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Under the New York Charter Schools Act of 1998, the Board of Regents is authorized to make recommendations on proposed charters submitted by another charter entity. We have received six such proposed charters from the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education that will be presented to you at your March meeting. The proposed charters are for the following:

The Board of Regents is authorized to approve revisions to existing charters submitted from other charter entities. The Trustees of the State University of New York have submitted a proposed revised charter for the Carl C. Icahn Charter School that allows the school to expand its approved program to add a sixth grade and to set its maximum enrollment at 252 students in the 2005-2006 academic year. The potential fiscal impact for the Carl C. Icahn Charter School is provided below. Complete copies of the proposed charters and materials submitted by the SUNY Board of Trustees pertaining to the amendment are available from Shelia Evans Tranumn at 718-722-2796.

* Assumes overall New York City Department of Education revenue of $12,916,555,462.

The following table summarizes the number of new charters that may still be issued by charter entities in New York:

The New York City Chancellor has also approved seven conversion charter schools and the Buffalo City School District has approved one conversion school, all of which do not count against the statutory ceiling.

VOTED: That the Board of Regents approve the proposed charters for the following charter schools based upon the information contained in the attachments and upon a finding by the Board of Regents that (1) the charter schools described in the applications meet the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) the applicants can demonstrate the ability to operate the schools in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; and (3) granting the applications 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:

VOTED: That the Board of Regents return the following proposed charter to the charter entity for reconsideration pursuant to Article 56 of the Education Law:

The reasons for returning the charter to the charter entity are: (1) the institutional partner does not have an extensive history of supporting the simultaneous opening of three schools in a school district and has never previously supported the opening of five schools, posing considerable challenges to the instructional leader; (2) no State assessment results are available at this time for the previous two replications of the KIPP model in New York State; and (3) the lack of a location of the school presents challenges in ensuring adequate community support for and involvement in the school.

VOTED: That the Board of Regents approve the proposed revisions to the charter of the following charter school based upon the information contained in the attachments and upon a finding by the Board of Regents that: (1) the revisions meet the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) the revisions (together with the other terms of the charter) will permit the charter school to operate in an educationally and fiscally-sound manner; and (3) the revisions (together with the other terms of the charter) are 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:

Summary of Proposed Charter

Name of Proposed Charter School: Achievement First Bushwick Charter School (AFBCS)

Proposed Charter Highlights

The lead applicant, Douglas S. McCurry, is the co-CEO and Superintendent of Achievement First. Mr. McCurry is one of the founders of Amistad Academy; he led the development of Amistad’s standards-based curriculum, writing large portions of the reading, writing, and math curriculum, which incorporates the school’s interim assessment and data analysis system. Mr. McCurry has served as the school’s instructional leader for the past four years. Prior to joining Amistad Academy and Achievement First, Mr. McCurry was a management and technology consultant in Atlanta. He also taught history and writing, and coached basketball and tennis at the Providence Day School in Charlotte, NC. A Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina, Mr. McCurry earned a B.A. in history and journalism. Through the Klingenstein Private School Leadership Program, he earned an M.A. in educational administration from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Management Partner(s)

Achievement First is a charter school management organization that was incorporated on July 27, 2003 by the leaders of Amistad Academy, a charter school located in New Haven, CT that serves fifth through eighth graders. The 501(c)3 nonprofit organization was established to disseminate and build upon the Amistad Academy model. Achievement First currently operates two schools in New Haven, CT (Amistad Academy and Elm City College Prep). The stated mission of Achievement First is “To deliver on the often-denied promise of equal educational opportunity for America's urban children by inspiring in them the belief that they can achieve and developing in them the academic and character skills necessary to compete on a level playing field.” Through a five-year renewable contractual agreement, Achievement First provides educational programming and back office services. These services include teacher recruitment, principal recruitment, hiring, and evaluation; teacher and principal coaching/training; curriculum and interim assessments; information technology; human resources; accounting; audit; legal; state reporting; school evaluation; and start-up support. The lead applicant, Douglas McCurry, is the Superintendent of Achievement First and Dacia Toll, Board Member of AFBCS, is the President of Achievement First. Together, they report to the Board of Directors.

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

§ The mission of Achievement First Bushwick Charter School states AFBCS “will strengthen the academic and character skills needed for all students to meet and exceed their peers in city and state assessments, excel in top tier colleges, to achieve success in a competitive world, and to serve as the next generation of leaders in their communities.”

§ AFBCS’s broad academic goal is to prepare students with a college preparatory high school curriculum.

§ The AFBCS applicant states, “The educational program has been designed to ensure success in the most demanding college environments.”

§ AFBCS will use the following curricula in grades K-4: Direct Instruction Reading, Saxon Math, Core Knowledge History, FOSS Science, SRA Decoding, Waterford Computer-Based Literacy, Achievement First’s REACH program and the Catch-PE curriculum.

§ In the middle school, AFBCS will employ the standards-based curricula designed at Amistad Academy and the Worldly Wise vocabulary program. Grade 8 will use the Addison-Wesley algebra curriculum.

§ AFBCS students will take the New York City and State tests. AFBCS will also administer the SRA, DRA, Pre-DRP, DRP, Terra Nova, in program assessments of Reading Mastery (Direct Instruction) and Saxon Mathematics. AFBCS will administer its own Interim Assessments (“IAs”) six times a year.

§ AFBCS intends to employ experienced and certified Special Education teachers to ensure that the unique needs and learning styles of all students are being met. Outside of the classroom, tutoring, counseling, physical, occupational, speech and language therapy services will be provided (either by full-staff or specially contracted professionals) for those with special needs.

§ All incoming AFBCS students will be tested to determine their level of English proficiency, using the Language Assessment Battery-Revised (Lab-R). English Language Learners (ELLs) will be placed in smaller core classes (reading, writing, and math) to be provided with additional help and instructional support.

§ The school day will be from 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Students will have two reading classes and an extended math class every day.

§ AFBCS intends to share Amistad Academy’s positive, structured, “no excuses” school culture.

§ AFBCS will incorporate rap, rhythm, and rhyme as a key component of lessons. The use of motivational chants and songs will get students ready to learn.

Governance

§ AFBCS will start with a five-member Board of Trustees; it will add a parent from AFBCS and a community representative. It may decide to add more members (not to exceed 15).

§ No more than 40 percent of the AFBCS Board Members will be employed by or on the Board of Achievement First.

§ For the parent member, the principal will nominate a parent; the Board will then vote to approve the nominee. The term of office of the parent representative shall be one year.

§ AFBCS proposes to elect Trustees by vote of a majority of the Achievement First Directors then in office, whether or not the number of Directors in office is sufficient to constitute a quorum, or by the sole remaining Director.

§ The Board shall have the following committees: Executive Committee, Finance Committee, and Education/Accountability Committee.

Students

§ AFBCS will serve 75 fifth graders in the first year and 675 kindergarten students through third and fifth through ninth grade students in year five.

§ AFBCS will contact all parents of children entering fifth grade who live in surrounding zip codes to the school facility. They will send a letter to parents introducing AFBCS and invite them to an open house to learn more about the school. They will also use their parent networks, community partners, local media, and television and radio stations to spread the word about their charter school.

Budget/Facilities

§ The first-year budget anticipates total revenue to equal $1,007,955; the anticipated per pupil revenue equals $13,439 in year one and $11,493 in year five.

§ Achievement First (AF) anticipates receiving a $90,000 Start-Up Grant from New York City, as well as a $100,000 federal grant and $75,000 for the first year of operation. (AF expects to apply for these grants immediately following receipt of approval.)

§ All surpluses are automatically placed in the reserve fund; following the start-up year, $66,777 is expected to be reserved while $50,317 is anticipated in year one and $233,946 in year five.

Personnel

§ Douglass McCurry, the lead applicant, will serve as AF’s co-CEO, to be supported by a business manager, recruitment director, and information technology director.

§ Each kindergarten and first grade will have two teachers in the classroom; one of these will be a certified teacher, the other will be an associate.

§ Year one AFBCS anticipates hiring six veteran teachers, six teaching associates, one music teacher, one physical education teacher, one principal, one dean of students, one business-operations manager, one office manager, and one registrar/secretary.

§ As AFBCS grows, the applicant proposes splitting AFBCS into three divisions (elementary, middle and high), with each division having its own principal. Each principal may then have his/her own academic dean and dean of students.

Fiscal Impact

§ When fully enrolled with 675 students, the charter school will receive no more than .044% of the District’s budget (see fiscal impact chart below).

§ The school will employ a New York State licensed public accountant or certified public accountant to perform the fiscal audit. In addition, the school will ensure that the audit is conducted in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) issued by the U.S. Comptroller General.

* Assumes a 3 percent annual increase in the district’s budget from a 2002-2003 base of $12.9 billion and a 4.5 percent annual increase in the average expense per pupil, per year from the 2004-2005 final average expense per pupil of $8,586.

§ Signatures of 88 parents with children who will be in the 5^th grade during the 2005-2006 school year were collected, thus indicating sufficient interest to meet the proposed charter school’s projected enrollment.

§ AFBCS has received letters of support from local community members: Michelle Neugebauer, Cypress Hills Development Corporation; Richard Buery, Groundwork, Inc.; Michelle Sidrane, Partnership with Children; Alan Arsht, M/SPACE; City Council Member Eva Moskowitz, Chair of the City Council Education Committee; and Raymond Domanico, Senior Education Advisor, Industrial Areas Foundation of NY.

1) The charter school described in the application meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) the applicants can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; and (3) granting the application 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.

Summary of Proposed Charter

Name of Proposed Charter School: Achievement First East New York Charter School (AFENYCS)

Application Highlights

Management Partner(s)

Achievement First is a charter school management organization that was incorporated on July 27, 2003 by the leaders of Amistad Academy, a charter school located in New Haven, CT that serves fifth through eighth graders. The 501(c)3 nonprofit organization was established to disseminate and build upon the Amistad Academy model. Achievement First currently runs two schools in New Haven, CT (Amistad Academy and Elm City College Prep). The stated mission of Achievement First is “To deliver on the often-denied promise of equal educational opportunity for America's urban children by inspiring in them the belief that they can achieve and developing in them the academic and character skills necessary to compete on a level playing field.” Through a five-year renewable contractual agreement, Achievement First provides educational programming and back office services. These services include teacher recruitment, principal recruitment, hiring, and evaluation; teacher and principal coaching/training; curriculum and interim assessments; information technology; human resources; accounting; audit; legal; state reporting; school evaluation; and start-up support. The lead applicant, Douglas McCurry, is the Superintendent of Achievement First and Dacia Toll, Board Member of AFENYCS, is the President of Achievement First. Together, they report to the Board of Directors.

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

§ The mission of Achievement First East New York Charter School states AFENYCS “will strengthen the academic and character skills needed for all students to meet and exceed their peers in city and state assessments, excel in top tier colleges, to achieve success in a competitive world, and to serve as the next generation of leaders in their communities.”

§ AFENYCS’s broad academic goal is to prepare students with a college preparatory high school curriculum.

§ The AFENYCS applicant states, “The educational program has been designed to ensure success in the most demanding college environments.”

§ AFENYCS will use the following curricula in grades K-4: Direct Instruction Reading, Saxon Math, Core Knowledge History, FOSS Science, SRA Decoding, Waterford Computer-Based Literacy, Achievement First’s REACH program and the Catch-PE curriculum.

§ In the middle school, AFENYCS will employ the standards-based curricula designed at Amistad Academy and the Worldly Wise vocabulary program. Grade 8 will use the Addison-Wesley algebra curriculum.

§ AFENYCS students will take the New York City and State tests. AFENYCS will also administer the SRA, DRA, Pre-DRP, DRP, Terra Nova, in program assessments of Reading Mastery (Direct Instruction) and Saxon Mathematics. AFENYCS will administer its own Interim Assessments (“IAs”) six times a year.

§ AFENYCS intends to employ experienced and certified Special Education teachers to ensure that the unique needs and learning styles of all students are being met. Outside of the classroom, tutoring, counseling, physical, occupational, speech and language therapy services will be provided (either by full-time staff or specially contracted professionals) for those with special needs.

§ All incoming AFENYCS students will be tested to determine their level of English proficiency, using the Language Assessment Battery-Revised (Lab-R). English Language Learners (ELLs) will be placed in smaller core classes (reading, writing, and math) to be provided with additional help and instructional support.

§ The school day will be from 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Students will have two reading classes and an extended math class every day.

§ AFENYCS intends to share Amistad Academy’s positive, structured, “no excuses” school culture.

§ AFENYCS will incorporate rap, rhythm, and rhyme as a key component of lessons. The use of motivational chants and songs will get students ready to learn.

Governance

§ AFENYCS will start with a five-member Board of Trustees; they will add a parent from AFENYCS and a community representative. It may decide to add more members (not to exceed 15).

§ No more than 40 percent of the AFENYCS Board Members will be employed by or on the Board of Achievement First.

§ For the parent member, the principal will nominate a parent; the Board will then vote to approve the nominee. The term of office of the parent representative shall be one year.

§ AFENYCS proposes to elect Trustees by vote of a majority of the Achievement First Directors then in office, whether or not the number of Directors in office is sufficient to constitute a quorum, or by the sole remaining Director.

§ The Board shall have the following committees: Executive Committee, Finance Committee, and Education/Accountability Committee.

Students

§ AFENYCS will serve 162 kindergarten and first graders in the first year and 620 kindergarten through seventh grade students in year five.

§ AFENYCS will contact all parents of children entering first grade who live in surrounding zip codes to the school facility. They will send a letter to parents introducing AFENYCS and invite them to an open house to learn more about the school. They will also use their parent networks, community partners, local media, and television and radio stations to spread the word about their charter school.

Budget/Facilities

§ The first-year budget anticipates total revenue to equal $1,881,428; the anticipated per pupil revenue equals $12,060 in year one and $11,469 in year five.

§ All surpluses are automatically placed in the reserve fund; following the start-up year, $59,777 is expected to be reserved while $158,735 is anticipated in year one and $697,071 in year five.

§ PS 13, an underutilized school building in District 19 has been secured as the site of the school.

Personnel

§ Douglas McCurry, the lead applicant, will serve as AF’s co-CEO, to be supported by a business manager, recruitment director, and information technology director.

§ Each kindergarten and first grade will have two teachers in the classroom; one of these will be a certified teacher, the other will be an associate.

§ Year one AFENYCS anticipates hiring six veteran teachers, six teaching associates, one music teacher, one physical education teacher, one principal, one dean of students, one business-operations manager, one office manager, and one registrar/secretary.

§ As AFENYCS grows, the applicant proposes splitting AFENYCS into three divisions (elementary, middle and high), with each division having its own principal. Each principal may then have his/her own academic dean and dean of students.

Fiscal Impact

§ When fully enrolled with 620 students, the charter school will receive no more than .040% of the District’s budget (see fiscal impact chart below).

Community Support

§ 183 signatures from parents were collected on the Parent Petition of Support.

§ AFENYCS has received letters of support from local community members: Michelle Neugebauer, Cypress Hills Development Corporation; Richard Buery, Groundwork, Inc.; Michelle Sidrane, Partnership with Children; Alan Arsht, M/SPACE; City Council Member Eva Moskowitz, Chair of the City Council Education Committee; and Raymond Domanico, Senior Education Advisor, Industrial Areas Foundation of NY.

Summary of Proposed Charter (Conversion)

Name of Proposed Charter School: Future Leaders Institute Charter School (FLICS)

Anticipated Opening Date: July 1, 2005

Proposed Charter Highlights

Future Leaders Institute (FLI) was registered as a public school, IS/PS 861, on July 1, 2004. Prior to becoming a public school, FLI operated as a program within a public school (9/1999-6/2004). FLI seeks charter status to maintain a consistent class size and number of teachers.

Marc Waxman is the lead applicant for FLICS. Mr. Waxman has been developing the FLI model since 1999, serving as the co-founder, co-director and a teacher. He served as the Executive Director of FLI, Inc. a 501(c)3 entity. Since graduating from Wesleyan in 1994, Mr. Waxman has been a public school teacher. He holds permanent New York City and New York State Certification (K-6) and National Board Certification. He earned a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Teaching from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. Mr. Waxman was a Teach for America Corps member in Paterson, NJ; a member of KIPP Academy in the South Bronx where he was KIPP’s Director of Operations; and a full-time teacher. As Director of Operations, he was responsible for and/or involved in grant writing, management of finances, scheduling, recruiting, and hiring staff. His wife will be the co-director.

Management Partner(s)

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

§ The mission of FLICS is “to empower the children of today to become tomorrow’s leaders.”

§ The school’s core values are summarized in the acronym LEAD: Learning, Experience, Achievement, and Dignity.

§ Central to the educational philosophy at FLICS is the belief that strong teaching in a caring environment, combined with an intensive and extended school day, will empower children to become leaders of tomorrow.

§ FLICS’s management structures, curricula, and instructional strategies are stated to be designed so that students are consistently given opportunities to choose from various options in order to develop their ability to make good decisions, which the applicant claims is the key to independence.

§ The FLICS curriculum is primarily based on New York City's Standardized curriculum and the pedagogy from New York City Community School District 2.

§ For English Language Arts, FLICS will offer a Balanced Literacy Program. It plans to place an emphasis on literacy with daily Read Aloud, Independent Reading workshop, Shared and Guided Reading, Book Clubs, Word Study (supported with a phonics based program, such as Month by Month Phonics), and classroom libraries.

§ FLICS will follow a math workshop model. The lower grades at FLICS will use the TERC Math curriculum while the upper grades (6-8) will use the Math in Context Curriculum. FLICS math curriculum will be supplemented with basic facts, drills, and test preparation.

§ FLICS staff will work closely with the Mathematics in the City program, a collaborative project between City College of New York and the Freudenthal Institute in the Netherlands.

§ FLICS Social Studies curriculum will be structured upon the Research Workshop model; staff will teach the social studies curriculum both as a stand-alone subject as well as integrated through literacy.

§ The Science curriculum will utilize the Full Options Science System (FOSS), Science and Life Issues (SALI), as well as Issues, Evidence and You (IEY) to combine content and process learning.

§ Arts instruction at FLICS will occur through an intensive and extensive Enrichment Program for grades 1 through 8. Visual and performing arts as well as physical fitness will be provided.

§ Health and Family and Consumer Sciences will be addressed using New York State learning standards.

§ The Career Development and Occupational Studies curriculum will be integrated through subject-area instruction.

§ The school day will be extended. Except for kindergarten students, 113 of the 181 school days will be extended with an enrichment program, which will provide a visual and performing arts and physical fitness program. The extended school day will be eight hours and 25 minutes.

§ The school year will be extended; students will attend for three weeks during the summer.

§ A Language Other Than English (Spanish and/or French) will be offered to 6-8^th graders.

§ FLICS will serve students with limited English proficiency using structured English language immersion.

§ An analysis of the FLI program results for 2003-04 found that the program exceeded the average performance of the district in which it would be located on the Grade 8 ELA and math examinations. The program’s performance of 166 in Grade 8 math exceeded the State standard of a Performance Index (PI) of 150 and the school’s PI of 147 in Grade 8 ELA nearly met the State standard. However, the Grade 4 math PI of 122 was below the State standard and the Grade 4 ELA PI of 96 just exceeded the cut point for a school being considered farthest from State standards. The applicant reported that the Grade 4 results were attributable in part to these students being recent transfers from a School Under Registration Review that had closed.

Governance

§ Initially the Board will have seven Trustees; the minimum and maximum number of Trustees will be five and nine, respectively.

§ The Board will have four committees (Executive, Finance, Educational-Accountability, Legal and Compliance) to be charged with monitoring the school’s activities, policy implementation, and regulatory compliance.

§ All officers shall be elected by the Trustees at their annual meeting and shall hold office for the term of one year.

§ Trustees are elected and removed (with cause) by a majority vote of the Trustees then in office.

Students

§ FLI’s student population is approximately 96 percent African American; 80 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced lunch; and FLICS expects to serve a similar population.

§ Each year FLICS will admit approximately 20 new kindergarteners (by lottery); open seats will be filled by a waiting list in grades other than kindergarten.

§ FLICS will have 13 classes. Grades 3-8 will be capped at 25 students each and K-2 will be capped at 20 students.

§ Some classes at FLICS may be “bridge classes,” having no more than one grade level between them.

§ FLICS will hold open houses in the spring; it will make information/announcements available throughout the community.

Budget/Facilities

§ FLICS anticipates receiving in year 1 a New York State Charter School Start-Up Grant for $150,000 and $30,000 in interest income.

§ Additionally, FLICS will solicit foundation, corporate and individual financial support. The budget conservatively estimates that FLI, Inc., a 501(c)3 entity, will raise $150,000 annually for the school. FLI currently raises approximately $350,000 annually in private funding through its non-profit partner.

§ The school’s first year anticipated revenue equals $3,070,133; anticipated expenses equal $2,889,612, leaving a surplus of $180,521.

§ As of February 7, 2005, FLICS has been assured by the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) that space it is currently leasing will remain available for its use. The space occupies one-third of the second floor and the entire third floor in the HCA Complex, a NYCDOE public school building. It is handicapped accessible. Facilities use cost is estimated at $60,000 (including insurance expenditures) with a 2.5 percent increase over time.

Personnel

§ FLICS states its leadership will be shared between the Board, the Chief Operating Officer and the Principal.

§ In addition to administrative staff, FLICS will employ the following staff: Administrative Secretary, Director of Finance, Director of Operations, Enrichment Program Coordinator, High School Placement Coordinator, 9 general education teachers, 7 specialty teachers (three science, one math, one reading, one writing, one social studies and language), two special education, three push-in literacy teachers, Special Education Coordinator, Dean of Students, Parent Coordinator, Literacy Coach, 2 Consultants (Professional Development, Social Worker), as well as a Security Officer.

§ One High School Placement Coordinator will be hired to assist and monitor students throughout the process of Career Plan development.

§ A Pupil Personnel Team will be implemented to support teachers with students having difficulty learning or behaving.

Fiscal Impact

Potential Fiscal Impact of

*Assumes a 3 percent annual increase in the district’s budget from a 2002-2003 base of $12.9 billion and a 4.5 percent annual increase in the average expense per pupil, per year from the 2004-2005 final average expense per pupil of $8,586.

Community Support

§ 250 parents out of 275 eligible voted in support of FLI’s conversion; nine voted against.

§ FLICS has received a letter of support from Lucille Swarns, the Regional Superintendent, Region 10.

§ NY Cares administers FLI’s Laptop Mentoring program and supports the conversion. FLI has worked with the following organizations to help provide services to students and their families: Counseling in the Schools, Harlem Children’s Zone Asthma Initiative, Dance Theater of Harlem, New Song Church, Sports and Arts in Schools Foundation, Harlem RBI, and the Alvin Alley Dance Company

Summary of Applicant Information

Name of Proposed Charter School: Knowledge is Power Program Always Mentally Prepared Academy Charter School (KIPP A.M.P.)

Address: To be determined. The applicant is currently making a final determination between facilities in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

District of Location: Either New York City CSD Region 6, CSD 17 or Region 9, CSD 4

Proposed Charter Highlights

Applicant(s)

The lead applicant, Ky Adderley, is completing a KIPP Residency at KIPP Academy in the Bronx. He is also participating in the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Administration and Supervision through the National-Louis University, a distance-learning program that is not accredited in New York State. Mr. Adderley is scheduled to complete his graduate studies in May of 2005. He has three years of experience teaching sixth grade at Bruce-Monroe Elementary School in Washington, DC where he received the Washington, DC Public Schools Outstanding New Teacher of the Year Award for 2001-2002. Mr. Adderley founded a mentorship group linking 110 Howard University students to elementary school students at Bruce-Monroe Elementary. He has served as an Assistant Principal and participated in the yearlong KIPP School Leadership Program. The program includes a six-week training program at the University of California - Berkeley, Haas School of Business. He is also an alumnus of Teach for America.

Institutional Partner

The Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), under the leadership of David Levin and Michael Feinberg (both Teach for America graduates), opened its first school in 1994 in Houston, Texas. The first KIPP Academy in New York opened in the Bronx in 1995. Each KIPP school begins with a single fifth-grade class. The school is built by adding a single grade each year for three years, resulting in a grade 5-8 school. The applicant asserts that KIPP schools in Texas and New York are among the highest performing schools in their respective districts.

David Levin started the KIPP Foundation in 2000 and presently serves as Superintendent for KIPP schools. KIPP is a national non-profit foundation that trains educators to open and run public middle schools. The KIPP Foundation’s operational partner is the Pisces Foundation, directed by Scott Hamilton and funded by Doris and Donald Fisher (founders of Gap, Inc.). Over the past four years, KIPP has received over 1,000 applications from educators and selected 46 educators to participate in the program. Successful program applicants are called “Fisher Fellows” and receive a stipend while participating in the KIPP School Leadership Program.

The Foundation will not charge KIPP A.M.P. for the services it provides. However, the “trademark license agreement” between the Foundation and the proposed charter school does include a fee. The fee is capped at three (3) percent of the school’s per pupil revenues or the average salary of a teacher (whichever is lowest). The Foundation will provide the proposed charter school with “training and support in connection with academic and organizational leadership; budget and compliance management; community outreach and fundraising; public relations training and assistance; data recovery and assessment; high school and college placement support; teacher recruitment; and professional assistance from the KIPP Real Estate, Legal and Development groups. KIPP Foundation personnel will provide on-site services to the school, and will also conduct ongoing teacher training sessions in Math, Language Arts and other subject areas; provide instructional DVD’s and other ‘best practices’ instructional materials; and host regional and national retreats for Boards of Trustees and School Leaders. The Board of Trustees may opt out of the partnership agreement subject to a $200,000 buyout clause.

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

§ The philosophy of the proposed charter school is to emphasize four core areas: High Quality Instruction, Emphasis on Character Development, Focus on Results, and More Time on Task.

§ The stated mission of the proposed charter school is to “create an environment where students will develop the academic, intellectual and character skills necessary to maximize their potential in high school, college and the world beyond.”

§ The school will focus on developing this core of academic skills: accurate calculation; fluent reading; effective writing; comprehension of fundamental knowledge; critical thinking; application of academic skills to solve complex problems; analysis, synthesis and evaluation of information; and performance of high-level conceptual tasks.

§ For Mathematics instruction, the school will use the Saxon Math Program curriculum as its fundamental program.

§ For English Language Arts instruction, the proposed school will use a curriculum model developed through integrating Core Knowledge and Open Court Reading and Writing Instruction.

§ For Science instruction, the proposed school will utilize the Delta Science Modules (DSM) II developed by the Livermore Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, and distributed by Delta Education.

§ For Social Studies instruction, the proposed school will implement a traditional curriculum model with an emphasis on the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Western Europe.

§ The applicant intends to emphasize planning and variety in instruction. Instructional methods include: direct whole-class instruction; indirect whole-class instruction; teacher-directed small group instruction; one-on-one teacher instruction; cooperative learning; peer tutoring; computer activities; educational and motivational field lessons; multi-sensory instruction; phonetic-based instruction; whole language instruction; project-based learning and discovery learning.

§ The school will provide instruction in health, physical education and consumer sciences.

§ The school will incorporate visual and performance arts into the enrichment program. The program will focus on strands that include artistic perception, creative expression, historical and cultural context, aesthetic valuing, and connections, relations and applications.

§ The proposed school will provide technology instruction in each of the seven learning standard curriculum areas in Math, Science and Technology.

§ The school will educate English Language Learners and students with Limited English Proficiency through a mixture of immersion and push-in services, bilingual education and English as a second language (ESL). The school will utilize “Language Buddies” and consultant teachers to support the implementation of this program.

§ The school will administer all State exams and assessments as required by No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The school will administer the same exams issued by New York City in reading and math, in grades five through seven. The school will also administer the Stanford-10 (reading, writing and math) exam at the beginning of each year to students in grades five through eight.

§ The school’s academic day will begin at 7:25 a.m. on Monday through Friday. Monday through Thursday the school day concludes at 5:00 p.m. On Friday, dismissal is at 3:30 p.m. The Saturday program runs from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Governance

§ KIPP proposes to govern this school with a Board of Trustees charged with oversight for financial and management decisions. The Superintendent of this school will also serve as a member on the Board of any KIPP school that is approved for a charter.

§ The Board does not exceed the State Education Department's requirement that no more than forty (40) percent of the members be affiliated with another organization.

§ The initial Board of Trustees consists of five members. Two members will serve three-year terms; three will serve two-year terms. Subsequent to the initial term, all Trustees will serve a term of two years and may be elected to serve multiple two-year terms. The Board has a minimum of seven members. No Board seats are reserved for parents.

Students

§ The proposed charter school will begin with 90 fifth graders. In Year 2, the school anticipates retaining 83 students from Year 1. The school will add 90 fifth graders in Year 2. In Year 3, the school expects to retain 80 students from the 6^th grade class of Year 2, 83 students from the fifth grade class of Year 2 and will add 90 new fifth graders. The school anticipates retaining 77 eighth graders, 80 seventh graders, 83 sixth graders and 90 fifth graders in Year 4.

§ In Year 2, the school will serve 173 students. In Year 3, the school will serve 253 students. In Year 4, the school will serve 330 students.

Budget/Facilities

§ The school anticipates receiving a $150,000 Title V-B start-up grant from the US Department of Education. The school has budgeted start-up expenses of $53,300 and revenues of $170,000.

§ The proposed charter school anticipates facility costs of $45,333 per year. These costs include building permits, contracted custodial services, maintenance supplies, fire alarms/systems and utilities.

§ The budget provides for teachers to be paid at the rate specified in United Federation of Teachers (UFT) contracts. Salary increases are budgeted throughout each year with salaries increasing from $48,036 in Year 1 to $55,965 in Year 5. The school recognizes contract rates are subject to change and has planned accordingly.

§ The proposed charter school will be located in either in CSD 4, PS 50 or CSD 17, MS 390.

Personnel

§ During its first year of operation, the proposed charter school will hire five teachers, including one certified special education instructor.

§ The school will add four additional teachers in Year 2. In Year 3, the school will add another certified special education teacher and five general education teachers. In Year 4, the school will add four teachers for a total of 20.

§ The proposed charter school will support student needs with one social worker.

§ The school will hire, on a part-time basis, consultants to conduct enrichment/arts classes.

§ The proposed school will recruit teachers through mailings to Teach For America alumni, education job fairs, community-based organizations, and through joint efforts with other KIPP schools.

§ Efforts to retain staff will include assigning a mentor-teacher to all new hires, support from the principal and department heads to teachers requiring additional assistance, and monetary incentives.

Fiscal Impact

§ When fully enrolled with 330 students, the charter school will receive no more than 0.0213% of the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) budget (See Potential Fiscal Impact Chart).

§ The school’s first-year anticipated budget total is approximately $772,740.

§ Programmatic and fiscal audits will comply with all requirements made of public schools. The school will employ a New York State licensed public accountant or certified public accountant to perform the fiscal audit. In addition, the school will ensure that the audit is conducted in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) issued by the U.S. Comptroller General.

Potential Fiscal Impact of

School Year	Number of Students	Projected School Payment	Projected Impact
2005-2006	90	$ 772,740	0.0055%
2006-2007	173	$ 1,485,378	0.0107%
2007-2008	253	$ 2,172,258	0.0158%
2008-2009	330	$ 2,833,380	0.0210%
2009-2010	330	$ 2,833,380	0.0213%

Community Support

§ The school believes waiting lists at operating schools in Harlem and the Bronx are adequate proxies of interest for the proposed charter school.

1) The charter school described in the application meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) the applicants can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; and (3) granting the application 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.

Summary of Applicant Information

Name of Proposed Charter School: Knowledge is Power Program Infinity Charter School

Address: To be determined. The applicant is seeking a facility, in collaboration with the New York City Department of Education, in Region 10, District 6 (the Washington Heights neighborhood in Manhattan).

Proposed Charter Highlights

Applicant(s)

The lead applicant, Joseph Negron, is completing a KIPP Residency at KIPP Academy in the Bronx. He is also participating in the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Administration and Supervision through the National-Louis University, a distance-learning program that is not accredited in New York State. Mr. Negron is scheduled to complete his graduate studies in the summer of 2005. He earned his B.A. with honors in chemistry from Harvard University and an M.A. in Teaching Secondary School Science from Teachers College, Columbia University. He has three years of experience teaching sixth grade at IS 64 in Washington Heights. Mr. Negron founded an after-school homework club and participated as an assistant coach of the school basketball team. He has participated in the yearlong KIPP School Leadership Program. The program includes a six-week training program at the University of California - Berkeley, Haas School of Business. He is also an alumnus of Teach for America.

Institutional Partner

The Foundation will not charge KIPP Infinity for the services it provides. However, the “trademark license agreement” between the Foundation and the proposed charter school does include a fee. The fee is capped at three (3) percent of the school’s per pupil revenues or the average salary of a teacher (whichever is lowest). The Foundation will provide the proposed charter school with “training and support in connection with academic and organizational leadership; budget and compliance management; community outreach and fundraising; public relations training and assistance; data recovery and assessment; high school and college placement support; teacher recruitment; and professional assistance from the KIPP Real Estate, Legal and Development groups. KIPP Foundation personnel will provide on-site services to the school, and will also conduct ongoing teacher training sessions in Math, Language Arts and other subject areas; provide instructional DVD’s and other ‘best practices’ instructional materials; and host regional and national retreats for Boards of Trustees and School Leaders. The Board of Trustees may opt out of the partnership agreement subject to a $200,000 buyout clause.

Management Partner(s)

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

§ The philosophy of proposed charter school is to emphasize four core areas: High Quality Instruction, Emphasis on Character Development, Focus on Results, and More Time on Task.

§ For Mathematics instruction, the school will use the Saxon Math Program curriculum as its fundamental program.

§ For English Language Arts instruction, the proposed school will use a curriculum model developed through integrating Core Knowledge and Open Court Reading and Writing Instruction.

§ For Social Studies instruction, the proposed school will implement a traditional curriculum model with an emphasis on the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Western Europe.

§ The school will provide instruction in health, physical education and consumer sciences.

§ The proposed school will provide technology instruction in each of the seven learning standard curriculum areas in Math, Science and Technology.

Governance

§ The Board does not exceed the State Education Department's requirement that no more than forty (40) percent of the members be affiliated with another organization.

§ The initial Board of Trustees consists of five members. Two members will serve three-year terms; three will serve two-year terms. Subsequent to the initial term, all Trustees will serve a term of two years and may be elected to serve multiple two-year terms. The Board has a minimum of five members. No Board seats are reserved for parents.

Students

§ In Year 2, the school will serve 173 students. In Year 3, the school will serve 253 students. In Year 4, the school will serve 330 students.

Budget/Facilities

§ The school anticipates receiving a $150,000 Title V-B start-up grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The school has budgeted start-up expenses of $53,300 and revenues of $170,000.

Personnel

§ During its first year of operation, the proposed charter school will hire five teachers, including one certified special education instructor.

§ The proposed charter school will support student needs with one social worker.

§ The school will hire, on a part-time basis, consultants to conduct enrichment/arts classes.

§ The proposed school will recruit teachers through mailings to Teach For America alumni, education job fairs, community-based organizations, and through joint efforts with other KIPP schools.

Fiscal Impact

§ When fully enrolled with 330 students, the charter school will receive no more than 0.0213% of the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) budget (See Potential Fiscal Impact Chart).

§ The school’s first-year anticipated budget total is approximately $772,740.

Potential Fiscal Impact of

School Year	Number of Students	Projected School Payment	Projected Impact
2005-2006	90	$ 772,740	0.0055%
2006-2007	173	$ 1,485,378	0.0107%
2007-2008	253	$ 2,172,258	0.0158%
2008-2009	330	$ 2,833,380	0.0210%
2009-2010	330	$ 2,833,380	0.0213%

Community Support

§ The school believes waiting lists at operating schools in Harlem and the Bronx are adequate proxies of interest for the proposed charter school.

1) The charter school described in the application meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) the applicants can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; and (3) granting the application 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.

Summary of Applicant Information

Name of Proposed Charter School: Knowledge is Power Program Pinnacle College Preparatory Charter School

Address: To be determined. The applicant is seeking a facility, in collaboration with the New York City Department of Education, in either Region 6, District 17, Region 9, CSD 4 or the site of the former Boys and Girls High School.

Proposed Charter Highlights

Applicant(s)

The lead applicant, John-Michael Chiaravalloti, is completing a KIPP Residency at KIPP Academy in the Bronx. He is also participating in the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Administration and Supervision through the National-Louis University, a distance-learning program that is not accredited in New York State. Mr. Chiaravalloti is scheduled to complete his graduate studies in May of 2005. He served as Executive Director of Lincoln Hall, a Residential Treatment Center for at-risk adolescent boys in Somers, New York. He has served as a principal and teacher in Houston, Texas. The program includes a six-week training program at the University of California - Berkeley, Haas School of Business. Mr. Chiaravalloti earned a B.A. in Secondary Education from the State University of New York and his M.A. in history from the University of Houston – Clear Lake.

Institutional Partner

The Foundation will not charge KIPP Pinnacle for the services it provides. However, the “trademark license agreement” between the Foundation and the proposed charter school does include a fee. The fee is capped at three (3) percent of the school’s per pupil revenues or the average salary of a teacher (whichever is lowest). The Foundation will provide the proposed charter school with “training and support in connection with academic and organizational leadership; budget and compliance management; community outreach and fundraising; public relations training and assistance; data recovery and assessment; high school and college placement support; teacher recruitment; and professional assistance from the KIPP Real Estate, Legal and Development groups. KIPP Foundation personnel will provide on-site services to the school, and will also conduct ongoing teacher training sessions in Math, Language Arts and other subject areas; provide instructional DVD’s and other ‘best practices’ instructional materials; and host regional and national retreats for Boards of Trustees and School Leaders. The Board of Trustees may opt out of the partnership agreement subject to a $200,000 buyout clause.

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

§ The philosophy of proposed charter school is to emphasize four core areas: High Quality Instruction, Emphasis on Character Development, Focus on Results, and More Time on Task.

§ For Mathematics instruction, the school will use the Saxon Math Program curriculum as its fundamental program.

§ For English Language Arts instruction, the proposed school will use a curriculum model developed through integrating Core Knowledge and Open Court Reading and Writing Instruction.

§ For Social Studies instruction, the proposed school will implement a traditional curriculum model with an emphasis on the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Western Europe.

§ The school will provide instruction in health, physical education and consumer sciences.

§ The proposed school will provide technology instruction in each of the seven learning standard curriculum areas in Math, Science and Technology.

Governance

§ The Board does not exceed the State Education Department's requirement that no more than forty (40) percent of the members be affiliated with another organization.

Students

§ In Year 2, the school will serve 173 students. In Year 3, the school will serve 253 students. In Year 4, the school will serve 330 students.

Budget/Facilities

§ The school anticipates receiving a $150,000 Title V-B start-up grant from the US Department of Education. The school has budgeted start-up expenses of $53,300 and revenues of $170,000.

§ The budget provides for teachers to be paid at the rate specified in United Federation of Teacher (UFT) contracts. Salary increases are budgeted throughout each year with salaries increasing from $48,036 in Year 1 to $55,965 in Year 5. The school recognizes contract rates are subject to change and has planned accordingly.

§ The proposed charter school has not identified a facility. The school was originally going to be located in a school in CSD 23 or 16. Most recently, the school has been considering sites in CSD 17 and 4 as well as the location of the former Boys and Girls High School.

Personnel

§ During its first year of operation, the proposed charter school will hire five teachers, including one certified special education instructor.

§ The proposed charter school will support student needs with one social worker.

§ The school will hire, on a part-time basis, consultants to conduct enrichment/arts classes.

§ The proposed school will recruit teachers through mailings to Teach For America alumni, education job fairs, community-based organizations, and through joint efforts with other KIPP schools.

Fiscal Impact

§ When fully enrolled with 330 students, the charter school will receive no more than 0.0213% of the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) budget (See Potential Fiscal Impact Chart).

§ The school’s first-year anticipated budget total is approximately $772,740.

Potential Fiscal Impact of

School Year	Number of Students	Projected School Payment	Projected Impact
2005-2006	90	$ 772,740	0.0055%
2006-2007	173	$ 1,485,378	0.0107%
2007-2008	253	$ 2,172,258	0.0158%
2008-2009	330	$ 2,833,380	0.0210%
2009-2010	330	$ 2,833,380	0.0213%

Community Support

§ The school believes waiting lists at operating schools in Harlem and the Bronx are adequate proxies of interest for the proposed charter school.

1) The institutional partner does not have an extensive history of supporting the simultaneous opening of three schools in a school district and has never previously supported the opening of five schools within two years in the same school district. Such rapid expansion will pose considerable challenges to the instructional leader in receiving the support necessary to establish a strong educational environment.

2) There are no State assessment results available at this time for the previous two replications of the KIPP model in New York State.

3) The lack of a determination regarding the location of the school presents challenges in ensuring adequate community support for and involvement in the school.

TO:	The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents
FROM:	James A. Kadamus
COMMITTEE:	EMSC-VESID
TITLE OF ITEM:	Charter School Applications and Revision to Existing Charter
DATE OF SUBMISSION:	March 11, 2005
PROPOSED HANDLING:	Action
RATIONALE FOR ITEM:	Legislative authority to act on charter schools
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 1 and 2
AUTHORIZATION(S):

School Year	Number of Students	Projected Payment*	Projected Impact
2005-06	75	$643,950	.0046%
2006-07	150	$1,345,856	. 0093%
2007-08	383	$3,591,057	.0240%
2008-09	532	$5,212,564	.0338%
2009-10	675	$6,911,301	.0435%

School Year	Number of Students	Projected Payment*	Projected Impact
2005-06	162	$1,390,932	.0099%
2006-07	243	$2,180,286	. 0150%
2007-08	396	$3,712,946	. 0248%
2008-09	549	$5,379,131	. 0349%
2009-10	620	$6,348,158	. 0400%

School Year	Number of Students	Projected Payment*	Projected Impact
2005-06	300	$2,575,800	.000188%
2006-07	300	$2,691,711	.000191%
2007-08	300	$2,812,838	.000193%
2008-09	300	$2,939,416	.000196%
2009-10	300	$3,071,689	.000199%

Summary of Proposed Charter

Proposed Charter Highlights

Management Partner(s)

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

Governance

Students

Budget/Facilities

Personnel

Fiscal Impact

Summary of Proposed Charter

Application Highlights

Management Partner(s)

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

Governance

Students

Budget/Facilities

Personnel

Fiscal Impact

Community Support

Summary of Proposed Charter (Conversion)

Anticipated Opening Date: July 1, 2005

Proposed Charter Highlights

Management Partner(s)

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

Governance

Students

Budget/Facilities

Personnel

Fiscal Impact

Potential Fiscal Impact of

Community Support

Summary of Applicant Information

Proposed Charter Highlights

Applicant(s)

Institutional Partner

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

Governance

Students

Budget/Facilities

Personnel

Fiscal Impact

Potential Fiscal Impact of

Community Support

Summary of Applicant Information

Proposed Charter Highlights

Applicant(s)

Institutional Partner

Management Partner(s)

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

Governance

Students

Budget/Facilities

Personnel

Fiscal Impact

Potential Fiscal Impact of

Community Support

Summary of Applicant Information

Proposed Charter Highlights

Applicant(s)

Institutional Partner

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

Governance

Students

Budget/Facilities

Personnel

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Potential Fiscal Impact of

Community Support