Meeting of the Board of Regents | May 2008

 

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:
FROM:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier
SUBJECT:	Charter Schools: Proposed Second Renewal Charter for Bronx Charter School for Better Learning
DATE:	May 9, 2008
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 1 and 2
AUTHORIZATION(S):

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Decision

 

Should the Regents approve the staff’s recommendations concerning the proposed second renewal to the charter for Bronx Charter School for Better Learning (New York City) submitted by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (“SUNY”)? 

 

Reason(s) for Consideration

 

              Required by State statute, Education Law §2852.

 

Proposed Handling

 

This question will come before the EMSC Committee in May 2008 for action.  It will then come before the full Board for final action in May 2008.

 

Procedural History

 

The New York Charter Schools Act of 1998 requires the Board of Regents to review, in accordance with the standards set forth in Education Law §2852(2), proposed charters, renewal charters and revisions to charters and renewal charters that have been approved and submitted by other charter entities.  The Board of Regents may either approve and issue a charter, renewal charter and/or revision as proposed by the charter entity, or return the same to the charter entity for reconsideration with written comments and recommendations. 

 

Background Information

 

We received a request from the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (“SUNY”) to approve and issue a second renewal charter for the Bronx Charter School for Better Learning (BCSBL or “the School”).    The initial five-year charter was granted by the Board of Regents on March 25, 2003.  The School submitted a first renewal in January 2008, for an extension to July 31, 2008, which the Board of Regents voted to return because a public hearing had not been held.  The first renewal went into effect by operation of law.  SUNY has requested that the charter be renewed for five years, commencing on July 31, 2008. 

 

Staff recommends that the Board of Regents approve and issue a second renewal charter to the Bronx Charter School for Better Learning as proposed by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, and extend its provisional charter for a term of five years, commencing on July 31, 2008, and running up through and including July 30, 2013.

 

Recommendation

 

VOTED: That the Board of Regents approve and issue the second renewal charter of the Bronx Charter School for Better Learning as proposed by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including July 30, 2013.

 

Reason for Recommendation

 

              (1) The charter school meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) the charter school has demonstrated the ability to operate in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; and (3) approving the proposed renewal is likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes set out in subdivision two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty of Article 56 of the Education Law.

 

Timetable for Implementation

 

The Regents action for Bronx Charter School for Better Learning will become effective on July 31, 2008.

 

New York State Education Department

 

Summary of Charter School Renewal Information

 

Summary of Applicant Information

 

 

 

Address:   3740 Baychester Avenue – Annex, Bronx, New York 10466

 

Board of Trustees President:  Kimberly Morgan

 

Requested Renewal Period: July 31, 2008 – July 30, 2013

 

District of Location: New York City Community School District 11, Bronx

 

Charter Entity:  SUNY Board of Trustees

 

Institutional Partner(s): N/A

 

Management Partner(s): N/A

 

Grades Served per Year:    K - 5                                               

 

Projected Enrollment per Year: 342

 

Renewal Application Highlights

 

Evidence of Educational Soundness/ Attainment of Educational Objectives

• The student achievement results for Bronx Charter School for Better Learning are shown in Table 1 and 2.
• The School’s population for 2006-2007 consists of 93 percent Black, 6.6 percent Hispanic, and .4 percent American Indian, Alaskan, Asian or Pacific Islander students.
• For 2006-2007, the School served 74.2 percent low income students; and 1.3 percent special education students.
• For 2006-2007, the School did not serve any limited English proficiency students.
• The School’s aggregate Performance Index (PI) on the State ELA and mathematics exams met the Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) set forth in the NYS NCLB accountability system.
• The School scored higher than its district in the ELA and mathematics exams.  Table 3.
• The School met its goal that, “the percent of students who are enrolled in at least their second year and performing at or above Level 3 on the State ELA exam in each grade tested will be greater than that of the local school district.”
• The School met its goal to have 75 percent of third and fifth graders who are enrolled in at least their second year perform at or above Level 3 on the New York State mathematics examination.
• The School met its goal that, “the percent of students who are enrolled in at least their second year and performing at or above Level 3 on the State mathematics exam in each grade tested will be greater than that of the local school district.”
• The School attained its goal in two of three grades to have grade level cohorts of students reduce by one half, the gap between their average NCE in the previous spring on the TerraNova, and an NCE of 50 in the current spring. 
• Over the last 4 years, the School maintained more than a 96 percent attendance rate.
• The School has worked to improve its teacher retention rate.  Twelve of the 17 teachers that the School hired as classroom teachers for the 2007–08 school year, have had at least one year of experience teaching in the School.
• One hundred percent of the School’s teachers are New York State Certified.
• For 2006-2007, the School had 61.3 percent of the students who have been enrolled for two or more years attain Levels 3 and 4 on the New York State ELA examination.  Although, the School did not meet its goal of having 75 percent of the students attain Levels 3 and 4, it did surpass its district by 9.2 percentage points in Grade 3 and 4   
• For 2006-2007, the School only had the fourth grade cohort to measure the previous year’s State mathematics exam, consequently, the School did not reach its stated goal for “each grade-level cohort to reduce by one-half the gap between the percent at or above Level 3 on the previous year’s State mathematics exam and 75 percent at or above Level 3 on the current year’s State mathematics exam.”  There was a positive change in the second and third grade cohort scores, producing average NCE increases of 14.1 and 7.4, respectively.
• The School has changed its leadership structure to include an Executive Director, Principal and will add now include a Supervisor of Instruction and Accountability.
• The School has been deemed “In Good Standing” under New York State’s NCLB Accountability system.
• For the 2005-2006 school year, the School received an award from the New York State Commissioner of Education for reaching the status of a “High Achieving School.”
• The School plans to increase its on-site Professional Development Specialists from an FTE of 2 to 2.4, with the increase devoted to English language arts instruction in grades 4 and 5, to address student outcomes.
• To address academic achievement in the mastery of grade level mathematics concepts, the School will hire an additional person to teach basic skills and commit to assigning at least one teacher with experience in the School’s pedagogical approach to each grade level.

 

 

 

Table 1

2006-2007

Grades 3-4 State ELA and Math Assessments

Percent of BCSBL Students at Levels 1 – 4

3-4 ELA						3-4 Math
%L1	%L2	%L3	%L4	Proficiency			%L1	%L2	%L3	%L4	Proficiency
4.39	32.5	57.9	5.26	63.2			4.42	14.2	58.4	23	81.4

 

Table 2

2005-2006

Grades 3-4 State ELA and Math Assessments

Percent of BCSBL Students at Levels 1 - 4

3-4 ELA						3-4 Math
%L1	%L2	%L3	%L4	Proficiency			%L1	%L2	%L3	%L4	Proficiency
6.1	28.6	61.2	4.1	65.3			2.0	18.4	65.3	14.3	79.6

 

Table 3

2005-2006 and 2006-2007

Grades 3-4 State ELA and Math Assessments

Percent of BCSBL and District 11 Students at Proficiency Level

3-5 ELA				3-5 Math
	2005-2006	2006-2007				2005-2006	2006-2007
BCSBL	64.4	61.3			BCSBL	80.0	81.5
District	56.8	52.1			District	76.4	77.0

 

Evidence of Fiscal Soundness/Projected Fiscal Impact

• The School has no long-term debt and leases space from NYC DOE for one dollar per year.
• The School has a shared use agreement for the facility that has allowed it to strengthen its financial condition over time.
• The School shows a positive change in its net assets.  See Attachment I.
• The potential fiscal impact upon the District is represented below.  Please note that these projections are based upon several assumptions, which may or may not occur: that all existing charter schools will also exist in the next five years and serve the same grade levels as they do now; that the charter schools will be able to meet their projected maximum enrollment; that all students will come from New York City and no other districts; that all students will attend everyday for a 1.0 FTE; that the District’s budget will increase at the projected rate; that the per pupil payment will increase (and not decrease); and that the per pupil payment will increase at the projected rate.

 

 

 

 

Projected

Fiscal Impact of the

Bronx Charter School for Better Learning

(New York City CSD 11 – The Bronx)

2008-09 through 2012-13

 

School Year	Number of Students	Projected Payment*	Projected Impact
2008-09	342	$ 3,939,510	0.0190
2009-10	342	$ 4,116,788	0.0193
2010-11	342	$ 4,302,043	0.0196
2011-12	342	$ 4,495,635	0.0199
2012-13	342	$ 4,697,939	0.0201

* Assumes a 3 percent annual increase in the District’s budget from the base of $20.12 billion in 2007-2008; and a 4.5 percent annual increase in the average expense per pupil per year from the 2007-2008 rate of $11,023.

 

Evidence of Parent and Student Satisfaction and Community Support

• A public hearing to solicit comments from the community in connection with the charter school’s proposed renewal was conducted by the New York City Department of Education on Tuesday, April 29, 2008.  Parents and staff from the School attended.  A video presentation of the school was shown, which included students, parents, teachers and administrative staff of the charter school, making comments supporting the work of the school.  No other public comments were made or received. 
• The renewal report submitted indicated strong parent involvement and parent satisfaction.
• Parent survey results were provided for first through fourth grades.  Overall results show on a scale of 1 – 4 with 1 being low, an average score of 3.81.

 

Attachment 1

 

 

Bronx Charter School for Better Learning

Change in Net Assets 2004-05 Through 2006-07*

Year	Change in Net Assets
2003-04	$19,411
2004-05	-$66,764
2005-06	$195,337
2006-07	$306,203

*Source: Audited Financial Statements provided as a part of each Annual Report.