Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Office of Innovation Charter School Application Recommendation Report Nashville Academy of Computer Science: A Nashville Prep School Submitted By Nashville Prep Charter School/ Ravi Gupta Evaluation Team Mary Laurens Seely, Team Lead, MNPS Business Analyst John Thomas, MNPS Federal Programs-Title I Donna Hackett, MNPS Federal Programs ESEA David Moore, MNPS Executive Directory Elementary Rick Caldwell, MNPS Exceptional Education Liaison to charter schools Michael Thompson, MNPS K-12 ELD Curriculum Coordinator Emmanuel Ehiemua, MNPS Community Outreach Specialist Terry Surgener, COO Knowledge Academies Flo Kidd, MNPS Coordinator Pre-K Shemika Blocker, COO New Vision Academy Todd Vandawater, Vice President, Fifth Third Bank Miranda Christy, Stites & Harbison, attorney Adrienne Useted, Director of Human Resources, LEAD Public Schools Karen Munn, MNPS Planning Facilitator Introduction 1
Charter schools are public schools operated by independent, non-profit governing bodies that must include parents. In Tennessee, public charter school students are measured against the same academic standards as students in other public schools. Charter schools are required to serve all eligible students, with the education of at-risk students being of utmost importance. It is the responsibility of the authorizer, to apply a rigorous authorization process in order to ensure only those charter schools meeting the needs of students open. Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools is interested in charter applicants who demonstrate the capacity to educate the most at-risk students in highly diverse and personalized settings. Charter schools in Nashville are required to provide appropriate curriculum, aligned professional standards, engaging models of parental and partnership programs, and strategic planning to leverage and grow resources for the school. Schools are held accountable for academic results, responsible school leadership, sound fiscal and operational management and adherence to the laws and rules that govern education in the state of Tennessee. Evaluation Process The Office of Innovation, Division of Charter Schools, has worked closely with the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) to set up an evaluation process that embodies best practices from authorizers throughout the country and is rigorous and thorough. 2
In accordance with the NACSA Principles and Standards, four (4) review teams were assembled to review the April, 2012 applications. Each team consisted of a team lead plus individuals who had expertise with curriculum, special education, English language learners, charter school financials, operations, management and legal. Each team was given extensive training in application review and interviewing techniques. Additionally, the Office of Innovation and one MNPS board representative exercised additional oversight of the process. The stages of review are as follows: Proposal Evaluation Each team conducted individual and group assessment of the merits of the proposals upon submission April 1, In the case of experienced operators, MNPS requested additional information in the form of a replication application to assist teams with due diligence in assessing the applicants record of performance. First Round The first round of evaluation consists of: A thorough paper review of the application A short interview with each applicant A time of public comment with the MNPS Board of Education Second Interview Those applications moving forward are invited to an in-depth interview by their review team. The purpose is to provide the applicants an opportunity to address questions or concerns raised in the review of the written application and to evaluate the applicant s capacity to implement the proposed program effectively. It is possible that the team will request additional supplemental information or even an additional interview to clarify any outstanding concerns. Consensus Judgment The evaluation team submits their final consensus evaluation to approve or deny the application to the Office of Innovation. The Office of Innovation reviews with each team lead the objective reasons and readies the recommendation for the MNPS Board of Education. Evaluation Contents This evaluation report includes the following: Proposal Overview 3
Basic information about the proposed school Recommendation An overall judgment regarding whether the proposal meets the criteria for approval Evaluation Analysis of the proposal based on the four major areas of plan development Educational Plan including Mission, Vision, Executive Summary and Educational Philosophy; Curriculum and Instruction, Target Population, School Calendar and Daily Schedule; Special Student Populations (exceptional education and English Language Learners); School-specific goals and objectives, Assessment; School Climate and Discipline; and Prior Success in Raising Student Achievement Organizational Plan Includes governing body; governing board composition, management and operations; staffing and Human Resources; Professional Development; Student Recruitment and Enrollment; and Community Involvement. Business Plan Including budget assumptions, five year budget and first year start-up budget; Financial Management; Transportation/Food Service/Other Partnerships; Insurance; and Pre-Opening Plan Evidence of Capacity Including the skills and experience of the proposed governance and leadership team, relevant experience, and record of performance Opening a successful, high-performing charter school depends on having a complete, coherent plan. It is not an endeavor for which strength in one area can compensate for weakness in another. Therefore, in order to receive a recommendation for approval, the application must meet or exceed the criteria in all four areas. Proposal Overview Nashville Academy of Computer Science Mission and Vision This school is a replication of the existing middle school which has a heavy emphasis on math and literacy, with double math instruction and triple literacy instruction daily. Our standards driven, rigorous curriculum is aligned with the Tennessee State Performance Standards and the national Common Core, preparing our scholars on state and national exams. Our program also includes a comprehensive character development program that prepares scholars for a life of citizenship and success outside the classroom. The new school will incorporate this mission and have the additional focus of computer programming for all grades (5-8). Knowledge of computer 4
programming will distinguish our scholars in the college applicant pool and prepare them for a life of innovation. Proposed location The current Nashville Prep has been locating at TSU for the past two years, and TSU has invited NACS to incubate at the TSU Avon Williams Campus for its first two years. Beyond that, NACS is working with the Charter School Development Corporation, a non-profit dedicated to constructing charter school facilities, as well as the Cassidy Turley real estate group to identify land for construction of a facility that will accommodate NACS and the Nashville Prep High School, as Nashville Prep expands. Enrollment Projections (to be copied from the table in the Proposed Overview & Enrollment section) Academic Year Planned # of Students Maximum # of Students Grades Year 1 2014-15 110 110 5 Year 2 2015-16 220 220 5,6 Year 3 2016-17 330 330 5-7 Year 4 2017-18 440 440 5-8 Year 5-10 2018-2024 440 440 5-8 At Capacity 440 440 5-8 RECOMMENDATION Nashville Academy of Computer Science Approval Recommendation Summary of Section Ratings Ratings options for each section are Exceeds the Standard; Meets the Standard; Partially Meets the Standard; Does Not Meet the Standard. Part 1 Educational Plan Meets or Exceeds This includes the plan for the educational program and parent/community involvement Part 2 Organizational Plan Meets or Exceeds This includes the proposed governance and 5
management structure, including skill and experience of governing board, and leadership team, relevant experience and record of performance based on due diligence. Also included are school staffing, start-up and operations, performance management systems and facilities plans Part 3 Business Plan Meets or Exceeds This includes the start-up budget, operating budget and budget notes and assumptions Part 4 Evidence of Capacity Meets or Exceeds Included is a summary of all other sections and a statement of the overall confidence of the review committee that the applicant has the capacity to start and operate a successful school Educational Plan Plan Summary Nashville Academy of Computer Science plans to open its second middle school with 110 students in the 5 th grade and grow to 8 th grade with a total of 440 students. The difference between the existing school and the new middle school is the offering of computer programming at all grade levels. In grades 5 and 6 programming will be offered for one hour during Focused Tutoring, for three hours every other Saturday and for one hour for enrichment each day. Older students will receive permanent computer programming classes. Based on data from current students, Nashville Academy of Computer Science anticipates 100% of their scholars will have the ability to access programming for enrichment and Saturday Academy, approximately 25% will participate in the core subject class in the 5 th grade, 50% will participate in the core subject class in the 6 th grade, and 7 th and 8 th graders will participate in the programming class for one hour each day (with computer programming taking the place of one of the two daily math classes). The main academic program of rigorous, focused academics will not change, and the students will continue to experience double and triple time on math and literacy. The targeted student population will be drawn primarily from North Nashville and the neighborhoods around downtown Nashville, including the public housing communities of Napier, Cumberland View, Jo Johnston, Edgehill and Preston Taylor homes. 6
Analysis The Educational Plan meets or exceeds the criteria for approval because this school is an exact replication of the existing middle school with the added innovative component of computer programming for all grade levels. Nashville Prep scholars scored among the highest middle schools in the state, with 79% scoring proficient or advance in math, 64% scoring proficient or advanced in Reading/Language Arts, 81% scoring proficient or advanced in Science, and 98% scoring proficient or advanced in Social Studies. Nashville Prep curriculum and instructional practices will be utilized in the new school and the review team is confident they will achieve the same or similar results. There was a strong advisory group that researched and wrote the application for the new school, and the committee was confident after reading the written application and interviewing the applicants that they can successfully replicate and operate a second school. Additionally, Nashville Prep has an exceptional track record for strong academic performance from its identified exceptional education and English Language learner students. Significant research was cited indicating that learning computer programming contributes to cognitive growth and would give the school new avenues to serve their special populations. The current school leader, Ravi Gupta, will lead both schools until a successor with the right qualifications can be found. Ravi has an exceptional track record as a school leader and he has instituted a program of cultivating leadership such that there is a path to promotion within the organization. 7
Organizational Plan Plan Summary The Nashville Academy of Computer Science will open under the same governing board as Nashville Prep. The board has a wealth of experience, the requisite skills to govern a charter school, and a diverse membership such that it is representative of the Nashville area. Staffing for the new school in year one will include the school director, five (5) core teachers, one (1) computer science teacher, and office manager and student supports coordinator (dedicated to exceptional education students and English Language learners. The two schools will share a director of operations, director of academic operations, literacy coordinator, and director of student recruitment and family outreach. At capacity, Nashville Academy of Computer Science will include 20 teachers, four (4) computer science teachers, and two additional special education teachers. Analysis The Organizational Plan meets or exceeds the criteria for approval because the board has a proven track record of efficiently and effectively managing the school and there is a known school leader who has proven he can motivate student learning and make a difference for some of the most at-risk students in our district. The strong partnership with TSU, including a letter of recommendation and invitation to locate on campus from TSU president Dr. Glenda Glover, increases the likelihood of continued facility expansion, and also rich exposure for students to TSU s computer science and engineering departments. Community and parent partnership is also strong and the governing board will include a parent representative from both schools. Professional development for teachers is considered excellent and is supported by the budget assumptions. There is currently a significant waiting list for the current campus and based on this and the strong governing board, the review team is confident the organization can accommodate a new campus and experience success. 8
Business Plan Plan Summary The school will enroll 440 students at capacity, and has developed a 10 year budget projection for the purpose of long range planning. The budget assumptions are reasonable, with the school estimating average daily membership (ADM) at a conservative 97% each year. This builds in contingencies in the event revenue expectations and/or school enrollment does not meet initial projections. The projected network budget shows positive cash flow and revenue projections and includes a section that outlines the savings created by sharing some positions across schools. Nashville Prep s audit was thorough and showed no findings. Revenues for year 1 are anticipated at $1.25 million, with at least $50,000 in donations, as well as competitive grants. By year 5, revenues should approach $5 million. A start-up budget is presented that includes staffing and increased funds for computers and technology. Teacher salaries are commensurate with MNPS salaries and are expected to grow at 2.5% year over year. Payroll and accounting functions will be outsourced, likely with the same vendors as are currently utilized. The school will provide transportation and food service and both are included in the budget. Analysis The business plan meets or exceeds the criteria for approval because it is sound and the budget assumptions are well thought out. The budget is based on conservative estimates with contingency plans in place in the event of unexpected shifts in revenues. The network budget, presented to ensure the review teams that expansion will not affect the existing school negatively, shows creativity and efficiency, with some key functions shared across schools, achieving significant cost savings. There are reasonable facilities, transportation and food service costs along with adequate salary distribution and purchase of the additional technology needed to allow all students to learn programming skills. Overall, the budget gave reviewers confidence this school can successfully open and operate. 9
Evidence of Capacity Plan Summary The strength of the governing board and the network budgetary projections are primary keys to opening this school. Add to that a sound, research based curriculum, known successful leadership and an innovative approach to learning, and the mix should lead to a successful school. Analysis The Evidence of Capacity meets or exceeds criteria for approval because the school was able to show the review team they are ready to replicate their prior successful strategies. The written plan and the interviews combined convinced the review team this school is well governed, has adequate funds and has demonstrated a need for the innovative approach they propose. The review team would caution the success of this school hinges on finding the right computer science teachers, as there is some concern that programming, which can be tedious, will be adapted for middle school students. Overall, the review team is optimistic about the new middle school and recommends approval as they believe the school will be successful with some of our community s most at-risk students. 10