BCHF April 2015 Sponsor Bulletin

!
SPONSOR UPDATE
APRIL 2015
!
!
Peggy Young,
Director
Jennifer Robison,
Associate Director
OUR MISSION
The mission of the
Buckeye Community
Hope Foundation’s
Education Division is to
promote school choice
through sponsorship of
quality charter schools.
OUR VISION
To eliminate the
achievement gap in all
public charter schools in
Ohio through strong
partnerships with
schools, boards and
sponsors.
!
!
BCHF Sponsor Update — April 2015
!
Congrats to BCHF for earning Cleveland
Transformation Alliance support!"
!
Buckeye Community Hope Foundation recently
completed a rigorous review of their authorizing
practices and capacity by the Transformation
Alliance (TA) to help ensure that every child in
Cleveland attends a high-quality school. $
!
The Cleveland Plan is built on growing and
expanding the number of excellent schools in the
Cleveland Municipal School
District and holding all
schools to the highest
standards as they work in
partnership to create dramatic
student achievement gains.$
!
“We’re so proud to announce that the Cleveland
Transformation Alliance – after thorough review and
consideration – has recommended to ODE that
Buckeye Community Hope Foundation continue to
authorize charter schools in Cleveland,” said Peggy
Young, director of BCHF’s Education Division.
“We’re the first authorizer to go through the
rigorous process and I am proud of the work our
team does every day for the students and families
that are served in our Cleveland schools.”$
!
PROCESS
CONTINUES FOR
CHARTER REFORM
LEGISLATIVE
PROPOSALS "
!As previously reported,
two bills with charter
“reform” provisions have
been introduced in the
Ohio House of
Representatives, and a
third is likely to be
introduced in the Senate.
Changes occur throughout
the process – some quickly,
and some literally
overnight. At this point in
time, it is difficult to predict
whether H.B. 64 (the
biennial budget bill), H.B.
2 or the expected Senate
bill will ultimately be the
vehicle for anticipated
changes. BCHF closely
monitors charter school
legislation and will notify
its sponsored schools if
issues of significant
concern arise. Stay
tuned ….
!
Writing Challenge winners announced!"
!
Buckeye Community Hope Foundation is pleased to
announce winners in the 2nd Annual Writing Challenge and
will visit winning schools throughout April to present
student awards.$
!
ELEMENTARY DIVISION
!
Highest 3rd grade score: Horizon Science Academy
Elementary Columbus — Cabdullaahi
Nuar; Dasia Jones; LJ Foster; Christian
Palm$
!
Highest 5th grade score (a threeway tie):$
Constellation Schools: Westpark
Community Middle School —
Morgan Jenkins; Malaya Aquino; Grace DiCapo"
Horizon Science Academy Elementary — Asantewa Bonna;
Elysa Kwaw; Ilhaan Hashi"
Winton Preparatory Academy — Thomas Francisco$
!
Overall elementary winners:$
Lincoln Park Academy — Michael Dozier; Frederick Grant; Josh
Ortiz; and Julian Ramos (4th grade)$
!
MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION
!
Highest 8th grade score: International Academy of
Columbus — Khadijo Abdirahman; Miski Abdullah; Anwaar
Abdelrahman"
!
Highest 6th grade score: Horizon Science Academy
Columbus Middle School — Rainatu Thullah and Roda Jama"
!
Overall middle school winners:$
Constellation Schools: Westside Community School of the
Arts — Adele’ Begue; Angellise Irizarry; Giovanni Lopez; Jamari
McKinney(7th grade)$
!
HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION
Horizon Science Academy Lorain: Kaitlyn Boyd$
BCHF Sponsor Update — April 2015
2
KINDERGARTEN
READING
ASSESSMENTS
REDUCED"
!
Based on feedback and
recommendations from
teachers, the Ohio
Department of Education
(ODE) is reducing the
number of items on the
new Kindergarten
Readiness Assessment by
21 percent to ensure that
results are both reliable
and helpful in guiding
instruction.
!
The revision reduces: the
overall number of items
from 63 to 50; the number
of items in which the
teacher observes student
activities from 29 to 21;
items that require a direct
response from students
from 34 to 29; and, the
number of items that
require a teacher to
administer one-on-one with
a student from 20 to 10.
!
A K-readiness fact sheet is
available online at:
http://education.ohio.gov/
getattachment/Media/
Press-Kits/KindergartenReadiness.pdf.aspx.
BCHF Sponsor Update — April 2015
Congrats to Robison for selection to participate
in prestigious NACSA Leaders Program!"
!
Jennifer Robison, associate director for Buckeye Community
Hope Foundation’s Education Division, was recently accepted
into the National Association of Charter School Authorizer’s
(NACSA) Leaders Program. $
!
The prestigious program engages
leaders in realizing their potential to
lead themselves, others and their
organizations to effectively drive
improvement in the overall quality of
charter school authorizing. The
program’s goals are to equip leaders
with the knowledge, skills and
abilities to: develop, inspire and
execute a shared vision for quality;
manage the challenges of aligning
authorizing policies and practices with NACSA’s Principles
and Standards; cultivate growth and development in
themselves, others and their agencies; build support for
education reform among stakeholders and the public; and
understand, champion and effectively advocate for public
policy that supports quality authorizing. $
!
“I believe in ongoing personal development and am very
excited about this opportunity,” Robison said. “It’s an honor
to have been selected as a part of these respected colleagues
from across the country, and I’m committed to leveraging the
opportunity for professional growth and continued success for
Buckeye Community Hope Foundation in its role as a quality
authorizer.”$
!
Safe harbor extended to students"
!
As Ohio transitions to new state tests, safe harbor gives
schools, teachers and now students time to adjust. $
!
House Bill 7, recently signed into law by Governor John
Kasich, prohibits public schools from utilizing students’
scores on state assessments administered in the 2014-2015$
!
$
$
$
$
$
Continued on pg. 4$
3
Safe harbor — continued"
!
GROTE TO SPEAK
AT NATIONAL
CONFERENCE"
Dr. Mike Grote, one of
BCHF’s school improvement
representatives, will speak
at the National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics
(NCTM) Annual Conference
scheduled for April 15-18 in
Boston. More than 8,000
math educators from across
the country are expected to
attend. Grote’s session,
Activating students’ intrinsic
motivation to master
mathematics, will address
how NCTM’s Principles to
Actions calls for students to
take a much more active
role in learning math. The
session will illuminate what
education research, science,
psychology and business
has uncovered about
factors – independent of
culture, socioeconomic
status and race -- that
impact intrinsic motivation.
school year – with the exception of the Third Grade
Reading Guarantee -- as a factor in any decision to retain
the student, promote the student to a higher grade level or
grant course credit.$
!
Under previous changes to state laws, districts and schools
were granted safe harbor for certain programs and
interventions, academic distress commissions and charter
school closure. Teachers were protected with respect to
employment decisions such as dismissal, retention, tenure
or compensation.$
!
As part of safe harbor, report cards for the 2014-2015
school year will not include an overall letter grade or letter
grades for the six groupings of measures referred to as
components. $
!
Detailed guidance on how safe harbor impacts districts,
schools, teachers and students is available on the Ohio
Department of Education’s website at: $
https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Data/News/Departmentissues-guidance-on-Safe-Harbor-for-2014 .$
!
JOB WELL DONE, FOCUS!"
!
Giving back to the community is an important lesson – one
that the Focus Learning Academies teach young adults
enrolled in their schools. Successful food drives is a goal
embraced by both staff and students. The ongoing events
represent true acts of kindness and examples of community
service at its finest. The most
recent food drive supported 960
families! $
!
The Focus North High School
served 303 families. The Focus
Learning Academy Southeast and
Southwest served 364 and 293
families, respectively.$
!
Way to make a difference, Focus!$
BCHF Sponsor Update — April 2015
4
!
REPORT RANKS
OHIO #1 IN
SCHOOL THREATS"
!
According to National School
Safety and Security Services – a
national school-safety
consulting firm – Ohio tops the
list for the most school threats in
the first half of the school year.
!
Ohio had 64 reports of school
threats from August to
December 2014, followed by
California with 60, Pennsylvania
with 55, New York with 46 and
Florida with 43. The report
reveals a 158 percent increase
compared to last year.
!
Because the data is gathered
from media coverage rather
than police reports, some have
questioned the report’s
accuracy. Ohio’s Homeland
Security’s Threat Assessment
and Prevention Unit is expected
to release a comprehensive
assessment of school threats
later this year.
Horizon hosts successful college fair"
!
On March 4, the Horizon Science Academy in Dayton
hosted its annual college fair, offering unique opportunities
for students to interact with admissions representatives
and gather information helpful in making decisions on
where to attend college.$
!
Twenty colleges and universities – from both in and out of
state – were invited to participate. Among the schools
engaging with students at
information booths were
traditional four-year
institutions of higher
education (including Ohio
State and Wright State
universities), community
colleges (including Sinclair
and Clark State), tradefocused colleges (including
ITT Tech and DeVry) and
liberal arts schools
(represented by Antioch
College). Students received helpful
information on tuition and financial aid, academic
programs and campus life. $
!
More than 200 students from all four grade levels served
by Horizon Science Academy in Dayton attended the
event. Each student was required to identify the five most
important questions to ask at least three schools. After
the fair, each student was required to write a report
summarizing their findings and how the information
would influence their college searches and career choices. $
!
Buckeye Community Hope Foundation Fiscal Specialist
Jason Moore attended the event and discussed the project
with a number of students, noticing interesting trends.
Freshmen and sophomores generally focused their
questions around admissions requirements and available
majors, planning ahead on what they need to achieve to
gain admittance to the college of their choice. Juniors $
!
$
BCHF Sponsor Update — April 2015
$
$
$
Continued on pg. 6$
5
!
BCHF HOSTS
DROPOUT
RECOVERY
ROUNDTABLE"
BCHF will host a Spring Dropout
Recovery Roundtable on April
23, 4 to 6 p.m., at its facility in
Columbus. The program will
feature an overview of the new
College Credit Plus program
and how it will differ from the
previous PSEO. Ohio
Department of Education
Consultant Ann Carlson is slated
to speak. Julia Watkins from
NWEA will also participate. She
will focus on student adjustment
to the testing environment and
productive use of data the
testing generates. She will
emphasize the formative uses of
the information, beyond the
state mandate for accountability
purposes.
!
Topics to be addressed will also
be relevant to traditional charter
high schools, whose staff and
management company
representatives are also invited
to attend. Dinner will be
provided.
!
Attendees with specific
questions they’d like addressed
at the event are invited to
submit them in advance to Dr.
Mike Grote. Register today by
emailing him at
mgrote@buckeyehope.org
BCHF Sponsor Update — April 2015
Horizon college fair — continued"
!
were highly interested in exactly what majors were available
as they try to narrow their career and school focus. And
seniors, 90 percent of whom have already been accepted to
a college or university, focused on financial aid and
scholarships.$
!
“I was amazed at the engagement of the students,” Moore
said. “The event was a success in every way. Each student
took something of value away from the experience. For
some, it was simply a first chance to see college as a real
possibility. For others, it was the moment of truth as they
make final decisions on where they will attend college. The
event was extremely well planned and executed – it serves as
a model for other schools committed to helping students in
this important way.”$
!
!
Upcoming School Improvement events
!
!
School leaders: Attend these free upcoming events hosted and
facilitated by BCHF’s School Improvement Team!$
Contributing to Quality School Leadership Breakfasts: The
Challenge and Intrigue of Effective Schools — 7:30 to 9:00 A.M. $
April 14 – Columbus; April 15 – Springboro; April 16 – Cleveland;
and, April 17 -- Toledo $
To register, email Dr. Mike Grote, mgrote@buckeyehope.org by
April 10.$
!
Spring Drop Out Recovery Roundtable — April 23 –
Columbus"
To register, email Dr. Mike Grote, mgrote@buckeyehope.org by
April 20.$
!
Regional Roundtables for School Leaders — 4:30 to 7 p.m. $
May 14 - Toledo; May 14 - Columbus; and, May 19 - Cleveland$
To register, email your regional representative.$
!
Second Annual School Leader Summit — June 17-18, 2015 –
Columbus"
To register, email Dr. Mike Grote at mgrote@buckeyehope.org by
June 8.$
6
COMPLIANCE UPDATE
OHIO PUBLIC
EDUCATION: BY "
THE NUMBERS"
1.7
million
Approximate
number of
students
9.1
billion
Total state
support of
Elementary &
Secondary
Education
10,478
Public school
average total
expenditure
per pupil
Learn more at: h,p://
educa2on.ohio.gov/
Media/Facts-­‐and-­‐
Figures BCHF Sponsor Update — April 2015
!
Board member training
The sponsor contract requires all continuing board
members to receive two hours of training per academic
year (by June 30, 2015). Boards may schedule a separate
training session, dedicate a portion of each board meeting
to board training, or attend conferences to satisfy the
requirement. Online training modules are also available
from BCHF – contact James Devers at
jdevers@buckyehope.org for access. $
Tornado drills
Tornado drills must be conducted at
least once a month whenever school is
in session during the tornado season. The
“tornado season” is the period beginning
April 1 and ending July 31. (OFC 409.2).
!
School vans
When considering whether to acquire a school van, please
remember:
✦ Maximum manufactured capacity is nine passengers, not
including the driver.
✦ All van drivers must be registered with ODE. The
approval process includes an application, training
component and a satisfactory medical examination (ODE
Driver/Employer T8 Form).
✦ Vans cannot be used to
transport “typical” (nondisabled) students from
home to school (or vice
versa).
✦ Annual vehicle
inspections and daily trip
checklists must be
completed.
✦ For more details, see
ODE Keyword:
Community School
Transportation; ODE Keyword: Van Driver; and ODE
Keyword: School Transportation FAQ
7
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
What is a Response to Intervention (RTI)?"
By Carol S. Young, Ph.D., BCHF School Improvement Team Lead"
Ohio mandates Response to Intervention (RTI) for students
with academic, behavioral or social-emotional needs. This
mandate applies to all schools in Ohio, including community
schools, and is reinforced by the Individuals with
Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004), the IDEIA
final federal regulations (2006), and Ohio regulations (2008)
and operating standards (2014).$
3.
Tiered instruction. A multi-tier approach is used to
efficiently target instruction to meet the needs of all
students. The model incorporates increasing intensities
of instruction offering specific, research-based
interventions matched to student needs and provided
by qualified personnel. Please note that interventions
need to be more specific than generalized tutoring.
Accommodations, modifications, and differentiations
alone are not considered research-based interventions. $
4.
Parent involvement. Schools implementing RTI must
invite parents to participate in discussions about their
child, and provide parents information about their
child’s progress, the instruction and interventions used,
the staff who are working with the child, and academic
or behavioral goals. $
!
So, a provocative but practical question for all school leaders
is whether or not you can document a history of RTI for the
last student you suspended or expelled. Can you? $
!
Response to Intervention is a multi-tier approach to the
early identification and support of students with learning
and behavior needs. RTI is also an alternative method for
the identification of students with learning disabilities
under IDEIA. The concept of RTI originated with research
that demonstrated a dramatically-reduced number of
students with disabilities when research-based interventions
were provided early and “responsively.” Several key elements
must be in place for effective Response to Intervention.
The RTI Action Network1 identifies these key elements as:$
1.
2.
High-quality, scientifically based classroom instruction. All
students receive high-quality, research-based instruction
in the general education classroom. Schools should
regularly evaluate the efficacy of Tier I classroom
instruction to ensure that it is meeting the needs of 80
percent of students in mastering standards identified by
the state. If not, the Tier I program of curriculum and
instruction should be re-designed to be more
responsive.$
Ongoing student assessment. Universal screening and
progress monitoring provide information about a
student’s learning rate and level of achievement, both
individually and in comparison with the peer group.
These data are then used when determining which
students need closer monitoring or intervention.
Throughout the RTI process, student progress is
monitored frequently to examine student achievement
and gauge the effectiveness of instruction or
intervention. Decisions made regarding students’
instructional needs are based on multiple data points
taken over a period of time. Effective RTI requires
close attention to hard data on progress and
achievement, not just opinions or observations.$
BCHF Sponsor Update — April 2015
Let’s get back to the situation about a student who may be
suspended or expelled for behavioral disruptions. Students
who have frequent behavior referrals may already have an
identified disability. If not, the frequency of misbehavior
may certainly give the school reason to suspect the student
is at-risk and in need of intervention. Based on IDEIA
requirements, schools are cautioned that behavior or
performance of a child may demonstrate the need for
special education and thus the child may be protected. A
10-day limit on suspensions and expulsions applies to
students with identified or suspected disabilities
[(34CFR300.527 and 34CFR300.527(b)(2)].$
!
Response to Intervention may help avoid suspension or
expulsion altogether. A clear history of RTI also provides
information about what the school has done in order to
teach better behavior and avoid high-stakes disciplinary
consequences. The same may be said about students who
are falling behind academically. Effective RTI provides
focused, responsive attention to students who are not
mastering standards before they get too far behind.$
!
Effective schools have effective RTI processes. BCHF’s
School Improvement Team is available to help schools
review and improve their RTI systems. We want all of our
schools to be effective and to achieve our shared goal of
success for all students.$
!
1RTI Action Network, a program of the National Center for Learning
Disabilities, http://www.rtinetwork.org/"
8