Experienced Operator Application. Submitted by: The Spirit of Excellence Academy March 15, 2013

Transcription

1 Experienced Operator Application Submitted by: The Spirit of Excellence Academy March 15, 2013 Table of Contents Page Executive Summary 1 Growth Plan 3 Past School Performance 4 Theory of Change 6 Approach to Education 6 Education Model 7 Curriculum 7 Culture 14 Scale Strategy 30 Model Replication 31 Risk & Associated Contingency Plan 32 Board Members 33

2 Executive Summary Our mission is simple - to bring the children of the Spirit of Excellence Academy to academic mastery in all core subject areas. Toward accomplishment of this mission, we will create the expectation of mastery for students, teachers, parents and the community. Spirit of Excellence is proposing to Charter either Dalton or Lanier Elementary School in Baton Rouge. Both Dalton and Lanier are low-performing schools that are available for conversion. Because Spirit of Excellence is proposing a takeover of a low-performing school, it is anticipated that a large portion of the student population will be performing below grade level. With regard to our academic philosophy, we envision the Academy as an environment that expects, supports, promotes, encourages and reinforces subject mastery and academic achievement for all students. Through the professionalism and hard work of administration, faculty and staff, we will work to instill in our students a love of learning and a passion for education. From this educational platform, the students of the Spirit of Excellence Academy will be positioned, not only for the rigors of secondary education, but will also have a solid foundation of academic expertise, social and cultural experiences, community support and critical thinking and decision-making skills to support long-term academic success. It is our belief that the students of Baton Rouge public schools are only at-risk in the absence of our commitment to provide a strong educational focus, experienced and committed staff, an environment that is conducive to learning, the support and engagement of parents and the embrace of the community. Our expected outcome is to raise the bar to enable our students, teachers and parents to have high expectations of success. One means of accomplishing this goal is through our dynamic School Leader who is a seasoned education professional. He has worked tirelessly throughout his career to increase student confidence, improve the quality of student-staff relationships, de-stigmatize the perception that all inner city schools provide sub-standard education and to build a strong relationship with students and their families. Toward our goal of raising the bar, we will implement the TargetTeach curriculum. The Academy will utilize the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum supported by the TargetTeach curriculum designed by Fenwick English, PhD. to better ensure content alignment, diagnostic assessment, student-centered data and subject mastery. Our partner school, The Edgar P. Harney Spirit of Excellence Academy located in Orleans Parish, has achieved tremendous success utilizing this curriculum. Evans Newton, Inc (TargetTeach) customizes its program components to meet the state standards through a systematic review process. The company retrieves samples of the schools text books, work books, instructional tools, etc. and aligns the materials to the grade level expectations (GLE s) relative to curriculum alignment. Research presented by the American Research Association (1999) indicates significant positive effects on student achievement in mathematics. Moreover, these findings were constant regardless of socio-economic status, race, gender or school size. As well, district administration (2004) reports that international studies of curriculum alignment demonstrate a measurable impact of over 30 percentile points, here again cancelling out such predictors as socio-economic status, race, gender and teacher effect. The TargetTeach curriculum aligns the standards, curriculum materials and periodic assessments to ensure student attainment and proficiency. With a mission of student mastery in all core subjects, instruction at the Academy will focus rigorously on the core, using curriculum alignment as the best practice model for efficacy. Beyond its theoretical underpinnings of curriculum alignment, the TargetTeach process has a strong focus on the individual student through both diagnostic and monitoring which inform the student, the teacher and the parent. The TargetTeach curriculum is designed to support introduction and mastery of all GLEs prior to LEAP and ILEAP test administration. It is anticipated that the target population for the Academy will be over 90% free and/or reduced lunch and predominately African-American based on the current enrollment at Dalton or Lanier Elementary Schools. The Academy s short term goals include a 95% average daily attendance rate, 95% teacher retention and meeting state standards on state tests. Long term goals include a 95% non-leap passing rate. Monitoring and reporting the effectiveness of the curriculum, instructional methods and practices will involve both internal and external processes building on the TargetTeach data management system and involving self-assessment tools, professional observation, and administrative, academic and financial auditing for compliance with state and federal requirements. 1

3 The Academy s long term goal is to acquire three (3) additional charter schools over the next ten (10) years. Upon opening this proposed charter in August of 2014, our plan is to acquire one additional low-performing elementary school, one (1) low-performing middle school and one (1) low-performing high school. In addition, the Academy proposes to expand our elementary school to include a pre-k program for three (3) and four (4) year olds. Because we are proposing a Type 5 charter conversion, the Academy plans to begin intensive community outreach upon notification of award of each school. The Academy will replicate a successful model that the organization implemented in New Orleans, Louisiana. Like our sister school, Spirit of Excellence Academy Baton Rouge will host three (3) public meetings which will be open to all parents and the community. The meetings will be conducted after hours to support access by working parents, will be advised via print and electronic media resources and will be noticed to parents via letters from the school. During our public meetings, information will be provided in a user-friendly written format regarding all proposed plans and policies for the Academy. Board administration and staff will be available to answer any questions or address any concerns of parents and community members. Implementation of takeover will involve the Board, the CEO, Chief Academic Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Interventionist, the CPA and the Board s Staff and Policy Consultant. While we anticipate great success, we acknowledge that research indicates that an initial threat to charter schools has been low student enrollment. Spirit of Excellence Academy will mitigate this threat by implementation of the aforementioned strategy which includes student, staff, parent and community involvement as well as aggressive recruitment initiatives. The Academy will utilize research-based best practices for both curriculum design and instructional methodology; ensure high performance teaching, and learning through professional development; and build a base of community support for students through our partnership with the First National Bank, Reasonover & Olinde, Attorneys-at-Law and the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady of the Lake Hospital. A non-profit Board of Directors will govern the school. The Academy will be governed by the seven (7) member Board that governs our sister school, Edgar P. Harney Spirit of Excellence, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Board gives instructions to the School Leader by voting on policy and requests for information. Members of the Board are expected to serve on standing committees and to contribute their expertise, when appropriate. Board officers and members have overseen every aspect of the application and charter school planning and policy design process. Board members vary in background, ranging from education administration professionals to finance experts. Board committees are charged with researching information and preparing recommendations for Board decision-making. It is the policy of the Spirit of Excellence Academy that each Board Director and employee of the charter school is subject to the Louisiana Code of Ethics code LSA 42:11-2,et seq. All Board Directors will receive training via scheduled board training seminars. Through the commitment of our Board, our partners, dedicated teachers and staff we will engage parents and community in the purpose of education and the demands of the global economy for life-long learning. In the end, the students of Spirit of Excellence Academy will hold their heads high with the pride of academic mastery. 2

4 Growth Plan The projected growth plan for the Spirit of Excellence Academy is to acquire three (3) additional charter schools over the next ten (10) years which will increase our share of privately-run charters to four (4) schools, and to expand our elementary schools to include a pre-k program for three (3) and four (4) year olds. Upon opening the elementary charter in August of 2014, our plan is to acquire an additional elementary school by August of 2016; a low performing middle school by August of 2018 and a low performing high school by August of These projected dates reflect our goal to transition our elementary students into a middle school that is under the Spirit of Excellence umbrella, and later to transition our middle school students into the high school. We will achieve acquisition of these schools, as well as our pre-k classes, by walking the streets of the community, knocking on doors, addressing questions and concerns from parents, soliciting information and gaining the confidence of families and community members and by the implementation of strong, preliminary media and print recruitment initiatives. The Academy currently operates the Edgar P. Harney Spirit of Excellence Academy located in New Orleans, Louisiana. Our new Academy will be located in the inner city of Baton Rouge known as North Baton Rouge. This high crime area has been identified in the Recovery School District s Call for New Quality Schools Needs Analysis as having the highest concentration of the lowest performing schools in the city and where many of the cities most disadvantaged families live. Statistics from this report show that over 60% of the students in this area attend schools that are rated D or F. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of the children in these schools are eligible for free and/or reduced price lunch and over 800 students dropped out of these schools in This data supports the urgent need for a high performing school in this area. The Spirit of Excellence Academy is committed to responding to that need. Our vision is to bring the students of the Spirit of Excellence Academy to academic mastery in all core subject areas through the implementation of the TargetTeach curriculum. Because the foundation for lifelong learning is laid in the earliest grades, it is critical that students who begin matriculation at our Elementary School remain in our school system through completion of high school. It is our belief that developing the school s vision is the most important step in creating a successful program. Our vision will give clarity and direction to our school. Our goal is to aid inner city students who have not succeeded in traditional schools to prepare for success using a combination of hard work, dedication and the commitment to excellence. We further envision a school that will help our students develop higher order critical thinking skills, peace-making skills and leadership ability, in an environment that will prove conducive to learning and one that shares values of non-violence, tolerance and unity. As an open access public school, the Academy s community of students will mirror that of the community where the school is located. As such, there is an expectation that 99.9% of the student population will be African American with the remaining 1% representing the enrollment of Asian, Hispanic, mixed race or white students. The projected gender ratio is more or less even, with 55% female and 45% male students. Additionally, we project that 98% of the student population will be at-risk and eligible for free and /or reduced price lunch; at least 60% of the students will require either special education services and/or some intervention program. The Baton Rouge Spirit of Excellence Academy will meet the demand for a high 3

5 performing school in the North Baton Rouge area. We, at the Spirit of Excellence Academy, believe that the children who live in this impoverished area of North Baton Rouge deserve the benefit of a great school experience, a quality education, and the opportunity to break the cycle of generational poverty that is a reality in most of these families. The school currently enrolls children ages 5 years old through 11 years old, in grades K-5. We intend to serve these grade levels beginning in year one as it is our intention to retain the students currently enrolled in the school. We project that by year 2017, upon obtaining significant growth toward academic mastery in our K-5 program, to initiate plans to expand our enrollment to include two (2) pre-kindergarten classes for ages 3 and 4 year olds. President Obama s call, outlined earlier this year, reflects a growing national movement to enroll children in public school prior to kindergarten. Federal head start programs have been available to low income children for decades, but because of the enormity of the need and the limited space, many children do not have the benefit of this early childhood education. To help mitigate this need, many states are now adding pre-k programs to their elementary schools. Research indicates that there are twenty-five (25) pre-k programs in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System which will accommodate pre-k students. The need for additional programs is far greater. We are committed to responding to this need. Past School Performance The Spirit of Excellence Academy has achieved marked success with the implementation of the TargetTeach curriculum in a similar demographic population detailed in the charts below. 60% 4Th Grade ELA 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Advanced Mastery Basic Approaching Unsatisfactory % 42% 34% 21% % 27% 23% 26% % 18% 32% 15% 6% % 29% 51% 15% 5% 4

6 4Th Grade Math 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Advanced Mastery Basic Approaching Unsatisfactory % 3% 24% 32% 39% % 34% 16% 19% % 16% 32% 15% 0% % 44% 39% 11% 2% Notably, while the 8Th Grade results are less pronounced than the 4th Grade outcomes, the LEAP results for the Spirit of Excellence New Orleans Academy indicate a significant trend toward greater Mastery. 8Th Grade ELA Advanced Mastery Basic Approaching Unsatisfactory % 48% 28% % 17% 20% % 15% 2% % 1% 36% 55% 9% 5

7 8Th Grade Math Advanced Mastery Basic Approaching Unsatisfactory % 35% 54% % 22% 24% % 17% 4% % 1% 55% 32% 14% The Spirit of Excellence Academy has achieved marked success with the implementation of the Target Teach curriculum in a similar demographic population at its sister school, the Edgar P. Harney Spirit of Excellence Academy in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Spirit of Excellence Academy has had no occurrences or causes that have led to charter or contract termination or non-renewal since its beginning. The Spirit of Excellence Academy has had no performance deficiencies or compliance violations since its beginning. There has been no litigation involving the Spirit of Excellence Academy since its beginning. The Spirit of Excellence Academy has had no adverse or significant audit findings since its beginning. Theory of Change Approach to Education The Academy plans to collaborate effectively with our partners so that we will help prepare our students to be responsible citizens and to excel academically. Our school strives to be a culturally diverse community of students, parents and staff, committed to creating a peaceful environment so that each student is treated with unconditional positive regard and acceptance. We will empower and inspire our students to reach their full academic, emotional and physical potential. We feel it imperative that our faculty and Board of Directors periodically review our vision, mission statement and culture. Moreover, it is our vision to receive national recognition for overall academic excellence for all of the Spirit of Excellence Academies. Spirit of Excellence Academy will utilize TargetTeach which is a curriculum alignment model with a demonstrated record of success of raising the performance of at-risk students. Research indicates the effectiveness of aligning standards, curriculum, and regular student assessment toward improved student achievement. By aligning the curriculum with the State standards or expectations for student performance, the Academy will provide a learning environment that prepares students for proficiency and ultimately builds a robust sense of self- esteem and self-confidence among the student body. 6

8 As stated earlier, our Academy recognizes that all students are capable of learning, achieving and succeeding, and that the "predictors" of student achievement including race, gender, socio-economic status and special needs can be overcome through a focus on the individual student. As such, our Academy will provide quality education to all students and will ensure that the school will meet the challenge of accessibility offering a full range of potential programs and services for low-performing, special needs, ESL and homeless learners. Education Model Curriculum The fundamental feature of our educational model is the TargetTeach curriculum. This instructional methodology will involve rigorous attention to core subject areas, individual learning plans, differentiated learning, cooperative learning and scaffolding, building on the TargetTeach diagnostic and the resulting student-centered data. The Academy will use this curriculum alignment system to provide rigorous instruction devoted to the mastery of basic skills. The TargetTeach curriculum aligns the standards, curriculum materials and periodic assessments to ensure student attainment and proficiency, and is currently used effectively in the Edgar P. Harney Spirit of Excellence Academy, our sister school, and in two other New Orleans Charters -- Lake Forest Elementary Charter of the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB), and Lafayette Academy Charter of the Recovery School District (RSD). With regard to curriculum alignment, what is compelling about the model is the diagnostic assessments conducted throughout the year to determine remediation and re-teaching needs. With the non-aggregate, student-centered data provided in the diagnostic process, the unique needs of every student of the Spirit of Excellence Academy can be identified and addressed on an ongoing basis. Moreover, to ensure that the data informs teaching and learning and produces strategies that focus on basic skill mastery and movement to new instruction, the Spirit of Excellence Academy will utilize a Curriculum Facilitator to monitor diagnostic data and assist classroom teachers to adjust the curriculum and teaching methods as needed to support proficiency in core subject areas. The Academy will utilize the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum supported by the TargetTeach Curriculum designed by Fenwick English, Ph.D. to better ensure content alignment, diagnostic assessment, student centered data and subject mastery. Evans Newton Inc. (TargetTeach) customizes its program components to meet the state's standards through a systematic review process. The company retrieves samples of the schools textbooks, workbooks, instructional tools, etc. and aligns the materials to the grade level expectations (GLE's). Relative to instructional methods, it is the intent of the Spirit of Excellence Academy to build on the diagnostic assessments for development and continuous improvement through personalized learning plans, differentiated instruction, cooperative learning and scaffolding as detailed below: Personalized Learning Plans (Individual Prescription Plans or (lpp) for each student will factor a comprehensive analysis of assessment results on an ongoing basis. The plans, as a basis for monitoring individual student achievement, are modified as students grow and master skills to reflect increasing levels of challenge or areas needing remediation or re-teaching. 7

9 Compellingly, the personalized learning plans provide a valuable tool for teachers, parents and students as each assumes a level of responsibility for achievement. Differentiated Instruction will also factor diagnostic outcomes as teachers develop learning tasks based on the strengths and levels of achievement of the students. Notably, to meet the needs of individual students' we will use flexible small groups to ensure that instruction builds on the students' basic skills and moves to new areas of instruction as students master a skill set. Cooperative Learning is the process of learning as a result of interaction between group members. Notably, this method of instruction promotes improved performance and achievement as students complement each other's knowledge and understanding, using the strengths of some to overcome the weaknesses of others. Scaffolding is the process of determining the most effective level of instruction for a student, beginning instruction at this level and continuously increasing the level of difficulty and the depth of the instruction as students master a skill set. Additionally, such instructional methods as utilization of multiple modalities, (i.e. technology, audio/video, games, motor kinetic skills, etc.) will be utilized to better ensure that students meet the expectation of subject mastery. Compellingly, research suggests that clearly defined expectations are a key component of scaffolding (McKenzie, 2000 and Hartman, 2002), making this methodology complementary to the Academy's basic philosophy of creating, supporting and reinforcing the expectation of subject mastery. Tellingly, according to America's Challenge: Accelerating Academic Achievement: (National Association of Educational Progress, 1990), systematic and rigorous exposure to fundamental knowledge in core skill areas are associated with higher test scores and improved student performance. As such, the Academy's focus on rigorous instruction in core subject area is research-based with proven results for improving student performance and achievement. Research on differentiated instruction indicates that the methodology not only improves student learning, but also supports student self-esteem and more positive attitudes about the subject area. (Fisher, 1980 and Tomlinson, 2000). Given that the Academy is proposing a conversion of a low-performing school, the combined benefits of skill mastery, self-esteem building and positive response to the subject matter that is observed in research of differentiated learning method will better ensure the overall success of the Academy to include both student learning and classroom socialization. Cooperative learning has been advocated as an instructional methodology with a demonstrated effect on learning, achievement, classroom socialization and student motivation through the utilization of small groups such that students work together to maximize their own and each other's learning (Johnson and Johnson 1985, 1986a, 1986b and Johnson, Johnson, and Smith 1991). The model is advocated by both National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (1989, 1991) and the National Research Council (1989) and the benefits have been reported widely for elementary and secondary education. Notably, cooperative methods also provide the opportunity for more competent students to scaffold tasks as they interact with less competent students. With regard to scaffolding, research suggests that scaffolding builds on the students prior knowledge and more importantly, provides the opportunity for positive feedback and the and the building of self-esteem and self-assurance, particularly among students that have been low performers (McKenzie, 2000 and Hartman, 2002). Compellingly, each of the instructional methods proposed for utilization by the Academy has a studentcentered focus. 8

10 As described above, the instructional methodology will involve rigorous attention to core subject areas, individual learning plans, differentiated learning, cooperative learning and scaffolding, building on the TargetTeach diagnostics and the resulting student-centered data. Additionally, the Academy will employ a full- time Curriculum Coordinator who is experienced with the TargetTeach curriculum to analyze student data and assist classroom teachers with adjustments to individual student plans, as well adjustments to classroom teaching methods. As well, the Academy will utilize a Math and Language Arts Interventionist with specific responsibility for targeting learning for students needing focused assistance. Students are referred to the interventionists based on Incremental Assessment, LEAP and ILEAP scores if the assessments indicate weak or borderline skill mastery. Moreover, students that are poor test-takers, but who evidence skill mastery will be provided special instruction in test-taking strategies as opposed to skill intervention. Relative to curriculum alignment, research presented by the American Educational Research Association (1999) indicates significant positive effect on student achievement. Moreover, these findings were constant regardless of socio-economic status, race, gender or school size. As well, District Administration (2004) reports that international studies of curriculum alignment demonstrate a measurable impact of over 30 percentile points, here again canceling out such predictors as socio-economic status, race, gender and teacher effect. The Academy's educational program is built on the premise that the closer the alignment between the content and format of the test, the greater the potential for improvement in test results. The research of Dr. English purports that the student must not only know the content of the curriculum, but more importantly, must know how that content will be measured on the test. The TargetTeach program integrates the written, taught, and tested curriculum as there is a direct correlation between what is being taught in the classroom and what is being tested. Using this curriculum methodology, the influence of outside factors such as socio-economic status are kept to a minimum. It is anticipated that the target population for the Academy will be approximately 98% free and/or reduced price lunch and predominantly African-American, based on the current enrollment at Dalton and Lanier Elementary Schools. Moreover, because the Spirit of Excellence Academy is proposing a takeover, it is also anticipated that a large portion of the student population will be performing below grade level. The conceptual framework for TargetTeach is attributable to Dr. Fenwick English (2000). Notably, in an independent study of third and fourth grade students in Milwaukee Wisconsin using TargetTeach, Direct Instruction and SAGE models conducted by Third Education Group (2006), average test scores for schools using the TargetTeach curriculum showed an increase in student test scores at a rate of 13% per year. More compelling is that the schools involved in the study started utilization of the TargetTeach curriculum with school performance scores substantially below the state average and closed the gap within a (3) three-year period. The study further notes, that while the TargetTeach curriculum in the research study involved only language arts and mathematics classes, the TargetTeach schools in the study demonstrated improvement in all core subject areas. This phenomenon is attributable in the research by the improvement in reading skills resulting from the Target Teach curriculum, and also by the effect of using student- centered data to change the school culture. Instructional materials include: Target Strategies is the major component of the TargetTeach program. The strategies provide 9

11 teachers with detailed lessons that are aligned with the GLE's. Each strategy builds on the student's prior knowledge. Strategy lessons assist teachers by giving step by step instructional preparation practices. Teachers are also provided with an instruction sheet. Practice and assessment sheets are administered to assess each student's level of mastery. Alternative instructional methods are provided for lower level and 'at-risk' students. Target Fundamentals are the pre and post assessment instruments. The objectives contained in this area are skills students should know prior to entering a particular grade level. However, if students fail to master these skills the Target Fundamentals component is equipped with skill sheets that assist students in attaining mastery. Parent Assisted Learning Packets (PAL Packs) were designed with the parent in mind. The Spirit of Excellence Academy believes the parent is an integral part of the learning experience. Therefore, this component will forge both the parent and student into a world of learning by providing the parent with step by step easy to follow instructional lessons and assessments. Textbooks that will be utilized include Prentice Hall, Harcourt, and MacMillan as the major publishers of textbooks that support the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum. The scope and sequence for each course will be built on the new Common Core Standards and developed in the pre-opening curriculum alignment process where the teachers, assisted by the TargetTeach Professional Development Team, reviews the GLEs, the text books, lesson plans and the data from the student's previous assessments. From this analysis the scope and sequence are structured to better ensure student mastery of the GLE. As well, in addition to the support of the Target Professional Development team, the curriculum guides comes with some recommended supplemental material to close the gap between the text material and the students' learning needs. With a mission of student mastery in all core subjects, instruction at the Academy will focus rigorously on the core, using curriculum alignment as the best practice model for efficacy. Building on the curriculum alignment methodology, the TargetTeach curriculum development will provide a framework for the Common Core Standards through the five step process as detailed below: Step 1: Identification of Instructional Goals - development of a customized action plan that defines and prioritizes the instructional goals based on Common Core Standards and student capacity. Step 2: Curriculum Alignment - correlating instructional materials to Common Core Standards and state tests. The result is a comprehensive analysis outlining the specific strengths and weaknesses of your instructional materials for teaching to the state standards. Step 3: Filling the Gaps - identification of appropriate resources to fill the gaps that are not adequately covered by core instructional materials. When added to the results of Step 2, this yields detailed instructional resources that ensure all teachers can teach, and all students can learn every standard. Step 4: Incremental Testing and Benchmarks - provides diagnostic incremental tests throughout the year-all modeled after the LEAP and ILEAP assessments. The diagnostics pinpoint where students need additional help so that teachers can prepare them to take tests with confidence. 10

12 Step 5: Monitoring Student Progress and Disaggregate Data - The data management system guides reteaching efforts, so students and skills don't slip through the cracks. In addition, reports can disaggregate results by categories, and provide class-building feedback on student proficiency. As such, administrators, teachers, students, and parents all have access to data on individual student progress and needs. Beyond its theoretical underpinnings of curriculum alignment, the TargetTeach process has a strong focus on the individual student through both diagnostics and monitoring which inform the student, the teacher and the parents. Building on this platform, and incorporating special interventionists in math and language arts, it is our expectation that TargetTeach will provide an effective vehicle for bringing the students to academic mastery of the Common Core Standards. TargetTeach is not a scripted curriculum. It is instead a framework for aligning instructional material with Grade Level Expectations (GLEs), identifying gaps and monitoring performance. However, the development of most of the material used to close the gaps is the responsibility of the classroom teacher, along with the Interventionists and Leadership team as warranted. Because the specific interventions to close the gaps are developed in the classroom they are more culturally relevant. Moreover, in addition to the development of supplemental material, the TargetTeach methodology affords teachers the opportunity to change the order of introduction of key academic topics and skills, based on the students' knowledge base and responses to the material. The Spirit of Excellence Academy has already developed, tested and adjusted the curriculum using the TargetTeach guide for our New Orleans Academy. We anticipate additional modifications will be required to support the Baton Rouge Academy which will be made during the fall of 2013 prior to the opening of the school year. The Academy will utilize a methodology for evaluating teacher's professional practice based on the Five Core Propositions of National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). As detailed below: Teacher commitment to student learning Teacher knowing the subject they teach and how to teach Teacher responsibility for managing and monitoring student learning Teachers thinking systematically and learning from their experiences The Academy will organize a team of Highly Qualified teachers, under the facilitation of the Chief Academic officer to develop the standards and rubric for teacher evaluation. The standards, rubric and process will require approval of the CEO. There are two primary goals for professional development and teacher coaching: Analysis and utilization of data Developing data driven classroom and individual student interventions Because the TargetTeach curriculum alignment model is data driven, understanding and interpreting aggregate and disaggregate student data is critical to successful implementation and increased student mastery. Moreover, TargetTeach is not a scripted or canned curriculum and as such it requires the classroom teacher to research and develop supplemental teaching materials to close the gaps between the GLEs and the text books and enable students to master the subject area. Given the efficacy of TargetTeach at the New 11

13 Orleans Academy and other schools regionally and nationally, data analysis and utilization is integral to student achievement. As such, professional development activities and coaching will prioritize these knowledge and skill bases. The Academy will employ a full-time Curriculum Coordinator who is experienced with the TargetTeach curriculum to analyze student data and assist classroom teachers with adjustments to individual student plans, as well as adjustments to classroom teaching methods. As well, the Academy will utilize a math and language arts interventionist with specific responsibility for targeting learning for students leading focused assistance. Students are referred to the interventionist based on incremental assessment, LEAP and ILEAP scores if the assessments indicate weak or borderline skill mastery. Moreover, students that are poor test takers, but evidence skill mastery will be provided special instruction in test taking strategies as opposed to skill intervention. With a mission of student mastery in all core subjects, instruction at the Academy will focus rigorously on the core, using curriculum alignment as the best practice model for efficacy. Beyond its theoretical underpinnings of curriculum alignment, the TargetTeach process has a strong focus on the individual student through both diagnostic and monitoring which inform the student, the teacher and the parent of the student s progress. The TargetTeach curriculum is designed to support introduction and mastery of all GLEs prior to LEAP and ILEAP test administration. It is anticipated that the target population for the Academy will be over 90% free and/or reduced lunch and predominately African-American based on the current enrollment at Dalton Elementary School. Additionally, in a meta-analysis of the TargetTeach curriculum conducted in partnership with Arizona State University (Gorin & White 2008) the effect of TargetTeach was tested from a random sample of four school districts. This study shows that student achievement after Target Teach implementation was associated with a statistically significant increase in passing scores for students on standardized tests in mathematics and reading in the Lorain City (OH): Red Bank Borough(NJ): Zion Elementary School(Ill): and Tulsa(OK) school districts. The analysis indicates that aside from district level variables associated with implementation, student demographics or teacher characteristics, the TargetTeach tools made a significant difference in increasing student achievement. School Leader The school leader is critical to the successful creation of a dynamic school culture and an engaged and supportive community for the school. Our school leader will have the singular task of creating a highperforming school. As such, we will not involve the school leader in the mundane details of day-to-day school operations. Clogged drains or late buses will not divert the school leader s attention from their primary goal implementing strategies that will lead to academic achievement. We will hire a full-time school operations manager whose sole responsibility will be the day-to-day operation of the school. This position will report directly to the school leader, but will have the job experience required to work with minimal supervision. Our School Leader has a minimum of three (3) years of experience in Education Administration, with a Master's Degree in Elementary Education. He demonstrates both leadership and management capabilities and possesses the cultural competence to relate to students from low-income communities. The additional stellar attributes that he possesses are: A deep level of commitment to education and in the intrinsic value of learning 12

14 A love of children, and a commitment to do whatever it takes on behalf of the at-risk students in his care. Subscription to the mission and goals of the Academy as defined in the school's charter An equally important determinant of student achievement is the quality of the teacher in the classroom. The school leader will be given the autonomy to recruit, hire and retain teachers who embrace the vision for the school, the students and the school community. Our teaching staff will be a mix of seasoned, mature professionals and young, energetic, idealistic teachers. Leadership Team Personnel Because we are proposing a Type 5 Charter our intent is to open the Academy with the existing leadership, assuming the school leader meets the qualifications of the Board in terms of experience and training, and is welcoming of the charter and the proposed culture, academic intervention and educational philosophy of the Spirit of Excellence Academy. Upon notification that the charter proposal has been approved and a determination is made by the RSD of what school will be contracted with the Spirit of Excellence we will contact the school principal and begin the process of engaging the leadership around the Charter proposal and solidifying plans for assuming governance and management of the school. This process will not only engage the school's current leadership in the implementation process, but will also give the Board an opportunity to observe the leadership and management skills of the school leader. In addition to observation, a series of interviews will be conducted with the principal, faculty, staff and parents to give the Board input on the principals capacity as a school leader. The leadership team will consist of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) the Chief Academic officer (CAO), the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) and the Dean of Students as detailed below: The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will have responsibility for day-to-day management of the Academy. In this capacity, the CEO will have responsibility for hiring and firing, evaluation of the leadership team, fiscal responsibility and ultimately for student performance. Disciplinary actions for all staff and faculty will also be in the decision- making purview of the CEO. The CEO will serve as a non-voting member of the Academy's Board and will participate in all board meetings to inform decision-making. The CEO will have responsibility for negotiation of all contracts for faculty, staff, contractors and vendors. Additionally, the CEO will have responsibility for resource development and community relations. The CEO will have responsibility for managing parent complaints and for ensuring parental involvement activities. As well, ensuring that compliance with the charter is monitored and reported accurately and timely will be the responsibility for the CEO. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will be responsible for budgeting, monitoring contracts and expenditures and managing business and bank accounts. The CFO will personally oversee contract compliance and will have direct supervision of office, custodian and food services staff. The CFO will advise the CEO on financial matters, will maintain accounting records, perfom1 purchasing duties and pay bills for the school as directed by the CEO. The CFO will maintain all financial records according to Generally Accepted Accounting Practices. 13

15 The Chief Academic Officer (CAO) will have responsibility for curriculum development and professional development for all faculty. Additionally, the CAO will have direct supervisory and evaluation responsibility for all teachers and para-professionals, as well as for the librarian, the school nurse and social worker. The Dean of Students will be responsible for data analysis, disaggregation of student data and development of interventions and strategies to ensure student performance. The Dean of Students will also serve as the testing coordinator and will have direct supervisory and evaluation responsibility for the interventionists. The CEO will be responsible for coaching and evaluating the CAO. The CEO and the Finance Committee Chair will have responsibility for coaching and evaluating the CFO. The CAO will have responsibility for coaching and evaluating all other faculty. The CFO will have responsibility for coaching and evaluating non-teaching staff. Evaluations for all faculty and staff will reflect student performance making all employees of the Academy responsible for student mastery. In addition to student performance, such performance measures as timeliness, attendance, professionalism, communications, and innovation will be performance measures that are factored in employee evaluations. Evaluation will be conducted annually following Leap and ILEAP testing. The qualifications for the CAO include certification as a highly qualified teacher and a minimum of 3 years of experience in education administration. The minimum qualifications for the Dean of Students include certification as a highly qualified teacher and a minimum of 3 years in classroom instruction. The CFO must have a degree in Accounting or Business Administration. Hiring the leadership team (with the exception of the CFO) will be the responsibility of the CEO. The Board will set the minimum qualifications, job functions and the CEO will have authority to hire (and fire) based on the Board expectations. The Board will fill the CFO position. Relative to leadership and staff turnover and changes, it is the intent of the Academy to have all leadership team members participate in cross training to ensure a sound leadership team with interim functioning capacity in the case of turnover. Relative to instructional staff, the Academy will utilize an Interventionist to cover any interim openings created by changes and turnover in faculty. Culture We believe the children who live in North Baton Rouge deserve the benefits of a great school experience, a quality education and the opportunity to break the cycle of generational poverty that is a reality in most of these families. Elementary school is the foundation for academic success. Our target population of K-5 is at the critical stage of development when education can be most impactful. But the impact of poverty, race, special education assessments, having repeated a grade or being several grade levels behind need not determine the future for these children. The 2011 Census Bureau statistics show that 27.4% of African- Americans live below the poverty line as compared to 8.6% of Caucasians. All students are capable of learning, of outstanding achievement and of academic success. Education not only helps to break the cycle of poverty, but can be one of the best means to escape poverty. We will mitigate the challenges that hinder success by requiring a commitment from our families, on behalf of their children, to help us to raise the bar and set high expectations for our students and staff. 14

16 The relationship between school culture and student achievement is irrefutable. The challenge is to create an amazing culture that will not only promote a positive academic environment, but reinforce intellectual and social development. Our school s motto will be REACH for Excellence. REACH is an acronym for: Respect, Extraordinary Achievement Character Hard work These values will be the framework for our school culture: Respect for yourself and others I am Extraordinary every day, in every way; Achievement matters Character counts Hard work won t kill me. Hard work leads to success. All students and staff will be required to learn this creed. Students will be taught the meaning behind these words. These core values will be prominently displayed throughout the school. All of the classrooms will have these values posted on the bulletin boards. They will be on the halls, in every office and in the cafeteria. Every school day will begin with our dynamic school leader asking the assembly, What is our goal today? The students will answer To reach for excellence. Then students and staff repeat in one voice, REACH means respect for myself and others; I am extraordinary every day, in every way; achievement matters; character counts; and hard work will not kill me. Hard work leads to success. This theme of excellence is reinforced throughout the day. Teachers begin each class with the question, what is our goal today? The students will answer to reach for excellence. The constant reinforcement to reach for excellence will inspire and empower our students and staff toward this singular vision. The School Leader is critical to the successful creation of a dynamic school culture and an engaged and supportive community for the school. Our school leader will have the singular task of creating a highperforming school. As such, we will not involve the school leader in the mundane details of day-to-day school operations. Clogged drains or late buses will not divert the school leader s attention from their primary goal implementing strategies that will lead to academic achievement. We will hire a full-time school operations manager whose sole responsibility will be the day-to-day operation of the school. This position will report directly to the school leader, but will have the job experience required to work with minimal supervision. Another important determinant of student achievement is the quality of the teacher in the classroom. The school leader will be given the autonomy to recruit, hire and retain teachers who embrace the vision for the school, the students and the school community. We want our teaching staff to be a mix of seasoned, mature professionals and young, energetic, idealistic teachers. Parent and Community Involvement The Academy has not conducted any outreach to date. Our plan is to begin intensive outreach upon notification of award. Because we have proposed conversion, outreach will be conducted after we have been 15

17 granted a school by the RSD. The Academy is proposing to replicate a successful model that the organization implemented in New Orleans, Louisiana. To ensure that parents have access to information that will inform their decisions, The Academy, in cooperation with the current administration and staff of the school, will host three (3) public meetings which will be open to all parents and members of the community. The meetings will be conducted after hours to support access by working parents, will be advertised via print and electronic media resources and will be noticed to parents via letters from the school. In the parent and community information sessions, information will be provided in a user-friendly written format on all proposed plans and policies for the Spirit of Excellence Academy. Board, administration and staff will be available to answer any questions or address any concerns of parents and community members in all three (3) sessions. Planning of the Baton Rouge Spirit of Excellence Academy involved the Board of Directors, the CEO, Chief Academic Officer, Chief Finance Officer, Interventionist and CPA for the New Orleans Spirit Of Excellence Academy and the Board's staff and policy consultant. Building community resources to support students and parents will be a part of the outreach process that will be conducted with parents, faculty and the community. We have developed partnerships in the Baton Rouge area to include First National Bank, Reasonover and Olinde, Attorneys-at-Law, and the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady of the Lake Hospital. The scope and details of these partnerships will be finalized upon notification of Charter award. The Academy will follow the requirements of Title 1 Parental Involvement as established in the No Child Left Behind Act. A synthesis of the research concludes that families have a major influence on their children's achievement in school and through life, and the Academy will not only welcome, encourage and support involvement, parental involvement will be an expectation. Tellingly, when schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more. Studies have found that students with involved parents, no matter what their income or background, are more likely to earn high grades and test scores and enroll in higher level programs; pass their classes, earn credits, and be promoted; attend school regularly; and graduate and go on to post-secondary education. The Academy will develop, jointly with parents of children attending the school, a written school parental involvement policy that describes how the school will carry out the parental involvement requirements, such as a school-parent contract. Additionally, a parent-teacher organization will be established at the Academy and will have responsibility for selecting two (2) members to participate on the School Improvement Planning Committee with the schools administration and the evaluation committee of the Board. Through this vehicle, parents will participate at the governance level and will have opportunities to create and participate in activities that bring together parents, children, teachers, and community. Parents will be provided with opportunities for teacher conferences and to participate in the development of the School Improvement Plan. Quarterly parent breakfasts will be conducted with teachers to inform parents of skills to be addressed regarding academics and/or answer questions or concerns that may arise. Relative to communications, parents will receive student and school information through the following strategies and activities: 16

18 School newsletter and calendar (quarterly newsletter and calendar that keep parents informed of academic and extracurricular events) Teacher correspondence (monthly communications from every elementary teacher) Conferences (quarterly conferences for every student) Interim Reports (mid-quarter reports for all students) Report Card (quarterly reports for all students) Notice/Flyers (periodic communications regarding special activities) Office Bulletin Board (calendar in school offices) Staff s (a directory of staff s) The Academy will utilize a password protected web-based system to provide parents with real-time information concerning their child's performance and attendance, matters affecting the school, and to allow for access to teaching staff for ongoing correspondence. With regard to volunteer activity requirements, a minimum of five hours annually of volunteer time will be requested of all parents. Parent/Teacher conferences will be held quarterly for feedback on student performance and input on student needs. As well, parents will have the opportunity to request individual teacher conferences and to communicate with Teachers via- . The Academy will develop, jointly with parents of children attending the school, a written school parental involvement policy that describes how the school will carry out the parental involvement requirements, such as a school-parent contract. Parent Satisfaction Parent satisfaction will be measured through an annual satisfaction survey administered in conjunction with the re-enrollment process for returning students. The satisfaction survey will be designed with both closedended and open-ended questions and will collect information on parent satisfaction with academic, cultural and extra-curricular programs, as well as operational issues including transportation, maintenance of the facility, hours of operation, etc. The satisfaction surveys, coupled with analysis of complaints, will be utilized to develop an overall customer satisfaction assessment for the school. The results of the assessment will be reviewed by the Evaluation Committee of the Board and factored into the performance evaluation for the CEO, CAO and CFO. As well, the CEO and CAO will use the satisfaction assessment data in the performance evaluation for the academic staff. Student Engagement The Academy's has a goal of 95% average daily attendance and will promote high rates of attendance through the Positive Behavior Support program, regular award ceremonies and attendance certificates for both students and parents. Additionally, because on-task time is critical for students that are performing below grade level, attendance will be closely monitored by teachers and administrators, and parents will be contacted for all unexcused absences. Moreover, recurring and/or habitual absences will trigger a home visit by the social worker and/or the Dean of Students. Attendance data will be collected and monitored by the Dean of Students. Because the Academy will be a Pre-K through 5 Elementary School, student satisfaction will be determined through focused interviews. The interviews will be conducted by the Interventionists and the Dean of Students will have responsibility for developing action plans as warranted. 17

19 Discipline Policy The guiding philosophy behind the discipline policy is the same as the guiding philosophy of the mission - the expectation of mastery. Just as students will be "expected" to master the core subject areas, they will also be expected to maintain outstanding behavior. As such, the discipline policy for the Academy will raise the bar and "expect" outstanding student performance in the classroom, on the campus, on the bus and in the community. Moreover, in raising the bar for students the discipline policy also raises the bar for teachers and administrators. While there are clearly some infractions that warrant suspension, faculty and staff will be "expected" to work with students through their discipline issues, using in-school suspensions to the greatest extent possible. Finally, the discipline policy will also raise the bar for parents requiring parental involvement to prevent out-of-school suspensions and promote continuity and on-task time for students with behavioral issues. The Academy will use a token economy approach to the Positive Behavior Support system. Students will earn points or "tokens" for positive behaviors reinforcing these behaviors and alleviating the need for disciplinary actions. The Student Code of Conduct details dress code, attendance, school bus and conduct expectations, and provides teachers and administrators with corrective strategies to include alternatives to suspension and expulsion. As well, the Student Code of Conduct provides a framework for classification of infractions which will be the framework for the Academy's discipline rules and procedures. The Baton Rouge Academy will adopt the Code of Conduct currently utilized by the New Orleans Spirit of Excellence Academy called the Bee Attitudes - Bee Safe, Bee Respectful, Bee Responsible, etc. Like the Reach for Excellence motto, the Bee Attitudes will also be posted throughout the school and the school's music teacher will assist all students in learning the Bee Attitude song. The Bee Attitude code of conduct program provides a concise, consistent and memorable message for all of the students, including special needs students and will have a significant impact on student behavior. The Bee Attitude Code of Conduct is coupled with a proactive Positive Behavior Support (PBS) built on the token economy system that awards points to students for academic and social achievement and rewards such activities as attendance, returning books at year end, exemplary classroom behavior, peer tutoring, etc. Incentives are provided by the school's business partners, and include school supplies, toys and games that are "priced" on a point system. PBS incentives are displayed to encourage students to work toward attainment of the necessary points. Notably, research suggests that the token economy system addresses virtually every behavior in any age group. Children with ADD, ADHD, ODD, Autism, as well as the average child will respond positively to a token economy system. Implementation of the Discipline Policy will be the responsibility of the Dean of Students. In implementing the policy and disciplinary action, standard disciplinary action forms will be utilized to document the specific student behavior and any actions taken to include contacting the parent, detention, suspension or expulsion. The Dean of Students will have responsibility for reviewing disciplinary action documentation on a monthly basis to ensure that the policy is applied equitably. Training on the discipline policy and positive behavior support system will be conducted during the pre-opening professional development activities. 18

20 Training faculty and staff on the disciplinary policy will be the responsibility of the Dean of Students. The Dean of Students will have the responsibility for ensuring that students that are suspended expelled or will be out of school for more than ten days are placed in the appropriate alternative educational setting. School Operations A. Transportation, Food, and Health Services The Academy will contract with a transportation service provider and transportation services will be available to all students. Both breakfast and lunch service will be provided through a food service provider (or in-house depending upon the capacity of the facility) and the Academy will participate in the National School Lunch Program. The Academy will employ a Nurse on a part-time basis and a full-time social worker. It is anticipated that maintenance and security will also be handled contractually through a local provider. As well, in recruiting partners for the Baton Rouge Academy, the Board has established a relationship with Our Lady of the Lake Hospital to facilitate student and community health services. B. Safety and Security The Academy will contract with a private security company to provide unarmed personnel. In addition to security personnel the facility will be equipped with cameras covering exterior entrances and interior hallways, as well as electronic doors which must be opened from inside the school by a faculty or staff member. C. Insurance Coverage Insurance Coverage for the Academy will mirror the coverage for the New Orleans Academy as detailed below. o Directors & Officers - $1 million or Excess Liability- $10 million o Student Accident/Compulsory Coverage- $25,000 o Student Accident Catastrophe Options - $6 million o General Liability/Employee Benefits Liability - $3 million aggregate/$1 million per claim o Property Contents - $50,000 o Equipment Breakdown - $10,000 o Business Income- $150,000 o Employee Theft- $1 million o Professional Liability - 3 million aggregate/$1 million per claim o Abuse & Molestation Liability- 3 million aggregate/$1 million per claim o Auto Liability $1 million per occurrence o Workers Compensation- $1 million 19