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Charter Schools In Wisconsin

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Title: Charter Schools In Wisconsin


1
Wisconsin Charter School Conference
Guidance for Charter School Developers and Grant
Applicants Paula Crandall Decker, Ed.D. Sharon
Wendt, MSE Wisconsin Department of Public
Instruction May 10, 2005
2
Charter Schools and Developers
  • The purpose of this session
  • Provide basic charter school information
  • Identify specific start up roles
  • Review charter school grant guidelines

3
What is a Charter School?
  • Charter School Charter schools are
    sponsor-created and administered, outcome-based
    public schools that operate under a contract
    between the school and the local school board or
    other entity defined by state charter school law
    (Sautter, 1993).

4
Charter School Definition
  • Charter schools are nonsectarian and operate
    under a written contract that specifies
    accountability for student achievement in
    exchange for a waiver of most state rules and
    regulations (Nathan, 1996).

5
According to the USDE (2003), the intention of
most charter school legislation is to
  • Increase opportunities for learning and access to
    quality education for all students
  • Create choice for parents and students within the
    public school system
  • Provide a system of accountability for results in
    public education
  • Encourage innovative teaching practices
  • Create new professional opportunities for
    teachers
  • Encourage community and parent involvement in
    public education and leverage improved education
    broadly. (USDE, p. 1)

6
Authorizers Determined by State Law
  • State laws that allow the creation of charters
    specify the types of agencies that are permitted
    to authorize or award a charter. These agencies
    are legally designated charter school
    authorizers. Different states allow different
    entities to authorize a charter school.

7
Distribution of Charter Authorizer by Type
in Wisconsin
  • Type of Authorizer
    Number of Authorizers
  • Local school boards 426
  • State boards of education, state education
  • agencies, chief state school officers
    0
  • Universities, colleges, community colleges 3
  • Other, including independent or
  • special charter school boards
  • and municipal governments. 1
  • Total 430
  • Note Adapted to Wisconsin from A Decade of
    Public Charter Schools
  • Evaluation of the Public Charter Schools,
    2000-2001 Evaluation Report,
  • SRI International, p. 8.

8
Top 10 reasons for Starting a New charter School
  • To provide opportunities for more learning and
    higher student achievement
  • To provide choices for parents and students
  • To allow for true site management by
    administrators, teachers and students
  • To facilitate and encourage greater parent and
    community involvement
  • To provide for greater accountability
  • To promote educational entrepreneurship
  • To provide greater program flexibility
  • To streamline budget and management decisions
  • To downsize large systems and to redesign and
    reallocate. (p. 7)
  • (Excerpt from a 2-day Wingspread Conference in
  • Wisconsin on April 3 and 4, 1996)

9
Wisconsin State Statute 118.40
  • Allows anyone to create a charter school
  • Specifies who can sponsor or authorize a charter
    school
  • Has no cap on the numbers that can be created
  • Specifies what must be included in a contract
  • Outlines what a charter school can and cannot do.

10
Wisconsin Charter School Law
  • Must be open to all students in the district
  • Must follow all federal and state health and
    safety requirements of public schools
  • No pupil can be required to participate
  • Can be a new school or a conversion from an
    existing public or private entity, but a school
    board cannot convert a private sectarian school
    to a charter.
  • Fit the definition of a charter

11
Wisconsin Charter School Law
  • Charter schools are exempt from most state
    requirements, ch.115-121 of Wis. Stats, however
    they MUST do the following
  • Participate in the state assessment system
  • Complete the annual School Performance Report
  • Count their students for membership in the LEA
  • Teachers must be licensed by the DPI

12
Wisconsin Charter School Growth
13
Charter School Development Process
  • Roles
  • Developer
  • Grant Writer
  • Operator
  • School Governance

14
Steps to Starting a Charter School (USDE, 2005)
  •  
  • Exploration
  • Application
  • Pre-Operations
  • Operations
  • Resources

15
 
Stages in the Development Process
  • Exploration Surveying the Scene and Laying the
    Groundwork
  • Gather basic information on WI charter Schools
  • Assemble a school design team
  • Ascertain school communitys readiness
  • Develop a business/strategic plan 

16
Investigate State Laws and Policies
  • Review Wisconsins Charter School Legislation
  • Know the 16 components required in the charter
    plan
  • Review district charter start up policies and
    procedures
  • Identify waivers from district contracts/policies

17
Assemble the Planning Team
  • Expertise needed
  • Curriculum and Instruction
  • Community Relations and Marketing
  • Finance and Fund Raising
  • Legal Issues, Educational Law
  • Real Estate
  • Student Assessment
  • Writing charter school documents

18
Design a Comprehensive School Plan
  • Agreed upon mission and vision
  • Overview of instructional program
  • School Governance and administrative structure
  • Staffing Plan
  • Statement of Facilities Need
  • Budget/financial plan

19
Drafting/Presenting/ Getting Charter Approved
  • Legal document (see Benchmark guide)
  • Key components
  • Clear mission statement
  • Statement of why school is needed
  • Description of education program
  • Learning Objectives
  • Methods of Student Assessment

20
Components of Charter Continued
  • Financial plan and 3-5 years projected budget
  • Governance or organizational model
  • Personnel Policies
  • Student Enrollment and Disciplinary Policies
  • Facilities information
  • Insurance
  • Compliance with state and federal regulations
  • Evaluation/monitoring agreements
  • Contract Renewal/termination

21
Pre-Operations
  • Detailed plan and timeline
  • Core founding group listing of tasks and persons
    responsible
  • Develop operating agreements/shared services
  • Incorporate/file for 501(c)(3) status, recruit
    and install governing board
  • Draft by laws, policies, and identify an
    administrative structure
  • Recruit/admit students
  • Recruit/hire staff
  • Purchase instructional materials
  • Choose methods of student assessment
  • Establish school calendar/professional
    development plan.

22
Planning to Open
  • Secure and ready facility
  • Set up Support
  • Accounting/budget
  • Purchasing
  • Transportation
  • Food service
  • Custodial
  • Telephone services
  • Technology/wiring

23
Operations
  • Establish culture of school
  • Clarify schools expectations and beliefs
  • Review the data for planning/guidance
  • Governance Committee provides oversight
  • Establish critical partners
  • Refine curriculum and instruction
  • Collect student performance/achievement data

24

Charter School Program Allowable Activities
  • Grants awarded by the Secretary to eligible
    applicants or subgrants awarded by State
    educational agencies to eligible applicants are
    for a period of not more than 3 years, of which
    the eligible applicant may use
  • (A) not more than 18 months for planning and
    program design
  • (B) not more than 2 years for the initial
    implementation of a charter school and
  • (C) not more than 2 years to carry out
    dissemination activities described in section
    5204(f)(6)(B).

25
Charter School Program Allowable Activities
  • Post-award planning and design of the educational
    program, which may include
  • (i) refinement of the desired educational results
    and of the methods for measuring progress toward
    achieving those results and
  • (ii) professional development of teachers and
    other staff who will work in the charter school
    and

26
Charter School Program Allowable Activities
  • Initial implementation of the charter school,
    which may include
  • (i) informing the community about the school
  • (ii) acquiring necessary equipment and
    educational materials and supplies
  • (iii) acquiring or developing curriculum
    materials and
  • (iv) other initial operational costs that cannot
    be met from State or local sources.

27
The Wisconsin Charter School Grant Program
  • Funding levels
  • The grant application process
  • New priorities in funding, etc.
  • The readers benchmarks
  • Common mistakes
  • Resources

28
Federal Grants To Wisconsin
  • 1996-97 1,325,000
  • 1997-98 1,956,548
  • 1998-99 3,100,000
  • 1999-00 4,000,000
  • 2000-01 4,400,000
  • 2001-02 8,750,000
  • 2002-03 8,736,842
  • 2003-04 9,682,211
  • 2004-05 9,290,774

29
Available Wisconsin Grants
  • Start up Funds
  • A 3 year continuous relationship
  • Planning (12-18 months)
  • Implementation Year 1 (12 months)
  • Implementation Year 2 (6-12 months)
  • Beginning of 4th year
  • Dissemination Grant (12 to 24 months)

30
Continuous Relationship
  • The length of time that an applicant can be in a
    financial relationship with the DPI is determined
    by federal law.
  • If you cannot open at the absolute latest by
    semester II of the 2006-07 school year, do not
    request planning funds in 2005, as you will break
    your continuous contract and therefore forfeit
    your right to future funds.

31
(No Transcript)
32
Planning Application
  • Charter School Vision
  • Why a charter school
  • Serves a particular need
  • Charter School Description
  • Planning Process
  • Evidence of pre-planning
  • Budget
  • Narrative and Itemized Budget

33
Implementation Application
  • Charter School Program Description
  • Detailed description of school curriculum
  • Support for school is evident
  • Admissions Policy
  • Charter School Needs
  • Funds used to meet needs
  • Educational Priorities
  • Budget
  • Narrative and Itemized Budget

34
Implementation Appl. (Continued)
  • Charter Schools must fit the federal definition
    of a charter school
  • Requirements are included in the application
  • Charter Contract must be included with the
    application
  • Copy must be signed

35
Implementation Renewal Application
  • Educational Progress
  • Educational Programming
  • Documents student achievement
  • Educational Priorities
  • Addresses New Wisconsin Promise and NCLB
    Priorities
  • Management and Governance Model
  • Active Governance Structure
  • Budget
  • Narrative and Itemized Budget

36
Priorities in Funding and Other Application
Changes
  • Priorities
  • Serves children at risk as described in s.118.153
    (1) (a), Wis. Stats.
  • Supports the development of a charter school in a
    geographic area where one or more schools are
    identified for improvement, that requires
    corrective action, or restructuring under Title
    I, Part A of the ESEA.

37
Priorities in Funding and Other Application
Changes
  • The New Wisconsin Promise priorities
  • Closes the achievement gap
  • Places an emphasis on building reading skills
  • Promotes early learning opportunities
  • Promotes educator quality
  • Promotes career or technology education
  • Encourages parent and community involvement
  • Provides effective pupil services, special
    education and prevention programs to support
    learning.

38
Other Application Changes
  • Increase in page limits from 12 to 15
  • Clarifying questions order change
  • Questions added for Implementation Applicants not
    previously awarded Charter School Planning Funds
  • Eliminated duplicate questions
  • Description of admissions and lottery process
  • Allows attachment of up to 3 letters of support
  • Fits federal definition of a charter school
  • Implementation Renewal application requires
    description of governance council

39
Wisconsin Charter School Program
  • Informational sessions held
  • Application submission by due date
  • External peer review of grants
  • Internal review for compliance
  • State Superintendent review approval
  • Award notification
  • Letter of acceptance from sub grantee to DPI
  • Revisions and all assurances signed
  • Signed award notice sent to sub grantees
  • Mandated reporting sessions
  • Renewal applications

40
Readers Benchmarks
  • Reviews each section and provides rating
  • Strong
  • Average
  • Weak
  • Comments
  • Overall Rating

41
Review Criteria(What did the readers ask?)
  • Is a charter school necessary to achieve these
    purposes?
  • Will this most likely result in a charter?
  • Is this a creative and innovative program that
    could serve as a model for others?
  • Is there a focus on learner goals and outcomes,
    high academic standards and assessments?

42
Common Reasons Why Charter Applications are Not
Recommended for Funding
  • No clear reason why it needs to be a charter
    school
  • Inadequate planning documented
  • Lack of parent or community support
  • Describes a program rather than a school.

43
Charter Planning and Implementation Grant
Mechanics
  • Review the benchmarks
  • Applications will be available by May 1, 2005
    www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dfm/sms/csindex.html
  • Attach a letter of support from the school
    district or authority you are likely to charter
    with.

44
Use of Funds
  • Allowable
  • Computers/equipment
  • Desks, chairs, tables, lockers
  • Curriculum materials, books
  • Conferences, travel, food, etc
  • Staff development
  • Extended contracts for curriculum writing/program
    dev.
  • Assessment/evaluation costs
  • Refrigerator/stove for food service
  • Renovations to bring facility up to health and
    safety codes after you have opened
  • Instructional Supplies
  • Not allowable
  • Any operational costs such as
  • Salaries
  • Rent
  • Leases
  • Field Trips
  • Construction
  • Purchase of vehicles, boats, trailers
  • Roof repairs, boilers
  • Accounting, administration fees, grant writing or
    over-site.

45
Competitive Application Deadline
  • Planning and Implementation grants are due August
    1, 2005
  • Mail or deliver to DPI 1 original 7 copies of
    sub-grant application by 430 p.m.
  • Late applications will not be accepted.

46
DPI Charter Consultants
  • Paula Crandall Decker (CESAs 1, 6,7,8,9, 2Rs)
  • paula.crandall.decker_at_dpi.state.wi.us (608)
    266-5728
  • Sharon Wendt (CESAs 2,3,4,5,11,12,10)
  • sharon.wendt_at_dpi.state.wi.us (608) 267-9111
  • or 1-888-245-2732, ext.5
  • www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dfm/sms/csindex.html

47
Resources
  • Wisconsin Laws governing charter schools
  • www.legis.state.wi.us/statutes/Stat0118.pdf
  • To learn about charter schools in general, please
    visit
  • http//www.uscharterschools.org/pub/uscs_docs/inde
    x.htm
  • For specific information about starting a new
    charter school
  • http//www.uscharterschools.org/cs/r/view/uscs_rs/
    1699
  • For national resources, websites, research,
    please visit
  • http//www.ncrel.org/sdrs/timely/inet.htm
  • Charter School Authorizer Resources at
  • http//www.charterauthorizers.org/site/nacsa/
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