2018 supplemental call for new quality schools: … · external consultants ... process conducted...

2018 SUPPLEMENTAL CALL FOR NEW QUALITY SCHOOLS: STAFF

RECOMMENDATIONS

November 12, 2018

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GOAL #1 Great Schools in Every Neighborhood

OBJECTIVES OF TODAY’S PRESENTATION

▪ REMIND The DPS Board of the Quality Authorizing Process

▪ SHARE recommendations and evidence

▪ UPDATE the board on next steps in process

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Denver Plan 2020

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CALL FOR NEW QUALITY SCHOOLS POLICY CONTEXT

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DPS Board Policy FAP: Facility Allocation Policy

State and National Best Practices

DPS Board Policy AF: Charter Quality Authorizing

Colorado Charter Schools Act & State Board Guidance

GOAL #1 | Great Schools in Every Neighborhood

2018 Call for New Quality Schools

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Next Steps

Purpose of tonight

Understanding Community Priorities

(Mid-Late September)

• One aspect of the application review process will be how well each applicant meets the priorities set by the community for what they want to see in a new middle school.

• An independent group will poll families in the enrollment zone, and DPS will host follow-up meetings with the community to confirm and finalize the selected priorities.

Quality Review

(Late October with Decisions at November

DPS Board Meeting)

• All groups seeking to open a new school in Denver must submit a new school application that meets the quality standard and requirements identified in the Call, and be approved by the DPS Board of Education.

• A team of DPS staff and external experts will review applications. We will also gather community feedback at a regional community meeting.

Community Matching Process

(November and December with Decisions at December

DPS Board Meeting)

• All new school applicants that met the quality bar will go through the community matching process to determine which is the best fit for this particular community and district need.

• A committee of DPS staff and community members will review the placement applications and community feedback on the applicants and make a recommendation to the Superintendent. The board will vote on final placement in December.


WHAT IS DIFFERENT IN THE QUALITY REVIEW PROCESS THIS ROUND?

▪ Focused this Supplemental Call on schools interested in meeting the identified Middle School need in Greater Park Hill-Stapleton

▪ Clarified rubric points throughout the application

In the last Call cycle:▪ Added and amended questions to have an

expanded focus on culturally responsive education ▪ Added a current teacher to the Application Review

Teams

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EVIDENCE THAT INFORMS THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONNew School recommendations are made based upon a body of evidence in alignment with State Statute and DPS Board Policy.

Evidence Sources Evidence Collection Methods

Application Documents and Budget

• Application reviewers evaluate applications using a publically available rubric grounded in the School Quality Framework.

Interview with Founding Team

• Application reviewers interview each applicant and pose standard and school-specific questions.

District Convened Community Engagement

• Applicants present to the community, and community feedback is collected and summarized

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THE QUALITY STANDARD USED IN THE CALL

DPS uses the School Quality Framework (SQF) to evaluate all school designs.

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DPS evaluates each application against a publically available rubric to determine quality. The application is evaluated using a body of evidence meaning that recommendations are made based on the overall quality and not the number of rubric points earned. Each application is considered individually and analyzed using the same school quality indicators to determine if the application is in the best interest of the pupils, District and the community.

Indicators of future academic outcomes


WHO FROM TEAM DPS REVIEWED THESE APPLICATIONS? Thank you to our application reviewers!

English Language Acquisition▪ Kellianne Rothwell▪ Tanis Humes

Teachers▪ Will Thompson▪ Tonyetta Fields

Student Equity and Opportunity▪ Stacey Mundis

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Curriculum and Instruction▪ Melissa Seggelke▪ Eva Bridgeforth

Finance▪ Nichelle Tarver-Hammons▪ Evan Mellman

Culturally Responsive Education▪ Amanda Skrzypchak▪ Imani Morning

Portfolio Management Team▪ Elizabeth Stamberger▪ Lauren Anderson▪ Max Tweten▪ Evelyn Barnes▪ Maya Lagana▪ Angie McPhaul

External Consultants▪ Leah Saieg

Consulted with: Legal• Molly Ferrer


STAFF RECOMMENDATION OPTIONS

Staff considers whether the school would be in the best interest of the pupils, District, and community and makes one of the following recommendations:

Deny Approve with

Standard Conditions*

Approve with Standard &

School-Specific Conditions

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*Standard conditions are provided in the Appendix.




▪ SHARE staff recommendations and evidence


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OVERVIEW OF RECOMMENDATIONS

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Application RecommendationDenver Green School at Northfield

Approve with Conditions

High Tech ECE-8 Approve with Conditions

Note: The Beacon Network already has Middle Schools that were approved by the DPS Board in May, 2018. Therefore, these schools are not part of the “Quality Process” this Fall. However, the Beacon Network Middle School will participate in the community matching process.


DENVER GREEN SCHOOL AT NORTHFIELD: OVERVIEW

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School Mission In partnership with our diverse urban community, DGS is committed to providing a hands-on, brains-on educational experience that includes all students, staff, families, and community, preparing all learners to lead the way toward a sustainable, bright green future.

School Model Denver Green School utilizes shared leadership and a project-based approach to educate students to live a more sustainable life and to achieve at a high academic level.

Targeted Enrollment

Students:Year 1: 174Full Build: 522

Grades:Year 1: 6Full Build: 6-8

FRL: 30.2% ELL: 15% SPED: 11%

SPF Performance of Existing School

2018 – “Distinguished” (Blue) with 85% of Points2017 – “Meets Expectations” (Green) with 74% of Points

Leadership or Founding Team

Kartal Jaquette, current DGS Lead PartnerErin Miller, current DGS Partner

Governance Type The school will seek Innovation Status and Innovation Zone Status as part of the Luminary Learning Network. (The original DGS campus is also part of the LLN.)

Note: The school applied using a “replication” application, given its strong performance with the same grade configuration.


DENVER GREEN SCHOOL AT NORTHFILED

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RecommendationApprove the application on a quality basis with the standard conditions and the following school-specific conditions:

Budget:1. Provide a contingency plan and matching budget file in the event the school does not receive anticipated philanthropic funding and enrolls 80% of projected enrollment in year 1, including the overall financial impact on the budget and adjustments the school would make to the school plan to account for this reduction.

Schedule:1. Provide a schedule for Friday that includes evidence of 45 minutes of ELD


DENVER GREEN SCHOOL AT NORTHFIELD: SUMMARY OF QUALITY FINDINGS

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School Culture:• The school culture of DGS at Northfield will be founded on the school’s values of: community, equity,

engagement, stewardship, high expectations, relevance and shared leadership. • The school will use the DPS Discipline Policy JK and JK-R as well as a restorative approach.• The applicant shows a consistent track record of meeting expectations and exceeding the district average

on parent and student satisfaction at the original DGS campus. • The application states the applicant has collected 89 intent to enroll forms, 19 of which are for students

that would be in grades served during year 1. The application further states it has 52 students on its waitlist for 6th grade at its original campus. (Enrollment demand will be further assessed by the Placement Committee.)

Education Program:• The curriculum is developed by teachers in alignment with the Common Core State Standards and

Education for Sustainability. • The school will use data teams, coaching conversations, MTSS days and Professional Development days

in order to continually review student progress and improve the curriculum• The applicant notes a number of systems in order to promote cultural competency, including a focus on

the issue in professional development as well as a commitment to high expectations for all students, community partnerships, and community celebrations.

• The applicant demonstrates a strong history of meeting or exceeding expectations on the SPF for Students with Disabilities at the original DGS campus. The applicant further indicates a desire to host an MI-A center-based program. Any such program would be subject to the center program placement process conducted by SEO.

• The applicant demonstrates a strong history of meeting or exceeding expectations on the SPF for English Language Learners at the original DGS campus. The applicant plans to offer an ELA-E program with sheltered instruction and a daily English Language Development block but does not identify a Friday schedule that shows the required amount of ELD time Greater detail on findings is included in the staff memo.

GOAL #1 Great Schools in Every Neighborhood 16

Teaching:• The applicant will use a small hiring team in order to hire candidates. The process will include reviewing

resumes, interviewing candidates and asking candidates to teach a mini-lesson. The applicant does not expect to bring more than 4 current DGS staff members to the new campus.

• The applicant will use the DPS LEAP Teacher Evaluation Framework. • Along with weekly coaching and data teams, the applicant notes a teacher professional development plan

that starts with additional focus on mission, vision and values, given the start-up nature of the school, and then over time becomes more similar to the PD at the original DGS campus.

• The applicant demonstrates strong teacher retention rates at the original DGS campus and notes specific strategies in order to retain teachers, including promoting shared leadership, empowering teachers, and providing additional planning time and mentors.

Leadership:• DGS at Northfield will have a shared leadership model similar to that of the original DGS. It will be

founded with two Lead Partners, Kartal Jaquette, currently Lead Partner at DGS, and Erin Miller, currently a Partner and MI-Autism teacher at DGS. The school will further identify 6 other Partners in year 1. The lead partners will report to the Executive Director of the LLN.

• The application notes that Lead Partners are held accountable by their peer Leader Partners as well as by the Executive Director of the LLN, who builds the District LEAD evaluation for each Lead Partner. The LLN Board decides on the dismissal or continuation of Lead Partners, in collaboration with the District.

• The application provides an organization chart as well as school personnel structure.

DENVER GREEN SCHOOL AT NORTHFIELD: SUMMARY OF QUALITY FINDINGS, CONTINUED

Greater detail on findings is included in the staff memo.


Governance, Operations & Budget:• The school will have a Collaborative School Committee, CSC, that will review how well the school is

meetings its mission, vision and values, budget, progress towards academic goals, and be part of hiring new Lead Partners.

• The school’s budget assumes significant philanthropic support as well as a large number of students in year 1 (174). The school provides a contingency plan, but does not provide an accompanying budget file to describe what parts of the programming would not be possible if the school were to not meet projections or not receive the philanthropic support it expects.

• The school expects to seek innovation status and seek to join the Luminary Learning Network, LLN, the Innovation Zone of which the original DGS is also a part.

DENVER GREEN SCHOOL AT NORTHFIELD: SUMMARY OF QUALITY FINDINGS, CONTINUED



DENVER GREEN SCHOOL AT NORTHFIELD: COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

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Detailed analysis of participants and comments are available as an accompanying report.

Scale used was 1=Disagree and 4=Agree with statements in each domain.

3.63.5

3.33.4

3.1

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

Culture(n = 50)

Ed Program(n=52)

Teaching(n=49)

Leadership(n=54)

Governance(n=45)

Denver Green School Community ResponsesNovember 6, 2018


HIGH TECH ECE-8: OVERVIEW

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School Mission The High Tech mission is to successfully blend a project-based learning environment, a rigorous 21st century curriculum and a high standard of excellence. We are committed to providing an environment that emphasizes learning as an interactive process. We focus on every student’s individual needs to ensure that all students succeed. We strive to develop critical thinkers who are caring, confident and lifelong learners in a diverse community.

School Model The High Tech School innovation model focuses on a highly personalized learning environment that strives to successfully blend a project-based learning environment with a rigorous 21st century curriculum with high standards for all students.

Targeted Enrollment

Students:Year 1: 105Full Build: 525 (MS only)

Grades:Year 1: ECE-6Full Build: ECE-8

FRL: 35% (6-8)

ELL: 13% (6-8)

SPED: 11% (6-8)

SPF Performance of Existing School

2018 – “Meets Expectations” (Green) with 66% of Points2017 – “Meets Expectations” (Green) with 77% of Points

Leadership or Founding Team

Dr. Amy Gile, proposed Executive Director and Elementary Director of Teaching and Learning; current principal at High Tech Elementary School

Governance Type Will have Innovation status, as it is part of an existing innovation school, and is part of a group of schools that is expected to seek Innovation Zone Status without a governance innovation in February.

Note: The school applied using a “new school” application, because the current school does not have a similar grade configuration.


HIGH TECH ECE-8

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Recommendation

Approve the application on a quality basis with the standard conditions and the following school-specific conditions:

Budget:1. Provide a contingency plan and matching budget file in the event of only 80% of projected enrollment in year 1, including the overall financial impact on the budget and adjustments the school would make to the school plan to account for this reduction.


HIGH TECH ECE-8: SUMMARY OF QUALITY FINDINGS

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School Culture:• The school culture of High Tech ECE-8 will be founded on the school’s values of: humanity, perseverance,

love of learning, creativity, inclusiveness, and accountability. • The school will use the DPS Discipline Policy JK and JK-R as well as a restorative approach.• The applicant describes systems for promoting a positive school culture for students, including student

recognitions and systems for student empowerment as well as family outreach groups that currently exist for the elementary school that would be expanded to middle school families.

• The application states the applicant has collected 243 intent to enroll forms, 45 of which are for students that would be in grades served during year 1 (43%). Of those 243 intent to enroll forms, all are from current High Tech Elementary families.

Education Program:• The middle school will use EL Education for ELA, EngageNY for Math, Amplify for Science and National

Geographic World Culture and Geography and Person American History for Social Studies, aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

• The applicant notes a number of systems in order to promote cultural competency in students, staff and families, including using a Project-Based Learning approach to ensure student have voice and choice in their education and intentionally partnering with parents with a Family Equity and Inclusion Committee.

• All middle school students will take Spanish language classes daily as a core instructional block. • The school focuses on a full inclusion model for students with disabilities, while adhering to the needs

identified in students’ IEPs. The school currently operates a Cross-Categorical Intermediate Center Program in its elementary school and expresses a desire to continue the program into the middle school. Any such program would be subject to the center program placement process conducted by SEO.

• The school would use an ELA-E approach to ELL programming and offer 85 minutes of language instruction each day during its PBL block (science and social studies). The school will use the District middle school curriculum for ELD. Greater detail on findings is included in the staff memo.


Teaching:• The applicant describes a robust teacher hiring process that includes resume review, interviews with

parents and special education representatives in particular, a model lesson, and data team and lesson plan scenarios.

• The applicant will use the DPS LEAP Teacher Evaluation Framework. • The school has a number of structures to support teacher growth, including coaching cycles, daily

Professional Learning Cycle planning blocks, and school-wide professional development led by the school’s Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) and focused on cultural competency.

Leadership:• Dr. Amy Gile will serve as the Executive Director of High Tech ECE-8. She will further serve as the

Elementary Director of Teaching and Learning. • The school will further add a Middle School Director of Teaching and Learning, who has not yet been

identified. There will further be an Elementary Director of Culture and Community Engagement and a Middle School Director of Culture and Community Engagement. The core leadership team will be supported by an Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) in alignment with DPS’s Teacher Leadership and Collaboration model.

• The Executive Director and High Tech ECE-8 leadership team will be evaluated using the DPS LEAD Leader Evaluation Framework.

• As a district-run innovation school, the Executive Director will be supervised by a DPS Instructional Superintendent.




Governance, Operations & Budget:• The school will have a Collaborative School Committee, CSC, that meets the statutory requirements in

terms of responsibilities and membership. • The school’s budget generally matches the proposed description of the school’s program and expenses,

but does not include a contingency plan or budget file in the event of 80% of projected enrollment. The applicant notes that it will be applying to join an innovation zone without a governance innovation later in SY 2018-2019 and that if it were to be approved, it would be eligible for SBB+.

• The applicant includes its innovation plan waivers, as the middle school expansion would be part of the existing innovation status of the elementary school.

• The application notes that the middle school would seek to be located at the same location as its elementary school, as opposed to at the Park Street Campus, requiring the move of DSST Conservatory Green Middle School. (Any decision will be made as part of the Facility Allocation Policy and Community Matching Process, and not the approval of the application. The DPS board will determine location.)




HIGH TECH ECE-8: COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

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Detailed analysis of participants and comments are available as an accompanying report.

3.5 3.43.6 3.6 3.6

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

Culture(n = 49)

Ed Program(n=46)

Teaching(n=50)

Leadership(n=47)

Governance(n=48)

High Tech ECE-8 Community ResponsesNovember 6, 2018





▪ SHARE staff recommendations and evidence


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COMMUNITY MATCHING PROCESS UPDATE

Community Priorities

• Released updated application and rubric• Gathered through two surveys and three town halls

Placement Committee

•Received 29 total applicants from community members•Appointments Committee met on 11/5 to select Placement Committee, including community representatives

• Committee will begin meeting this week in preparation for a December board recommendation

Broader Outreach

• Applicants have been hosting broader community meetings to gather feedback• All applicants attended October SUN meeting

Applications

• All 3 placement applications were received by November 7th and are being fact-checked currently.

• They will be shared with the placement committee after the Board's vote on quality on 11/15.

APPENDIX

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BEACON NETWORK MIDDLE SCHOOL: COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

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Although Beacon Network Middle School was approved through the Call for New Quality Schools in spring 2018, Beacon still participated in the community feedback component of this fall’s quality process. Detailed analysis of participants and comments are available as an accompanying report.

3.4

3.2

2.9

3.1

2.9

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

Culture(n = 48)

Ed Program(n=48)

Teaching(n=34)

Leadership(n=41)

Governance(n=37)

Beacon Network Middle School Community ResponsesNovember 6, 2018


GOAL #2 A Foundation for Success in School

FUTURE PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS

Portfolio Management is committed to continuous improvement in all of our processes. Some next steps include:▪ Surveying applicants and other process participants▪ Reconsidering standard enrollment conditions given

shifting enrollment context

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CALL FOR NEW QUALITY SCHOOLS TIMELINE

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NOTE: The Community Matching Process is not documented in this timeline.

Item Dates

Call Document Released July 24, 2018

Application and Rubric Released July 24, 2018

Letters of Intent Due August 6, 2018

New School Applications Due October 26

Application Reviews & Applicant Interviews October 26-November 7

District Convened Community Events November 6, 2018

Public Comment with DPS Board of Education November 8, 2018

Superintendent Recommendations to DPS Board of Education November 12, 2018

DAC Recommendations to DPS Board of Education November 12, 2018

Applicant Presentations to DPS Board of Education November 12, 2018

Board of Education Vote November 15, 2018

GOAL #2 A Foundation for Success in School

Overview of the Community Matching Process

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APPENDIX A: STANDARD CONDITIONS FOR APPROVALAll approved Innovation or district-managed applications will include the following conditions (Note: charter schools have additional conditions)

Enrollment:• By the end of the first round of Unified SchoolChoice during the spring prior to opening, the School shall have and maintain

enrollment at the greater of the following two levels: 60% of its original application enrollment or 75 funded students, or they will reach an enrollment target to be determined at the district’s discretion prior to the beginning of SchoolChoice Round One.

• By May 15 during the spring prior to opening, the School shall have and maintain enrollment at the greater of the following two levels: 80% of its original application enrollment or 100 funded students, or they will reach an enrollment target previously determined by the district.

Facility• The School shall be located in the XX region as identified by the School in the application.• The School may seek placement in a District facility through the processes established under the District’s Facility Allocation Policy

(FAP).• If located in District facilities, the School shall be subject to the District’s standard Shared Campuses Policy FN.Performance of Multi-School Organizations• If the school is part of a MSO, CMO, IMO or innovation zone, the organization’s existing campus(es) at the same grade

configuration shall continue to meet or exceed performance expectations on the SPF. A restarted school operated by the organization may be rated “approaching” on its first two SPFs.

Leadership• The School agrees to have and maintain a full-time founding school leader/principal during the nine months preceding the

School’s opening. Ensuring a school leader is in place during the School’s pre-opening year is critical to the successful start-up of the School.

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