South Carolina Public Charter School District Charter Application

South Carolina Public Charter School District Charter Application Review Part I Mission, Need and Educational Program

Sections of the Application A. Introduction/Background B. Definitions C. Characteristics of a High Quality Charter School D. Eligible Applicants E. Technical Assistance for Applicants F. Deadline and Submission Procedures G. Review and Selection Process H. Approval and Ongoing Authorization of Charter

Process As It Stands Today All applications are submitted to the South Carolina Public Charter School District (SCPCSD) and to the State Department of Education (SDE). The copies submitted to the SDE must include a letter from the SCPCSD that the application has been received. The application in its entirety is submitted ELECTRONICALLY via email to the SCPCSD. (No dropbox links). The applicant will electronically receive a letter documenting receipt of the application. That letter must be printed and accompany the printed copies of the application required by the SDE.

State Timelines • Once an application is submitted to the SDE (so long as it is before July 1, 2014), the Charter School Advisory Committee (CSAC) must meet within 90 days to review the application for compliance to the Charter School Law, Regulations and Application, If they fail to meet within that time the charter is automatically approved. • The CASC will either certify the application as compliant and recommend the District approve it or they will find it in noncompliance. At which time, the applicant may appeal to the Administrative Law court.

District Timelines • When the SCPCSD receives written notification that an application has been found in compliance by the CSAC it has 45 days to hear the application and make a decision. • If the application is approved then the applicant will move to the contract stage of the approval process. • If the application is not approved by the SCPCSD Board of Trustees then the applicant must receive written notification of its deficiencies within 10 days

Application Packet The Charter School Application Packet includes: • The Application Questions • Sample Cover Page • Statement of Assurances • Signature Certification Page • Student Enrollment Projections for 10 year Charter • State Board Regulations • Facilities Approval Process • Facility Notification Form • Virtual School Curriculum Review/Online Course

Charter School Law • Its not in the packet but READ IT!!!!! • HYPERLINK LAW

Naming Your Charter School • Be unique • Allow the name to evolve in the planning process. • Remember you are marketing the name not the abbreviation. • Consider your short name not just your abbreviation • Make sure your abbreviation does not match a current school in the district

Naming Your Charter School • Things we suggest you NOT name your charter school (or include in the name) Ø After someone living Ø After yourself Ø After the name of a city Ø More than 4 words (it will be shortened) Ø Religious connotations Ø Including SC, Midlands, Lowcountry, Palmetto, etc. as these are overused already Ø Acronyms Ø Difficult pronunciation Ø Unclear meaning

What a Charter School is…. . • A public school • A school of choice • An autonomous educational entity that is relieved of many state laws for increased accountability. • An educational entity that offers innovative and unique opportunities for students. • An educational choice for parents who are not satisfied with their traditional school

What a Charter School Is Not…. • A private school • An elitist school (Selective Admissions) • John Doe and Sons, Inc. Meaning it is not a family business • A business solely created to provide a job for someone • A magnet school

Need What constitutes a “Need” in a community? Examples (not exhaustive) • Failing schools in the community • Lack of programs (language immersion, character ed, leadership, STEM) offered in the community • High Crime Rate • Only one school and distance (time on the bus)

Forming a Committee • The charter committee is the governing body of a charter school formed by the applicant to govern through the application process and until the election of a board of directors is held. It is then dissolved. • The committee must have one teacher as a member all other members are up to the committee. • This is the committee that writes the charter, gathers support, presents to the State and District, opens the school. These have to be committed people!

Documenting the Need • It isn’t enough to state the need in your application, you have to back it up with data. • Do your research on what is offered in the schools in your area. For example, if ABC Elementary School is offering an innovative program but only children zoned for that school can participate then that is a need. More children interested than the district can support. This requires real numbers. • Data can be in many forms, it just needs to document your stated need.

Places to Find Academic and Population Data for Support • The SDE website will supply you with the latesting data available through the research portal. www. ed. sc. gov Click on research portal. • Another suggested place on the SDE website is the Research and Data Analysis Page which includes Ø Active Student Headcount Ø Home School Enrollment Ø Poverty Index Ø College Freshmen Report

Other Places to Find Data • Chamber of Commerce • Sherriff's Department • United Way • Colleges and Universities • Census • County Government

Interested Parties • Also to document the need for the school the committee must gather students, parents and teachers to their cause. • The committee must be able to document its efforts to enlist interested parties. All racial groups must be represented in the marketing plan. • The committee can choose a target population i. e. at-risk but it can not choose a target race. • It can choose a target gender! By SC Charter School Law single gender schools are now allowed.

Interested Parties • Documentation of the number of students parents and teachers expressing and interest in the proposed charter school Ø You are not required to submit a list in the application but you need to have it. This list becomes your starting point for recruitment of student and teachers

Connecting the Need and the Educational Program • Once you have documented the need then you must choose an educational program that addresses the need. • The relationship between the need and the educational program is not a casual relationship. It’s a marriage made in heaven! • A strong application can show that the educational plan proposed will “fill the void, ” or “correct the problem, ” alleviating the need in the community.

The Educational Program must be INNOVATIVE!!!!!! • Best Practice is not innovative • Too many innovations leads to the educational program becoming unfocused, too many is just as bad as not enough • All your innovations should tie back to your documented need. • Being the only charter school in the district is not innovation. Its what you are offering that is innovative. • Just doing it better is not innovative

The Educational Program must be INNOVATIVE!!!!!! • Examples of Innovation (not exhaustive) Ø STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Ø Leadership Academy Ø Project Based- (real project based not just hands on learning) Ø Single Gender Ø Middle or Early College Ø Dual Credit Ø The Arts Ø Blended Learning Ø Language Immersion

Traditional and Charter Green is traditional school responsibilities Red is the innovation of the educational plan

An educational plan is more than just your curriculum. Its the combination of your pedagogy, support services, extra curricular activities, calendar, school time, etc.

Understanding Your Chosen Curriculum • Does your curriculum match the population you intend to serve? • Does it extended to all grades you intend to eventually serve in all subjects? • Can you afford it? • Can you document the amount of professional development needed to effectively implement your chosen curriculum and the cost associated with it? • Is your curriculum research based? • Does it align to State Standards/Common Core? • Does your curriculum address the need?

The need, educational plan and mission are like a three legged stool. It takes all three to make it stand. All three must connect to each other.

Mission Statement A mission statement should be… • a clear and succinct representation of the school’s purpose for existence. • the end result of the journey • the description of what the child “looks like” when they leave or what the child is prepared for in life Example for a STEM school; Creating the next generation of scientists

Mission Statement A mission statement should not be: Ø a description of the efforts of adults Ø 4 sentences long Ø educational jargon Bad Example ABC Charter School strives to be a glowing light that will improve student academic performance by engaging students in joyful, meaningful, and creative learning. We will develop a collaborative learning community that promotes inquiry based learning and critical thinking to prepare students to meet the needs of our global society. Reword to: preparing students to be critical thinkers to meet the needs of our global community.

If you can’t recite your mission then change it.

Mission Statement • http: //www. nonprofitmarketingblog. com/comme nts/reader_question_how_do_i_make_my_miss ion_sound_more_exciting • Don’t write your mission until you know what your need and educational plan are. • Have a vision for what you want your students to achieve.

Vision vs. Mission • All students of the 21 st century will attain the highest level of academic knowledge, applied learning and performance skills to ensure fulfilling personal lives and careers and contribute to civic and economic progress in our diverse and changing democratic society. • Create strong, effective schools that provide a wholesome learning environment through incentives that cause a high standard of student accomplishment as measured by a valid, reliable accountability system.

Appendices for Part I Need and Support: Appendix A, B, C Educational Program: Appendix E, F, G

Evidence of Need and Support • Charter Committee (Appendix A) Ø Resumes of the Charter Committee Members • Letters of Support (Appendix B) Ø Have as many letters as you can from local government, colleges, community organizations businesses, etc. • Conversion Schools (Appendix C) Ø Not applicable to the SCPCSD Ø Can only be chartered through the local district where it is located

Educational Plan School Calendar and Daily Schedule (Appendix E) Ø Must show at least 180 of instruction • Year Round vs. Modified Calendar Virtual School List of Courses (Appendix F) Ø Only Applicable to Virtual and Blended Schools Supporting Documents for the Described Educational Program (Appendix G) Ø This is where any research or supporting documents to your educational plan goes. It is not a continuation of the narrative. Ø The current application has two Appendix G. This will be fixed before the new one is released.

Next Session October 17, 2013 1: 00 -4: 00 • In person and Webinar • Enrollment • Goals • Evaluating Pupil Performance Accountability Webinar • Will send out the link prior to October meeting