Meeting of the Board of Regents | April 2007

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:
FROM:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier
SUBJECT:	Charter Schools: Renewal Charter
DATE:	April 20, 2007
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 1 and 2
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Decision

 

Should the Regents approve the staff’s recommendations regarding the proposed renewal of the charter for the Harriet Tubman Charter School (New York City)?

 

Reason(s) for Consideration

 

              Required by New York State Education Law §2852.

 

Proposed Handling

 

This question will come before the Full Board on April 24, 2007 for action. 

 

Procedural History

 

              The New York Charter Schools Act of 1998 requires the Board of Regents to review applications for the renewal of existing charter schools that are submitted to it in accordance with the standards set forth in subdivision two of New York State Education Law Section 2852.  After review, the Board of Regents may either (a) approve an application and issue a renewal charter for a term of up to five years, or (b) deny the application. 

 

 

Background Information

 

              We received a charter renewal application from the Harriet Tubman Charter School that will be presented to you at your April 24, 2007 meeting.

 

              HarrietTubman Charter School (HTCS): The Harriet Tubman Charter School is located in New York City. The School currently serves approximately 400 students in grades K-8. The School continues to contract with Edison Schools, Inc. as its educational management partner. The Board of Regents approved the initial charter application for the Harriet Tubman Charter School in December 1999 and the School’s initial charter in January 2000. The Board of Regents approved the School’s first renewal charter in December 2004 and its second renewal charter in December 2006.

 

              This will be the third renewal for Harriet Tubman Charter School.  The Board of Regents approved a short-term renewal of the School’s charter in December 2006. The decision to allow the School a short-term renewal was based on concerns about student achievement, fiscal viability and Board governance.  On February 14, 2007, the School was placed on probation to address issues pertaining to teacher certification, fiscal policies and procedures, and Board governance.  To date, the School has satisfactorily adhered to the requirements outlined in its probation order regarding these issues. The School will remain on probation at least through June 30, 2007, so that staff may closely monitor progress in the areas of concern.  In order to address student performance, the School has implemented a new data system based on interim assessments to inform instructional practices.  Edison Schools, Inc. has committed to providing needed support to the professional staff.  The School has strong parental support and conducted a successful lottery that resulted in a robust waiting list, despite the School’s uncertain renewal status.  Based on the improvements the School has made, staff recommend renewal of the School’s charter for the period beginning July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2010. 

 

              Complete copies of the above are available for your review by contacting Sheila Evans-Tranumn at 718-722-2796.

 

Recommendation

 

Staff recommend that the Board of Regents take the following action:

 

VOTED: That the Board of Regents approve the renewal application of the Harriet Tubman Charter School, that a third renewal charter be issued, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term ending on June 30, 2010.

 

Timetable for Implementation

 

The Regents action for the Harriet Tubman Charter School will become effective on July 1, 2007.

New York State Education Department

 

Summary of Charter School Renewal Information

 

Summary of Applicant Information

 

 

Name of Proposed Renewed Charter School:  Harriet Tubman Charter School (HTCS)

 

Address: 3565 Third Avenue, Bronx NY 10456

 

Board of Trustees President:  Cliff Frazier

 

Renewal Period:  July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2010

 

District of Location:  New York City Community School District 9/Region 1

 

Charter Entity:  Board of Regents

 

Institutional Partner(s):  New York Metropolitan Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolence

 

Management Partner(s):  Edison Schools, Inc.

 

Grades Served per Year:  K–8 (K–8)

 

Projected Enrollment:  442 (468)

 

 

Renewal Application Highlights

 

 

Evidence of Educational Soundness/Attainment of Educational Objectives

 

• The Harriet Tubman Charter School (“the School”) has a student body that is comprised of 95.7 percent Black (not Hispanic) and 4.3 percent Hispanic children.
• Nearly 60 percent of the students are eligible for the Free- and Reduced-Lunch Program. Only one of the 400 students is identified as having limited English proficiency and eight percent of the students are classified as students with a disability.  Twenty-four percent of students are reported to be members of families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

• 
  For the Harriet Tubman Charter School’s (“HTCS” or “the School”) performance on State assessments, see Attachments 1 and 2. 
  
• In 2005-06, HTCS and CSD 9 attained a Performance Index of 127 and 114 respectively on the State English language arts (ELA) exam.  When adjusted for grade enrollment, HTCS outperforms CSD 9 by eight points. Only 40 percent of students tested were proficient on the ELA exam.

• The School’s performance index was 119 on the 2005-06 State math exam.  Only 43 percent of the students tested were proficient.  CSD 9/Region 1 had a preliminary performance index of 112. When adjusted for grade enrollment, HTCS outperforms CSD 9 by three points.

• In 2005-06, fourth graders performed strongly on both the math and ELA State assessments with 64 percent scoring Levels 3 and 4 in ELA and 73 percent scoring Levels 3 and 4 in math.  Since 2002-03, this represents a 34 percent increase in the percentage of students proficient in Grade 4 ELA and a 16 percent increase in Grade 4 math.  Students in Grades 3, 5, 6 and 7 performed less well on both tests in 2005-06.
• As of April 5, 2007, over 87 percent of the School’s instructional staff is New York State certified.
• Each student at HTCS has an individual learning plan, which allows teachers to provide guidance and support to help students master concepts and skills at his/her pace.
• The School design incorporates positive learning environments, community services and support, high performance management, and parent and community engagement. 
• HTCS maintains a safe learning environment for students through the implementation of Martin Luther King’s “Six Steps of Nonviolence.”  Students continue to learn to diffuse violence and bring about positive societal interaction and social change through the use of these principles.
• Some staff turnover at the School is evident and has fluctuated over four years.  Most staff relocation is due to geographic relocation.
• The School has had two principals since its inception:  Michele Pierce, founding principal, and Gwen Stephens, the current principal who is in her second year at the School.  Notably, prior to her appointment at HTCS, Ms. Stephens headed another New York City charter school that performed successfully on State exams and received a five-year renewal period shortly after her departure.

• 
  Under the guidance of the new principal, data-driven decision-making is becoming integral to the work of the School.  There is cohesive, consistent school-wide professional development to enable instructional staff to analyze assessment data and use the results to make instructional decisions.
  

 

Evidence of Fiscal Soundness/Projected Fiscal Impact

 

• The Board of Trustees is extremely committed to the mission of the School.  During the probationary period, the Board has taken the responsibility of ensuring that the School’s accounting practices are in alignment with federal, State and school guidelines.  The Board has adhered to SED staff recommendations regarding appropriate fiscal policies and procedures and has recruited new members with fiscal and legal expertise.
• The School submitted a revised Board-approved fiscal policies and procedures manual that addressed most of the internal control weaknesses found in the audit.
• During the second renewal period, Edison Schools, Inc. took on a more active role with the daily fiscal operations of the School, and has provided specific performance-based management necessary to implement the mission, curriculum and policies set forth by the Board of Trustees.  Edison will continue providing financial and operational support to stabilize HTCS through its third renewal period.
• The School completed construction on the second phase of its facility.  The School facility size doubled with new classrooms that are on average 150 square feet larger than the original classrooms. 
• There has been a negative change in the School’s net assets for the last three years.  See Attachment 3. 
• 
  The School carries significant long-term debt but expects a positive cash flow in each year of the renewal period, resulting in projected long-term debt declining from $1.8 million as of March 31, 2007 to under $1.5 million by the end of the 2010 school year.  The long-term debt represents primarily funds secured to renovate and expand school facilities.
  
• 
  The potential fiscal impact upon the District is represented below.  Please note that these projections are based upon several assumptions, which may or may not occur: that all existing charter schools will also exist in the next five years and serve the same grade levels as they do now; that the charter schools will be able to meet their projected maximum enrollment; that all students will come from New York City and no other districts; that all students will attend every day for a 1.0 FTE; that the District’s budget will increase at the projected rate; that the per pupil payment will increase (and not decrease); and that the per pupil payment will increase at the projected rate.
  

 

Projected Fiscal Impact of the

Harriet
Tubman Charter School

(New York City CSD 9/Region 1 – Bronx)

2007-08 Through 2009-10

 

School Year	Number of Students**	Projected Payment*	Projected Impact
2007-2008	442	$4,330,561	0.0233
2008-2009	442	$4,525,436	0.0237
2009-2010	468	$5,007,262	0.0254

* Assumes a 3 percent annual increase in the District’s budget from the base of $17 billion in 2004-2005 and a 4.5 percent annual increase in the average expense per pupil per year from the 2004-2005 rate of $8,586.

 

 

 

 

 

Evidence of Parental and Student Satisfaction and Community Support

 

• Despite the fact that the School informed interested parents that its renewal status was uncertain, over 431 lottery applications were received for the 2007-08 school year. 
• To date, 237 of the current parents have indicated that they will re-enroll their children at HTCS next year.  Seventy-five students were accepted at the lottery and 356 were added to the wait list.
• According to the findings of the most recent parent survey, the participation rate was 66 percent and the satisfaction rate of respondents was 80 percent.

 

Recommendation

 

Staff recommends that the Board of Regents approve the renewal application of the Harriet Tubman Charter School, that a third renewal charter be issued, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term ending on June 30, 2010.

 

Reason for Recommendation

 

(1) The charter school meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) the charter school has demonstrated the ability to operate in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; and (3) approving the proposed renewal is likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes set out in subdivision two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty of Article 56 of the Education Law.

 

 

 

 

Attachment 1

 

 

 

Harriet Tubman Charter School

Performance on State ELA Assessments

2002-03 through 2005-06

School and Grades	2002-03				2003-04				2004-05				2005-06
	L1	L2	L3	L4	L1	L2	L3	L4	L1	L2	L3	L4	L1	L2	L3	L4
HTCS ELA Grade 3													17	52	31	0
CSD 9 ELA Grade 3													19	36	43	2
HTCS ELA Grade 4	25	45	15	15	40	20	30	10	7	40	45	8	9	27	55	9
CSD  9 ELA Grade 4	13	49	31	7	15	55	27	3	10	42	39	9	19	38	41	2
HTCS ELA Grade 5													17	37	46	0
CSD 9 ELA Grade 5													15	49	34	2
HTCS  ELA Grade 6													15	49	33	3
CSD 9 ELA Grade 6													16	51	31	2
HTCS ELA Grade 7													6	75	19	0
CSD 9 ELA Grade 7													18	53	27	2

 

 

Attachment 2

 

 

 

Harriet Tubman Charter School

Performance on State Math Assessments

2002-03 through 2005-06

 

School and Grades	2002-03				2003-04				2004-05				2005-06
	L1	L2	L3	L4	L1	L2	L3	L4	L1	L2	L3	L4	L1	L2	L3	L4
HTCS Math Grade 3													15	31	47	7
CSD 9 Math Grade 3													16	24	49	11
HTCS Math Grade 4	14	28	48	10	18	27	46	9	2	32	53	13	9	18	55	18
CSD 9 Math Grade 4	12	30	44	14	13	39	40	8	9.	28	48	15	19	30	44	7
HTCS Math Grade 5													29	27	44	0
CSD 9 Math Grade 5													25	37	34	4
HTCS  Math Grade 6													42	40	15	3
CSD  9 Math Grade 6													33	37	28	2
HTCS Math Grade 7													31	44	25	0
CSD 9 Math Grad 7													33	42	24	1

 

 

 

Attachment 3

 

 

 

Harriet
Tubman Charter School

Change in Net Assets 2003-04 Through 2005-06*

 

Year	Change in Net Assets
2003-04	($250,437)
2004-05	($506,226)
2005-06	($213,307)

*Source: Audited Financial Statements provided as a part of each Annual Report.