Meeting of the Board of Regents | July 2008
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THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 |
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TO: |
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FROM: |
Johanna Duncan-Poitier |
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SUBJECT: |
Charter Schools: Proposed First Revision to the Initial Charter of the Achievement First Brownsville Charter School |
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DATE: |
July 24, 2008 |
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STRATEGIC GOAL: |
Goals 1 and 2 |
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AUTHORIZATION(S): |
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SUMMARY
Issue for Decision
Should the Regents approve the staff’s recommendation concerning the proposed revision to the charter of the Achievement First Brownsville Charter School (New York City)?
Reason(s) for Consideration
Required by State statute, Education Law §2852.
Proposed Handling
This question will come before the EMSC Committee in July 2008 for action. It will then come before the full Board for final action in July 2008.
Procedural History
The New York Charter Schools Act of 1998 requires the Board of Regents to review, in accordance with the standards set forth in Education Law §2852(2), proposed charters, renewal charters and revisions to charters and renewal charters that have been approved and submitted by other charter entities. The Board of Regents may either approve and issue a charter, renewal charter and/or revision as proposed by the charter entity, or return the same to the charter entity for reconsideration with written comments and recommendations.
Background Information
We received a request from the Trustees of the State University of New York (SUNY) to revise the charter for the Achievement First Brownsville Charter School (AFBCS or “the School”). The School is located in Community School District (CSD) 23. AFBCS was approved to enroll 84 students in Grade 5 in 2008-2009, with the grades and number of students served increasing each year until the school serves 645 students in Grades K-3 and 5-8 in 2012-2013. The school seeks a change to add grade 4 in 2011-12 and increase its enrollment so that it may enroll 168 students in K-1 in 2008-2009 with the grade and number of students served increasing each year until the school serves 645 students in Grades K-7 by 2012-2013. See Attachment 1.
In 2005-2006, thirty percent of the students enrolled in grades K-1 at Achievement First Crown Heights Charter School, also managed by Achievement First, Inc., were identified at the beginning of the school year as reading on grade level, based on performance indicators from the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA). By the end of 2005-2006, after just one year at the Achievement First Crown Heights Charter School, 96 percent of students in Kindergarten and first grade were reading at grade level. The School believes that by enrolling students in grades K-4 and 5-7 respectively, the School will be better equipped to assess, identify, and assist at-risk students residing in Brownsville.
Pursuant to Education Law §2857(1), prior to the issuance, revision or renewal of a charter, the school district in which the charter school is located is required to hold a public hearing in the community potentially impacted by the charter school to solicit comments from the community. The New York City Department of Education (“NYCDOE”) held a public hearing regarding the proposed revision to the charter for the School on Tuesday, July 22, 2008. There was one comment from the public, but it was concerning a matter unrelated to the proposed charter revision.
Staff recommends the Board of Regents approve this proposed revision.
Recommendation
VOTED: That the Board of Regents approves the revision to initial charter of the Achievement First Brownsville Charter School, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.
Reasons for Recommendations
The proposed revisions to the School’s charter, along with the other terms of the charter: (1) meet 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) are 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 the Achievement First Brownsville Charter School is effective immediately.
Attachment 1
Achievement
First Brownsville Charter School
Enrollment Plan
(New York City – CSD 23 – Brooklyn)
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Approved Enrollment |
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Grades |
2008-2009 |
2009-2010 |
2010-2011 |
2011-2012 |
2012-2013 |
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K |
0 |
0 |
84 |
84 |
84 |
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1 |
0 |
0 |
84 |
84 |
84 |
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2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
81 |
81 |
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3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
78 |
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4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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5 |
84 |
84 |
84 |
84 |
84 |
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6 |
0 |
81 |
81 |
81 |
81 |
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7 |
0 |
0 |
78 |
78 |
78 |
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8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
75 |
75 |
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Total students |
84 |
165 |
411 |
567 |
645 |
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Classes per grade |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
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Average number of students per class |
14 |
18.3 |
27.4 |
27 |
29.5 |
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Proposed Revised Enrollment |
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2008-2009 |
2009-2010 |
2010-2011 |
2011-2012 |
2012-2013 |
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K |
84 |
84 |
84 |
84 |
84 |
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1 |
84 |
84 |
84 |
84 |
84 |
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2 |
0 |
81 |
81 |
81 |
81 |
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3 |
0 |
0 |
78 |
78 |
78 |
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4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
75 |
75 |
|
5 |
0 |
0 |
84 |
84 |
84 |
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6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
81 |
81 |
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7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
78 |
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Total students |
168 |
249 |
411 |
567 |
645 |
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Classes per grade |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
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Average number of students per class |
14 |
18.3 |
27.4 |
27 |
29.5 |