Charter Schools In Wisconsin

1
Wisconsin Charter School Conference
Guidance for Charter School Developers and Grant
Applicants Paula Crandall Decker, Ed.D. Sharon
Wendt, MSE Wisconsin Department of Public
Instruction May 10, 2005
2
Charter Schools and Developers

• The purpose of this session
• Provide basic charter school information
• Identify specific start up roles
• Review charter school grant guidelines

3
What is a Charter School?

• Charter School Charter schools are
  sponsor-created and administered, outcome-based
  public schools that operate under a contract
  between the school and the local school board or
  other entity defined by state charter school law
  (Sautter, 1993).

4
Charter School Definition

• Charter schools are nonsectarian and operate
  under a written contract that specifies
  accountability for student achievement in
  exchange for a waiver of most state rules and
  regulations (Nathan, 1996).

5
According to the USDE (2003), the intention of
most charter school legislation is to

• Increase opportunities for learning and access to
  quality education for all students
• Create choice for parents and students within the
  public school system
• Provide a system of accountability for results in
  public education
• Encourage innovative teaching practices
• Create new professional opportunities for
  teachers
• Encourage community and parent involvement in
  public education and leverage improved education
  broadly. (USDE, p. 1)

6
Authorizers Determined by State Law

• State laws that allow the creation of charters
  specify the types of agencies that are permitted
  to authorize or award a charter. These agencies
  are legally designated charter school
  authorizers. Different states allow different
  entities to authorize a charter school.

7
Distribution of Charter Authorizer by Type
in Wisconsin

• Type of Authorizer
  Number of Authorizers
• Local school boards 426
• State boards of education, state education
• agencies, chief state school officers
  0
• Universities, colleges, community colleges 3
• Other, including independent or
• special charter school boards
• and municipal governments. 1
• Total 430
• Note Adapted to Wisconsin from A Decade of
  Public Charter Schools
• Evaluation of the Public Charter Schools,
  2000-2001 Evaluation Report,
• SRI International, p. 8.

8
Top 10 reasons for Starting a New charter School

• To provide opportunities for more learning and
  higher student achievement
• To provide choices for parents and students
• To allow for true site management by
  administrators, teachers and students
• To facilitate and encourage greater parent and
  community involvement
• To provide for greater accountability
• To promote educational entrepreneurship
• To provide greater program flexibility
• To streamline budget and management decisions
• To downsize large systems and to redesign and
  reallocate. (p. 7)
• (Excerpt from a 2-day Wingspread Conference in
• Wisconsin on April 3 and 4, 1996)

9
Wisconsin State Statute 118.40

• Allows anyone to create a charter school
• Specifies who can sponsor or authorize a charter
  school
• Has no cap on the numbers that can be created
• Specifies what must be included in a contract
• Outlines what a charter school can and cannot do.
  

10
Wisconsin Charter School Law

• Must be open to all students in the district
• Must follow all federal and state health and
  safety requirements of public schools
• No pupil can be required to participate
• Can be a new school or a conversion from an
  existing public or private entity, but a school
  board cannot convert a private sectarian school
  to a charter.
• Fit the definition of a charter

11
Wisconsin Charter School Law

• Charter schools are exempt from most state
  requirements, ch.115-121 of Wis. Stats, however
  they MUST do the following
• Participate in the state assessment system
• Complete the annual School Performance Report
• Count their students for membership in the LEA
• Teachers must be licensed by the DPI

12
Wisconsin Charter School Growth
13
Charter School Development Process

• Roles
• Developer
• Grant Writer
• Operator
• School Governance

14
Steps to Starting a Charter School (USDE, 2005)

•  
• Exploration
• Application
• Pre-Operations
• Operations
• Resources

15
 
Stages in the Development Process

• Exploration Surveying the Scene and Laying the
  Groundwork
• Gather basic information on WI charter Schools
• Assemble a school design team
• Ascertain school communitys readiness
• Develop a business/strategic plan 

16
Investigate State Laws and Policies

• Review Wisconsins Charter School Legislation
• Know the 16 components required in the charter
  plan
• Review district charter start up policies and
  procedures
• Identify waivers from district contracts/policies

17
Assemble the Planning Team

• Expertise needed
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Community Relations and Marketing
• Finance and Fund Raising
• Legal Issues, Educational Law
• Real Estate
• Student Assessment
• Writing charter school documents

18
Design a Comprehensive School Plan

• Agreed upon mission and vision
• Overview of instructional program
• School Governance and administrative structure
• Staffing Plan
• Statement of Facilities Need
• Budget/financial plan

19
Drafting/Presenting/ Getting Charter Approved

• Legal document (see Benchmark guide)
• Key components
• Clear mission statement
• Statement of why school is needed
• Description of education program
• Learning Objectives
• Methods of Student Assessment

20
Components of Charter Continued

• Financial plan and 3-5 years projected budget
• Governance or organizational model
• Personnel Policies
• Student Enrollment and Disciplinary Policies
• Facilities information
• Insurance
• Compliance with state and federal regulations
• Evaluation/monitoring agreements
• Contract Renewal/termination

21
Pre-Operations

• Detailed plan and timeline
• Core founding group listing of tasks and persons
  responsible
• Develop operating agreements/shared services
• Incorporate/file for 501(c)(3) status, recruit
  and install governing board
• Draft by laws, policies, and identify an
  administrative structure
• Recruit/admit students
• Recruit/hire staff
• Purchase instructional materials
• Choose methods of student assessment
• Establish school calendar/professional
  development plan.

22
Planning to Open

• Secure and ready facility
• Set up Support
• Accounting/budget
• Purchasing
• Transportation
• Food service
• Custodial
• Telephone services
• Technology/wiring

23
Operations

• Establish culture of school
• Clarify schools expectations and beliefs
• Review the data for planning/guidance
• Governance Committee provides oversight
• Establish critical partners
• Refine curriculum and instruction
• Collect student performance/achievement data

24

Charter School Program Allowable Activities

• Grants awarded by the Secretary to eligible
  applicants or subgrants awarded by State
  educational agencies to eligible applicants are
  for a period of not more than 3 years, of which
  the eligible applicant may use
• (A) not more than 18 months for planning and
  program design
• (B) not more than 2 years for the initial
  implementation of a charter school and
• (C) not more than 2 years to carry out
  dissemination activities described in section
  5204(f)(6)(B).

25
Charter School Program Allowable Activities

• Post-award planning and design of the educational
  program, which may include
• (i) refinement of the desired educational results
  and of the methods for measuring progress toward
  achieving those results and
• (ii) professional development of teachers and
  other staff who will work in the charter school
  and

26
Charter School Program Allowable Activities

• Initial implementation of the charter school,
  which may include
• (i) informing the community about the school
• (ii) acquiring necessary equipment and
  educational materials and supplies
• (iii) acquiring or developing curriculum
  materials and
• (iv) other initial operational costs that cannot
  be met from State or local sources.

27
The Wisconsin Charter School Grant Program

• Funding levels
• The grant application process
• New priorities in funding, etc.
• The readers benchmarks
• Common mistakes
• Resources

28
Federal Grants To Wisconsin

• 1996-97 1,325,000
• 1997-98 1,956,548
• 1998-99 3,100,000
• 1999-00 4,000,000
• 2000-01 4,400,000
• 2001-02 8,750,000
• 2002-03 8,736,842
• 2003-04 9,682,211
• 2004-05 9,290,774

29
Available Wisconsin Grants

• Start up Funds
• A 3 year continuous relationship
• Planning (12-18 months)
• Implementation Year 1 (12 months)
• Implementation Year 2 (6-12 months)
• Beginning of 4th year
• Dissemination Grant (12 to 24 months)

30
Continuous Relationship

• The length of time that an applicant can be in a
  financial relationship with the DPI is determined
  by federal law.
• If you cannot open at the absolute latest by
  semester II of the 2006-07 school year, do not
  request planning funds in 2005, as you will break
  your continuous contract and therefore forfeit
  your right to future funds.

31
(No Transcript)
32
Planning Application

• Charter School Vision
• Why a charter school
• Serves a particular need
• Charter School Description
• Planning Process
• Evidence of pre-planning
• Budget
• Narrative and Itemized Budget

33
Implementation Application

• Charter School Program Description
• Detailed description of school curriculum
• Support for school is evident
• Admissions Policy
• Charter School Needs
• Funds used to meet needs
• Educational Priorities
• Budget
• Narrative and Itemized Budget

34
Implementation Appl. (Continued)

• Charter Schools must fit the federal definition
  of a charter school
• Requirements are included in the application
• Charter Contract must be included with the
  application
• Copy must be signed

35
Implementation Renewal Application

• Educational Progress
• Educational Programming
• Documents student achievement
• Educational Priorities
• Addresses New Wisconsin Promise and NCLB
  Priorities
• Management and Governance Model
• Active Governance Structure
• Budget
• Narrative and Itemized Budget

36
Priorities in Funding and Other Application
Changes

• Priorities
• Serves children at risk as described in s.118.153
  (1) (a), Wis. Stats.
• Supports the development of a charter school in a
  geographic area where one or more schools are
  identified for improvement, that requires
  corrective action, or restructuring under Title
  I, Part A of the ESEA.

37
Priorities in Funding and Other Application
Changes

• The New Wisconsin Promise priorities
• Closes the achievement gap
• Places an emphasis on building reading skills
• Promotes early learning opportunities
• Promotes educator quality
• Promotes career or technology education
• Encourages parent and community involvement
• Provides effective pupil services, special
  education and prevention programs to support
  learning.

38
Other Application Changes

• Increase in page limits from 12 to 15
• Clarifying questions order change
• Questions added for Implementation Applicants not
  previously awarded Charter School Planning Funds
• Eliminated duplicate questions
• Description of admissions and lottery process
• Allows attachment of up to 3 letters of support
• Fits federal definition of a charter school
• Implementation Renewal application requires
  description of governance council

39
Wisconsin Charter School Program

• Informational sessions held
• Application submission by due date
• External peer review of grants
• Internal review for compliance
• State Superintendent review approval
• Award notification
• Letter of acceptance from sub grantee to DPI
• Revisions and all assurances signed
• Signed award notice sent to sub grantees
• Mandated reporting sessions
• Renewal applications

40
Readers Benchmarks

• Reviews each section and provides rating
• Strong
• Average
• Weak
• Comments
• Overall Rating

41
Review Criteria(What did the readers ask?)

• Is a charter school necessary to achieve these
  purposes?
• Will this most likely result in a charter?
• Is this a creative and innovative program that
  could serve as a model for others?
• Is there a focus on learner goals and outcomes,
  high academic standards and assessments?

42
Common Reasons Why Charter Applications are Not
Recommended for Funding

• No clear reason why it needs to be a charter
  school
• Inadequate planning documented
• Lack of parent or community support
• Describes a program rather than a school.

43
Charter Planning and Implementation Grant
Mechanics

• Review the benchmarks
• Applications will be available by May 1, 2005
  www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dfm/sms/csindex.html
• Attach a letter of support from the school
  district or authority you are likely to charter
  with.

44
Use of Funds

• Allowable
• Computers/equipment
• Desks, chairs, tables, lockers
• Curriculum materials, books
• Conferences, travel, food, etc
• Staff development
• Extended contracts for curriculum writing/program
  dev.
• Assessment/evaluation costs
• Refrigerator/stove for food service
• Renovations to bring facility up to health and
  safety codes after you have opened
• Instructional Supplies

• Not allowable
• Any operational costs such as
• Salaries
• Rent
• Leases
• Field Trips
• Construction
• Purchase of vehicles, boats, trailers
• Roof repairs, boilers
• Accounting, administration fees, grant writing or
  over-site.

45
Competitive Application Deadline

• Planning and Implementation grants are due August
  1, 2005
• Mail or deliver to DPI 1 original 7 copies of
  sub-grant application by 430 p.m.
• Late applications will not be accepted.

46
DPI Charter Consultants

• Paula Crandall Decker (CESAs 1, 6,7,8,9, 2Rs)
• paula.crandall.decker_at_dpi.state.wi.us (608)
  266-5728
• Sharon Wendt (CESAs 2,3,4,5,11,12,10)
• sharon.wendt_at_dpi.state.wi.us [phone]
• or 1-888-245-2732, ext.5
• www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dfm/sms/csindex.html

47
Resources

• Wisconsin Laws governing charter schools
• www.legis.state.wi.us/statutes/Stat0118.pdf
• To learn about charter schools in general, please
  visit
• http//www.uscharterschools.org/pub/uscs_docs/inde
  x.htm
• For specific information about starting a new
  charter school
• http//www.uscharterschools.org/cs/r/view/uscs_rs/
  1699
• For national resources, websites, research,
  please visit
• http//www.ncrel.org/sdrs/timely/inet.htm
• Charter School Authorizer Resources at
• http//www.charterauthorizers.org/site/nacsa/