Kornerstone Charter School Planning Grant

8/9/2019 Kornerstone Charter School Planning Grant

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Intellectual Property of Michael McCabe and Thomas Krausewith collaborative efforts & input by Brad Klitzke, Emily McCabe, Mike Rietveld, Katie Heling, Phil

Yunk, Marcia Van Hout, Judy Brown

I The CharterSchool Vision for InnovationDescribe the educational vision and philosophy which will drive your charter schoolplanning effort including the underlying theories and research which support thatvision. Include the following:a. Describe the community in which the charter school will be located, its students andthe needs and interests to be served by the charter school.

Kornerstone Charter School (KCS) is a publicly chartered school in the Kimberly Area School Districtin the state of Wisconsin. KCS will serve up to 75 students in grades 8-12. Kimberly, Wisconsin is acommunity of 6,400 people within the Fox Valley region of Wisconsin, which has collectively has apopulation of around. There are over 200,000 people. in the Fox Valley and 19,260 people live in theKimberly Area School District.

b. Describe how the concept of a charter school was introduced? Who initiated theconcept and why?

Kimberly Area School District (KASD) has one existing chartered school called CORE Charter School,. CORE Charter School haswith an enrollment of 16-24 students. Most of the students entering CORECharter School are credit deficient and in need of credit recovery. Michael McCabe is currently theLead Teacher in CORE Charter. After attempting multiple innovations within CORE Charter, MichaelMcCabe approached Mike Rietveld, the administrator of CORE Charter School, about a vision for anew charter school. Mike Rietveld told Michael McCabe to proceed with planning and gather otherpeople to assist in planning the new charter school. In August of 2009, a formal planning team wasformed. The planning team consisted of onea high school English teacher, two high school Social

Studies teachers, onea high school art teacher, aone high school science teacher, and the Lead Teacherfrom CORE Charter School. Three other staff members were invited to participate on the planningteam, but declined. On November 23rd, 2009, the Kornerstone Planning Committee presented"Kornerstone Charter School Plan" to the school board of the School District of Kimberly. The halfhour informational presentation included a question and answer session in which the KASD Board ofEducation provided consent for further investigation. On January 11, 2010, a community forum washeld and over a dozen community members provided feedback to the planning team. On March 8,2010, the Board of Education authorized the Kornerstone Planning Team to submit the planning grantto the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The planning team is chaired by MichaelMcCabe and Tom Krause.

c. Include a Vision or Mission StatementMission Statement - Learn, Create...Inspire.

Our Vision - Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir mens blood and probably themselveswill not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical

diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself

with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our sons and grandsons are going to do things thatwould stagger us. Let your watchword be order and your beacon beauty. Think big. Daniel Burnham, Chicago architect. (1846-1912)


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1.dDescribe why a charter is needed to achieve the vision. How is the schoolinnovative or unique and how will it differ from the schools now currently available tostudents in the district? Why can't the vision be accomplished by merely adding a

program to existing offerings?

Currently, the Kimberly Area School District does not have a school like Kornerstone. Project BasedLearning and Service Learning will have an interdisciplinary focus unique to this charter school. Acharter school is needed to achieve this vision because the innovations are not possible in the existingtraditional school setting. KCS will achieve the following: personalized learning plan for every student,year round school, unique technology plan for each students learning needs, high school credit for 8thgraders, innovative graduation requirements, grading based on demonstration of relevant 21st Centuryemployability skills rather than academic work samples. Student's are responsible for their learning andhave choices regarding curriculum.

Kornerstone must be a chartered school and not a program because an entire school culture needs to becreated from the ground up. Rather than having an administrator, Kornerstone will be teacher led; thus,students will develop a five year relationship with teachers. This will allow the staff to layereducational learning opportunities upon one another in a way that cannot exist in any other schoolsetting. Even if curriculum were flawlessly streamlined within a K-12 district; students continue totravel from course to course every 45-90 minutes, and from teacher to teacher every 9-18 weeks. Thesmall school setting will provide students with unheralded continuity which cannot exist in a traditionaleducation setting with 1200 students.

Kornerstone stands alone from all other schools in the Kimberly Area School District in the followingways:

Year round school

High School credit for 8th Graders

15:1 student to staff ratio

Complete access to emerging technology

Multiple grading scales

Modified/flexible schedule (compressed courses, classes meet on alternative days,

extended school day, etc)

Internship opportunities exceeding 18 weeks

Community Mentorship Program

Students will work with their parents and Kornerstone staff to create Personal Learning

Plan (PLP)

Technology Transparency - Each student will have access to emerging technologiesneeded to reach their academic potential. These tools are crucial in the creation and display ofstudent learning.

Same teacher for 5 years

Project Foundry Student Management Systems, SalesForces.com, and other systems to

track student progress, create Personal Learning Plans, and run a small school.

Small school setting


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Upon graduation from Kornerstone, students will be well rounded young adults who possess skillsneeded to succeed in life, whether they pursue higher education or full-time employment.Peer reviewed literature and other successful charter schools[1] clearly demonstrate that a charterschool allows for a new model of governance, a degree of pedagogical flexibility in return for

accountability, and the capacity to innovate because of a new vigorous vision. The Wisconsin charterschool laws allow for sustainable innovation to occur from the ground up and last for generations.Kornerstone must be a charter school and not a program so that sustainability can be built into theschool.

2. Describe how your charter school addresses one or more of the followingeducational priorities:a.Serves children at risk as described in s.118.153 (1) (a), Wis. Stats.;b.Supports the development of a charter school in a geographic area where one ormore schools are identified for improvement that requires corrective action, orrestructuring under Title I, Part A of the ESEA;c. Closes the achievement gap;d. Places an emphasis on building reading skills;e. Promotes early learning opportunities;f. Promotes educator quality;g. Promotes career or technology education;h. Encourages parent and community involvement;i. Provides effective pupil services, special education and prevention programs tosupport learning.

j. Promotes and develops 21st Century Skills.

Kornerstone Charter School will address all of the above areas except for subsection b and c. KCS willserve at-risk youth by providing an alternative learning environment, developing long-term student tostaff relationships, and building in a structure that fosters community involvement.

Kornerstone places an emphasis on reading skills by empowering students to engage in theircurriculum through student choice in literature selection. Reading skills are ingrained into ProjectBased Learning. Students must layer their reading with their thinking and writing. Reading will takeplace every day and it is directly tied into student projects; therefore, reading will not occur in isolatedcourses or assignments and the reading will have greater significance to the student because they selecttheir text.

KCS promotes early learning opportunities by melding 8th graders in with traditional high schoolers.Through Service Learning, students will delve into the Kimberly community. Thus, relationships andnetworks will be created. Systems and design learning are two instructional areas that are not alwaystaught in high schools. By placing an emphasis on community, learning, design, and systems, studentsin KCS will approach projects through a mature lens. Empowering students to take an active role intheir educational experience promotes early learning opportunities. Although early learning iscommonly associated with primary grade levels, KCS is teaching high school students to manage theirtime and talents in a manner more closely resembling higher education than traditional high school.

Educator quality is imperative in order for a successful launch of Kornerstone to get off the ground andthen to sustain innovative educational practices. The Kimberly Area School District and Kornerstone


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Charter School Governance Board are going to have to 'grow' their own teachers. Because Tteacherpreparatory programs that prepare professionals to act as instructional leaders in a project/service basedenvironment do not yet exist, the Kimberly Area School District and Kornerstone Charter SchoolGovernance Board are going to have to 'grow' their own teachers. Therefore, it It will be up to allstakeholders to invest their time and energy to get the necessary training required to run a school.Fortunately, other great innovative schools have already blazed a trailand laid the foundation for KCS

staff to follow. If we are fortunate enough to receive the planning grant, we will investigate realisticways to dedicate a portion of the an annual budget set aside for professional development of each staffmember. Educator quality will be promoted in KCS through collaboration with other PBL/SBLschools, constant training and refining of pedagogical techniques, and an open dialog betweencommunity members and KCS staff. Finally, if educator quality can be defined as fostering inquirylearning in a student centered environment, then Kornerstone Charter School will strive to establishsuch practices.

Career education will be promoted through service learning opportunities and the CommunityMentorship Program. The planning team wants to investigateenvisions an educational schedule thatincludes having one day per week set aside for service projects in the community. Students in KCS willhave to complete at least one major service project per year. Students in KCS will have to embed sometype of community aspect into most of their projects. In Year 4 (11th grade), students will have to workor volunteer in the community. In Year 5 (12th grade), students will have an internship with a businessof interest in the Fox Valley. Upon entering KCS, students will increase their understanding andapplication of technology and digital learning devices. A student enrolled in KCS will know how towork utilize the tools that are commonly used in the workplace. For example, if someone wants to be ahas an interest in graphic designer, during Years 1, 2, and 3, they will learn and master Adobe CreativeSuite and other relevant software applications. When they need to be placed at an internship, they willalready possess skills which most other 16 and 17 years olds have not acquired. The same exampleholds true for any number of trades and professions. Career education will be a staple of KornerstoneCharter School. During the planning year of the grant, the planning team wants to investigate the ideaof having two annual school wide projects. These projects will allow the students of KCS to explore theglobalized world. The concept behind the MacroProject and MicroProject is explained in greater detailin Section I.3.b.

Parent and community involvement in KCS is highlighted throughout this document. Parents areinvolved in creating their daughter or son's Personalized Learning Plan. Parents are involved in signingoff on student projects. Parents and community members will come into the school regularly to sharetheir talents and lend their expertise.

All students with disabilities in KCS will receive their special education services by a trainedprofessionals. Students in KCS will have the same teacher for up to five years; therefore, meaningfulrelationships will be established and students with disabilities will have an opportunity to develop along term relationship with an educational mentor who can most effectively leverage their strengths.j. Promotes and develops 21st Century Skills.

See below, Section I.3b3a. The grade levels of children to be servedIn 2011-12 Kornerstone will serve students in grades, 8,9, and 10. Grades 11, and 12 will be added insubsequent years to achieve an 8-12th secondary school.b. The unique curriculum and instructional model(s)/practices to be usedStudent centered learning in Kornerstone Charter School will emphasize five Employability areas:
http://wicharterschools.ning.com/group/pblnetworkhttp://wicharterschools.ning.com/group/pblnetworkhttp://wicharterschools.ning.com/group/pblnetwork


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Year 4 (11th graders): Senior Project I, Community Experience I, Advanced Web ToolsYear 5 (12th graders): Senior Project II, Community Experience II

Here is a brief description of a few unique courses we plan to design if our planning grant is approved:Acceptable and Appropriate Usage of Web and Devices - Students will learn to use devices such aslaptops, netbooks, and smartphones. Students will learn to use Kornerstone Charter School technology

vernacular and create an Acceptable Use Policy which will guide learning and technology. In thiscourse, students will go beyond creating usernames and passwords by becoming active members inlearning communities. Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Nings, PublicEarth, Amazon, Google, andSalesforce.com are just some of the sites students will be introduced to.Introduction to Project Based Learning - Students will be introduced to the elements and proceduresof PBL. Students will develop big ideas for projects.Introduction to Service Learning - Students will be introduced to SL. Students will examineleadership through service and get introduced to several community members, business leaders, andvolunteers who are a part of the Kornerstone learning community.Utilizing the Employability Traits/Processes of Learning - Students will examine the 5 mainemployability traits and create assessments for which their learning will be gauged.Intro to Design - What does it mean to create? What new innovative thoughts, products, or processescan students display or create? This course will explore annual MacroProjects and MicroProjects.Every student in KCS will actively participate on at least one annual project. An example of aMacroProject is students creating a high speed transportation system to connect major cities in theMidwest. Course work traditionally designated for collegial learning environments such as PoliticalScience, Sociology, Urban/Regional Planning, and Physics, will fuse with Math, science, SocialStudies. An example of a MicroProject is designing a daycare center for all employees within theKimberly Area School District. MicroProjects happen at the school, local community level; whereas,MacroProjects impact the citizens on the entire globe.Systems Learning - When a young man turns 18, he has to register for Selective Service. Workingadults must file taxes every year by April 15. Students seeking financial aid from the government mustfill out a FAFSA annually. In order to make a successful dentist appointment, an individual needs tomake sure their insurance, or lack of, covers a particular dentist. Systems have rules. Systems havedeadlines. Systems have clearly defined policies and paperwork. Each of the previously mentionedtasks involves an individual making conscious decisions within a system that has specific rules.Traditional schooling does not explicitly teach young adults to successfully operate in any systemexcept for the traditional school from which they come. Does a high school diploma mean an 18 yearold is ready to face the adult world and the multitude of systems? In Systems Learning students will gobeyond existing systems and study areas such as Game Theory, Economics, Programming, Statistics,and Social Justice. Students' preparation for higher learning or the workforce will be acceleratedthrough a deep understanding of systems learning. Systems learning is the investigation of a set ofexisting procedures or operations, whereas, design will focus on creating a new system.

This is totally amazing. I would be interested in using a curriculum like this to teach courses to kids in foster care (kids Ivolunteer with). (As amazing as it is to see it here, its also a little sadlike duh. J )

During the planning year Kornerstone staff and governance will investigate what other schools aredoing to service their students given a 12 month format rather than a 9 month schedule. At theCommunity Forum on January 11th, 2009, the Planning Team presented a structure for school day andyearly calendar.

School Day


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8:00am - 8:20am Community Building8:20am - 8:45am or 9:00am Advisement/ Mini Lessons (Kornerstone Specific Curriculum)8:45am or 9:00am - 10:00am Math OR Reading10:00am - 11:30am Project Based Learning11:30am - 12:00pm Lunch12:00pm - 12:15pm Duties/ Journaling

12:15pm - 1:45pm Project Based Learning1:45pm - 2:45pm Reading OR Math2:45pm - 3:05pm Advisory Group Meeting/ Analysis3:05pm - 3:10pm Clean up

Monday mornings will begin with whole group meetings, announcements, issues/concerns, andcelebrations. Kornerstone teachers reserve the right to deviate from the schedule if certain learningopportunities arise, or educational immersion days are planned.

School CalendarThere will be a two week school immersion session in July. All new students must attend both weeks.The first week will be community building with all the new members. All Kornerstone students will

attend the second week in the morning for team building and educational/technology setup. Theafternoons will be reserved for Personalized Learning Plan meetings with parents, students andadvisors. PLP meetings will run in blocks of time. There will then be one week off (last week of July)for each student to set up their individualized technology plan (briefcase). For 2011-2012, the twoweek boot camp will begin on July 11, and conclude on July 22. The first day of the first term will beAugust 1st.

There will be four, nine week, terms during the school year. The first term will start the first week ofAugust and go until October. The second term will go from October until December. The third termwill go from January until March. The fourth term will go from March until May. In between termsthere will be a two week deviation from classes. During the fall and spring term breaks, the first week

will be set up with a teacher work day on Monday. Tuesday through Thursday is set aside for parent,student, and advisor conferences. The second week of fall and spring breaks will be off, unless aninterim class is being taught. An interim class is a four to five day course. The students or teacherpropose the interim. There would need to be a minimum number of students enrolled to offer theproposed course. During each term there will be two tentative due dates for projects. One due datewill be four and a half weeks into the term (on the Wednesday), and the second will be at the end ofterm. The Friday after the four and a half week due date will be a half day for students with staffcollaboration in the afternoon. Kornerstone will be shutdown for two weeks during holiday break.There will be three "Nights of Celebration" which will take place on the last Friday of the first threeterms. Teachers will have a collaboration day the following Monday after the "Night of Celebration."Term four will be for Senior Projects and testimonials and celebrations from the year. A collaborative

Service Learning Project will culminate during this term. Students will also continue to work onProject Based Learning at this time. There will be between 43 and 48 days per term, depending onholidays and calendar breaks. Thanksgiving, the Friday before and Monday after Easter, Labor Day,Memorial Day, and the Wisconsin Charter School Convention will be mandatory days off.

Summer School will be the first three full weeks of June. This time will be used for Summer Projects(Transfer Hours), remedial work, or class proposals for half or full days.

At the community forum held on January 11th, 2010, the Kimberly community provided input


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regarding the school day and structure of the school year. 100% of the attendants at the meetingindicated they would like to see year round school. Community members also want the planning teamto investigate 'peak performance' within the school day.

Upon successfully completing Year 5, an internship, and a senior project, a KCS student will graduatewith a Kornerstone Diploma. In order to earn a diploma, students must attend KCS for a minimum of

three years.

c. The measurable goals of the charter school for each of the first 3 years (this doesnot include student achievement goalsthese are addressed in question e. below),e.g. improving attendance, reducing special education referrals, providing high qualityprofessional/curriculum development, provide specific training for charter schoolgovernance board etc.

Year 1

1. By the end of their first year of service, all governance board members will have formal

training in one of the following areas: Project Based Learning, Service Based Learning, orschool finance.

2. KCS Governance & staff will establish meaningful relationships with businesses andcommunity leaders in the Fox Valley.

3. Planning Team will transform into 'Implementation Team" and Spread the word aboutKornerstone to parents, students, and community members.

4. Highly qualified staff hired, and trained on all necessary instructional practices utilized inKornerstone.

5. KCS governance board will find an educational leader (see 'guru' in Section II.4) to providea stream of innovative ideas and focus professional development opportunities.

Year 2

1. KCS Staff will create an innovative learning environment, in which customizableeducational experiences are delivered to each student.

2. KCS Staff will continue to receive professional development in SBL & PBL.

3. Day to day operations will be teacher led. This will be the first teacher led school in theKASD.

4. Governance Board members KCS staff will continue to receive side by side training.

Year 3

1. KCS students and staff will work together to deepen school culture. The staff will involvethe students in relationships with age appropriate peers around the world.

2. KCS Staff will continue to strive towards being highly qualified teachers and begin to sharethe Kornerstone message with other schools in the district, other charter schools in Wisconsin,and other schools in the world.

3. KCS governance board and staff will seek out their second 'guru' and clarify theiremphasis/focus for the next two school years.

4. KCS will have its first graduates, bringing to fruition the concept of the senior project.


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d. The means of measuring the charter school goals in each of the first three yearsYear One (2010-2011)

Setup Non-Profit/Non-Stock corporation to house monetary transactions and establish a

protocol for financial operations

Establish autonomous Governance Board, and begin holding monthly meetings by

10/1/10 (as defined in Section II.4)

Hold at least six different community forums to inform the Kimberly community about

Kornerstone

Hire KCS Staff (1 full-time staff member for every 15 students)

Attend training and professional development in the following areas: Project Based

Learning (PBL), Service Based Learning, mobile learning, multiple intelligences, employabilitytraits, fostering community & school relationships, and school finance. All staff will engage in aPBL Immersion week during the summer

Set up Community Mentorship Program

Complete all necessary forms, policies, and admissions paperwork necessary to create

Kornerstone

Complete necessary steps required to enroll 45 students

Year Two (2011-2012)

Have students participating in Service-Learning Projects

Successful operation of the Community Mentorship Program

Personalized Learning Plan's utilized and carried out on a daily basis

Continued professional development and teacher competence in PBL & SBL

Place Year 4 students into community internships/apprenticeships

Year Three (2012-2013)

Be fully engaged in the 'open classroom'. Have meaningful relationships established withpeers around the world

Begin discussions about applying for dissemination grant (can only be carried out if

Kornerstone is successful)

Establish Senior Projects, and provide forum for seniors to share projects with community

& world.

New 'guru' and other governance board members begin term and training

3e. The measurable student achievement goals for each of the first 3 years

Students will successfully demonstrate the Kornerstone Employability Areas (Good

Communication, Work Ethic, Collaboration, Social Responsibility, and Problem Solving &Critical Thinking).

At least three times per year, students will display their work for the entire Kimberly

community.

Students will demonstrate competency with technology and mobile learning devices.

Using these tools students will produce authentic original work pieces publishable to the entireworld.
https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AVE2OMKAKY1jZHpkOGg1Zl8xNDZtNHg3ejRjOQ&hl=en#Timeline_to_set_uphttps://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AVE2OMKAKY1jZHpkOGg1Zl8xNDZtNHg3ejRjOQ&hl=en#Community_Mentorship_Programhttps://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AVE2OMKAKY1jZHpkOGg1Zl8xNDZtNHg3ejRjOQ&hl=en#Timeline_to_set_uphttps://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AVE2OMKAKY1jZHpkOGg1Zl8xNDZtNHg3ejRjOQ&hl=en#Community_Mentorship_Program


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Students will participate in one MacroProject or MicroProject per year.

Year One (2011-2012)1. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a Personalized Learning Plan.2. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a Technology Transparency (technology plan

outlining what tools students require to maximize learning potential).3. At least 60% of students at Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in math by the end of the

first school year, as demonstrated by MAP testing.4. At least 60% of students at Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in reading by the end of the

first school year, as demonstrated by MAP testing.5. By Thanksgiving, 80% of all students will complete a 30 hour project.

6. By February 1st, 80% of all students will complete a 60 hour project.7. By June 1st, 80% of all students will participate in a MicroProject or MacroProject.

Year Two (2012-2013)1. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a Personalized Learning Plan.2. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a briefcase (technology plan outlining what tools

students require to maximize learning potential).

3. At least 75% of students at Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in math, as demonstratedby MAP testing.

4. At least 75% of students at Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in reading, as demonstratedby MAP testing.

5. By the end of Year 4 (11th grade), at least 90% of all students attending Kornerstone will have acommunity mentor.

6. By Thanksgiving, 90% of all students will complete a 30 hour project.7. By February 1st, 90% of all students will complete a 60 hour project.8. By June 1st, 90% of all students will participate in a MicroProject or MacroProject.

Year Three (2013-2014)

1. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a Personalized Learning Plan.2. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a briefcase (technology plan outlining what tools

students require to maximize learning potential).3. At least 90% of Year 5 (12th grade) students at Kornerstone will complete a comprehensive field

research project and present the findings to a relevant community group.4. At least 90% of students in Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in math, as demonstrated

by MAP testing.5. At least 90% of students in Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in reading, as demonstrated

by MAP testing.6. By the end of Year 4 (11th grade), in least 90% of all students attending Kornerstone will have a

community mentor.

7. Upon completion of their Year 5 (12th grade), at least 95% of all Kornerstone students will beaccepted to a college or gain full-time employment.8. By Thanksgiving, 95% of all students will complete a 60 hour project.9. By February 1st, 95% of all students will complete a 100 hour project.10. By June 1st, 95% of all students will participate in a MicroProject or MacroProject.

3f. The means of measuring the student achievement goals each of the first 3 yearsincluding:Indicate agreement to administer reading and math assessment instrument(s) to be


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administered fall (September) and spring (March) for each of the first two years ofoperation, (e.g. Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Metropolitan, NWEA Measure of AcademicProgress, Stanford Achievement Test, etc.) and how the instruments will be used toimprove instruction and track achievement over time. (Year one operational results willbe reported on the Implementation Renewal application and year two operationalresults will be summarized on a final grant report due October 1, following the final

year of the grant).Every student in Kornerstone will participate in MAP testing at least twice per year (testing will beoffered in Fall, Winter, and Spring windows). Students will participate in district wide assessments ifthey're in a demographic the KASD requires testing. Students will also participate in the HOPE Studyannually. The HOPE Study measures students attitudes toward learning, school, and their future.Students will be strongly encouraged to take the ACT's and complete a project to prepare them for theexam. At least three times per year, students in Kornerstone will display and present their work for theKimberly community.

Students will log all project hours worked and track their progress. During the planning year, theplanning team will perform a comprehensive search to implement a system to track student progressand streamline Personalized Learning Plan's with completed student projects. Project Foundry andSalesforce.com are examples of two protocols or systems the planning team will investigate for use inKornerstone. Ease of toggling access to open and restrict use of documents/permissions is essential ifparents, staff, and students are all going to collaborate on a consistent basis. Since Kornerstone willutilize smart devices and provide students with laptops or phones, the methodology for tracking studenthours could potentially be paperless.

4. Describe the charter schools four-year professional development plan by answeringthe following questions:a. What specific competencies, skills and knowledge do teachers and administratorsneed in order to successfully implement the proposed curriculum and instruction atthe charter school?Teachers must place students at the center of the school. Kornerstone is not about a teachers classroom.Students in Kornerstone will select projects based on interests and passions. Teachers in Kornerstonewill use their knowledge, experience, and expertise to prepare students to meet theirobjectives, not theteachers. Although Kornerstone is teacher led, the students must be the center of the school. Service tostudents and community will be the foundation upon which teachers build their professional lives.

Teachers need training in Project Based Learning, Service Learning, mobile learning, utilizing &assessing multiple intelligences, and incorporating the five Kornerstone Employability Areas into theschool's culture. Due to working with community members and business leaders, teachers will need toposses excellent public relations skills. Teachers must be open to working year round. A three monthsummer vacation will not exist at Kornerstone Charter School. Teachers must chair at least onesubcommittee as designated by the Kornerstone Governance Board. Leadership skills are a necessity.Teachers need to have experience being a 'team member' of some sort. Teachers must strive towardsproficiency in all ten of the Wisconsin Standards for Teachers.

b. Provide a five-year professional/curriculum development plan on how you intendto develop the required competencies, skills and knowledge forteachers andadministrators to achieve the innovations envisioned for the charter school.


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2008-2009In October 2008, the Planning Team Chair attended the National Division of Career Developmentconference; after which, he led a book study on Clayton Christensen's Disrupting Class. In October2009, the same group of people studied Curtis Bonk's The World is Open. In April 2009, the planningteam chair attended the WCSA conference in April. Upon returning from the conference, the planningteam chair informed KHS building principal about a vision for a new charter school. KASD committed

to sending planning team chair to additional conferences on Web 2.0 tools (CESA 6), and multipleschool tours/PBL immersion days at Valley New School. In June, 2010, the planning team chair willattend the Games, Learning, and Society Conference in Madison, Wisconsin.

At the expense of the school district, the entire planning team was permitted to attend the 2009-10WCSA Conference. Before knowing the status of our planning grant, the planning team has enrolled ina summer immersion week at Valley New School (VNS). VNS will be working with EdVisions toprovide comprehensive training on Project Based Learning.

2010-2011 (Year 1)

Explore various leadership models, e.g.; servant leadership, collaborative leadership, etc

o Book studies comparing leadership styles

Begin training on PBL & SBL

o KCS Staff & Governance Board will: attend PBL Summer Immersion, attend

Minnesota New Country School, attend DCDT National Conference, attend WCSAConference, attend National Charter School Conference, establish relationship withcharter consultants who specialize in PBL, establish relationship with service learningexperts from DPI.

Attend Harvard University's Charter Schools: Practices for High Performance.

o KCS Staff & at least one governance board member will attend a four day

conference from November 11th-14th.o Leadership model will be shaped.

Work with charter consultant to develop Community Mentorship Program

o Host Discovery Days, and recruit business/community leaders into Kornerstone.

Begin training on mobile learning

o explore conferences dedicated to mobile learning

o explore embedded journalism to market Kornerstone

o Kornerstone will host a 2 day in-service with Judy Brown and experts from UW-

Madison's Games, Learning, & Society (GLS) department.

Begin training of multiple intelligence theories

o 2 day in-service hosted by Barney Slowey and Jim Adams

Begin training on incorporating Employability Traits into project assessments.

o Attempt to engage in a webinar with Dr. David Brewer, a professor at Cornell

University and expert in the field of creating authentic assessments for adults throughmeasuring 21st century skills.


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Develop professional resources and on-site library of above mentioned educational

practices/philosophies.

o acquire literature & peer reviewed studies

o establish a section on Kornerstone's website for the purpose of informing parents

and connecting Kimberly to the global community to further dialog and educationalpractices

2011-2012 (Year 2)

Further training on leadership model of choice, e.g.; servant leadership, collaborativeleadership, etc

o Attend leadership seminar

Further training on PBL & SBL

o Parents, Students, KCS Staff & Governance will attend PBL Summer Immersion,

attend an innovative charter school, and attend the WCSA Conference.

Deepen relationship with charter consultant

o Open Kornerstone for charter consultant to freely assess educational practices,rigor of instruction, and staff competence.

Finalize Community Mentorship Program Training Protocol


o Invite community mentor's to 'Boot Camp', conferences, governance board

meetings.

o Initiate community mentors by leading formalized training and laying out clear

expectations for conduct.

Continue training on mobile learning

o explore conferences dedicated to mobile learning

o Participate in case study with GLS, PublicEarth, or another reputable

institution/company.

o Kornerstone will host a 2 day in-service with Judy Brown and experts from UW-

Madison's Games, Learning, & Society (GLS) department.

o Students, parents, KCS staff & governance board members will participate in

side-by-side training for utilizing 'smart phones' in the educational setting.

Develop Kornerstone vernacular for incorporating multiple intelligence theories into the

classroom

Further training on incorporating Employability Traits into project assessments.

o Host a town hall meeting and invite experts in the field of business and education

to analyze assessment methods

Develop professional resources and on-site library of above mentioned educational

practices/philosophies.

o Acquire more literature & peer reviewed studies


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o Continue to add to section on Kornerstone's website which will inform parents

and connect Kimberly to the global community in the purpose of furthering educationalpractices and dialog

2012-2013 (Year 3)

Establish leadership model

o

Make parents and students aware of leadership styleo Document rationale behind leadership philosophies on Kornerstone website

Continue training on PBL & SBL

o Parents, students, KCS Staff & Governance will attend host Summer Immersion,

attend an innovative charter school, and attend the WCSA Conference.

Continue relationship with charter consultant

o Open Kornerstone for charter consultant to freely assess educational practices,

rigor of instruction, and staff competence.

Establish Kornerstone as a presence in PBL & SBL networks

o Collaborate with other PBL/SBL schools

o Lead dialog on issues, concerns, and observations in innovative learning

environments

Analyze Community Mentorship Program Training Protocol


o Invite community mentor's to 'Boot Camp', conferences, governance board

meetings.

o Initiate community mentors by leading formalized training and laying out clear

expectations for conduct.

o Provide community mentor's with a method for analyzing training and overall

impressions of Community Mentorship Program.

Continue training on mobile learning

o Explore conferences dedicated to mobile learning. Arrange for parents, students,

and KCS Staff to share at a mobile learning conference

o Continue participation in case study with GLS, PublicEarth, or another reputable

institution/company

o Kornerstone will host a 2 day in-service with Google or other major mobile

learning device company

o Students, parents, KCS staff & governance board members will participate in

side-by-side training for utilizing 'smart phones' in the educational setting

Further training on incorporating Employability Traits into project assessments.

o Host a town hall meeting and invite experts in the field of business and education

to discuss role of 21st century skills

Continue development of professional resources and on-site library of above mentioned

educational practices/philosophies


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2014-2015 (Year 5)

Spend 1 week at a charter school that utilizes service learning

Spend 8-10 days throughout the year focusing on emerging technologies and placing new

tools into the hands of KCS students

Attend national charter school conference for 1 week

Continue training on incorporating Employability Traits into project assessments

o Host a summit. Invite experts in the field of business and education to analyze

assessment methods & engage in a discourse surrounding 21st Century skills.

c. Describe how the necessary training will be provided in each year for newemployees or employee transfers. It is essential that investments made in trainingcharter school staff to achieve innovation be maintained.All new staff members will have to undergo an immersion week with a PBL institute such asEdVisions. All new staff will also have to undergo service learning training with the Service LearningCoordinator at DPI. With year round school leaving fewer days for professional development in thesummer, new employees shall be compensated for any professional development occurring outside of

the 198 contracted school days. The Governance Board shall determine the level of compensation.During their six months of employment, all new staff members are expected to participate in at leastfive webinars on their own time. They will report out their experience to other staff members in KCS.All new employees are expected to find up to three conferences of choice to attend during their firsttwo years of teaching at KCS.

II Governance & Autonomy

1. Charter schools are exempt from state requirements regarding public educationunless specifically referred to in state statute. Identify which of these state exemptionsthe school will take advantage of in order to maximize the flexibility afforded to charterschools by state law. Please refer to the link to s. 115-121, Wis. Stats., in the resource

section of this application for specific statutory language.

Topic Statute Rationale / Comment

180 Day School Year S 121.02(1)(f)2Year round school & provideflexibility to meet PersonalizedLearning Plans

Hours of Instruction S 121.02(1)(f)2 Student-directed Project BasedLearning & Service BasedLearning are not based on seat-hours of instruction

State Graduation Requirements S 118.33(1)(a) School will accommodate for

students specific learning needs

Length of School Day S 121.12(15)KCS staff in conjunction withGovernance Board will determinelength of school day

2. Local school board policies may be waived for charter schools to provide maximumautonomy and flexibility. Please identify school board policies that may be waived forthis charter school. This question does not apply to independent (2r) charter schools.Whereas 'Principal', or 'appropriate administrators' appears in KASD Board Policies, 'KCS Teachers'
http://www.neola.com/kimberly-wi/http://www.neola.com/kimberly-wi/


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shall be substituted (Policies: 3120.09 - Volunteers; 3142 - Non-Renewal of Probationary Teachers;3213 - Student Supervision and Welfare; 3217 - Dangerous Weapons; 3242 - Professional GrowthRequirements; 5330 - Use of Medications)Topic Policy #Board - District Administrator Relationship 1210Independent Study 2370.01

Human Growth & Development 2414Summer School 2440Authorizing and Filling Positions; Employment of Prof. Staff, SelectingStudent Teachers, Employment of Casual Resource Personnel, Vacancies,Employment of Support Staff

3111, 3120, 3120.06,3120.07, 3132, 4120

Assignment and Transfer 3130Reduction in Staff 3131Staff Evaluation 3220Creating a Position 4111

Assignment and Transfer 4130Reporting of Progress 5421Class Rank 5430District Graduation Requirements 5460Student Use of Electronic Devices 5512Student Fundraising 5830Purchasing 6320Payment of Claims 6470Gifts, Grants, and Bequests 7230Community Use of School Facilities 7510Use of Cell Phones and Other Data Devices by District Employees 7520District Web Page 7540.02Software Policy 7540.03School Day 8220Transportation 8600Vending Machines 8540Transportation by Private Vehicle 8660

3. Charter schools have a separate governance board that is legally able to contractwith the authorizer; has autonomy and control over charter school policies,procedures, personnel, instructional programs and budget.a. Describe your plans to establish an independent charter school governing board ifyou have not done so.

KCS will have an operational Governance Board consisting of the following voting members: KCSStaff, community members, parents, and a guru. Two non voting groups will also be a part of theGovernance Board, a student advisory council and a concigliere. Mike Rietveld has a lifetimeappointment as the KCS concigliere. His unique life experience as a life long Kimberly resident andeducator; as well as, his hand in the creation of Kornerstone, makes him an invaluable resource to theformation and sustainability of a Governance Board. Due to his position as Kimberly High SchoolPrincipal, he shall not have a vote in any of the governance matters. However, his council will besought, and he shall always have a seat at the Governance Board as an advisor. The concigliere shall


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also take back successful innovations and classroom practices from Kornerstone to other schools in theKimberly Area School District. The student advisory council will be made up of three KCS students.Each student will be in a different grade level. The student advisory group shall be responsible forraising funds that may be allocated to other students in KCS through the Student Activity Fund. Thestudent advisory group will work in conjunction with the Governance Board Chair to approve fundrequests made by KCS students. The students will also work closely with the Guru and be responsible

for implementing curriculum focus initiatives brought forth by the Guru.

For each voting KCS Staff member, there shall be one community member appointed to theGovernance Board. A 1:1 KCS staff to community member ratio must remain constant. TheGovernance Board shall consist of at least 5 voting members but no more than 9. If a KCS staffmember or community member leaves the Governance Board, a replacement member shall beappointed within 90 days of the vacancy. When replacing a community member, the replacementmember shall fulfill the remaining term. If replacing a staff member, the replacement board membershall serve until a new KCS staff member is hired. Quorums, in which KCS staff is the majority, shallnot exist. A quorum may only occur if 51% of the voting members are not KCS staff. The GovernanceBoard Chair will always be a community member.

One parent of a past or present Kornerstone student shall also be elected to the Governance Board, andserve a term not to exceed three years. Community members and parents shall serve a term of no longerthan three years. Community members may serve up to three consecutive terms. Community membersare elected by other governance board members. Community members and parents interested in servingon the KCS Governance Board need to complete the necessary form no later than April 1. Elections tothe Governance Board coincide with the student lottery. Both of these events are held on the Tuesdaybefore May 30. New governance board members shall assume duties on July 1.

The role of Guru is filled by a specialist in the field of education. This position shall be appointed byKCS staff and have a term of 2 years. A Guru can serve up to three terms in their lifetime; however,consecutive terms served by the Guru are not encouraged. The Guru's duty is to bring constantinnovation to Kornerstone and challenge the practices of KCS Staff. Examples of Gurus includeuniversity professors, experts in incorporating emerging technology, and governmental departmentchairs. The Guru will have a vote in all Governance affairs. If the Guru does not reside in the FoxValley and is unable to physically or virtually attend the Governance Meetings, they are able to casttheir votes within 48 hours of the meeting (either before or after). If the Guru lives out of the area, theywill receive the meeting minutes within 3 hours of the end of the meeting. In this digital age,geographic boundaries no longer prevent schools from having the guidance of experts.

b. Describe the authority this governing board will have to make decisions regardingbudgets, personnel, curriculum, charter school policies and the overall operation ofthe charter school.The Governance Board shall make budgetary decisions for all requested purchases. They shall approvepurchases on a monthly basis in a manner similar to the Board of Education for the Kimberly AreaSchool District. The Governance Board shall select personnel and staff to run Kornerstone CharterSchool through the following procedure:

All open full-time positions, stating required competencies, shall be posted to Kimberly

Area School District employees 72 hours before being posted to the general public. All KASDemployees will go through the process listed below.


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All completed applications will be turned in through WECAN,

www.kornerstonecharterschool.com, or can be turned in to theKimberly Area School DistrictAdministration Building.

The Governance Board will select at least three candidates to interview. The Governance

Board will recommend two potential candidates to the Hiring Committee.

The Hiring Committee will make the final decision for hiring staff members. The Hiring

Committee shall be made up of the School Board President, Governance Board President,Superintendent or person delegated designated by the Superintendent, Kornerstone Teacher, andprincipal (Mike Rietveld). At any point and time, Mike Rietveldthe principal may relinquish hisposition on the Hiring Committee to another Governance Board member. He may turn over hisduties on the hiring committee to another Governance Board member on a case by case basis, orindefinitely.

The Governance Board shall approve the curricular approaches used at Kornerstone. The GovernanceBoard will not make any day-to-day decisions regarding curriculum. That duty falls upon KCS staff.The Governance Board will employ an independent evaluator to monitor the rigor and relevance of thecurriculum taught in KCS. The Governance Board will search for professional development

opportunities for KCS. The Governance Board will coordinate have responsibilities for fundraising.The funds secured by the Governance Board will fund professional development, provide technology tostudents, and assist in providing salary to KCS staff members for their work through the extendedschool year. The Governance Board will create, implement, and amend all policies not laid forth in thecharter relating to running the school. The KASD Board of Education will have to approve any policiesrelating to the physical school building.

The Governance Board shall exist as a Non-Profit/Non-Stock Corporation. The goal is to eventuallyhave 501 3c status in which Kornerstone can accept donations contributors can write off of their taxes.With a super-majority vote of 80%, the Governance Board can update, alter, and re-create any part ofthe master charter agreement.

c. Include a description of the administrative relationship between the charter schooland the authorizer and describe how the charter school will be managed.

Kornerstone will update the KASD Board of Education annually. As an instrument of the KimberlyArea School District, Kornerstone has an obligation to increase students academic abilities.Kornerstone students will participate in MAP testing at least twice per year. Students in Kornerstoneare subjected to all district wide and state mandated testing. The results of these tests are annuallyreported to the KASD Board of Education. Any KASD administrator or school board member isalways welcomed to come and see the learning taking place at Kornerstone.

Kornerstone Charter School's Governance Board or its designee will be in charge of and govern theschool. Kornerstone's teachers are employees of the authorizer and responsible for leading anddirecting the day-to-day operations of the charter school in accordance with the policies and proceduresset forth by the Governance Board. The Governance Board shall set policy and procedures aligned withthe vision and mission of Kornerstone Charter School and will determine its own budget, staffing, andprogram evaluation. Kornerstone will follow all KASD financial and accounting policies andprocedures. An annual report including financial and program aspects of the charter school will besubmitted to the school board and available to the public each year.

d. Describe the specific training that will be provided to the charter board and when it
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will be delivered, e.g. governing authority, Roberts Rules, finances/budgets, fundraising, parent involvement etcAt least two of the initial Governance members will attend the Summer Immersion for Project BasedLearning at Valley New School. The entire Governance Board will go through extensive training inorder to become knowledgeable in Robert's Rules of Order, School Finance, Project Based Learning,Service Learning, and school culture. At least once per year, the Governance Board will attend a

retreat. The retreat will consist of a two day conference in which the Governance Board will explorepertinent issues to Kornerstone and become more knowledgeable regarding governance. An exampleof an appropriate retreat would be attending the annual WCSA Conference.

III The Planning Process

1.Provide a chronological description of all charter planning activities completed priorto the submission of this application.April 2008-April 2009: Michael McCabe, Tom Krause, and Brad Klitzke attempted technologyinnovations and inquiry learning in Kimberly High School and CORE Charter School.April 2009 - Michael McCabe attended the WCSA Conference, and participated in the Technologystrand. Marcia Van Hout attended the Project Based Learning strand. Michael McCabe beginsdiscussions about a new charter school. He creates a working blueprint of a new charter school.May 2009 - Kimberly High School teachers Emily McCabe, Brad Klitzke, Tom Krause, and Phil Yunkprovide insights into the development of the new school.-Mr. Rietveld, KHS Principal, was approached about the concept of a new charter school. He wassupportive, and urged Michael McCabe to move forward with the planning.June & July 2009 - Michael McCabe came up with name Quo Vadis (Latin for: 'where are you going'or 'rise, and let us be on our way'. Brad Klitzke comes up with the name Kornerstone.-Planning Team formed.-The Charter Planning Grant was started as a Google Doc and opened up to the entire planning team.August 2009 --Brad Klitzke and Michael McCabe attended an information session in Mid-August in Oshkosh. Theymade contact with Barry Golden of DPI, and Steve DeMay from Valley New School. They were toldwhat to expect with the grant and creation of an innovative school. Barry placed a huge emphasis onbeing innovative.-Additional people invited to planning team, active members include: Mike Rietveld, Tom Krause,Katie Heling, Brad Klitzke, Emily McCabe, and Michael McCabe.-Planning team met every other week.September & October 2009 --Michael McCabe spoke with Barry Golden and was told to get in touch with a charter consultant fromEdVisions.-Michael McCabe contacted Aaron Grimm, a consultant from EdVisions.-Mobile Learning expert Judy Brown attends Planning Team meeting.-Meeting to inform the school board is set for November 23rd. Presentation for the board is created.-Michael McCabe attends an immersion day at Valley New School on October 28th. Received greatinformation from staff and students. Michael McCabe met Aaron Grimm and spoke about an alliancebetween Kornerstone andEdvisions.November 23rd - Informing the school board- Michael McCabe and Brad Klitzke informed the schoolboard about plans for completing the Planning Grant. They told the school board they'd return inMarch, seeking authorization. The school board was also invited to participate on the KornerstoneNing, which was set up in August 2009, to elicit feedback and facilitate discussions. A Ning is anonline social community. In this instance, the Ning is set up to encourage a dialog for a new charterschool.
http://kornerstonecharterschool.ning.com/http://www.edvisionsschools.org/http://www.edvisionsschools.org/http://kornerstonecharterschool.ning.com/http://kornerstonecharterschool.ning.com/http://kornerstonecharterschool.ning.com/http://www.edvisionsschools.org/http://kornerstonecharterschool.ning.com/http://kornerstonecharterschool.ning.com/


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December 2009- Four members of the planning team toured Valley New School.-Heated discussions in planning team meetings lead to debates over structure of school day,implementation of curriculum, open learning versus structured learning, degree of student choice incurriculum, what is a credit and why do we need them if we're assessing employability and processes.January 11th - Community Forum- A community forum was held at Kimberly High School. Over adozen community members attended. Barry Golden from DPI explained the basics of charter schools

and project based learning. Tom Krause and Michael McCabe led the forum with Barry Golden. Theevent lasted for over three and half hours and several parents voiced their enthusiasm for the newschool. An email list of event participants was drafted and all attendees were invited to join theplanning teams website. The planning Team incorporated community feedback into ongoing dialog.February & March -Planning team meetings continue on a bi-weekly basis-Tom Krause and Michael McCabe attend Service Learning conference at DPI in Madison (March 3).-Tom Krause and Michael McCabe go before the school board and gain authorization (March 8).-Entire Planning Team attends WCSA Conference (March 22-23).2. Provide a list of the names of the people involved in the planning process and theirrole(s).Michael McCabe - Lead Teacher CORE Charter School, Founder of Kornerstone & Planning TeamChair; Tom Krause - KHS Social Studies Teacher, Co-Founder of Kornerstone; Brad Klitzke - KHSSocial Studies Teacher, major contributor to Kornerstone planning team; Mike Rietveld - KHSPrincipal, Planning Team Member; Emily McCabe - KHS Art Teacher, Planning Team Member;Marcia Van Hout - CORE Charter School Credit Recovery Coordinator, Planning Team Member; PhilYunk, KHS English Teacher, Planning Team Member; Katie Heling - KHS Science Teacher, PlanningTeam Member; Billie Braeger - KHS Special Educator, Planning Team Member.3.Provide a description of how parents and other members of the community havebeen involved in the planning and design of the charter school.On January 11th, 2010, over a dozen community members participated in a Community Forum. TomKrause, Michael McCabe, and Barry Golden presented an hour long synopsis of Kornerstone CharterSchool. Mr. Golden informed the public about charter schools, validity of Project Based Learning, andthe relationship between KASD and the state of Wisconsin. Following the presentations by TomKrause, Michael McCabe, and Barry Golden, the people at the forum walked around the room andposted their thoughts. Here is a list of the topics and questions presented to the people of Kimberly.Their comments follow -Community Involvement/ Businesses

Question: How do you see outside resources and members being a key part of the school? (Examples,mentoring ideas, etc)i. Although I was a college-bound H.S. Senior, I did a co-op at a business that led to a job offer. Now Iam in medicine and job shadowing is essential to students exploring different fields.ii. Community involvement is the key for those non traditional learning students. Helps explore whatthey are curious about.iii. Use existing organizations such as the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, etcSchoolBuilding/ Set up (physical make-up)Question: What would you like to see in a school for student first learning? (Do not worry about cost.Brainstorm).i. Non-traditional take them where the learning can happen- outside the building.ii. Ensure transportation to and from is covered.iii. School with multiple settings within the building; kitchen, gym, lab, shop, etcStudent skill sets/ needs

Question: What do you believe are key components which students should come out of school with?i. Absolutely, they need critical thinking skills. To question and challenge best practices in a
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constructive and cooperative way. Listening skills are essential to understanding problems and theability to provide feedback, both positive and negative. Arbitration and clear communication too.ii. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses. How they learn best, since you never stop learning. Theycan set goals and know how to achieve them.iii. Accountability, good will, positive interpersonal skills.Technology Integration/ ideas

Question: How should schools use 21st technologies to enhance student first learning?i. Integrate technology into projects, present projects with technology of today, require technology tobe used in project work.ii. My 5th grader is already using current technology in his traditional school; internet, PPT,keyboarding skills. They need to understand limits, boundaries, inaccurate info, plagiarism, fraud,etciii. Work with FVTC to keep technology on the leading edge where business is and most schools and 4-year colleges are behind.iv. Stress to students that technology should not replace traditional reading.School schedule/ day

Question: What are your thoughts on year-round schooling or a modified schedule? What benefits anddownfalls do you see to unique schedules?i. Year round good with breaks. Daily schedule.ii. Should recognize peak performance hours for teens.iii. How would modified schedules affect co-curricular participation?iv. Do all kids follow the same schedule?v. Also affect summer only opportunities (for example Y Camp?)vi. Year round is beneficial.Catch All

Question: Other questions and concerns you may have? Ideas you would like to see investigated duringthis process.i. What about appreciation for the Arts and Literature? This will fit directly into the Project BasedLearning.ii. A charter school also needs to emphasize health, happiness and positive interpersonal skills.

4.Provided a description of how parents and other members of the community will beinvolved in the implementation of the charter school.Parents and community members are an integral part of Kornerstone Charter School. Parents areinvolved in creating their son or daughters Personalized Learning Plan (PLP). At least one parent willserve on the Kornerstone Governance Board. There is a 1:1 community member to staff member ratioon the Kornerstone Governance Board. Tom Krause and Michael McCabe will host over tendiscussions at various community settings in order to continue informing the community and gatherfeedback. As our planning team expands, we will seek parents to help us set up the physical structure ofthe school and participate in sub-groups within our Governance Board.

A key component of Kornerstone CharterSchool is the Community Mentorship Program. TheCommunity Mentorship Program works as such:-At the beginning of Year 3 at Kornerstone (traditionally 10th grade), students will begin a quasi-professional relationship with a community member who works in a field of interest to the student.This community member will be known as the students 'Community Mentor'. The Community Mentoris subject to a background check. They will have to undergo training.-The Community Mentor will come into KCS regularly throughout the school year.-The student will job shadow the community mentor during Year 3.


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-During Year 4 (11th grade), the student will work with their Community Mentor on a project. TheCommunity Mentor will assume the advisory role for the student on the project.-By the end of Year 4, the Community Mentor will assist in placing the student at an internship. Theinternship will take place during the end of Year 4 or during Year 5.-The Community Mentor will participate in the students Personalized Learning Plan during Year 4 & 5.

5. Describe how the district school board or chartering authority and the localteachers association have been involved in the planning process.In November, 2009, two members from the planning team (Michael McCabe & Brad Klitzke) informedthe KASD Board of Education. The school board received a packet of information describing the visionof Kornerstone. The school board provided informal unanimous consent to proceed with thecompletion of the planning grant. The school board asked several questions. During the firstinformational meeting, the Board of Education was informed of two 'must have' issues with the newcharter school. In order to succeed, Kornerstone needs to be a stand alone school and not reside withinany currently existing schools. Secondly, in order to ensure sustainability, Kornerstone needs to get theper pupil funding of its students. The money that would be funneled to Kimberly High School or JRGerritts Middle School for the student needs to flow towards Kornerstone Charter School. To ensure anopen dialog, the school board was invited to join the website that was set up by Michael McCabe. Thesuperintendent and high school principal are both members of the aforementioned website. The Boardof Education was invited to take part in the Community Forum on January 11th; however, the nightcoincided with a board meeting. The school board was updated about the Community Forum andcharter planning progress in February, 2010. In March 2010, Michael McCabe and Tom Krause went tothe school board seeking authorization of the planning grant. In a 6-0 vote, the school boardunanimously voted to approve the submission of the planning grant for Kornerstone Charter School.

Brad Klitzke is a member of the planning team and he is the Vice-President of the Kimberly EducationAssociation. He's working with the teachers union to create a Memorandum of Understanding that willprotect teachers in charter school from reductions standard seniority language to better ensurecontinuity of professional staff.

6. Outline the remaining planning work that needs to be accomplished to open yourschool and to begin serving children by fall 2011. Please address facility and staffingissues to the degree possible. Include a timeline for activity and planning processes.

Goal/Outcome Timeline Activity People Involved &Responsible

Finalize KornerstoneVision & Mission

May 2010 August2010

Bi-weekly planning teammeetings

Planning Team Chairs

10/1/10 Draft charter school contract;have contract approved bySchool Board; OperationalGovernance Board

Planning Team, SchoolBoard, legal consul; KCSGovernance Board

10/1/10 Establish Non-Profitcorporation as fiscal agent ofKornerstone

Planning Team Chairs;School Board

By 6/1/10 Draft & finalize policies andprocedures; parent and student

KCS Governance Board
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handbooksProvide highlyqualified teachers andother supportpersonnel

3/1/11 Hire teachers (4), 2 by 11/1/10 KCS Governance Board;KCS Hiring Committee

Develop curriculum

and defineinstructionalmethodology

6/1/11 All planning year (2010-2011)

professional developmentactivities

KCS Governance Board;

Planning Team Chairs

6/1/11 Visit other PBL & SL schools KCS Governance Board;Planning Team Chairs

6/1/11 Identify instructional resources KCS Governance Board;Director of Instruction;KCS Staff

7/1/11 Develop Employabilitybenchmarks & Assessments


7/1/11 Develop CommunityMentorship Program

KCS Governance Board;superintendent

Increase communityawareness andparental support forKornerstone

8/1/10 7/15/11

Organize communityinformational meetings;provide information in districtpublications

KCS Staff & GovernanceBoard

12/1/10 Develop Website KCS Governance Board;Planning Team Chair

1/10/11 Send out brochure to all 6-9th

grade parents in KASDKCS Governance Board

Ongoing Organize parent & studentinformational meetings

KCS Staff; KCSGovernance Board

Ongoing Disseminate informationalpamphlet at Parent TeacherConferences in October &February

KCS Staff; KCSGovernance Board

Develop charterschool facility

10/1/10 Secure space for charter school KASD School Board; KCSGovernance Board

7/1/11 Identify and procure neededequipment & resources


Enroll Students 11/1/10 Admission forms, procedures,and applications finalized


1/1/11 7/30/11

Accepted applications will benotified


5/1/11 8/1/11

Student Orientation KCS Staff

7/11/11 8/1/11

Student PLPs drafted KCS Staff, parents, andstudents

Conferences &ProfessionalDevelopment

Ongoing Gain competence in PBL, SL,employability traits, MultipleIntelligences, Mobile Learning,school finance, school culture,charter school setup &

KCS Staff; KCSGovernance Board;Community Mentors;School Board Members,District Administrators


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sustainability, governance,transition services, andcommunity involvement

Budget Training Ongoing Gain an understanding ofoperating costs and financialmanagement of a charter

school

KCS Staff, KCSGovernance Board; KASDBusiness Manager

7. When school districts authorize charter schools and receive federal funding,significant resources are invested in professional development during the initial threeyears. Please describe efforts that will be undertaken to retain these teachers in thecharter school.Kornerstone Charter School is teacher led. The creators of the charter school are the same peoplecharged with the task of educating the students, running the school, and sustaining an innovativelearning environment. The creators of the charter school understand their responsibilities associatedwith beginning a new school. As long as the staff and governance of KCS operate a high quality schooland produces results, little cause for non-retention exists. During the planning year, the KCS planningteam will thoroughly investigate budgetary challenges. However, two large uncontrollables exacerbatethe situation surrounding the creation and formations of a new charter school. The first is building cost.KCS will be in a stand alone site, and our largest budgetary expense outside of salary cost will bebuilding cost. The planning team is unable to secure a building until approval of the grant occurs. Thus,current budget analysis are speculative. The second element associated with teacher retention is thecurrent budgetary crises faced all over the State of Wisconsin. The Kimberly Area School District isdemonstrating extraordinary leadership in these trying times by establishing an innovative learningenvironment run by teachers. The fact that Kornerstone CharterSchool has gone from a vision and isheading towards a reality is proof of effort undertaken to retain teachers. The planning team has beenprovided with an opportunity to create a new school and see that school flourish from the ground up.The MOU previously mentioned plainly establishes KCS staff will not be bumped out of their teaching

positions.

8. Document parent and community support for the proposed school. You may attachup to three letters of support. These letters will not count as part of the 20 page limit.****IV Equal Access1. Provide a description of how your plan will assure equal access for all studentsregardless of gender, race, national origin, color, disability or age factors.The Kornerstone Governance Board and Kimberly Area School District Board of Education willcollaboratively develop a recruitment plan consistent with the goal of achieving equal access for all

students in grades 8-12, regardless of gender, race, national origin, color, or disability. All students ingrades 8-12 in the Kimberly Area School District are eligible to attend Kornerstone Charter School. Allstudents and their families will be notified of the charter school application process and timelinethrough the district newsletter that is mailed monthly, through the school district website, and throughmailings when funding permits.

2. Provide a description of how students with disabilities will be servedKornerstone Charter School is open to all students. If the person attending KCS is a student with adisability, she or he will receive their appropriate services identified in their Individualized Education


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Plan (IEP). Before beginning the first day of classes at KCS, a student with disabilities will have an IEPmeeting in which the IEP team will discuss and determine the appropriateness of placement andservices in KCS. The IEP team will identify the supports needed to ensure student success. Every effortwill be made to involve the following participants at the IEP meeting preceding the students entranceinto KCS: Student, parent, special educator and regular education teacher from JR Gerritts MiddleSchool or Kimberly High School, KCS staff member, KCS Governance Board member.

The planning team wants to investigate the possibility of a KCS Governance Board Member serving inthe role of the Local Education Agency (LEA) representative. The Governance Board makes financialdecisions for KCS. A relationship between a student with disabilities and a member of the governanceboard is vital to establishing need and cause for any expenses accrued per disability (examples includeassistive technology, transportation/building accommodations, etc). Service Learning (SBL) requiresstudents in KCS to actively participate in the community. During thePlanning Grantyear, thePlanning Team will thoroughly investigate any barriers, restrictions, or expenses that could possiblyarise due to the students disability level and SL. As permitted by state and federal laws, specialeducation services taking place in KCS will be charged to federal or state governmental agencies.

By Year 3 (10th grade) every effort will be made to have the student with disabilities complete themajority of the Annual IEP. The student with disabilities shall be in charge of advocating for theirtransition services (I-8), and completing the Present Level of Academic Achievement and FunctionalPerformance (I-4). By Year 4 (11th grade), the student with disabilities will set up their Annual IEPmeeting and participate in completing the formal invitations (I-1, I-1T, I-3, EE-1, & P-2). By Year 5(12th Grade), the student with disabilities shall complete their entire IEP. A KCS staff member orKASD Special Education teacher will assist with the completion of the IEP as a part of a project.During Year 4 & Year 5, the Annual IEP meeting will coincide with the students PLP creation meeting.This will ensure inclusionary principles and allow students with disabilities to be a part of a commonplanning time as their regular education peers. Innovation in the Individualized Education Plan couldlead to creating an inclusive community. Based on the demographics of other PBL schools in the FoxValley (Valley New School), the planning team of Kornerstone is anticipating at least 20% of the

student body will be made up of students with disabilities.

Upon entering Kornerstone, a KCS staff member will become the case manager of the student withdisabilities. With parental permission, the case manager will not have to posses any special educationlicensure. Parents of the students with disabilities will determine if they are comfortable withattempting innovative strategies seeking to improve student performance.

3. Provide a description of how students in the community will be informed about thecharter school and given an equal opportunity to attendPrior to January 1st of each year, all parents of sixth through eighth graders in the KASD shall receiveliterature regarding Kornerstone. Kornerstone representatives will hold information sessions at least

three times per year.

Informational meetings for parents and their students will be held in January or February. In addition,school counselors will provide information on Kornerstone to students and their parents as applicable.JR Gerritts Middle School, Kimberly High School, and the Administration Building will all haveapplications for Kornerstone. No student will be denied an opportunity to complete an application.When fair and appropriate, Kornerstone Charter School staff will assist students in completion of theirapplication. In order to keep clear communication and avoid perceived favoritism, any applicationcompleted with KCS staff assistance will be sent to the superintendant of schools, and the Governance
http://valleynewschool.com/http://valleynewschool.com/


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Board.

4. Describe the admissions policy and any qualifications for admission that will beestablished5. Provide a description of a random lottery process to be implemented if morestudents apply for admission than can be accommodated in the charter school

Kornerstone Charter School shall have an enrollment of no more than 45 students in grades 8,9, and 10for the 2011-2012 school year. The enrollment period for the 2011-2012 school year will beginDecember 1, 2010, and extend through July, 30,2011. In successive years the enrollment period will befrom January 1 - June 1.

In year 2 (2012-2013), KCS will expand its enrollment to 60 students and serve students in grades 8-11. In year 3 (2013-2014), KCS will expand its enrollment by an additional 15 students and reachcapacity with 75 students in grades 8-12. In conjunction with the school board, the KCS governanceboard will determine if the grade level or enrollment numbers require alterations. KCS staff may adjustenrollment slots per grade level as necessary.

If the number of prospective student applicants exceeds the number of available enrollment slots, anannual lottery shall ensue. The annual lottery will be held on the Tuesday preceding May 30th (if May30th is a Tuesday, the lottery will be held on May 23rd). Completed applications must be turned in 72hours before the lottery is held. Applicants exempt from the lottery process include siblings of KCSstudents and children of KCS teachers (provided the number of children does not exceed 5% of thetotal school enrollment). Exempt applicants will be granted 'prospective student' status and fillavailable enrollment slots. The lottery is open to the public and facilitated by a KCS staff member andgovernance board member. Names of applicants are blindly selected at random by a human. After all ofthe available enrollment slots are filled, random selection proceeds until all names are selected to fillthe waiting list. Parents and students will receive notification of the results within 72 hours of lotterycompletion. Upon parental notification, students are officially 'prospective students' in KornerstoneCharter School.

Before gaining enrollment into KCS, all prospective students must complete an interest and aptitudeassessment (located on the Kornerstone website and available at Kornerstone Charter School). Theassessment measures the students strengths and weaknesses in their multiple intelligence area. Theassessment will also measure a students coachability. In order for a student to experience success in aproject/service based learning environment, they will have to be self reflective, able to handle criticalanalysis, and be a team player. The student, a parent, and a former teacher will all complete theassessment. Before successful enrollment into KCS, the student and parent will sit down with KCSstaff and go over the results of the assessment. Sticking to the spirit of a free, fair, and public school,KCS staff will take measures to ensure the parent and student make the decision regarding entranceinto Kornerstone. If a parent feels they are being unjustly turned away from KCS, they may request agrievance hearing with the KCS Governance Board. The District Administrator or representative ofKASD administration shall be invited to the meeting. A prospective student must complete the interestand aptitude assessment within ten days of notification, or their enrollment slot shall be offered to thenext student on the waiting list.

After soliciting applications from students in the Kimberly Area School District, open enrollmentstudents per the Wisconsin Open Enrollment law will be considered if there are vacancies. If a vacantenrollment slot does not exist, the student can participate in the May lottery and accept a place on thewaiting list.


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V. The Budget1. Describe the methods by which controls over expenditures and records ofexpenditures will be maintained.

As an instrumentality of Kimberly Area School District, the charter school will follow all district

financial, accounting, auditing, and purchasing policies and procedures. The charter school will beallocated funds, including federal discretionary funds and grants, in a manner consistent with otherdistrict schools. Separate accounts will be set up for the Kornerstone Charter School under the controlof the charter governance or designee. An annual report including financial and program aspects of thecharter school will be submitted to the school board and available to the public each year.

Kornerstone Charter School will actively pursue applicable grants, donations, and fund-raisingactivities. School district policies and accounting procedures will be followed for each of theseactivities to assure appropriate monitoring and reporting.

As an instrument of the school district, Kornerstone Charter School and Kimberly Area School Districtagree that all business functions, accounting, payroll, maintenance, and similar functions shall beassumed by the district except the budgeted allocations shall be dispersed according to the charterschool governance board. Any grants or donations applied for and received by Kornerstone CharterSchool shall be disbursed through the grant guidelines under the direction of the charter schoolgovernance board.

As an instrumentality of the Kimberly Area School District, Kornerstone Charter School will fall underthe umbrella of the Districts liability insurance. The charter school will carry the types and limits ofliability insurance as is currently carried by the school district for all of its facilities. Upon theestablishment of KCS, there will be no change in the liability of KASD. The charter school will be aninstrumentality of the District. As such, it will be provided the same services as all other KimberlyArea School District schools in regard to teacher salaries, facilities, and maintenance. Federal fundswill be allocated to the charter school at the same proportion as all other Kimberly Area School Districtschools.

2. Provide a list of itemized expenditures and a budget narrative which provides arationale for why the expenses are necessary. This list should be consistent with theLocal Plan For Use of Discretionary Funds, but should offer greater detail includingspecific items and the cost of items that will be purchased.

ActivityBudgetedAmount

Rational/Explanation

Draft charter school

contract, andhave school boardapprove master contract

$5000 Legal Fees

Set up wireless internetsignal and point to pointlink for new schoolbuilding

$25,000 Connectivity in KCS is a n

Documents

Kornerstone Charter School Planning Grant