1

Guidance for Charter School Grant Applicants

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

2012 Technical Assistance Sessions

2

Purpose of this session

Provide basic charter school information

Review charter school grant guidelines and applications

Provide Technical assistance

3

What is a Charter School?

Charter School: A charter school is a tuition-free public school created on the basis of a contract or “charter” between the school and a local school board or other authorizer. A charter school has more freedom than a traditional public school in return for a commitment to meet higher standards of accountability. (NACSA, 2006)

4

Wisconsin State Statute s. 118.40

Allows anyone to create a charter school;

Specifies who can authorize a charter school: school boards, the UW-Milwaukee, the City of Milwaukee and the UW-Parkside;

Has no cap on the numbers that can be created.

5

Exemptions and Requirements

Charter schools are exempt from most state education laws, but must:

--Participate in the WKCE--Complete the annual School

Performance Report (SPR)--Count their students for membership --Employ DPI-licensed teachers

6

More Requirements

Must be open to all students in the district – cannot discriminate

May not require any student to enrollMay not charge tuitionMust follow all health and safety

requirements of public schools

7

Autonomy and Accountability

Charter schools have increased autonomy and flexibility under the law in return for accountability.

Charter schools are accountable to their authorizer to meet the goals in their charters and to produce positive student achievement results

Type of Charter School

School Board authorizer determines type of charter school:

“Instrumentality”--School board employs all staff in the charter school, or

“Non-Instrumentality”--School board does not employ any staff in the charter school

8

9

5-Year Charter Limit

Under Wisconsin law, contracts/charters may be for any term not exceeding 5 school years.

At the end of the term, the authorizer may renew the charter school charter/contract with the governance board if goals are met or close the school if goals not met.

10

Charter School Contract

Contract must include 16 items per state law (see benchmarks in packet)– 15 items included in §118.40(1m)(b)– The 16th item, the amount paid to the

charter §118.40(3)(b)Other provisions agreed to by the

parties

NACSA standards

State Law in s. 118.40(3)(e):

When establishing or contracting for the establishment of a charter school under this section, a school board …shall consider the principles and standards for quality charter schools established by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers.

http://www.qualitycharters.org/files/public/Principles_and_Standards_2009.pdf

11

Governance: Autonomy Required

Charter school‘s autonomy and independence required by federal law

Charter school must be run by an independent governance board not the district administration and school board

Charter school is governed by a contract--the charter--between the governance board and school board.

12

Independent Governance Board

Members of governance board are parents and community representatives

Governance Board cannot include administrators or school board members. Teachers should not serve on governance board to avoid conflicts of interest

13

Governance Board Powers

Independent governance board must have control over:

Operating budget for charter school not just control over grant funds

Policies for charter schoolPersonnel for charter school

14

Charter School or a Program?

The charter school must provide the student’s elementary or secondary education

Core subjects must be delivered in the charter school

A charter high school must award a high school diploma

15

Program or School?

The charter school must have at least one or more teachers serving only the charter school—it cannot share all staff with another school

All students must be reported as enrolled at the charter school rather than at another school

16

17

Lottery & Admissions

Federal law: Students must be admitted on the basis of a random lottery if more students apply for admission to the charter school than can be accommodated.

See federal Nonregulatory guidance (part E) in your packets

Exemptions to Lottery

Students previously admittedSiblings of students previously admittedChildren of founders and staffMust define who are the founders in the

charter and must limit the children of founders and staff to less than 10% of the total enrollment

18

Lottery (continued)

You cannot have special lotteries based on students’:

--gender

--race or

--socio-economic status

Recruit to achieve balance19

20

Wisconsin Charter School Grant Program

Federal RequirementsState Application ProcessAll grant applications due

on April 16th

Eligible Applicant

Developer must submit local application to authorizing school board in a timely fashion

Planning grant applicants must submit a school board resolution approving the concept of the proposed charter school to DPI with the grant application on April 16

21

22

Funding Cycle of 36 Months

Planning Grant (12-18 months)Initial Implementation Grant—first year

of school operation (12 months)Implementation Renewal Grant—

second year of school operation (6-12 months)

23

Can’t break the cycle of funding

If you request planning funds for the 2012-13 school year, you must open the charter school in the fall of 2013 or no later than January 2014.

If you do not open the school by that time, you will break your “continuous contract” and therefore forfeit your right to future federal charter school funds.

.

Elementary Charter Schools(K4 through 5th Grade)

24

StudentEnrollment

Grant Amount Per Year

Three Year Total

>300 Students $250,000/year $750,000

100-300 Students $200,000/year $600,000

<100 Students $150,000/year $450,000

Secondary Charter Schools(6th through 12th Grades)

StudentEnrollment

Grant Amount Per Year

Three Year Total

>300 Students $300,000/year $900,000

100-300 Students $225,000/year $675,000

<100 Students $175,000/year $525,000

25

Secondary Charter SchoolsSIFI and Economically Disadvantaged

(6th through 12th Grades)

StudentEnrollment

Grant Amount Per year

Three Year Total

>300 Students $325,000/year $975,000 100-300 Students $250,000/year $750,000

<100 Students $200,000/year $600,000

26

Verifying enrollments in the fall

Planning grant applicants must estimate enrollment for following school year

Initial Implementation grant applicants must estimate the fall enrollment. This will be verified with the 3rd Friday count. If enrollment is less than estimated, the grant award may be reduced but it will not be increased until the next year.

27

Application Narrative: Vision

Why do you need to create a charter school to accomplish this vision?

How will the charter be different from existing schools?

What is innovative or unique? Why can’t this be accomplished with a

program in an existing school?

28

Narrative: School Goals

What are measurable school goals?

--Offering governance board training

--Improving attendance

--Reducing discipline referrals

29

School Goals (continued)

--Providing professional development

--Increasing graduation rate

--Promoting parent satisfaction

30

Charter School Goals (continued)

How will you measure success in achieving these goals?

These goals must be in your charter—they could be changed at a later date

31

Narrative: Student Achievement

What are the measurable student achievement goals?

Should include specific improvements in student behavior and in academic performance in the core subjects.

These goals must be in your charter.

32

Student Achievement Goals

To measure success, you must administer a standardized test in the fall and spring of each year

See Standardized Test Results Template in your packets

33

Standardized tests required

1. Mean or median scale score for the school in reading and math for each grade level.

2. Scale score at the 25th and 75th percentiles in reading and math for each grade level.

3. National percentile ranks of these scale scores.

34

Professional Development Plan

What skills do teachers and administrators need and how will they be trained?

How will you provide training for transfer teachers or for new hires?

Plan should include participation through Polycom or Cisco distance learning system with charter school networks.

35

Narrative: Governance and Autonomy

Which school board policies will be waived to enable this charter school to be autonomous and innovative?

If you don’t need to waive any school board policies, you don’t need to be a charter school--you are following the same policies every other school must follow—you aren’t innovative or autonomous.

36

Narrative: Creating a Governance Board from a Planning Committee

What skill sets do governance board members need?

How will governance board members be selected? You can’t be independent if the school board or the administration pick the governance board members.

Non-stock corporate structure and 501(c)(3) non-profit status create stability.

37

Narrative: Governance Board

Describe the governance board’s power over budgets, personnel and policy

Describe how your charter school will be managed—principal on site, teacher-led, etc.

Describe how the governance board will receive training on its responsibilities and procedures.

38

Narrative: Planning Process

Planning grantees must describe their current planning efforts and planning committee

Must describe the work that remains to be done and the timeline

Must describe how parents and members of the community have been involved

39

Narrative: Planning Process

Implementation grantees must describe the work that must be done prior to the opening of the charter school in the fall

Describe coaching, consultants, training of staff in the summer

Describe how staff will receive training if they cannot attend the summer sessions

40

Narrative: Admissions and Lottery

What is your plan for serving students with disabilities in the charter school?

Remember, the charter school cannot discriminate in admissions against students with disabilities.

Your special education director must be part of planning efforts.

41

Admissions and Lottery

What is your admissions policy? Attendance must be voluntary.

How and when will you conduct a random lottery?

Establish specific deadlines for accepting applications. Will you wait for open enrollment applicants or not?

42

Virtual Charter Schools

Open enrolled students must physically attend school in the nonresident school district except for those attending virtual charter schools.

Please review Wis. Stats. 118.40(8) to see the specific requirements all virtual schools must meet.

43

Planning: Budget Phase I

Planning grant funds paid in two installments:

Phase I can include up to 50% of the grant and may be used for staff development and curriculum planning; no equipment for the charter school can be purchased in Phase I.

44

Planning Budget Phase II

Phase II funds will be released when the charter is received by DPI and the governance board is operational

Phase II funds can be used to buy equipment and supplies for the new charter school.

45

46

Planning and Implementation Grant– Allowable Expenses

Professional development of teachers or other staff

Orientation and training of planning team, school board or governance board members

Extended teacher contracts – for the purposes of planning/curriculum work

47

Allowable expenses (continued)

Costs of materials for staff developmentCosts for charter school site visits or

conferences including mileage, meals and lodging

Salaries for short or long-term substitutes to cover teachers involved in planning activities

48

Allowable Expenses (continued)

Equipment for school including computers, desks, chairs, tables, etc. and Polycom or Cisco Distance Learning ($15,000) (only at Phase II of planning grant after charter submitted)

Curriculum materials, booksConsultants’ fees

49

Allowable Expenses (continued)

Refrigerator/stove for food serviceAttorneys fees limited to $50003% of planning and implementation

grants to the Wisconsin Innovative Schools Network (WISN) or to a similar charter school network (See WISN pamphlet in your packets)

50

Expenses Not Allowed

No operational costs. If an expense continues year after year, it is an operational cost and cannot be funded with the federal charter school grant funds. Examples:

Salaries and fringe for: teaching staff who instruct students, or for a principal, school coordinator, accountant or counselors

Purchase or Rent of Facility

Expenses Not Allowed

No remodeling or construction of classrooms even for ADA compliance

No purchase of vehicles, boats, trailersNo transportation of students or field

tripsNo honorariums for students or

governance board members

51

Budget Worksheets for 5 years

Expense and revenue worksheets—on the DPI website with grant applications and in your packets

Completing these worksheets will help the governance board plan for future operations after federal start-up funds are no longer available

52

Budget Worksheet: Expenses

Salaries and Wages:Administrative staff salaries and wagesClassroom staff salaries and wagesExtended contracts for staff salary and

wagesSpecial education and pupil services

53

Budget Worksheet: Revenues

Contract amount and Contributions

School fees

Food service

Other government payments

Fundraising or external contributions

54

Grant Awards: Timelines

Peer review of applications completed in early May

DPI internal review and approval by state superintendent in June and July

Press release of grants funded and notifications sent to successful applicants in July and August

55

56

Grant Awards

To receive a grant award, the applicant must respond to any revisions required by the peer reviewers

If applicable, a revised contract must be submitted

Grant award period runs from August 1 through the following July 31

57

Future Budget Revisions

Submit signed budget change request form PI- 9600 showing the current and revised budget (see copy in your packets)

The form must be signed by the Governance Board President

Keys to Successful Application

Have a planning committee working a year before you apply;

Visit other charter schools before you apply (some have funds for that purpose);

Provide early training for your school board to ensure they understand autonomy.

58

Keys to Success (continued)

Consult with your special education director and business manager;

Allocate funds to WISN; Purchase a Polycom or Cisco

videoconferencing system; and Use an editor or consultant to review your

application prior to submittal.

59

60

Dissemination Grant Program

Due April 16th

61

Eligibility

The charter school must have been in operation for at least 3 consecutive years—apply in 4th year of school’s operation.

The school must demonstrate overall success including substantial progress in improving student achievement.

62

Eligibility

The school must document high levels of parental satisfaction.

The school must describe the management and the leadership necessary to overcome initial start-up problems.

63

Dissemination Grant Guidelines

Cannot use funds for school operations. Provide a service or product designed to

improve student performance in other public schools, including charter schools

Offer visitation dates, professional development and coaching of planning teams

Dissemination Collaboration

Participate in building charter school networks of similar curricular models (e.g. Montessori, Green, Project-based, STEM) through the WISN or similar networks

Participate in Polycom Distance Learning activities as presenter

64

Dissemination Collaboration

Schedule Visitation Days so others may see your model charter school in action:

--1 day required for dissemination grantees

--2 days required for dissemination renewal grantees

Allocate $20,000 to the WISN to support statewide collaboration efforts

65

66

Dissemination Grants

Dissemination first year: $125,000

(can carry-over unspent funds to second year with DPI approval)

Dissemination Renewal: $125,000

2nd year

Grant Applications on DPI Website

Download copies of the planning, implementation, implementation renewal, dissemination and dissemination renewal applications at the DPI charter schools website at:

http://dpi.wi.gov/sms/cs_grant_info.html

67

State Charter School Conference

March 15-16, 2012, at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva

Register for the conference through the Wisconsin Charter Schools Association website at:

http://www.wicharterschools.org/

68

Helpful Links

Wisconsin Innovative Schools Network (WISN) http://www.wisn.net

National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA)

http://www.qualitycharters.org

National Alliance of Public Charter Schools http://www.publiccharters.org

69

70

DPI Charter Consultants

Margaret McMurray (CESAs 1,7,8, 2Rs)margaret.mcmurray@dpi.wi.gov (608) 266-5728

Barry Golden (CESAs 2,3,4,5, 6, 9,10,11,12)

barry.golden@dpi.wi.gov (608) 267-9111

DPI Contacts for Help

Al Virnig, Senior Accountant, Help with claims: al.virnig@dpi.wi.gov or (608) 266-2428

Scott Eagleburger, Education Specialist, Help with questions related to grants: lawrence.eagleburger@dpi.wi.gov or (608) 266-5880

71