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:	EMSC-VESID
TITLE OF ITEM:	Charter School Applications
DATE OF SUBMISSION:	March 11, 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 three such proposed charters from the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York that will be presented to you at your March meeting.  The proposed charters are for the following:

 

·        Girls Preparatory Charter School of New York, CSD #1

·        KIPP Tech Valley Charter School, Albany

·        Oracle Charter School, Buffalo

 

Complete copies of the proposed charters are available for your review by contacting James R. Butterworth (for upstate) at 518-474-4817 or Shelia Evans-Tranumn (for New York City) 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:

 

·        Girls Preparatory Charter School of New York

·        KIPP Tech Valley Charter School

·        Oracle Charter School

 

 

The Board of Regents is also authorized to approve amendments to existing charters.  We have received one proposed amendment and one proposed revised charter.  The Genesee Community Charter School at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, which was authorized by the Board of Regents as the charter entity on July 14, 2000, has submitted a proposed amendment that would allow the school to add a grade 6 beginning in September 2004.   Attached are materials submitted by the school.  The Trustees of the State University of New York have submitted a proposed revised charter for the Roosevelt Children’s Academy Charter School that allows the school to decrease its enrollment from 547 to 300 for the 2003-04 school year, due to space constraints. Attached are materials submitted by the Charter Schools Institute on behalf of the Trustees.

 

VOTED: That the Board of Regents approve the proposed revisions to the charters of the following charter schools based upon the information contained in the attachments and upon a finding by the Board of Regents that:  (1) the revisions meet the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) the revisions (together with the other terms of the charters) will permit the charter schools to operate in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; and (3) the revisions (together with the other terms of the charters) are 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:

 

·        Genesee Community Charter School at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, Rochester

·        Roosevelt Children’s Academy Charter School, Roosevelt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New York State Education Department

 

Summary of Proposed Charter

 

Summary of Applicant Information

 

Name of Proposed Charter School: Girls Preparatory Charter School of New York

      

Address:  TBD

 

Applicant(s):  Eric J. Grannis, Es  q., Bryan R. Lawrence and Miriam Lewis Raccah

 

Anticipated Opening Date: August 25, 2004

 

District of Location: New York City CSD 1 - Instructional Region 9

 

Institutional Partner(s): None

 

Management Partner(s): None

 

Grades Served: K – 1 (K – 5)                   Projected Enrollment: 80 (320)

 

 

Proposed Charter Highlights

 

Applicants

 

Eric J. Grannis, Esq., established the Law Offices of Eric J. Grannis in New York, New York in 2002.  He was a founding Board Member of Bronx Preparatory Charter School and is a community resident and parent. 

 

Bryan R. Lawrence is Managing Director at Lazard LLC.  He has served on the Board of Teaching Matters and is a community resident and parent. 

 

Miriam Lewis Raccah is the former Director of Business Affairs and Development at the Harlem Day Charter School.  She is a community resident and parent and will be the founding Executive Director of Girls Preparatory Charter School.

 

Management Partner

 

None

 

Institutional Partner

 

None

 

 

 

 

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

 

§         The school will provide an educational approach stressing basic skills, literacy, reading comprehension, critical thinking, math, science and social studies.

§         The school will use the Core Knowledge Sequence, a sequenced curriculum that is based on children acquiring new knowledge by building on what they already know.  The Core Knowledge Sequence for Grades K-5 includes: Language Arts, Math and Science; Social Studies/Civics; Spanish; Art and Music; Health; and Physical Education.

§         The Open Court Reading Program will be implemented.  With this program, the school will use a comprehensive approach to literacy, which will include phonics and comprehension instruction with the reading of decodable texts and quality literature. 

§         The school will use a skills-based curriculum, Saxon Math, to teach rules and procedures for problem solving. 

§         The school will also use T.E.R.C. to emphasize student investigations and inquiry-oriented experiences. 

§         The school will administer all State exams and will also use internally developed assessments.  Additionally, the school will administer the Terra Nova CTBs to keep track of student progress.

§         The school will educate ELL students, following a model of structured English language immersion.

§         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 will consist of 10 founding members. 

§         The Board shall be not less than 5, or more than 25, members.

§         The Board will hold approximately 10 meetings each academic year.

 

Students

 

§         The school will begin with 40 kindergartners and 40 first graders. 

§         Each year, the school will add students into kindergarten, which, beginning in Year Two, will have three classes.  Ultimately, each grade will have three classes of approximately 20 students each.

§         The school is open to any girl who is eligible under New York State Law for admission to a public school.

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

 

 

 

Purpose of Single-Sex School

 

§         The purpose of offering a single-sex school is to help advance the objectives set forth by the New York State Legislature when it enacted the Charter Schools Act including improvement of student learning and achievement, and providing parents and students with expanded choices in the types of educational opportunities that are available within the public school system.

 

Budget/Facilities

 

§         The school’s first-year anticipated budget total is approximately $1.3 million. 

§         The school is engaged in conversation with the New York City Department of Education about identifying a public school space in Community School District 1.

§         The permanent facility for the school will be located on the Lower East Side of New York City.

 

Personnel

 

§         For Year One, the school will hire an executive director, administrative associate, principal, 4 classroom teachers, a special education coordinator/teacher, 4 classroom assistants, a part-time art teacher, a part-time music teacher, a part-time physical education teacher, a part-time social worker, and a school secretary.

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

 

Fiscal Impact

 

§         The New York City school district budget for 2004-2005, assuming an increase of 3%, will be $12,942,980,000.  The total per-pupil funding provided to educate the children of Girls Preparatory Charter School would be $627,840.  The fiscal impact would be a reduction of approximately .005 percent in revenue.

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

 

Community Support

 

§         Signatures of 115 parents who reside in the community supporting the school were submitted.

§         Letters of support have been received from The Lower Eastside Girls Club, Loisaida, Inc., and Sheltering Arms Children’s Service.

 

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 Charter School Review

 

Summary of Applicant Information

 

 

 

Name of Proposed Charter School:  KIPP Tech Valley Charter School

 

Address:  TBD

 

Applicant(s):  John P. Reilly

 

Anticipated Opening Date: July 18, 2005

 

District of Location:  City School District of Albany                  

 

Charter Entity:  State University of New York Board of Trustees

 

Institutional Partner(s): KIPP Foundation, Inc.

 

Management Partner(s): None

 

Grades Served:      5 (5-8)                                     Projected Enrollment: 90 (360)

 

 

 

 

Application Highlights

 

 

 

Applicant

 

            Mr. Reilly is a professional engineer, president of a software development company, and a resident of North Greenbush.

           

 

Institutional Partner

 

·        The KIPP Tech Valley Charter School will be established in conjunction with the KIPP Foundation, Inc. 

·        The KIPP Foundation, Inc., will not manage the school.  It will leverage its resources to support the development of the school leaders and the start up of a high-performing school.

·        Support services will be provided for at least two years and include leadership training, facilities identification, curriculum development, financial planning, professional development, and school evaluation.

·        Ongoing support will focus on academic leadership, community development, organizational leadership and culture, and operations management.

 

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

 

·        Instruction will commence July 18, 2005 with a mandatory summer session for all students.

·        All teachers will be available by cell phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

·        The school will provide instruction from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and for four hours on selected Saturdays.

·        The school will also provide instruction for three to four weeks in the summer.

·        The KIPP approach is based on the Five Pillars: high expectations, choice and commitment, more time on task, power to lead, and focus on results.

·        Instruction will be provided in each of the seven learning standard areas.

·        The English/Language Arts curriculum is derived largely from Core Knowledge and Open Court Reading and Writing.

·        KIPP Math is activity-focused, and will be integrated with Saxon Math.

·        The science curriculum will use inquiry methodologies and will rely upon Delta Science Modules, which was developed by the Livermore Science Center at the University of California at Berkeley.

·        The social studies curriculum is a basic curriculum covering all aspects of the subject.

·        All required New York State assessments will be given, and will be supplemented by the Stanford 10 tests in English/Language Arts and mathematics.

·        The school will provide a special education teacher and will have a special education coordinator. 

·        The school will contract with appropriately certified or licensed individuals for a variety of services and, if necessary, will ask the Albany Board of Education to provide other special education services.

·        An English immersion program will be provided for limited English proficient students.

·        The school will offer a hot/cold breakfast, snack and lunch program, and will participate in the federal School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program.

 

Governance

 

·        A School Leadership Team will be established and will consist of all grade level chairs and one parent member.  It will meet monthly to discuss plans regarding curriculum changes, staffing issues, discipline policy, class field lessons, and high school placement.

·        The chair of the School Leadership Team will report monthly to the Board of Trustees.

·        The Board of Trustees will consist of no fewer than seven and no more than 15 members; there will be eight members of the initial Board of Trustees.

·        The Trustees will set all policy and will approve budgets and all significant financial transactions.

·        The School Leader will have authority to manage the day-to-day operations of the school and will report to the KIPP Tech Valley Board of Trustees.

·        The relationship between KIPP Foundation, Inc. and the School Leader is advisory only.  The KIPP Foundation Inc. will provide support and expertise to the school and the School Leader for all KIPP-specific areas of the school.

 

Students

 

·        The school will commence instruction with 90 students in grade 5.

·        The average class size will be 23 students.

·        The school will enroll 90 students per grade, for a total of 360 students in grades 5-8 by the 2008-09 school year.

·        The school will target a population of students that are “educationally underserved,” defined as achieving below Level 3 on State assessments, failing one or more of their core fourth grade subjects, and family poverty level.

·        It is expected that all students will meet or exceed the student performance standards set by the Board of Regents.

·        Collectively, the KIPP Tech Valley's goal for students will be to “outperform all three public schools serving middle school students in the city of Albany” as measured by State assessments.

·        Students will be required to adhere to a uniform dress code, which includes wearing a KIPP shirt every day.

 

Budget/Facilities

 

·        The start-up budget for the period of April 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005 shows expected revenues of $256,600 and expected expenditures of $254,600, for a projected surplus of $2,000.

·        Anticipated revenues are from a federal Public Charter School Program (PCSP) grant, as well as private grants that have been promised pending the receipt of a charter.

·        The first-year budget shows anticipated revenues of $1,101,224 from per pupil payments, Title I aid, a federal PCSP grant, and other private grants that have been promised pending the receipt of a charter.

·        First-year expenditures are anticipated to be $1,071,132, for a first-year surplus of $30,093.

·        A final site has yet to be determined.  The school is working with the KIPP National Facilities Director to locate a site.

·        The school will likely lease its facility and expects to pay no more than $20.00 per square foot.

·        In the long-term, the school expects to occupy a facility of approximately 25,000 to 30,000 square feet including sixteen 750-square foot classrooms, two to three 900-square foot labs, two or three offices, storage space, a 3,200-square foot multi-purpose room/cafeteria, a gym, and adequate toilet facilities.

 

Fiscal Impact

 

Potential Fiscal Impact* of Charter Schools

on the Albany City School District

2004-09

February 25, 2004

 

*Assumptions:  A yearly 3 percent increase in per pupil payment and district budget; all enrolled students will come from the Albany Public Schools; and all students attend each year as a 1.00 FTE.

 

Caution:  The per pupil payment could increase or even decrease yearly, affecting the potential impact.  Predictions also cannot be made for charter schools beyond the final year of their charters, so the potential impact beyond the 2005-06 school year is even less certain.

 

Personnel

 

·        The school will have one teacher per classroom with no teaching assistants or paraprofessionals.

·        The school will have 4 classroom teachers in its first year of operation, 8 in its second year, 12 in its third, and 16 in its fourth year of operation.

·        The school will also have one part-time physical education teacher in each year of operation.

·        In its first two years of operation, the school will have one special education teacher; in its third and fourth years, the school will have 1.5 special education teachers.

·        The school will employ a business manager and a secretary.

 

Community Support

 

·        The proposed charter includes results from a telephone survey conducted by a professional polling organization.  Over 230 parents of children eligible to attend the charter school responded, with 74 percent indicating that they favor the creation of the charter school and 60 percent indicating they would send their children to the charter school.  If 60 percent of responding parents actually sent their children to the charter school, support would be more than sufficient for the school to attain its projected enrollment of 90 students in its first year.

·        The SUNY Trustees report receiving no comments from the City School District of Albany regarding the application for KIPP Tech Valley Charter School.

 

Recommendation

 

Approve the proposed charter.

 

Reason for Recommendation

 

(1) The charter school described in the proposed charter 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 proposed 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.

 

 

New York State Education Department

 

Summary of Charter School Review

 

Summary of Applicant Information

 

 

 

Name of Proposed Charter School:  Oracle Charter School

 

Address:  1138 North Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY

 

Applicant(s): Julie Jackson-Forsberg, Carima El-Behairy

 

Anticipated Opening Date:  August 29, 2005

 

District of Location:  Buffalo Public Schools                 

 

Charter Entity:  Trustees of the State University of New York

 

Institutional Partner(s):  None

 

Management Partner(s): None

 

Grades Served: 7-9 (7-12)                        Projected Enrollment: 180 (360)

 

 

 

 

Application Highlights

 

 

 

Applicants

 

Ms. Jackson-Forsberg is a teacher and a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo Seminary.  She is a parent of a child attending the Tapestry Charter School.

 

Ms. El-Behairy is a business owner in the city of Buffalo and is a Board member for several not-for-profit organizations.

 

Institutional/Management Partner

 

None.

 

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

 

·        The curriculum will infuse arts and technology in an interdisciplinary manner.

·        A discussion-based learning environment will be provided.

·        Single-sex learning opportunities by grade level will be provided.

·        School-wide activities will be focused around a yearly theme.

·        Community service will be required of all students, and seniors must participate in an internship.

·        “Challenge Weeks” will be a mandatory part of the curriculum, which will require sustained and intensive work on the part of the students.

·        A Writing Center will be managed and coordinated by the English faculty.  Student and parent volunteers will act as writing tutors, 3:15 – 4:00 p.m. daily.  The tutors will be trained. 

·        An amalgam of best practices will be instituted.

·        All State assessments will be given.

·        Additional standardized tests (yet to be determined) will also be used to measure student progress.

·        Teacher-generated assessments, student portfolios, and student exhibitions will also be used to gauge student academic progress.

·        Students will attend for 185 days of instruction plus 10 days of Challenge programming.

 

Governance

 

·        The Board of Trustees will consist of nine persons.

·        At least one parent of a student attending the charter school and one faculty member will be members of the Board.

·        Several committees will be put into place: Finance, Faculty Review, Curriculum,  Student Life, Judicial Review, Technology, Arts Integration, Special Education, Operations, Development, Public Relations, Scheduling, and Professional Development.

 

Students

 

·        The school will not begin instruction until 2005-06, the second year of its charter.

·        In Year 2, the school will commence instruction with 180 students in grades 7-9, adding 60 students per year to a maximum of 360 students in grades 7-12.

 

Budget/Facilities

 

·        The first-year budget (2004-05, a planning year) is projected at $381,000, with anticipated expenses totaling $211,177.  This represents a surplus of $169,823.

·        The proposed charter school has applied for several grants that are projected as revenue for the first year of operation.

·        The budget for the first year of instruction (second year of the charter) shows revenues projected at $1,785,554 and projected expenses of $1,878,900, for a deficit of $93,347.  However, the previous year’s surplus will be used to offset any operating deficits.

·        The anticipated facility is located at 1138 North Ellicott Street in Buffalo, between Riley Street and Northampton Street, one block east of Main Street.

·        The site comprises three existing buildings.  The main site was renovated in 1952 to become the Bishop O’Hern High School.  From 1971–1981, the buildings became the home of the Erie Community College–Downtown Campus.  They have been vacant since 1982.

 

Fiscal Impact

 

Potential Fiscal Impact* of Charter Schools on the Buffalo City School District

2004-09

 

*Assumptions:  A yearly 3 percent increase in per pupil payment and district budget; all enrolled students will come from the Buffalo Public Schools; and all students attend each year as a 1.00 FTE.

 

** Area charter schools that also draw students from Buffalo.  These are anticipated numbers. 

 

*** Caution: The per pupil payment could increase or even decrease yearly, affecting the potential impact.  Predictions also cannot be made for charter schools beyond the final year of their charters, so the potential impact beyond the 2004-05 school year is even less certain.  The above also does not consider any additional charter schools that may be authorized in the future by the Buffalo Board of Education.

 

 

Personnel

 

·        The school will hire one teacher per class.

·        Each teacher will teach four classes.

·        All teachers will be certified except as provided for by §2854(3)(a-1) of the Education Law.

 

Community Support

 

·        The proposed charter includes the signatures of the parents of 96 grade-appropriate children who have indicated an interest in sending their children to this proposed charter school.

·        The SUNY Board of Trustees reports receiving no comments at all from the district of location or others.

 

Recommendation

 

Approve the proposed charter.

 

Reasons for Recommendation

 

(1) The charter school described in the proposed charter 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 proposed 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.