Meeting of the Board of Regents | May 2010

SUMMARY

Issue for Decision

Should the Regents approve the staff’s recommendation concerning the proposed revision to the initial charter for Inwood Academy for Leadership Charter School (New York City)?

Background Information

We received a request from the Chancellor of the city school district of the City of New York to revise the initial charter of Inwood Academy for Leadership Charter School (“the School”).  The School’s charter was initially granted on December 15, 2009.  The School will open in August 2010.  Initially, the School will serve 100 students in Grade 5 and grow to serve 470 students in grades 5 through 9 in its fifth year of operation.  The School seeks to reserve 50% of its Grade 5 lottery seats for students residing in Community School District 6 at risk of academic failure, defined as English language learners (ELL).  This policy will first apply in the 2011-2012 school year, and will replace the current policy of reserving 50% of seats for low performing students as measured by scores on the New York State math and English language arts (ELA) exams.

The New York City Department of Education held a public hearing in Community School District 6 on April 7, 2010, regarding the proposed revision.  No comments were made or received. 

Recommendation

VOTED:  That the Board of Regents approves the revision to the initial charter of the Inwood Academy for Leadership Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the city school district of the City of New York, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.

Reasons for Recommendation

              The proposed revision to the School’s initial charter, along with the other terms of the initial charter: (1) meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (2) will permit the charter school to operate in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; and (3) 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.    

Timetable for Implementation

The Regents action for Inwood Academy for Leadership Charter School will be effective immediately.