Final Recommendation to the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board 2018

Recommendation Deny the Application of Helix Community Schools

School Information School Helix Community

Schools Home District EBR

Type Type 1 Districts Served/Specific School

EBR

CMO/EMO Year Opening School 1 = 2020-21 School 2 = 2020-21

Grade Configuration at Start

School 1 = 6 School 2 = 6

Grade Configuration at Scale

School 1 = K-12 School 2 = K-8

Enrollment at Start School 1 = 120 School 2 = 120

Enrollment at Scale School 1 = 1560 School 2 = 1080

Reasons for Recommendation

Helix Community Schools seeks to expand Mentorship Academy in Baton Rouge. The guiding priorities behind the Helix model are:

1. Academic excellent 2. Specialized competencies for high-demand jobs 3. Social-emotional support through mentoring 4. Equity for all students

The leadership team presented a well written, comprehensive plan for two additional schools in

East Baton Rouge Parish, the first of which will serve students in grades K-12 and the second of which will serve students in K-8.

The K-12 school will serve 1,560 students and the K-8 school will serve 1080 students at scale.

Although the application is very well written, there are concerns about past school

performance. Mentorship STEAM achieved a “C” School Performance Score based on the areas of Graduation Index and Strength of Diploma. In two critically important areas, Assessments and ACT scores, the school received a “F” rating. ACT scores are exceptionally important to students who choose to continue their education in the fields of aviation or law.

Mentorship scored lower than the district and the state in the area of Students Scoring at Mastery and Above on LEAP.

Mentorship scored considerably lower than the district and state in the area of Percent of Students Scoring At Least 21 on ACT or Gold on Workkeys.

Mentorship scored lower than the district, the state and the nation in the area of ACT composite.

Mentorship scored lower than the district and the state on Graduates Earning Credentials.

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Mentorship scored lower than the district and the state in College Enrollment Rate.

JumpStart and AP courses are not currently offered at Mentorship.

Using the “old formula” for SPS, Mentorship declined 8 points for the 2017-18 school year.

Numerically, this application scores very high; however, holistically I believe the plan is not a good fit for East Baton Rouge parish schools. Considering, however, that the leadership team at Mentorship Academy has, for many years, acted in good faith with the EBR parish school board and considering that the potential for success is within the grasp of the school, it is my recommendation to deny the application at this time but to encourage school leadership to re-submit an application when the ACT and Assessment portions of the School Performance Score reach a score of “C” of higher.

 

 

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CHARTER PROPOSAL REVIEW SUMMARY (Rubric) EXPERIENCED OPERATOR APPLICATION 2019 Helix

Section Evidence

Past School Performance

The charter school proposal should discuss the extent to which the leadership team possesses the ability to: Applicable to groups currently operating schools in LA *Demonstrate that the proposed school has either a “C” or higher letter grade or a “D” letter grade with a progress index equivalent to an “A.” Applicable to groups not operating schools in LA*Demonstrate that, at the time of proposed school’s application, they would meet the renewal standards of each state in which they operate. *Demonstrate that, using data collected from nationally normed testing, the applicant group demonstrates that the operator’s schools are high performing and that they outperform their peer schools by meeting one of the standards below: ***In tested subject areas, the applicant group’s schools’ consistently have a higher level of proficiency than their peer schools with an equal or higher percentage of their target school population OR ***In tested subject areas, the applicant group’s schools’ student performance growth consistently outpaces that of their peer schools with an equal or higher percentage of their target student population. Applicable to groups not operating schools in LA that serve grades 9-12 ***Show that, over multiple years, the applicant groups schools have a consistently higher graduate rate than peer schools with an equal or higher percentage of their target student population OR ***Show that, over multiple years, the applicant group’s schools have consistently higher growth in their graduation rate than peer schools with an equal or higher percentage of their target student population

Mentorship Academy seeks to open two new schools in 2020-21: Mentorship Legal Academy Helix Aviation Academy Mentorship STEAM Academy has a SPS = 68.1 which is a “C”. That score is comprised of: Assessments = 32.7 F ACT = 32.5 F Graduation = 97.1 A Strength of Diploma = A 91.7 Student Progress for 2017-18 = 69.5 C In 2016-17, Mentorship STEAM had an overall SPS of 86 “B” (using the “old formula”) In 2017-18, Mentorship STEAM had an overall SPS of 78 “C” (using the “old formula” or 68.1 using the “new formula”) Regarding ‘Students scoring mastery and above’ on Leap, Mentorship scored 18%, EBR scored 35% and the state scored 45%.

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Applicable to groups not operating schools in LA that serve grades 9-12 ***Show that, over multiple years, the applicant group’s schools have a consistently higher college matriculation rate than peer schools with an equal or higher percentage of their target student population OR ***Show that, over multiple years, the applicant group’s schools have consistently higher growth in their graduation rate than peer schools with an equal or higher percentage of their target student population. Applicable to groups not operating schools in Louisiana ***Show that the applicant group’s schools consistently academically outperform surrounding schools with an equal or higher percentage of their target student population OR ***Show that the applicant group’s schools’ student performance growth consistently outpaces that of surrounding schools with an equal or higher percentage of their target student population.

In the category of Students Scoring at Least a 21 on the ACT or Gold on Workkeys, Mentorship scored 6%, EBR scored 29% and the state scored 40%. In the category of ACT Composite, Mentorship scored 16.6, EBR scored 18.1, the state scored 19.1 and the nation scored 20.8. Regarding the Graduation Rate, Mentorship scored 87%, EBR scored 67%, the state scored 78% and the nation scored 84%. In the category of Graduates Earning Credentials, Mentorship scored 29%, EBR scored 37% and the state scored 48%. In the category of College Enrollment rate, Mentorship scored 56%, EBR scored 59% and the state scored 58%.

Academics

The charter school proposal should discuss the extent to which the leadership team possesses the ability to: *Make accurate estimates of baseline performance for the student population that they propose to serve. *Provide a logical plan to establish student performance goals that rely on diagnostic data that uses the same metrics as the performance goals themselves. *Establish performance goals for all student achievement data considered in calculating the school’s performance scores.

Diagnostic data is collected over the summer and then used to set specific progress goals for individual students.

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*Provide a plan to improve student performance at a rate that they show is reasonable and ambitious and takes into consideration the extension performance standards of the Charter School Performance Compact. *(If applicable) Name mission-specific, measurable, ambitious, feasible goals. *Select curricula that are either rated Tier 1 by the LDOE, OR if the LDOE has not yet rated the selected curricula, the applicant correctly demonstrates using the LDOE’s Instructional Materials Review Rubric and meets the standards of a Tier 1 rating for English Language Arts and Mathematics. For all other core content subject areas, the applicant has identified the curriculum they will use and correctly demonstrates how these curricula will prepare students for the Louisiana State Standards. *Select assessments that are rated either Tier 1 by the LDOE, are produced as part of a Tier 1 rated curriculum, are part of Louisiana’s Comprehensive Assessment System (LEAP 360), OR if the LDOE has not yet rated the selected assessments, the applicant correctly demonstrates that by using the LDOE’s Instructional Materials Review Rubric they meet the standards of a Tier 1 rating. *Demonstrate that the professional development plan for all teachers corresponds with and supports both the proposed curricula and the school’s student performance goals. *Provide a process by which teachers will receive differentiated coaching that is data-driven. *Create professional development that ensures teachers are trained to use targeted supports in addition to, rather than in place of, high quality instruction to support Students with Disabilities, English Learners (ELs), and academically struggling students. *Present a logical process by which they will screen all students, identify students requiring additional supports, and consult with a decision-making team to plan supports and interventions for those students.

Mentorship will use Wit & Wisdom for ELA K-8 and HMH Collections for 9-12. Both are rated Tier 1 by the LDOE. Mentorship will use Eureka Math and Zearn for K-5 and Eureka Math for 6-12. Both are rated Tier 1 by the LDOE. Assessments for the proposed school are rated Tier 1 by the LDOE. The proposed school will use Project Lead the Way, a problem-based curriculum combined with teacher professional development. The professional development plan consists of a week-long summer in-service the last day of which is devoted to ESS, EL and struggling students, regular walk-throughs and observation with coaching.

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*(If applicable) Detail a feasible plan for how struggling students at the virtual school will receive at least twenty percent of instruction in person. *(If applicable) Detail a plan for how transportation services will be provided to struggling students at the virtual school for in-person instruction. *(If applicable) Detail a plan for how struggling students will be evaluated on at least a monthly basis. *Demonstrate that the selected structures, policies, and practices are shown to be effective by sound research and will drive the intended student goals. *(If applicable) Allocate time daily throughout the year in such a way that all students will complete all courses required to graduate on time.

According to the application, teachers monitor progress and plan individualized, responsive interventions on a bi-weekly basis. A daily and a yearly schedule are included in the application.

Growth Plan

The charter school proposal should discuss the extent to which the leadership team possesses the ability to: *Demonstrate with data that there is demand from the target student population they intend to serve. *Articulate a logical plan by which they will adapt to meet changing community needs for any school opening later than the first year in the growth plan.

The proposed school is planning for 85.5% economically disadvantaged students, 87.5% students of color 9.4% students with disabilities, 9.6% EL students and 33.2% students proficient on LEAP.

Scale Strategy

The charter school proposal should discuss the extent to which the leadership team possesses the ability to: *Establish a central office for the proposed school that provides enough financial and human capital resources to support the successful launch of new schools in a new district. *List and differentiate between the responsibilities of the central office and local implementers. *Identify threats to the organization’s ability to achieve its mission and corresponding contingency plans that would mitigate those threats.

Mentorship STEAM Academy plans to operate one K-8 school and one K-12 school. According to the application, the organization has secured non-profit grant funds to support capacity building. This funding will allow the school leaders to participate in the Mind Trust Innovation School Fellowship.

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Threats to the proposed school are recognized: finances, student/faculty recruitment, facilities and student need.

Board Readiness

The charter school proposal should discuss the extent to which the leadership team possesses the ability to: *Ensure that each board member’s described role on the board matches their professional skill set. *Ensure that at least one board member is able to provide expertise in each of the following areas: academics, finances, legal issues, management and operations, and community relations. *Enumerate for each role listed above that there is a clear division of roles among the board members. *Articulate a set of metrics by which they will monitor and gauge the school’s academic, operational, and financial effectiveness using, at a minimum, the expectations listed in the Charter School Performance Compact. *Ensure that the board has a clear decision-making process for how they will respond to information they gather in monitoring the school’s effectiveness demonstrating that there are clear roles and responsibilities among the board members in considering information that facilitates informed board decision-making. *Articulate a set of standards that the school leader must satisfy in order to keep the school on track to achieve its vision. *Ensure that the board provides logical evidence that the school will achieve its vision if the school leader satisfies the standards set forth by the board for the school leader. *Identify the information that will be used to determine if the school leader has satisfied each standard and the process by which they will collect that information. *Ensure that the board has a logical decision-making framework and process to support and hold the school leader accountable according to a set of standards that will further the school’s mission.

Board member’s described roles on the board match their professional skill set. The board has expertise in academics, finances, legal issues, management/operations and community relations. A set of metrics for the proposed school to be on track to earn a “B” SPS by the third year in operation has been established. A set of standards has been established for the evaluation of the school leader. Failure to meet the goal of “B” by the third year of operation will result in consequences of which there are four phases.

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*Describe the steps the board and leader will take in the event the leader does not meet accountability measures making sure there are clear metrics that trigger different courses of action, and that the board has specific metrics it will use to make personnel decisions. *Articulate a logical process by which the board identifies conflicts of interest and ensures that they do not impact board decisions. *Articulate a logical process by which the board will assess their own strengths and weaknesses, as well as a training plan that corresponds with lacking areas of expertise. *Ensure that the board articulates a logical new member recruitment plan that prioritizes the required areas of expertise, as well as a logical new member on-boarding plan that ensures that all new members are familiar with board bylaws and requirements. *Ensure there is a clear plan for obtaining regional board representation for any new proposed schools in regions the operator does not currently operate in.

1. An in-depth conversation

2. Creation of a performance plan

3. Monitoring of progress in 3-month intervals

4. Termination if warranted

According to the application, there is an end of the school year retreat where data will be discussed, plans will be made for continued improvement and new board members will receive pertinent information.

Financial Readiness and Finances

The charter school proposal should discuss the extent to which the leadership team possesses the ability to: *Make projections that are based on accurate, conservative, and legally compliant assumptions. *Ensure that all funds from external sources are demonstrated to be reasonably expected. *Ensure that no essential services are funded at amounts that would preclude the applicant group from implementing their plan. *Ensure that there is no evidence that the school will ever become insolvent or lack access to the necessary amount of liquidity. *(If applicable) Ensure that there are no material findings in the non-profit organization’s most recent audited financial statements. *Ensure that assumptions about facilities in all financial statements correspond to a conservative facility plan and account for possible contingencies. *Ensure that either the school has a plan to hire a financial manager who has at least a bachelor’s

The proposed school will contract with Dunn Financial solutions for financial management.

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degree in finance and/or accounting, or the school has partnered with an organization staffed by individuals with the necessary expertise that will provide financial management services. *Ensure that the charter applicant group protects mission-critical expenses when faced with budget cuts. *Ensure that there is appropriate segregation of financial duties. *Put in place control systems to ensure that only allowable expenses will be made and that all expenses will be coded appropriately.

Educational Service Provider (ESP) Contract

The charter school proposal should discuss the extent to which the leadership team possesses the ability to: *Ensure that the board maintains independence from the ESP by articulating strong accountability provisions and avoiding opportunities for the ESP to gain leverage over the board. *Ensure that the ESP cannot control board membership. *Ensure that the ESP contract does not allow for any form of leverage—including but not limited to severance fees and facilities ownership by which the ESP can ensure renewal of their contract. *Ensure that there are no material findings in the ESP’s most recent audited financial statements.

N/A

School Leadership Team Capacity (If applicable)

The charter school proposal should discuss the extent to which the leadership team possesses the ability to: *Show that the identified leadership team has managed a school, a team of teachers, or an academic program that showed some level of growth or success under their responsibility. *Ensure that the school leadership team has held past leadership positions in which they held a high level of responsibility for the operations and/or finances of a given organization. *Ensure that the identified leadership team has established a track record of improving student achievement, and/or provides enough data to demonstrate the leadership team’s ability to

The leadership team has many years of experience leading schools; however, the School Performance Score for 2017-2018 declined with particular areas of concern in Assessments and ACT scores

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develop a high performing team of teachers across multiple years. *Ensure that the leadership team has established a track record of leading operationally and/or financially viable organizations.

Virtual School Standards (If applicable)

The charter school proposal should discuss the extent to which the leadership team possesses the ability to: *Ensure that the applicant has a logical plan for orienting new students and parents to the school such that both students and parents are given clear expectations on student participation and performance at the beginning of the student’s enrollment. *Ensure that the applicant has clear expectations for student participation that differentiates between what it means for a student to be engaged in learning, in attendance, and truant in the virtual setting. *Ensure that the applicant has a plan for clearly communicating expectations regarding student participation in the virtual setting to teachers, students, and their families. *Ensure that the applicant has a plan in place for measuring, monitoring, and reporting student participation in the virtual setting including, but not limited to, monitoring how often students are logging on, how long students are staying logged on, and what amount of time logged on is spent actively engaging in the curriculum and instruction. *Ensure that the applicant has an actionable intervention plan for students who are not meeting the school’s expectations for engaging and participating in the virtual setting involving teachers, students, and parents in increasing engagement and preventing truancy. *Ensure that the applicant has a plan to ensure that all enrolled students have access to the online learning environment within a reasonable amount of time once they enroll at the virtual school. *Ensure that the applicant has a logical plan for how they will provide timely support in the event

N/A

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of technical difficulties that minimize the loss of instructional time. *Ensure that the applicant provides a plan that outlines the nature, frequency, and location of all required and optional in-person meetings and interactions between parents and school staff, including but not limited to parent/teacher conferences, open houses, and school community meetings. *Ensure that the applicant has a plan for complying with Title 28, Charter 11, {1119, Health Screening as part of enrollment and the ongoing functioning of the school.

School Leader and Board Member Performance Tasks

The charter school proposal should discuss the extent to which the leadership team possesses the ability to: School Leader Performance Tasks (In addition to the standards listed below, the school leader’s responses to performance tasks presented on the interview day may be assessed using the vision, academic, special student populations, school staff, culture, and school leadership team capacity standards) *Build investment in their school by presenting a coherent vision for an engaging, rigorous, and inclusive school. *Demonstrate that they can apply the plans outlined in their application to real world scenarios related to instructional oversight and teacher development. *Ensure that the applicant uses questioning, analysis, and reflection to develop will-reasoned and creative ideas, conclusions, and solutions to common challenges faced by new charter schools. *Ensure that the applicant strives for continuous improvement, is receptive to feedback, and takes ownership of school outcomes.

The school leader and leadership team presented acomprehensive plan for the proposed school.

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Board Member Performance Tasks (In addition to the standards listed below, the board members’ responses to performance tasks presented on the interview day may be assessed using the school staff, mission-critical partners, and board readiness standards) *Ensure that the applicant uses questioning, analysis, and reflection to develop well-reasoned and creative ideas, conclusions, and solution to common challenges faced by new charter schools. *Ensure that the applicant demonstrates that they can apply the plans outlined in their application to real world scenarios related to school leader accountability, financial oversight, and equity issues.

Strengths

The leadership team presented a well written, comprehensive plan for two additional schools in East Baton Rouge parish.

Areas in Need of Improvement

Although the application for the proposed schools was very well written and comprehensive in nature, there remain concerns about past school performance. For example, Mentorship STEAM achieved a “C” School Performance Score based on the areas of Graduation Index and Strength of Diploma. In two critically important areas, Assessments and ACT Scores, the school received a “F” rating. Mentorship STEAM Academy scored lower than the district and the state in the area of Students Scoring at Mastery and Above on Leap. Mentorship STEAM Academy scored considerably lower than the district and the state in the area of Percent of Students Scoring at Least 21 on ACT or Gold on Workkeys. Mentorship STEAM scored lower than the district, the state and the nation in the area of ACT Composite.

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Mentorship STEAM scored lower than the district and the state on Graduates Earning Credentials. Mentorship STEAM scored lower that the district and the state in College Enrollment Rate. Using the “old formula” for SPS, Mentorship STEAM Academy declined 8 points for the 2017-18 school year.

 

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APPLICATION SCORING SHEET 2019 

Experienced Operator 

 

Name of Proposed Charter School: Helix Community Schools

Reviewer’s Name: Katie Blunschi Date: April 29, 2019

Section Maximum Points

Reviewer’s Score

Past School Performance 1 0 Academics 12 12 Growth Plan 2 2 Scale Strategy 3 3 Board Readiness 13 13 Financial Readiness and Finances 10 10 Educational Services Provider (ESP) Contract (If applicable) N/A N/A School Leadership Team Capacity (If applicable) 4 3 Virtual School Standards (If applicable) N/A N/A School Leader and Board Member Performance Tasks 6 6 Total Score 51 49 = 96%

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