State Board of Education Topic Summary s15

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION – TOPIC SUMMARY Topic: Children’s Choice Montessori Charter School Sponsorship (CCMCS) Date: October 16, 2008 Staff/Office: Cindy Hunt, Superintendent’s Office; Phyllis Guile, Educational Improvement and Innovation Action Requested: Information only Policy Adoption Policy Adoption/Consent Calendar

ISSUE BEFORE THE BOARD: Reconsideration of the State Board decision to deny the sponsorship request of Children’s Choice Montessori Charter School (CCMS).

BACKGROUND: At the May 15, 2008 board meeting, the State Board of Education received testimony from both CCMS and the Springfield School District regarding their State Board sponsorship request. At the June 19, 2008 board meeting, the State Board of Education voted unanimously to deny the Children’s Choice Montessori Charter School application for State Board sponsorship.

A letter was submitted electronically to the State Board of Education on September 25, 2008 accompanied by a Petition for Reconsideration of the Final Order dated August 11, 2008, as allowed under law. Staff completed a procedural review of the State Board’s decision for sponsorship. It was found that all requirements and procedures were followed appropriately and completely.

The Children’s Choice Montessori Charter School proposal is for a comprehensive K–5 Montessori school located in the Springfield Public Schools District (SPS). Children’s Choice plans to offer a self-paced, individualized, hands-on method of education. The school sought to enroll 112 students by the third year of operation.

Springfield had contracted with Children’s Choice to be a private alternative school serving Springfield students. This contract ended in June, 2007. Springfield School District is a stable enrollment district with approximately 12,000 students. It currently does not sponsor a public charter school.

ORS 338.075 states "If a school district board does not approve a proposal to start a public charter school pursuant to ORS 338.055, the applicant may request that the State Board of Education review the decision of the school district board." Children’s Choice made application to the Springfield Public Schools Board for sponsorship in March of 2007. After an initial denial, Children’s Choice developers resubmitted their revised application to the Springfield Public Schools District Board. The final application was denied by the Springfield Public Schools Board in June of 2007.

The applicants requested a review of Springfield’s decision to deny. Following are the steps required upon the receipt of a request for review: 1. An attempt at mediation between the applicant and the school district board; 2. Recommendation of revisions to the applicant and the school district board; and 3. Consideration by the State Board of Education to sponsor the public charter school.

Mediation was unsuccessful and there were no suggestions for revision to the applicant and the school district board. Following the established appeal process, Department staff conducted a substantive review of the proposal using criteria set forth in ORS 338.045 and 338.055. The review panel was made up of internal and external reviewers with expertise in curriculum, school finance, governance and special education.

The review indicated the proposal did not meet the criteria established by the State Board of Education for sponsorship in the following areas: a. demonstrated financial stability; and, b. extent to which the proposal addresses ORS 338.045 (Governance, Facility, Budget and Financing, Standards of Behavior and Program Review).

STAFF RECOMMENDATION: The Superintendent and ODE Staff recommend adoption of the following resolution: RESOLVED, that the State Board of Education deny Petition for Reconsideration of the Children’s Choice Montessori Charter School application for State Board sponsorship.