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THE STATE
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY
OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 |
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TO: |
The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents |
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FROM: |
James A. Kadamus |
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COMMITTEE: |
EMSC- |
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TITLE OF
ITEM: |
Charter Schools |
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DATE OF
SUBMISSION: |
February 1 |
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PROPOSED
HANDLING: |
Action |
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RATIONALE FOR
ITEM: |
Legislative authority to act on charter schools |
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STRATEGIC
GOAL: |
Goals 1 and 2 |
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AUTHORIZATION(S): |
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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 two such proposed charters from the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education that will be presented to you at your February meeting. The proposed charters are for the following:
·
Harlem Children’s Zone
Promise Academy Charter School, CSD 5/Region 10
· The Williamsburg Charter School, CSD 15/Region 8
Complete copies of the proposed charters are available for your review by contacting Shelia Evans Tranumn at 718-722-2796.
VOTED: that the Board of Regents approve the proposed charters for the following charter schools based upon the information contained in the attachments and upon a finding by the Board of Regents that (1) the charter schools described in the applications meet 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 schools in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; and (3) granting the applications 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:
·
Harlem Children’s Zone
Promise Academy Charter School
· The Williamsburg Charter School
New York State Education
Department
Summary of Proposed Charter
Summary of Applicant Information
Name of Proposed Charter School: Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy
Charter School
Address: 125th Street and Madison Avenue in Central Harlem
Applicant(s): Geoffrey Canada (Lead), Stanley Druckenmiller, Mitchell Kurz, Kenneth Langone, Madeline White, Dorlin Reyes, Glennes Bryant, Phyllis Mills, Alfonso Wyatt
Anticipated Opening Date: September 7, 2004
District of Location: New York City CSD 5 - Instructional Region 10
Institutional Partner(s): Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc. (HCZ, Inc.)
Management Partner(s): None
Grades Served: K and 6 (K-4, 6-10) Projected Enrollment: 200(1,000)
Proposed Charter
Highlights
Applicants
Geoffrey Canada is President/CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc. Mr. Canada is a former teacher and school director of the Robert White School in Massachusetts. He has spent more than 20 years working in public schools, overseeing programs that provide educational, social, cultural, and recreational services and support.
Stanley Druckenmiller is a money manager who also serves as the Chairman of the Board of HCZ, Inc. In addition he is a Board member of The Children’s Scholarship Fund, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and the Robin Hood Foundation.
Mitchell Kurz is a former senior management executive who serves as a Board member of Teach for America and as a New York City Teaching Fellow.
Kenneth Langone is the Founder, Board member, and Executive Committee Member of the Home Depot, Inc. Mr. Langone has non-profit experience, including Board membership with HCZ, Inc., Bucknell University, and the Robin Hood Foundation. He is also a Trustee of New York University and New York University School of Medicine.
Madeline White and Glennes Bryant are educators. Ms. White has experience working with young children and is an active member of the Central Harlem community. Ms. Bryant has nine years of K-6 teaching experience in New York City public schools.
Dorlin Reyes serves on the Board of the Addair Head Start Program and is active in community affairs.
Phyllis Mills is a parent and a Board member of Chelsea High School, an after-school volunteer tutor, a founding member of the West 119th Street Resident Advisory Council and the founder of the 122nd Street Block Association.
Alfonso Wyatt has served youth, youth-serving organizations, and the broader community for over 30 years. Mr. Wyatt works for the Fund for the City of New York and continues to serve as both an advisor to and Board member of non-profits that address social justice issues and policies that impact the lives of youth, young adults, and families.
Management
Partner
Institutional
Partner
Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc. was founded in 1970. It was formerly known as Rheedlen
Centers for Children & Families, Inc.
HCZ, Inc. has developed a network of 15 neighborhood-based programs that
address the critical needs of children and their families in Central Harlem,
such as family stability and youth development activities. The organization is dedicated to
supporting and promoting the well being of children in Central Harlem by
creating positive opportunities for them in education and social
activities. Among
the many steps HCZ,
Inc. has taken to meet its goals, it has opened the Parents Help Center
and the Countee Cullen Community Center. In Fiscal Year ’2003, HCZ, Inc. served 14,352 community
residents, including 8,425 children and 5,927 adults. HCZ, Inc. will use its expertise to help
provide the school with such things as quality services, educational programming, and funding.
Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction
§
The school will use
a comprehensive approach to literacy, which will include phonics-based and whole
language-based instruction. A
research-based program, Open Court Reading, will be
implemented.
§
The school will use
a skills-based curriculum, like Saxon
Math, to teach rules and procedures for problem solving. The school will also use programs like
TERC’s Investigations in Number, Data and
Space to emphasize in-depth student investigations, critical thinking, and
complex problem solving.
§
The school will
implement a comprehensive arts program using ArtsEdge, an arts education initiative
established under cooperative agreement between the John F. Kennedy Center for
the Performance Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the U.S. Department of Education.
§
The school will
administer all State exams, all New York City English Language Arts and Math
exams in Grades 3, 6 and 7, and it will also use internally developed trimester
and year-end assessments.
Additionally, the school will administer a nationally normed exam, likely
to be the Terra
Nova.
§
The school will use
structured immersion to help limited English proficiency students achieve
proficiency.
§
The school’s
academic day will be extended, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
§
All students will
have the opportunity to participate on athletic teams or in athletic enrichment
activities from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m.
§
The school will
provide a 210-day extended year.
§
There will be a
mandatory 25-day summer program, which will provide academic, arts, and athletic
enrichment for students.
§
The school will
hold widely publicized information sessions to inform families and community
members about the school and the admissions process each
year.
Governance
§ The initial Board of Trustees consists of nine founding members.
§ The Board shall be not less than 7, or more than 17 members.
§ The Board will hold 10 meetings each academic year.
Students
§ The school will begin with 100 kindergartners and 100 6th graders.
§ Each year, the school will add 2 grades, with 100 new students per grade (e.g., 1st and 7th grade will be added Year Two), until it reaches an enrollment of 1,000 students in the fifth year of the charter.
§ The school is open to children who are eligible under New York State law for admission to a public school.
§ The school will provide admission preference to students “at-risk” of academic failure by a) their immediate preceding school being deemed “In Need of Improvement” pursuant to the federal NCLB provisions; and b) living in poverty and qualifying for the free and reduced-priced lunch program.
Budget/Facilities
§ The school is engaged in conversation with the New York City Department of Education about an appropriate facility for grade K (K-6).
§ Grades 7-12 will be located in a newly constructed facility (92,000 square feet) at 35 East 125th Street in Harlem. Note: During the term of the initial charter, Grades 6-10 will be located at this facility.
§
Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc. is building the $31 million
35 East 125th Street
Harlem facility.
Personnel
§ The school will hire a principal, a lower-school director of instruction, an upper-school director of instruction, reading and math coaches, a primary school dean, a junior high school dean, lower-school and upper-school after-school and summer school coordinators, grade-level teachers, teaching assistants, a special education coordinator, a parent organizer, a social worker, a nurse, a business manager, custodians and administrative assistants for Year One.
§ Plans for increasing staff to address the needs of the school as it grows are included in the proposal.
Fiscal Impact
§ The proposed budget represents less than .02% of the budget of the New York City school district for FY ’02.
§ The school’s first-year anticipated budget total is approximately $2.7 million.
§ Programmatic and fiscal audits will comply with all requirements made of public schools. The school will employ a New York State licensed public accountant or certified public accountant to perform the fiscal audit. In addition, the school will ensure that the audit is conducted in accordance with GAAP issued by the U.S. Comptroller General.
Community
Support
§ Signatures of 799 parents who reside in the community supporting the school were submitted.
§ Letters of support have been received from the Robin Hood Foundation, The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, and parents.
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.
New York State Education
Department
Summary of Proposed Charter
Summary of Applicant Information
Name of Proposed Charter School: The Williamsburg Charter School
Address: 424 Leonard Street, Brooklyn, NY (4th floor of Junior High School 126)
Applicant(s): Eddie Calderon-Melendez
Anticipated Opening Date: August 30, 2004
District of Location: New York City CSD 15 (Instructional Region 8)
Institutional Partner(s): St. Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation Corporation
Management Partner(s): None
Grades Served: 9 (9–2) Projected Enrollment: 25 (500)
Proposed Charter
Highlights
Applicants
Eddie Calderon-Melendez is a
resident of Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
He has worked with youth and created developmental experiences and
programs for over 20 years.
Mr. Calderon-Melendez serves as the Director of the
St. Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation Corporation’s Division of Youth and
Family Services, for which he has raised over $13 million to support youth
programming. Mr. Calderon-Melendez
was a founding member of the Program Council for the Partnership for After
School Education (PASE) in New York City.
Management
Partner
None
Institutional
Partner(s)
The St. Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation Corporation was founded in 1975. It is a not-for-profit, non-sectarian community development organization. Through economic development, employment and training, health care, housing and services for youth and families, the organization strives to empower residents, foster grassroots decision-making, and preserve and improve the Williamsburg community. The Williamsburg Charter School is an outgrowth of the St. Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation Corporation’s (SNNPC) commitment to spur new educational opportunities for the community. The St. Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation Corporation will bring its financial and community expertise to the school to help provide funding, recruitment of staff, sound financial management, and an active, productive relationship among the school, parents and the community. Additionally, the charter school may compensate SNNPC for direct services provided to the school as outlined in a partnership agreement between the school and SNNPC.
Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction
§
Liberal arts
education will include language, literature, writing, science, history,
mathematics, the arts, technology and exploration in disciplines designed to
teach students fairness, justice, respect and compassion for themselves and
others, as well as the skills of critical thinking, communication and
research. The 9th through
12th grade sequence for science is Earth Science, Living Environment,
Chemistry and Physics.
§
The social studies
curriculum will combine Core Knowledge with modules from History Alive. The World Perspectives Institute, a core
curriculum component, will be used for all students in Grades 9-12.
§
By the end of the five-year charter, 85 percent of intermediate
school students, by cohort, will score at or above Level 2 and such percentage
at or above Level 3 as shall be annually established by the Commissioner to demonstrate that sufficient
progress is being made toward ensuring that all students achieve at or beyond
the State learning standards.
§
Socratic teaching
will be used to foster critical thinking.
The focus will be on eliciting students’ questions, not answers.
§
The school will
strive to create lifelong learners by building connections between student
interests and what the students need to learn.
§
Highly personalized
learning through interest-based exploration and research will be used. Extended Exploration Research Projects,
a concept borrowed from the MET School in Rhode Island, will be used in each
grade, twice per year, to help students to explore learning that highlights and
strengthens their critical thinking and communication skills.
§
The school will use
youth development to address themes explored in problem- solving/prevention
curricula, such as personal and social skills; decision-making and
problem-solving skills; relationship building; and provide opportunities for
contribution and participation.
§
Students will have
an advisor who will remain with them for all four years of the high school
program. Each advisor will have no
more than 15 advisees. The advisory
or “Family Group” will meet on a daily basis.
§
Every student will
have an Individualized Student Support Plan (ISSP) to help support the Family
Group curriculum.
§
All exams required
to meet performance standards and graduation requirements as established by the
New York State Board of Regents will be administered by the
school.
§
Teachers will give monthly exams to test how well
students have mastered material.
The school will also use a tool for comprehensive self-assessment that
will assist in improving services to students, parents, teachers,
etc.
§
All students with
limited English proficiency will be served using structured English language
immersion.
§
The school year has
been extended to provide 220 instructional days and the school day has been
lengthened from 8:00 a.m. to 4:20 p.m.
§
The school week is
extended to include at least one required Saturday per month. For students requiring significant extra
assistance, there will be staff on hand every Saturday.
Governance
§ The Board of Trustees shall consist of not less than five, nor more than eleven, individuals.
§ Regular meetings shall be held bi-monthly throughout the year; at other times, additional meetings may be held as the Board determines.
Students
§ The proposed charter school will have no more than 500 students in Grades 9-12.
§ Class size is designed to never exceed 25 students in any classroom in any grade.
Budget/Facilities
§ The proposed charter school will be located on the 4th floor of JHS 126 (operating under capacity), 424 Leonard Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211.
§ The school will use 15 classrooms, 4 common rooms and 3-4 administrative office spaces in the first year of operation.
§ The anticipated total expense for the initial year of operation is $1,248,995.
§ As the school’s enrollment grows and JHS 126 approaches capacity, the proposed charter school will work with the Department of Education to find a location suitable for expansion.
Personnel
§ Year 1, the school will hire a Chief Instructional Officer, a Director of Business and Personnel Management, a Director of School and Student Support Services, a Director of Special Education and Academic Support Services, a Director of College and Career Guidance, a Parent Services Coordinator, a Coordinator of Information Technology, 1 Math teacher, 1 Global teacher, 1 Earth Science teacher, 1 ELS teacher, 1 PE teacher, 1 LOTE teacher, 1 Art/Music teacher, 1 World Perspectives Coordinator, 2 teaching assistants, and other support staff.
§ The applicant identifies staffing plans for each year of the charter, along with job descriptions for each position.
Community Support
§
Signatures of 137 parents who reside in the community
supporting the school were submitted.
§ The applicant established a website to provide information for potential students, educators, and parents. The website had 2,153 different visitors during the month of July 2003.
§ The applicant has generated a database of contacts numbering in the hundreds. Contacts include interested parents who have attended meetings, called for information, etc.
§ Six community leaders who have shown support are listed.
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.