Ref Rodriguez (PUC Partnerships to Uplift Communities)
Can only be denied for instructional program (as unsound) ie. religiously based charter
and if the charter isn’t fiscally sound.
And if test scores do not improve
Law states gives preference to serve traditionally underserved communities
Can only enroll students at 18 and continuously at 19.
Part of contract states how you are going to improve learning.ie. measurable pupil outcomes
Good distrists will help you write charter about how to write goals (align it to nclb requirements) so can follow through with promises.
LA unified will ask you to submit your draft and then they’ll help you with it.
Office in LA unified that weeds through to recommend to board.
Smaller school districts are not for charters
Charters must be renewed every 5 years.
40 states have charter school laws and vary from state to state, some have a CAP (ie. only have up to 100 charter schools)
180,000 students in CA
exempt from all laws pertaining to trad schools (ie. most of the Ed code)
SP740 – law that submits a report to guarantee that 80% of
6 assets to collaborate on:
facilities, grant writing, business (fiscal plan), human resources, instruction/pedagogy, organizational systems
got flyers to community via mail, walk the neighborhood
r.rodriguez@pucschools.org
3202 w. adams blvd. Community Harvest
What’s allowed by charter law?54000 minutes per year, min in academic year (ie. 180 days), instructional materials, textbooks
Configuration – can have combination classes, developmental stages, as long as you meet outcomes said you were going to: report cards developmental vs. grades
Exempt for non-core subjects-science math history English must be hired by credentialed teachers
No Child Left Behind act – only have to follow this if take Title I money. Get penalties if do not meet requirements.- also have to meet API and AMO growth targets - percentage is 24% in Math and 26% English and works up to 100% proficiency by 2012 have to have 4/4 ranking (state/similar) compare to # of respondants,
TRC – training in Long Beach
By law, any charter school’s teachers can collectively to get a union, but you choose not to if you belong to a charter
EduTrain-Charter –UCLA starter
Valley Community Charter School – Northridge
Internal Assessments – dual immertion
Texas, New York, Arizona, San Diego, (had schools that need improvement so sent RFPs (request for proposals and helped them budget facilities)
Model Charter Application on state department
Anyone can be apart of school in California (
After school programs - Partnerships with colleges, Boys/Girls Clubs,
Systems designs of Education – by ?
What does the structure of your finances look like?
Can come and make presentations
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Examples of charter school mission statements & Startup logistics
Start Up Logistics
Reality checks (political environment, fiscal feasibility, sustaining energy, relationships)
Writing a good application
Making things different (resource allocation, power structure, instructional changes)
Building organizational vision
Formation of core founding group
Establishment of a legal entity
Acquisition of a facility
Availability of necessary start-up financing
Acquisition of professional services (i.e., legal, accounting)
Develop a business plan
Consider the following questions in preparation for the
writing of the statements:
• Where do you want to go with the school? What do you want to be?
What direction(s) will the school be taking?
• What do you want for yourselves five to 10 years from now?
• Clearly describe your future dominant driving force(s):
— Programs offered?
— Educational philosophy?
— Satisfying students’/parents’/community needs?
• Be creative here, but make sure your description is believable, understandable,
motivating, and achievable.
• How will your school fit the needs of your students/parents, your staff,
and your community?
Examples of charter school mission statements with respect to each of the five
elements of a mission statement:
Values
Neighborhood House Charter School
Boston, MA
School Status: In operation
Year of opening: 1997
“The Neighborhood House Charter School of Boston believes that the underpinning
of change relies on the creation of a learning community, where everyone
has something to learn and something to teach. The mission of the school
is to develop in each child the love of learning, and ability to nurture family
members, friends, and self, the ability to engage in critical thinking, and to
demonstrate complete mastery of the academic building blocks necessary for
a successful future.”
Educational Approach
Public School 2005
Milwaukie, OR
School Status: In operation
Year of opening: 1998
“The mission of Public School 2005 (PS 2005) is to recognize and nurture all
human intelligence so that students and staff of varied cultural and social backgrounds
will achieve their full intellectual and social potential. The founders
envision a school that creates an inclusive community working together to
support student achievement and a strong sense of self-worth. The school will
offer a comprehensive educational program by placing a strong emphasis on
K–6 core curriculum while infusing second language and the arts. PS 2005 will
foster an environment where students, parents, staff, and the community are
partners in the educational process and achievement of all children.”
Curriculum Focus
Horizons Community High School
Wyoming, MI
School status: In operation
Year of opening: 1994
“We believe that people are empowered by their independent use of information
technologies and that they are united by opportunities to share resources
and communicate in our local and global communities. In this Information
Age, it is essential that Horizons commit to preparing its students to work in
an evolving, information-centered, global community. Given the rapid pace of
technological change and the growth of information technologies in all aspects
of our lives, it is critical that students become familiar with the tools of information
technology. All students and staff must be competent in using these
tools to obtain information, to communicate, and to solve problems.”
Customer Focus
EduPreneurship Student Center
Scottsdale, AZ
School Status: In operation
Year of Opening: 1995
“EduPreneurship is dedicated to providing children with an education that will
enable them to be successful in today’s complex society. Creating a learning
environment that is relevant, active, and product-oriented to ensure our children
stay turned on and tuned in is essential to the educational process. We
believe in practicing the precepts of a democratic society by students holding
themselves accountable for their own actions thus preparing them to be good
citizens.”
Outcomes and Goals
Lowell Middlesex Academy
Dallas, TX
School status: In operation
Year of opening: 1998
“The mission of Lowell Middlesex Academy is to enable students to achieve
academic, social, and career success by providing a supportive community that
identifies, encourages, and develops each student’s interests and abilities. The
college campus environment enables students to discover the wide variety of
opportunities open to them and foster a sense of responsibility for their own
education. Upon graduating from the Academy, each student will have:
_ A high school diploma
_ A clearly demonstrated set of academic skills
_ Experience in the workplace and in community service
_ A clear awareness of their rights and responsibilities as citizens
_ A personal development plan for the years beyond high school”
Core Founding Group and Accessing Experts
1. Using the large sheets of paper, map the community and school assets (i.e.,
personally, locally, and globally). Begin with the school at the center and
work your way out into the community.
2. Participants should use the worksheet to identify areas of expertise within
the core founding group and match the group members to the skills/needs
column. As a trainer, use probing questions: Who in the community can do
what? What do you need to start a school? Core founding groups need to
look at the whole environment.
3. Develop an action plan to begin forming relationships with those identified.
An action plan can help turn dreams into reality and also help prioritize
tasks. While groups are doing this, ask them to revisit their vision and mission
statements.
4. Groups may want to do some long-range planning in order to identify roles
and responsibilities.
Tool I: Core Founding Group Skills Inventory2
2 Adapted from Premack, E. (1998). Appendix C: Development team and board expertise. In Charter school development guide: California edition (Rev. ed., p. 121).
Insert your core founding group’s names in the columns and add areas of
expertise in the rows as fits your situation. Where do you need more assistance?
What is your plan for obtaining more help?
Core Founding
Group Members _
Skill _
Community/Public Relations
Curriculum Development
Financial Planning/Management
Fund Raising/Grant Writing
Instructional Practices
Knowledge of School District
Legal
Management and Leadership
Organization Development
Parent Relations
Politics
Real Estate
Special Education
Staffing and Personnel
Standards and Assessment
Teaching Experience
Writing
Other Areas:
Application should include:
Clear mission statement
_ Outline of educational theory and its
foundation
_ Outline of teaching approach
_ Identify sources of curriculum
_ Description of standards and goals for the
students and programmatic standards and
goals for the staff and school
_ What are the specific goals for the students;
are they aligned with vision?
_ How will students be assessed?
_ Is the assessment system clear and valid, and
does it correspond to applicable state standards
and requirements?
Budget proposal
Governance and/or organizational model
Personnel policies including hiring and firing
Student admission and discipline policies
Facilities information
Statement of why the school is needed/desired
Insurance (if applicable)
Compliance with state and federal regulations
Accountability
(curriculum, standards, assessment, evaluation)
Reference to a predetermined monitoring
and renewal process
Facilities Worksheet
Checklist of information to obtain regarding charter school facilities
Item Contact Agency Person Responsible
_ ADA compliance
_ Fire safety compliance
_ Building codes
_ Land-use zoning
and other regulations
_ Other local ordinances
Resources for loans, financing
Contacts for city building
inspectors
Real estate agents
(renting and leasing specifics)
Insurance (property and liability)
Janitorial services
Laws and Acts
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Lau v. Nichols (1973)
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (ESEA)
Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994
Goals 2000: Educate America Act
Age Discrimination Act of 1975
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
Section 504 of the Rehabilitative Act of 1973
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA)
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
Expectation Examples
Tips
• Expectations should be measurable within the time frame of your charter.
• Expectations are often expressed quantitatively, such as “Ninety percent
of students will achieve proficiency …” or “Seventy-five percent
of graduating students …” or “By the year 2001, all students … ”
• Expectations are stronger if they include a phrase that states how they
will be achieved. For example, “90 percent of students will achieve a
score of ‘excellent’ on their exhibitions, using a well-defined rubric.”
Expectations are always tied to specific performance objectives as in the examples
below.
Examples
• Student Academic Expectation: One hundred percent of students are
expected to meet both annual and exit objectives, determined in an
individual education plan.
• Student Nonacademic Expectation: All students will become academic
or nonacademic role models.
• School Expectation: The school will add a grade each year, meet
enrollment projections, and maintain a waiting list.
Tips
• Performance objectives are ends; strategies are the means to the end.
• Several strategies may be needed to attain a single performance objective
and strategies may serve more than one objective.
• The following is a list of frequently used strategies: specific curricula or
texts; instructional approaches; student grouping; individualized learning
plans; teacher professional development; outside experts in the
classroom; student dress or behavior codes; periodic town meetings.
There are many strategies charter schools use to meet their objectives. The
examples below are illustrative.
Examples
• School Academic Performance Strategy: Use quality core curricula,
such as Reading Recovery and University of Chicago School Mathematics
Project.
• Student Nonacademic Performance Strategy: Students achieving proficiency
serve as academic leaders who tutor other students. Students
may also serve as nonacademic leaders with responsibility for organizing
certain school projects or areas.
• School Performance Strategy: The school will hold parent meetings in
order to establish and reach consensus on expectations parents hold for
student performance.
Tips
• Progress indicators must be measurable. They are often stated
numerically.
• Wherever possible, progress indicators should allow external validation.
• Progress indicators may use such words as “each year” or “at the end of
two years,” or they may refer to “increase” or “student progress after
one year in the school.”
• A single performance objective may have several progress indicators.
Progress indicators relate to expectations and performance objectives, as in the
examples below.
Examples
• Student Academic Performance Progress Indicators: Annual increase
in the number of students meeting expectations, according to standardized
test results and performance-based measures.
• Student Nonacademic Performance Progress Indicator: Annual 5 percent
increase in the number of students becoming academic and nonacademic
role models each year.
• School Performance Progress Indicator: Annual 10 percent increase in
applications by students and teachers; annual increase or status quo in
waiting list; 20 percent annual increase in parental activities.
Tips
• Subject all measurement tools to the questions: Is this credible? Is this
objective?
• Any of the following are acceptable measurement tools: standardized
tests; district tests; exhibitions of proficiency and/or portfolios, as long
as they are accompanied by credible rubrics; outside juries or judges;
changes in discipline referrals, school attendance, or dropout rates; rate
of students attending two- or four-year colleges.
• Standardized tests are not the only measurement tool for judging student
achievement, but the results are extremely credible to outsiders
and may be required.
It is important that each performance objective be measured by some tool that
indicates demonstrable progress. The examples below give some illustrative ideas.
Examples
• Student Academic Performance Measurement: Pre- and post-Iowa
tests for all students. (Use of the MEAP in grades four and eight,
report cards, final examinations in English and mathematics. Performance-
based assessments in science.)
• Student Nonacademic Performance Measurement: Students will earn
Student Life Points through serving as a role model. These points will
be tallied at the end of the year to show student progress toward
becoming leaders.
• School Performance Measurement: Parent and teacher surveys, enrollment
records, teacher applications, number of students on waiting list.
Tips
• At the end of the first year, current status is generally baseline, such as
student scores on standardized tests at the time they enter the school.
Baseline data measure the status of performance before the charter
school has had any effects. It says, “We’re starting here.”
• After the first year, current status is tied to progress indicators. For
example, if the progress indicator is that at the end of the fifth grade,
all students will complete journals, then the current status report
might say, “Ninety percent of students completed journals; the others
have signed contracts to complete them by September.”
The examples below give some illustrative ideas for reporting current status.
Examples
• Current Status or Student Academic Performance (Baseline Data): As
of September 1996, 62 percent of students were below grade level in
mathematics and 56 percent below grade level in reading.
• Current Status of Student Nonacademic Performance: All teachers are
trained and are training students in the role model system.
• Current Status of School Performance: In 1995, we opened as a K–7
school; in 1996 we will open as a K–8 school. There were 150 teacher
applications at the time the school opened. The number of students on
the waiting list is currently 53.
Sample Accountability Plan
School: Jefferson Academy Charter School
District: Jefferson County Public School District R-1
School Address: 9955 Yarrow Street
City: Broomfield State: CO Zip Code: 80021
Telephone: 438-1011
Date: June 2, 1995
Principal: E. Munier
Location (check one): Urban ______ Suburban ______ Rural ______
Student Characteristics
Number of students: District: 84,145 increasing by 1.6 percent for one year
Building: 189 increasing by 100 percent for one year
Racial/Ethnic Breakdown
American Indian: 2 Caucasian/Non-Hispanic: 178
Black: 3 Pacific Islander: 0
Asian: 2 Hispanic: 4
Special education population: 10 (identified)
Community Characteristics
Please describe your community using such factors as:
_______Socioeconomic level
_______Education level of parents
_______Mobility
_______Record of community volunteer activities
_______Participation in such programs as Aid to Dependent Children
and Chapter 1
_______Family status
(Indicate which characteristics from the list above you will describe in your
narrative)
Jefferson County Public School District R–1 is the largest school district in terms
of student population in the state of Colorado. The county covers an area of
nearly 785 square miles. The main communities in the county are: Arvada,
Broomfield, Golden, Lakewood, Littleton, Westminster, and Wheat Ridge.
Jefferson Academy was organized by parents who were seeking a more traditional
and fundamental approach to education for their children. The school
was approved by the Jefferson County School Board in May of 1994. The first
actual day of operation was August 29, 1994. The school is located in the old
Juchem Elementary School site in Broomfield. The school serves 189 students,
kindergarten (two half-day programs) through sixth grade. There is a substantial
waiting list of well over 400 students. Jefferson Academy is sharing the Juchem
site with a Jefferson County Public School preschool program.
Economic levels within the school are as follows: 1.6% < $25K; 54.6% < $50K; 32% < $75K, and 11.7% > $75K. Ninety-one percent of our parents have some
college-level education, and 57.7 percent have at least a four-year college degree
or greater. Mobility in our first year was 1.5 percent. Over 6,000 hours of parent
volunteer hours have been served in the school’s fist year. The free and
reduced-price lunch program serves 50 percent of our families. Five percent of
the students are staffed for special education, with an anticipated increase of
10–12 percent in staffing for the upcoming school year. Amazingly, 95 percent
of our students come from two-parent families.
Faculty/Staff Characteristics
Certified Staff: Total Number: 11 + 1 (see other)
Education Please indicate number of staff members in each category
BA: 10 Ed.D./Ph.D.: 0
MA: 2 BS: 0
Other: 1 (Certification waiver—certificate pending, holds BA)
Years of Experience Teaching Please indicate number of staff in each category
Fewer than 6 years: 4 American Indian: 0
6–10 years: 5 Pacific Islander: 0
11–15 years: 2 Black: 0
More than 15 years: 0 Hispanic: 0
Asian: 0
Tool II: Charter School Start-Up Budget Worksheet
Charter School Start-Up Budget Worksheet—Expenses Before Year 1
Average Monthly Amount Months Total
Operating Revenue Expenses
Salaries and Benefits
Teachers
Administrators
Support Staff
Subtotal
Services and Activities
Custodial Services
Telephone
Subtotal
Supplies and Equipment
Furniture
Computers
Textbooks
Subtotal
Marketing and Development
Printing
Advertising
Subtotal
Physical Plant
Renovations
Rents
Utilities
Subtotal
Total Expenses
EXCESS (DEFICIT)
Grants and Loans
Government Start-Up Grant
Private Grants
Loans
Total Grants and Loans
Avg. Monthly Amount Months No. Total
Operating Revenue $0
Expenses
Salaries and Benefits
Teachers $2,500 2 6 $30,000
Administrators $3,000 4 1 $12,000
Support Staff $1,000 4 1 $4,000
Subtotal $46,000
Services and Activities
Custodial Services $500 4 N/A $2,000
Telephone $1,000 4 N/A $4,000
Subtotal $6,000
Supplies and Equipment
Furniture N/A N/A N/A $2,000
Computers N/A N/A 2 $5,000
Textbooks N/A N/A 100 $2,000
Subtotal $9,000
Marketing and Development
Printing N/A N/A N/A $5,000
Advertising N/A N/A N/A $5,000
Subtotal $10,000
Physical Plant
Renovations N/A N/A N/A $25,000
Rent $6,250 4 N/A $25,000
Utilities $2,000 4 N/A $8,000
Subtotal $58,000
Total Expenses ($129,000)
Excess (Deficit) $129,000)
Grants and Loans
Government Start-Up Grant $50,000
Private Grants $25,000
Loans $55,000
Total Grants and Loans $130,000
ENDING FUND BALANCE $1,000
Reality checks (political environment, fiscal feasibility, sustaining energy, relationships)
Writing a good application
Making things different (resource allocation, power structure, instructional changes)
Building organizational vision
Formation of core founding group
Establishment of a legal entity
Acquisition of a facility
Availability of necessary start-up financing
Acquisition of professional services (i.e., legal, accounting)
Develop a business plan
Consider the following questions in preparation for the
writing of the statements:
• Where do you want to go with the school? What do you want to be?
What direction(s) will the school be taking?
• What do you want for yourselves five to 10 years from now?
• Clearly describe your future dominant driving force(s):
— Programs offered?
— Educational philosophy?
— Satisfying students’/parents’/community needs?
• Be creative here, but make sure your description is believable, understandable,
motivating, and achievable.
• How will your school fit the needs of your students/parents, your staff,
and your community?
Examples of charter school mission statements with respect to each of the five
elements of a mission statement:
Values
Neighborhood House Charter School
Boston, MA
School Status: In operation
Year of opening: 1997
“The Neighborhood House Charter School of Boston believes that the underpinning
of change relies on the creation of a learning community, where everyone
has something to learn and something to teach. The mission of the school
is to develop in each child the love of learning, and ability to nurture family
members, friends, and self, the ability to engage in critical thinking, and to
demonstrate complete mastery of the academic building blocks necessary for
a successful future.”
Educational Approach
Public School 2005
Milwaukie, OR
School Status: In operation
Year of opening: 1998
“The mission of Public School 2005 (PS 2005) is to recognize and nurture all
human intelligence so that students and staff of varied cultural and social backgrounds
will achieve their full intellectual and social potential. The founders
envision a school that creates an inclusive community working together to
support student achievement and a strong sense of self-worth. The school will
offer a comprehensive educational program by placing a strong emphasis on
K–6 core curriculum while infusing second language and the arts. PS 2005 will
foster an environment where students, parents, staff, and the community are
partners in the educational process and achievement of all children.”
Curriculum Focus
Horizons Community High School
Wyoming, MI
School status: In operation
Year of opening: 1994
“We believe that people are empowered by their independent use of information
technologies and that they are united by opportunities to share resources
and communicate in our local and global communities. In this Information
Age, it is essential that Horizons commit to preparing its students to work in
an evolving, information-centered, global community. Given the rapid pace of
technological change and the growth of information technologies in all aspects
of our lives, it is critical that students become familiar with the tools of information
technology. All students and staff must be competent in using these
tools to obtain information, to communicate, and to solve problems.”
Customer Focus
EduPreneurship Student Center
Scottsdale, AZ
School Status: In operation
Year of Opening: 1995
“EduPreneurship is dedicated to providing children with an education that will
enable them to be successful in today’s complex society. Creating a learning
environment that is relevant, active, and product-oriented to ensure our children
stay turned on and tuned in is essential to the educational process. We
believe in practicing the precepts of a democratic society by students holding
themselves accountable for their own actions thus preparing them to be good
citizens.”
Outcomes and Goals
Lowell Middlesex Academy
Dallas, TX
School status: In operation
Year of opening: 1998
“The mission of Lowell Middlesex Academy is to enable students to achieve
academic, social, and career success by providing a supportive community that
identifies, encourages, and develops each student’s interests and abilities. The
college campus environment enables students to discover the wide variety of
opportunities open to them and foster a sense of responsibility for their own
education. Upon graduating from the Academy, each student will have:
_ A high school diploma
_ A clearly demonstrated set of academic skills
_ Experience in the workplace and in community service
_ A clear awareness of their rights and responsibilities as citizens
_ A personal development plan for the years beyond high school”
Core Founding Group and Accessing Experts
1. Using the large sheets of paper, map the community and school assets (i.e.,
personally, locally, and globally). Begin with the school at the center and
work your way out into the community.
2. Participants should use the worksheet to identify areas of expertise within
the core founding group and match the group members to the skills/needs
column. As a trainer, use probing questions: Who in the community can do
what? What do you need to start a school? Core founding groups need to
look at the whole environment.
3. Develop an action plan to begin forming relationships with those identified.
An action plan can help turn dreams into reality and also help prioritize
tasks. While groups are doing this, ask them to revisit their vision and mission
statements.
4. Groups may want to do some long-range planning in order to identify roles
and responsibilities.
Tool I: Core Founding Group Skills Inventory2
2 Adapted from Premack, E. (1998). Appendix C: Development team and board expertise. In Charter school development guide: California edition (Rev. ed., p. 121).
Insert your core founding group’s names in the columns and add areas of
expertise in the rows as fits your situation. Where do you need more assistance?
What is your plan for obtaining more help?
Core Founding
Group Members _
Skill _
Community/Public Relations
Curriculum Development
Financial Planning/Management
Fund Raising/Grant Writing
Instructional Practices
Knowledge of School District
Legal
Management and Leadership
Organization Development
Parent Relations
Politics
Real Estate
Special Education
Staffing and Personnel
Standards and Assessment
Teaching Experience
Writing
Other Areas:
Application should include:
Clear mission statement
_ Outline of educational theory and its
foundation
_ Outline of teaching approach
_ Identify sources of curriculum
_ Description of standards and goals for the
students and programmatic standards and
goals for the staff and school
_ What are the specific goals for the students;
are they aligned with vision?
_ How will students be assessed?
_ Is the assessment system clear and valid, and
does it correspond to applicable state standards
and requirements?
Budget proposal
Governance and/or organizational model
Personnel policies including hiring and firing
Student admission and discipline policies
Facilities information
Statement of why the school is needed/desired
Insurance (if applicable)
Compliance with state and federal regulations
Accountability
(curriculum, standards, assessment, evaluation)
Reference to a predetermined monitoring
and renewal process
Facilities Worksheet
Checklist of information to obtain regarding charter school facilities
Item Contact Agency Person Responsible
_ ADA compliance
_ Fire safety compliance
_ Building codes
_ Land-use zoning
and other regulations
_ Other local ordinances
Resources for loans, financing
Contacts for city building
inspectors
Real estate agents
(renting and leasing specifics)
Insurance (property and liability)
Janitorial services
Laws and Acts
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Lau v. Nichols (1973)
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (ESEA)
Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994
Goals 2000: Educate America Act
Age Discrimination Act of 1975
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
Section 504 of the Rehabilitative Act of 1973
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA)
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
Expectation Examples
Tips
• Expectations should be measurable within the time frame of your charter.
• Expectations are often expressed quantitatively, such as “Ninety percent
of students will achieve proficiency …” or “Seventy-five percent
of graduating students …” or “By the year 2001, all students … ”
• Expectations are stronger if they include a phrase that states how they
will be achieved. For example, “90 percent of students will achieve a
score of ‘excellent’ on their exhibitions, using a well-defined rubric.”
Expectations are always tied to specific performance objectives as in the examples
below.
Examples
• Student Academic Expectation: One hundred percent of students are
expected to meet both annual and exit objectives, determined in an
individual education plan.
• Student Nonacademic Expectation: All students will become academic
or nonacademic role models.
• School Expectation: The school will add a grade each year, meet
enrollment projections, and maintain a waiting list.
Tips
• Performance objectives are ends; strategies are the means to the end.
• Several strategies may be needed to attain a single performance objective
and strategies may serve more than one objective.
• The following is a list of frequently used strategies: specific curricula or
texts; instructional approaches; student grouping; individualized learning
plans; teacher professional development; outside experts in the
classroom; student dress or behavior codes; periodic town meetings.
There are many strategies charter schools use to meet their objectives. The
examples below are illustrative.
Examples
• School Academic Performance Strategy: Use quality core curricula,
such as Reading Recovery and University of Chicago School Mathematics
Project.
• Student Nonacademic Performance Strategy: Students achieving proficiency
serve as academic leaders who tutor other students. Students
may also serve as nonacademic leaders with responsibility for organizing
certain school projects or areas.
• School Performance Strategy: The school will hold parent meetings in
order to establish and reach consensus on expectations parents hold for
student performance.
Tips
• Progress indicators must be measurable. They are often stated
numerically.
• Wherever possible, progress indicators should allow external validation.
• Progress indicators may use such words as “each year” or “at the end of
two years,” or they may refer to “increase” or “student progress after
one year in the school.”
• A single performance objective may have several progress indicators.
Progress indicators relate to expectations and performance objectives, as in the
examples below.
Examples
• Student Academic Performance Progress Indicators: Annual increase
in the number of students meeting expectations, according to standardized
test results and performance-based measures.
• Student Nonacademic Performance Progress Indicator: Annual 5 percent
increase in the number of students becoming academic and nonacademic
role models each year.
• School Performance Progress Indicator: Annual 10 percent increase in
applications by students and teachers; annual increase or status quo in
waiting list; 20 percent annual increase in parental activities.
Tips
• Subject all measurement tools to the questions: Is this credible? Is this
objective?
• Any of the following are acceptable measurement tools: standardized
tests; district tests; exhibitions of proficiency and/or portfolios, as long
as they are accompanied by credible rubrics; outside juries or judges;
changes in discipline referrals, school attendance, or dropout rates; rate
of students attending two- or four-year colleges.
• Standardized tests are not the only measurement tool for judging student
achievement, but the results are extremely credible to outsiders
and may be required.
It is important that each performance objective be measured by some tool that
indicates demonstrable progress. The examples below give some illustrative ideas.
Examples
• Student Academic Performance Measurement: Pre- and post-Iowa
tests for all students. (Use of the MEAP in grades four and eight,
report cards, final examinations in English and mathematics. Performance-
based assessments in science.)
• Student Nonacademic Performance Measurement: Students will earn
Student Life Points through serving as a role model. These points will
be tallied at the end of the year to show student progress toward
becoming leaders.
• School Performance Measurement: Parent and teacher surveys, enrollment
records, teacher applications, number of students on waiting list.
Tips
• At the end of the first year, current status is generally baseline, such as
student scores on standardized tests at the time they enter the school.
Baseline data measure the status of performance before the charter
school has had any effects. It says, “We’re starting here.”
• After the first year, current status is tied to progress indicators. For
example, if the progress indicator is that at the end of the fifth grade,
all students will complete journals, then the current status report
might say, “Ninety percent of students completed journals; the others
have signed contracts to complete them by September.”
The examples below give some illustrative ideas for reporting current status.
Examples
• Current Status or Student Academic Performance (Baseline Data): As
of September 1996, 62 percent of students were below grade level in
mathematics and 56 percent below grade level in reading.
• Current Status of Student Nonacademic Performance: All teachers are
trained and are training students in the role model system.
• Current Status of School Performance: In 1995, we opened as a K–7
school; in 1996 we will open as a K–8 school. There were 150 teacher
applications at the time the school opened. The number of students on
the waiting list is currently 53.
Sample Accountability Plan
School: Jefferson Academy Charter School
District: Jefferson County Public School District R-1
School Address: 9955 Yarrow Street
City: Broomfield State: CO Zip Code: 80021
Telephone: 438-1011
Date: June 2, 1995
Principal: E. Munier
Location (check one): Urban ______ Suburban ______ Rural ______
Student Characteristics
Number of students: District: 84,145 increasing by 1.6 percent for one year
Building: 189 increasing by 100 percent for one year
Racial/Ethnic Breakdown
American Indian: 2 Caucasian/Non-Hispanic: 178
Black: 3 Pacific Islander: 0
Asian: 2 Hispanic: 4
Special education population: 10 (identified)
Community Characteristics
Please describe your community using such factors as:
_______Socioeconomic level
_______Education level of parents
_______Mobility
_______Record of community volunteer activities
_______Participation in such programs as Aid to Dependent Children
and Chapter 1
_______Family status
(Indicate which characteristics from the list above you will describe in your
narrative)
Jefferson County Public School District R–1 is the largest school district in terms
of student population in the state of Colorado. The county covers an area of
nearly 785 square miles. The main communities in the county are: Arvada,
Broomfield, Golden, Lakewood, Littleton, Westminster, and Wheat Ridge.
Jefferson Academy was organized by parents who were seeking a more traditional
and fundamental approach to education for their children. The school
was approved by the Jefferson County School Board in May of 1994. The first
actual day of operation was August 29, 1994. The school is located in the old
Juchem Elementary School site in Broomfield. The school serves 189 students,
kindergarten (two half-day programs) through sixth grade. There is a substantial
waiting list of well over 400 students. Jefferson Academy is sharing the Juchem
site with a Jefferson County Public School preschool program.
Economic levels within the school are as follows: 1.6% < $25K; 54.6% < $50K; 32% < $75K, and 11.7% > $75K. Ninety-one percent of our parents have some
college-level education, and 57.7 percent have at least a four-year college degree
or greater. Mobility in our first year was 1.5 percent. Over 6,000 hours of parent
volunteer hours have been served in the school’s fist year. The free and
reduced-price lunch program serves 50 percent of our families. Five percent of
the students are staffed for special education, with an anticipated increase of
10–12 percent in staffing for the upcoming school year. Amazingly, 95 percent
of our students come from two-parent families.
Faculty/Staff Characteristics
Certified Staff: Total Number: 11 + 1 (see other)
Education Please indicate number of staff members in each category
BA: 10 Ed.D./Ph.D.: 0
MA: 2 BS: 0
Other: 1 (Certification waiver—certificate pending, holds BA)
Years of Experience Teaching Please indicate number of staff in each category
Fewer than 6 years: 4 American Indian: 0
6–10 years: 5 Pacific Islander: 0
11–15 years: 2 Black: 0
More than 15 years: 0 Hispanic: 0
Asian: 0
Tool II: Charter School Start-Up Budget Worksheet
Charter School Start-Up Budget Worksheet—Expenses Before Year 1
Average Monthly Amount Months Total
Operating Revenue Expenses
Salaries and Benefits
Teachers
Administrators
Support Staff
Subtotal
Services and Activities
Custodial Services
Telephone
Subtotal
Supplies and Equipment
Furniture
Computers
Textbooks
Subtotal
Marketing and Development
Printing
Advertising
Subtotal
Physical Plant
Renovations
Rents
Utilities
Subtotal
Total Expenses
EXCESS (DEFICIT)
Grants and Loans
Government Start-Up Grant
Private Grants
Loans
Total Grants and Loans
Avg. Monthly Amount Months No. Total
Operating Revenue $0
Expenses
Salaries and Benefits
Teachers $2,500 2 6 $30,000
Administrators $3,000 4 1 $12,000
Support Staff $1,000 4 1 $4,000
Subtotal $46,000
Services and Activities
Custodial Services $500 4 N/A $2,000
Telephone $1,000 4 N/A $4,000
Subtotal $6,000
Supplies and Equipment
Furniture N/A N/A N/A $2,000
Computers N/A N/A 2 $5,000
Textbooks N/A N/A 100 $2,000
Subtotal $9,000
Marketing and Development
Printing N/A N/A N/A $5,000
Advertising N/A N/A N/A $5,000
Subtotal $10,000
Physical Plant
Renovations N/A N/A N/A $25,000
Rent $6,250 4 N/A $25,000
Utilities $2,000 4 N/A $8,000
Subtotal $58,000
Total Expenses ($129,000)
Excess (Deficit) $129,000)
Grants and Loans
Government Start-Up Grant $50,000
Private Grants $25,000
Loans $55,000
Total Grants and Loans $130,000
ENDING FUND BALANCE $1,000
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