THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:

The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents

FROM:

James A. Kadamus

COMMITTEE:

Full Board

TITLE OF ITEM:

Charter School Application

DATE OF SUBMISSION:

April 5, 2004

PROPOSED HANDLING:

Action

RATIONALE FOR ITEM:

Legislative authority to act on charter schools

STRATEGIC GOAL:

Goals 1 and 2

AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

 

SUMMARY:

 

Under the New York Charter Schools Act of 1998, the Board of Regents is authorized to make recommendations on proposed charters submitted by another charter entity.  We have received one such proposed charter from the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education that will be presented to you at your April meeting.  The proposed charter is for the following:

 

·         Peninsula Preparatory Academy Charter School, CSD 27/Instructional Region 5 

 

Complete copies of the proposed charter are available for your review by contacting Shelia Evan-Tranumn at 718-722-2796.

 

VOTED: That the Board of Regents approve the proposed charter for the following charter school based upon the information contained in the attachment and upon a finding by the Board of Regents that (1) the charter school described in the applications meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) the applicant can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; and (3) granting the application 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:

 

·         Peninsula Preparatory Academy Charter School

New York State Education Department

 

Summary of Proposed Charter

 

Summary of Applicant Information

 

Name of Proposed Charter School: Peninsula Preparatory Academy Charter School

      

Address:  1526 Central Avenue, Far Rockaway, New York 11691

 

Applicant:  State Senator Malcolm Smith

 

Anticipated Opening Date: September 8, 2004

 

District of Location: New York City CSD 27/Instructional Region 5

 

Institutional Partner(s): None

 

Management Partner(s): Victory, Inc.

 

Grades Served: K – 2 (K – 5)                   Projected Enrollment: 150 (300)

 

 

Proposed Charter Highlights

 

Applicant

 

State Senator Malcolm Smith represents the 10th District, which includes Far Rockaway.  He is President and Founder of Smith Development Corporation and Senior Aide to former Representative Floyd Flake.

 

Management Partner

 

Victory Schools, Inc. manages 10 public schools, which have a total enrollment of about 4,500 students.  Steve Klinsky, the founder and current CEO of Victory, is a Wall Street businessman.  In 1999, Victory opened the Sisulu Children's Academy Public Charter School (SUNY) in Harlem.  In 2000, Victory opened the Roosevelt Children's Charter School in Long Island, as well as the Merrick Academy - Queens Public Charter School in Queens Village, New York.  In December 2003, a charter was issued to Charter School of Educational Excellence, also managed by Victory Schools, Inc.  Other schools managed by Victory are located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Baltimore, Maryland.

 

Institutional Partner

 

None

 

 

 

 

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

 

§         The school will use a balanced literacy approach for English Language Arts.  Phonics will be emphasized in the early grades (K-1) and reading comprehension, writing skills and literature appreciation will be emphasized throughout all grades.  Intervention strategies and programs will be used to address the needs of students who do not attain the required reading skills for academic success.

§         The school has chosen programs for ELA which it considers to be research-proven, such as: a) Scott Foresman Reading and Intervention Program, b) Direct Instruction Reading Mastery and Corrective Reading for reading intervention, c) Great Source Write Source series, and d) authentic literature and texts.

§         In the subject areas of mathematics, science, and social studies, the school will also use programs it considers research-based.  Everyday Mathematics; McGraw Hill’s Science series, supplemented by authentic trade books; Core Knowledge science sequence content; Delta Education’s Science modules; and the Full Option Science System (FOSS) will support the Science series. 

§         The school will use Everyday Mathematics to engage students with everyday problem solving and emphasize basic skills to build a foundation for high order thinking and problem solving. 

§         The social studies program will consist of Victory School’s proprietary curriculum, which is based on the Core Knowledge sequence.

§         The school will offer students experiences in the arts, including exposure to music, dance and theatre.

§         The school will administer all State examinations and will also administer criterion-referenced tests, norm-referenced tests, and diagnostic unit and end-of-year tests.  In addition, the school will administer the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.

§         The school will provide special education services to students with disabilities as per their individualized education plan.

§         The school will implement an ESL immersion model for limited English proficient students.

§         The school’s academic day will be extended, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. 

§         The school will provide 180 instructional days for students and 190 days for teachers.  The additional 10 days are for professional development.

 

Governance

 

§         The initial Board of Trustees will consist of five founding members. 

§         The Board shall have a parent representative, who will also be the PTO president.

§         The Board will meet at least 10 times per year.

 

Students

 

§         The school will begin with 50 kindergartners, 50 first graders, and 50 second graders. 

§         Each year, the school will add students into kindergarten.  Ultimately, each grade will have two classes of approximately 25 students each.

§         Students will be required to adhere to a uniform dress code.

 

Budget/Facilities

 

§         The school facility is 19,200 square feet.  It is a former Yeshiva.  The developer, Darman Group, will renovate and retrofit the site to accommodate the school.

§         The Board of Trustees proposes to lease the school space, located in Far Rockaway.

 

Personnel

 

§         For year one, the school will hire a principal, a business manager, 6 classroom teachers, 4 paraprofessionals, a Title I teacher, a special education teacher, and a specialty teacher.

§         Plans for increasing staff to address the needs of the school as it grows are included in the proposal.

 

Fiscal Impact

 

§         The total cumulative fiscal impact of the 24 charter schools operating in New York City combined with the 7 approved charters not yet in operation and the proposed Peninsula Preparatory Charter School, is estimated to be about 1 percent of the total budget for the New York City Department of Education for the next five years.

§         The New York City school district budget for 2004-2005 (assuming an increase of 3 percent) will be $12,942,980,000.  The fiscal impact would be a reduction of approximately .0133 percent in revenue.

§         The school’s first-year anticipated budget total is approximately $1.6 million.

 

Community Support

 

§         One hundred and one (101) signatures in support of the school were submitted.

§         Letters of support have been received from the Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula; Horizon Care Center; The Greater Allen Cathedral of New York; The Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center; and Deerfield Area Association, Inc.

 

Recommendation

           

Approve the application.

 

Reasons for Recommendation

 

1) The charter school described in the application 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; and (3) granting the application 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.