and serve students with disabilities, including gifted students and students with 504 Accommodations o Service delivery model: programs, strategies and supports o A plan to monitor and evaluate student goals and the school s effectiveness in serving exceptional students as well as gifted o A realistic enrollment projection and staffing plan 10
Section 7: English Language Learners o Understanding of legal obligations regarding the education of English Language Learns (ELLs) and demonstrated capacity to meet obligations o A comprehensive educational plan reflecting a full range of programs and services required o A clear plan for monitoring and evaluating the progress of ELLs and exiting students from ELL services o A realistic enrollment projection and staffing plan Section 8: School Culture and Discipline o Planned school culture consistent with mission o Classroom management and discipline plan and policies o Recognition of legal obligations and children s rights o Student code of conduct (Attachment G) o Clear roles of administrators, teachers, staff and the governing board regarding discipline policy implementation Section 9: Supplemental Programming o Description of extra- and co-curricular activities o Evidence of funding for activities 11
Section 10: Governance o Organized legal entity responsible for the school (Attachments H-K) o Governance structure o Role and responsibilities of the board and how it will provide oversight o Sunshine requirements and grievance process Section 11: Management and Staffing o Organizational chart (Attachment M) o Day-to-day operations of the school o Job descriptions, roles and responsibilities for teachers and administrators (Attachments N-Q) o Recruitment and retention plan o A viable and adequate staffing plan 12
Section 12: Human Resources and Employment o Employment relationship (contracts, at-will, etc.) o Compensation plan and benefits plan o Hiring policies and procedures o Evaluation plans for administrative and instructional staff o Personnel policies and procedures (Attachment R) Section 13: Professional Development o Professional development aligned to mission o General timeline of activities Section 14: Student Recruitment and Enrollment o Marketing/Recruitment plan o Enrollment policies and procedures (Attachment S) o Parent agreements Section 15: Parent and Community Involvement o Community resources/partnerships (Attachment T) o Parent involvement plans 13
Section 16: Facilities o Plans for facility acquisition, renovation and financing o Back-up plan Section 17: Transportation o Transportation plan Section 18: Food Services o Food service plan Section 19: School Safety and Security o Plan outlining school safety and security for people and property Section 20: Budget o Operating budget for each year requested (Attachment X) o Start-up budget (Attachment Y) o Budget narrative description of line item assumptions o Evidence of funding sources (Attachment Z) o Calculate revenue on state provided Revenue Estimate Worksheet (Attachment W) o Financial contingency plan Do NOT include grant money in the budget 14
Section 21: Financial Management and Oversight o Policies and procedures for internal control and monitoring of financial health o Insurance Section 22: Start-Up Plan o Implementation timeline Chart of Attachments o Application provides a list of attachments (A-Z) that are required as a part of the charter application Addendums (as applicable) AA.Commissioner s letter(s) of verification of high-performing status BB.ESP s organization chart CC.ESP s organization chart after any anticipated growth DD.Applicant history worksheet (Form IEPC-M1A) EE.Draft contract between school and ESP FF. Applicant may attach up to an additional ten pages of supplemental material 15
Statement of Assurances Form: o This form must be signed by a duly authorized representative of the applicant group and submitted with the application for a charter school. Board Member Information Form: o This form must be signed by a duly authorized representative of the applicant group and submitted with the application for a charter school. o Use the evaluation tool to review your application. o Review your responsibilities as an applicant o Organize as a non-profit organization, 501(C)3 o Establish a governing board that complies with the Sunshine Laws o Submit a timely application to the Sponsor that meets the requirements in statute o Prepare the application for submission 16
o Two (2) hard copies in binders with tabs identifying the sections- One with original signatures and one copy o One (1) USB flash drive labeled with school name o A table of contents with page numbers for narrative sections, attachments and addendums o Use consecutive page numbers throughout and align with the table of contents o Hold potential applicant orientation o Receive Letter of Intent o Receive application by established deadline February 1 o District may request waiver of 60 day review period FL Statute 1002.33(6)(b)(3) o Distribute application to the Application Review Team o Individual application reviews by Review Team o Conduct interview with applicant, including board members to clarify any issues or concerns o Submit application to School Board for action on Superintendent s recommendation o Notify applicant of decision 17
o Application is not original o Application is not in the state approved format o Inconsistencies throughout the application o Clarity in governance structure o ESP relationship o Budget is based on another district s Revenue Estimate Worksheet o Lack of familiarity with VCS different terminology, tests, (ESE, ELL), non-fldoe course titles o Hard copy and electronic copy of the application differ o Lack of definitive information about facility o Needs, location, necessary approvals Q&A 18
For additional information, please contact Marianne Blair mlblair@volusia.k12.fl.us 19