MEMORANDUM. Susan Miller Barker, Executive Director, SUNY Charter Schools Institute

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1 October 1, 2015 MEMORANDUM To: From: Subject: Members of the SUNY Board of Trustees Susan Miller Barker, Executive Director, SUNY Charter Schools Institute Tapestry Charter School Renewal Update The SUNY Charter Schools Institute (the Institute ) affirms its recommendation to the State University of New York Board of Trustees (the SUNY Trustees' ) Charter Schools Committee (the Committee ) to grant Tapestry Charter School ( Tapestry ) a full, subsequent renewal, charter term of five years. Tapestry s successful attainment of its high school graduation and college preparation goals, grades 3-8 performance that is double that of the local school district, as well as strong implementation of a number of curricular, academic, and instructional strategies support a full term renewal for the school. Background On June 29, 2015, the Committee voted to table action on the Institute s recommendation to renew Tapestry for a full term of five years. Before voting, the Committee requested further evidence of the effectiveness of the programmatic changes Tapestry implemented during the school year as described in the Institute s Renewal Recommendation Report dated June 18, 2015 (attached). On August 12, 2015, the New York State Education Department made available the results of its English language arts ( ELA ) and mathematics assessments administered during the school year. This memo presents an analysis of Tapestry s results on those assessments along with information provided to the Institute on September 15, 2015 in the school s Accountability Plan Progress Report. Overall, these additional data provide evidence of the effectiveness of Tapestry s purposeful and thoughtful adjustments to its academic program. Based on Tapestry s overall ELA and mathematics performance on the measures included in its Accountability Plan, the Institute maintains its recommendation that the SUNY Trustees renew the school s charter for a full term of five years.

2 Updated Performance Data Changes in Program The Institute s Renewal Recommendation Report described changes Tapestry made to its academic program during the school year. Specifically, the school designed adjustments to improve the lower academy s student learning in ELA and mathematics, the results of which would be evident in the state s annual grade level assessments. During that year, Tapestry revised its Expeditionary Learning project based curriculum to ensure alignment with state learning standards and revised its approach to literacy instruction by infusing literacy into science and social studies classes. Tapestry hired additional academic staff members, reducing the average class size and provided extra support for students at risk of academic failure. Tapestry also improved its data analysis procedures to ensure that the school effectively targets and supports every student s unique learning needs. These changes, which will remain in place throughout a subsequent charter term, contributed to increases in the school s performance on both the state s ELA and mathematics assessments during Analysis of Assessments Analysis of Tapestry s assessment results shows that Tapestry s lower academy (which includes its elementary and middle grades) improved its performance under its ELA and mathematics goals in (As a reminder, the standard for renewal is to meet or come close to meeting the Accountability Plan goals.) The upper academy (which includes the school s high school grades) continues to meet its ELA, mathematics, high school graduation, and college preparation goals. Taken together, Tapestry successfully met its high school graduation and college preparation goals and improved its ELA and mathematics progress coming close to meeting its overall ELA and mathematics goals and doubled the percent of students scoring proficient as compared to the district. Lower Academy Tapestry s lower academy improved its performance in both ELA and mathematics during In ELA, the improvement in Tapestry s scores at the lower academy beneficially widened the gap between the performance of students enrolled in the school for at least two years and students enrolled in the Buffalo City School District (the district ). Notably, the percentage of Tapestry s 8 th grade students proficient on the ELA exam was more than double the district s proficiency rate for 8 th graders over the past three years. Tapestry also improved the results of its comparative effect size score, which compares Tapestry s performance with that of schools with similar levels of economically disadvantaged students throughout New York State. Although the school is still performing lower than expected on this important measure, the improvement provides evidence of the effectiveness of the programmatic changes in place at the time of the renewal visit. Improvement in the school s ELA growth score also provides evidence for the effectiveness of these changes; concomitant with the improvement in comparative scores, the school s ELA growth score increased by 6 percentile points. During , only seven other SUNY authorized charter schools with 3 rd through 8 th grade growth scores outpaced this rate of growth in ELA. Page 2 of 8

3 In mathematics, the lower academy s performance continued its upward trajectory. Similar to its ELA score, the school s percentage of students enrolled for at least two years who were proficient on the state s mathematics exam more than doubled that of the district. Tapestry posted a significant improvement in its mathematics comparative effect size score. The school s growth scores in mathematics over the past five years indicate that students are, on average, growing their mathematics knowledge and skills slightly higher than the expected rate (the state s median growth) each year. Page 3 of 8

4 The district posted scores for 55 schools on the state s ELA and mathematics assessments during Tapestry s percentage of students proficient on the state s ELA exam exceeded 48 district and charter schools to rank 7 th overall. CITY HONORS SCHOOL AT FOSDICK MASTEN PARK 75.7 PS 64 FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED 51.3 ELMWOOD VILLAGE CHARTER SCHOOL 43.7 FREDERICK OLMSTED # DISCOVERY SCHOOL 33.5 WEST BUFFALO CHARTER SCHOOL 31.3 TAPESTRY CHARTER SCHOOL GRABIARZ-CAMPUS SCHOOL # SOUTH BUFFALO CHARTER SCHOOL PS 81 BUFFALO ACADEMY FOR THE VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS KING CENTER CHARTER SCHOOL WESTMINSTER COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL LORRAINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALOMA D JOHNSON CHARTER SCHOOL BUFFALO UNITED CHARTER SCHOOL PS 69 HOUGHTON ACADEMY DR GEORGE BLACKMAN ECC SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STANLEY MAKOWSKI EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT PS 17 BUFFALO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL PS 27 HILLERY PARK ACADEMY PS 65 ROOSEVELT ACADEMY ECC ENTERPRISE CHARTER SCHOOL NATIVE AMERICAN MAGNET BENNETT PARK MONTESSORI SCHOOL LOVEJOY DISCOVERY SCHOOL #43 WATERFRONT SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BILINGUAL CENTER INTERNATIONAL PREPARATORY SCHOOL AT GROVER CLEVELAND AT #187 FRANK A SEDITA SCHOOL #30 D'YOUVILLE-PORTER CAMPUS DR ANTONIA PANTOJA COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AT #18 HIGHGATE HEIGHTS WEST HERTEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PS 66 NORTH PARK ACADEMY BUFFALO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY PS 59 DR CHARLES DREW SCIENCE MAGNET DR LYDIA T WRIGHT SCH OF EXCELLENCE LAFAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL PS 82 PS 61 AT 171 PS 74 HAMLIN PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HARVEY AUSTIN SCHOOL # DR MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR MULTICULTURAL INSTITUTE 3.0 MATH SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY PREPARATORY SCHOOL AT SENECA (THE) 2.9 HARRIET ROSS TUBMAN ACADEMY 2.6 BUILD ACADEMY 2.1 HERMAN BADILLO COMMUNITY SCHOOL 1.9 MARVA J DANIEL FUTURES PREPARATORY SCHOOL 1.8 COMMUNITY SCHOOL #53 AT #4 1.2 ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL AT Page 4 of 8

5 In mathematics, Tapestry s percentage of students scoring at or above proficiency exceeded 45 district and charter schools and ranked 10 th overall. CITY HONORS SCHOOL AT FOSDICK MASTEN PARK 84.2 PS 64 FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED 51.0 ELMWOOD VILLAGE CHARTER SCHOOL 44.6 GRABIARZ-CAMPUS SCHOOL #79 DISCOVERY SCHOOL FREDERICK OLMSTED # SOUTH BUFFALO CHARTER SCHOOL WEST BUFFALO CHARTER SCHOOL PS 69 HOUGHTON ACADEMY TAPESTRY CHARTER SCHOOL ALOMA D JOHNSON CHARTER SCHOOL BUFFALO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL BUFFALO UNITED CHARTER SCHOOL PS DR GEORGE BLACKMAN ECC STANLEY MAKOWSKI EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER LORRAINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LOVEJOY DISCOVERY SCHOOL # WESTMINSTER COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL WATERFRONT SCHOOL NATIVE AMERICAN MAGNET SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PS 17 KING CENTER CHARTER SCHOOL BUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT PS 65 ROOSEVELT ACADEMY ECC BUFFALO ACADEMY FOR THE VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS DR ANTONIA PANTOJA COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AT #18 INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BILINGUAL CENTER PS 27 HILLERY PARK ACADEMY PS 82 PS 66 NORTH PARK ACADEMY FRANK A SEDITA SCHOOL #30 PS 59 DR CHARLES DREW SCIENCE MAGNET HARRIET ROSS TUBMAN ACADEMY WEST HERTEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BENNETT PARK MONTESSORI SCHOOL HARVEY AUSTIN SCHOOL #97 PS 61 AT 171 BUFFALO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY HIGHGATE HEIGHTS INTERNATIONAL PREPARATORY SCHOOL AT GROVER CLEVELAND AT #187 D'YOUVILLE-PORTER CAMPUS ENTERPRISE CHARTER SCHOOL DR LYDIA T WRIGHT SCH OF EXCELLENCE LAFAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL MATH SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY PREPARATORY SCHOOL AT SENECA (THE) MARVA J DANIEL FUTURES PREPARATORY SCHOOL PS 74 HAMLIN PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HERMAN BADILLO COMMUNITY SCHOOL COMMUNITY SCHOOL #53 AT # Upper Academy 1.9 DR MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR MULTICULTURAL INSTITUTE BUILD ACADEMY 1.7 ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL AT Tapestry s upper academy continued its strong results during the school year. With 91 percent of the 2011 cohort scoring at or above proficiency (currently scoring a 65) on the Regents English exam, based on past performance, the school will likely exceed the proficiency rate of the district. Similarly based on past performance, the school is likely to exceed the district s proficiency rate on the Regents mathematics requirement with 97 percent of its cohort passing. While the school s Accountability Plan currently indicates a passing score of 65 on its Regents exams, Tapestry is planning to increase the level of rigor the school must achieve on the Regents English and mathematics exams during a subsequent charter term. In response to the growing number of students statewide who require remediation services upon enrolling in their first year of college, Tapestry now expects that its students will achieve the state s aspirational goal of students graduating high school after scoring 75 on the Regents English exam and 80 on a Regents mathematics exam. The school has already begun working with its students to ensure they are Page 5 of 8

6 equipped with the knowledge and skills to meet this higher expectation. In English, 47 percent of the 2011 cohort scored at least a 75 (the same as in the previous cohort) and 16 percent of the 2011 cohort scored at least an 80 in mathematics (up from 9 percent in the previous year s cohort). Tapestry exceeded its target graduation rate for the past five graduating cohorts. In , the school graduated 91 percent of its eligible cohort within four years of entering 9 th grade far exceeding its accountability benchmark of 75 percent. District data are not yet available but based on the district s past performance, Tapestry is positioned to far exceed the graduation rates of its peer schools within the district. In 2015, 12 percent of Tapestry s graduates performed high enough to earn the state s advanced Regents diploma which requires students to pass additional Regents exams in mathematics and science and complete two additional credits in a language other than English. Most importantly, Tapestry has met its benchmark for graduates matriculating into college each year during the charter term. Although matriculation data are not yet available for the 2011 cohort, all of Tapestry s graduates during applied and were accepted into 2 year or 4 year colleges or universities. Page 6 of 8

7 Please note that district level comparative outcome data for high schools are not yet available. Page 7 of 8

8 Parent Satisfaction Parents of students enrolled at Tapestry are overwhelmingly satisfied with the school. The school administers a parent satisfaction survey each year requesting that parents indicate how strongly they agree or disagree with statements about the school s culture, communication, and instructional model. The survey also provides parents an opportunity to provide comments to Tapestry s leadership. This year, 86 percent of families enrolled at the lower academy responded to the survey with the following results: 99 percent of parents Agree or Strongly Agree that the school offers a safe and positive environment for the students; 95 percent of respondents indicate that the school has provided adequate information about the instructional model and that the students have regular opportunities to excel at school; and, 93 percent of respondents agree that they are informed of the students performance and progress. Additionally, 81 percent of families with students enrolled at the upper academy (high school) responded to this year s survey with the following results: 98 percent of families Agree or Strongly Agree that Tapestry is a safe school; 98 percent of families indicate that the school s leadership is adequate; and, 99 percent of families indicate that the upper academy provides a positive school culture. Renewal Recommendation The Institute recommends that the SUNY Trustees renew Tapestry Charter School s charter for a full term of five years with the authority to provide instruction to students in Kindergarten through 12 th grade. Page 8 of 8