Twelve studies find that overall gains in charter schools are larger than other public schools; four find charter schools’ gains higher in certain significant categories of schools; six find comparable gains; and, four find that charter schools’ overall gains lagged behind traditional schools.
Source: Charter School Achievement: What We Know, July 2005 Update
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Click below to review a specific portion of the Charter School Application:
I. ACADEMIC DESIGN
1) Mission
2) Educational Program
3) Student Assessment
II. GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
1) Profile of the Founding Board
2) School Governance
3) Length of Contract & Implementation
Timetable
4) Evidence of Support
III. FINANCE & FACILITIES
1) Facilities
2) Finances
3) Recruiting & Marketing Plan
IV. OPERATIONS
1) Admissions & Registration Plan
2) Human Resource Information
3) Transportation
V. FINAL DOCUMENTATION
1) Facilities Safety Approval
2) Final Governance Documents
3) Insurance, Final Budgets, & Other
Please answer the following questions as thoroughly
and clearly as possible in the sequence in which they appear. Following
each question is a brief description of the standards which may be used
to review your application. These review standards are not intended to
be exhaustive or prescriptive, but rather should serve as a helpful guide
as you attempt to formulate your response.
I. ACADEMIC DESIGN
1) Mission:
A. Describe the core philosophy or
underlying purpose of the proposed school.
B. Describe the target student population to be served,
including student ages and grade levels at the school.
What reviewers will look for: Clearly articulated vision
for an innovative public school which will lead to improved educational
outcomes and greater community ownership of the local school; consistency
between mission and the educational programs as a means to achieve this.
2) Educational
Program:
A. Describe the educational program of the school, providing
an overview of curriculum objectives and content of the main subject areas.
B. Briefly outline the instructional methods to be used,
including any distinctive instructional techniques to be employed. How
will this pedagogy enhance student learning?
C. Describe how your school will meet the needs of Exceptional
Education students, including limited English proficient students.
What reviewers will look for: Innovative teaching methods and
curriculum approaches; substantive overview of curriculum; consistency
between the mission, curriculum, and student population to be served ;
Compliance with applicable regulations to meet the needs of limited English
proficient and special needs students in the school program.
3) Student Assessment:
A. Describe your plan to assess student performance in
the core academic areas. Please include the current baseline standard of
achievement, the outcomes to be achieved and the method(s) of measurement
to be used.
B. Describe the methods used to identify the educational
strengths and needs of students and the extent to which educational goals
and performance standards are being met.
C. Describe how students will, at a minimum, participate
in the statewide assessment program.
D. For secondary charter schools, describe the method for
determining that a student has satisfied the requirements for graduation
in section 232.246, Florida Statutes.
What reviewers will look for: Commitment to high academic standards
for all students; well-developed assessment mechanisms; understanding of
the state assessment requirements.
II. GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
1) Profile of the Founding
Board and/or Initial Incorporators:
A. Describe the organizing group of initial incorporators
that is working together to apply for a charter, including the names of
the organizers, their background and experiences, and references for each.
B. Discuss any business arrangements or partnerships with
existing schools, educational programs, businesses, or non-profit organizations.
What reviewers will look for: A well-balanced group which
brings together people with a range of professional skills capable of the
organizational, financial, pedagogical, legal, and other tasks required
to open a functioning public school; local representation; meets requirements
of law.
2) School Governance:
A. Describe the governance structure of the school, including
the status of the charter school as a public or private employer as required
in subsection (7) of the statute.
B. Describe the administrative management structure of
the school.
C. Describe how the board of directors will be chosen and
what steps will be taken to maintain continuity between the founding organizer's
vision and that of the permanently established board of directors.
D. Describe the roles and responsibilities of the governing
board, including the relationship of the governing board to teachers and
administrators.
E. Discuss the proposed method for resolving conflicts
between the governing board of the charter school and the sponsor.
F. Discuss the nature of parental involvement in decision-making
matters.
G. Discuss how the charter school will comply with Florida
statutes relating to public records and public meetings. (chapter 119,
Florida Statues & s. 286.011, Florida Statues)
What reviewers will look for: Stable, effective, and comprehensive
governance model; consistency with mission; clearly defined roles of the
board and its interaction with staff; appropriate teacher and parent input
in school decision-making; well developed, viable administrative management
structure; knowledge of and compliance with public information laws.
3) Length of Contract
& Implementation Timetable:
A. State the length of the initial charter term, up to
3 years. Technically, the charter may be terminated before that period,
as described in subsection (10) of the charter statute. In any case, the
charter school is subject to an annual review of academic progress.
B. Present a timetable for implementing the charter, which
addresses the implementation of each element thereof and the date by which
the charter shall be awarded in order to meet this timetable.
4) Evidence of Support:
A. Try to convey as clearly and concretely as possible
the scope of community backing for the proposed charter school and its
founding board. Document this community support among teachers, parents,
students, community members and institutional leaders and others, through
the use of letters of support, surveys, or other tangible means.
What reviewers will look for: Evidence that the founders
inspire the confidence of their targeted community;evidence that the program
provides an attractive educational alternative to students and parents;
breadth of community support extending well beyond the core group of founders.
III. FINANCE & FACILITIES
1) Facilities:
A. Describe the facilities to be used and their location,
or alternatively, describe your present options for a school building.
B. Demonstrate how this site would be a suitable facility
for the proposed school, including any plans to renovate and bring facility
into compliance with all applicable local building codes.
C. If applicable, discuss any progress, partnership developments,
or other future steps towards acquisition of a school building.
D. Describe financing plans for facilities, if applicable.
What reviewers will look for: Progress toward identifying
and acquiring an adequate school facility.
2) Finances:
A. Describe the financial management and internal accounting
procedures of the school.
B. Present a budget for start-up expenses, covering only
the planning and capital expenses necessary before school opening.
C. Present a 3-year budget covering all projected sources
of revenue, both public and private, and planned expenditures.
D. Do you plan to conduct any fund-raising efforts to generate
capital or to supplement the per pupil allocations? If so, briefly explain.
E. Explain the manner in which the school will be insured,
including liability insurance.
What reviewers will look for: Sound financial planning; fiscal viability
of the school.
3) Recruiting & Marketing
Plan:
A. Demonstrate how you will publicize the school to attract
a sufficient pool of applicants.
B. What steps will be taken to reach students representative
of the racial and socio-economic diversity in the community, including
typically "harder to reach" families?
What reviewers will look for: A solid plan to attract sufficient
students to operate a school; effort to publicize the school to a broad
audience in order to foster a student body representative of the local
community; and recruitment efforts which seek to ensure a match between
the school program and applicants' educational and personal needs.
IV. OPERATIONS
1) Admissions & Registration
Plan:
A. Describe the admissions procedures and dismissal procedures
you will use.
B. Describe the timetable to be used for registering &
admitting students, including a plan for the admission lottery if the number
of applicants exceeds the program capacity.
C. Describe the ways in which the school will endeavor
to achieve a racial/ethnic balance reflective of the community it serves.
D. In the case of an existing school being converted to
charter status, suggest alternative arrangements for current students who
choose not to attend the charter school.
What reviewers will look for: Consistency with the mission
of the school; a non-discriminatory admissions process; timely and realistic
procedures for admitting students; compliance with charter school legislation.
2) Human Resource Information:
A. Describe the standards to be used in the hiring process
of teachers, administrators and other school staff.
B. Describe your human resource policies governing:
salaries, contracts, hiring & dismissal, and benefit packages.
C. Describe how the qualifications of the teachers will
be described to parents considering the charter school for their children,
as required in the charter statute.
D. What is the targeted staff size, staffing plan, and
projected student-to-teacher ratio?
E. In the case of an existing school being converted to
charter status, suggest alternative arrangements for current teachers who
choose not to teach in the school after conversion. These suggestions may
or may not be adopted by the local school board, which alone bears full
responsibility for the placement of any of district employees who choose
not to work in the charter school. (Any teacher choosing not to work in
the charter school must be treated by the school board in accordance with
the existing collective-bargaining agreement or with school board policy
in the absence of a collective bargaining agreement.)
What reviewers will look for: High professional standards
for teachers and other staff; commitment to professional development of
staff; working conditions and compensation packages which will attract
quality staff; compliance with labor laws , fingerprinting and background
checks.
3) Transportation:
A. Discuss the plans for transporting students to and from
school. What arrangements, if any, will be made with the local school district,
private providers, or with parents?
B. Charter schools are responsible for providing transportation
for students residing within a "reasonable distance" of the charter
school. How has that reasonable distance been defined in your charter transportation
plan? What factors helped form the basis for this distance determination?
C. Describe the policies which will help ensure that transportation
is not a barrier to equal access for all students.
D. If the school district is under court-ordered desegregation,
describe how that has been taken into account in the transportation plan.
What reviewers will look for: A workable, fair, non-discriminatory
and cost-effective arrangement for safely transporting students to and
from school.
V. FINAL DOCUMENTATION
(Final documents be submitted prior to the opening of the charter
school)
Approval of a charter school and a charter agreement may be granted
prior to the final submission of these documents. However, final
authorization to operate the charter school will almost certainly be contingent
upon the submission of these (or similar) documents.
1) Facilities Safety Approval:
A. In order to demonstrate the safety and structural soundness
of the school and compliance with applicable state minimum building codes
and fire protection codes, please submit written documentation of:
- Inspection by a local building inspector;
- Inspection by local Fire Department;
- Compliance with all other federal and state health & safety laws
and regulations.
B. Submit a final site plan.
2) Final Governance Documents:
A. Submit copies of the school's articles of incorporation,
by-laws, contracts, and other documents required by applicable law.
B. Updated board members' names, addresses, phone numbers,
resume's and disclosure information.
3) Insurance, Final
Budgets, & Other:
A. Present your school's insurance coverage plans, including
applicable health, general liability, property insurance, and Director's
and Officer's liability coverage, if any.
B. Submit updated budgets.
C. Final school calendars.
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