DAVID IGE CATHERINE PAYNE GOVERNOR CHAIRPERSON
STATE OF HAWAII STATE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL COMMISSION (ʻAHA KULA HOʻĀMANA) 1111 Bishop Street, Suite 516, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Tel: 586-3775 Fax: 586-3776
RECOMMENDATION SHEET
DATE: February 12, 2015
TO: Catherine Payne, Chairperson State Public Charter School Commission
FROM: Tom Hutton, Executive Director
AGENDA ITEM: Action on Admissions and Enrollment Policies and Practices for Hakipu‘u Learning Center; Hawaii Technology Academy; Innovations Public Charter School; Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, LPCS, Kula Aupuni Niihau A Kahelelani Aloha (KANAKA) A New Century Public Charter School; SEEQS: The Schools for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability; and University Laboratory School
I. DESCRIPTION
Recommendation from the Committee that the Commission approve the admissions policy and practices of Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, LPCS (“Kamakau”) as provided in Exhibit A of this submittal.
Staff recommendation that the Commission approve the admissions policy and practices of Hawaii Technology Academy (“HTA”); Innovations Public Charter School (“Innovations”); Kula Aupuni Niihau A Kahelelani Aloha (KANAKA) A New Century Public Charter School (“KANAKA”); and SEEQS: The Schools for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability (“SEEQS”), as provided in Exhibit A of this submittal
Anticipated staff recommendation, following executive session with legal counsel, that the Commission provisionally approve the admissions policy and practices of University Laboratory School as provided in Exhibit B of this submittal.
II. AUTHORITY
Pursuant to §302D-34(b), Hawaii Revised Statutes (“HRS”) (2014):
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“(b) A start-up charter school: (1) Shall be open to any student residing in the State; who is entitled to attend a department school; (2) Shall enroll all students who submit an application, unless the number of students who submit an application exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or building; (3) Shall select students through a public lottery if, as described in paragraph (2), capacity is insufficient to enroll all students who have submitted a timely application; (4) May give an enrollment preference to students within a given age group or grade level and may be organized around a special emphasis, theme, or concept as stated in the charter school's application and as approved by the charter school's authorizer; (5) May give an enrollment preference to students enrolled in the charter school during the previous school year and to siblings of students already enrolled at the charter school; and (6) May give any other enrollment preference permitted by the charter school's authorizer, on an individual charter school basis, if consistent with law; provided that nothing in this subsection shall preclude the formation of a start-up charter school whose mission is focused on serving students with disabilities, who are of the same gender, who pose such severe disciplinary problems that they warrant a specific educational program, or who are at a risk of academic failure.”
Section 5.2 of the State Public Charter School Contract (“Charter Contract”) provides in pertinent part:
“The School shall comply with its admission policies and procedures as approved by the Commission. If the number of applicants exceeds the School’s capacity of a program, class, grade level, or building, the School shall select students to attend using a random selection process that shall be publically noticed and open to the public; provided that if the School is a conversion charter school serving as the home school for the DOE district, then the School shall follow 302D-349(c), HRS. These policies and procedures shall be readily accessible from the School’s website, as described in Section 11.4.1”
III. BACKGROUND
Admissions and enrollment are among the key distinguishing features of charter schools in Hawaii. Charter schools are “schools of choice” for public school students in the state. With the exception of conversion schools, students are not automatically assigned to charter schools based on residency, and state law (Section 302D-34, HRS) requires start-up charter schools to be open to any student residing in the state who is entitled to attend a department school and to enroll all students who submit an application, unless the number of students who submit applications exceeds the capacity of the program.
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The Commission, as provided for in the current Charter Contract, is to review and approve the admission and enrollment policies of the charter schools. At its August 14, 2014 General Business meeting, the Commission was updated on the process that staff would utilize in approving the admission and enrollment policies before the start of the 2015-2016 admissions cycle. The submittal that describes the process is available on the Commission’s website at: http://sharepoint.spcsc.hawaii.gov/SPCSC/Documents/III_C_2_Schools%20Admissions%20and%20E nrollment%20Policies_final2.pdf
Under Section 302D-34(b)(5), HRS, a charter school may give an enrollment preference to students already enrolled at the school during the previous school year and to siblings of students already enrolled at the school. The charter school law goes on to state that the Commission may allow any other enrollment preference, as long as it is consistent with law.1
In addition, at its General Business Meeting on September 11, 2014, the Commission approved in advance for all charter schools an enrollment preference for the children of full-time employees, provided that this preference account for no more than 10% of the total student population. At the same meeting, the Commission determined that admission and enrollment policies or practices that
1 Specifically, 302D-34(b), HRS states that:(b) A start-up charter school:
(1) Shall be open to any student residing in the State;
(2) Shall enroll all students who submit an application, unless the number of students who submit an application exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or building;
(3) Shall select students through a public lottery if, as described in paragraph (2), capacity is insufficient to enroll all students who have submitted a timely application;
(4) May give an enrollment preference to students within a given age group or grade level and may be organized around a special emphasis, theme, or concept as stated in the charter school's application and as approved by the charter school's authorizer;
(5) May give an enrollment preference to students enrolled in the charter school during the previous school year and to siblings of students already enrolled at the charter school; and
(6) May give any other enrollment preference permitted by the charter school's authorizer, on an individual charter school basis, if consistent with law; provided that nothing in this subsection shall preclude the formation of a start-up charter school whose mission is focused on serving students with disabilities, who are of the same gender, who pose such severe disciplinary problems that they warrant a specific educational program, or who are at a risk of academic failure.
(Emphasis added).
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make acceptance of a student contingent on submittal of interviews, tests, essays, past academic performance, and letters of reference will not be approved, consistent with state law.
At its November 13, 2014 General Business Meeting, the Commission added to its advance approval of enrollment preferences for the children of a school’s full-time staff members its advance approval of similar enrollment preferences for the school’s governing board members. The addition of the children of governing board members did not change the limit of 10% of the total school population. The Commission approved the admissions policies of two schools: Halau Ku Mana Public Charter School and Mālama Honua Public Charter School. Two other schools that were on the Commission’s agenda, University Lab and Kamakau, withdrew their admissions policies from review at the November General Business Meeting because they presented issues that required additional review by the Department of the Attorney General. Both schools contemplated returning to the Commission with a request for approval after this review.
At its January 8, 2014 General Business Meeting, the Commission approved the admission policies of Kua o ka La New Century Public Charter School, which includes the foster care provision as provided for in the school policy and Voyager: A Public Charter School.
IV. REVIEW OF CHARTER SCHOOL ADMISSIONS POLICIES
It is important to note the distinction between charter school applications and admissions and enrollment policy and practices and the DOE’s enrollment process. Review of each of the steps taken by applicants to ultimately gain entrance into a charter school is important: (1) completion of application forms by prospective applicants and their families; (2) application of the school’s admissions policy; and (3) then the enrollment process that each school uses in to officially enroll a student in their school. Schools need to be very cognizant that up until an applicant has been accepted into their school, the application itself, and how those applications are processed, evaluated by the school and reviewed for decision making on acceptance into the school are subject to great scrutiny. What a school asks of an applicant during this time places the school at risk for allegations of illegal discrimination. After an applicant has been formally accepted into a school, that scrutiny is gone and all of the questions needed to assist the school in providing the best education to that student can freely be asked, but not prior to that time.
In addition to the Commission’s prohibition of admission and enrollment policies or practices that make acceptance of a student contingent on submittal of interviews, tests, essays, past academic performance, and letters of reference will not be approved, consistent with state law, staff paid particular attention to whether admission applications contained questions on special education and the provision of special education services. Although the staff’s understanding is that the information was used by the schools primarily for informational purposes, these questions could be perceived by prospective applicants as a way to “screen out” students with special needs. To eliminate the chance of such misconceptions, staff asked that schools move special education questions from admission applications to enrollment materials so that the special education 4
questions were not part of the information used to make a decision on acceptance. Once accepted for enrollment, the school has a legitimate reason to have this information as soon as possible because it will allow the student to transition smoothly into the charter school and reduce the likelihood of a break in any services.
The staff review of the admission policies will be presented in alphabetic order by school name. For each school there is a summary with four subsections: (1) student enrollment, (2) admission policy and application, (3) decision-making statement, and (4) staff recommendation. The demographics section will contain information like the location of the school, total enrollment, and enrollment breakdown by grade. The admission policy section will describe the admissions policy and any identified issues. The decision-making statement will go through an analysis of any identified issues. The last section will contain a staff recommendation as to whether the admissions policy should be approved or deferred. A copy of the admissions policy and admissions application for each school is attached as exhibits to this submittal.
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1. Hawaii Technology Academy Student Enrollment HTA, one of the largest charter schools in Hawaii, operates from its main campus on Oahu and from satellite locations on the Big Island, Kauai, and Maui. The school provides an educational program that primarily utilizes a blended learning model, which requires students to participate in both ‘regular’, face-to-face instruction and in online learning. As of the October 15, 2014 enrollment count, the total school population is 1123. The student population breakdown by grade level is as follows:
Grade K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th # of Students 40 73 65 73 67 88
Grade 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th # of Students 75 125 142 142 105 87 41
Admission Policy and Application HTA seeks approval for the following policies and procedures which make up the school’s admissions policy- Enrollment Annex A: Lottery Process, Island Wide Enrollment Caps and Enrollment Dates, and eHTA, which is found in Exhibit A. The school has posted additional policies and procedures on its website on the Enrollment Policy page, which is more focused on the enrollment process such as High School Course Transfer Credits and Learning Coach State of Residence.
HTA begins its admissions cycle in early February (February 5th for the upcoming school year) for re-enrolling students, siblings of current students, and children of school employees. The general public is provided admission materials in late February (February 23) which must be completed in mid-March (March 11). If the number of applications exceeds the number of available spaces, the school conducts a lottery soon after the public completion deadline (March 13).
The school does accept applications after the March deadline and students are accepted only if space is available. If space is not available, the children are added to the wait list. The HTA wait list is kept open until mid-August (August 17th); from the end of July until mid-August, a child is allowed to stay on the school wait list only if the child is enrolled at another school.
In the school’s admission policies, enrollment caps for each grade on each of the islands served are provided. For example, on the Big Island, the school has set class sizes at 55 total students for grades K-8 and 40 students for high school grades for the Hilo area. For the Kona area, the K- 8 class size is 150 students and 50 for the high school.
The school closes its admissions cycle in mid-August (August 17) and does not accept any new students after this date.
The school’s admission policy utilizes the following enrollment preferences, in priority order:
A. Currently enrolled students; B. Siblings of currently enrolled students; and
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C. Children of school employees and governing board members (not to exceed 10% of the total student population).
For the upcoming school year, the school will also offer a new virtual only program for students on Oahu who are already enrolled at HTA or another accredited virtual learning program. To be considered for admission into the program, students must have been compliant with HTA’s policies and procedures for the 2014-2015 school year. Families that enroll in the program must commit to the program for the entire school year and may not transfer to the school’s blended learning program.
HTA utilizes an online application form that ‘tracks’ the progress of an applicant. Initially, applicants are only required to complete basic contact and personal information. Once an applicant has been accepted into the school, they are then required to fill out enrollment materials. The application did contain a gender question which the school voluntarily removed.
Decision-Making Statement: The school is requesting the Commission approve its admissions policy and application, including: 1) a ‘cut-off’ date of August 17, after which no new students will be accepted and 2) an enrollment policy for its virtual program, eHTA, which requires families to be compliant with the school’s policies and procedures and remain committed to the program for the entire year.
Staff recommendation: Staff recommends the Commission approve all of HTA’s requests and approve the admissions policy, including the admissions application. Staff has had discussions with the school director on the August 17th “cut-off,” who has confirmed that the reason for this practice is to maintain the integrity of the school’s educational program. The school’s admission practices for its virtual program, eHTA, are also acceptable, as the intention of the practices are to ensure the success of students and the program.
RECOMMENDATION
Proposed Motion:
Move to recommend that the Commission approve the admissions policies and practices of Hawaii Technology Academy, as provided in Exhibit A of this submittal.
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2. Innovations Public Charter School Student Enrollment Innovations, a start-up charter school opened in 2001, is located in Kona on the Big Island and serves grades K-8. As of the October 15, 2014 enrollment count, the total school population is 229. According to the school director, the school has regularly conducted admission lotteries for most grades the past three years. The student population breakdown by grade level is as follows:
Grade K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th # of Students 22 24 22 25 25
Grade 5th 6th 7th 8th # of Students 25 25 25 36
Admission Policy and Application The school seeks approval for its admissions policy and application, which is found in Exhibit A, from the Commission. The school’s admission cycle when applications are first accepted on February 1st and runs through the fourth Friday in March. Students are offered enrollment on the first Thursday in April of each year when the admission lottery is conducted.
The school’s admission policy utilizes the following enrollment preferences, in priority order:
A. Returning students from the current school year; B. Siblings of students and former students (entry year) and children of staff-not to exceed 10% of the student population; C. Children of governing board members-not to exceed 10% of the total student population; D. Applicants on the wait list from the previous year’s lottery or hardship wait list (if grade level has openings); and E. Applicants for the school’s entry grade level
Enrollment preference D (applicants on the wait list from the previous year’s lottery or the hardship wait list) and preference E (applicants for the school’s entry grade level) are preferences unique to Innovations. Both preferences are used primarily on a case-by-case basis with the emphasis on keeping a family together at Innovations. The entry grade level for the school is Kindergarten; the school typically has a class size of 22-25 for all its grades. Once accepted in Kindergarten, students typically stay at the school until 8th grade, which results in extremely limited openings in most other grades every admissions cycle. Preference E is utilized when a current student has a sibling who is applying for Kindergarten. For example, a Kindergarten applicant will have the enrollment preference if they have a sibling who currently attends Innovations as a 3rd grader.
Enrollment preference D applies to children who are on the school’s standard wait list or hardship wait list, with the only distinction being that the students must have been on either list for at least a year. The school’s hardship wait list is determined on a case-by-case basis and requires a petition to the governing board. Examples of hardships could be a single parent home, military deployment, or custody by a grandparent or other family member. Most times,
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this preference is used when an older sibling attends another school, thus creating a difficult situation for parents in needing to pick up their children from different schools.
The school’s admissions policy does also specify that the school follows the state guidelines pertaining to the age children are allowed to enroll for Kindergarten. The school also applies an age guideline for first grade which requires a child to turn six years old by July 31st of their 1st grade year.
The school admission application, provided in Exhibit A, requests standard contact information for students and parents. The school revised its application and removed questions on special education. Since the school has already begun to distribute applications for next school year, it was unable to remove the gender question from the hard copy applications. The school has removed the gender question from its online application and will black out the question on applications with the information already provided.
Decision-Making Statement: The school is requesting the Commission approve its admissions policy and application, including: 1) an enrollment preference for part-time school employees; 2) an enrollment preference for students previously on the wait list or hardship wait list; 3) an enrollment preference for the school’s entry grade level, Kindergarten; 4) a requirement that children entering the first grade must be six years old by July 31st; and 5) allowing the school to continue to accept applications that contain gender questions as long as it blacks out the gender information.
Staff recommendation: Staff recommends the Commission approve of all of Innovations’ requests and approve the admissions policy, including the admissions application. Enrollment preferences A-C are either allowed in statute or have already been approved by the Commission. However, there is one distinction in these enrollment preferences that must receive Commission approval- Innovations applies the enrollment preference to staff members who work more than 17 hours a week. The Commission approved the staff enrollment preference for full time employees, with no mention of part-time employees. The school should be allowed to provide an enrollment preference to part-time employees, provided that the 10% limit imposed by the Commission for children of fulltime staff and governing board members applies equally to this preference.
Staff also recommends the Commission approve the enrollment preference for students on the wait list or hardship wait list. The school has explained that the intent of this preference is primarily to assist families by trying to accept students who already have siblings attending the school. The enrollment preference for the entry grade level also has the same intent to assist families. Both preferences are associated with the sibling preference that is already allowed by statute; in the case of Innovations, these enrollment preferences serve to clarify the school’s practice in trying to keep families together in the same school.
The age requirement for first grade should also be approved as it only adds a year to the State mandated age for Kindergarten. The school application should also be approved as the school has been cooperative in agreeing to redact gender information from any applications already received.
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RECOMMENDATION
Proposed Motion:
Move to recommend that the Commission approve the admissions policies and practices of Innovations Public Charter School, as provided in Exhibit A of this submittal.
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3. Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, LPCS Student Enrollment Kamakau is a Hawaiian language immersion program that serves Pre-K through grade 12 and is based in Kaneohe, Oahu. As of the October 15, 2014 enrollment count, the total school population, including Pre-K, is 146. The student population breakdown by grade level is as follows:
Grade Pre-K K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th # of Students 16 12 21 15 15 13 9
Grade 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th # of Students 6 11 10 7 2 6 3
Admission Policy and Application The school seeks approval of five areas in its admissions policy and application from this Committee and Commission. The school’s submission, admissions policy and application are found in Exhibit A.
First, the school feels strongly that parents and prospective applicants need to understand what a Hawaiian immersion environment involves and therefore seeks to ensure that they have a full understanding of what the school will be like prior to enrollment. Accordingly, the school includes in its admissions policy a checklist of highly encouraged tasks that include attendance at a family informational meeting, completion and return of the application form, attendance at a family interview, a visit to the school to experience a Hawaiian language only environment for those applicants new to language immersion, and a request for the course titles and ACCN numbers for all high school credits earned for those applying to secondary grades. (See Exhibit A, page 14)
HRS §302D-34 prohibits charter schools from discriminating in its admissions policy on the basis of academic ability, among other bases. The school explains that it needs the report cards or assessments from applicants applying for secondary grades to insure that the school can provide the coursework needed by the applicant, given the limited staff at their school. Kamakau, at a minimum, seeks primarily information on the coursework and whether the applicant received credit for the courses taken, not the grades awarded. The school states that it needs this information to determine whether they are able to provide academically for the applicant. Due to its limited staff, the school has structured the required coursework in non-traditional order to accommodate the population of their secondary students and staff. An example provided to staff by the school was where one of their students transferred to a regular DOE school, but because the student had not taken 9th grade English, but was in the 11th grade, that student was placed in a DOE 9th grade English class.
Second, the school will adopt the enrollment preferences provided for in statute and by the Commission, but it seeks an exception to the 10% cap on students of full-time staff and governing board members. (See Exhibit A, page 15) The school asks to include part-time staff in its preference as well as full-time staff. Currently, 18% of the students enrolled are children of full and part-time staff and Governing Board members. The school has added language to its policy that discloses that in the event the 10% cap for that enrollment preference has been 11 exceeded, no more students will be admitted with such preference until the percentage of students falls below 10%. The school notes that 10% (15/146) of the students were already enrolled at Kamakau prior to their parents becoming staff or holding seats on the Governing Board.
Third, the school is requesting Commission approval for an enrollment preference for children of families of fluent Hawaiian-speaking persons. Kamakau believes the success of its program is determined by the strength and use of the Hawaiian language on its campus by the community of families it serves. The school also states that since its curriculum is provided solely in Hawaiian, as there are few opportunities for students to absorb Hawaiian in the community outside of the school, this requested enrollment preference is important to their mission. Kamakau notes that there are no special programs (like there is for English Language Learners) that transition students to Hawaiian medium instruction as there is for English through bilingual education. (See Exhibit A, page 15.)
According to the school director, while the school as a whole is not at capacity, there are certain grade levels that are at capacity, which does require the school to go to a lottery selection for those grades.
Fourth, the application form is written primarily in Hawaiian, and has very limited English translations. The school insists on keeping it primarily in Hawaiian but will inform applicants, and place a notice on their website, that they may contact the school for assistance in completing the application form. (See Exhibit A, page 20.)
Lastly, in its revised application form, the school asks applicants about the length of time they have spoken the Hawaiian language, when they started (from womb to birth, at infant or toddler), and the number of years they have attended the Punana Leo Preschool or a DOE Hawaiian immersion school. These questions are in direct relation to their enrollment preference for children of fluent Hawaiian speaking persons. (See Exhibit A, page 20)
At the Committee meeting, staff recommended approval of all of Kamakau’s requests except for the request for the report cards and assessments of the applicant for the last two years, as it was in direct conflict with the Commission’s prohibition of admission and enrollment policies or practices that make acceptance of a student contingent on submittal of past academic performance. Although the school had made the submission of the report cards or assessments highly recommended and not conditional to acceptance, the Committee requested the school find an alternative way of getting the needed information without report cards or assessments. the Committee conditionally approved all of Kamakau’s requests except for the request for the report cards and assessments. The Committee recommended approval by the full Commission, contingent on the school removing the requirement for report cards and assessment.
Following the Committee meeting, the school made the requested change to the school admission policy and removed the request for report cards, transcripts, or assessments. Instead, the school asks parents to list all course titles and ACCN numbers for all high school credits earned. A blank list of courses and ACCN numbers was added to the school’s online application.
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Decision-Making Statement: The school is requesting that the Commission recommend approval of Kamakau’s admission policy and application, including: (1) the inclusion of a list of highly recommended tasks prior to enrollment that includes a request for the courses and ACCN numbers for high school courses taken; (2) a temporary exception to the 10% cap on children of full- and part-time staff and governing board members to allow it time to meet the 10% cap; (3) an enrollment preference for children of families of fluent Hawaiian speaking persons; (4) the application form to be primarily in Hawaiian, with assistance available to complete the application; and (5) the allowance of questions in the application relating to the applicant and his or her family’s experience and use of the Hawaiian language.
Committee recommendation:
The motion passed by the Committee stated:
Move to recommend that the Commission approve the admissions policy of Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, LPCS, provided that the school remove of the provision highly recommending that an applicant provide report cards or assessments for the last two years and move any such requirements, if the school deems them necessary, to the post-admission enrollment process.
Staff has followed up with the school and can confirm that the school governing board has revised the school’s admission policy by removing the report card requirement. As previously noted, the school instead requests parents provide course names and ACCN numbers of the high school courses taken by the student. As such, Kamakau has fulfilled the requests of the Committee.
RECOMMENDATION
Proposed Motion:
Move to recommend that the Commission approve the admissions policies and practices Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, LPCS, as provided in Exhibit A of this submittal.
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4. Kula Aupuni Niihau A Kahelelani Aloha (KANAKA), A New Century Public Charter School
Student Enrollment KANAKA, located in Kekaha, Kauai, serves grades K-12. The school provides a bilingual education program which provides instruction both in English and in the Niihau dialect of the Hawaiian language. As of the October 15, 2014 enrollment count, the total school population is 66. The student population breakdown by grade level is as follows:
Grade K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th # of Students 5 6 6 7 7 4
Grade 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th # of Students 6 4 5 4 2 3 7
Admission Policy and Application The school seeks approval for its admissions policy, which is found in Exhibit A, from the Commission. According to the school director, the school uses a ‘rolling’ admission period where students are accepted on a first come, first served basis. The school director also stated that KANAKA, throughout its history, has accepted all students interested in attending and has never had to conduct an admissions lottery. Due to this practice, the school does not have any enrollment preferences.
Also, the school does not use an admissions application in its admission process. Interested students and parents contact the school to confirm their intent to attend the school. They are accepted and then must complete enrollment materials, which provides the school with the necessary contact and student information.
Decision-Making Statement: The school is requesting that the Commission approve KANAKA’s admission policy, which includes an admissions process that does not require an admissions application.
Staff recommendation: Staff recommends the Commission approve KANAKA’s request and approve the admissions policy, specifically the practice of not using an admissions application. As a smaller school, KANAKA has been able to employ an inclusive admissions process that has allowed it to accept all students interested in attending. As such, the admissions process has been folded into the enrollment process as interested students are accepted, then given enrollment materials which provide the school with the necessary personal information, as well as more detailed information, such as special education needs and services.
Staff’s recommendation does come with an understanding that should the school get to a point where applicants are not able to attend the school due to admissions decisions (such as more interested students than available space), then the school should consider a more standardized admission process.
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RECOMMENDATION
Proposed Motion:
Move to recommend that the Commission approve the admissions policies and practices of Kula Aupuni Niihau A Kahelelani Aloha (KANAKA), A New Century Public Charter School, as provided in Exhibit A of this submittal.
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5. SEEQS: The School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability
Student Enrollment SEEQS, which first began operating in 2013, is located on Oahu and currently serves grades 6 through 8. As of the October 15, 2014 enrollment count, the total school population is 126. The student population breakdown by grade level is as follows:
Grade 6th 7th 8th # of Students 64 34 28
Admission Policy and Application The school seeks approval for its admissions policy, which is found in Exhibit A, from the Commission. Applications are accepted during an open enrollment period from January 15 to March 15 prior to the start of the new school year. The admissions lottery is held within one week after March 15; accepted students have until April 20th to respond that they are accepting the space. Accepted students that do not respond by April 20th forfeit the space which goes to the person at the top of admission wait list. According to the school director, the school has conducted an admissions lottery last year and anticipates it will need to conduct one this year.
If space is available, the school has a rolling admissions period which runs from April 20th to October 15 of each year. In this rolling admissions period, students are accepted on a “first come first served” basis. The school does not accept any new students after October 15, with the exception of siblings of currently enrolled students and children of SEEQS staff.
The school’s admission policy utilizes the following enrollment preferences, in priority order:
A. Returning current students; B. Children of staff and Founding Interim Governing Board members (not to exceed 10% of the student population); C. Siblings of currently enrolled students; and D. Siblings of newly admitted students.
The school’s admission policy specifies that Founding Interim Governing Board members are those that were listed on the charter application approved by the Commission. The policy also specifies that if a staff member is employed less than half time, the enrollment preference is not provided until the second year of employment.
For siblings, the admissions policy allows that if a student is accepted, their sibling will be given priority and given an available space in the class they are applying. If a space is not available, the sibling will be placed at the top of the wait list.
The admission application is an online form that only requests the names and contact information of the student and primary parent, the grade level applying for, and whether the student has a sibling applying for a space or is already enrolled.
Decision-Making Statement: The school is requesting that the Commission approve SEEQS’s admission policy and application, including: 1) the enrollment preference for part-time staff; 2) the admission practice of not
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accepting new students after October 15; and 3) the sibling policy which allows a sibling of an accepted student to be given priority and automatic enrollment, if space is available.
Staff recommendation: Staff recommends the Commission approve SEEQS’s requests and approve the school’s admission policy and application. The school’s application has nothing problematic and can be approved ‘as is’. The enrollment preferences in the school’s admission policy are all either allowed by statute or have already been approved by the Commission. The school does allow a preference for part-time staff who have worked at least a year at the school, which Commission staff thinks should be allowed provided that the 10% limit imposed by the Commission for children of fulltime staff and governing board members applies equally to this preference.
Staff also recommends the Commission allow the school to continue the practice of not accepting any new students after October 15. The October 15th date is significant as it is the date that schools are required to report their total school enrollment for funding purposes. Charter schools, unlike department schools, do not have the resources to address an influx of new students late in the school year and should be allowed the flexibility and authority to ‘cut off’ new student admission at a reasonable time. The October 15th date is reasonable as it is the date on which the school’s funding for that year is determined. While the school does allow exceptions to this practice, the exceptions are only for the children of school staff and siblings of current students.
In regards to the practices utilized in providing the sibling enrollment preference, the charter school law allows the preference but does not provide guidelines for the implementation of the policy. SEEQS’s admission policy provides the specific process and procedures the school uses in implementing the sibling preference. Staff appreciates the school’s effort in making this process as transparent as it is able to and recommends the Commission allow the school to continue this practice.
RECOMMENDATION
Proposed Motion:
Move to recommend that the Commission approve the admissions policies and practices of SEEQS: The School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability, as provided in Exhibit A of this submittal.
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6. University Laboratory School Student Enrollment University Lab is a K-12 school with a total student enrollment of 442 students. The grade level breakdown is provided below:
Grade K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th # of Students 10 10 10 10 10 10 56
Grade 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th # of Students 56 55 56 53 54 52
Historical Context Unlike other charter schools, the University Laboratory School (“ULS”) was granted a charter on August 16, 2001 but had originally been established nearly a hundred years ago as a center for curriculum research and development community through a partnership with the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Education’s Curriculum Research & Development Group. The move to a charter school then shifted funding for the school from the University of Hawaii to the Board of Education and the Department of Education.
Admission Policy University Lab’s admission cycle begins on October 15th, when applications for all grades are accepted. For kindergarten and grade 6, applications are accepted until January 15th; for all other grades, applications are received until the last day of March. Lotteries are traditionally held for kindergarten and for the 6th grade; these are considered the “primary entry points” for admission into the school. The school accepts applications for all grades during its admission cycle, but a student will not be admitted unless a student leaves the school, thus opening “up a space.”
According to school admission policy, to ensure a representative sample of students in Hawaii, admission is determined by: • Ethnicity; • Socio-economic status of the family; • Gender (with the intent to get equal numbers); and • Level of learning (as represented by grades, test scores, and school progress upon intake).
Though the school states that it does not have any enrollment preferences, children in the 5th grade class are automatically accepted into the 6th grade, thus providing a preference for returning students, which is allowed in statute.
The admission policy, along with information on its lottery process and a memo from the school governing board chair and director, is provided in Exhibit B. The school states this admission policy is needed to meet its two interlocking missions: 1) to design and deliver the best possible education to its students, and 2) to serve the educational research and development community as a seedbed for curriculum research and development. The school works in close partnership with the Curriculum Research & Development Group (CDRG) of the University of Hawaii College of Education, a partnership that has existed for over 40 years. An Affiliation Agreement currently exists between the school and the University of Hawaii and is provided in Exhibit B pages 15-21.
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The admission policy is centered on a “purposive lottery” which is intended to create a student body that is ethnically diverse and includes a broad range of student academic achievement and family socioeconomic levels. As explained by the school director, the lottery is extremely complicated as it is a “blind” lottery, in that while participants’ names are not provided, their ethnic, socioeconomic status, and student achievement results are used to create the diverse student population the school is seeking.
The school uses information from the Department of Education Arch Data section to determine its ethnicity breakdown. The department’s 6th grade ethnicity demographics are used by University Lab to determine the composition of its incoming 6th grade class. The following provides the ethnicity breakdown utilized by the school in its admission process:
• Hawaiian and Part-Hawaiian 25% • Japanese- unmixed 10% • Caucasian-unmixed (includes Portuguese-unmixed) 12% • Filipino-unmixed 15% • Chinese, Korean, or SE Asian, unmixed 8% • Mixed (other than part-Hawaiian) 20% • Other unmixed (Black, Pacific Islander, Hispanic, 10% Latino, Native American, American Indian, and others)
(see Exhibit B, page 8)
The school also employs a self-reporting mechanism to determine socio-economic class; parents are asked to report their occupation which then fits into five categories: (1) Upper Class, (2) Upper Middle Class, (3) Lower Middle Class, (4) Working Class, and (5) Lower Class. The school policy provides example occupations that would fit into the five categories (see Exhibit B, page 6 for these example occupations). Although the application does not ask for specific financial information of an applicant’s parents, the school states that they estimate each student’s SES based upon information gathered from the application, specifically, (1) parent’s education (uses the highest level when there is more than one parent)l and (2) parent’s job (uses the highest level when there is more than one parent)
The school utilizes a process which takes math and reading scores and academic results to set a “stanine number” that is then used to classify a student’s academic ability and achievement. A number on a scale of 1-9 is set as the stanine number; lower numbers represent low academic ability, with nine representing the highest academic ability. Should an applicant not have 2 years of assessment information, the school will use standardized test scores of the year that is provided. As far as how many students are accepted from each of the four stanine levels, the school states that this number vary, but they utilize a bell curve in the distribution of stanines of the final group in each grade.
When the lottery process begins, completed applications are grouped by application grade and alphabetized by last and first name. Applications are coded by grade level applied, ethnicity, socio- economic class (SES), and Average Stanine. Based on the total number of applications, specific to grade level and gender, random number lists are generated for kindergarten and 6th grade. Applications are assigned a random number in the order that they appear alphabetically and then
19 reshuffled for numerical order. This then becomes the list which represents the lottery order from which applicants are chosen. The use of gender as a basis to insure a 50-50 split of male and female students is also a questionable basis under HRS §302D-34.
The lottery process employs two tables: an ethnicity table and an SES/Average Stanine table. Starting with the ethnicity table, the names of upcoming 5th graders are entered into the table. Using the lottery lists developed in the previous step, the ethnicity table is filled out by placing students in an ethnicity slot with SES and average stanine written next to the name. The SES/Average stanine table is then filled in by adding in students from the ethnicity table who meet the SES and stanine number until there are two students in each box on the SES/Stanine table. Students are taken from each ethnic group until the percentages set by the DOE demographic data are met. It is unclear as of the writing of this submission, what the percentages of SES/stanines are allotted for entrance to the school, and how those percentages are set or determined.
The admission policy also provides for contingency substitutions should there not be enough applications to fill the SES/Stanine table. The policy details how the SES can be adjusted to find the closest match by lottery number; if there are not enough of a particular stanine, the stanine number is skewed upwards while the ethnicity and SES are maintained. If there are not enough applicants of a particular ethnic group, the policy states that they would add to the “Mixed” category with the logic being that this is the most populous group. It is also unclear whether or not the school receives enough applications from the various ethnic, socio-economic, and stanine levels to insure that a representative student body is thus created.
Staff recommended that the school remove five additional questions that are labeled optional (see Exhibit B, page 14) concerning special interests/talents or regular participation in school/community, participation in music, IEP, 504 or related services, how they heard about the school, and family language information, from their application forms to their enrollment forms after the student has been admitted to the school. These questions are neither necessary nor relevant to their admissions policy and may deter some applicants from applying. As of the date of this submission, the school has stated that it will remove these questions from their application.
Decision-Making Statement The school is seeking Commission approval for admission preferences that are specifically prohibited in HRS § 302D-34, with the rationale being that the admission policy is needed to meet its two interlocking missions: 1) to design and deliver the best possible education to its students; and 2) to serve the educational research and development community as a seedbed for curriculum research and development.
The school maintains that its admissions policy is in compliance with current state law including HRS § 302D-34 because the language of Hawaii’s Law mirrors the applicable federal law (42 USC 2000d), and that a 1999 Ninth Circuit case, Hunter v. Regents of the University of California 1, upheld a similar race- and ethnicity-conscious admissions policy at a publicly funded university laboratory school. (See Exhibit B, pages 22-23.) Additionally, the school believes that HRS § 302D-34(b)(4) allows the authorizer to approve any other enrollment preference that is organized around a special emphasis theme or concept as stated in the charter school’s application and approved by the
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charter school’s authorizer.2 These legal questions will be discussed in executive session with legal counsel.
Staff recommended that the Committee reject the school’s request for approval of its current Admissions Policy and Applications process and require the school to submit a revised Admissions Policy and Applications process that is consistent with HRS § 302D-34. After public testimony and discussion, the Committee decided to defer the motion and move it to the full Commission for its deliberation. The motion passed stated:
Move to defer the agenda item regarding University Laboratory School to the full Commission’s General Business Meeting.
Since the Committee meeting, legislation, Senate Bill 1348 has been introduced to allow ULS to continue its enrollment practices. A recommendation on a Commission legislative advocacy position on this matter is included separately in Item VIII of today’s meeting agenda.
With the legislation and discussion of the school’s admission policy and practices in executive session pending, staff’s anticipated recommendation will be to provisionally approve ULS’ admission policy, which includes removing the optional questions from the school application already agreed
2 §302D-34 Enrollment. (a) A public charter school shall not discriminate against any student or limit admission based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, income level, disability, level of proficiency in the English language, need for special education services, or academic or athletic ability.
(b) A start-up charter school:
(1) Shall be open to any student residing in the State who is entitled to attend a department school;
(2) Shall enroll all students who submit an application, unless the number of students who submit an application exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or building;
(3) Shall select students through a public lottery if, as described in paragraph (2), capacity is insufficient to enroll all students who have submitted a timely application;
(4) May give an enrollment preference to students within a given age group or grade level and may be organized around a special emphasis, theme, or concept as stated in the charter school's application and as approved by the charter school's authorizer;
(5) May give an enrollment preference to students enrolled in the charter school during the previous school year and to siblings of students already enrolled at the charter school; and
(6) May give any other enrollment preference permitted by the charter school's authorizer, on an individual charter school basis, if consistent with law; provided that nothing in this subsection shall preclude the formation of a start-up charter school whose mission is focused on serving students with disabilities, who are of the same gender, who pose such severe disciplinary problems that they warrant a specific educational program, or who are at a risk of academic failure.
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upon by the school (see Exhibit B, page 24). This approval further is anticipated to be contingent on a requirement that the school to submit an annual report that allows the Commission to review the actual admissions data to ensure that the results of the admissions practices of the school conform to its policy. This annual report would include, but not be limited to, an explanation of the admission policy and practices applied, an explanation of the research requirements underlying the policy and practices, the goals and targeted enrollment results the policy and practices are designed to achieve, the actual enrollment numbers based on the demographic categories utilized, any significant variances between actual enrollment numbers versus the goals and targets, an evaluation of the reasons behind any such variances, and actions the school will take to lessen and/or eliminate any such variances.
RECOMMENDATION Proposed Motion as anticipated, after executive session:
Moved:
1. That the Commission conditionally approve the admissions policy and practices of University Laboratory School, with the understanding that the passage of pending legislation would resolve the statutory issue as to that policy and those practices; 2. That this approval be further conditioned on the school’s removal of the optional questions from the school application as already agreed upon by the school; and 3. That this approval be further conditioned upon a requirement that the school submit an annual report to the Commission that allows a review of University Laboratory School’s actual admissions data to ensure that the results of the admissions practices of the school conform to its policy, and that this annual report include, but not be limited to, an explanation of the admission policy and practices applied, an explanation of the research requirements underlying the policy and practices, the goals and targeted enrollment results the policy and practices are designed to achieve, the actual enrollment numbers based on the demographic categories utilized, any significant variances between actual enrollment numbers versus the goals and targets, an evaluation of the reasons behind any such variances, and actions the school will take to lessen or eliminate any such variances.
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Exhibit A
Admission Policies for Hawaii Technology Academy; Innovations Public Charter School; Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, LPCS, Kula Aupuni Niihau A Kahelelani Aloha (KANAKA) A New Century Public Charter School; and SEEQS: The Schools for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability
Page 1-8: Hawaii Technology Academy- Admissions Policy and Application
Page 9-12: Innovations Public Charter School- Admissions Policy and Application
Page 13-20: Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, LPCS- Admissions Policy and Application
Page 21-23: Kula Aupuni Niihau A Kahelelani Aloha (KANAKA) A New Century Public Charter School- Admissions Policy
Page 23-28: SEEQS: The Schools for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability- Admissions Policy and Application
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Enrollment Annex A: Lottery Process
*Policy approved 4/10/14
**updated w/SY 15-16 dates 10/23/14
Hawaii Technology Academy’s Open Enrollment period and lottery procedure will take place in the spring of the year of enrollment. Provided that all preliminary Application materials are submitted, space is available and the applicant family complies with all required processes and documents prior to both the lottery date and the first day of school, all prospective students, Kindergarten through grade 12, will be given the opportunity to enroll in the free public charter school, regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender, social or economic status, or special needs.
The following shall be given preference for conditional admission to the school:
• Currently enrolled students who have completed steps 1-2 of the Application Process
• Siblings of students currently enrolled in the school (siblings are defined as any two students who share a legal parent/guardian) who have completed steps 1-3 of the Application Process
• Children of school faculty and staff who have completed steps 1-3 of the Application Process.
The Application Process and related materials will be available at www.myhta.org beginning February 23, 2015. Application materials should be completed and submitted via HonuHub. For re-enrolling students, completion of steps 1 & 2 must occur prior to the lottery date. For new enrolling students (including siblings and faculty/staff children) completion of steps 1-3 must occur by 4:00pm on March 11, 2015. All application materials will be date/time stamped via HonuHub. If the number of pupils who wish to attend Hawaii Technology Academy exceeds the school’s individual grade level capacity, attendance, except for preferences listed above, shall be determined by a lottery (a random drawing). The lottery will be held on March 13th at 9.00am in the school office. The results will be witnessed and parents will be notified via email of the results. HTA commits to making the lottery and enrollment procedures and practices clear and transparent to parents, staff and community.
New and returning students who are conditionally accepted on the day of the lottery are required to submit all other enrollment forms by the specified date; attend course placement meetings and attend the August Orientation session in order to become a fully enrolled student at Hawaii Technology Academy. Failure to submit all requested documents and any required curriculum/course placement meetings prior to the requested date will result in the student’s name being withdrawn from the class roster. A calendar of submission dates will be published by February 1, 2015.
Any preliminary applications received after March 11th will be dated and time stamped. Children listed on these applications will be added to the list for their grade in the order they are received. If openings are available, the children will be given a spot at Hawaii Technology Academy. If there are no openings, they will be added to the wait list. The waitlist will run until August 17, 2015. Students who exist on the waitlist between July 31, 2015 and August 17, 2015 must be enrolled at another educational institution. Students who are not enrolled in HTA by August 17, 2015 will receive official notification that the waitlist has closed and are required to remain enrolled in another educational institution.
School Year 2015-2016 Grade Level/Island Wide Enrollment Caps and Enrollment Dates
Policy approved 1/16/14 *updated w/SY 15-16 dates & caps 10/23/14
The following grade level and neighbor island wide enrollment caps are proposed to ensure adequate educator support to students, learning coaches and colleagues for the 2015-2016 school year. Any grade level that has more enrollment applicants than seats will fall subject to a public enrollment lottery, as described in lottery annex A, in the spring of 2015. Those students not selected will be placed on a waiting list in order of selection from the lottery. For under-enrolled grades or neighbor island programs, enrollment approval will occur on a rolling basis, upon sufficiency of all student enrollment documents, until July 31, 2015.
After a student receives a notification of enrollment, all required documentation must be submitted within the stated time period. Failure to submit all supplemental enrollment forms will result in the student forfeiting his/her seat to another student situated on the waitlist. Such forfeiture will be communicated to family via email.
Applicants situated on the waitlist on August 1, will be placed (in order of waitlist number or sufficient application date after the lottery) into available seats in the grade level originally applied for until Monday, August 17, 2015. Any applicant remaining on the waitlist after August 17, 2015 will receive notification via email to enroll in another school or home school program.
Oahu: K-6: 55 per grade 7-8: 125 per grade 9: 110 (10 seats allocated for 9R’s) 10: 100 11: 100 12: 75 Total: 1020 * Oahu grades with fewer than 30 students enrolled on July 31, 2015 will be assigned a half time teacher and/or looped with other grade levels. e-HTA: 55 (if number of applicants exceeds 80, exploration of second section- minimum 40 students per section, maximum 55 students per section)
Big Island- Hilo 55 K-8 40 High School
Big Island- Kona 150 K-8 50 High School
Kauai 55 K-8 40 High School
Maui 110 K-8 40 High School
Total School Cap: 1615 *anticipated enrollment 1,200
eHTA Oahu Program
*approved as official program 1/16/14 *amended 5/15/14 *updated w/SY 15-16 dates 10/23/14
For the 2015-2016 school year, Hawaii Technology Academy offers a virtual only Oahu program for students in grades K-8. Enrollment in this program is limited to current students enrolled in either Hawaii Technology Academy or another accredited virtual learning program. Siblings of currently enrolled students may also apply to the eHTA program. In order to be considered for admission to this program, students and learning coaches must have been fully compliant with HTA’s policies and procedures during the 2014-2015 school year. Prior to the lottery, applicant students must attend a meeting with the eHTA coordinator and current advisor/grade level teacher.
Students and their learning coaches will be required to attend grade appropriate OnSync sessions and/or community day events; attend assigned face-to-face tutoring on a weekly or monthly basis; to provide work samples (identified by the e- HTA coordinator) on a quarterly basis; to respond to all coordinator, emails and calls; to attend all mandatory Hawaii State Testing events; to schedule and attend quarterly face-to-face meetings and to provide feedback on their experience. Students with 504 or Individualized Education Plans are required to attend all scheduled service hours and related meetings at the Oahu Learning Center.
Families enrolled in eHTA may sign up for extra curricular clubs and activities hosted at the Learning Center. eHTA students waive the right to attend scheduled classes or workshops at the Learning Center during the school day.
Families enrolled in eHTA commit to the program for the entire 2014-2015 school year and may not transfer into HTA’s blended learning program on Oahu.
Program Size: minimum: 40 students maximum: 55 students If more than 80 applications are received, additional sections may be opened at the discretion of the school administration
Enrollment Process: Interested families select eHTA during the enrollment/re- enrollment process and are required to meet all enrollment deadlines including an informational meeting with the eHTA coordinator. Enrollment in eHTA will be confirmed only after a minimum enrollment number is achieved and each student is approved for enrollment.
Welcome to the Hawaii Technology Academy's application and enrollment process for the 2015-2016 School Year
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1 of 1 11/25/2014 4:31 AM Add New Student
1 of 1 11/25/2014 9:47 AM First Name*: Middle Name: Last Name*: Nickname/Preferred Name: What Island does student reside on?*: See maps of: Hawaii (Big Island) & Maui, Lanai, Molokai fo r specific lo catio n info rmatio n
Date of Birth*: Gender*: Grade for SY2014-15*: Grade for SY2015-16*: First Aquired Language*: Language Most Used*: Country of Birth*: Current School*: If Not Listed: Previous School*: If Not Listed:
1 of 1 11/25/2014 4:37 AM 5-21-2014 INNOVATIONS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL ADMISSIONS POLICY SUMMARY
Aloha Families:
Thank you for your interest in our charter school. As a school of choice, prospective families will want to explore our website at www.ipcs.info to learn about Innovations' philosophy and instructional program. Information learned about the school will help parents understand the level of participation expected from parents and know if the Innovations' program meets their child's learning style and needs.
The following summary outlines how children are admitted to our school. If you have further questions, do not hesitate to call our office at 327-6205.
Who Can Apply: Innovations has an open admission policy regarding all who wish to attend. It does not target any particular student population. It is intended that all students be admitted in compliance with state and federal mandates. The only eligibility requirement for all students is that families must agree to and support the Innovations' Student Code of Conduct.
Minimum Age Requirement: Innovations follows the Hawaii state guideline for entry age requirement for Kindergarten enrollment. Children entering kindergarten must be five (5) years old by July 31st of their entry year. Children who are younger may be developmentally unprepared to enter our program.
Children seeking enrollment in 1st grade must meet the age requirement of having turned 6 years old by July 31st of their 1st grade year.
Volunteerism: Innovations is a school of choice open to all. Parents determine if Innovations will provide an appropriate learning environment for their child based on educational setting, expectations for students, and services available. Parents also must determine if they are willing to commit to parent participation expectations. Parent volunteers are valued at IPCS. Parent volunteers help IPCS meet the vision and goals of the school. There are many ways for parents to help. By submitting an application for your child, you are committing to active participation in the school through volunteerism.
Special Needs Applicants: The Department of Education has developed a policy regarding the enrollment of Special Education students in charter schools. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that students and their families are aware of the services available at the charter school. Students who have been identified as needing Special Education Services, have an IEP, and are selected in the lottery are offered enrollment after it is determined that the staff at Innovations can provide the services needed for that child. Parents will meet with the home school and IPCS teams to determine what services are needed for their child and what services IPCS can provide. SPED students at Innovations receive services from a Special Education teacher using an inclusion model (students are not pulled out of their classroom for servicing; rather they receive services in the classroom in their regular setting.)
If SPED services are required that IPCS cannot provide, the child's placement will be at his/her home school where services can be provided.
Lottery: If more students apply for admission than space allows, the school will admit students based on a public lottery system as required by federal mandate. A lottery is a random selection process by which applicants are admitted to the charter school.
Each completed application will be drawn in random order to fill the available open slots. Once the openings are filled, the subsequent applicants will be assigned a waitlist number. In the event that more than one child from a single family has applied to the same grade level (twins), one child will be placed in the lottery and one number will be assigned to both children.
Application and Lottery Dates / Notification of Results: Applications are accepted starting February 1 up to the deadline in March. The lottery will be held the first week in April at 9 a.m. Parents and applicants do not need to be present for the drawing. Students whose names are drawn in the lottery and 5-21-2014 space is available, will be offered enrollment on on the day of the lottery via phone call. Applicants drawn and no space is available will have their name added to a waitlist. These applicants will be notified via a letter.
Lottery Exemptions and Order: The only students exempt from the lottery are returning students, siblings of IPCS students or former IPCS students who apply on their entry year (Kindergarten) by the March deadline, and children whose parents or guardians are IPCS staff members.
The order in which openings are filled is as follows: 1. Returning students from current school year. 2. Younger siblings of students/former students (entry year - Kindergarten), children of IPCS staff, founders not to exceed 10% of the school’s student enrollment. 3. Children of IPCS Governing Board members (if space is available). 4. Applicants on wait list from previous year’s lottery (if grade level has openings) 5. Applicants for school’s entry grade level. If more applicants apply than openings then move to step 6. 6. Ranking of lottery: All non-placed students shall be wait-listed in the order in which they are drawn in the lottery. The starting wait-listed number for each grade level that has a grandfathered waitlist (wait lists created through the 2012 lottery), will be determined by total number of existing wait-listed students for each of those grade levels. As of 2013 lottery, new applicants will be added to newly created waitlists and purged on October 15th. Applicants will be required to apply each year thereafter. 7. If after April 1st there are spaces available and no wait-listed applicants, then from that time forth all students shall be admitted on a first-apply, first-offered basis.
Parents do not need to be present at the lottery to gain entry for their child. Children accepted for enrollment at the lottery or from the wait list are notified by telephone and/or in writing. If a family cannot be reached by phone and the letter is returned without forwarding information, the school will go to the next child on the list to offer enrollment.
Waitlists: Because there are few openings at IPCS, most applicants will go directly to a wait list. This wait list will be valid until October 15th, which is our enrollment cut-off date. As applicants are called and offered enrollment, your child’s name moves up on the list. Waitlists will be purged after the October 15th enrollment cut-off date. Applicants will need to reapply each year.
MULTIPLE SIBLING FAMILIES IPCS believes it is important for siblings to attend the same school. It is our desire to keep families together. Our enrollment system is able to honor family enrollment if your child is selected for enrollment in kindergarten because in subsequent years, younger siblings applying for enrollment are given preference (see Lottery Exemptions and Order: # 2 above).
Older siblings of kindergarten grade applicants enrolled are not offered automatic enrollment as all grades beyond kindergarten are full and may have an existing wait list. There are no openings. Older siblings of kindergarten applicants wishing to enroll need to submit their own application, go through the lottery if applications are available for the coming school year for the desired grade level
Kindergarten grade applicants have a better chance for enrollment because it is the entry year for the school and no kindergarten grade wait list exists – consequently, openings are available.
Non-discriminatory: Admission procedures comply with the Hawai’i charter school statutes: enrollment is open to all students and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, ethnicity, mental or other special needs.
DEADLINE DATES TO REMEMBER:
APPLICATIONS DUE MARCH 20, 2015 BY 3 P.M
ENROLLMENT LOTTERY APRIL 2, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. at IPCS Office Use Only
Innovations Public Enrolled ______Date: ______Student Assessment Date: ______www.ipcs.info Charter School School Tour: Y N Date: ______Orientation: Y N Date: ______Application for Admission Call Notes:
SY 2015 - 2016 You must submit a separate application for each child applying Deadline: March 20, 2015 by 3:00 p.m. Lottery: April 2, 2015. Results: Applicants pulled for open positions will receive a phone call. Wait listed applicants will receive a mailed letter.
I. General Information Today’s Date ______
Grade child will be in school year 2014-15 ______Date of Birth: ______
Child's Name: ______Gender: Male Female
Child's Address: ______
City, State, Zip: ______
Mailing Address: ______City, State, Zip ______
Home Phone: ______Cell ______
E-mail address: ______
Parents / Guardians: Mother Name: ______Work phone: ______Lives with child? Y N Father Name: ______Work phone: ______Lives with child? Y N Guardian/Other Name: ______Work phone: ______Lives with child? Y N Relationship: ______
Brothers and Sisters
Name Current grade Current School Applying to IPCS? ______Y N ______Y N ______Y N
To assist us in best meeting the needs of your child, IPCS would appreciate the following information.
II. School History
Child’s Current School SY 14-15: ______Current Grade Pre-K K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Other schools child has attended: School City Grade Levels ______PLEASE FILL IN THE BACK OF THIS FORM
III. Learning Profile Please share with us the type of learning environment that best meets your child’s learning needs. ______
IV. Other Is there any other information you think would be helpful for us to have about your child? ______
The Lottery will be held on April 2, 2015. Attendance is not required due to the small number of openings. When your child’s name is pulled in the lottery, if there is an opening in that grade, your child will be offered enrollment for SY15-16 via a phone call.
After all open slots are filled, applications will continue to be drawn and names will be placed on a wait list. Applicants placed on the wait list will receive notification through mail of their position on the wait list. This wait list will be in effect until October 20, 2015 when we close our enrollment window. If a slot becomes available between April and the enrollment cut-off date of October 20h, applicants will be called off of the wait list to fill open positions. The wait list will be purged after October 20, 2015. Applicants will need to reapply each year.
Please read the following release and sign below:
In the event that my child has the opportunity to be enrolled in Innovations Public Charter School (IPCS), I hereby authorize IPCS to request any and all records, data or information determined to be relevant to the education of my child with the Department of Education, any other schools and school systems in which my child has previously been enrolled, and any governmental departments, health or social service providers, or other offices whose activities bear directly on the programs or services with which my child is provided at IPCS.
The information I have provided on this application is true to the best of my knowledge.
Print Name of Student: ______
Print Name of Parent/Guardian: ______
Parent/Guardian Signature: ______Date: ______
PLEASE RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION BY MARCH 20, 2015 TO:
Innovations Public Charter School If you have any questions, please contact us by phone or e-mail: Admissions (808) 327-6205 75-5815 Queen Ka’ahumanu Hwy [email protected] Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
* Innovations Public Charter School is a free public school open to all students. IPCS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, age, ancestry, athletic performance, special need, proficiency in the English language, or academic achievement. Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau Laboratory Public Charter School
46-500 Kūneki St. Kāneʻohe, Hawaiʻi 96744 *Kelepona: 808.235.9175 *Kelepaʻi: 808.235.9173 E mālama ‘ia ana ka mauli ola o kākou mai kēlā hanauna a i kēia hanauna.
Memo: Revision to Ke Kula ʻo S.M. Kamakau’s Enrollment Preference Policy
Ke Kula ʻo Samuel M. Kamakau is proposing to add preference #4 (Children of families of fluent Hawaiian speaking persons [HRS302D-2, HRS302D-34.4]) to our existing Enrollment Preferences for the following reasons-
According to Kamakau’s original Detailed Implementation Plan (DIP), having at least half of the students already fluent has been documented both locally and internationally as a key factor in developing high fluency among all students. The curriculum is provided solely through Hawaiian: there is seldom an opportunity to simply absorb Hawaiian in the community outside of school and there is no special program that will transition students to Hawaiian medium instruction as there is for English medium through bilingual education. The DOE has generally restricted enrollment in some immersion schools to the entrance class except for transfers between schools.
The first goal of Kamakau is “Total immersion learning environments that promote the survival and retention of the Hawaiian Language”. For those reasons mentioned above, Kamakau’s program success is determined by the strength of the Hawaiian language on and off campus by the community of families it serves.
We further believe that 302H-2 [Hawaiian Medium Education- Attendance and Eligibility] allows for the preference of students with fluent speaking family members and students who transfer from other Hawaiian immersion schools. • [§302H-2] Attendance and eligibility. All children of compulsory school age choosing to enroll in the Hawaiian language medium program in families of fluent Hawaiian-speaking persons may be given preference for admittance. Other persons may enroll at the discretion of individual school sites under the conditions described above and in compliance with applicable state and federal laws. All students and their families shall abide by the special rules of the program with respect to family participation. [L 2004, c 133, pt of§2]
1 Ke Kula ÿo Samuel M. Kamakau Laboratory Public Charter School 46-500 Kūneki St., Käneÿohe, HI 96744 Ke‘ena: 808.235.9175 • Kelepaÿi: 808.235.9173
E mälama ÿia ana ka mauli ola o käkou mai këlä hanauna a i këia hanauna.
Kamakau’s Admissions Policy –
Families interested in enrolling at Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, LPCS are highly encouraged to complete the following steps, which provide opportunities for the family to determine whether the school meets their educational needs served by its vision and mission.
£ Hele i ka Hālāwai Ho‘olauna ‘Ohana (Attend one family informational meeting) o Shared at the family informational meeting is Kamakau’s vision, mission and school goals. £ Ho‘opihapiha a ho‘iho‘i i ka Palapala Noi Komo. E kelepona i ke keʻena no ke kōkua me ia palapala. (Complete and submit the application online at www.kamakau.com. Contact the office if assistance is needed. A hardcopy will be provided if requested.) £ Hele i ka Nīnauele ‘Ohana (Attend a family interview.) o The interview is solely reflective and is meant to support families by providing them with more information about Kamakau’s unique Hawaiian language program. The success of students is closely tied to the family’s commitment to the language and the child’s desire to learn Hawaiian. £ Kipa Kula (School Visit for families new to Immersion). o This visit is meant to introduce the family and student to a “Hawaiian-only” environment. £ Haumana papa 7-12: Helu papa i nā papa kūhelu i puka ai ka haumana ma ka palapala noi komo. (For all students entering grades 7-12: List all course titles and ACCN no. for all credits earned.) o This is a request for secondary students as course offerings each semester are limited. Kamakau may not be able to serve the needs of all students due to limited staff and courses.
Ke Kula o Samuel M. Kamakau does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender, age or disability in administration of its educational or admission policies, athletic and other School administered programs or its employment practices.
Reviewed by AG – March 28, 2013 Revised January 12, 2015 Revised February 5, 2015 Ke Kula ʻo Samuel M. Kamakau Laboratory Public Charter School 46-500 Kūneki St., Kāneʻohe, HI 96744 Ke‘ena: 808.235.9175 • Kelepaʻi: 808.235.9173
E mālama ʻia ana ka mauli ola o kākou mai kēlā hanauna a i kēia hanauna.
Enrollment Preferences:
Rationale: According to the Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, LPCS Detailed Implementation Plan (DIP), having at least half of the students already fluent has been documented both locally and internationally as a key factor in developing high fluency among all students. The curriculum is provided solely through Hawaiian: there is seldom an opportunity to simply absorb Hawaiian in the community outside of school and there is no special program that will transition students to Hawaiian medium instruction as there is for English medium through bilingual education. The DOE has generally restricted enrollment in this program to the entrance class except for transfers between programs.
The first goal of Kamakau is “Total immersion learning environments that promote the survival and retention of the Hawaiian Language”. Therefore, the Governing Board has adopted the following entrance preferences:
1. Returning Students
2. Siblings of Returning Students
3. Children of Staff Members (FT and PT staff) & Governing Board Members
-Note: Currently, 18% (27/146) of Kamakau’s students are either children of staff or Governing Board members. No further enrollment preferences will be granted until the percentage drops below 10%.
4. Children of families of fluent Hawaiian speaking persons (HRS302H-2, HRS302D-34.4)
5. New Students
In the event that there are more applications than space for a particular grade, a lottery will be held.
Approved: Oct 6, 2014 Rev3 Reviewed by AG – March 28, 2013 Revised Jan 20, 2015 for Commission Approval
Rev. 03/11/13
3 Ke Kula ÿo Samuel M. Kamakau Laboratory Public Charter School 46-500 Kūneki St., Käneÿohe, HI 96744 Ke‘ena: 808.235.9175 • Kelepaÿi: 808.235.9173
E mälama ÿia ana ka mauli ola o käkou mai këlä hanauna a i këia hanauna.
Late Immersion Entrant
1. Students entering the 3rd grade or higher will be considered. To provide the best possible opportunity for your child’s success in our Hawaiian language immersion program, the following actions and commitments are highly recommended: • Demonstrated desire on the part of the student to be at Ke Kula ÿo S. M. Kamakau; • Whole family commitment as demonstrated at the family interview; • Students may be asked to participate in any or all of the following activities/interventions: a. Summer tutoring; b. Afterschool tutoring; c. Progress evaluation (of language acquisition) twice during the school year; • Families are highly encouraged to re-evaluate continued enrollment at Kamakau, considering a child’s sustained substantial progress and adjustment to a Hawaiian language learning environment.
Reviewed by AG – March 28, 2013 Revised January 12, 2015
4 Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, LPCS 46-500 Kūneki St., Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, 96744 Tel: 808.235.9175 • Fax: 808.235.9173 • www.kamakau.com
E mālama ‘ia ana ka mauli ola o kākou mai kēlā hanauna a i kēia hanauna. Our spirit of being is nurtured from generation to generation.
He Mau ‘Ike Pili Laulā (General Information) Ua ho‘okumu ‘ia ‘o Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau ma Ianuali 2000. He papahana kaiapuni Hawai‘i ia no ka mālama ‘ana a me ka ho‘oikaika ‘ana i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i ma o ka ho‘ona‘auao ‘ana i nā ‘ohana i koho me ka ‘oia‘i‘o i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i ‘o ia ka ‘ōlelo e noho mana ana ma ka home a me ke kula. E mālama ‘ia ana nā papa like ‘ole no ka ho‘ona‘auao ‘ana i ka ‘ohana ma o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, ke kula kamali‘i a ki‘eki‘e, a me nā papa no nā mākua. He kula kēia no ka ‘ohana he mea e koho ai me kekahi mau koina kūikawā no ke komo ‘ana, ‘o ke koina nui ke komo maoli o ka ‘ohana holo‘oko‘a i ke a‘o. A he kula ho‘okolohua nō kēia e kālele ‘i‘o ana nā hana like ‘ole no ka ho‘okā‘oi i ka ho‘ona‘auao ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i ma o ka ‘imi noi‘i, ka ho‘omohala ha‘awina, a me ka ho‘omākaukau kumu. E mālama ‘ia ana ke kālaimana‘o Hawai‘i ‘o ke Kumu Honua Mauli Ola i pa‘a pono ke ola o ka mauli i loko o kākou ma o ko kākou mau ‘ao‘ao pili ‘uhane Hawai‘i, ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, lawena Hawai‘i, a ‘ike ku‘una Hawai‘i. Established in January 2000, Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, a laboratory public charter school, is a Hawaiian language immersion program for families who are committed to the Hawaiian language as the main language of their homes and school. Ke Kula ‘o Kamakau includes preschool through high school, as well as adult education components. This school is a program of choice with special requirements for participation, the primary one being enrollment as a family. As a laboratory school program of the Hawaiian language college of the University of Hawai‘i Ka Haka ‘Ula o Ke‘elikōlani, we are committed to the improvement of Hawaiian language education. This includes the develop- ment of innovative ideas in research, curriculum development, teacher training, and program devel- opment. All learning environments are developed to embrace the educational philosophy, Kumu Ho- nua Mauli Ola educational philosophy. This philosophy integrates high standards in language, cul- ture, and values into the daily lives of participants as a community.
E kālele ana i kēia mau mea kūikawā: • nā ana ho‘ohālike mo‘omeheu a ‘ike • ho‘ohui ‘ia nā papa me nā makahiki like ‘ole • kālele ‘ia ke kumuhana no ka papa ha‘awina • kula ho‘okolohua.
These are the unique features of our program: • cultural, content and performance standards • multi-age grouping • thematic based curriculum • laboratory school status
Mālama ‘ia ke kahua kula ma Ha‘ikū ma He‘eia. He kula li‘ili‘i wale kēia, he 146 haumāna mai ke kula kamali‘i a i ka 12. He li‘ili‘i ka nui o nā haumāna ma ka papa me ke komo ‘ana o ka po‘e kumu mākaukau. Our campus is located in Ha‘ikū, He‘eia. We are a small family-based school, currently with 146 students in preschool through twelfth grades. We strive to maintain small class sizes and enriched learning environments with highly qualified teachers.
E Ola ka ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i! 5 Ke Kūlana o ka Papahana (Program Status) Ua lilo iho nei Ke Kula ‘o Kamakau i kula ho‘āmana. He kōko‘olua ke ‘ano o kēia papahana ho‘okolohua, me ka ho‘olauka‘i pū ‘ana o ke Kulanui o Hawai‘i ma Hilo a me ke ‘Oihana Ho‘ona‘auao. As a New Century Public Charter School and an indigenous language laboratory program, Ke Kula ‘o Kamakau operates as a partnership program of the Department of Education and the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.
Nā Pahuhopu (Goals) ‘O kēia nā pahuhopu nui e ho‘okele ana i ka hana ma Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau no ka Hawai‘i o kēia au nei: * He kaiapuni a‘o no ka ho‘ōla a ho‘oikaika i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i; * He mālama ‘ia ka ‘ohana holo‘oko‘a ‘o ia ka mea nui e a‘o, mālama, a kāko‘o i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i; * Ma o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i e holomua ‘i‘o ai ma nā ‘ano papa like ‘ole no kēlā me kēia kānaka; * He mau kaiapuni a‘o kūpono no nā makahiki a me nā hanauna like ‘ole; * He papahana pae makalau no nā haumāna o nā makahiki like ‘ole a ma ko lākou mākaukau a‘o e a‘o ‘ia ai ma ke kahua o ka ‘ike ku‘una Hawai‘i; * He papahana hu‘ea‘o me nā loea kaiaulu ma ka ‘oihana lā‘au lapa‘au a ola kino; * He papahana lā‘au lapa‘au a me ola kino no ko nā ‘ōpio ho‘oma‘ama‘a ‘ana; * He ho‘omohala ha‘awina no ka lā‘au lapa‘au, ke kaiaola, ka mālama ‘āina a me ka ho‘ōla hikiāloa ma o ke a‘o ‘ana me nā pāhana; * He mālama i ka māla lā‘au lapa‘au, he mahina ‘ai a he wahi ho‘oulu mea kanu ‘āpa‘akuma; * He mau mo‘oha‘awina no ka lā‘au lapa‘au, mālama ‘āina, a me ho‘ōla hikiāloa no ka ho‘omākaukau a ho‘onui ‘ike kumu kaiapuni; * He kāko‘o i ka ho‘onui ‘ike no ka lā‘au lapa‘au; a * He ho‘omohala i ka papa ‘Uo Mamo no ke alaka‘i a ho‘okele kula.
Our major program goals adopted to address the needs of Native Hawaiians to maintain Hawaiian traditions within urbanized contexts are: * Total immersion learning environments that promote the survival and retention of the Hawaiian lan- guage; * The ‘ohana as the primary unit of our Hawaiian speaking community; * Promoting standards of excellence for each respective learning environment and each individual; * A positive learning environment for multi- and intra- generational learning and teaching; * A culturally appropriate multiage program; * A mentorship program with community partners, and cultural practitioners emphasizing health and well- being; * A comprehensive training program in traditional health and healing practices; * Hawaiian language curriculum and resources dealing with indigenous health, environmental health, stewardship, and sustainability with an emphasis on integrated project based learning; * A functional medicinal and produce garden and native plant propagation facility; * Units in indigenous health, stewardship, and sustainability for Hawaiian medium pre-service and in- service teacher education programs; and * Professional development opportunities in the area of native Hawaiian health; and * ‘Uo Mamo, School Governing Board as a vehicle for school leadership and government.
E Ola ka ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i! 6 He Papahana ‘Ohana (A Family-Based Program) He paipai ikaika ‘ia ke komo ‘ana o nā ‘ohana ma nā ‘ano like ‘ole a pau. He mea nui nō ke kūlike a me ke kūkahi o nā ‘ohana a pau. ‘O ke Kuleana ‘Ohana ka mea a kēlā me kēia ‘ohana e ‘ae piha ana no ka Hana Makua a no ke a‘o ‘ana i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i. A he mau koina ko‘iko‘i no ke komo maoli ‘ana ma o ke a‘o aku, a‘o mai, ke alaka‘i ‘ana o ka ‘Uo Mamo, ka hana kāko‘o like ‘ole, e like me ka ho‘omākaukau, mālama, kūkulu, kikokiko, ho‘oma‘ema‘e, ‘oki a kāpili, kanu, kuke, a pēlā wale aku. Families are encouraged and expected to become an active part of all aspects of the school program. It is imperative that all families of Ke Kula ‘o Kamakau be united and committed. The Family Respon- sibility that is agreed upon by all families is to provide in-kind service to the school and to actively learn the Hawaiian language. Some of the opportunities to fulfill the required participation are: learning and teaching opportunities, class / school governance, support services - preparation, main- tenance, building, typing, cleaning, cut and pasting, planting, cooking, etc.
E Ola ka ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i! 7
Kula Aupuni Niihau A Kahelelani Aloha (KANAKA) Public Charter School Ohana Handbook Table of Contents Page 1. Administration / Office Contact and Hours 2
2. Hooko 3
3. Home-School Compact 5
4. Parent(s) Contract 6
5. Student Contract 7
6. Admissions Policies 8
7. Special Needs 10
8. Attendance Policies 13
9. Homework Policy 17
10. Dress Code 18
11. Student Insurance, Hana Makua 19
12. Comprehensive Student Support Services 20
13. School Level Discipline Policies and Procedures 22
14. Disciplinary Student Referrals 24
Revised 2/05/2015 1
Hookomoana Hooko Admissions Policies
Aole loa o KANAKA e hootaheili i na haumana mamuli o ta Ili, lahui, Tane, Wahine, loaa mai,hitiole i loko hookomoana a hoohana. Heahea no o KANAKA i na haumana likeole, aole loa no e toho aku mamuli o to lakou ike a me ta lakou hana. Toi no ta Palapala o KANAKA i ta pili mai o na matua. Pono no na matua e pili a hana oiaio. KANAKA will not discriminate against any student based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, income, or disability in its admissions process. KANAKA welcomes students of diverse ethnicities, and does not select students based on their academic performance or prior labels in regard to academics or behavior. KANAKA does require parental/family involvement. Parental involvement is mandatory.
Ma ta toho ana ia KANAKA, apono na matua i na kuleana no ta hoonaauao ana i tau mau keiti. Na haumana apau e hoihoi ana i ta papa K-12 ua hea ia a paipai e tau i ta manao, hooloko maoli hoopaa a hooto: By choosing to apply to KANAKA, parents accept co-responsibilities for their children’s education. All interested students grades K-12 are welcomed and encouraged to apply, provided they insure genuine interest in, and commitment to:
1. Eleu, ike loa, a haawi i ta lala o to katou ohana hoonaauao Be an active, positive, contributing member of our learning ohana
2. Hoite a hoomapopo i ta tumu hana o to matou huatai waiwai, a hoite i tou iini ame tou hoitaita a hoopaa like mao o teia manao Demonstrate basic understanding of our mission and values, and demonstrate a desire and commitment to strive together toward these ideals
3. Hoomau i ta ike Hawaii, oia waiwai a me na hana tahito Perpetuate the Hawaiian culture, its values and traditions
Revised 2/05/2015 8
Mamuli o taleo tou hoopaa ana, haumana, matua, a me na lima hana te ae pono nei e hooto mamua ae o ta hoomata ana o ta makahiti kula , oia no ta hui kamailio ana. Ua hemo o KANAKA i ta haumana e hoihoi mai ta papa K-12. Te noi nei ta ohana e hoopihapiha i ta pepa hoopaa inoa, a hoolako mai i tou hoite maitai, a ma ta tamailio. Teia no ta Manawa tu pono no ta matua e noi ai a ninau ai i na manao a me na hana maitai o KANAKA. Ua hooto ia a hoomaamaama, a like me ta olelo ae like, a me ta hana manaolana, a na ta ohana no e toho i to lakou tatoo ana ia KANAKA. Na ta komike Hootomoana e ae like no hootahi tumu, tootoo a me ta tahu hooponopono.
As an expression of this commitment, students, parents, and staff all agree to our Hooko prior to the start of each school year, usually during the orientation process. KANAKA is open to all interested students in grades K through 12. The family is asked to fill out an enrollment form, and participate in an orientation. This is also an opportunity for parents to ask questions and get a better idea of how KANAKA works. The Hooko is reviewed, along with the School-Home Compact, and the Behavior Expectations Matrix, and the family decides if they are able to support KANAKA’s efforts. The admissions committee will be comprised of one teacher, the staff and an administrator.
Lawelawe ia ta Palapala hiti mua. A lawelawe ia ana na palapala apau i ta Manawa hootahi, a hahai a hoopaa i ta tamailio ana. Ina loaa ketahi hemo, e lawelawe ia ana na palapala lohi. Ina nui loa ta palapala mao aku o ta hamama, na KANAKA no e hahai i papahelu mamua ae:
Applications are accepted on a first come, first served basis. All applications will be reviewed at that time, and follow-up meetings will be arranged if necessary. Should openings remain; late applications will then be reviewed.
Revised 2/05/2015 9 Enrollment Policy - SEEQS: the School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability
seeking questions . . . seeding futures
HOME WHY SEEQS? WHAT IS SEEQS? WHO IS SEEQS? ENROLL GIVE VOLUNTEER PARTNER CONTACT
Application Policies
SEEQS is open, based on available space, to any student in the State of Hawaii who is eligible for the grade levels we serve. Admission to SEEQS is not limited to any specific school district or geographic area within the state of Hawaii. Potential students will be considered for admission without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, income level, academic or athletic ability, disability, need for special education services or lack of proficiency in the English language.
Application Process and Timeline Applications will be accepted during the open enrollment period from January 15th to March 15th prior to the start of a new school year. After guaranteeing space for currently enrolled students, if the number of applicants exceeds the number of student openings for any given grade, SEEQS will hold an enrollment lottery within one week after March 15th. Attendance at an Orientation session during the open enrollment period is required for those who are applying for admission to SEEQS. For families of current SEEQS students who have a sibling applying, attendance at one of the orientations is recommended but not required.
Students offered spaces in the lottery have until April 20th to notify the school that they are accepting the space and complete the enrollment documents. Failure to respond by April 20th will result in forfeiture of the space and the next person on the wait list will be offered the space. If that student would still like to be considered for enrollment at a later date, they may re-activate their application and be added to the bottom of the waiting list.
Any applications received after March 15th will be considered during the rolling admissions period.
Rolling admission runs from April 20th to October 15th of each year. During this time, applications are accepted and admission is offered on a “first come first serve” basis if space if available.
No new students will be enrolled after October 15th, with the exception of siblings of currently enrolled students or children of SEEQS staff, contingent on space availability.
Admission Lottery If there are more students seeking enrollment into a particular grade than can be accommodated, then the school will employ a public, double blind lottery within one week after the open enrollment period closes (specific date, time, and location will be posted on the school’s website). Each applicant will be assigned a randomly generated number, and a ticket with the applicant’s number on it will be drawn randomly within each grade starting with the highest grade. Applicants will be placed on a list within each priority category in the order in which their ticket was drawn. When an opening occurs, applicants will be notified via electronic mail to complete the enrollment process.
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Students not admitted as a result of the lottery process will be placed on a waiting list, ranked by their position in the lottery.
If a family has more than one child applying and one student is offered a space then the sibling(s) will also be offered a space. If there is no space for the sibling(s), the sibling(s) will be placed at the top of the waiting list for the grade to which they are applying. If there is already a child that is a sibling who is first on the waiting list, the sibling will then be placed after the other sibling(s) on the waiting list, in the order they were selected in the lottery.
Once the initial admissions have been made and accepted, remaining openings in the school will be filled from the waiting list.
Wait List Policies If a student applies for enrollment in a class that is at full capacity, that student will be placed next in order on a waiting list (please see above in the case of siblings).
During the rolling admissions period, students offered spaces are given three calendar weeks to notify the office of their intent to accept or decline the space. After July 15, this notice period may be shortened as required.
Families are notified of admission by electronic (e-)mail.
If a family declines a space or does not reply to the offer of admissions, and then changes their mind, they must request that their application be re-activated. The application will be placed on the wait list.
If an applicant who has declined admission would like to be considered for admission the following school year, they must re-activate their application during open enrollment and enter the lottery for the next school year.
Sibling Policy Siblings of currently enrolled students must submit an application for admission, but are not required to participate in the general lottery process. Siblings will be given any open space in the appropriate grade if a space is available.
If more siblings apply than there are spaces available in a class, a lottery will be held for those siblings for that grade in the same manner and at the same time as the general admissions lottery. When the class is full, the siblings will be placed on a waiting list in the order they were chosen in the lottery.
If during the lottery process a student is selected for a class, their sibling will be given priority and will be given an available space in the class in which they are applying. If there are no spaces available, the sibling will be placed at the top of the waiting list. If there is a sibling already at the top of the waiting list, the new sibling will be placed on the waiting list below siblings already on the list.
If during the lottery a student in a lower grade is given a space and they have an older sibling who was placed on the waiting list for a higher grade during the lottery, the older sibling is given an available space in the class over a previously selected student that does not have a sibling. The displaced student becomes first on the waiting list.
file:////csaoofc/...0Enrollment/Enrollment%20Policy%20-%20SEEQS%20%20the%20School%20for%20Examining%20Essential%20Questions%20of%20Sustainability.htm[10/23/2014 11:46:45 AM] Enrollment Policy - SEEQS: the School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability
Siblings of currently enrolled students have admissions preference over siblings of newly admitted students.
Enrollment Policies
Enrollment Priority In order to support a consistent educational environment for all of the children of each family that joins the school’s community, enrollment priority will be as follows: 1. Current students*; 2. Children of SEEQS staff** and Founding Interim Governing Board members***; 3. Siblings**** of currently enrolled students; 4. Siblings**** of newly admitted students; 5. All other Hawai‘i students.
*Students currently enrolled at SEEQS as home school (Form 4140) students are not considered currently enrolled students under this provision.
**If the staff member is employed less than half time, enrollment priority is not given until the second year of employment.
***Founding Interim Governing Board members are those who were listed on the charter application approved by the Hawaii Public Charter School commission on December 13, 2012.
****Siblings are defined as having one or more parents or legal guardians in common.
Attendance Requirement During the First Month of School If a student does not attend school prior to the DOE’s official enrollment count date without a doctor’s note or prior written consent from the school, the student will be un-enrolled, and the vacancy will be offered to the next applicant on the waiting list.
Enrollment After October 15th If a space becomes available in a class after October 15th but before the end of the first week of the third quarter, and the next applicant on the waiting list is the child of a SEEQS staff member or a sibling of a currently enrolled student, the student may enroll after the October 15th enrollment cut off date.
Withdrawal After October 15th Any student that withdraws after October 15th who wishes to re-enroll at SEEQS will need to re-apply for admission during the open enrollment period of the following year. If a student withdraws after submitting re-enrollment documents, their re-enrollment is no longer valid.
Eligibility
Grade Level Placement SEEQS is open, based on available space, to any student in the State of Hawaii who is eligible for the grade levels we serve, as demonstrated through a record of successful completion (passing) of the previous grade level.
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Children with Special Needs Families of students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or section 504 plan must inform the school upon selection in the lottery and provide timely access to relevant documents. Parents will meet with the SEEQS team to determine the services needed for their child and what services SEEQS is able to provide. SEEQS uses a full inclusion model for students with special needs.
In order to ensure that appropriate services are provided, for all incoming students, SEEQS will review student records (including a search of ECSSS) in order to determine whether the student is receiving or has received supplemental, special education or 504 services. A transition meeting may be requested prior to enrollment in order to ensure that adequate services can be provided at SEEQS.
Admission After Dismissal from SEEQS or Other School If a student applies who has previously been dismissed or suspended for a Class A offense under Chapter 19 from SEEQS or another school, the student will be offered admission only after it is determined that SEEQS can provide the services required to ensure the student’s safety and success in the school environment, as well as the safety of all SEEQS students.
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Student Enrollment Information
Please fill out the information for your student to be added to SEEQS enrollment wait list for the 2014-2015 school year.
If you are registering siblings, there will be an option to fill out this form again once you click "submit".
* Required
Primary Parent/Guardian Name *
Primary Parent/Guardian Email Address * This email address will be used for communication purposes prior to enrollment. PLEASE USE A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS THAT YOU CHECK OFTEN. We will follow up this inquiry with an email within 48 hours.
Primary Parent/Guardian Phone Number * Please include area code.
Student First Name *
Student Last Name *
Student Grade Level for the 14-15 SY *
Does this student have another sibling applying? *
Is this student a sibling of currently enrolled student? *
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Exhibit B
Admission Policy and Enrollment Materials for University Laboratory School
Page 1-3: Cover letter re: submission of Admissions Policy
Page 4: Admissions Policy
Page 5: Plan for Identifying, Recruiting, and Selecting Students
Page 6-8: Admissions/Selection Process
Page 9: Stanine by grade level applied
Page 10: Ethnicity Table
Page 11: Math and Verbal Stanine Average table
Page 12: 2015-2015 Admissions Information
Page 13-14: Application form School Year 2015-2016
Page 15-21: Affiliation Agreement between the Education Laboratory: A Hawaii New Century Public Charter School and the University of Hawaii
Page 22-23: Memo dated January 21-2015 Re: ULS Admission Policy
Page 24-26: Response to Questions from Commission Staff
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University Laboratory School: A Hawai‘i Public Charter School
Admissions Policy (Governing Board Approved 7/17/14)
University Laboratory School (ULS) is a public charter school serving two interlocking missions: to design and deliver the best possible education to our own students, and to serve the educational research and development community as a seedbed for curriculum research and development. We are the only school in Hawai‘i focused on supporting educational research and development, and disseminating educational materials and improvement strategies. With our purposive enrollment, heterogeneous classes, emphasis on innovation and research, and provision of ongoing professional development for in-service and preservice educators, our school serves as an experimental site for teaching, learning, and assessment in grades K–12.
We operate in close partnership with the Curriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG) in the University of Hawai‘i (UH) College of Education (COE), serving as a laboratory for researching, developing, and evaluating innovative approaches to improving teaching, learning, and assessment. ULS and CRDG conduct systematic research, design, development, publication, teacher training and related services for elementary and secondary schools in Hawai‘i and elsewhere. Over the past 40 years, the ULS-CRDG partnership has produced exemplary programs in science, mathematics, English, Pacific and Asian Studies, marine studies, environmental studies, Hawaiian and Polynesian studies, Japanese language and culture, music, nutrition, art, drama, technology, health and computer education that are used by schools in Hawaii, the U.S. and other countries.
To serve our dual interlocking mission of education research and curriculum development, as well as providing a comprehensive academic program which provides our students the best opportunities to become critical and engaged thinkers, our school enrolls about 450 students, comprising a cross section of Hawai‘i’s diverse population, from kindergarten through grade 12. Students are selected by lottery to create a student body evenly distributed by gender that reflects the ethnic distribution of Hawai‘i, and includes a broad range of student academic achievement and family socioeconomic levels. Further criteria are that parents must be willing to have their children participate in the research and development activities of ULS–CRDG and students must be willing participants.
Each year 10 students are admitted to kindergarten, and 46 students are admitted to grade 6. Applications are accepted for all grade levels, but openings are rare in grades other than kindergarten and 6.
Families are informed of the opportunity to seek enrollment in the school through announcements in the public media. The application period opens in mid-October and closes in mid-January. Application materials and timelines are available on the school Website (www.universitylaboratoryschool.org/ See Admissions page) or by calling the school admissions line (808-956-4977).
Families are notified of their children’s admission status by late-February. Parents are required to attend an orientation so they fully understand the expectations and opportunities for their child at ULS.
Accredited by the Schools Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2015–2016 ADMISSION INFORMATION UNIVERSITY LABORATORY SCHOOL
I. GRADE LEVEL OPENINGS AND CRITERIA FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2015–2016 A. Grade Level Openings. Applications will be kept on file for one year. 1. Kindergarten: 10 openings 2. Grade 6: 46 openings 3. Other grade levels: Admissions only if openings occur. B. Criteria for selecting students 1. Appropriate openings in kindergarten and grade 6. 2. Appropriate age to grade level. 3. Ethnically diverse student population. 4. Wide range of socioeconomic family backgrounds. 5. Wide range of student academic achievement.
II. ADMISSION INFORMATION FOR PARENTS A. Kindergarten Entry Level Openings 1. Please fill out the application completely. 2. A child must be 5 years old on or before July 31 to be eligible for kindergarten. 3. Mail the application postmarked no later than Thursday, January 15, 2015. Do not fax. 4. All applicants will be informed of the status of their application by late-February. B. Grade 6 Entry Level Openings 1. Please fill out the application completely. 2. Mail the application with the following items postmarked no later than Thursday, January 15, 2015. Do not fax. ! 3rd grade and 4th grade standardized test scores for reading and mathematics ! 3rd grade and 4th grade final report cards or transcripts ! The first quarter grade report for the current school year 3. All applicants will be informed of the status of their application by late-February. C. Grades 1–5, 7–12 NON-Entry Level Openings 1. There are no anticipated openings for these grade levels. Admissions for non-entry grade levels occur only when there are openings. All applicants must meet the school’s criteria for the grade level applied. 2. Please fill out the application completely. 3. Mail in the application with the most recent standardized test scores for reading and mathematics, final report cards or transcripts for the past two (2) years, and the first quarter grade report for the current school year postmarked no later than Tuesday, March 31, 2015. Do not fax. 4. Algebra is required for Grade 9-12 admissions. 5. Applicants will NOT be contacted further unless an appropriate opening occurs and the application is selected, usually in the summer months.
III. INFORMATION & MAILING ADDRESS FOR APPLICATION AND RETURN FORM A. Applications may be submitted online at www.universitylaboratoryschool.org/ 1. Online applications still require the last page to be signed and mailed or delivered to our office. B. To submit an application form, mail to the address below postmarked no later than Thursday, January 15, 2015 for K and 6; no later than Tuesday, March 31, 2015 for Grades 1–5, 7–12 NON-Entry Level Openings: UNIVERSITY LABORATORY SCHOOL Attn: ADMISSIONS PMB #399 2440 Campus Road Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822 • Please do not send the application via certified mail. The UH Campus Mailroom will not accept it. C. Call (808) 956-4977 to receive application and school information via recorded message. D. To receive a hard copy of the application form and description of the school, send in a #10 legal- sized, self-addressed, stamped ($.49) envelope to the address above.
Rev. 9/2014 12 APPLICATION FORM: School Year 2015–2016 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY
Submit application and additional documents to: GRADE______Rec’d______DB /C______UNIVERSITY LABORATORY SCHOOL Office of Admissions V______%______M______%______GR/YR______PMB #399 2440 Campus Rd. E:______SE:______G:______L:______Honolulu, HI 96822
Instructions: Fill out BOTH sides of the Application Form completely and submit all required documents to the University Laboratory School postmarked by Thursday, January 15, 2015 for grades K and 6. Grades 1–5, 7–12 NON-Entry Level Openings applications must be complete and postmarked by March 31, 2015. Type or clearly print in black or blue ink.
APPLICANT DATA
______Applicant’s Last Name First Name Middle Name/Initial
Ethnic Background of Applicant______(Please List In Priority Order) Female ! Male ! Student Birth Date______Age______U.S. Citizenship: Yes ! No !
Present School______Present Grade Level______
Last Hawaii DOE School Attended______Last Grade______Year______
Who has legal custody of child?______With whom does the child reside?______
CONTACT INFORMATION
Mailing Address______
City______State______Zip Code______
Home Phone______Other Phone______
PARENT/GUARDIAN DATA
Full Name of Full Name of Father/Guardian______Mother/Guardian______
Ethnicity______Ethnicity______(Priority Order) (Priority Order)
Occupation/Job Title______Occupation/Job Title______
Name of Employer______Name of Employer______
Work Phone______Work Phone______
Cellular/Pager______Cellular/Pager______
E-mail______E-mail______
Educational Background (Check the highest level achieved) Educational Background (Check the highest level achieved)
High School Graduate: ! High School Graduate: ! Some College: ! Some College: ! Bachelor’s Degree: ! Bachelor’s Degree: ! Master’s Degree: ! Master’s Degree: ! Doctorate Degree: ! Doctorate Degree: ! Rev. 9/2014 -1- 13
ADDITIONAL (Responses to the following questions are optional)
A. Does this applicant have any special interests/talents or regular participation in school/community activities? If so, please describe.
B. Does this applicant participate in music? Yes ! No ! Instrument(s)______# of yrs.______
C. Does this student have a current IEP, 504, or related services? Yes ! No ! If so, please describe and/or provide documentation.
D. How did you hear about the University Laboratory School?
E. Family Language Information Language Code: (Select one (1) letter from the list for each of the blanks below.)
_____ Student’s first acquired language _____ Language most often spoken at home _____ Language most often used by student
A – English G – Hawaiian N – Pohnpeian T – Marshallese Z – Tongan B – Cantonese H – Japanese O – Cambodian U – Pampango L – Other (specify) C – Mandarin I – Korean P – Chamorro V – Pangasinan ______D – Ilocano J – Samoan Q – Fijian W – Portuguese E – Tagalog K – Vietnamese R – Hmong X – Spanish F – Cebuano/Visayan M – Chuukese S – Lao Y – Thai
PLEASE NOTE:
• Do not FAX application or send via certified mail. The University Campus Mailroom will not accept certified mail. • Grade K and 6 applications must be complete and postmarked by January 15, 2015. • Grades 1–5, 7–12 NON-Entry Level applications must be complete and postmarked by March 31, 2015. • Applications for grades 1–12 must include the following documents for complete consideration: ❑ Copy of the two (2) most recent years of standardized test scores/results for reading and mathematics taken by applicant. For 6th grade applicants, please submit 3rd and 4th grade test scores/results. ❑ Copy of final report cards and/or transcripts for applicant from last 2 years. ❑ Copy of applicant’s first quarter grade report from the current school year.
• Kindergarten and Grade 6 Applicants: For an e-mail confirmation that your application was received, please provide an active email address below:
E-MAIL: ______
VERIFICATION STATEMENT OF COMPLETED APPLICATION
I, ______, verify that the information entered and documents submitted with (Print name) this application for the child listed are correct and complete.
______Signature of Adult Verifying Student Application Information Relationship to Student Date
Rev. 9/2014 -2-
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A Hawai‘i Public Charter School 1776 University Avenue UHS #3–121, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822 Telephone (808) 956–7833 Fax Number (808) 956–7260
January 21, 2015
TO: State Public Charter School Commission Attn: Performance and Accountability Committee 1111 Bishop Street, Suite 516 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
FROM: University Laboratory School Governing Board
RE: ULS Admissions Policy
The University Laboratory School is requesting approval of our Admissions policy. It is our belief that our long-standing existing policy, submitted for your review and approval in October 2014, complies with current Hawaii Charter School Law, HRS 302D-34.
You will recall as we stated in our October 2014 submittal, “To serve our dual interlocking mission of education research and curriculum development, as well as providing a comprehensive academic program which provides our students the best opportunities to become critical and engaged thinkers, our school enrolls about 450 students, comprising a cross section of Hawai‘i’s diverse population, from kindergarten through grade 12. Students are selected by lottery to create a student body evenly distributed by gender that reflects the ethnic distribution of Hawai‘i, and includes a broad range of student academic achievement and family socioeconomic levels. Maintaining a student body that reflects the gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic, and academic achievement of the student population in the State of Hawaii is critical to the credibility of the research conducted at ULS and to our ability to fulfill the mission of the school.”
We understand that concern has been raised about the factors by which we organize our lottery, as described above. We believe that the lottery system used to determine our incoming students is in compliance with the state statute. We believe that language in HRS 302D-34 mirrors the language of the federal statute 42 USC 2000d, "No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination..." In Hunter v Regents of the University of California 190 F.3d 1061 (9th Cir. 1999) the Ninth Circuit court upheld a race and ethnic conscious admission policy for a laboratory school run by the University of California - Los Angeles for the purpose of conducting educational research. The consideration of racial background for the student body was to be
Accredited by the Schools Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges 22
reflective of California's population, exactly the same effect of our admissions consideration we bring to the State of Hawaii. It is our opinion that this state statute was intended to mirror the federal statute and not to be any more restrictive. Case law has shown that a race and ethnic conscious admission policy used for the purpose of conducting educational research is not unconstitutional as to the federal law. Being that there is no language that is any more restrictive in the state statute, we believe that we are compliant as to the state law as well.
Furthermore, subsection 302D-34 (b)(4), which states that a start-up charter school “may give an enrollment preference to students within a given age group or grade level and may be organized around a special emphasis, theme, or concept as stated in the charter school’s application and as approved by the charter school’s authorizer”. Further, it is our understanding according to 302D- 34 (b)(6), that our school “may give any other enrollment preference permitted by the charter school’s authorizer”. The ULS special emphasis is research. Our admissions policy is one of inclusion that provides a valid population of students with whom to develop innovations in learning, teaching, and assessment the results of which are generalizable to Hawaii’s unique population in our public schools.
The University Laboratory School is again requesting that the Charter School Commission approve our long-standing admission policy, so that we may continue our dual interlocking mission to design and deliver the best possible education to our own students, and to serve the educational research and development community as a seedbed for curriculum research and development.
232 As to the application, on page 2, there are five additional questions that are labeled optional concerning special interests/talents or regular participation in school/community, participation in music, IEP, 504 or related services, how they heard about UH lab school, and family language information. I believe we have been asking schools to remove such optional questions from the application form, as they are not necessary and relevant to the admissions policy and may deter some applicants from applying. The school is certainly welcome to ask these questions in the enrollment process after the application is approved.
This is an optional section. We can remove this section.
With respect to the lottery process, the stanine criteria are defined this way: “Average Stanine: Use the matrix or follow this procedure: average the reading and math stanine scores; if the result is a whole number, then use that number as the composite stanine; if the result is not a whole number, round up if the reading score is higher than the math stanine and round down if the reading score is lower than the math.”
· Please explain why the practice is to round up the applicant’s average if he or she has a higher reading than math stanine, and the opposite if the math stanine is higher than the reading.
The reading score is a broader indicator of a student’s facility with academic material, since reading skill is needed to do well in multiple subjects including mathematics.
· I believe your application requires two years of the most recent standardized test scores/results for reading and mathematics taken by the applicant as well as final report cards or transcripts for the last two years, but how do you actually calculate the stanine?
We use the standardized test score results, which provide the student’s verbal and math scores in terms of stanines or percentiles, which can be converted to stanines, and the matrix. o What happens if the student does not have 2 years of assessments, how do you factor in the grades and information on the transcripts?
We use the standardized test scores- verbal and math scores for the year that is provided.
· The stanine range is from 1-10, but is 1-3 considered the lower scoring end, with 9- 10 being the highest scoring end of the range?
The stanine range is actually from 1 to 9, with the higher number being the highest scoring end of the range.
· How many students from each of the four stanine levels are accepted each year? What is the percentage of students from each stanine level?
Varies. The goal is to achieve close to a bell curve in the distribution of stanines of the final group in that grade.
· How many students from each of the five SES are accepted each year? What is the percentage of students from each SES accepted in to the school?
Varies, depending on the SES of the group already accepted from grade 5 to grade 6, where the intake is done. The goal is to have equal representation from all SES levels in the final group in that grade.
· How do you determine from the application what SES the student is placed?
(1) Parent’s education [use the highest level when more than one parent] (2) Parent’s job [use the highest level when more than one parent] o Some of the descriptors in the five classifications are not reflected on the application questions, for example for “Upper Class” there is a descriptor for families with inherited wealth, and for “Lower class” how do you determine if the applicant’s family is casually employed? What documentation is required of the parent or is the committee making that determination? If so, please articulate that process.
On application, the parents indicate their Occupation/Job Title [use the highest level when more than one parent] and educational background [use the highest level when more than one parent]. The committee uses this information to estimate the SES.
· What happens when you do not have enough of a pool of applicants for the various ethnic, stanine, and/or SES categories? Please describe the process used in those circumstances.
Decisions 1. If there are not enough applications to fill the SES/Stanine table, adjust SES and find closest match by lottery number. a. Example: Have space for Hawaiian/Pt. Hawaiian, Caucasian, Filipino. Need Stanine 5 / SES 3 but no more applicants with those numbers. Adjust SES and start at the top of the list, and look for the same Stanine (5) with one of the available ethnicities. Therefore, a 5-2 Filipino fits, but not a 5-1 Japanese.
2. If there are not enough of any particular Stanine, skew upwards, maintaining ethnicity and SES. a. Example: Have space for Hawaiian/Pt. Hawaiian, Caucasian, Filipino. Need SES 1. There are no Stanine 5 for any of these ethnicities. Adjust Stanine skewing upwards and maintain SES. Therefore a Hawaiian 6-1 fits, but not a 5-1 Japanese.
3. If there are not enough applicants of any particular ethnicity, add to the “Mixed (Other than Pt. Hawaiian)” category with the logic being that this is the most populous group.
· Additionally, although I understand that the ethnicity of the students who are chosen through you lottery is reflective of the breakdown of the state’s population of students enrolled in the Department of Education schools statewide, how does the school determine the percentages of stanine and SES are reflective of the DOE schools? Please explain the intent or rationale for the stanine and SES criteria.
The grade 6 DOE population is used for ethnicity only. See above for rationale of stanine choices reflecting the normal distribution (“normal curve”) and equal distribution of SES.
· It was represented that the policy and process was publicly shared, however, when I looked on the school’s website, the actual process, descriptions of the SES, ethnicity percentages, and worksheets did not appear to be posted. Please let me know if that material and any other documentation/manual that is used in the lottery process is available publicly or not.
The admissions policy is publicly available on the website and in the school office as required. The procedure is discussed at the Admissions Informational meeting.