January 22, 2007 - 6:30 PM
Attendance
Board members in attendance: Tom Nida, Chair; Tony Colón, Vice Chair; Dora Marcus; Will Marshall; Lawrence Patrick; Josephine Baker, Ex-officio, and Secretary
Approval of the December Minutes
Lawrence Patrick motioned to approve the December minutes; Dora Marcus seconded the motion, and it was unanimously carried.
Charter Review
Board chair Tom Nida greeted the audience and explained the charter review process. He explained that the Fifth Year Review is a more intense level of review. It looks at how the individual school has fulfilled its objectives in its accountability plan.
Mr. Nida explained that there are three potential outcomes
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Full continuance of the charter - it can come with no condition or minor conditions;
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Conditional continuance - where certain issues have not been fully resolved, but with additional time and continued effort they can be resolved.
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Revocation - the school is on a downward trajectory and is on a course that cannot be remedied.
Contracts of $25,000 or More
Mr. Nida read into the record school contracts which had been reviewed by the Board since the December meeting. (see attachment)
Vice chair Tony Colón motioned to accept the report. Lawrence Patrick seconded the motion and it was unanimously carried.
Charter Review
Howard Road Academy
School Representatives present:
LaTonya Henderson - Chief Admin Officer, Principal
Crystal Jones, Chairman
Derrick Spencer - Board Member
Tracy Johnson - Board President
PCSB staff member Jacqueline Scott-English read the summary of the Fifth Year Review. Howard Road Academy Public Charter School met the academic, non-academic, and organizational performance standards based on the Fifth Year Review Framework.
HRA met 2 of its 3 academic targets. Specifically, HRA met the 2 DC CAS targets in reading and mathematics and failed to provide reliable data for the remaining target related to Paragon. Therefore, the school met the majority of its fifth-year goals. The school also met the State Education Agency's AYP standards in reading and mathematics and the standard related to achieving no less than a school-wide average of middle performance levels in reading and mathematics on the DC CAS.
HRA met 2 of 4 non-academic performance standards. The school attained 80% of its non-academic targets and enrollment levels were sufficient to sustain its economic viability. However, HRA did not meet the attendance target and missed the average re-enrollment rate target by 1%.
HRA performed exceptionally well in the area of organizational performance, meeting 18 of 19 standards. However, the school is out of compliance in that it is not fully staffed with "highly qualified" personnel as required by NCLB.
The Special Education Quality Review revealed that eight of nine reviewed IEPs did not contain the required MDT notes to determine eligibility or the MDT notes indicated continued eligibility without noting the disability category of the student.
HRA performed well during the most recent Program Development Review. The school was rated as satisfactory or higher on 15 of 16 Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, School Climate, and Governance indicators. However, HRA received an "inadequate" rating on the alignment and effective implementation of its curriculum.
HRA has begun the accreditation process with the Middle States Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools Association (MSA).
Dora Marcus asked the school representatives about a letter written by the school leadership on January 5th about school safety. She noted a survey that had been taken and asked what kind of progress the school was making on that concern.
Latonya Henderson responded that they pinpointed walking to the Metro as the major concern. They partnered with DC Police, and have a beat officer making sure they have a presence in the morning and at night. They were already walking the children to the metro, but were most concerned about crossing the street, and had some concern about older kids from other schools bullying the smaller HRA students. She expressed hope that the police would remain a presence, and suggested that the more parents, teachers, and the school community puts the pressure on police, the longer they will stay.
Dr. Marcus asked about the school's curriculum, and the extent to which school leaders felt they had encountered obstacles aligning the curriculum and standards.
Ms. Henderson answered that the obstacles were not with alignment, but with making sure teachers understood it. They had to roll it out in a way that teachers could get comfortable using it. She concluded that professional development had helped to meet that challenge.
Josephine Baker asked about their Highly Quality Teacher (HQT) issue. She asked what plans school leaders were making toward increasing HQT.
Ms. Henderson responded that they had joined in a partnership with Potomac college, helping teachers pass the Praxis. They are coming to the school.
Tom Nida asked school leaders how they compared going through the Fifth Year Rewiew process to the normal annual review process.
Ms. Henderson responded that it had been an eye-opening experience. They had to look at what they were doing well, where they were going, and how they were going to get there. She added that their board chair had done a tremendous job of making sure everyone was involved; making sure parents and staff were on board.
Mr. Nida asked board members for their insights.
Crystal Jones responded that the school's board had to take an orthoscopic look at how they were functioning. They became more structured as a board. She added that it was a very strenuous process. They took it seriously and got some training.
Derrick Spencer added that the process was a cumulative build up. His advice to new charter schools would be to pay attention to yearly reviews, and take advantage of the support from the teams sent to the school. They took all the suggestions that were made over the years. He concluded that the process was gut-wrenching.
Ms. Baker commented on Ms. Henderson's statement that parents, board, faculty and staff had been involved. She stated that that is what charters are supposed to be, and when that is done, the school rises to the top.
Will Marshall noted that the school had made AYP in reading and math, and asked if school leaders had any advice or words of encouragement for other schools.
Latonya Henderson responded that they had to take the time to find out where the students had deficits and take the time to address them. For them it meant cutting back on their history block.
Crystal Jones added that school leaders have to live AYP, accreditation and excellence every day, not just when they are being graded.
Tony Colón stated that HRA had proven to DC and to the nation that our children can do it. He asked if there was anything the PCSB could do to help in terms of HQT.
Tracy Johnson reiterated that they are paying for Potomac College to come on-site and teach the teachers for the praxis exam.
Josephine Baker asked if they had looked at all of the grants that might support those kinds of efforts. She encouraged the school leaders to seek out private funds for these supports.
Tracy Johnson added that all the stakeholders have to be involved. They require excellence of all stakeholders, including parents.
Dora Marcus motioned for Full Continuance with a Memo of Understanding about the remaining challenges. Lawrence Patrick seconded the motion and it was unanimously carried.
KIPP DC
School representatives present:
Alison Fansler - President, KIPP DC
Susan Schaeffler - Founder and Executive Director, KIPP DC
Sara Hayes - Principal of KIPP DC:KEY Academy
PCSB staff member Monique Miller read the Fifth Year Review summary. KIPP DC: KEY Academy Public Charter School met the standards of academic, non-academic, and organizational performance in accordance with the Charter Review Framework.
KIPP DC: KEY Academy had 9 academic performance goals. However, two could not be measured because of a state assessment change resulting in only 7 academic targets to be met. KIPP DC: KEY Academy met 3 of its 7 academic targets. The four unmet targets were due to an internal assessment change resulting in scores from two different assessments that could not be compared to measure academic growth. The school met all 3 of its non-academic targets. Additionally, KIPP DC: KEY Academy's organizational performance included exemplary or fully functioning performance as it relates to compliance and fiscal management, respectively. The organizational performance of governance was exemplary or fully functioning in 7 of the 7 categories.
KIPP DC: KEY Academy has performed admirably over its 5-year existence, which has been marked by consistently making AYP. Strong leadership has been maintained although there was a change in the principal position with Susan Schaeffler transitioning to Executive Director of KIPP DC and Sarah Hayes assuming the position of principal. KIPP DC has sought to provide more administrative support by adding Allison Fansler as the President and Chief Operating Officer of KIPP DC.
KIPP DC: KEY Academy has consistently demonstrated a high level of reflection as it relates to their performance. As a result, the school has been quick to respond to issues outlined in previous Program Development Reviews. A couple of examples include the installment of a technology lab in its current facility as well as the hiring of a full-time guidance counselor to assist students with the preparation for and the transition to high school and post secondary education. KIPP DC: KEY Academy also has worked to resolve and improve any areas of concern found in Compliance Reviews.
Lawrence Patrick motioned for full continuance; Tony Colón seconded the motion.
Mr. Patrick thanked the leadership for what they had done to prepare students. He noted that the school is one of the best in Washington, DC. He shared that he had visited the school and was very impressed with the students, teachers and the leadership. He asked for a preview of the next four years; specifically, how would they capture the immediate gains of students who have just started and reflect it back.
Sarah Hayes answered that switching the test caused some problems with tracking, but they are working with the PCSB as they move to the Stanford 10. She asserted her confidence that it would be a great measure. They can see the growth in students.
Mr. Patrick asked about their accreditation plans.
Ms. Hayes answered that the Middle States Association had come to the school. They have two more campuses, and were considering delaying the completion of the process to include all four campuses. She indicated that Middle States is willing to wrap it into the K-8 model; they will have to complete another process for the high school.
Josephine Baker asked how they would incorporate the PDR comments in the new facility.
Susan Schaeffler responded that they were thrilled to begin owning property, and were excited to open a new campus that will house 900 students in grades PreK-8. They had gone through numerous evaluation meetings, and had acquired an affordable building that would enable them to meet all of their needs and maintain their financial stability. The building is located on the 4800 block of Benning Rd in Ward 7. The new campus will join the KEY Academy campus.
Tom Nida asked the KIPP representatives to describe their Fifth Year Review experience.
Ms. Schaeffler answered that they had been inspected a lot. She said it keeps them on their toes. They have an open door policy and receive a lot of visitors. She added that the review team was very thorough. They were pretty challenging and very helpful in providing feedback. She said they were told a lot of what they already knew, but it helps school leaders to light a fire under them.
Will Marshall asked if they had any advice for the PCSB, after going through the process.
Ms. Schaeffler responded that there were many things the PCSB does well. She said she has a ton of respect for the Board and the way it treat its schools. She said the PCSB helps schools to remember what the laws are and what's fair. She advised the PCSB to keep doing what it is doing, and said she hoped that it would continue to support and help schools that are showing strong progress to expand.
The motion was unanimously carried.
Thurgood Marshall Academy
School representatives present:
Alexandra Pardo, Academic Director
Joshua Kerns, Founder and ED
Kevin Downey - Board Chair
Candice Bobo - Academic Director
PCSB staff member Susan Miller read the Fifth Year Review summary. Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School met the non-academic and organizational performance standards, but failed to meet the academic performance standards based on the Fifth Year Review Framework.
Thurgood Marshall Academy (TMA) met 1 of 3 academic performance standards. Specifically, TMA met 6 of its 8 accountability plan targets; one target related to portfolios was missed by 1%. Therefore, TMA did meet the majority of its academic targets. The school did achieve school-wide middle performance levels in reading on the DC CAS and also met the State Education Agency's AYP standard in reading. However, the school did not meet AYP or achieve middle performance on the DC CAS in mathematics.
TMA met 100% of its non-academic fifth year targets. Additionally, the school met 4 of 4 non-academic performance standards based on the Fifth Year Review Framework.
TMA performed exceptionally well in the area of organizational performance, meeting 19 of 19 standards. For the 2006-2007 school year, the school made great strides in meeting "HQT" requirements. Although 72% of staff required to meet the criteria are HQT, to be compliant, the school must be fully staffed with "highly qualified" personnel as required by NCLB.
TMA performed well during the most recent Program Development Review. The school was rated as Exemplary or at a High Level of Development and Implementation on 11 of 16 Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, School Climate, and Governance indicators and Satisfactory Level of Development and Implementation on 5 of 16 indicators. TMA received no Limited or Inadequate Levels of Development and Implementation ratings.
TMA has begun the accreditation process with the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools Association (MSA).
Tony Colón motioned for a full continuance with a Memorandum of Understanding. Lawrence Patrick seconded the motion.
Mr. Colón commented that, having been an educator for over 35 years, his assessment was that they had a really good school. He noted that the building is incredibly beautiful, and the fact that they want a beautiful place for their students is commendable.
Related to Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT), Mr. Colón noted that it is an issue for everyone. He asked what kinds of challenges they have had, and what are they are putting in place to deal with it.
Joshua Kern thanked the PCSB members for all that they had done, for TMA and for all DC students. He stated that it's a very difficult job that doesn't get acknowledged. He gave particular thanks to staff member Susan Miller.
Alexandra Pardo responded to the HQT question, stating that it had been a tremendous challenge. Last year they were only at 42% HQT. They changed their hiring practices, but had challenges with physics and music, because there is no exam that teachers can pass. She indicated that two more teachers just became HQ. The school is paying for teachers to take university courses, at schools such as American University. They have also partnered with Teach For America. They have financially supported their teachers, and are working on a plan for each teacher that is not HQT. Ms. Pardo stated that they are committed to having 100% HQT next year.
Will Marshall stated that the building is prettier than any one he ever attended. He asked them to share their plan of attack for Math.
Ms. Pardo answered that math is a challenge from last year. The school made AYP in math in 2004. In 2005 they made AYP in reading. To begin with, they hired a math coach who is highly qualified to work with students in remediation. With the support and guidance from the Program Development Review, they implemented double math blocks in 9th grade. In 10th grade, they diagnosed the grade level of math and reading for all students. She stated that process would enable them to do even more than meet AYP. They have a mechanism to see where students are coming in and how they are progressing. They instituted quarterly benchmark assessments. Math cannot only happen in the math classroom. They have extended it in other classes, such as science, PE, etc…She concluded that there is mandatory tutoring for students who are not at grade level.
Josephine Baker stated that we know what NCLB has done to liberal arts education. She stated that education isn't just learning to read and do math. She asked how they were managing to make sure that science, history and their law program weren't going out the window for the state assessment.
Joshua Kern responded that the school was founded on that premise. They want to teach students basic reading and math, but it was also important to teach students to know what it means to be citizens of a democracy. He stated that they take those things very seriously, and acknowledged that it is definitely a challenge in the NCLB environment. He shared that they are able to do it through the after-school program. They have an extensive partnerships with the legal community, which include an extensive mentoring program. There are individual mentors for every student in one grade.
Candice Bobo added that they are working with 9th grade students through the law program. They are working with teachers in all subjects to figure out how to incorporate law in all the subjects. They are constantly revising their curriculum to make sure they are getting a liberal arts education. She stated that teachers meet monthly to make sure they work across the grades.
Dora Marcus noted that TMA is planning to open a gym for Ward 8 in cooperation with Savoy Elementary and DC Parks and Recreation. She stated that it is commendable when charter schools take on a broader purpose for the community.
Joshua Kern responded that this is partnership of this type. The facility will be open to the entire Ward 8 community.
The motion was unanimously carried.
The meeting adjourned at 7:34pm.