Title: Charter Schools In Wisconsin
1Wisconsin 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
3What 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).
4Charter 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).
5According 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)
6Authorizers 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.
7Distribution 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.
8Top 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)
9Wisconsin 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.
10Wisconsin 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
12Wisconsin Charter School Growth
13Charter School Development Process
- Roles
- Developer
- Grant Writer
- Operator
- School Governance
14Steps to Starting a Charter School (USDE, 2005)
- Â
- Exploration
- Application
- Pre-Operations
- Operations
- Resources
15Â
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 planÂ
16Investigate 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
17Assemble 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
18Design 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
19Drafting/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
20Components 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
21Pre-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.
22Planning to Open
- Secure and ready facility
- Set up Support
- Accounting/budget
- Purchasing
- Transportation
- Food service
- Custodial
- Telephone services
- Technology/wiring
23Operations
- 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
24Charter 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).
25Charter 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
26Charter 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.
27The Wisconsin Charter School Grant Program
- Funding levels
- The grant application process
- New priorities in funding, etc.
- The readers benchmarks
- Common mistakes
- Resources
28Federal 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
29Available 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)
32Planning 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
33Implementation 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
34Implementation 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
35Implementation 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
36Priorities 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.
37Priorities 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.
38Other 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
39Wisconsin 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
40Readers Benchmarks
- Reviews each section and provides rating
- Strong
- Average
- Weak
- Comments
- Overall Rating
41Review 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.
43Charter 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.
44Use 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.
45Competitive 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.
46DPI 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
47Resources
- 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/