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January 2010

TO:

EMSC Committee

 

FROM:

John B. King, Jr.

SUBJECT:

Charter Schools: Proposed Second Renewal Charter for Enterprise Charter School

DATE:

January 5, 2010

STRATEGIC GOAL:

Goals 1 and 2

AUTHORIZATION(S):

  

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Decision

Should the Regents approve and issue the proposed renewal of the charter for Enterprise Charter School (Buffalo)?

Background Information

We received a request from the Board of Education of the City School District of the City of Buffalo (BOE) for a second renewal of the Enterprise Charter School’s (the “School”) charter.  The School’s initial charter was granted by the Board of Regents in March 2003 for a period of five years.  The BOE submitted a proposed first renewal charter in November, 2007, requesting a charter term of five years.  At its January 2008 meeting, the Board of Regents returned the proposed first renewal charter to the BOE.  The BOE resubmitted it on February 28, 2008 for a term of twenty-seven months, and the Board of Regents approved that request at its March 17, 2008 meeting. The School currently serves 405 students in grades K-8.  The School is now requesting a second renewal charter for three years, commencing on July 1, 2010. 

Staff recommends that the Board of Regents approves and issues a second renewal charter to the Enterprise Charter School and extend its provisional charter for a term of three years, commencing on July 1, 2010, through and including June 30, 2013.

The BOE held a public hearing on May 27, 2009, regarding this proposed second renewal charter.  No comments were made or received during the hearing. The Buffalo City School District made no comments.

Recommendation

              VOTED:  That the Board of Regents approves and issues the second renewal charter of the Enterprise Charter School, as proposed by the Buffalo Board of Education, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2013.

Reason for Recommendation

The charter school (1) meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) the applicants can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; (3) approving and issuing the proposed renewal charter is likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes set out in subdivision two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty of Article 56 of the Education Law; and (4) approving and issuing the proposed renewal charter will have a significant educational benefit to the students expected to attend the charter school.

Timetable for Implementation

The Regents action for Enterprise Charter School will become effective on July 1, 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New York State Education Department

Summary of Charter School Renewal Information

Summary of Applicant Information

 

Name of Proposed Renewed Charter School:  Enterprise Charter School (“the School”)

 

Address:  275 Oak Street, Buffalo, New York 14203

Board of Trustees President:  Brenda W. McDuffie

Renewal Period:  July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2013

District of Location:  Buffalo Public Schools  

 

Charter Entity: Board of Education of the City School District of the City of Buffalo

 

Institutional Partner(s):  Buffalo State College

Management Partner(s): N/A

Grades Served per Year:                      2010-2011:  K-8 

                                                                      2011-2012:  K-8

                                                                      2012-2013:  K-8                                                                  

Projected Enrollment per Year:          2010-2011:  405 

                                                                      2011-2012:  405

                                                                      2012-2013:  405

                                                         

Renewal Application Highlights

Evidence of Educational Soundness/ Attainment of Educational Objectives

  • For the School’s performance on State assessments, see Attachment 1.
  • Following two years as a School in Need of Improvement, the School is now a School in Good Standing.
  • The School has increased the number of students in grades 3-8 who are proficient in ELA by 15% from 2007-08 to 2008-09.  There was one student at Level 1 at the end of the 2008-09 school year. This surpasses the goal of a 10% increase.
  • There has been a similar 15% increase in the number of students in grades 3-8 who are proficient in math.  This also surpasses the goal of a 10% increase.
  • The School continues to exceed the performance indicator (PI) set by New York State, for each grade level and for all students testing in grades 3-8 in both ELA and math.
  • The School has benefited from three years of the Reading First Program, two years of implementation of the Read 180 Program, expanded use of data to drive instruction through Learner Centered Initiatives, and the implementation of a diagnostic program, Group Reading Assessment Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE).
  • The School has contracted with Math Solutions to provide teachers with targeted strategies to improve delivery of math instruction.

Evidence of Fiscal Soundness/Projected Fiscal Impact

  • The School has received a clean, unqualified audit each year of its operation, and no material weaknesses have been found.
  • Following an audit by the Office of the State Comptroller in Spring of 2008, the School was placed in probation status by both SED (until June 30, 2010) and its authorizer, the Buffalo Board of Education (until June 30, 2009).  The School has been cooperative and timely in submitting reports and other documentation of its fiscal affairs.
  • The School has revised its Accounting Policies and Procedures Manual to ensure stronger internal controls and consistency of practice.

 

Projected* Fiscal Impact of the Charter Schools on the

Buffalo City School District

2010-11 Through 2012-13

School

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

Aloma D. Johnson Fruit Belt Community CS

0.39

0.39

0.40

Buffalo Academy of Science CS

0.58

0.59

0.60

Buffalo United CS

0.90

0.91

0.93

CS for Applied Technologies**

1.90

1.90

1.95

COMMUNITY CS

0.44

0.45

0.46

Elmwood Village CS

0.23

0.23

0.23

Enterprise CS

0.52

0.53

0.54

Health Sciences CS***

0.12

0.23

0.35

King Center Cs

0.13

0.14

0.14

Oracle CS

0.46

0.47

0.48

Pinnacle CS

0.62

0.63

0.64

South Buffalo CS

0.80

0.81

0.82

Tapestry CS

0.61

0.66

0.67

Western New York Maritime CS

0.42

0.42

0.43

Westminster Community CS

0.71

0.72

0.73

Total Projected Impact

8.83

9.08

9.37

*Assumes a 3.0 percent annual increase in the district’s budget and a 4.5 percent annual increase in the average expense per pupil.  Projections are subject to fluctuation in actual enrollments, FTE enrollments, AOE, and district budgets.  Further assumes all students will come from the district of location (with exceptions noted), and that all other charter schools will still be in operation from 2010-11 forward.

**Located within Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District but receives approximately 85% of its student enrollment from Buffalo.  Impact is therefore calculated upon 85% of its anticipated enrollment.

***Located within Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District but expects receive approximately 84% of its student enrollment from Buffalo.  Impact is therefore calculated upon 84% of its anticipated enrollment.

 

Evidence of Parent and Student Satisfaction and Community Support

  • A public hearing to solicit comments from the community in connection with the charter school’s proposed renewal was conducted by the Buffalo Board of Education on May 27, 2009.  No public comments were made or received during the hearing.  The District had no comments.
  • Ninety-eight percent of parents surveyed indicated satisfaction with School safety, accessibility of teachers and administrators, and the quality of the School’s courses, classes, and teaching.
  • Parents are represented on the Board by two members.
  • The School has had an average waiting list of 195 students, ranging from 39 in kindergarten to four in 8th grade.   Seventy-seven percent of the students have re-enrolled each year. 
  • An overwhelming majority of students surveyed from grades 5-8 indicated the School is meeting their expectations, it provides a caring and supportive environment, teachers believe in them, and the teachers are experts in what they teach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attachment 1

2007-2008 and 2008-09

Grades 3-8 State ELA and Math Assessments

Percent of Enterprise Charter School Students at Levels 3 – 4

As Compared with the Buffalo City School District

 

Grades 3-8 ELA

 

2007-08

2008-09
 

Level 3

Level 4

Level 3

Level 4

Grade 3

        

Enterprise CS

55.3

2.1

51.1

0

Buffalo City Schools

43

3.9

46.5

2.4

Grade 4

        

Enterprise CS

36.2

0

78.6

2.4

Buffalo City Schools

40.2

2.1

51.6

2.5

Grade 5

        

Enterprise CS

51

0

47.7

4.5

Buffalo City Schools

51.1

1.9

52.1

4.2

Grade 6

        

Enterprise CS

25.5

0

58.7

0

Buffalo City Schools

42.8

0.9

60.6

3

Grade 7

        

Enterprise CS

44.9

2

51.2

0

Buffalo City Schools

43.2

0.5

59.8

2

Grade 8

        

Enterprise CS

31.4

0

42.2

0

Buffalo City Schools

26.6

1.3

41

1.5

 

 

 

 

 

Grades 3-8 Math

 

2007-08

2008-09
 

Level 3

Level 4

Level 3

Level 4

Grade 3

        

Enterprise CS

66

14.9

89.4

2.1

Buffalo City Schools

60.4

6

69.3

6.1

Grade 4

        

Enterprise CS

70.8

2.1

76.7

14

Buffalo City Schools

40.2

2.1

53.2

10.9

Grade 5

        

Enterprise CS

67.3

8.2

75.6

0

Buffalo City Schools

44.4

5.8

50.5

11.4

Grade 6

        

Enterprise CS

35.4

0

69.6

10.9

Buffalo City Schools

42

6.9

48.2

8.8

Grade 7

        

Enterprise CS

52

8

71.8

2.6

Buffalo City Schools

43

6.5

55.4

7.9

Grade 8

        

Enterprise CS

51

2

47.8

4.3

Buffalo City Schools

31.4

2.4

52.2

5.6