It is with great pleasure that we present you an application to operate a charter school in District 12 under the Charter School Act Colo. Rev. State. Section 22-30.5-106. We have analyzed the Charter School law and believe we are in compliance with all the requirements necessary for you to act on our application.


We understand that upon receipt of this application it is the Board's responsibility to hold community meetings in the school district to assist you in your decision concerning the charter school. The law states, "The local board of education shall rule on the application for a charter school in a public hearing, upon reasonable public notice, within sixty days after receiving the application." The law also states that the District Accountability Committee will review the charter school application prior to the local school board making its final decision on the application.


We have established a time line in our application consistent with the Charter School law. It is our intent to give the community sufficient input to the Academy so that they can fully understand its structure and purpose.


Between now and January 31, 1995 we will be scheduling community discussions to inform and interest parents of elementary students in the District about the Academy. These meetings will be conducted by our board and will be separate from any meetings the School Board of District 12 would schedule. We might want to use the elementary buildings for these meetings. If so, we will work with the principals of each school to schedule dates that will not conflict with other school activities.


Throughout the 60 days we will be collecting our letters of support and letters of intent. In a spirit of cooperation with the district, we chose not to market the Academy until after the bond election was completed.


The application you are receiving tonight represents the start of a process which hopefully will result in the functioning of a charter school in District 12. We have reviewed several applications and modeled ours after the applications already approved and operating in the state. We desire and seek your cooperation.

INTRODUCTION

The Board of Directors of the Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy is pleased to submit this charter school application to the Board of Directors of the Cheyenne Mountain School District. The Charter School Act provides a mechanism for introducing choice, diversity, and parental involvement into public education, and we are pleased to be a part of this worthwhile initiative.


This application is divided into two parts. The first part consists of information required by the Charter School Act and the second part is the additional information we wish to include, while the appendices supplement and expand upon the information.


Throughout this application the following terms will have the meanings set forth below:



Academy = Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy


District = School District No. 12 in the County of El Paso and State of Colorado


School Board = Board of Directors of the District


Contract = The contract between the Academy and District


Charter = The charter school agreement between the District and the Academy.

 

The charter school agreement will consist of this application, as it may be hereafter amended, and the Contract.


State Board = Colorado State Board of Education


Charter School Act = Colo. Rev. Stat. Secs. 22-30.5-101 et seq.



The initial Board of Directors of the Academy is set forth in Appendix A. Any questions about this application may be directed to Deborah Cole who may be reached at 4465 Gloucester Court, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906, 540-0388.

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Section (a)

Mission Statement

Pursuant to Colo. Rev. Stat. Section 22-30.5-106(1)(a) the Board of Directors submit the following mission statement, which is consistent with the principles of the general assembly's declared purposes in the Charter School Act.


The mission of Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy is to help guide students in development of their character and academic potential through academically rigorous, content-rich educational programs.

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Section (b)

Goals, Objectives and Pupil Performance Standards

Pursuant to Colo. Rev. Stat. Section 22-30.5-106(1)(b) the Academy's Board of Directors has adopted the following goals, objectives and pupil performance standards to be achieved by the Academy.


I. Goals


A. Attendance


The importance of regular attendance cannot be overstated, and the Academy will strive for consistently high attendance rates. The Academy will identify and address non-illness related situations that could prevent or hinder regular attendance.


B. Stable Enrollment


In order to benefit the individual child as much as possible, the Academy will make every effort to maintain a stable enrollment during the term of the Charter.


C. Discipline and Safe Learning Environment


Parents and students will sign a contract promising to honor the code of behavior drawn up for Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy. This code of behavior, in addition to stipulating standards of conduct, will specify disciplinary measures to be taken in the event of misbehavior. Discipline and classroom disruptions will be handled within the classroom. Students and instructors will respect each other and their surroundings. A safe school environment including classroom, hallways, common areas, and playground will be paramount. Corporal punishment will not be used.


D. Communal Involvement


The Academy intends to provide an educational system that serves the needs of the community and the parents and provides parents an unprecedented opportunity for hands-on involvement In the structure and operation of their children's school.


E. Class Size


In order to maximize teacher attention to each child, class size will be limited. It is the intent of the Board of Directors of the Academy to hire teacher's aides to assist the teachers in the development of the students' academic potential.



II. Objectives


A. Attendance


The Academy will achieve an attendance record meeting or exceeding that of the average elementary school within the District. To assist in meeting this goal, the Academy will facilitate voluntary car pooling among students' parents.


B. Stable Enrollment


The Academy will strive for a voluntary enrollment rate of 100% of the eligible student population in years two through five of the Charter.


C. Discipline


A Discipline code will be established.


D. Community Involvement


Parental support is highly encouraged. The Academy has set a goal of parental and community involvement equal to 10% or more of the total teaching hours budgeted each year.


E. Class Size


Class size will be limited to approximately 21 in K-2 and approximately 24 in grades 3-8. Maximum enrollment allowed in any class will be 26.


III. Pupil Performance Standards


The Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy exists to fulfill the students' academic needs. So that the District can measure the success of the Academy as compared to other public elementary schools, in the Fall of 1995 the Academy's students will be required to take one or more standardized tests (probably the Stanford test) currently used by the District. The Academy will then tabulate the median test scores in each subject area, cross-referenced by race/ethnic guidelines and gender. This will establish the baseline for the Academy's program. This process will be repeated each Spring. The Academy has established a goal of increasing the median scores in all subject areas. The Academy's goal is to achieve an average median attainment level of 80% in all subjects for all grade levels.


The learning disabled would be exempted from the standards, and standards relevant to individual situations would be adopted in their place. Such exemptions would become part of the information exchange with the District and be included in all reports.

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Section (c)

Evidence of Support

Pursuant to Colo. Rev. State. Section 22-30.5-106(1)(c) the Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy's Board of Directors has obtained the following evidence that an adequate number of parents, teachers, pupils, or any combination thereof support the formation of the Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy:


I. Letters of Support


Appendix B is the letter of support that will be circulated to determine the district's support for the school. It is anticipated that the organizers of the Academy will receive a large number of letters of support. Jefferson Academy received 45 letters to be included in their application. It is the goal of the Academy to collect at least 100 before January 20, 1995.


II. Letters of Intent


In addition to letters of support, non-binding letters of intent will be collected. Appendix C consists of the letters of Intent form. These letters of Intent represent the Intention of parents to enroll their students in the Academy for the school year I995/96. Although we have yet to begin the marketing program for the Academy, the Jefferson Academy serves as a good example of the popularity of the charter school.


On January 12, 1994 they had collected 67 letters of intent. Those letter of intent represented the intention of parents to fill 44% of the Jefferson Academy's opening day capacity. By the time the school year started, the initial enrollment of 192 student was entirely spoken for. After two months of operation this fall, the school had over 300 students on its waiting list.

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Section (d)

Statement of Need

Pursuant to Colo. Rev. Stat. Section 22-30.5-106(1)(d) the Academy's Board of Directors submits the following statement of the need for the Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy in the District or in a geographic area close to the District:


As evidenced by the success of charter schools throughout the state, many parents would like to send their children to a school like the Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy that provides a content-rich, "back-to-basics" learning environment. As Professor E.D. Hirsch, Jr. stated in an interview with the Rocky Mountain News, "Everybody who knows anything about skills acquisition knows that skills are domain-specific and knowledge-dependent."


Some in the educational community say that it is not important to teach children content. Rather, we should teach them "how to learn." But as Professor Hirsch states, 'The motion that understanding and processes and skills can be disconnected from knowledge is simply a false theory. It is an empirically incorrect theory, and all of the research on skills acquisition says so."


The Board of Directors of the Academy agrees with Professor Hirsch's assessment of the need for a content-rich learning experience in elementary school. As noted in the Core Knowledge Curriculum materials in Appendix D,

"'Learning how to learn' is an admirable aim but a misleading slogan. If learning is to proceed on any principle besides random chance, then there must be a carefully sequenced body of knowledge. Why? Because children learn new knowledge by building upon what they already know. It's important to begin building foundations of knowledge in the early grades because that's when children are most receptive, and because academic deficiencies in the first six grades can permanently impair the quality of later learning. As much research demonstrates, the most powerful tool for later learning is not an abstract set of procedures (such as 'problem solving') but a broad base of knowledge covering many domains."

 

In addition to Professor Hirsch's comments, the Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy's Board of Directors believes that the following passage from James Madison Elementary School, by William J. Bennett, former Secretary of the United States Department of Education, is a cogent description of the need for the type of educational program the Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy will provide:

"Each year 32 million children will be taught by more than 1.6 million teachers in 81,000 American elementary schools. What takes place in these classrooms will determine the future of American learning. Our system of education is like a pyramid. Each level . . . depends on the fulfillment of its aims and expectations on earlier student preparation and achievement. Failure at any one level will diminish possibilities for the next. And failure at the foundation -- failure by any significant number of elementary schools to teach well, failure by any significant number of elementary school students to learn what they should -- will diminish the whole.


"Today, despite recent advances, the absolute level of American elementary school achievement is still too low. A series of careful national assessment suggests that our children have a still insufficient command of basic subjects; reading and writing, mathematics and science, history and foreign language, and music and art. International comparisons confirm these conclusions. In several important academic disciplines, American elementary school students lag well behind their foreign counterparts. According to pioneering research by Harvard's Jeanne Chall and other scholars of education, the problem becomes particularly acute around 4th grade, when the basic skills covered in earlier years must for the first time be applied to the study of more complex knowledge and ideas. This "4th grade slump," as Professor Chall has dubbed it, hits our disadvantaged students with greatest force. But no group of American children is entirely immune, and by the time they finish 8th grade, too many of our students are ill-prepared for the kind of high school education we want them to have.


"It's not their fault, of course. Children learn what adults choose to teach them. If we are dissatisfied with what our students know, then we must improve the quality of instruction in our schools. And before we can do that, we must once again commit ourselves to solid content as a first principle of the elementary curriculum.


The Case for Content


"That learning is necessarily incremental and cumulative does not mean that it must be painful or unwanted. Quite the opposite, in fact. Education has a powerful ally in human nature. Any parent can confirm that young children have a healthy appetite for facts and information, even about subjects that may not become fully meaningful to them until much later in their lives. Most families do their best to satisfy part of this appetite at home, and most want and expect their elementary schools to help out. But many parents, it seems, are now unhappy with the help they're getting. By a two-to-one margin in the 1987 Gallup education poll, Americans all across the country said that our elementary schools pay insufficient attention to instruction in basic knowledge.


"Opinions like these are not to be taken likely. Determining goals for elementary curricula is not an esoteric or scientific pursuit for experts only, and parents need not be sophisticated in the language and literature of school research to tell good education from bad. When it comes to their children, It is American parents who have the strongest, sharpest, and truest motives for concern. If they want our schools to teach their children more and better content -- fundamental skills, facts, and ideas -- they should be listened to.


"Too frequently these days they are instead ignored. Received educational wisdom often stands opposed to common sense; today, unfortunately, much of it also stands opposed to content. In the professional schools that train our teachers and develop our curricula, it is still possible -- more than a decade after the nation's disastrous educational experiments of the 1960's and 1970's -- to see content-rich elementary study decried as "rote" learning, to be told that children may be taught "higher-order thinking skills" without reference to specific knowledge, or to hear that the "mere facts" of traditional school subjects are unimportant to early instruction in more relevant general "understandings."


"These superstitions and prejudices still find their way into our children's elementary school classroom -- in English programs that spurn serious literature in favor of bland banal readers and skill-workbooks; in social studies teaching that neglects history and geography to concentrate on mundane details of everyday life; in mathematics instruction that, however dressed up with fancy new strategies and slogans, is nevertheless restricted to years of repetitive, rudimentary arithmetic; in science lessons without scientific method; in art and music, "experiences" which rarely extend beyond undisciplined appeals to feelings and emotions; and in foreign language education that hardly exists at all. It sometimes seems that such curricula are constructed on the assumption that it doesn't really matter what young children study so long as it is frivolous, unchallenging and easily accessible.


"The genius of modem American education has been its application of discoveries about the rhythms and patterns of childhood intellectual development to a system of mass and democratic schooling. These discoveries are real and they are valuable. Today we know more about the process of learning than we ever have before. While we teach, we try to encourage our children to be inventive, flexible, and creative. We try to mobilize their interests, to accommodate our instruction to their individual needs, and to develop in them the capacity for self-expression and independent study.


"Information about the process of teaching and learning can recall a lot about our educational goals -- what their limits might be and how we might best approach them. But it cannot determine those goals on its own; it has little to say about what our elementary school students should know. That much is up to us."
(emphasis added).

 

In addition to a curriculum that is academically rigorous and rich in content, the Board of Directors of the Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy believe that academics cannot be taught in a moral vacuum.


In the book, Why Johnny Can't Tell Right From Wrong, William Kilpatrick, a professor of Education at Boston College, states the following:

"The core problem facing our schools Is a moral one. All the other problems derive from it. Hence, all the various attempts at school reform are unlikely to succeed unless character education is put at the top of the agenda.


"If students don't learn self-discipline and respect for others, they will continue to exploit each other sexually no matter how many health clinics and condom distribution plans are created.


"If they don't learn habits of courage and justice curriculums designed to improve their self-esteem won't stop the epidemic of extortion, bullying, and violence; neither will courses designed to make them more sensitive to diversity.


"Even academic reform depends on putting character first Children need courage to tackle difficult assignments. They need self-discipline if they are going to devote their time to homework rather than television. They need the diligence and perseverance required to do this day after day. If they don't acquire intellectual virtues such as commitment to learning, objectivity, respect for the truth, and humility in the face of facts, then critical-thinking strategies will only amount to one more gimmick in the curriculum.


"If, on the other hand, the schools were to make the formation of good character a priority goal, many other things would fall into place. Hitherto unsolvable problems such as violence, vandalism, drug use, teen pregnancies, unruly classrooms, and academic deterioration would prove to be less intractable than presently imagined. Moreover, the moral reform of schools is not something that has to wait until other conditions are met. It doesn't depend on the rest of society reforming itself. Schools are, or can be, one of the main engines of social change. They can set the tone of society in ways no other institution on can match.


"How difficult will it be to make these reforms? Very difficult. Much ground has been lost.


"Some of the problems we now have are the result of stupid and naïve experiments in the curriculum: the adopting of programs that let children choose their own values, and that left them morally confused. Many of these children grew up unable to make commitments, and had children of their own who, in turn, became morally confused. These programs must be discarded, and new character education and sex education curriculums must be developed in their place. But the situation has deteriorated far past the point where curriculum changes alone will reverse the slide. Courses on ethics are desirable but, at this point, hardly sufficient


"The primary way to bring ethics and character back into schools is to create a positive moral environment in the schools. The ethos of a school, not its course offerings, is the decisive factor in forming character. The first thing we must change is the moral climate of the schools themselves. What we seem to have forgotten in all our concern with individual development is that schools are social institutions. Their first function is to socialize. Quite frankly, many of them have forgotten how to do that." (p.225-226)

 

"Most scholars who advocate a character education approach are agreed that, as a bare minimum, every list ought to contain the four cardinal virtues that have come down to us from the Greeks: prudence, justice, courage, and temperance. They are called cardinal because they are the axis (cardo) on which the moral life turns. They are, of course, sometimes known by other names. Prudence is 'wisdom' or 'practical wisdom,' courage is 'fortitude,' temperance is 'self-discipline' or 'self-control.'


"It is difficult to improve on what the classical writers said on the subject of the virtues, and a teacher who takes the time to read up on the subject will find that, presented in the right way, the classic conception of the virtues is capable of generating many rewarding discussions. Among other things, such discussions could examine the notion that the virtues form a unity: that in order to be a person of character, you must have all four working together. What good is it, for example, to believe in justice if you lack the courage to stand up for someone unjustly accused? And what good is courage if you lack justice and wisdom? (the Vikings were courageous in battle, but exceedingly cruel to their victims.) It is brave to administer first aid to a wounded man on a battlefield, but not very helpful unless you know what you're doing. Aristotle's notion that each virtue is a mean between two extremes should also come in for discussion. Courage, for example, is opposed not only to cowardice but also to foolhardiness. A man who lacks sufficient respect for the dangers involved is not a courageous man but a foolish man. In fact, Aristotle said that only the man who feels fear yet overcomes it for the sake of a good deed should be called courageous." ( pp 239-240)


"One of the best ways to teach the virtues is in conjunction with history and literature. In that way, students can see that they are more than abstract concepts. In Robert Bolt's play, A Man for All Seasons, we see a remarkable combination of all four virtues in one man, Sir Thomas More. The plot of High Noon revolves around a tension among justice, courage, and prudence. To Kill a Mockingbird shows one kind of courage, The Old Man and the Sea another. Measure for Measure and The Merchant of Venice teach us about justice. Moby Dick depicts a man who has lost all sense of prudence and proportion. In the character of Falstaff, we are treated to a comic depiction of intemperance; In the story of David and Bathsheba, we are shown a much harsher view of a man who yields to his desires.


"History and biography offer innumerable examples of virtue in action. A very short list for this century would include Jane Addams, Marie Curie, Winston Churchill, Douglas MacArthur, Anne Frank, Raoul Wallenberg, Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, Lech Walesa, and Benigno Acquino. It is true that great persons sometimes also have great faults. But for a student who has learned something of the virtues and of the difficulty of possessing them, such revelations, when they come, are less likely to be occasions of criticism. He can understand that people are not measured by occasional failing but by their whole lives.


"A study of the cardinal virtues in conjunction with history and literature can lead to worthwhile classroom discussions. Notice, however, that such discussions are a far cry from Values Clarification exercises based on nothing but a student's feelings or uninformed opinion. In one case, students carry out their discussions with a framework of moral wisdom. In the other, there is no framework, and morality becomes a matter of "what I say" versus "what you say." A knowledge of the virtues provides a standard by which opinions and feelings can be measured. A student who has begun to understand them can more accurately weigh moral arguments. He can begin to discriminate between values that change and values that don't. He can learn the difference between values that are subjective (a preference for frozen yogurt over ice cream) and values that are objective (the obligation under justice to share food with someone who is hungry, the obligation under temperance not to gorge yourself to the point of throwing up.)


"Knowledge of the virtues also gives students a gauge for choosing their models. Many young people confuse fame with heroism. They can begin to ask not only what the difference is between a hero and a celebrity but also what the difference is between someone who has physical courage (a sports hero) and someone who has both physical and moral courage (an Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a Martin Luther King, Jr.) They will then be in a better position to decide which qualities of famous people are worth emulating, and which are not. I am not suggesting that discussion be aimed at picking apart a student's favorite hero. Such a discussion of qualities doesn't require a naming of names. However, in the case of some famous people whose personal lives and indiscretions have become a matter of public record, that may be unavoidable. Students will bring them up anyway.

For example, since the case of Earvin 'Magic' Johnson has been thrust onto the public scene, it provides an opportunity for making some discussions. Johnson is certainly courageous in both the physical and moral sense. It takes physical courage to play professional basketball; it takes physical courage to face the pain of disease. It took moral courage to make his announcement when he did instead of waiting. Johnson does not, however, seem to have made much effort to practice the virtue of temperance. A Los Angeles Times reporter who knows Johnson well was quoted in Newsweek as suggesting that Johnson slept with more than a thousand women. How about prudence? Certainly his sexual activities were not prudent. But beyond that lies the question of the wisdom of his anti-AIDS campaign tactics. Johnson originally took a stand in favor of safe sex, not abstinence. Is that prudent advice, or does it by legitimizing teen sex, simply increase sexual activity and lead to more, not fewer, cases of AIDS? A similar question could be asked about Johnson's more recent advocacy of both safe sex and abstinence. Is that a clear message or merely a confusing one? (A further question, of course, is why we should look to basketball players for wisdom? Does the fact that we do so suggest that something is out of order in our priorities?) The virtue of justice? Johnson seems to be a just man In many respects. He has not been stingy with either his time or his money in helping the less fortunate. On the other hand, the women he put at risk might question whether Johnson acted justly in relation to them.


"The purpose of such a discussion would not be to make classroom capital out of a tragic situation, or to either condemn or exonerate Magic Johnson. The virtues are not clubs to hit other people over the head with but strengths that we should try to acquire in our own lives. But just as Magic Johnson's sickness has been made an opportunity for AIDS awareness, it could also serve as an opportunity for increased virtue awareness -- the final analysis, a much better weapon against AIDS.


The United States has an AIDS problem and a drug problem and a violence problem. None of this will go away until schools once again make it their job to teach character both directly, through the curriculum, and indirectly, by creating a moral environment in the school. Schools courageous enough to reinstate and reinforce the concept and practice of the virtues will accomplish more toward building a healthy society than an army of doctors, counselors, and social workers." (pp 242-244.)

 

METHODOLOGY


As important as the question of what to teach is the matter of how to teach. Methodology is particularly important in the lower grades, where effective transmission of the basic skills and techniques involved in reading, wring, and the arithmetic operations is the foundation for all further intellectual development. The Core Knowledge Series has demonstrated that subject matter is most effectively communicated when it is sequential, incremental, and allows for practice and repetition. We have embarked on a search for supplementary educational materials that share these characteristics and can demonstrate a track record of success.

Reading


We have been convinced that phonics is the most effective method of teaching reading. Marva Collins is the founder of Westside Preparatory, a celebrated inner-city school in Chicago which has shown great academic success. She writes, "Our three- and four-year olds learn to read at a first and even second grade level by April of each academic year with heaping doses of phonics. We believe workbooks are fine, but nothing replaces a good old 'chalktalk and blackboard demonstration.' I have seen children over and over again with eyes that hold wonder like a cup upon being able to read that first word...that first sentence...that first paragraph...and finally, an entire selection. In Alpha-Phonics, by Samuel L, Blumenfeld, we believe we have found a program that simply, clearly, and with great understanding of the phonetic structure of English, teaches reading by phonics.


Mathematics


Similarly, we have decided to adopt the Saxon math program, which has shown such impressive results at the high school level in District 12. In response to those who question the effectiveness of the Saxon approach for younger children, we quote from The 1992-93 Saxon Mathematics Program Evaluation Report on the pilot program at four Oklahoma City elementary schools. The report states, "Respondents were asked how they thought their colleagues, parents, and teachers perceived the Saxon Math program. They reported that the perceptions of their colleagues, parents, and students were overwhelmingly positive toward the Saxon Math program....When compared with the Scott-Foresman program, most respondents using the Saxon Math Program indicated that their students learned more actively, studied a greater variety of topics, were more challenged but less intimidated by Math, enjoyed and followed the lessons more easily, were more obedient, had a greater attention span, and retained more information.'


Spelling and Composition


Although virtually all elementary curricula include spelling and many include composition, the teaching of these two elements of language arts is generally recognized as weak. More often than not, the memorized weekly lists of spelling words fail to translate into proper spelling usage, while the attempts to teach good writing seem haphazard at best. It is thus with particular satisfaction that we have discovered spelling and writing programs produced by Scientific Research Associates that promise far better results. Both programs depend upon a delivery system called Direct Instruction. Direct Instruction consists of scripted lessons for the teacher to follow that provoke constant interaction with the students, both oral and written. According to SRA, "DI begins by breaking down into component subskills and teaching the subskills until students fully understand them. Then the subskllls are brought together and connected with the larger strategy. This fully integrated program gets results."


The SRA spelling program introduces further innovations of methodology. It teaches spelling by dividing English words into three different categories, according to their characteristics. These categories are phonemic, morphographic, and whole word. Whole word memorization is reserved for words that fall into no other category, while phonemic application is used when possible. The innovative contribution of this program is morphographic analysis, which breaks words into prefixes, suffixes, and roots, identifies these as meaningful units, and then groups words into families of morphographic meaning. T his method has the additional virtue of expanding vocabulary and introducing the student to the fascinating study of word etymologies.


The Reasoning and Writing program starts with the premise that clear thinking and clear writing develop together. "Level A develops higher-order thinking skills through stories that are read to the children. Predictable story structures and memorable characters teach students to recognize story problems, anticipate characters' reactions, predict outcomes, and recognize story grammars....Level B continues to work with story grammars while expanding thinking skills needed for reading comprehension. Students use facts and clues to anticipate outcomes, learn to draw logical conclusions, and become more adept at classification. They also learn to write complete sentences and short paragraphs and begin writing simple stories.


'Level C emphasizes clear communication. Students are taught to write well-organized passages that include all necessary details and exclude irrelevant information. They learn to differentiate between fact and inference. Grammar and mechanics are taught as tools for clear communication." By Level F, students are learning 'how to evaluate evidence from various perspectives and use evidence to form opinions as they write critiques. Students use a variety of reference sources to develop arguments, examine patterns and eliminate alternatives."


Drawing


Drawing with Children describes the Monart art instruction method which has demonstrated dramatic results since inception in 1979. Mona Brookes, its originator, explains the method and comments on its far-reaching impact.


"The method involves training children to perceive visual data with an alphabet of five elements of shape, demonstrating how the general shape of an object is composed of those elements, and giving them the freedom to create their own compositions and detail interpretations. The language is geared toward creating a noncompetitive and nonjudgmental environment in which the child learns that there is no wrong way to draw and that everybody can be successful. We never guessed the ramifications and impact that this would have on the field of education....


"By 1981 I found myself giving in-service training workshops throughout California to help teachers draw with their students as a part of their regular curriculum. Teachers who never thought they could draw found out they could and felt comfortable to teach others after the training. They began reporting that the structured lessons did not stifle children and in fact improved their creativity. They found that the drawing sessions were helping the children in subjects other than art. Similar reports began to surface. Children who couldn't learn the alphabet suddenly remembered all their letters after the elements of shape exercises. Reading levels jumped after teachers introduced visual perception warm-ups and relaxation techniques. Math abilities rose after they explored solutions to drawing challenges. Willingness to try other feared subjects increased after they experienced tangible success in drawing, and social skills and self-esteem soared.


Mona Brookes sums up our own conclusions about the Monart method. "Prior to developing this method to teach drawing, I had never considered the importance of art in education. As a product of the public school system and an art student, I believed that art classes were extracurricular and unrelated to the basic skills. I now believe that 'the arts' are necessary to the development of a fully rounded education."


The Charter School Act provides the first true venue to explore public schools of choice. With the charge to be innovative and the flexibility to untie the hands of charter school organizers, the General Assembly sought to give parents the best of both worlds -- public schools and the opportunity to become intimately involved in the educational process. It is our belief that we will develop a waiting list for numerous parents who desire the type of content-rich, systematic educational program that Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy will offer.

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Section (e)

Description of Educational Program, Pupil Performance Standards, and Curriculum

Pursuant to Colo. Rev. State Section 22-30.5-106(1)(e) the Academy's Board of Directors submits the following description of its educational program, pupil performance standards and curriculum, which meets or exceeds any content standards adopted by the District and which is designed to enable each pupil to achieve such standards:


I. Educational Program and Curriculum


The Academy's educational program and approach the curriculum embraces the "Core Knowledge Sequence" developed by the Core Knowledge Foundation. Appendix E Is a copy of Vincent Carroll's extensive interview of E.D. Hlrsch, Jr., founder of the Core Knowledge Foundation, that appeared in the December 26, 1993 Rocky Mountain News, and Appendix D is a description of the Core Knowledge Sequence the Academy plans to implement in grades one through six. The series will be complemented by Alpha-Phonics, the Saxon math series, the SRA spelling and writing series, and the Monart drawing program. A kindergarten curriculum using the core knowledge concept is being developed and should be in place prior to the beginning of school.


II. Pupil Performance Standards


Goals for the Academy's pupil performance standards are set forth in Section (b).


III. Content Standards


The Academy acknowledges that the Cheyenne Mountain School District is in the process of adopting content standards based upon Sections 22-53-401 et seq. CRS (HB-93-1313). It is understood that under the Charter School Act the Academy's educational program will meet or exceed any content standards adopted by the School District. The Academy upon receiving the District's content standards may want to develop its own standards and assessments which meet or exceed the District's standards.

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Section (f)

Plan for Pupil Performance Evaluation, Types of Assessments, Timeline, and Procedures for Corrective Action

Pursuant to Colo. Rev. Stat. Section 22-30.5-106(1)(f) the Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy's Board of Directors submit the following description of the plan for evaluating pupil performance, the types of assessments that will be used to measure pupil progress towards achievement of the Academy's pupil performance standards, the timeline for achievement of such standards, and the procedures for taking corrective action in the event that pupil performance at the Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy falls below such standards.


I. Pupil Performance Evaluation, Types of Assessments and Procedures for Corrective Action


A. Evaluation Plan


As noted in section (b), each spring, all of the Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy's students will take a battery of standardized tests. The Academy has established a goal of increasing the median scores in all subject areas. The Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy's goal is to achieve an average median attainment level of 80% in all subjects for all grade levels. The learning disabled would be exempted from the standards, and standards relevant to individual situations would be adopted in their place. Such exemptions would become part of the information exchange with the District and be included in all reports. Attainment may be demonstrated by oral examination, written examinations, writing samples, audio recordings, artistic renderings, or any combination of these examples.


Per the time line attached as Appendix K, annual evaluation reports will be submitted to the District as well as an initial baseline evaluation based on standardized test methods currently in use by the District. A comparative analysis of goals established and goals achieved will be presented in the evaluation as well. The District will assume all costs associated with testing and retain individual copies of test results as is the practice with other public schools in the District.


B. Corrective Action


Continually, the instructional staff will review attainment levels. If a student is having difficulty meeting attainment, a plan will be devised to provide that student with additional instructional time via aids, special education teachers, parental volunteers, labs, at-home or after-school work, or any combination of the above as determined by the teacher.



II. Time Line


A time line for performance evaluations is set forth in Appendix K.

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Section (g)

Evidence of Sound Economic Plan, Proposed Budget for Term of Charter, Provision for Annual Audit, and Displacement Plan

Pursuant to Colo. Rev. State. Section 22-30.5-106(1)(g) the Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy's Board of Directors submit the following evidence that the plan for the charter school is economically sound for both the charter school and the school district, a proposed budget for the term of the charter, a description of the manner in which an annual audit of the financial and administrative operations of the charter school, including any services provided by the District, is to be conducted, and a plan for the displacement of pupils, teachers, and other employees who will not attend or be employed in the charter school.


I. Budget


The Academy's budget is set forth in Appendix L. The budget sets forth a cost-effective and efficient plan for educating the pupils of the Academy. The Academy's charter school proposal is economically sound both for itself and for the District.


II. Revenue


A. Per Pupil Funding


During the first year of this Charter, the District shall provide funding to the Academy in the amount set forth in the Budget attached as Appendix L. So long as the Academy is not in material breach of the Contract or this Charter, this funding will be made available to the Academy in monthly installments consistent with the fiscal year, commencing on July 1, 1995 and on July 1 of each year thereafter. However, for the first year of the Charter, the Academy and the District will negotiate which amounts will be considered "start-up" costs to be transferred to the Academy prior to the beginning of the school year. The term "enrolled" as used in this provision shall be deemed to mean enrolled within the requirements of the Public School Finance Act of 1988, C.R.S. Sec. 22-53-101 et seq. (or any successor act) and State Department of Education regulations.


The District will adjust the funding to reflect the actual student count as of October first of each fiscal year. In addition, to the extent the District experiences any reduction in state equalization support by a legislative rescission or other action, proportionate reductions will be made to the Academy by adjustment or set off in subsequent months.


On or before April 1 of each year of the Charter, the Academy and the District will begin negotiations concerning funding for the ensuing fiscal year in order that the amounts may be determined in conjunction with the Districts and the Academy's budget development and adoption process. In each fiscal year, the amount of funding provided to the Academy from the District shall not be less than 95 percent of the District's per pupil operating revenues, as defined by C.R.S. Sec. 22-53-103(6) multiplied by the number of pupils enrolled in the Academy. The PPOR for the school year 1994/1995 is $4150.00. The funding for the Academy will be based on the annual count of October first of each school year. If a student has special needs and the expense exceeds the 95% of the per pupil funding, the Academy will bill District 12 for the additional costs unless that student resides outside of District 12. Pursuant to the HB94-1066, the district that the student lives in will be billed the additional costs.


It is possible that the Academy may want to receive an advance from the district before the fiscal year of 1995/1996 begins. This money would be used to hire a principal, begin renovations on a site for the school and other expenses deemed necessary. It is anticipated this amount would be less that $100,000 and the Academy would pay the district back the loan with interest in monthly Installments during the 1995/1996 fiscal year.


The Board of Directors of the Academy acknowledges that the charter school must have a balanced budget. It is the intent to create a contingency percentage of the Academy's budget annually. However, it is not possible to anticipate every expense the Academy will occur during a fiscal year. If there is a fund balance from the previous year, the amount will carry forward to the current year's operating budget.


B. Enrollment


Enrollment will be determined by interest expressed by the community. Appendix L has a budget scenario for a school with an enrollments of 160 students. It is the intent of the Academy to grow over the five years of the charter to a full two round school K- 8.


The maximum enrollment of the school is listed below. Kindergarten will be a half day program for the students.

Grade	K	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Enrollment	40	52	52	52	52	52	52	52	52

It is intended to begin the Academy as a K-6 school unless interest demands otherwise. If the Academy reaches the maximum enrollment, it would be anticipated that an assistant principal would be hired. Maximum student enrollment is 456.


It is anticipated that the enrollment of students will come from both students who reside in District 12 and those in El Paso County at large. The actual enrollment mix of students is anticipated to vary based upon the site the school acquires for the school location. The Academy prefers a location to be within the boundaries of School District 12. In the event the enrollment interest exceeds enrollment space, a fair and equitable system will be developed to determine which students are allowed to attend the Academy.


C. Federal Funds


All federal funds from programs for which the Academy or students of the Academy may be eligible shall be transferred to the Academy within 30 days of receipt by the District, whether or not the Academy has requested or has knowledge of such funds. Such funds shall be distributed to the Academy by student or by school site, whichever is greatest, or by the method of distribution determined by the fund itself.


D. Endowments


All private endowments, gifts, donations, etc. to the District will be shared with the Academy if the endowments are district-wide. The amount transferred to the Academy shall be based on the ratio that the number of students enrolled in the Academy bears to the District's total student population. If another basis is used for distribution (such as all elementary school children or per elementary school), the Academy will receive the applicable pro-rated amount based on the applicable method of distribution. Endowments specifically earmarked for a project or a single school would be exempt.


Services to the District available at low, reduced or no costs shall be made available to the Academy, and the District will disseminate information about such goods or services available to the District to the Academy.


III. Site


The Academy anticipates that there will not be a school district building made available for the students of the charter school. It is the intent of the Board of Directors to secure a location for the school which is within the boundaries of School District 12.


It is understood that the lease signed between the Academy and the lessor will be the sole obligation of the Academy. It is further understood that the Academy will be responsible in cooperation with the lessor to make sure the building complies with all building codes and federal mandates such as are American Disability Act (ADA).


IV. Salaries and Benefits


A. Payroll


The District will provide payroll functions for the Academy similar to those provided for other employees of the district, including the preparation of W-2's and other reports that are required by state or federal law to be given to employees or filed with such agencies.


The Academy shall be responsible for certifying all payroll information to the District in compliance with timelines that allow for the sequential processing of all employees' data and the preparation of payroll checks consistent with District requirements.


It is understood that part of the 5% of the per pupil operating revenue retained by the district is for routine services provided by the District in the handling of payroll, data processing, business services (to include the preparation of CDE forms 3 and 18, if necessary), accounts payable, and purchasing. In the event extraordinary services in these areas may be required of the District the parties agree to make an equitable adjustment to fairly allocate the additional costs involved. The Academy will use the normal procedures established by the district for its accounting, purchasing and business functions.


B. Benefits


Employees of the District who are selected by the Academy and hired by the Board to provide services at the Academy shall be eligible for health, dental, vision, unemployment, workers' compensation, and life insurance benefits consistent with the same eligibility requirements and benefits made available from time to time for other District employees .


The Academy will pay or reimburse the District through appropriate fund or account transfer, the cost of providing these benefits to each employee serving the Academy based upon the pro rata cost attributable to comparable employees of the District. In the event the Academy requires payment by or reimbursement from any employees for any benefit provided, the risk of uncollectibility shall be borne by the Academy.


V. PERA Contributions


The District will coordinate all necessary paperwork for membership, donations and contributions to PERA for the Academy. The Academy has budgeted 11.6% of its total payroll for the required PERA contribution. If this amount changes in subsequent years of the Charter, the Academy budget will be adjusted to reflect the change.


VI. Books, Software and Library


A. Books and Software


The Academy will receive full access to the District's resources which are normally available to any other public school In the District. The District will make available films, books, software, reference materials, audio visual and other equipment as is normally provided to other public schools.


B. Library Media Services


The District will make District library media materials available to the Academy in the same manner as for other schools of the District. Any equipment or materials that are dedicated solely to use by or at the Academy can be purchased by the Academy from the District at cost.


VII. Contract Purchasing


The Academy retains the right to purchase goods and services though the contracts in effect with the District and its vendors. The Academy also reserves the right to obtain competitive bids for goods and services when it is in the best interests of the Academy to do so, and to enter into purchasing contracts beyond those in place with the District. Unless purchased from or through the District contractual services and purchases of supplies, materials and equipment shall be procured through a system of competitive bidding, as required by District policy and state law.


VIII. Other Resources


The District will provide appropriate assistance to the Academy in the areas of finance, budget insurance, legal issues, administrative and instructional in-services and workshops to help ensure the most economical and sensible decision-making process in the utilization of the Academy's budget funds.


IX. Lunch Program


Depending upon the school site acquired, the Academy may want to use the food services program contracted with the Marriott Corporation. These lunches will be provided to the Academy's students at the same price charged to other elementary students in the District.


X. Other Fiscal Issues


Disbursements from the Academy's account will require the signature of the Principal. No other agency or individual may request disbursements to be paid out of the Academy's account. The Academy reserves the right to reallocate funds from one line item to another if purchasing practices or conservation result in an expenditure less than that budgeted.


XI. Annual Audit of Finance and Administration


The Academy agrees to maintain appropriate financial records in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations, and make such records available to the District as requested from time to time. The Academy agrees to engage and participate in an independent, outside audit by a certified public accountant of its financial and administrative operations on an annual basis. It is anticipated that the audit will conform to the normal audit the school district does each fiscal year. The cost of the audit shall be borne by the school district and it is assumed the Academy will use the same certified public accountant the school district does. The results of the audit shall be provided to the District in written form within the statutory time line required of the District and shall be published

and posted as required by law. The District will provide the necessary accounting codes and forms to facilitate checks for payroll and all other disbursements. The Academy will maintain a comparison of actual expenditures to budgeted expenses.


XII. Displacement Plan


This provision of the Charter School Act is not applicable to the Academy, because no pupils, teachers, or other employees will be displaced by the Academy's operation.

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Section (h)

Governance and Operation

Pursuant to Colo. Rev. Stat. Section 22-30.5-106(1)(h) the Academy's Board of Directors submits the following description of the governance and operation of the Academy, including the nature and extent of parental, professional educator, and community involvement in the governance and operation of the Academy.


I. Board of Directors


A. Number of Directors; Manner of Selection; Vacancies; Attendance


The Academy will be governed by a five-member Board of Directors, which has complete responsibility for running the school. Four members will be parents of children in the Academy; the fifth member, however, may be a community member at large who does not have a student enrolled in the Academy. The Academy's Principal will attend all board meetings in an advisory role. The principal will not have a vote.


The original incorporators of the Academy will be the initial Board of Directors. The members of the initial Board of Directors for the Academy are set forth in Appendix A. Three of the initial directors will serve a three-year term through the 1997/1998 school year and two will serve a two-year term through May of 1997. In 1997/1998 and thereafter, all members will be elected by the parents who have students in the school. Elections for board members will be held each Spring at the May board meeting. The terms of the board members will be staggered. All board members' terms will be for two years. If a child of a board member graduates from the Academy during the term of the parent, the parent will be allowed to complete his or her term.


Each parent will have one vote for each board seat. The members of the Board will select the officers of the Board. The officers will be President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Director. The term of office will be for one year and the Board will reorganize after the election each year.


In the event of dismissal or resignation from the Board or other vacancies on the Board, volunteers to serve the remainder of the term for that particular board member
Source: www.USCharterSchools.org