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

TO:	EMSC-VESID Committee
FROM:	James A. Kadamus
SUBJECT:	Charter School Applications and Proposed Charters
DATE:	January 5, 2006
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 1 and 2
AUTHORIZATION(S):

SUMMARY

Issues for Decision

Should the Regents approve staff recommendations on the applications to establish the proposed charters for the six schools that have been submitted by the Chancellor of the New York City Public Schools?

Reason(s) for Consideration

Required by State statute, Education Law 2852.

Proposed Handling

These questions will come before the EMSC-VESID Committee on January 9, 2006 for action. They will then come before the full Board for final action on January 10, 2006.

Procedural History

Under the New York Charter Schools Act of 1998, the Board of Regents is authorized to make recommendations regarding the renewal of existing charters, on applications submitted directly to it as a charter entity, and on proposed charters submitted by another charter entity. Upon receipt of an application for renewal or for the establishment of a new charter school, or receipt of a proposed charter from another charter entity, the Board of Regents shall review such applications and proposed charters in accordance with the standards set forth in the Charter Schools Act.

Background Information

We have received 6 proposed charters from the Chancellor of the New York City Public Schools. The proposed charters are for:

§ Achievement First Endeavor Charter School

§ Hyde Leadership Charter School

§ International Leadership Charter School

§ Lower East Side Charter School for Leadership Excellence

§ Riverview Lighthouse Charter School

§ Ross Global Academy Charter School

The Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education (“the Chancellor”) approved the applications for the following 6 schools and submitted a proposed charter to the Board of Regents in October 2005. Under the provisions of Education Law §2852, the Board of Regents must either approve the proposed charter or return it to the Chancellor for reconsideration with their written comments and recommendations.

(1) The Achievement First Endeavor Charter School would be located in the Fort Greene or Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. The School would serve 75 students in grade 5 during its first year, and expand to serve 289 students in grades 5-8 by the fourth year of its charter. The instructional program will be modeled on the Achievement First program developed at the Amistad Academy in New Haven, Connecticut. The model is being replicated at two schools in Brooklyn, which opened in September 2005. Achievement First will be the management partner for the proposed charter school.

(2) The Hyde Leadership Charter School would be located in New York City Region 10/District 5. The School would serve 220 students in grades K and 6 at opening and would expand to serve 904 students in grades K-4 and 6-10 in year five of its charter. The Hyde Leadership Schools Division of the Hyde Foundation of Maine will assume the role of charter management organization. The School intends to integrate an academic program with character development and family renewal.

(3) The International Leadership Charter School would be located in New York City Region 1/District 9. The School would serve 88 students in grade 9; by its fifth year, the School would serve 352 students in grades 9-12. The School has no institutional partner or management company; the School would form a relationship with New York University. The School would focus on international studies and the social, economic and political issues that affect students’ daily lives, and cultivate their leadership skills with a commitment to community service, social action and participation in the global society.

(4) The Lower East Side Charter School for Leadership Excellence would be located in the Lower East Side section of Manhattan in New York City. The School would establish a partnership with the following three organizations: Vision Urbana, Inc., Community for Education Foundation, and Touro College. The School would serve 125 students in grade 6 the first year, and would expand to serve 375 students in grades 6-8 by the fifth year of its charter. It would provide young adolescents with a liberal arts education grounded in strong academic skills through which the students would also develop strong character, personal values, and the leadership abilities to enable them to reach their greatest potential throughout their lives.

(5) The Riverview Lighthouse Charter School would be located in New York City Region 2. It would serve 160 students in grades K-3; by its fifth year, the School would serve 320 students in grades K-7. The School’s charter management organization is Lighthouse Academies, Inc. The Lighthouse Academies curriculum would be implemented. The School would be the eighth school partnered with Lighthouse Academies, Inc., which was established in 2003.

(6) The Ross Global Academy Charter School would be located in the Lower East Side section of Manhattan in New York City. The Ross Institute would be the School’s institutional partner, and the School would establish a formal partnership with the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University. The School will serve 180 students in grades K, 1, 5, 6, and 9 in its first year, and expand to serve 500 students in grades K-12 by the fifth year of its charter. It will offer instruction in skills and content in each discipline to provide the foundation for interdisciplinary understanding, and the development of 21^st century skills. The School will provide programs that promote self-directed learning, collaborative problem solving, and responsibility, as well as the exploration of individual interests and mutual respect.

The following table summarizes the number of new charters that may still be issued by charter entities in New York:

Charter Entity	SUNY Trustees	All Other Charter Entities

Remaining against statutory ceiling	5	4

Recommendation

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

VOTED: That the Board of Regents approve the following proposed charters:

§ Achievement First Endeavor Charter School, New York City

§ Hyde Leadership Charter School, New York City

§ International Leadership Charter School, New York City

§ Ross Global Academy Charter School, New York City

VOTED: That the Board of Regents return to the Chancellor for reconsideration the following proposed charters:

§ Lower East Side Charter School for Leadership Excellence, New York City

§ Riverview Lighthouse Charter School, New York City

Timetable for Implementation

The Regents action will become effective on January 10, 2006.

New York State Education Department

Summary of Proposed Charter

Summary of Applicant Information

Name of Proposed charter school: Achievement First Endeavor Charter School (AFECS)

Address: To be determined

Applicant(s): Dacia Toll

Anticipated Opening Date: September 5, 2006

District of Location: New York City – CSD 13 or 16/Region 8

Charter Entity: Chancellor, New York City Department of Education

Institutional Partner(s): None

Management Partner(s): Achievement First

Grades Served: 5 (5-8)

Projected Enrollment: 75 (289)

Proposed Charter Highlights

Applicant

The lead applicant, Dacia Toll, is the President and co-CEO of Achievement First, a non-profit educational management organization, and the Founder of Amistad Academy in New Haven, Connecticut. Ms. Toll served as Co-Founder and Director of the Amistad Academy from 1999 through 2005. She is the former Executive Director of New Haven Cares. Ms. Toll has worked as a Policy Analyst with the United States Department of Education, and as a business associate with the management consulting firm, McKinsey and Company. Ms. Toll is a graduate of Yale Law School.

Institutional Partner(s)

None.

Management Partner

Achievement First is a charter school management organization that was incorporated on July 27, 2003 by the leaders of Amistad Academy, a charter school located in New Haven, CT that serves fifth through eighth graders. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization was established to disseminate and build upon the Amistad Academy model. Achievement First currently runs two schools in New Haven, CT (Amistad Academy and Elm City College Prep) and two schools in New York City (Achievement First, Crown Heights and Achievement First, East New York). The stated mission of Achievement First is, “To deliver on the often-denied promise of equal educational opportunity for America's urban children by inspiring in them the belief that they can achieve and developing in them the academic and character skills necessary to compete on a level playing field.”

Through a five-year renewable contractual agreement, Achievement First provides educational programming and back office services. These services include teacher recruitment, principal recruitment, hiring and evaluation, teacher and principal coaching/training, curriculum and interim assessments, information technology, human resources, accounting, audit, legal, State reporting, school evaluation, and start-up support. The management partner serves as the sole member of the proposed education corporation. The lead applicant, Dacia Toll, is the President of Achievement First.

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

§ The mission of Achievement First Endeavor Charter School states, AFECS “will strengthen the academic and character skills needed for all students to excel in top tier colleges, to achieve success in a competitive world, and to serve as the next generation of leaders for our community.”

§ AFECS’s broad academic goal is to prepare students with a college preparatory curriculum.

§ AFECS states, “The educational program has been designed to ensure success in the most demanding college environments.”

§ AFECS asserts its curriculum will be in alignment with the New York State Learning Standards.

§ AFECS will employ the standards-based curricula designed at Amistad Academy and the Worldly Wise vocabulary program. Grade 8 will use the Addison-Wesley algebra curriculum.

§ AFECS students will take the New York City and State tests. AFECS will administer its own Interim Assessments (“IAs”) six times a year.

§ AFECS intends to employ experienced and certified Special Education teachers to ensure that the unique needs and learning styles of all students are being met. Outside of the classroom, tutoring, counseling, physical, occupational, speech and language therapy services will be provided (either by full-time staff or specially contracted professionals) for those with special needs.

§ Fifth and sixth grade students will have a Social Justice writing class. The class will incorporate social studies, history and important contemporary issues.

§ Students in grade 7 and 8 will receive two years of intensive Spanish language instruction. Students will take four years of Spanish in high school.

§ AFECS will provide technology instruction on core software applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Explorer.

§ All incoming AFECS students will be tested to determine their level of English proficiency, using the Language Assessment Battery-Revised (Lab-R). English Language Learners (ELL) will be placed in smaller core classes (reading, writing, and math) to be provided with additional help and instructional support.

§ All students will be required to wear a uniform.

§ The school day will be from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Students will have two reading classes and an extended math class every day.

§ AFECS intends to share Amistad Academy’s positive, structured, “no excuses” school culture.

· AFECS will incorporate rap, rhythm, and rhyme as a key component of lessons. The use of motivational chants and songs will get students ready to learn.

Governance

§ AFECS will start with a nine-member Board of Trustees.

§ The minimum number of Trustees will be five (5). The maximum number will be fifteen (15).

§ One member of the Board shall be a representative of the parents of children attending AFECS.

§ The Board of Trustees will meet 10 times annually.

· The Board shall have the following committees: Executive Committee, Finance Committee, and Education/Accountability Committee.

Students

§ The School anticipates serving 75 fifth graders year one, 150 fifth and sixth graders year two, 221 fifth through seventh graders year three, and 289 fifth through eighth graders in years 4 and 5.

§ The School has provided a statement of assurances concerning services to students with disabilities and will comply with all applicable State and federal regulations.

§ AFECS’ approach to the education of English Language Learners (ELL) will be structured immersion.

§ All oral and written communication to families of students identified as ELL students will be translated into the family’s native language to the extent possible.

Budget/Facilities

§ The School’s first-year anticipated budget total is $1,045,305. The start-up budget is for $240,000. The applicant anticipates a balanced budget in each year of the operation of the charter.

§ The School anticipates that the Board of Trustees will raise $50,000 during the start-up phase. The School proposes to build a reserve fund in year 3 of more than $350,000 in anticipation of relocating to a larger facility.

§ The budget anticipates $85,000 in start-up funds from the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence and an additional $70,000 in year 1.

§ The salary for the School’s Principal is budgeted at $100,000 in year 1 and $90,000 during the start-up phase.

§ The proposed charter school anticipates receiving space in a New York City Department of Education school. The applicant is engaged in conversations with the New York City Department of Education to secure a facility.

§ The applicant has pledges of financial support sufficient to cover the costs if necessary of leasing space at commercial rates in the target community.

Personnel

§ A principal, a dean of students and an academic dean will lead the administrative team.

§ A business manager, recruitment director, and IT director will support AFECS.

§ In year 1, AFECS anticipates hiring a principal, five teachers, a school manager and a registrar/secretary.

· The proposed school leader is Eric Redwine.

Fiscal Impact

§ When fully enrolled with 289 students, the charter school will receive no more than 0.017% of the New York City Department of Education budget (See Potential Fiscal Impact Chart).

§ Programmatic and fiscal audits will comply with all requirements of public schools. The School will employ a New York State licensed public accountant or certified public accountant to perform the fiscal audit. In addition, the School will ensure that the audit is conducted in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) issued by the U.S. Comptroller General.

Potential Fiscal Impact of

Achievement First Endeavor Charter School

(New York City CSD 13 or 16/Region 8 – Brooklyn)

School Year	Number of Students	Projected School Payment*	Projected Impact
2006-2007	75	$ 743,997	0.0041%
2007-2008	150	$1,554,953	0.0084%
2008-2009	221	$2,394,057	0.0125%
2009-2010	289	$3,271,572	0.0166%
2010-2011	289	$3,418,792	0.0168%

* Assumes a 3 percent annual increase in the district’s budget from a 2004-2005 base allocation of $17.0 billion, and a 4.5 percent annual increase in the average expense per pupil per year from the 2004-2005 final average expense per pupil of $9,084.

Community Support

§ More than 85 signatures (from parents of children in the target grade) were collected on the Parent Petitions of Support.

§ The School has received letters of support from 11 community-based organizations and/or elected officials serving the educational, cultural, business and political interests of the target community.

§ The following individuals and/or organizations have provided letters of support:

Michael Weinstein, Director – Policy, Planning and Research, The Robin Hood Foundation
Eva Moskowitz – Member, City Council, City of New York
Letitia James – Member, City Council, City of New York
Roger Green – Member, State Assembly of New York
Reverend Clinton Miller, Brown Memorial Baptist Church
Shirley McRae, Chairperson, Community Board 2, Brooklyn, New York
Dale Joseph, Project Director, One City/One Community
Jack Lund, President, YMCA of Greater New York
Crystal Bobb-Semple, Owner, Brownstone Books
Charles J. Hynes, District Attorney, Kings County
Dr. Edison O. Jackson, President, Medgar Evers College

Recommendation

Approve the application.

Reasons For Recommendation

1) The charter school described in the application meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) the applicants can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; and (3) granting the application 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.

New York State Education Department

Summary of Proposed Charter

Summary of Applicant Information

Name of Proposed Charter School: Hyde Leadership Charter School (HLCS)

Address: To be determined

Applicant(s): Herbert B. Fixler

Anticipated Opening Date: August 30, 2006

District of Location: New York City – CSD 5/ Region 10

Charter Entity: Chancellor, New York City Department of Education

Institutional Partner(s): None

Management Partner(s): The Hyde Leadership Schools Division of the Hyde Foundation of Maine will assume the role of Charter Management Organization (CMO).

Grades Served: K, 6 (K-4, 6-10)

Projected Enrollment: 220 (904)

Proposed Charter Highlights

Applicant(s)

The lead applicant, Herbert Fixler, has submitted the application in conjunction with the Hyde Foundation of Maine. Mr. Fixler is the proposed Chairman of the Board of Trustees for HLCS. Mr. Fixler is a former Hyde parent and a partner in the Private Client Services Group of Wolf, Block, Schorr, and Solis-Cohen LLP, concentrating in the fields of estate planning and administration. Mr. Fixler advises owners of businesses and commercial real estate on ownership structures, owners’ agreements, compensation agreements and business succession. Mr. Fixler received his J.D. from the Washington College of Law of the American University where he served as Director of the Legal Aid Society. The applicant is a member of Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises, a non-profit organization comprised of attorneys from throughout the United States. Upon graduation, Mr. Fixler served as a VISTA volunteer and then entered private practice in New York City; he is a member of the bars in the State of New York and in the District of Columbia.

Institutional Partner(s)

None.

Management Partner(s)

The Hyde Leadership Schools Division of the Hyde Foundation of Maine will assume the role of Charter Management Organization (CMO). The Foundation of Maine’s president is Joseph W. Gauld who in 1966 founded the Hyde School in Bath, Maine (a boarding high school). The CMO will offer the School the Hyde character and academic curricula; will support the growth of HLCS through the provision of key policy and procedure manuals (for example, the staff, faculty, parent and student handbooks and the financial policies and procedures manual). The CMO will develop improvements to the curricula and to the policies and procedures and share these with HLCS, will assist HLCS in identifying and recruiting personnel, provide professional development for the School’s staff and consulting support to the administrators and Trustees. The CMO will not manage the School on a daily basis, nor will it hold or control school records. The School will pay the CMO an amount equal to three percent of the School’s pupil funding when received from the New York City Department of Education to cover the deliverables and services listed above as well as to support research and development work. HLCS will also reimburse the CMO against invoice for out-of-pocket expenses (for example, HLCS staff training accommodations, printing, which will be billable separately, and without mark-up). The CMO is providing services to two private boarding high schools, the Hyde School in Bath, Maine and the Hyde School in Woodstock, Connecticut, as well as to the Hyde Charter School in Washington, DC and a newly opened charter school in Oakland, CA. The CMO plans to add five new Hyde Schools over the next few years, including HLCS.

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

§ The Hyde Leadership Charter School states its mission is “To develop the deeper character and unique potential of each student.”

§ Using the Hyde Process for family-based character education, the HLCS intends to unite parents, teachers, and students in helping each student achieve his/her best academically and in sports, the arts and the community.

§ The School has established eight performance goals for the five-year charter period.

§ HLCS intends to integrate an academic program with character development and family renewal.

§ The School intends to offer a variety of differentiated instructional methods; these methods may range from the teacher delivering lessons on content and skills mastery to students taking full responsibility for peer learning outcomes; the School expects to have a high degree of cooperative learning, coaching and collaboration within the academic setting.

§ HLCS will use several “packaged” curriculum programs, which they state will fulfill the 28 New York State learning standards.

§ The math program to be used in grades kindergarten through eight will be Saxon Math.

§ The school-wide writing program will be the Collins Writing Program.

§ Kindergarten through grade five will follow the Houghton-Mifflin reading program. The middle grades will study trade literature, reading comprehension and literary conventions.

§ The School will use the Language! Program with the intention to integrate 18 strands of language arts into HLCS activities.

§ In the elementary grades, the School will use the Core Knowledge for content study in science, social studies, humanities and fine arts; this will be supplemented each year by two units each of the Delta Science hands-on kits, teacher-friendly units.

§ In the middle school, science and social studies will employ Joy Hakim’s series.

§ Johns Hopkins University is currently finishing a hands-on science program to complement the Hakim series; the School intends to implement this program as the laboratory component in the sciences.

§ The high school will follow a college preparatory curriculum through the junior year; in the senior year, the English and social studies courses will be modeled on the curriculum employed at the Hyde college preparatory school.

§ The high school will use textbooks that will be selected in year 4 of the charter; the criteria that will be employed to make an informed decision have been set out in the Textbook and Materials Adoption Procedure.

§ HLCS students will study Latin starting in the middle school; Spanish will also be offered in high school.

§ Social skills and conflict resolution will be taught through Getting Along Together and parental and community involvement will be addressed through Solution Teams.

§ Five Hyde words and principles will be integrated through Discover Groups and the Discovery Process.

§ HLCS will educate students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment, with their non-disabled peers, to the extent appropriate and allowed by the student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

§ The HLCS believes that a structured English immersion program will be most helpful to English Language Learners (ELLs) in improving their abilities to master the English language. All instruction will be in English; the extended day may be used for additional intensive English language instruction.

§ HLCS’s core school day will run from 8:00 a.m. to 3:05 p.m., but the school day will begin with breakfast at 7:30, and the extended day will finish at 5:00, except on Thursdays when early dismissal will be at 3:05.

§ The School will assure the equivalent of 180 school days of instruction.

§ 30.5 hours per week will be devoted to core academic subjects.

§ The Hyde Family Program will be strongly encouraged; HLCS states the Family Program is a fundamental part of the Hyde process.

Governance

§ The HLCS Board of Trustees (BOT) will review and approve all basic policies for the Corporation and see that they are consonant with the purposes of the Corporation in conducting the School; approve the budgets for the School; be responsible for the oversight of all aspects of the School’s use of public and private funds; negotiate and approve any contract with a Charter Management Organization (CMO) or an Education Management Organization; and authorize the appointment and termination of the Head of School.

§ The BOT will have an Executive Committee, Nominating Committee, Finance and Audit Committee, and an Education Committee.

§ The Head of School will report to the BOT, and the School’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) will report to the Head of School.

§ A Director of Studies will serve all levels in the School with the intention of assuring continuity and building of the academic program from one level to the next.

§ As the School grows, three Directors will be added (one for each level: elementary, middle and college preparatory).

§ The faculty and the academic support staff will report to the Head of School (in most cases through the directors of the elementary, middle and high schools), and the CMO will report to and support both the Board’s Executive Committee and the Head of School.

§ The Board will retain and work directly with the School’s “pro-bono” outside legal counsel and auditors.

§ The governance of the School will include a Parent Teacher Advisory Board.

§ The initial BOT will be comprised of nine Trustees; the Head of the School will be an ex-officio member of the Board.

§ The Board of Trustees shall meet at least 10 times during the school year; meetings will be held at the school at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of the month.

§ The number of Trustees shall not be fewer than five (5) and shall not exceed twenty-three (23); in addition, an ex officio seat is reserved for a parent of an enrolled student in HSCS.

§ Trustees will be elected to serve terms of three (3) years. All Trustees shall be eligible for re-election.

§ HLCS plans for and expects an active role for parents in the governance of the School; the School will establish a Parent Association.

Students

§ HLCS plans to serve 220 kindergarteners and sixth graders in year 1; in year 5, HLCS plans to expand to serve 904 kindergarten through fourth and sixth through tenth graders; each year the School intends to add a grade to its initial grade configuration. (For example, in year 2 the School will add a first and seventh grade.)

§ HLCS intends to serve students with similar demographic profile as CSD 5; students attending traditional public schools are predominantly African American (~69%) and Latino (~29%); 85.3% of students in CSD 5 are eligible for free lunches and less than 35% of elementary and intermediate school students meet standards in English Language Arts, Math and Science.

§ The students will be selected by a blind, random lottery. Preference will be given to students living in the New York City School District. Students with siblings enrolled in the School receive preference over waiting list candidates who do not have siblings enrolled.

Budget/Facilities

§ HLCS has received two grants totaling $30,000 and a grant recommendation from Ms. Mellor, who is a donor of funds to the US Charitable Gift Trust, to receive $40,000 in year 1 with follow-up grants of $50,000 over years 2 and 3.

§ HLCS has budgeted to receive a $90,000 start-up grant as well as additional $40,000 in supplemental funding from the City of New York in year 1.

§ HLCS plans to lease space from an existing New York City Department of Education (DOE) school facility with rent costs of $1 annually.

§ The School has assumed a DOE space pro-ration of $50,000 in year 1, increasing by $5,000 for each year following.

§ The School has begun to formulate a contingency plan and to explore possible alternative space.

§ The School intends to establish a $500,000 line of credit with Bank of America, guaranteed by the Hyde School, to cover the early deficits and fluctuating cash flows.

§ HLCS intends to establish a Development Committee to raise funds to cover the cost of programs, such as the Family Education Program, the extended day program and the competitive sports program.

§ The School will establish a Board Finance Committee to oversee the financial well-being.

Personnel

§ Joanne Goubourn, the Head of School at the Hyde Leadership Public Charter School of Washington, DC will assume the role as founding Head of School.

§ The School will hire a Head of School, a Director for elementary, middle and high school (progressively increasing by one beginning year three), two family coordinators/assistants/office staff (increasing to five in year 2 and six in year 4), a leadership assistant (increasing by one beginning in year 3), a business manager/COO, two accountants/registrars (increasing to three in year 3 and 3.5 in year 4), a school nurse, a security officer, and a data clerk (increasing by one beginning in year 3).

§ HLCS will provide ongoing professional development to teachers and staff; professional development will include intensive two-week summer training.

§ In addition to leadership and administrative staff, HLCS will employ the following staff: ten general education teachers in year 1 (21, 30, 40, 44 respectively for years two through five), two special education teachers (increasing by two each year), a .5 substitute teacher, five teaching assistants (to decrease to four in year 4 and increase to eight in year 5), two specialty teachers (to increase to three in year 3, four in year 4 and five in year 5), a physical education/athletic director (to increase to two in year 3), one director of studies, a FLC director, a dean of students, and a student support coordinator (half-time in year 1, to increase to full-time status beginning in year 2).

Fiscal Impact

§ When fully enrolled with 904 students, HLCS will take .052% of the District’s budget (see Potential Fiscal Impact Chart).

§ Programmatic and fiscal audits will comply with all requirements made of public schools. The School will employ a New York State licensed public accountant or certified public accountant to perform the fiscal audit. In addition, the School will ensure that the audit is conducted in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) issued by the U.S. Comptroller General.

Potential Fiscal Impact of

Hyde Leadership Charter School

(New York City CSD 5/Region 10-Central Harlem/Manhattan)

School Year	Number of Students	Projected Payment*	Projected Impact
2005-06	220	$2,182,390	.0121%
2006-07	430	$4,457,532	.0240%
2007-08	618	$6,694,694	.0350%
2008-09	762	$8,626,081	.0438%
2009-10	904	$10,694,077	.0527%

*Assumes a 3 percent annual increase in the district’s budget from a 2004-2005 base of $17 billion and a 4.5 percent annual increase in the average expense per pupil, per year from the 2004-2005 final average expense per pupil of $9,084.

Community Support

§ HLCS has collected over 825 parent signatures from interested parents; of the signatures, 160 are from parents/guardians whose children will be entering kindergarten and 123 from parents/guardians whose children will be entering the sixth grade in September 2006.

§ Letters of support have been submitted from the following persons:

Beth Pettit, The St. Aloysius Education Clinic
Nick Blatchford, Founder/Executive Director, New Heights Youth, Inc.
Stephanie Palmer, Executive Director, New York City Mission Society
Mimi Levin Lieber, Regent Emerita from New York City
Hon. Lottie Wilkens Culpepper, whose child attended Hyde Schools

Recommendation

Approve the application.

Reason for Recommendation

New York State Education Department

Summary of Proposed Charter

Summary of Applicant Information

Name of Proposed Charter School: International Leadership Charter School (ILCS)

Address: To be determined

Applicant(s): Dr. Elaine Ruiz Lopez

Anticipated Opening Date: August 29, 2006

District of Location: New York City – CSD 9/Region 1

Charter Entity: Chancellor, New York City Department of Education

Institutional Partner(s): None

Management Partner(s): None

Grades Served: 9 (9-12)

Projected Enrollment: 88 (352)

Proposed Charter Highlights

Applicant(s)

Elaine Ruiz Lopez, Ed.D., the lead applicant, is presently an Assistant Professor at Mercy College Graduate School of Education in the New Teacher Residency Program. In 2003, she established a partnership for the development of a small high school in the Bronx. She wrote the proposal and guided the team in shaping the School’s vision, mission and curriculum. Dr. Lopez is the proposed Chief Executive Officer for ILCS and will be employed full-time by ILCS.

Institutional Partner(s)

None.

Management Partner(s)

None.

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

§ The School will strive to expand students’ knowledge of international studies, the social, economic and political issues that affect their daily lives and cultivate their leadership skills with a commitment to community service, social action and participation in the global society.

§ ILCS students will meet the requirements of completing 22.5 credits and passing the following Regents examinations in order to graduate: Comprehensive English, Global History and Geography, Mathematics, Science, and US History and Government.

§ ILCS will encourage its students to take courses beyond the minimum required to graduate.

§ To emphasize the School’s international focus, the study of two world languages will be required. Thus, the School will require four credits for the study of languages other than English (LOTE).

§ The School’s Global Studies curriculum will include Global Classrooms: Sustainable Development Unit, a standards-based curriculum that provides high school students with an opportunity to engage global concerns, events and the dynamic of the United Nations system.

§ The four-year sequence will be accelerated in mathematical content. Algebra and Geometry will be offered in grade 9 and Algebra 2/Geometry/Trigonometry course will be offered in grade 10. The grade 12 students will take an AP calculus course.

§ The School will use the Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP) to supplement all courses. IMP projects and technology in the form of computer and graphing calculators will be used.

§ To serve ELL students, the School will use the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA), a research-based program model based on cognitive learning theory. CALLA integrates content-area instruction with language development activities and explicit instruction in learning strategies.

§ The School will use staff assignments to allow for a variety of small instructional groupings and interdisciplinary teaching. For example, two or more teachers with different academic specializations will collaborate to teach an interdisciplinary program to the same group of students.

§ The School intends to offer internships to broaden the Youth Development Framework.

§ The School’s regular academic day will be 8:00 am—4:00 pm.

§ School will implement a modified, A day – B day, block schedule. The block schedule will have 90-minute and 60-minute periods to accommodate the interdisciplinary and student-centered curriculum.

§ The school year will be extended. The School will provide a 200-day school year.

§ The class size will be 22.

Governance

§ The Board of Trustees is currently comprised of six members. The Board will not have fewer than five (5) Trustees and no more than fifteen (15) Trustees.

§ The CEO will submit monthly reports to the Board of Trustees on the School’s academic achievement, fiscal and operational matters.

§ The Board will have a standing Executive Committee and Finance Committee. The Treasurer will chair the Finance Committee and the President of the Board will appoint additional members.

Students

§ In the first year of operation, the School will serve grade 9, 88 students.

§ In the fifth year the School will serve grades 9-12, 352 students.

§ The School will implement a Youth Development Framework with a focus on youth leadership development through study and community service that will provide students the opportunity to work on social issues that impact their community in collaboration with community-based organizations, colleges, universities and local businesses.

Budget/Facilities

§ The National Council de La Raza has pledged $400,000 in funding over the course of the five-year charter.

§ ILCS assumes they will receive $90,000 in City of New York start-up funding and an additional $475 per student from this source thereafter.

§ The School budget assumes fundraising revenue will equal $200,000 during the life of the charter.

§ The start-up budget for the School projects revenues of $155,000 and expenditures of $89,955, for a projected surplus of $65,045.

§ The first-year budget for the School projects revenues of $1,397,052 and expenditures of $1,374,881 for a projected surplus of $87,215 (with a carryover of $65,045 from the start-up period); the fifth-year budget for the School projects revenues of $4,073,630, expenditures of $4,039,925, and a final surplus of $188,991..

§ The School anticipates raising $200,000 in fundraising revenue; the School has presented a contingency budget to reflect a balanced budget if this funding is not raised.

§ The School is not requesting space in a New York City Public School building.

§ The temporary proposed location for the School is a newly constructed building located at 647 East 180^th Street, in the Tremont Neighborhood of the borough of the Bronx in Community School District 9. In year one the School proposes to lease approximately 7,000 square feet of space and in year two, an additional 4,000 square feet of space. The School has submitted letters to verify that they have been offered a lease rate at $16.00 per square foot.

§ ILCS will continue contract and lease negotiations once authorized.

§ ILCS plans to relocate, year three, to a permanent facility located at 516 East Tremont Avenue, approximately six city blocks from the initial facility.

Personnel

§ In the first year of operation, ILCS staff will include: a chief executive officer, director of instruction, administrative associate, 4 teachers, 3 school aides, 1 special education teacher, part-time foreign language teacher, part-time substitute teacher, part-time specialty teacher, part-time counselor, a fiscal manager and a custodian.

§ In the fifth year of operation, the staff will include a chief executive officer, director of instruction, administrative associate, 19 teachers, 8 school aides, 1.5 special education teacher, two part-time foreign language teachers, part-time substitute teacher, 2 specialty teachers, part-time counselor, a fiscal manager and a custodian.

§ The lead applicant, Dr. Elaine Ruiz Lopez, is the proposed Chief Executive Officer of the School.

§ All ILCS teachers will be required to have at least three years of teaching experience.

§ The New York University (NYU) Metro Center and the NYU Department of Teaching and Learning, Steinhardt School of Education, will provide in-kind professional development to the teaching staff.

§ The TESOL/Foreign Language/Bilingual Education Department at the Steinhardt School of Education at NYU has committed to placing at least two student teachers each term to ILCS in the areas of ESL, Spanish, Chinese, and bilingual education; they state interns from other disciplines will also be placed at ILCS. The Department has committed to providing professional development workshops and the Multilingual Multicultural Studies Program will also work with teachers at ILCS to adapt the model of mentoring, coaching, and action research.

Fiscal Impact

§ When fully enrolled with 352 students, the charter school will take .020% of the District’s budget (see fiscal impact chart).

Potential Fiscal Impact of

International Leadership Charter School (ILCS)

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

School Year	Number of Students	Projected Payment*	Projected Impact
2005-06	88	$835,365	0.0048%
2006-07	176	$1,745,912	0.0097%
2007-08	352	$2,736,717	0.0147%
2008-09	352	$3,813,159	0.0199%
2009-10	352	$3,984,751	0.0202%

Community Support

§ The School has collected signatures from interested parents/guardians whose children will be entering ninth grade in September 2006 to demonstrate it can meet its intended enrollment in the first year.

§ The School has received 11 letters of support from local community groups:

§ Metropolitan Center for Urban Education - Pedro Noguera, Executive Director

§ Carl C. Icahn Charter School – Jeffrey Litt, Principal/Chief Education Officer

§ The Assembly of the State of New York, Michael A. Benjamin, Member

§ National Council of La Raza – Luis M. Genao, Senior Director

§ The Council of the City of New York – Majority Leader Joel Rivera

§ YMCA – Alice Mairs, Executive Director (Dated 2004)

§ Office of the Bronx Borough President – Adolfo Carrion, Jr., President

§ El Puente – Luis Garden Acosta, Founder, President & CEO

§ The City of New York Bronx Community Board #6 – Wendy Rodriguez, Chairperson

§ Tremont Business and Community Organization – Luis Aucapina, Secretary

§ Children’s Defense Fund—Hector W. Soto, Director of Policy and Advocacy

Recommendation

Approve the application.

Reasons for Recommendation

New York State Education Department

Summary of Proposed Charter

Summary of Applicant Information

Name of Proposed Charter School: Ross Global Academy Charter School (RGACS)

Address: To be determined

Applicant(s): Megan Silander (lead applicant); Jennifer Chidsey, Robert Durkin (co-applicants)

Anticipated Opening Date: September 6, 2006

District of Location: New York City – CSD 1/ Region 9

Charter Entity: Chancellor, New York City Department of Education

Institutional Partner(s): Ross Institute

RGACS will also form a partnership with New York University (NYU).

Management Partner(s): None

Grades Served: K, 1, 5, 6 and 9 (K-12)

Projected Enrollment: 180 (500)

Proposed Charter Highlights

Applicant(s)

Megan Silander is the lead applicant; the co-applicants are Jennifer Chidsey and Robert Durkin. Ms. Silander is an Education Associate with the Ross Institute; she holds a M.Ed. from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, has been a volunteer with the United States Peace Corps in Namibia, and has worked at both the Board of Education and the Evaluation and Training Institute in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Chidsey is the Director of Education and Outreach and the Ross Institute. Mr. Durkin is a Project Assistant at the New York University Equity Assistance Center/Metrocenter.

Institutional Partner(s)

The institutional partner is the Ross Institute for Advanced Study and Innovation in Education (RI). Founded in 1996, the RI is a non-profit entity that will provide the RGACS with the following: Ross Model curriculum, support in implementation of the curriculum, instructional support, professional development services, technical assistance and quality assurance. RI will also provide the School with fundraising and development support. RGACS will become the first charter school to join the network of Ross Model Schools.

RGACS will also maintain a close relationship with the New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education (NYU). NYU will provide the School with connections to the New York City community with the expectation to leverage resources outside the School and to develop and recruit an active and effective Board. Support from NYU that will be provided to RGACS include the following: tutors, student teachers, tuition vouchers for RGACS faculty, access to the NYU library, support for the early-to-college program, consulting, board representation, opportunities for participation and collaboration on research and education projects, and collaboration in school design.

Management Partner(s)

None.

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

§ The Ross Global Academy Charter School states its mission is, “To transform the way education prepares students for the future. Through systematic interdisciplinary instruction, built upon deep knowledge of the disciplines and commitment to fundamental skills, immersion in worldwide cultural history and current world events, intercultural dialogue, and fluency in new technologies.”

§ RGACS states it will “provide instruction in skills and content in each discipline to provide the foundation for interdisciplinary understanding, the development of 21^st century skills and the incorporation of multiple intelligences approach.”

§ The RGACS teaching techniques will reflect Howard Gardner’s work on multiple intelligences.

§ RGACS states it will offer an interdisciplinary curriculum that is aligned with NYS Learning Standards, for intercultural understanding taught through an integrated approach to connect multiple subjects through a cultural history core.

§ RGACS will provide programs that promote self-directed learning, collaborative problem solving, responsibility as well as the exploration of individual interests.

§ RGACS will provide instruction and experiences with communication and media technologies.

§ RGACS will design learning spaces to foster learning, collaboration, positive relationships and mutual respect and responsibility.

§ RGACS will offer students additional support through elective classes and summer, Saturday, and after-school sessions; RGACS’s extended day and Saturday program will be required for all students; the extended year will include 222.5 days.

§ RGACS will offer students, in grades eleven and twelve, the opportunity to take college level courses and to qualify for an Associate’s degree upon graduation.

§ The education program will include a holistic approach to nutrition, health, and well-being.

§ RGACS states it will foster innovative pedagogy through professional development for teacher and administrators to emphasize team teaching, collaborative learning, globalization and learning, multiple intelligences, differentiated instruction, strategies for ELLs and other strategies needed to meet the needs of the School’s population of students.

§ RGACS states it will offer heterogeneous groupings and experiences to reflect its belief in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), to educate students without labels and to provide a free appropriate education for all; RGACS also states it is committed to an inclusive approach to education that encompasses all students.

§ The RGACS will offer an inclusionary academic program that will be both “push-in” and “push-out;” the School expects to educate students in accordance with their Individual Education Plan (IEP).

§ The School will use qualitative and quantitative data to assess student performance, including City and State exams, portfolios, formal written exams, and essays.

Governance

§ The RGACS Board of Trustees will provide stewardship for the School’s financial, organizational and educational resources.

§ The Board will monitor and evaluate regularly the performance of the Ross Institute and the School’s relationship with NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education.

§ A position on the Board has been designated for one parent, for a member of the School staff and for additional community members.

§ The School’s President will be the main point of contact between the School and the Board and will be responsible for institutional advancement, financial operations, and external relations with the community.

§ The Director will be responsible for curriculum and instruction and the day-to-day School operations.

§ Ross Institute and NYU will serve as advisors to the School and to the Board.

§ The initial eight-member Board will be expanded; it shall not be fewer than five (5) and shall not exceed fifteen (15).

§ Trustees will be elected to serve terms of three (3) years, except that the term of any Trustee who is a parent of a child enrolled at the School or the designated representative of any partner organization shall be one (1) year.

§ A Trustee’s term of office shall not be extended beyond that for which the Trustee was elected.

§ A minimum of 10 regular meetings shall be held each year.

Students

§ RGACS will serve 180 kindergarten, first, fifth, sixth and ninth grade students in the first year and 500 kindergarten through twelfth graders in year five; as the School enrollment grows to capacity, the number of students in each grade will grow by 20-student sections so that overall grade level size increases by 20 students over the previous grade level.

§ RGACS has built several entry grade levels into the School’s admissions model, with the largest number of students entering in grades K, 5 and 9.

§ Each grade will be composed of sections made up of 20 students.

§ RGACS seeks to serve students from diverse backgrounds with a variety of academic abilities, including students with special needs and English Language Learners (ELLs); the School anticipates that at least 12% of the student population will be ELLs and approximately 10-12% will have special education needs.

§ RGACS anticipates the ethnicity of students will be heavily Latino, Chinese and African American.

§ The School anticipates that a number of students will enter below grade level.

§ The students will be selected by a blind, random lottery. Preference will be given to students living in the New York City School District. Students with siblings enrolled in the school receive preference over waiting list candidates who do not have siblings enrolled.

Budget/Facilities

§ RGACS plans to lease space from an existing New York City Department of Education (DOE) school facility with rent costs of $1 annually.

§ The School anticipates being located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

§ The School has provided a contingency budget; RGACS states, “The impact of paying for a lease would be hugely detrimental to the School program and culture. The substantial amount of resources required for lease payments would materially detract from the vision and mission of the School, and brings into question the ability of the School to meet the ambitious outcomes that have been set for the students.”

§ RGACS anticipates receiving a $632,500 loan from the Ross Institute; $245,000 in the start-up year, $200,000 the first year and an additional $187,500 year two; the School assumes to begin repayment of the loans beginning in year 3 with an annual amount of $75,000.

§ RGACS anticipates receiving $50,000 in-kind consultant in the start-up year from NYU.

§ RGACS assumes a New York State stimulus grant of $50,000 for the first three years.

§ RGACS assumes the payment of licensing fee to the Ross Institute and funds to pay for curriculum, implementation of the curriculum, professional development services and quality assurance.

§ RGACS has budgeted to receive a $90,000 start-up grant as well as additional supplemental funding from the City of New York at $391 per elementary school pupil and $443 per middle school pupil, and $475 per high school pupil enrolled on an annual basis.

Personnel

§ RGACS will hire a president and a director whose combined year 1 salary will equal $220,000.

§ In year 1, the School will hire 9 general education teachers, 1 special education teacher, four specialty teachers (art, music, physical education and ELL), and three teaching assistants (one to assume the role of parent advocate).

§ In year 5, the School will hire 25 general education teachers, 4 special education teachers, 10 specialty teachers, and 4 teaching assistants.

§ The School will hire one social worker in the first year, one guidance counselor in years 2-4.

§ The School will hire one business manager to assist the Director for Operations.

Fiscal Impact

§ When fully enrolled with 500 students, the RGACS will take .029% of the District’s budget (see Potential Fiscal Impact Chart below).

Potential Fiscal Impact of

Ross Global Academy Charter School

(New York City CSD 1/Region9/Lower East Side/Manhattan)

School Year	Number of Students	Projected Payment*	Projected Impact
2005-06	180	$1,785,592	.0099%
2006-07	320	$3,317,233	.0179%
2007-08	440	$4,766,449	.0249%
2008-09	500	$5,660,158	.0287%
2009-10	500	$5,914,865	.0291%

Community Support

§ RGACS has collected 291 parent signatures from interested parents whose children will be entering kindergarten and first, fifth, sixth and ninth grades in September 2006.

§ Letters of support have been submitted from the following persons:

§ Mary Brabeck, Dean, The Steinhardt School of Education

§ Michael H. Zisser, Executive Director, University Settlement

§ Jayne Godlewski, Principal, Marta Valle Secondary School

§ Jack Lund, President, YMCA of Greater New York

§ Eva Moskowitz, Council Member 4^th District

Recommendation

Approve the application.

Reason for Recommendation

New York State Education Department

Summary of Proposed Charter

Summary of Applicant Information

Name of Proposed Charter School: Lower East Side Charter School for Leadership Excellence (LESCS)

Address: To be determined

Applicant(s): Ninfa Segarra

Anticipated Opening Date: August 2006

District of Location: New York City – CSD 1/ Region 9

Charter Entity: Chancellor, New York City Department of Education

Institutional Partner(s): Vision Urbana, Inc.; Community for Education Foundation; Touro College

Management Partner(s): None

Grades Served: 6 (6-8)

Projected Enrollment: 125 (375)

Proposed Charter Highlights

Applicant(s)

The lead applicant, Ninfa Segarra, is the Chairperson for the National Puerto Rican Coalition (NPRC). She served as Deputy Mayor of New York City, and was the first Latina President of the New York City Board of Education. Ms. Segarra received a J.D. from New York Law School and a B.A. from New York University.

Institutional Partner(s)

LESCS will partner with the following three organizations: Vision Urbana, Inc. (VU), Community for Education Foundation, and Touro College. VU has been the fiscal conduit for LESCS during its development stage. VU will continue to act as the School’s community partner; it will offer the following resources and services: assist with the application preparation, assist with the review process, donation of computer equipment and networking (one computer for every eight students), use of VU’s neighborhood contact network and communication channels, guidance and assistance in the implementation of programs, assist in creating the emergency and security plans, and promote school services within the Lower East Side community. VU will extend available services to LESCS through the life of the charter and will provide these services without a fee. Both the Executive Director and the President of the Board of Directors of VU will join the Board of Trustees at the School. Touro College will be the university-based educational partner. The ongoing relationship between LESCS and Touro College will consist of the following: support with curriculum coordination team, support in the area of assessment, support with school documentation to assure alignment with State and city standards, professional development through research projects. The Community for Education Foundation Overcoming Obstacles Program will provide the School with a character development curriculum. Overcoming Obstacles will be retained on a consultant basis and will conduct student daily advisory sessions.

Management Partner(s)

None.

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

§ Lower East Side Charter School for Leadership Excellence states its mission is, “To provide young adolescents with an exemplary and demanding liberal arts education grounded in strong academic skills through which they also develop strong character, personal values, and the leadership abilities that will enable them to reach their greatest potential throughout their lives.”

§ LESCS intends to implement a “focused and highly challenging academic program.”

§ The School plans to implement an Individualized Student Academic Achievement Plan (ISAAP) to provide instructional assistance to each student.

§ The School states the liberal arts curriculum will focus on the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills.

§ The School intends to offer advisory periods to introduce ideas related to character development, ethical values, and leadership skills.

§ The School intends to implement elements from Core Knowledge, including common planning time for teachers, a grade-by-grade guide to knowledge, and the “Four S’s.”

§ The School states they will use teacher-driven assessment, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, and all assessment tests required by State and city.

§ The summer program will be subject to available private funding, parental consent, and school leadership review; it will be an elective component of a student’s study program.

§ The School states that students with special needs will be educated in an inclusion setting to the extent possible as per their IEP.

§ The School will provide academic instruction during the school day in English, with core content areas taught using strategies and teaching structures to support students with Limited English Proficiency/English Language Learners (LEP/ELL) in a mainstream classroom.

§ The School will offer a minimum of 195 instructional days.

§ The School will employ an extended day, beginning with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and ending with Tutoring/Enrichment at 5:30 p.m.

Governance

§ The LESCS states it will be the responsibility of the Board to provide strong leadership in advancing the School’s mission, goals and principles at a policy level, and actively support the School’s management in its growth and development.

§ The School plans to have a chief executive officer/principal who will have full authority over all school operations, and report monthly to the Board of Trustees.

§ The educational director/assistant principal will report directly to the CEO.

§ The School will establish a Parent Association (PA); the PA will be involved in the governance through regular interaction with the CEO, Education Director, and Board of Trustees on policies and practices, and advising them on approaches for providing information to parents and strategies for arranging staff interaction with parents.

§ The Business Manager and the CEO will finalize, with assistance and final review of the Board of Trustees, accounting and financial review procedures.

§ The Board will have no less than five (5) and no more than eleven (11) members.

§ The Board plans to develop a five-year operational plan with associated strategic benchmarks that will measure the School’s progress.

§ According to the by-laws, the Board must meet on a monthly basis.

Students

§ LESCS intends to serve a population similar to that in CSD 1, which is primarily Hispanic (52.42%) and Asian (18.62%).

§ The School plans to enroll 125 sixth grade students in year 1; adding an additional 125 sixth graders each year would allow the School to reach full capacity by year 3 with 375 sixth through eighth graders.

§ Class size will be limited to 21 students each for the 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grades.

§ LESCS will enforce an open admissions policy.

§ LESCS plans to implement a student recruitment plan to reach out to the broadest segment of the population in CSD 1.

Budget/Facilities

§ The School seeks to secure space in a New York City Department of Education facility.

§ The Primitive Christian Church (PCC) is willing to provide the School will temporary incubator space within its church building located at 207-209 East Broadway; the monthly lease will cost $8,250 plus utilities.

§ PCC is prepared to lease the space for the first three years of the School’s operations; as enrollment grows and the School requires additional space, PCC states it will work with the School to identify space within the community for a reasonable fee.

§ The School assumes raising $325,000 in the life of the charter through the Friends of LESCS for Leadership Excellence.

§ The School anticipates receiving a $350,000 grant from the National Council de La Raza.

§ The School assumes a New York State Legislative Grant of $200,000 for years 1-3, decreasing to $175,000 per annum for year 4 and $150,000 for year five.

§ The School has reserved $10,000 to fund the non-mandated summer program (made available to students on an elective basis) in year one, $15,000 in year two, $20,000 in year three and $30,000 for years four and five.

Personnel

§ The educational director/assistant principal will be charged with implementing the School’s educational program with a full staff of teachers and teacher’s assistants, as well as a social worker.

§ The School will hire six general education teachers in year one, ten in year two and fourteen for the remaining three years of the charter; one special education teacher in year one, two in year two and three for the following three years of the charter; two teaching assistants in year one, four in year two and six for the following three years of the charter; one specialty teacher in year one, two in year two and three for the following three years of the charter.

§ The School will hire one Business Manager (who will function as the defacto Director of Administration and Personnel) and one Administrative Assistant.

Fiscal Impact

§ When fully enrolled with 375 students, the charter school will take .0219% of the District’s budget (see fiscal impact chart).

Potential Fiscal Impact of

Lower East Side Charter School for Leadership Excellence

(New York City CSD 1/Region 9- Lower East Side/Manhattan)

School Year	Number of Students	Projected Payment*	Projected Impact
2005-06	125	$1,239,994	.0069%
2006-07	250	$2,591,588	.0140%
2007-08	375	$4,062,315	.0212%
2008-09	375	$4,245,119	.0215%
2009-10	375	$4,436,149	.0219%

Community Support

§ The signatures collected on petitions provide adequate evidence that there are sufficient numbers of parents with children of the age range to be served by the proposed school upon opening.

§ The School has submitted letters of support from the following persons:

Luis R. Cancel, Executive Director, Clemente Soto Velez Cultural & Educational Center
Alan Mathis, President and CEO, Lower Eastside Service Center, Inc.
Wanda Evans, Executive Director, Betances Health Center
Hector Rivera, Executive Director, Loisaida, Inc.
Martin Conners, State Senator

Recommendation

Return the application to the Chancellor.

Reason for Recommendation

(1) The curriculum is not fully aligned with all State learning standards (2) the proposed facility does not provide sufficient space to operate a suitable program for middle school students; (3) the proposed admission policies and procedures are not consistent with the requirements of subdivision two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty four of Article 56; and (4) the proposed budget and fiscal plan for the school do not include supporting evidence that the fiscal plan is sound and that sufficient start-up funds will be available. Therefore, we recommend that the application be returned so that the applicant can address the above issues.

New York State Education Department

Summary of Proposed Charter

Summary of Applicant Information

Name of Proposed Charter School: Riverview Lighthouse Charter School (RLCS)

Address: To be determined

Applicant(s): Andrew St. Laurent

Anticipated Opening Date: August 28, 2006

District of Location: New York City – CSD 8/Region 2

Charter Entity: Chancellor, New York City Department of Education

Institutional Partner(s): None

Management Partner(s): Lighthouse Academies, Inc.

Grades Served: K-3 (K-7)

Projected Enrollment: 160 (320)

Proposed Charter Highlights

Applicant(s)

Mr. St. Laurent is a public defense attorney at the Legal Aid Society in New York City. In his previous work as a lawyer at a law firm, he was involved in a wide variety of corporate and commercial litigation involving the fundamentals of accounting, the drafting of contracts, and corporate organization. Mr. St. Laurent has past experience and knowledge of finances, legal issues and educational public policy.

Institutional Partner(s)

None.

Management Partner(s)

Lighthouse Academies, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides public school choices for families, was incorporated in November of 2003. RLCS will be the eighth school partnered with Lighthouse Academies, Inc. The first school, The Bronx Lighthouse Charter School, opened September 2004. The next schools opened in Washington, DC, Gary and Indianapolis, IN and in Cleveland, OH in the fall of 2005. In 2006, the organization plans to open two schools in Indiana and one in Illinois.

The School will implement the Lighthouse Academies curriculum. Lighthouse Academies will provide the following services: development of the School’s accountability plan; development of the School’s annual budget to reflect its mission; setting up the School’s financial and human resources systems and providing oversight for these functions, which includes payroll and human resource functions, including teacher recruitment; in the areas of special education, 504 compliance, and English Language Learner support; a comprehensive curriculum and staff development and systems to implement it; an initial recruitment plan will be developed for the School with the Board; head of school and staff recruitment and selection; the School will be assigned a four-person team to support the day-school operations, which will consist of a Director of Regional Operations (on-site “almost daily basis”), Vice President of Strategy and Assessment (off-site), Senior Vice President (off-site) and a Director of Curriculum (on-site).

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

§ For reading and English Language Arts, the School will use Open Court Reading 2002 (OCR), a basal reading program that teaches phonemic awareness and phonics.

§ The School will hire one teacher who has a special education certification and will serve as the School’s special education director. RLCS will educate students with disabilities in the least-restrictive environment, with their non-disabled peers.

§ To serve ELL students, the School will use a structured English immersion program.

§ RLCS plans to hire a full-time teacher who is certified in ESL or bilingual education. The School will directly provide or make referrals to appropriate support service that may be needed. If determined the best course of action, the School will be prepared to use pull-out instruction and/or assignment to a certified aide, teacher or qualified consultant under contract.

§ RLCS states instructors will teach to the New York State Learning Standards.

§ RLCS will infuse arts into the curriculum in all areas in order to engage all students in instruction.

§ Each student will learn to play at least one instrument prior to graduation.

§ The School will use the Saxon Mathematics program as the basis for mathematics instruction.

§ Science instruction will have a strong basis in lab work, exploration, and mastery of specific concepts. To teach Core Knowledge topics and scientific method, the School will provide all students with science kits created by the Full Option Science System (FOSS).

§ The primary language taught at RLCS, other than English, will be Spanish.

§ Lighthouse Exit Standards are aligned with the New York State and City Learning and Performance Standards.

§ The School will use looping. Teachers will stay with a class for two consecutive years.

§ The School’s academic day will be 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

§ The school year will be extended. The School will provide a 190-day school year.

§ The class size will be 20.

Governance

§ The initial Board of Trustees has six members. In addition, the Board may also choose to add up to four additional seats to bring the total number of Board members to ten.

§ The head of school will report directly to the Board of Trustees and will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the School.

§ Board standing committees may include: the Executive Committee, the Education and Accountability Committee, and the Finance and Audit Committee. The Board may authorize additional committees.

§ A Board committee will conduct a performance management review of the head of school annually.

§ The staff and consultants from Lighthouse Academies will report to the Board of Trustees.

§ There will be two full-voting parent positions on RLCS Board of Trustees.

Students

§ In the first year the School will serve students K-3, 160 students.

§ In the fifth year the School will serve K-7, 320 students.

§ The School has provided a statement of assurances concerning services to students with disabilities and will comply with the requirements of all federal and State regulations.

§ All oral and written communication to families of students identified as ELL students will be translated into the family’s native language to the extent possible.

Budget/Facilities

§ The start-up budget for the School projects revenues of $320,000 and expenditures of $313,855, for a projected surplus of $6,145.

§ The first-year budget for the School projects revenues of $1,809,032 and expenditures of $1,801,383, for a projected surplus of $7,649.

§ Expected revenue sources include a Lighthouse Academies loan and interest income.

§ The CEO of Lighthouse Academies pledges to provide financial assistance to the School as deemed urgent by the School’s BOT.

· The School plans to co-locate with the Bronx Lighthouse Charter School in Region 2 for the first four years of the charter. The two schools will serve the same population and same grades.

· The School expects to relocate in the fifth year of the charter.

· As the School establishes an operational history it will seek a permanent facility solution. This may involve raising capital to support facility acquisition and through bonds and loans.

Personnel

§ In the first year, the staff will include: director, professional development coordinator, 8 teachers, 2 specialty teachers, 1 special education teacher, 2 teacher assistants, 1 social worker, 1 parent coordinator.

§ Employment with RLCS is at-will, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by both RLCS and the employee. Thus, an employee has the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time and RLCS reserves the same right to terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice.

Fiscal Impact

§ When fully enrolled with 320 students, the charter school will take .019% of the District’s budget (see Potential Fiscal Impact Chart).

Potential Fiscal Impact of

Riverview Lighthouse Charter School (RLCS)

(New York City CSD 8/Region 2 – Bronx)

School Year	Number of Students	Projected Payment*	Projected Impact
2005-06	160	$1,587,193	0.0088%
2006-07	200	$2,073,271	0.0112%
2007-08	240	$2,599,881	0.0136%
2008-09	280	$3,169,689	0.0161%
2009-10	320	$3,785,514	0.0186%

Community Support

§ Approximately 228 signatures from interested parents whose children will be entering kindergarten through third grade in September 2006 were collected.

§ The Bronx Lighthouse Charter School, the proposed school’s “sister school,” currently has a wait list with 160 kindergarten through third grade students.

§ The School has received eight letters of support from local community groups:

§ The Bronx Museum of the Arts

§ Bronx Community Board #2 – Roberto S. Garcia, Chairperson

§ Office of the Bronx Borough President – Adolfo Carrion, Jr.

§ Rafael Hernandez Intermediate Academy I.S. 217 – Lour Corominas, Principal

§ Sustainable South Bronx – Majora Carter, Executive Director

§ Eva’s Kids Day Care Center – Eva Sanjurjo, Founder and Director

§ Alianza Dominicana

§ Beacon/Directions for our Youth

Recommendation

Return the application to the Chancellor.

Reasons for Recommendation

(1) Currently, there is one school in New York State for which Lighthouse Academies is the institutional partner organization, Bronx Lighthouse Charter School (BLCS). The school has been operating since September 2004, so there is little evidence of the degree to which this model will be successful in preparing students to meet State standards; (2) the data presented in the BLCS Annual Report indicated that, with the exception of kindergarten, students entered the school performing below grade level. In general, students made grade appropriate gains, or students made slightly above or below grade appropriate gains, in reading and math. However, in those areas where students entered below grade level in reading and math, they remained below level at the end of the school year. With the exception of kindergarten reading, the national grade level ranking of the students declined between December 2004 and May 2005, suggesting that, on average, schools whose students started at this level of performance made greater gains than did students at Bronx Lighthouse Charter School; and (3) the School plans to co-locate with BLCS for three years, and the two schools would be serving the same grades and same population; and (4) the application does not clarify the actual mechanisms to be implemented by the charter management organization for supporting the anticipated network of schools.

Therefore, we recommend that the Regents await further evidence from other schools partnered with Lighthouse Academies before determining that granting a charter would likely improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes of the charter school law, as required by Education Law §2852(2)(c).