Summary of Findings and Recommendations...Summary of Findings and Recommendations Proposal to Establish THE URBAN ASSEMBLY CHARTER SCHOOL FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE April 6, 2016 Charter

Summary of Findings and Recommendations

Proposal to Establish THE URBAN ASSEMBLY CHARTER SCHOOL FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE

April 6, 2016

Charter Schools Institute State University of New York

41 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, New York 12207

(518) 445-4250 (518) 320-1572 (fax)

www.newyorkcharters.org

http://www.newyorkcharters.org/

SUNY Charter Schools Institute ■ Summary of Findings and Recommendations ■ Urban Assembly Charter School for Computer Science 1

Executive Summary The applicants submitted the proposal to establish the Urban Assembly Charter School for Computer Science (“UACS”) to the SUNY Charter Schools Institute (the “Institute”) on January 22, 2016 in response to the Institute’s Request for Proposals (the “RFP”) (available at: www.newyorkcharters.org/create/request-for-proposals/2015-suny-request-for-proposals) released on behalf of the of the State University of New York Board of Trustees (the “SUNY Trustees”) on July 2, 2015. UACS intends to operate one high school to be located in a public or private facility within New York City Community School District (“CSD”) 7 in the Bronx. The new school will open in August 2017 with 105 students in 9th grade and will grow one grade each year to serve 420 students in grades 9 - 12 during its first charter term. UACS will admit new students and backfill all vacant seats at all grade levels. The applicants propose UACS as a Career & Technical Education (“CTE”) high school that will provide both college and career preparation through rigorous academics as well as hands-on industry training and experience to ensure graduates are empowered with options, and to appeal to all learning modalities. UACS will replicate the highly effective instructional program of the Urban Assembly Gateway School for Technology (“UA Gateway”) by implementing the same core aspects of the existing school’s approaches to academics and school culture as well as structures and systems for computer science integration across the curriculum. Founded in 2011, UA Gateway is an unscreened public CTE high school in Manhattan serving primarily low-income students of color who enter below or far below grade level. UACS anticipates its population will be similar. One of seven established UA CTE district schools in New York City, UA Gateway achieved an 89% graduation rate in its first cohort of graduates in 2015 including the following distinctions:

• All graduates received Regents or Advanced Regents Diplomas; • 89% meaningfully exceeds the New York City, borough, and peer group average; • This figure includes the graduation rates for general education students (90%) and

students with disabilities (82%); and, • UA Gateway is in the 82nd percentile of schools in New York City for college readiness.

Please see additional performance data and analysis in Appendix A.

For nearly two decades, The Urban Assembly, Inc. (“UA”), a New York not-for-profit education and youth development organization, has started and supported small public middle and high schools of choice across New York City. UA network graduation, college matriculation, and college persistence rates far surpass the city averages for their population. The main tenets of the UA model, including data-driven instruction, strong teacher-student relationships, strategic external partnerships, and well supported post-secondary access and readiness, provide a backbone of success around which their

http://www.newyorkcharters.org/create/request-for-proposals/2015-suny-request-for-proposals


autonomous principals, with UA coaching and services, create strong school cultures and deliver rigorous academic programs. Based on this experience, UACS will partner with the UA for assistance with start-up activities, access to the staff and resources of the UA network of 21 schools, and direct operational support through UA’s School Support Team including leadership and staff professional development and coaching. The Institute finds that the proposal for UACS rigorously demonstrates the criteria detailed in the RFP, which are consistent with the New York Charter Schools Act of 1998 (as amended, the “Act”). Based on the proposal, as amended, and the foregoing: The Institute recommends that the SUNY Trustees approve the proposal to establish the Urban Assembly Charter School for Computer Science.


Findings Based on the comprehensive evaluation of the proposal in accordance with the criteria and objectives contained within the RFP, and interviews of the applicant and members of the proposed education corporation’s board of trustees, the Institute makes the following findings.

1. The charter school described in the proposal meets the requirements of Article 56 of the New York Education Law (as amended) and other applicable laws, rules, and regulations as reflected in (among other things):

• the inclusion of appropriate policies and procedures for the provision of services and

programs for students with disabilities and English language learners (“ELLs”); • the required policies for addressing the issues related to student discipline, personnel

matters and health services; • an admissions policy that complies with the Act, federal law and the U.S. Constitution; • the inclusion of the proposed by-laws for the operation of the proposed education

corporation’s board of trustees; and, • the inclusion of an analysis of the projected fiscal and programmatic impact of the

school on surrounding public and private schools.

2. The applicants have demonstrated the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner as reflected in (among other things):

• the provision of an educational program that meets or exceeds the state performance

standards; • the articulation of a culture of self-evaluation and accountability at both the

administrative and board level; • the student achievement goals articulated by the applicants; • an appropriate roster of educational personnel; • a sound mission statement; • a comprehensive assessment plan; • the provision of sound start-up, first-year, and five-year budget plans; • a plan to acquire comprehensive general liability insurance to include any vehicles,

employees and property; • evidence of adequate community support for, and interest in, the charter school

sufficient to allow the school to reach its anticipated enrollment; • the inclusion of descriptions of programmatic and independent fiscal audits, with fiscal

audits occurring at least annually; • the inclusion of a school calendar and school day schedule that provide at least as much

instruction time during the school year as required of other public schools; and,


• the inclusion of methods and strategies for serving students with disabilities in compliance with federal laws and regulations.

3. Granting the proposal is likely to: a) have a significant educational benefit to the students

expected to attend the proposed charter school; b) improve student learning and achievement; and, c) materially further the purposes of the Act. This finding is supported by (among other things):

• extended learning opportunities with 425 minutes of literacy instruction, 275 minutes

of math, 275 minutes of science, 275 minutes of social studies, 120 minutes of advisory, 220 minutes of physical education and art instruction, 275 minutes of CTE coursework, and 200 minutes of targeted tutoring each week;

• a strong commitment to serving the most at-risk students with multiple programs to address the needs of students at-risk of academic failure including students with disabilities and ELLs;

• the inclusion of a robust professional development program for instructional staff prior the start of each school year and throughout the year;

• an organizational structure that provides ample instructional leadership to develop the pedagogical skills of all teachers; and,

• a deep commitment and experience in providing a comprehensive CTE program, in concert with multiple community partnerships, as a lever to produce high levels of student engagement and exceptional academic outcomes for both college and career readiness.

4. The applicants have rigorously demonstrated that the proposed charter school would

meet or exceed enrollment and retention targets, as prescribed by the SUNY Trustees, of students with disabilities, ELLs, and students who are eligible applicants for the federal Free and Reduced Price Lunch (“FRPL”) program as required by Education Law § 2852(9-a)(b)(i).

5. The applicants rigorously demonstrated that they have conducted public outreach for the

school, in conformity with a thorough and meaningful public review process prescribed by the SUNY Trustees, to solicit community input regarding the proposed charter school and to address comments received from the impacted community concerning the educational and programmatic needs of students in conformity with Education Law § 2852(9-a)(b)(ii).

6. The Institute has determined that the proposal rigorously demonstrates the criteria and

best satisfies the objectives contained within the RFP, and, therefore, is a “qualified application” within the meaning of Education Law § 2852(9-a)(d) that should be submitted to the New York State Board of Regents (“Board of Regents”) for approval.


Background and Description Amendments to the Act in 2015 increased the total number of charter schools allowable in the state to 482 charters. The 2015 amendments to the Act allow the SUNY Trustees as well as the Board of Regents the ability to grant 50 of the 181 available charters to applicants seeking to open schools in New York City. Since the 2015 amendments, five charters have been granted to applicants seeking to open schools in New York City leaving 45 charters remaining for that area. The Institute received 17 total proposals to create new charter schools in response to the December round of the 2015 RFP. The Institute developed the RFP “in a manner that facilitate[d] a thoughtful review of charter school applications, consider[ed] the demand for charter schools by the community, and s[ought] to locate charter schools in a region or regions where there may be a lack of alternatives and access to charter schools would provide new alternatives within the local public education system that would offer the greatest educational benefit to students,” in accordance with Education Law § 2852(9-a)(b). The Institute also posted the draft RFP for public comment and responded to same. The Institute conducted a rigorous evaluation of the proposal under consideration including academic, fiscal and legal soundness reviews. In addition, the Institute engaged independent consultants to evaluate the academic, fiscal and organizational soundness of the school based on the criteria set forth in the RFP. Pursuant to its protocols, the Institute, as well as Trustee Joseph Belluck, Chairman of the SUNY Trustees’ Charter Schools Committee, met with the applicants, members of the proposed board of trustees, and key UACS leadership. Mission and Key Design Elements The mission of UACS is to “equip students to be upwardly mobile in technology careers regardless of industry, providing the cognitive skills, direct training, and life preparation they need to succeed in any chosen computer science profession and in the pursuit of higher education. Our goal is to provide a dynamic and connected four-year experience in computer science training, academic education, and social-emotional development, culminating in a high school diploma, an industry credential, and a concrete post-secondary plan for education or work. Our students’ success and our enduring involvement with their communities will reverberate as a middle class opportunity for families and neighbors. Our graduates will be highly tech-literate, emotionally intelligent, and broadly skilled lovers of challenge and adapters to diverse contexts of learning, living, and working.”

In addition, the applicants identified the following goals for every UACS graduate:

● Earn a high school diploma and meet college readiness standards;

● Earn an industry certification that makes him or her competitive for entry-level employment in a computer science profession, and upon which additional training and certifications may be stacked;


● Complete a portfolio featuring a range of quality work that demonstrates his or her interests and capabilities in the computer sciences;

● Complete a computer sciences internship that delivers skills critical to his or her career interest and fulfills work-based learning hours required for a certification; and,

● Participate in four-years of Advisory, out-of-class enrichment and non-cognitive skills-building activities to develop social awareness and adaptability, self-confidence and resiliency in diverse contexts, and the ability to advocate for his or her needs.

Based on the UA’s experience with effective high schools and CTE programs, UACS’s key design elements are:

• Standards-aligned and mastery-driven instruction that focuses on what we teach (cognitively challenging, coherent curricula that are mapped to the Common Core), how we teach it (lesson planning and delivery that reflect essential elements of good practice and differentiation for heterogeneous learners) and authentic literacy (literacy-building strategies that are integrated through all instructional settings). Our curriculum is built around clear and measurable learning targets that focus instruction and assessment.

• A holistic and supportive school culture that revolves around a summer bridge program for incoming 9th graders, a four year advisory system, culturally responsive practices, embedded rites and rituals of community that rest on a values-driven accountability plan for staff and student decision-making, behavior and discipline.

• A CTE framework for computer science education that pushes beyond the best of current career CTE practice, engaging industry partners at all levels to provide relevant training and workplace experiences befitting a competitive candidate for a career in computer science.

• Post-secondary awareness, advisement and planning structures that introduce students to multiple pathways after graduation, encourage aspiration, begin with goals and interests mapping, support career exposure and ideation, and scaffold a student-driven experience of post-secondary preparation and pursuit.

• Robust and flexible scheduling that includes extended learning time in the school day (9 a.m. to 4:40 p.m.) and school year (202 days versus traditional 180) and that engages an adaptive, rotating schedule to allow teachers to prioritize co-planning and enable the quality and frequency of student interventions to respond to real-time data.

• Embedded weekly, monthly and yearly professional development that unifies staff in common values and methodology, promotes distributed leadership, provides opportunities for cross-curricular planning, develops strong shared practice for social-emotional learning and provides a platform for reflection, reorientation and continuous improvement.

• Cycles of continuous improvement scheduled into the school year that engage the staff in collective examination and analysis of data, and give structure to a process of planning and implementing around change when and where the need for it is identified.

Calendar and Schedule UACS will offer an extended school day and year with 202 days of instruction. The first day of the


2017-18 school year will be on or around August 21, 2017 and the last day will be on or around June 29, 2018. Subsequent school years will follow a similar calendar. The extended school day will run from 9:00 a.m. – 4:40 p.m. four days per week, with dismissal at 3:05 p.m. on Wednesdays to allow for weekly staff professional development activities. UACS will provide students with a total of 2,065 minutes of instruction per week, an increase of 38% over the state minimum of 1,650 minutes mandated in Education Law § 2851(2)(n) and 8 NYCRR § 175.5, and provided at the majority of high schools within the New York City Department of Education (“NYCDOE”). Academic Program UACS will be a CTE school with a curriculum aligned to New York’s college and career readiness standards as well as industry standards. In contrast to vocational schools of the past with narrow paths to specific jobs, the applicants demonstrate that an education in computer science develops analytical skills that can be applied in many contexts. Therefore, complementing a technical education in computer science, students at UACS will be exposed to a broad range of subjects including arts and humanities, mathematics and sciences to give them an appreciation of the many post-secondary options available to them. Students at UACS will be expected to take four years of each core subject—English, social studies, science and math—plus a CTE computer science course, exceeding state graduation requirements. They will also take classes in Spanish, arts, and physical education as well as a four year advisory sequence that will address social emotional development and post-secondary planning. The foundation and tools for the UACS curriculum framework will come from UA Gateway as well as other UA and CTE high schools. Instructional leaders will develop four year sequences and curriculum maps for each course, which teachers will then use to create pacing calendars and lesson plans. Curriculum maps and lessons will be aligned to the Common Core Learning Standards, the NYS Learning Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards and the Industry standards for CTE strands.

The school’s academic program will be implemented as follows: • Reading: Students will read voraciously and acquire an appetite for content-rich fiction

and nonfiction literature. Each year, students at all grade levels will read at least 2 works of literature per quarter: novels, novellas, plays, or memoirs; 8-12 quality independent reading books on or appropriately above students’ reading levels; at least 4 poems and 2 short stories that align with themes taught; and relevant non-fiction readings, e.g., articles, newspapers, essays, critiques, reviews for balanced distribution of fiction and non-fiction.

• Writing: Students will write frequently with strong emphasis on persuasive and

expository writing, producing at least 6 formal expository/argument papers; 3 narratives; one creative piece such as a poem or screen play; at least one short research paper per semester with requirements for a specified number of outside sources; and 1 extended


research paper of 10-15 typewritten pages during senior year in conjunction with another content area.

• Speaking and Listening: Students will engage in civil discussion and deliver confident

presentations about their reading, writing and opinions, through frequent collaborations with diverse and changeable groups of peers. Students will participate in at least 3 discussions per week about their reading and 1-2 presentations per semester including speech, recitation and defense of an argument. Protocol for academic discussion will be explicitly taught and reinforced. Students will become masters of developing and presenting arguments, supporting claims, and using valid reasoning with relevant and sufficient evidence.

• Social Studies: All UACS students will study U.S. and Global History as well as Government and Economics. Students will be challenged with a variety of task types to develop their historiographical and analytic skills and derive evidence from primary and secondary sources.

• Science: Students will engage in approximately 20 periods of science lab to reinforce the

content being learned and executed within a structured and calculated use of time. Students will read authentic scientific literature and write at least 2 technical scientific research papers each year, citing written sources to support a scientific argument.

• Mathematics: Students will make sense of problems and persevere in solving them; reason abstractly and quantitatively; construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others; model with mathematics; use appropriate tools strategically; attend to precision; look for and make use of structure; look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning; perform real world mathematics and problem solving; read and take notes utilizing math textbooks as a reference guide and read, analyze and discuss math-rich real world documents and scenarios.

• Computer Science: As a CTE school, students will take a structured sequence of computer science classes that teaches them both theory and practical skills and prepares them to earn industry-recognized certification in this field. By learning specifically about computer and software design, students will develop broadly applicable skills in reasoning, computational (algorithmic) thinking, data analysis, and problem-solving.

• Advisory: All students will participate in an advisory course each year; the social-emotional learning and soft skills support class will be based on the Resilient Scholars (RS) program. The UA and the Devereux Center for Resilient Children are collaborating on a multi-year, phased implementation of RS, which would include the proposed UACS. The partnership’s ultimate goal is not only to improve outcomes for the students and staff at UA schools but also to develop an exemplar of social emotional learning best practice in an urban secondary school environment that can serve as a replicable model for NYC and


other districts nationwide. The skills developed in advisory will help students to succeed in high school, productively participate in internships and college level courses, navigate the post-secondary planning process, and graduate with strong character and habits necessary for personal and career success.

• Spanish: Spanish instruction will focus on conversational language skills with as much instruction delivered in Spanish as possible. Technology has also become an increasingly important part of language instruction including writing projects and self-paced computer-based programs.

• Arts: UACS intends to contract for arts instruction to expose students to a diverse range of arts fields. While art production and aesthetics will be taught explicitly in arts classes, UACS will also integrate elements of arts instruction into other disciplines, such as art history in social studies courses, art criticism in English classes and art production in computer science.

• Physical Education and Health: UACS will provide opportunities for physical education each year. These courses will be aligned to the NYS Learning Standards for Health, Physical Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences.

• Work-based Learning Seminar: As a CTE school, all students will participate in work-based learning. All graduates are expected to complete a relevant industry internship. Students will be matched with internships on the basis of interest and skill, especially as these pertain to the post-secondary plans that they have been developing in the course of direct and ongoing college and career advisement. The school will scaffold internships to provide a high degree of student autonomy and opportunity to learn through high-stakes encounters with a real-world work environment. Scaffolds are managed in the school’s relationship with site supervisors, who help track student attendance and performance, and collaborate with the school where supports and interventions are needed.

• Career and Financial Management: A requirement of CTE programs, career and financial management concepts will be integrated into core courses (e.g., Economics and History), Advisory, Work-based Learning Seminars, and guidance activities. Topics will include: Business Systems and Economics, Career Planning, and Financial Literacy.

• Focused Academic Interventions: UACS will offer a robust, school wide Response to Intervention program to support academically struggling students. The primary support will be Goal Oriented Learning Development (GOLD) periods; structured time that occurs every day after the last period of the day for forty minutes, in the core subjects of English, mathematics, science, social studies and computer science to remediate academic gaps in small groups. UACS will meet the needs of students with disabilities through integrated co-taught classes, resource room, and counseling services. The school will also employ English as a Second Language (“ESL”) specialists to support ELLs through targeted language acquisition instruction inside and outside the classroom


School Culture and Discipline

A School Culture Team, consisting of the Principal, Dean of Students, counselors and representative teacher leaders, will set annual culture goals with fidelity to the school’s core values, meet regularly to assess progress-to-plan using the goals and an evolving culture rubric, and proactively address cultural struggles and unanticipated issues. Daily, weekly, and monthly culture-building structures will include morning meetings, culture-focused advisory lessons, community shout-outs and student honors, high-visibility campaigns to promote and celebrate the exercise of core values, an active and prominent enrichment component, guest speakers and trips that reinforce values, and traditions and rites that build school pride and identity. Staff will be trained in cultural sensitivity and compelled to authentically incorporate students’ backgrounds in their school experience.

The foundation of UACS’s advisory is the RS program, a curriculum and set of activities and discussions that promote self-management and pro-social behaviors. Through advisory, core values and themes of positive behavior and community are reinforced through lessons and class discussions. Expectations for behavior will be communicated positively and in several forums. For example, all entering students will receive a student handbook that discusses the school’s Positive Behavior Support Framework, clearly conveys the kind of school culture to which the community is committed, and outlines processes and causes/effects of student accountability. When issues of student misbehavior arise, a ladder of consequences will be triggered, with clear roles and protocols. In implementing the ladder of consequences, all staff will be trained in values-driven and restorative justice classroom management techniques, in which responses automatically center on the most rehabilitative path for the student and on ameliorating the impact of his/her actions on the community. In addition, UACS will use mediation and conferencing to help students de-escalate and resolve conflicts. Mediation in schools typically resolves disputes between two students, while conferencing opens the process to other students, staff, and teachers. Both of these models are facilitated by a trained mediator and bring together affected parties to develop an appropriate response to the conflict. These programs teach students how to peacefully resolve conflict, hash out misunderstandings, and prevent further interpersonal issues that detract from the learning environment. Organizational Capacity

At UACS the school leader will be the principal, an instructional leader who provides direction and oversight to all aspects of the school. Based on the UA’s experience working in traditional district schools and conversations with charter school founders and leaders, the applicants will prioritize and protect instructional leadership from other responsibilities and have designed an organizational and staffing plan to do just that. The principal will devote a large portion of his or her time and energy to instructional leadership, but will also oversee the operational and financial aspects of the school. With support and input from UA, the role of the UACS principal will include staffing, curriculum and


assessment selection and development, staff development, school culture, operations, finances, governance and managing partnerships. In order to assist the principal in his or her numerous academic, operational and financial responsibilities, the school will employ a number of secondary leaders to whom many day-to-day management responsibilities will be delegated including a director of instruction to support the development of curriculum and assessment and provide ongoing support and coaching to teachers; a director of operations to manage all non-academic affairs of the school including facility, food services, health services, transportation, and technology, and supervise operational support staff and contractors including office personnel, custodians, security, nursing and instructional technology; a student support coordinator to coordinate the administrative responsibilities of the special education and ESL programs and serve as the school’s primary liaison to the Committee on Special Education (CSE); a partnership coordinator to coordinate the school’s community and CTE partnerships including identifying and securing industry and higher education partnerships and supporting industry staff as instructors at the school; and a dean to support teachers and staff in implementing a school culture that supports learning and achievement. The dean will provide professional development to teachers and staff and work with students to promote positive behavior and deal with repercussions of misbehavior. Governance The proposed by-laws of UACS indicate that the education corporation board will consist of no fewer than five and no more than 15 voting members. The proposed initial members of the board of trustees are set forth below.

Founding Board Members

1. Marielys Divanne, Proposed Trustee. Ms. Divanne is the senior director of ReadNYC,

United Way of New York City’s Campaign for Grade Level Reading whose first pilot community is Mott Haven in CSD 7 in the South Bronx. In 2000, she joined Metro IAF as the lead organizer with Manhattan Together and South Bronx Churches where she successfully led the campaign to build the Mott Haven Schools Campus in the South Bronx, the largest school construction project in the city’s history, which created 2,200 seats for public schools students. Ms. Divanne’s commitment to the South Bronx began in high school, when she attended St. Pius V High School.

2. Kristin Kearns-Jordan, Proposed Trustee. Ms. Kearns-Jordan is the executive director of the Tortora Sillcox Foundation, which supports both district and charter school models. From 2000 to 2007, she was the founder and director of the Bronx Preparatory Charter School, a SUNY authorized classical, college preparatory middle and high school in the South Bronx. She joined the board of UA in 2012 and currently serves as vice-chair.

3. Ronay Menschel, Proposed Trustee. Ms. Menschel is chairman of Phipps Houses, a


non-profit owner and developer of low- and moderate- income housing in New York City and a trustee of Phipps Houses’ affiliate, Phipps Community Development Corporation (“Phipps CDC”). Phipps CDC’s leadership in community development in South Bronx neighborhoods combines educational (from early childhood to high school), vocational and social services to help children, youth, and families in low-income communities rise above poverty.

4. Angel Morales, Proposed Trustee. Mr. Morales is a senior advisor & equity investment partner at Star Mountain Capital. He has nearly 20 years of private equity experience and was formerly managing director and co-head of BAML Capital Partners, the internal private equity group of Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He has worked with early-stage businesses, middle-market companies as well as Fortune 500 firms in the United States and abroad. Mr. Morales grew up in the South Bronx and has a strong commitment to education, serving on the boards of directors for The Posse Foundation, the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the Oliver Scholars Program.

5. Leigh Ann Sudol-DeLyser, Proposed Trustee. Ms. Sudol-DeLyser is an experienced computer science teacher, education researcher, textbook author, College Board consultant, certified professional developer, and curriculum writer. She currently serves as director of education and research with CSNYC (the New York City Foundation for Computer Science Education). Past experience includes serving as the computer science consultant for the Academy for Software Engineering, working with organizations such as Girls Who Code and the Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center, and participating in White House Tech Inclusion Round Tables.

6. Eric Watts, Proposed Trustee. Mr. Watts oversees and ensures operational excellence at The UA's seven CTE schools while promoting the CTE model to city, state, and national audiences. Prior to joining UA, he was a senior program officer at FHI 360's National Institute for Work and Learning where he worked on CTE programs such as the National Assessment of CTE and the National Research Center for CTE.

Facilities The proposed education corporation has indicated that it will work with the NYCDOE to explore the option of using space in underutilized public schools in CSD 7. The contingency plan is to locate in a private facility in CSD 7. The Institute reserves the right to review all proposed facilities in accordance with the charter agreement.


Fiscal Impact The fiscal impact of UACS on the district of residence, the New York City School District (the “District”), is summarized below.

URBAN ASSEMBLY CHARTER SCHOOL FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE

Charter

Year

Expected Number of

Students (A)

Basic Charter School Per Pupil

Aid (B)

Projected Per Pupil Revenue

(A x B=C)

Public Facility Aid (D)*

Total Project Funding from District to Charter

School (C+D=E)

District Budget (F)**

Projected District Impact (E/F)

Year 1 (2017-18)

105 $13,877 $1,457,085 $291,417 $1,748,502 $21.8B 0.008%

Year 5 (2021-22)

420 $13,877 $5,828,340 $1,165,668 $6,994,008 $21.8B 0.032%

* 20% additional funding over standard per pupil funding if the schools are unable to locate in a public facility. **The NYCDOE budget was derived from the NYCDOE’s website: http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/funding/overview.

The calculations above conservatively assume the current basic per pupil aid will not increase during the term of the charter. While it is likely that the District’s budget will grow over time, the Institute is being conservative by leaving it unchanged in five years. Since the proposed school would seek to locate in public space, the estimates reflect the 20% addition to per pupil funding that the school would receive if suitable public space were not available. Based on these assumptions, and projections that the charter school would have full enrollment, UACS will have minimal fiscal impact on public schools in the District. The estimates used by the Institute to conduct its analysis are subject to unpredictable changes in the District’s budget in any given year, changes in the charter school per-pupil funding, and the actual enrollment in the charter school. For example, in the event that the budget of the District increases 5% in five years (assumes a 1% increase each year) to $22.9 billion and the basic per pupil aid to charter schools remains unchanged, the impact to the District would remain minimal: 0.030% in the 2021-22 school year. While the proposed education corporation has included in its proposal estimated calculations accounting for special education revenue, federal Title I funds, other federal grants and/or funds provided by the District and to be received by the charter school, the Institute’s calculations and analysis do not account for these sources of potential revenue. The Institute finds that the fiscal impact of the proposed school on the District, public charter, public District and nonpublic schools in the same geographic area will be minimal. In the event the school opens with a slightly larger enrollment, the Institute has determined that the fiscal impact of the proposed school on the District, public charter, public District and nonpublic schools in the same geographic area will also be minimal. The Institute reviewed the proposed education corporation’s start-up and fiscal plans and supporting evidence for each year of the proposed charter term. The Institute reviewed the proposed draft service agreement with The Urban Assembly, Inc. and detail of the services to be provided for a flat

http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/funding/overview


fee of approximately $85,000 for the first year of operation and $100,000 per year thereafter, and found it to be reasonable. The Institute will conduct a review of, and approve, the final service agreement before it becomes effective. The Institute finds the budgets and fiscal plans are sound and that sufficient start-up funds will be available to the new charter school. Notification and Public Comments The Institute notified the District as well as public and private schools in the same geographic area of the proposed school about receipt of the proposal, and the proposal was posted on the Institute’s website for public review. Chancellor Fariña of the NYCDOE submitted a letter of support for the proposed school to the Institute on January 21, 2016, noting particular commendation for the applicant team’s commitment to educating all students and plans to backfill all vacant seats at all grade levels. The NYCDOE held a public hearing pertaining to the proposal on February 29, 2016. The Institute has compiled any comments received in a Summary of Public Comments (Appendix C). The Institute carefully reviews and considers all public comments received prior to finalizing its recommendation. Preference Scoring Education Law § 2852(9-a)(c) requires authorizers to establish and apply preference criteria to applications meeting both statute and authorizer standards. The purpose of the criteria is to prioritize proposals in the event that the number of proposals meeting the SUNY Trustees’ requirements exceeds the maximum number of charters to be issued or issued in New York City. The RFP identified the minimum eligibility requirements and preference criteria required by Education Law § 2852(9-a), as described in greater detail below. The UACS proposal met the eligibility requirements, as evidenced by the following:

• The proposal was sufficiently complete, i.e., it included a Transmittal Sheet, Proposal Summary and responses to all RFP requests as prescribed by the Institute;

• The proposal included a viable plan to meet the enrollment and retention targets established by the SUNY Trustees for students with disabilities, ELLs, and students who are eligible to participate in the FRPL program (as detailed in Request No. 15); and,

• The proposal provided evidence of public outreach that conforms to the Act and the process prescribed by the SUNY Trustees for the purpose of soliciting and incorporating community input regarding the proposed charter school and its academic program (as detailed in Request No. 3).

As the UACS proposal submission met the eligibility criteria, the Institute’s evaluation continued with a full review of the proposal, an interview of the founding team and proposed board of trustees, and requests for clarification and/or amendments to the proposal. The review process then continued with an evaluation of the proposal in relation to the 10 Preference Criteria contained in the RFP for which proposals can earn credit as described in the RFP’s Preference Scoring Guidance. In the event


of a tie for the last charter, both proposals will be rejected unless one applicant agrees to withdraw his or her proposal for consideration in a subsequent RFP. The preference criteria, which in addition to eligibility criteria and the overall high standards established by the SUNY Trustees, include the demonstration of the following in compliance with Education Law §§ 2852(9-a)(c)(i)-(viii):

• increasing student achievement and decreasing student achievement gaps in reading/language arts and mathematics;

• increasing high school graduation rates and focusing on serving specific high school student populations including, but not limited to, students at risk of not obtaining a high school diploma, re-enrolled high school drop-outs, and students with academic skills below grade level;

• focusing on the academic achievement of middle school students and preparing them for a successful transition to high school;

• utilizing high-quality assessments designed to measure a student's knowledge, understanding of, and ability to apply critical concepts through the use of a variety of item types and formats;

• increasing the acquisition, adoption, and use of local instructional improvement systems that provide teachers, principals, and administrators with the information and resources they need to inform and improve their instructional practices, decision-making, and overall effectiveness;

• partnering with low performing public schools in the area to share best educational practices and innovations;

• demonstrating the management and leadership techniques necessary to overcome initial start-up problems to establish a thriving, financially viable charter school; and,

• demonstrating the support of the school district in which the proposed charter school will be located and the intent to establish an ongoing relationship with such school district.

While the Institute received a total of 17 proposals in response to the December round of the 2015 RFP, it recommends only four for approval. All four proposals recommended for approval met the eligibility criteria and were therefore assigned a score using the guidance contained in the RFP. The proposal for UACS earned a score of 42.5 preference points out of a possible total of 45. Based on this score and the other information and findings set forth herein, the Institute recommends the SUNY Trustees approve the proposal to establish the Urban Assembly Charter School for Computer Science, which would not exceed the statutory limit in Education Law § 2852(9)(a). Conclusion and Recommendations Based on its review and findings, the Institute recommends that the SUNY Trustees approve the proposal to establish the Urban Assembly Charter School for Computer Science education corporation and approve its school of the same name to open in August 2017.


APPENDIX A


APPENDIX B

THE URBAN ASSEMBLY CHARTER SCHOOL FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE

Basic Identification Information

Lead Applicant(s):

Shannon Curran Perrin Wicks

Management Company: N/A Partner Organization: The Urban Assembly, Inc.

Location (District): New York City CSD 7 or 9

Student Pop./Grade Span at Scale: 420 students/Grades 9-12

Opening Date: August 2017


APPENDIX C

Summary of Public Comments Received During the SUNY Public Comment Period through March 30, 2016

On or about February 2, 2016, in accordance with Education Law § 2857(1), the Institute notified the NYCDOE (the “District”) as well as public and private schools in the same geographic area of the proposed school about receipt of the proposal to establish the Urban Assembly Charter School for Computer Science. The notice reminded the district that the New York State Commissioner of Education’s regulations require the school district to hold a public hearing within 30 days of the notice for each new charter application. A redacted copy of the Urban Assembly Charter School for Computer Science proposal was also posted on the Institute’s website for public review at: http://www.newyorkcharters.org/create/request-for-proposals/2015-suny-request-for-proposals-round-2-december-cycle/urban-assembly-school-for-computer-science. The District held a public hearing pertaining to the proposal on February 29, 2016, and provided one comment from that hearing to the Institute: a community member expressed he was “impressed by the applicants.”

Additionally, Chancellor Fariña of the NYCDOE submitted the following letter of support for the proposed school to the Institute on January 21, 2016, noting particular commendation for the applicant team’s commitment to serving all students, including English Language Learners and students with disabilities, as well as planning to backfill all vacant seats at all grade levels. The Institute has not received any direct public comments relating to this proposal.

http://www.newyorkcharters.org/create/request-for-proposals/2015-suny-request-for-proposals-round-2-december-cycle/urban-assembly-school-for-computer-science

http://www.newyorkcharters.org/create/request-for-proposals/2015-suny-request-for-proposals-round-2-december-cycle/urban-assembly-school-for-computer-science


Susan Miller Barker Executive Director Charter Schools Institute State University of New York 41 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, New York 12207

January 21, 2016

Re: Letter of support for the proposed Urban Assembly Charter School for Computer Science

Dear Ms. Barker,

I am writing to provide our support of the proposed Urban Assembly (UA) Charter School for Computer Science whose Letter of Intent to Apply was approved by the Charter Schools Institute on behalf of the State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees in response to the December Cycle of the 2015 SUNY Request. The New York City Department of Education (DOE) genuinely commends the passion and commitment of this founding group to want to serve New York City’s school children and provide more high quality options.

Attached is our guiding framework that outlines the core principles that we share with all proposed charter school applicants who reach out to the DOE to request letters of support. Among these guiding principles, which we feel this applicant team embodies, we especially highlight a commitment to equity and access for all students as demonstrated by a commitment to:

Serve all students, including English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities, as

demonstrated by an applicant’s commitment to meet or exceed the Enrollment and Retention Targets as set forth by the New York Charter Schools Act.

Enrollment policies that backfill students at all grade levels served.

For nearly twenty years, The UA has proven to be a reliable partner to the DOE through the high quality of their support for school leaders and schools and their relentless commitment to high expectations for all UA students. We welcome the opportunity to deepen and expand the collaboration between the DOE and the proposed UA Charter School for Computer Science.

We plan to invite all of the recommended applicants who get approved by the SUNY Board of Trustees into our offices this summer to discuss ways in which the DOE can help support academic and operational excellence.

Sincerely,

Carmen Fariña Chancellor, the New York City Department of Education


New York City Department of Education Framework of Core Principles for Proposed Charter School Applicants in New York City

Criteria Evidence

A commitment to collaboration

The proposed school has a commitment to sharing best- practices among all public schools, district and charter.

District Need There is a demonstrated need for either quality seats and/or the district has excess capacity.

Equity and Access The proposed school has a commitment to backfilling students at all grade levels served and after October 1 of each academic year as well as meeting or exceeding applicable Enrollment and Retention Targets for English language learners, students with disabilities, and students eligible for free and reduced price lunch, at the end of their initial charter term.

Founding Group and Board Representation

Every member of the founding group has been identified. Members of founding group includes community representation and has the robust and diverse skill set to govern effectively as the local education authority.

Innovative Design The proposed school design implements programs/interventions that are new to New York City while having a research based track-record of closing the achievement gap for all students.

Strong Family – Community Ties

There is a clear understanding of the needs of the district, community, and proposed families that the school intends to serve through community partnerships, extensive engagement and representation on the proposed school’s board of trustees. The governance plan includes opportunities for family and student voice.

Documents

Summary of Findings and Recommendations...Summary of Findings and Recommendations Proposal to Establish THE URBAN ASSEMBLY CHARTER SCHOOL FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE April 6, 2016 Charter