ACADEMY FOR THE WHOLE CHILD CHARTER SCHOOL FINAL APPLICATION November 14, 2014 Respectfully submitted to the Massachusetts State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Founding Group William Colonis John Russo Kim A. L’Ecuyer Kimberly Russo Elizabeth Hoeske Helen Obermeyer Simmons Emily Jermine Beverly Tefft Jennifer L. Jones Cecile Tousignant Jane A. Kennedy Concetta A. Verge Nancy Kerylow George E. Watts James McNamara Mary H. Whitney Josephine A. Rivers TABLE OF CONTENTS Information Sheet………………………………………………………………………………….4 Certification Statement……………………………………………………………………………..7 General Statement of Assurances for Massachusetts Commonwealth Public Charter School ……...8 Statement of Assurances for Federal Charter School Program Grant…………………………..…12 Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………13 I. How will the school demonstrate faithfulness to charter? A. Mission ……………………………………………………………………….….17 B. Key Design Elements………………………………………………………….…17 C. Description of the Communities to be Served…………………………………....27 D. Enrollment and Recruitment……………………………………………….…….33 II. How will the school demonstrate academic success? A. Overview of Program Delivery…………………………………………………...34 B. Curriculum and Instruction………………………………………………….........41 C. Student Performance, Assessment, and Program Evaluation…………………......73 D. Supports for Diverse Learners…………………………………………………...80 E. Culture and Family Engagement…………………………………………………85 III. How will the school demonstrate organizational viability? A. Capacity………………………………………………………………………….91 B. Governance……………………………………………………………………...93 C. Management……………………………………………………………………..98 D. Facilities and Student Transportation…………………………………………...105 E. School Finances………………………………………………………………...106 F. Action Plan……………………………………………………………………..114 IV. Required Attachments A. Draft Bylaws……………………………………………………………………118 B. Draft Recruitment and Retention Plan………………………………………….125 C. Draft Enrollment Policy and Admission Application………...…………………130 D. Draft School Calendar…………………………………………………………..137 E. Draft Organizational Charts 1st year operation and at full enrollment……...……138 F. Operating Budget: ……………………………………………………………...139 V. Required Attachment (not counted toward 40 page max) A. Individual Resumes………………………………………….………………….143 B. Proposed Board Trustee Questionnaires and School Employee/Founding Member Questionnaires…………………………..200 C. 1. Description of Curriculum Scope & Sequences –Grade 4…………………….251 2. Lesson Plan Example Grade 4………………………………………………..258 2 VI. Non-required Attachments A. Parent-School Compact B. 2014 Detail of Proposed Regional Charter School Seats Available at 9% and Proposed Regional 2013 School Attending Children Report C. HPHP Readiness Model D. Description of the RTI Process E. The 504 Process F. Behavior Standards and Consequences G. Advisory Council Members H. Draft Job Description: Executive Director/Principal I. ASCD Whole Child Initiative - Tenets J. Teacher Evaluation Tool K. Draft Homework Policy L. Tips for Increasing Student Attendance M. Foreign Language Standards K-4 N. SEL Benchmarks O. Draft Report Card P. SUPPORT LETTERS 3 COMMONWEALTH AND HORACE MANN CHARTER APPLICANT INFORMATION SHEET This information is included with all submissions. The application, including this form, will be posted on the Department website. Applicants are advised that the primary contact person may be contacted by the public and/or media with questions about the proposed school. Name of Proposed Charter School: Academy for the Whole Child Charter School School Address (if known): To be determined School Location (City/Town REQUIRED): Fitchburg. MA 01420 Primary Contact Person: Concetta A.Verge Role or relationship of contact person to proposal: Founding member, proposed Executive Director Address: 111 Holman Street City: Lunenburg State: MA Zip: 01462 Daytime Tel: (978) 582-4672 Secondary Tel: (978) 855-4595 Email: [email protected] 1. The proposed school will open in the fall of school year: 2015-2016 2016-2017 School Year Grade Levels Total Student Enrollment First Year K-2 120 Second Year K-3 204 Third Year K-4 291 Fourth Year K-4 342 Fifth Year K-4 360 2. Grade span at full enrollment: K through 4 3. Total student enrollment when fully expanded: 360 4. Age at entry for kindergarten, if applicable: Age 5 by August 31, 2015 5. If applicable, the proposed Horace Mann charter school is: New or Conversion 4 6. If applicable, the proposed type of Horace Mann1 charter school is: Horace Mann I Horace Mann II Horace Mann III Questions #7-10 are for applications for a Commonwealth charter school ONLY. 7. If applicable, will this proposed Commonwealth school be a regional charter school? Yes No If yes, list the school districts (including regional school districts) in the proposed region. Please only list districts that are included in District Information on Enrollment Projections for New Applications and Expansion Amendments at http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/new/?section=app. (Use additional sheets if necessary.) Fitchburg Clinton Winchendon Leominster Athol-Royalston Gardner Orange If no, please specify the district’s population as reported in the most recent United States census estimate for the community the school intends to serve: ___________. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall not approve a new Commonwealth charter school in any community with a population of less than 30,000 as determined by the most recent United States census estimate [available at http://www.census.gov/], unless it is a regional charter school. (MGL c. 71 § 89(i)(1). 8. For all proposed Commonwealth charter schools, list the districts that are contiguous with the proposed school’s district or region. Please only list districts that are included in District Information on Enrollment Projections for New Applications and Expansion Amendments at http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/new/?section=app. (Use additional sheets if necessary.) Fitchburg Leominster Lunenburg Ashburnham-Westminster North Middlesex RSD Narragansett RSD Nashoba RSD Wachusett RSD 9. Will the proposed Commonwealth charter school serve a district where overall student performance on the MCAS is in the lowest 10 percent, as designated in District Information on 5 Enrollment Projections for New Applications and Expansion Amendments or in any updated analysis performed by the Department? Yes No 10. Will the proposed Commonwealth charter school serve a district or districts in which the 9 percent net school spending cap is, or could be, exceeded by 2014-2015 applications? Yes No 11. Have members of the applicant group previously submitted a prospectus or final application that did not result in a charter? Yes No If yes, is the present submission related in content to the previous application? Yes No If yes, please indicate the name of the previous proposal and the year submitted. Academy for the Whole Child Charter School 2013/2014 Global Arts & Technology Center 1995 12. Is the applicant group currently the board of trustees of an existing charter school? Yes No If answered YES, please explain why the group is not using the charter application designed for use by a current board of trustees. 13. Do members of the applicant group currently operate or are they employed by a private or parochial school? Yes No 14. Are any members of the applicant group present or past members of a charter school board of trustees, school committee, or other type of public governing body? Yes No If yes, please indicate the person’s name; the charter school name and school location, or school committee district; and dates of membership. Mary Whitney, former Fitchburg Public Schools School Committee Chair Fitchburg Mayor -1998 - 2002 6 COMMONWEALTH CHARTER SCHOOL CERTIFICATION STATEMENT Proposed Charter School Name: Academy for the Whole Child Charter School Proposed School Location (City/Town): Fitchburg, MA I hereby certify that the information submitted in this prospectus/application is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and that this prospectus/application has been or is being sent to the superintendent of each of the districts from which we expect to draw students and from any contiguous districts. Further, I understand that, if awarded a charter, the proposed school shall be open to all students on a space available basis, and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, age, ancestry, athletic performance, special need, proficiency in the English language or a foreign language, or academic achievement. I further understand that the information submitted in this prospectus/application serves as an initial application for start-up assistance funding under the federal Charter Schools Program grant. This is a true statement, made under the penalties of perjury. Signature of Authorized Person___________________________________________ Date: July 10, 2014 Print/Type Name: Concetta A. Verge Address: 111 Holman Street, Lunenburg, MA 01462 Daytime Phone: (978) 582-4672 Fax: none 7 GENERAL STATEMENT OF ASSURANCES This form must be signed by a duly authorized representative of the applicant group and submitted with the final application. An application will be considered incomplete and will not be accepted if it does not include the Statement of Assurances. As the authorized representative of the applicant group, I hereby certify under the penalties of perjury that the information submitted in this application