2015 Renewal Application Cycle Academics Plus Charter School Summary Academics Plus Maumelle, Arkansas 1 ACADEMICS PLUS CHARTER SCHOOL Sponsoring Entity: Pulaski Charter Schools Inc., dba Academics Plus Charter School Addresses: 900 Edgewood Drive Maumelle, AR 72113 Grades Served: K-12 Enrollment: 749 (2014-2015) Maximum Enrollment: 750 (2014-2015, 850 (2015-2016) Number of Years Requested for Renewal: 20 Remaining concerns from the ADE Charter Internal Review Committee: • How the attainment of goals will be measured when the goals do not include a set number or percentage. From 2014 Arkansas School ESEA Accountability Reports District Achieving District District Attendance Rate 95.93% Achieving - Percent Tested Achieving - Literacy Achieving - Math Achieving - Graduation Rate Elementary School Grades K-5 Achieving School School Attendance Rate 98.34% Achieving - Percent Tested Achieving - Literacy Achieving - Math Middle/High School Grades 6-12 Needs Improvement School School Attendance Rate 92.91% Achieving - Percent Tested Achieving - Literacy Needs Improvement – Math Achieving - Graduation Rate 2 Special Education Monitoring January 8, 2014 Letter – Commended for being in substantial compliance with state and federal special education regulations 2012-2013 Accreditation Statuses Elementary School Accredited Middle School Accredited Arkansas Comprehensive School Improvement Plans (ACSIP) Working with ADE School Improvement Specialist Annual Equity Compliance Report Submitted the 2014-2015 report Financial Balances CATEGORICAL FISCAL GRADE LEGAL FUND BALANCE ADM ENROLLMENT YEAR LEVELS BALANCE CAP 2013 K-12 948,132 12,969 623 650 2014 K-12 1,216,156 11,360 646 650 2015 K-12 Not Available Not Available 647 750 2015 1st Qrt ADM 747 Data Sources: Grade Levels, ADMs and Cap from the year end ADE State Aid Notices FY13 Legal Balance from the APSCN report dated Cycle 9, 2013 FY14 Legal Balance from the APSCN report dated October 10, 2014 FY13 Categorical Balance from the APSCN report dated November 25, 2013 FY14 Categorical Balance from the APSCN report dated October 10, 2014 2013 Financial Audit One findings (Internal Controls) discussed on page 30 of renewal application 3 2015 Renewal Application Cycle Materials Submitted in Opposition Academics Plus Maumelle, Arkansas 4 PULASKI COUNTY SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT Office of the Superintendent February 2, 2015 Panel Members Charter Authorizing Panel c/o Cindy Hogue Arkansas Department of Education Four Capitol Mall, Box #6 Little Rock, AR 72201 Re: Notice of Charter Authorizing Panel Hearing Academics Plus Charter School Ladies & Gentlemen: Please accept this letter as part of the PCSSD "paper opposition" to the charter school renewal applications submitted by Academics Plus in December. As it has consistently done in the past, PCSSD opposes both the requested enrollment increase and the requested increase in the length of the charter largely for the same reasons that State Board of Education members articulated when these matters previously came before the state board (please see state board minutes dated February 14, 2011). In addition to this paper submission, we plan to submit an electronic supplement on or before February 11, 2015. Before addressing the particulars of the Academics Plus application, PCSSD thinks it is important to remind the panel that while Academics Plus claims some successes, nowhere in the renewal application is there any description of any innovative instructional techniques calculated to result in extraordinary student gain and growth. We understand these to be the reason that the charter school experiment was authorized in the beginning. PCSSD simply believes that when viewed as a whole, Academics Plus cannot demonstrate innovation, and cannot demonstrate growth above what one would expect of an essentially homogenous middle class student body, a student body that cannot be reasonably compared to schools in the PCSSD or statewide, a factor which has been emphasized by previous state boards of education. The Vision Statement The current application for a new charter school requires that the applicant provide the mission statement of the proposed school. See page 4 of 2014 application. The APCS mission statement is found at its website under the category of "state required reports" and is part of the annual report. Academics Plus supplies the same mission statement it has historically set out. This includes promising an academically rigorous college preparatory program regardless of 5 6 7 8 2015 Renewal Application Cycle ADE Evaluation and Applicant Responses Academics Plus Maumelle, Arkansas 9 ACADEMICS PLUS CHARTER SCHOOL Sponsoring Entity: Pulaski Charter Schools Inc., dba Academics Plus Charter School Addresses: 900 Edgewood Drive Maumelle, AR 72113 Grades Served: K-12 Enrollment: 749 (2014-2015) Maximum Enrollment: 750 (2014-2015, 850 (2015-2016) Number of Years Requested for Renewal: 20 CONTACT INFORMATION Applicants are requested to provide complete contact information. Evaluation Criteria: A response that is fully responsive will include the following: . The names of the sponsoring entity and charter school; . The LEA number; . Complete contact information for the school principal/director and board chair; . The number of years requested for renewal, that does not exceed 20; and . Date of the governing board’s approval of the renewal application. FULLY RESPONSIVE SECTION 1: GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL’S PROGRESS AND DESEGREGATION ANALYSIS Part A: Charter School Progress Applicants are requested to provide a narrative about the successes of the charter during the current contractual period. Evaluation Criteria: A response that is fully responsive will include: . A comprehensive narrative that identifies and describes multiple successes of the charter school during the current contractual period. FULLY RESPONSIVE Comments and Additional Questions: Explain if the digital classes that are being offered are for local credit or for graduation requirements. This school year APCS students are enrolled in 12 different digital courses. Four courses are required to be offered by standards to include: civics/economics, advanced topics in modeling math and physics. The students receive local credit for the other eight courses offered. When given the opportunity for digital courses students have the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of offerings. 10 Explain the process for selecting digital providers. Academics Plus reviewed the digital course offerings from several of the ADE approved provider list. APCS utilizes both Virtual Arkansas and Arkansas Public School Resource Center courses. Allowing students the option of multiple providers has broadened their selection as well as reduced costs. APCS was fortunate to receive a generous grant from APSRC to fund digital coursework. Provide the qualifications for the teachers for digital providers. All of the digital courses taken by students at APCS meet the definition of highly qualified. Part B: Desegregation Analysis Applicants are requested to describe the current and potential impact of the charter on the efforts of affected public school district(s) to comply with court orders and statutory obligations to create and maintain a unitary system of desegregated public schools Evaluation Criteria: A response that is fully responsive will include: . Assurance that the charter school will comply with all applicable federal and state statutory and regulatory requirements regarding the creation and maintenance of desegregated public schools; and . An outline of the potential impact of the proposed charter school on those desegregation efforts already in place in affected public school districts. FULLY RESPONSIVE SECTION 2: COMPOSITION OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL’S GOVERNING BOARD AND RELATIONSHIPS TO OTHERS Part A: Composition of Governing Board Applicants are requested to describe the charter school’s governance structure. Evaluation Criteria: A response that is fully responsive will include: . A description of the charter school’s governance structure; . An explanation of the selection process for charter board members; . An explanation of the authority of the board; and . An explanation of the responsibilities of the board. FULLY RESPONSIVE Part B: Disclosure Information Applicants are requested to disclose any potential conflicts of interest affecting members of the governing board and employees. Evaluation Criteria: A response that is fully responsive will include: . An itemization of each non-employment contract or lease of the charter school in which any of the charter’s administrators, board members, or the family members of administrators or board members have or had a financial interest; and . An itemization of each family relationship between each member of the charter school’s governing board, other board members, and the employees of the charter school. FULLY RESPONSIVE 11 SECTION 3: STUDENT AND TEACHER RETENTION Part A: Student Retention Applicants are requested to compile and analyze student retention data. Evaluation Criteria: A response that is fully responsive will include: . A complete table with data about students who left the charter prior to completing the highest grade offered at the school; and . Reasons that can be substantiated for students who leave the charter. FULLY RESPONSIVE Part B: Teacher Retention Applicants are requested to compile and evaluate teacher retention data. Evaluation Criteria: A response that is fully responsive will include: . A complete table with data