csmc 2014 brochure

Data & Technology

CSMC 2014

Bringing Choice to Back Office

1 | HELPING THE CHARTER MOVEMENT SUCCEED ONE SCHOOL AT A TIME YOUR EXPERTISE LIES IN EDUCATING YOUR STUDENTS | 2

Why Use a Back O!ce Provider?Are you opening your charter school to run a business or to lead a world-class school? Many charter school leaders do not realize the depth and complexity involved in running a charter school, and for most charter schools throughout the country, using a back of!ce company is the cost effective way to meet the !nancial and operational needs of your school.

Access to !nancial experts Increase your school’s bandwidth Lower your costs Maintain decision making control Ensure accuracy in data and reporting

Charter school authorizers and state agencies place enormous pressure on schools to maintain accurate books, payroll records, and compliance and assessment data reports. Using an effective back of!ce company like CSMC can allow you to focus on your main priorities, your students and your educational program.

Why CSMC?CSMC has been assisting charter schools with operational and !nancial support since 2001. We are the nation’s largest and one of the oldest charter school back of!ce providers.

Our mission is to ensure a laser-like focus on improving ef!ciencies and saving your school money. We do that by providing a range of cost effective and high quality business services – bringing the experience and scale of an organization that has committed years to helping grow the charter movement across the nation.

Our expert staff of charter school founders, board members, CPAs, school data analysts, and more allows us to offer a depth of expertise at a far lower cost than a charter school could !t in its own budget. We manage the necessary !nancial and operational systems to keep your school operating at peak performance, all while your school’s leadership still retains full control over the operations and decision making.

CSMC IS MORE THAN A BACK OFFICE, WE ARE YOUR PARTNER IN SUCCESS

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Financial Services Bookkeeping Payroll

Accounts payable/receivable

Budgeting and cash-flow projections

Audit support

Compliance and Reporting Local/State/Federal reporting

ADA Tracking and reporting

Grant tracking for expense reports

Monthly financial board reports

Student Longitudinal State Reports

Human Resources and Payroll Teachers and Staff retirement system reporting

Benefits Payroll Tax Employee handbook

Charter Development and Renewal Charter Vision Academy – On-demand charter petition training

Budget creation Authorizer advocacy and negotiation support

Governance best practice alignment Replication strategies

School Software Support Power School Implementation and Support

Student data assessment solutions

Online student enrollment system

Charter Vision© - 24 Hour web-based financial portal

Governance and Strategic Planning Governance training for administrators and board members

Strategic planning guidance

Finance training for staff and board members

Replication guidance for schools looking to grow

PORT OF LOS ANGELES HIGH SCHOOL “CSMC offers flexible and accurate services- there is no limit to their attentiveness and care for the success of our school.”

~Jim Cross

CSMC Services

3YOUR EXPERTISE LIES IN EDUCATING YOUR STUDENTS |

Financial Services Bookkeeping Payroll

Accounts payable/receivable

Budgeting and cash-flow projections

Audit support

Compliance and Reporting Local/State/Federal reporting

ADA Tracking and reporting

Grant tracking for expense reports

Monthly financial board reports

Student Longitudinal State Reports

Human Resources and Payroll Teachers and Staff retirement system reporting

Benefits Payroll Tax Employee handbook

Charter Development and Renewal Charter Vision Academy – On-demand charter petition training

Budget creation Authorizer advocacy and negotiation support

Governance best practice alignment Replication strategies

School Software Support Power School Implementation and Support

Student data assessment solutions

Online student enrollment system

Charter Vision© - 24 Hour web-based financial portal

Governance and Strategic Planning Governance training for administrators and board members

Strategic planning guidance

Finance training for staff and board members

Replication guidance for schools looking to grow

PORT OF LOS ANGELES HIGH SCHOOL “CSMC offers flexible and accurate services- there is no limit to their attentiveness and care for the success of our school.”

~Jim Cross

CSMC Services

3YOUR EXPERTISE LIES IN EDUCATING YOUR STUDENTS | YOUR EXPERTISE LIES IN EDUCATING YOUR STUDENTS | 2

Table of Contents

New School Development & Renewal 3-4

Back O!ce Financial Services 5-6

Charter Vision Web Portal 7-10

CSMC Client Testimonial 11

Financing Support 12

School Outreach & Marketing Support 13

Governance & Strategic Planning Support 14

PowerSchool Student Information System 15-16

OARS Student Data Assessment Support 17-18

Over 50,000 K-12 students are enrolled in CSMC supported schools

Over 2,000 full time teachers receive payroll and benefit support through CSMC

Thousands of training hours o"ered at school sites, regional meetings, conferences, and for state associations

Charter Vision Academy from CSMCYou need quality training to launch an excellent school. But it is challenging to find the time and money to attend live workshops and trainings; especially when faced with busy schedules, shrinking budgets, rising travel costs, and tough economic times.

CSMC is helping to break down the barriers between excellent educators and their dream of opening a high quality charter school. That’s why CSMC has brought Charter Vision Academy on demand and right to your fingertips. Charter Vision Academy is available in a convenient and affordable online environment, and provides your team with the expertise, training, and resources to turn your vision into an approvable charter petition.

24/7 web-based on-demand access Downloadable templates and guides Based on 20 years of charter school best practices Speed up your team’s ability to draft a petition Work as a team or individually Watch, stop, rewind, replay, and come back tomorrow

Overview of Charter Vision Academy’s On Demand TrainingCSMC’s charter petition training will cover all the aspects of launching a high quality charter school.

Fundamental Basics of Charter School Development Building your Founding Team Educational Program Breakdown

Overview of all Required Elements Budget Development Fundraising Facility Planning Community Outreach

4 | HELPING THE CHARTER MOVEMENT SUCCEED, ONE SCHOOL AT A TIME

Charter School Development TrainingWEB!BASED | ON DEMAND | RIGHT INFORMATION | RIGHT TIME | RIGHT PLACE

3 | HELPING THE CHARTER MOVEMENT SUCCEED ONE SCHOOL AT A TIME

KING CHAVEZ PUBLIC SCHOOLS “The experience and knowledge that they [CSMC] bring to our schools has helped us expand beyond our imagination- we are now up to 6 schools.”

~Tim Wolf

YOUR EXPERTISE LIES IN EDUCATING YOUR STUDENTS | 4

“The experience and knowledge that they [CSMC] bring to our schools has helped us expand beyond our imagination - we are now up to 6 schools.”

~Tim Wolf

Downloadable Templates& Sample LanguageOver the past 20 years, since charter schools !rst started, school

leaders have developed numerous operational and academic best

practices. Why reinvent the wheel?

Articles of Incorporation Corporate By-laws

Service plans for specialstudent populations

Admissions policies Suspension and Expulsion policies

Authorizer MOUs

Charter School Budget SupportWe collaborate with your school leadership team to create an

operating budget for the school covering all revenues the school

should expect to receive.

School start-up budget

5 Year operating budget projection

Full breakdown of projected expenses

Cash "ow statement for all 5 year

Budget narrative to include in petition

Easy to follow spreadsheets

Online Training VideosOur custom video presentations range from 30-60 minutes long and take you through the relevant petition information,

background, and context that every charter school developer needs to know.

Meeting state legal requirements Presenting your educational program

Addressing the needs of various student populations Creating and measuring school and student outcomes

Governance structure and best practices School outreach and admissions School Finance 101

Back O!ce Financial ServicesCharter school accounting and bookkeeping can be a very tedious and dif!cult endeavor. Every detail must be meticulously accounted for and our staff of CPAs and charter school !nancial experts have the experience to help your school with all of your !nancial needs, from creating sustainable budgets to providing audit reports.

This is just a short list of the many back of!ce !nancial and operational services CSMC can provide your charter school.

BookkeepingAccurate bookkeeping is the backbone of your !scal health. Our team will ensure that all !nancial transactions are accurate and reconciled, enabling you to stay on top of your numbers and make wise spending decisions for the bene!t of your students and staff.

Enterprise level accounting software Board meeting reports Revenue & expense projections Fiscal training

Accounts Payable/ReceivableProper attention and management of your school’s accounts receivable is vital to making sure that your school maximizes every dollar for which it is eligible. For your school’s accounts payable, CSMC creates a process and solution that works best for your school to maximize ef!ciency and transparency, and be in line with your !nancial policy protocols.

Strict monitoring of all eligible receivables, including restricted accounts Processing, verifying, & approving submissions for all vendor payables

Budgeting and Cash Flow ProjectionsOur knowledgeable team of budget experts can help you anticipate the needs of your school and set realistic and manage-able annual and !ve-year budgets that will make the most of your limited resources and help you accomplish your goals.

Multiple budget revisions Budget as a network of schools or as individual sites

Payroll ServicesEvery member of your team works hard, and compensating them correctly and on time, every time, is an important task. We know that payroll is about more than running checks, and with years of experience working with many payroll companies, we will make sure that this job gets done right.

State retirement reporting Tax !lings Leave accruals


Long Term Strategic Financial PlanningIf your school has a vision of growth for locations, grades served, or to save for that ideal facility, CSMC can help your school create the plan that can make your !scal aspirations come true in the most responsible and quickest manner possible. Facility planning Long term bene!t planning

Compensation & Bonus AnalysisOur team can conduct complete assessments of your compensation strategies, including salaries, bene!ts packages, and bonuses for school leaders or for any or all staff members. This analysis will provide new levels of transparency that will improve staff retention and morale and will give you a solid foundation for future budgeting. Executive compensation analysis Teacher salary comparison with comparable schools

Authorizer Compliance & ReportingIn return for your autonomy as a charter school, you are accountable for a variety of required reports to your authorizer designed to ensure compliance with all regulations as well as your charter. We can help you sort out the many deadlines and reports for which you are responsible so that you can remain in good standing. Special authorizer !scal reporting Authorizer negotiations and meetings

Audit PreparationTo avoid an unnecessarily stressful summer, we will prepare you for your audit throughout the year. With the help of our CSMC staff, you will be better positioned for your annual audit, which will result in meeting all state requirements and minimizing the likelihood for any errors and corrections required.

Continuous support throughout year to assure regulatory complianceRecommendations for operational policy or procedural change to align with all laws


www.CharterVision.net


Charter Vision Web PortalCharter Vision is CSMC’s easy to use online portal giving each school 24/7 access to their !nancial standing and reports. From Cash on Hand, to Revenue Year to Date, to Monthly Expenditures, every !nancial report needed to lead a cutting edge charter school is available at the tip of your !ngers.

New Features:1. REAL#TIME FINANCIAL REPORT ACCESSGet 24/7 access to your school’s vital !nancial reports in real time. Track accounts receivable and payable, monitor revenue and expenses by category, view paid invoices, cash "ow projections and more.

2. COMPLIANCE CALENDARNever miss a state reporting deadline again! On CSMC’s Compliance Calendar, you can view your charter school’s annual state and federal reporting calendar, with linked information for greater detail, assignment of duties, and stored documents for evidence of submission.

3. SUBSCRIPTIONSDon’t have time to log in to Charter Vision? Simply want reports delivered to your e-mail box at a time you choose?With Charter Vision, you can set up subscriptions to have all Charter Vision reports delivered to your e-mail box, or any number of e-mail boxes, as often as you would like.

4. CUSTOMIZABLE DASHBOARDSCustomize your Charter Vision dashboard to re"ect the exact reports that matter most to you. Financial reports, student information, cash on hand are just a few of the available widgets with which you can populate your dashboard.Every user can set their own dashboard settings.

5. SORT REPORTS BY PARENT ORGANIZATION OR BY INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLSIf your organization leads more than one charter school, often it can be challenging to get network wide or individual school reports. Charter Vision allows you to sort through every school in your organization with the ease of a drop down selection. No more searching through multiple !les, Charter Vision is your one stop shop.

6. FISCAL TRANSPARENCY LIKE NO OTHERCharter Vision is not just for your school leader or business manager; all key stakeholders can get up to date access to your school’s !nancial data. Charter Vision is free to CSMC clients, so key staff members, board members, auditors, or anyone you assign can have their own unique logon.

STUDENT DATA DASHBOARDFrequently absent students listFiscal impact of absencesStudent demographic totalsLCFF & special program eligible totals

COMPLIANCE CALENDERKey due dates for all state and federal

compliance reportingVisible assignment of reporting duties

& responsibilitiesLinks to the corresponding state or federal

programs for more detailed informationDownloadable access to all completed

reporting documents such as CALPADS, Attendance Reports, and Unaudited Actuals

FINANCIAL REPORTS DASHBOARDSort reports by total CMO or by individual school sites

Popular reports include:Actual to Budget SummaryExpenses by CategoryIncome StatementRevenue by CategoryRestricted Funds TrackingCheck Register



NEED Charter Vision 3.0 logo

SAMPLE REPORT - EXPENSE BY CATEGORY


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1. CALENDAR PERIODSView speci!c expense-by-category reports by choosing beginning and ending months & !scal year.

2. EXPENSE STATISTICSAn easy-to-read chart displays your school’s line item expenses by individual amounts, total dollar by category, and percentage of category.

3. CHARTS & GRAPHSPie charts quickly summarize the expenses by category. Click on any pie slice to drill deeper into that account.

4. VIEW YOUR SOURCE DOCUMENTNow you can immediately view your invoices & see exactly what was paid.


Charter Vision for your tablet or phone

Over the years, I have worked as a teacher, principal, charter school administrator, and recently as

a district Superintendent, and one major lesson I’ve learned along the way is that you are only as

good as your support team. When I was hired to be the Executive Director of Clayton Valley Charter

High School, I knew we’d need a great deal of !nancial support and transparency to help propel this

school to the level of operational excellence that everyone involved in its conversion dreamed of.

My leadership team and I examined the services we were receiving along with our resources and current back of!ce company

at the time and determined that we needed to take a different path for back of!ce support. In that process, CSMC stood out

from the rest. Their expertise, knowledge, responsiveness, creativity, and teamwork approach, along with their specialization

with tremendous resources made the decision to partner with CSMC an easy one. CSMC understood our needs and they

supported us with quality leadership for decision-making.

Clayton Valley chose to utilize CSMC’s additional suite of services, which included the implementation and support of Pow-

erSchool for our Student Information System. Taking this route saved us a tremendous amount of money and staff time. As

a result, the administrative team is now able to focus on what we do best – providing leadership in the areas of classroom

instruction, meeting the needs of students, and implementing highly effective programs. Now we have direct access to huge

team of CSMC experts without having the high cost of hiring our own internal staff.

CSMC staff has been very responsive and has exceeded our expectations with their overall high quality of service. Being a new

school, there are adjustment periods and CSMC has been able to support us through every ebb and "ow. Having 24/7 access

to Charter Vision, along with all of our !nancial data immediately at the tip of our !ngers, allows us to make decisions that best

meet the needs of the school.

As Clayton Valley Charter High School grows and develops into one of the premier high schools in all of California, we know that

CSMC will be right there by us, just like they are for almost 150 schools throughout the nation.

We are partners!

DAVE LINZEY

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR


Client Testimonial OUR CLIENTS ARE OUR BEST ADVOCATES - SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT CSMC


FinancingIn today’s economic climate, securing charter school facility !nancing is not an easy feat. The ability to secure !nancing is perhaps one of the foremost factors in"uencing whether or not a new building is in your school’s future.

CSMC has facilitated dozens of facility financing projects and cash flow transactions for its clients in the last 10 years.We can help you:

Start developing your project and analyze your !nancing needs.Identify the type of !nancing that best suits your needs from

New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC), Municipal Tax Exempt Bond Financing, Conventional Financing and Lease to Purchase options, and short-term !nancing.

Get introduced to lenders and !nanciers, including CSMC partners that specialize in charter school !nance.

Better understand lender jargon and help your school make the best impression on your lender throughout the approval process.

Track the reports required by your lender. Automatically provide statements to your lender through Charter Vision 3.0.

OUR CLIENTS ARE OUR BEST ADVOCATES - SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT CSMC


Student Outreach & Marketing CSMC understands that one of the biggest challenges to opening and growing a successful charter school is marketing the school and recruiting students. Most charter school leaders are not experts in marketing or graphic design, so CSMC has worked to create an almost turn-key marketing and outreach solution for your school.

CSMC has worked with charter school leaders and professional graphic designers to create a collection of templates and guides ready to be rolled out for your school.

Postcards & "yers Tri-fold brochures Social media tips Door hangers Marketing checklists Press release templates A professional and customized marketing campaign is only days away with CSMC Marketing. We have partnered with experience graphic artists who can customize your desired collateral piece, and at a very competitive rate. No need to buy dozens of expensive stock images or go back and forth with a graphic artist who does not understand the needs of a charter school.

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Governance & Strategic Planning

Effective charter school leadership is rarely formed, but rather cultivated and developed over time. In order to assure high quality and long-term sustainability, charter schools must invest in the right training and professional development.

Charter Vision Finance AcademyCSMC’s Charter Vision Finance Academy gives your team the in-depth training and insight that school leaders and board members need for informed decision making and effective long-term planning.

State budget overview and outlook Cash "ow planning Revenue programs Expense benchmarking Primary reporting requirements Annual audits Maximizing revenues & managing expenses

Charter Vision Governance AcademyGovernance Academy will provide your school leaders with an overview of key state laws, rules and regulations, as well as governance best practices.

Board roles & responsibilities Leadership development and best practicesAdministrative roles & responsibilities Brown Act & con"ict of interest

Charter Vision Strategic PlanningAre you a brand new school and want to make sure you successfully hit the ground running? Is your school where you thought it would be when you opened 4 years ago? Are you ready to replicate? CSMC can help your school develop the short and long-term plans and strategies for your school to emerge as a leader in its community.

6 Step Business Plans Leadership operational focus Strategic plan guidance Replication considerations and planning Strategies for cultivating excellent teachers and leaders

HIGH QUALITY CHARTER SCHOOL LEADERSHIP REQUIRES HIGH QUALITY TRAINING

CSMC observed that several of its clients did not have a positive experience setting up and implementing their Student Information

System (SIS). For some, the lack of technology personnel and training was the problem. For others, it was trying to make a dis-

trict-level system work for a charter school.

CSMC’s partnership with Pearson’s PowerSchool program gives you all the benefits of an effective SIS system without the steep

learning curve, high expense, and risk typically required to implement and manage such a system.

12 | HELPING THE CHARTER MOVEMENT SUCCEED, ONE SCHOOL AT A TIME

POWERTEACHER MOBILE NOW AVAILABLE FOR YOUR

IPAD OR SMARTPHONE

Power SchoolA STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM SHOULD FREE UP YOUR RESOURCES, NOT TAKE AWAY FROM THEM


Power SchoolA STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM SHOULD FREE UP YOUR RESOURCES - NOT TAKE AWAY FROM THEM

CSMC observed that several of its clients did not have a positive experience setting up and implementing their Student Information System (SIS). For some, the lack of technology personnel and training was the problem. For others, it was trying to make a district-level system work for a charter school.

CSMC’s partnership with Pearson’s PowerSchool program gives you all the bene!ts of an effective SIS system without the steep learning curve, high expense, and risk typically required to implement and manage such a system.

POWERTEACHER MOBILE NOW AVAILABLE FOR YOUR TABLET OR SMARTPHONE


PowerSchool FeaturesStudent and parent portal in multiple languages

GradeBook component for teachers

iPad and smartphone access for teacher and admin

Scheduling component

Family, health, and immunization management

Built-in state reports

Faculty management

More features being released each year Lower Costs:No capital technology investments

Reduce up-front costs for staff training

Lower cost of initial system implementation

Security of knowing your data is being housed on

dedicated and enterprise class servers

Get the support you need when you need it

No On-Site Tech Required:Initial setup and implementation performed by

professionally trained CSMC staff

School site or online staff training available for

administrators and teachers

No system monitoring or maintenance required

CSMC HelpDesk available via phone, email, or web portal

Charter School Specific:No state reporting expert required at the charter school

School speci!c reports and dashboards

Access to CSMC built customizations

Custom templates and report cards

Access to task speci!c tools and resources

Adjust SIS to meet your school’s speci!c needs

MINIMIZE TIME SPENT ON SIS, MAXIMIZE TIME SPENT IN

STUDENT SUCCESS

CELERITY EDUCATIONAL GROUP -

“CSMC allows our school access to resources that wouldn’t be financially obtainable unless we were twice the size. We can operate with the expertise and resources of a large school, on a small school budget.” ~Vielka McFarlane


Student Data Assessment LET CSMC HELP YOU MANAGE AND UTILIZE YOUR ASSESSMENT DATA

CSMC supports the setup, implementation, and training of one of the more popular, user-friendly, and cost ef!cient assessment systems on the market, OARS.

Providing insight on student test scores should be the starting point, but not the only point. Properly utilized, student assessment data can be broken down from the school organization level all the way down to the individual student.

Our partners’ systems allow you to gather and analyze student data, aggregate it and disaggregate it, all in real time. The focus is on helping teachers and administrators make meaning from complex assessment data. Teachers and administrators can use the data and report options to monitor student progress, identify each individual student’s strengths and weaknesses, recognize curriculum and instructional needs, and plan for the next instructional unit.



Why a CSMC Supported Assessment System is for you:

Lower your up-front costs and incur no capital investment in technology or licenses

Know your student data is being housed in a secure, dedicated, and enterprise class server

Compare multiple sets of benchmark and test data from month to month and year to year

Create tests, quizzes, benchmark assessments, or homework in less time

Measure academic results with a greater sense of clarity and boost your overall student achievement

What CSMC can do for you:Fully integrate with your existing Student Information SystemUpload your student demographic dataImport historical assessment data including CST, CMA,

CAHSEE, CELDTOffer on-site teacher training at a time convenient to youProvide insight and support in helping your school fully utilize

assessment dataAutomate the routine of uploading student data

OARS Key Features:OARS has a growing library of diagnostic tests for the

Smart Balanced Assessment, CST, and CAHSEE Item Bank - Select over 20,000 Common Core State

Standard aligned questions to administer to your classroom Key Editor - Create your own tests, quizzes, or benchmarksPlain Paper Scanning – Print your bubble sheets directly

from OARSOnline Assessment Tool –

Use the item bank, key editor, or diagnostic tests and administer your assessment online

Multiple Measures Report – Pull data ranging from local assessments, demographics and state assessments, all exportable to Excel or PDF

Item Analysis Report – Analyze students’ responses to individual assessment items. Identify which standards have been mastered.

HeadquartersPh. 888.994.CSMC

Southern CaliforniaPh. 213.430.9045

Northern CaliforniaPh. 510.891.1343

Arizona

Ph. 888. 994-CSMC

ColoradoPh. 719.429.7665

FloridaPh. 904.236.4878

HawaiiPh. 888.994.CSMC

IllinoisPh. 888.994.CSMC

IndianaPh. 888.994.CSMC

Louisiana

Ph. 888.994.CSMC

OhioPh. 888.994.CSMC

TexasPh. 888.994.CSMC

WyomingPh. 888.994.CSMC

www.csmci.com

About CSMCCSMC is one of the largest and oldest providers of charter school back of!ce business services in the nation. With over 70 employees and growing, we support more than 150 schools across the country. CSMC’s sole mission is to support and empower leaders in education reform to create and lead innovative and high quality charter schools. With our background in school development, accounting, school operations, and !nancial management, CSMC can free you to lead your team toward focusing on creating high-functioning lifelong learners.

Our experience was gained from the same personal narrative that many charter schools are founded upon: !fteen years ago, CSMC founder Sandro Lanni was looking for a better school for his own children and decided to help start what was then a new concept in public schools. The educational leaders of this new charter start-up needed !nancial and business support, so Sandro combined his extensive business experience with his support of the charter school movement and started CSMC, thus creating a new option of support for charter schools.

Our innovative and experienced team of professionals is equipped to help you with all of your charter school back of!ce business needs. But, we know that offering an unrivaled quality of service and outstanding value is not enough; that’s why our technical, !nancial, and operational initiatives are driven by the evolving needs of our customers. We are constantly implementing new services and levels of support for our clients and believe we can be the back of!ce business provider to help your charter school attain the operational excellence you seek.

csmc 2014 brochure

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