St. Aloysius Orphanage Sponsorship 2012-2013 START-UP COMMUNITY SCHOOL APPLICATION FOR A PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT FOR SPONSORSHIP WITH SAINT ALOYSIUS ORPHANAGE Thank you for your interest in partnering with St. Aloysius Orphanage for sponsorship of an Ohio community school to open for school year 2012-2013. The Application for a Preliminary Agreement for St. Aloysius Orphanage Sponsorship is included in this packet. We have also included a Timeline to provide you with additional information on the Contract development process with St. Aloysius Orphanage. St. Aloysius Orphanage takes the role of being an Ohio Community School Sponsor seriously. We have built a comprehensive team of professionals to provide a level of technical support and assistance that is not duplicated in Ohio. Armed with this cadre of professionals as well as our belief in the development of strong partnerships between the sponsor, school boards and leadership teams, St. Aloysius Orphanage enables and supports school success. We want to be a key partner in helping our community schools improve academic performance and obtain successful student outcomes across Ohio. Completion of this application and its subsequent approval by St. Aloysius Orphanage is the first step toward developing a new community school contract between St. Aloysius Orphanage and your school. New school developers whose application for a Preliminary Agreement has been approved will sign a Preliminary Agreement with St. Aloysius Orphanage. Preliminary Agreement, as defined by statute, means a written agreement and any amendments thereto between a proposing person or group and a sponsor that sets forth the intention of both parties to negotiate in good faith towards the execution of a community school contract in accordance with Chapter 3314 of the Ohio Revised Code (the Code ). St. Aloysius Orphanage s denial of the application for a Preliminary Agreement does not constitute an official State action, and you are free to communicate with other sponsors regarding signing a Preliminary Agreement. Please review the following documentation to familiarize yourself with the complete St. Aloysius Orphanage Application/Contract process: 2012-2013 APPLICATION FOR PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT CRITICAL DATES TIMELINE FOR 2012-2013 NEW APPLICANTS 1
In addition to this application for Preliminary Agreement, it is important for you, as a potential school developer, to understand Ohio s community school law and requirements for applying and operating a community school Ohio s community school law can be found in Section 3314 of Ohio Revised Code. Workshops on Starting a Community School are available through the Ohio Department of Education s Office of Community Schools. For more information see: http://www.ode.state.oh.us/gd/templates/pages/ode/odeprimary.aspx?page=2&topicrelationid= 662 New Ohio community school applicants should submit notification of your intent to apply for a new community school contract via email at yadkins@charterschoolspec.com. Please reference the New School Applicant Timeline to ensure you are aware of the process and associated deadlines for each Applicant to complete the Application and finalize the Contract development process. The Application for Preliminary Agreement is to be submitted electronically and in duplicate hard copy format by the date indicated on the Timeline. If you have any questions regarding the process, please feel free to contact me via the information below. We look forward to working with you and welcome the opportunity to answer any additional questions you may have. Sincerely, Yvonne E. Adkins Vice President of Sponsorship Operations Charter School Specialists On behalf of St. Aloysius Orphanage 40 Hill Road South Pickerington, OH 43147 330-603-8782 (cell phone) 614-837-8945 ext. 18 (office) yadkins@charterschoolspec.com www.charterschoolspec.com 2
St. Aloysius Orphanage Sponsorship 2012-2013 Contract Critical Dates Timeline for New School Applicants The Timeline for submitting a Preliminary Agreement Application, as well as the subsequent final Contract and Attachments for sponsorship by St. Aloysius Orphanage is as follows: 10.1.2011- St. Aloysius Orphanage, accepting applications for a Preliminary Agreement for 11.30.2011 2012-2013 community school sponsorship during this timeframe. All applicants should notify CSS of their intent to apply via yadkins@charterschoolspec.com. 11.30.2011 Final date to submit the Preliminary Application. Applications are to be submitted electronically to yadkins@charterschoolspec.com. 12.1.2011-12.31.2011 St. Aloysius Orphanage Preliminary Application review timeframe New applicants may be required to participate in a sponsor representative panel interview. 1.2.2012-1.13.2012 St. Aloysius Orphanage Preliminary Applicant panel interviews, background checks and surveys will be conducted for qualified candidates. 1.16.2012 Applicants may be approved or denied at any time during the application review process. St. Aloysius Orphanage to provide all applicants approval/denial notice of Preliminary Agreement. 2.1.2012 St. Aloysius Orphanage to provide Contract template and attachment requirements to all applicants approved for Preliminary Agreement. This communication will also include comments to Applicant s originally submitted documentation to provide guidance to Applicant for finalizing contract/attachment language. Applicant must comply with direction on page formatting and footer identifiers as required. 3.1.2012 Due date for all applicants to submit Contract template and all attachments (in the specified format via electronic delivery to yadkins@charterschoolspec.com + 2 hard copy versions sent to Charter School Specialists office for St. Aloysius Orphanage review. 3.30.2012 St. Aloysius Orphanage final comments communicated to applicants via electronic delivery or telephone call with identified applicant lead individual. 4.16.2012 All final modifications must be made, accepted and formally approved by this date. St. Aloysius Orphanage must receive the following from each applicant: (A) signed board resolution approving the contract, and (B) four (4) originally executed hard copies of the final Contract and all attachments incorporating any supplemental documentation and necessary revisions *note that all versions (electronic and hard copy) must include ODE required identifying footers (school name, attachment or section name and page number). 4.30.2012 St. Aloysius Orphanage final review and execution of original Contracts. St. Aloysius Orphanage to complete ODE Community School Review sheet for each applicant Contract. 5.1.2012-5.15.2012 St. Aloysius Orphanage to distribute all signed Contracts to ODE and applicants. 3
2012-2013 APPLICATION FOR PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT FOR SAINT ALOYSIUS ORPHANAGE SPONSORSHIP ***NOTE FOR APPLICANTS APPLYING FOR MORE THAN ONE CONTRACT PLEASE CONTACT YVONNE ADKINS, AT CHARTER SCHOOL SPECIALISTS, TO DISCUSS PROCESS FOR MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. 4
GENERAL APPLICANT INFORMATION NAME OF THE KEY CONTACT FOR THE APPLICATION AND THE ORGANIZATION COMPLETING THE APPLICATION ON BEHALF OF THE SCHOOL: NAME: ORGANIZATION: STREET ADDRESS: CITY, STATE, ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: ( ) FAX NUMBER: ( ) EMAIL ADDRESS: NAME OF THE SCHOOL: LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT (in which the school will be located): HAVE YOU/WILL YOU FILE AN APPLICATION WITH OTHER SPONSORS? (Yes or No ) IF YES, PLEASE LIST THE OTHER SPONSORS: DO YOU HAVE OR HAVE YOU HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER SPONSORS, CHARTER SCHOOLS OR THEIR AFFILIATES? (Yes or No ) IF YES, PLEASE LIST THE SCHOOL(S) AND IDENTIFY THE BASIS OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP (such as contractor, employee of operator, treasurer, board member, etc.): HAS ANY MEMBER OF THE BOARD OR DEVELOPMENT TEAM (including management company or treasurer/fiscal officer) GOVERNED OR OPERATED A SCHOOL THAT HAS CLOSED FOR FINANCIAL REASONS, BEEN DEEMED UNAUDITABLE BY THE AUDITOR OF STATE, OR OWED THE STATE MONEY FROM ANY SCHOOL CLOSURE?(Yes or No ) IF YES, PLEASE LIST THE SCHOOL(S) AND IDENTIFY THE BASIS OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP (such as contractor, employee of operator, treasurer, board member, etc.): 5
ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS Grades Served Pupil Enrollment (Identify grades to be offered) Year K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 Maximum Building Capacity Total Projected Enrollment Describe projected enrollment plans beyond 2014-2015: ***NOTE FOR APPLICANTS APPLYING FOR MORE THAN ONE CONTRACT PLEASE CONTACT YVONNE ADKINS, AT CHARTER SCHOOL SPECIALISTS, TO DISCUSS PROCESS FOR MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. 6
Throughout this Application for Preliminary Agreement, use the headings to organize your responses to the various sections. Questions and statements shown after the headings are meant to provide guidance for items that are to be included in the narrative. Additionally, there are sections that require narrative and attachments. When attachments are included, please label them appropriately to coincide with the relative section. Language in various sections should be accurate and concise as it may be incorporated into Attachments for the final St. Aloysius Community School Contract. I. APPLICANT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Provide a brief Executive Summary of the Application for Preliminary Agreement. A. Vision, Mission and Purpose. What are the mission, vision and goals of the school? Describe the need and purpose for the school and the value that the school will bring to the community. B. Students. What is the population that will be served? What grades will the school open with? Describe your plans for expansion and future grades to be served. What is the demographic breakdown of your student population? C. Positioning for Success. Briefly highlight your academic plan. What actions will be taken to position the school for success? For example: a unique academic plan, extended academic day/year, creative use of financial resources, professional development opportunities for school leaders and teachers, staffing level or organizational plan, and community outreach efforts. D. Measuring Success. What academic and financial measures will you use in order to assess the academic and operational success of your school? E. Defining Success. How will you define success? How will the school demonstrate that it has been successful in educating its students? How will the school s governing authority ensure the school is academically successful and fiscally sound? 7
II. GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT The governing authority plays a vital role in the school's success and future existence. The governing authority members set policy, establish the budget and are the fiduciary agents. The members are responsible for compliance with the community school contract and applicable local, state and federal laws. The governing authority of the community school will be the responsible entity and contracting party for any community school contract. Provide information on your school s governance and management in narrative form below and include attachments as indicated: A. Governance. Please provide a list of the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of the members of the school s governing authority. Include a bio or resume for each of the governing authority members and provide a narrative to summarize the expertise the members bring to the school s governance. Provide detail on how the governing authority will be structured. Include a copy of corporate bylaws (if developed) or a description of the governing authority member recruitment and removal process, as well as future development plans. If any members have previously or currently serve on the board of a community school, charter school or other not-for-profit organization, please include a description. B. Management. Educational Service Providers (ESP)/Educational Management Organizations (EMO)/Charter Management Organization (CMO). If you are partnering with an educational management organization, please describe the organizational reporting structure and include an organizational chart to show how staff working in the school or supporting the school through the management entity is aligned. Summarize and provide data evidencing the management organization s strong track record and/or successful work including its (i) experience in starting a school from the ground up; (ii) financial and business acumen; (iii) expertise and proven track record in urban education; (iv) understanding of Ohio community school law and other relevant laws, including No Child Left Behind, and (v) and describe how you will monitor, measure, and evaluate the organization s performance. Include a spreadsheet listing the EMO managed Ohio community schools, their names, addresses, year opened and academic performance index rating. C. Governance and Management. Provide a copy of proposed board meeting dates, times and locations for the year. Also, include a copy of the management agreement, or a draft of what is expected to be executed by the governing authority and the EMO/ESP/CMO. 8
III. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM Schools sponsored by St. Aloysius Orphanage will have quality educational programs that are aligned with the State Academic Content Standards while also working to make Adequate Yearly Progress under Federal guidelines. The community school's educational plan should align with its stated mission and must include specific and measurable goals. Provide information on your school s educational program in narrative form below and include attachments as indicated: A. Educational Philosophy and Program. State the school s mission, vision and philosophy. Describe the educational program including the instructional design and program that the school emphasizes? What scientifically-based research practices and/or programs will be used? Identify the core and supplementary curriculum the school will use. Provide a general description of the curriculum used identifying how you will verify alignment with Ohio s core academic content standards. How does the program result in successful student achievement for all students? Identify intervention practices you will use for students not meeting performance standards. B. Staffing. Describe your school s organizational chart by providing detail on the positions you will employ at the school as well as discussing student to teacher ratio. Identify plans for professional development and teacher recruitment. Identify how your organizational structure will lead the program and ensure its effectiveness. C. Special Education. How will you meet the needs of students with disabilities? How will you ensure compliance with state and federal laws? D. Daily Activities. Provide the school s proposed calendar and daily bell schedule.. Beyond classroom teaching, what additional services are provided (e.g., pre-school, after-school, extra-curricular activities, tutoring, computer training)? What resources are needed in order to offer these services? E. Goals and Measurements. What are the mission-specific goals for the school and its students? How are these goals being measured? What are the performance standards and how will progress be monitored and demonstrated? St. Aloysius Orphanage requires its sponsored schools to identify and utilize at least one state approved standardized testing tool. Identify the standardized test that your school will use and how often student achievement will be measured and reported from this primary testing tool as well as additional tools the school will use? Include your plan for intervention used for students not proficient with required testing. 9
IV. DEMOGRAPHIC & MARKET ASSESSMENT Provide information on the school s market assessment in narrative form below and include attachments as appropriate: A. School District. Identify the local district in which the school will be located and list all other school districts from which the school expects to enroll students. B. Local Demographics. Describe the students and the characteristics of the community from which the school s students will be drawn, including race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background and primary languages spoken. C. Racial & Ethnic Balance. Describe how the school will monitor student population in comparison to the community and how the school will work to attain a diverse population while being reflective of the community it serves. D. Market Assessment. Please highlight community support including letters of support that the school has received from the community. 10
V. COMPLIANCE Provide verification that the school has the knowledge and understanding necessary to maintain compliance with state and federal guidelines and appropriate operational procedures. A. Provide brief narrative descriptions of the following areas in relation to the school s proposed operation. Do not include complete policy and benefit manuals or full student handbooks in this section. We are looking for narrative descriptions of how the school will comply with requirements and how the school will run and monitor its operations: 1. Admissions and open enrollment procedures 2. Attendance and withdrawal rules and procedures 3. Suspension and expulsion procedures 4. Transportation, food service, and/or other ancillary services 5. Verify that appropriate benefits will be offered to employees. 11
VI. OPERATIONAL BUDGET Provide financial information and include attachments as indicated: A. Budget and Forecast. Prepare and provide a detailed copy of the school s first year budget and a 5-year forecast along with a narrative explanation. B. Fiscal Officer. Identify the school s (current or proposed) fiscal officer and provide verification of appropriate credentials. There will be no consideration of approval for an applicant employing or contracting with a treasurer or fiscal officer who has an affiliation with a school currently in bankruptcy or unauditable status. 12
VII. FACILITIES Provide information on your proposed facility in narrative form and include attachments as indicated: A. Site Specifics. Describe the facility and its location, including the address, site plan, and floor plan (if available). Indicate whether the property and/or facility is leased or purchased (including length of terms). If the facility has been or is currently being secured via mortgage or lease, please provide a copy of the purchase agreement or lease ensuring the following information is included or detailed in the narrative: Cost of the land and building; The entity or individual that owns the property; If the facility is a permanent or temporary site; Whether the facility is a new construction or was a retrofit; How the new construction or retrofit is financed; and Whether the owner/lessee is a party to this application. B. Liability Insurance. If the facility is secured, provide a copy of the Insurance Declaration Sheet. If the facility is not yet secured, it must be acknowledged that St. Aloysius and Charter School Specialists will be an additional insured on the policy in the amounts as stated and required by contract. 13
UNDERSTANDING OF VOLUNTARY ACCEPTANCE In submitting this Application for Preliminary Agreement, as representative for the GOVERNING AUTHORITY/APPLICANT for the [ ] community school, I recognize that St. Aloysius Orphanage receives this Application for Preliminary Agreement voluntarily in its role as a community school sponsor in the State of Ohio, and I further recognize that St. Aloysius Orphanage is not obligated to provide reason, rationale or evaluative metric related to any decision for acceptance or denial of this Application for a Preliminary Agreement. Applicant Signature Date If more than one applicant, please have additional applicant(s) sign and date below: Applicant Signature Date Applicant Signature Date Applicant Signature Date Applicant Signature Date APPLICANT CERTIFICATION I hereby certify the information in this application is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and acknowledge my obligation to promptly inform St. Aloysius Orphanage of any material changes. Applicant Signature Date 14