New School Application

Fall 2014 cycle for schools

interested in opening August, 2015

The CSI New School Application

The first step in applying for a

charter school contract is to

submit an Executive Sum-

mary as set forth in the 2014

Call for Applications. The New

School Application is intended

for applicants who wish to

apply for CSI authorization as

a new school. It is strongly

recommended that applicants

use the 2014 New School

Application Rubric and con-

sult the CSI Services docu-

ment while drafting their appli-

cation. The Charter School

Institute Board reserves the

right to request additional in-

formation of the charter

school applicant during the

application or interview proc-

esses, at its discretion.

All application materials must

be submitted to the Institute

on or before August 1, 2014.

On or before the date the ap-

plication or any supplement

materials are submitted to the

institute, the Applicant shall

The supporting documents men-

tioned in this section of the applica-

tion can be found on the CSI web-

site at http://www.csi.state.co.us/

prospective_schools/

Introduction to the Charter School Institute

The mission of the

Charter School Institute

shall be to foster high-

quality public schools

choices offered through

Institute charter schools

that deliver rigorous

academic content and

high academic perform-

ance in a safe environ-

ment and on par with

the highest performing

schools, including par-

ticularly schools for at-

risk students.

The Charter Schools

Act was adopted in

Colorado in 1993. The

General Assembly con-

sidered several alterna-

tive authorizer propos-

als before adopting the

Charter School Institute

(CSI) Act in 2004. CSI

authorized two charter

schools in 2005 and

now has a total of 28

schools in its portfolio

throughout Colorado

with more than 10,500

students in attendance.

provide its home district

Board of Education and Ac-

countability Committee a

complete electronic version of

the application, amendment,

or supplement.

The applicant shall provide to

the Institute proof that it has

given such notice to the

Board of Education and Ac-

countability Committee of the

school district in

which the pro-

posed school is

to be located.

Such proof may

consist of a certified mail re-

ceipt, a hand written receipt or

other written acknowledge-

ment from the recipient that

written notification was pro-

vided. The Board of Educa-

tion and Accountability Com-

mittee may each comment on

the application, amendment

or supplement to the Institute,

in writing, within 30 days of

receiving notice of the sub-

mission. Failure to provide

the district with notice of

the application will result in

denial of the application by

CSI.

An application is considered

filed when the Institute re-

ceives the application either in

hard copy or electronically.

Within 5 days after receiving

an application, CSI shall de-

termine whether

the application

satisfies the re-

quirements

Specified in sec-

tion 22-30.5-509(1) and is

therefore complete. If the ap-

plication is not complete, CSI

shall notify the applicant

within the 5 day period and

provide a list of the informa-

tion required to complete the

application. The applicant has

15 days after the date it re-

ceives the notice to provide

the required information to

CSI for review.

All application materials

must be submitted by

August 1, 2014.

1

Who May Apply

An application may be

submitted by one or

more individuals, or by

a nonprofit, govern-

mental, or other entity

or organization. For

new charter schools

geographically located

in districts which have

retained exclusive

chartering authority,

notice of the CSI appli-

cation must be pro-

vided by the applicant

to the district. A list of

districts with their

chartering authority

status can be ac-

cessed via this link:

http://

www.cde.state.co.us/

sites/default/files/

ECA_2012%

20Final_0.pdf

Private schools and

current non-charter

public schools may not

apply to CSI through

this process.

The Institute is not required to

take action on the charter

application if the applicant

does not provide the required

information within the 15 day

period. CSI may request ad-

ditional information during the

review period and provide

reasonable time for the appli-

cant to respond. The Institute

may, but is not required to,

accept any additional infor-

mation the applicant provides

that the Institute does not

request. Upon receipt of a

complete application, and

upon sufficient answers to

CSI requests for additional

information, the CSI Board, in

a public hearing, will rule on

the application on October

14, 2014.

Applicants will be asked to

make a presentation to the

CSI Board during a public

hearing scheduled for Sep-

tember 9, 2014. Any addi-

tional dates and times will be

coordinated with the appli-

cant upon receipt of the com-

pleted application.

Essential Elements of a Quality Application

1. A demonstrated understanding of the

population the school intends to serve.

2. A comprehensive and research-based

curriculum and assessment program de-

signed to hold all students to high stan-

dards, including a plan to meet the differ-

entiated needs of all students.

3. A clear plan for evaluating pupil per-

formance across the curriculum, aligned

with state performance standards, school

performance goals, and accreditation re-

quirements.

4. A plan for recruiting and hiring a strong

and compatible leader.

5. A strong, knowledgeable, diverse, and

capable board of governance or leader-

ship team committed to best practices in

school governance, business operations,

and financial management.

6. A balanced budget and financial plan

including revenues and expenditures com-

plying with state and federal accounting

and reporting requirements that demon-

strates diligence in financial practice and

alignment to other components of the ap-

plication.

7. Multiple viable school facility options

with a clear needs assessment for space

utilization.

A successful application should reflect the following components:

2

Who reviews the application?

Several members of CSI staff

review the application, includ-

ing representatives from all

primary areas of the applica-

tion components. In addition

to CSI staff reviewing the

application, CSI contracts

with external consultants who

possess applicable expertise

to review applications.

How often will the applicant meet with CSI?

The applicant may initially

meet with CSI staff to review

the process, timelines, and

requirements. A representa-

tive of the review team will

also attend and participate in

a required geographic com-

munity meeting. There will be

an applicant interview with

the review team, which will

allow the applicant to provide

additional clarification or in-

formation to the review team.

Additionally, the applicant will

present to the CSI Board in a

public hearing. All of these

events will occur prior to the

staff recommendation and

Board decision. CSI will work

with the applicant to arrange

these dates.

Timeline of Events

The table below outlines the application process steps that occur during the New School Cycle

3

Before applying to the Institute, ensure the following have occurred:

· CSI and Applicant meet to discuss process

· Applicant meets with community members to gauge interest and elicit support

· Applicant notifies home district of intent to apply to the Institute

· Letter of Intent submitted to the Charter School Institute

August 1, 2014

Formal application submitted to the Institute

Application is

reviewed by

Institute for

completion within 5

days

CompleteIncomplete

Revisions Submitted within 15

days

(only once)No revisions or additional

information submitted.

Application Terminated90-Day Clock Begins

August

· Comprehensive review by the

Authorization Unit and

External Review Panel

· Further information may be

requested

September

· Geographic Meetings

· Applicant meets with

Authorization Unit and Board

to answer additional questions

October

· Authorization Unit and

External Review Panel

recommend approval or denial

to CSI Board

CSI Board Votes

October 14, 2014

Application Approved Conditional Approval Application Denied

Contract negotiations between the Institute and Applicant begin

What if the appli-cant did not sub-mit a Letter of In-tent or Executive Summary?

If the applicant did not submit a

Letter of Intent to Apply, please

include with your application a

copy of this document and Ex-

ecutive Summary. Instructions

and the related form for both

items can be found on the CSI

website via the following link:

www.csi.state.co.us/

prospective_schools

If you have provided this infor-

mation to the Institute already,

the Institute will ensure a copy

of these documents is included

in your application review. If

information is not aligned, or

has since changed since your

initial submission, the Institute

will request an updated copy.

Please note, these documents

help inform additional applica-

tion requirements, such as nec-

essary addenda.

Writing the Application The standard application is

divided into 9 primary

application components,

plus addenda, if

applicable. It is important

to remember that each of

these components may

require upfront training

and education to meet the

quality standard expected

by the Institute and the

State of Colorado.

The proposal must be

typed and supplied in both

paper format (one copy in

a 3-ring binder) and in

sections of the application,

as well as a distinct and

separate file for each

individual application

section. All of these may

be placed into a single

zipped file, flash drive, or

folder for submission.

To confirm that you have

reviewed your application

for completeness, the

Application Component

Checklist contained within

this document must be

signed and submitted

along with the application.

electronic format to CSI.

Number all pages within

each section. Each section

should adhere to the

lettering, numbering, and

page limits indicated in the

on the following pages of

this application.

Each of the 9 primary

sections of the paper

formant must be

separated by labeled tab

and begin on a separate

page. The electronic

format must include one

file that contains all

Contact Us CSI staff is happy to supply applicants with additional information, clarification, and direction toward

resources up until the application is submitted to CSI. Please contact CSI’s School Development

Coordinator, Janet Dinnen, at 303.866.4643 or janetdinnen@csi.state.co.us.

www.cde.state.co.us/cdechart/DistAuthInfo

www.coloradoleague.org/

www.qualitycharters.org /

Websites:

Possible Resources

4

Content of the New School Application

A. Vision and Mission (3 pages)

1. The vision will articulate what the school hopes

to be. The mission should explain how the

school will reach that goal.

B. Evidence of Need & Support (15 pages)

1. Include information about the proposed charter

school’s student body, including the intended

students’ educational needs and demographics

(racial/cultural, socioeconomic, special needs,

and ELL). The application, in its entirety, should

reflect an understanding of the intended student

population.

2. Provide a description of the programmatic

offerings currently available to the target

population that support the need for the

proposed school.

3. Detail the type of broad outreach the founders

conducted to make the student population and

their families aware of the proposed charter

school. This should include future outreach plans

if the charter school is approved.

4. Detail the approximate number of students

expressing an interest in the proposed school.

This information should be disaggregated in a

manner showing demographic information about

prospective students.

5. If there are any existing or anticipated

partnerships or networking relationships, provide

an explanation of their role in development, as

well as the planned resources or agreements

that have been discussed or formalized.

6. Include information on community members,

leaders, and parents who publicly support the

proposed school and their role in the

development of the school.

7. Include a description of the efforts made to

distribute information about the school, including

opportunities for community involvement.

Evidence may be included as attachments.

Maximum page numbers are indicated in the parentheses adjacent to each content area.

C. Leadership (5 pages)

1. Provide a detailed description of the recruiting,

hiring, selection process, and timeline for

identifying the school leader.

2. Detail the profile of your school’s ideal leader,

including skills, qualifications, and

characteristics.

3. Provide a job description and board evaluation

process for the head of school.

D. Education Program (30 pages)

1. Provide a rationale for selecting the chosen

model, including research-based evidence that

supports the effectiveness of the selected model

with the target population.

2. Describe the core content areas, including the

curriculum and instructional strategies that are

supported by research matching needs of the

student population for the proposed school.

3. Provide an explanation of how the curriculum is

either already aligned to state model content

standards or will be aligned within the first year

of school operation including a timeline and

process for monitoring progress.

4. Include an explanation or plan for how the

curriculum is or will be aligned vertically and

horizontally for all grades the school will

serve.Describe the process and methods that

will be used to differentiate instruction based on

identified student needs.

6. Discuss the use of supplemental curricula for

electives or “special” courses that is thorough

and based on state model content standards

when available.

7. Detail the plans for supplemental programming

(summer school, extracurricular activities,

psychosocial programming, remediation and

intervention).

(Continued on page 6)

5

8. Include a description of the organizational

structure that allows for full implementation of the

curriculum.

9. Include information about how the school

calendar and schedule will comply with statutory

requirements.

10. Describe the plan for selecting and engaging in

professional development activities.

11. Include the process for staff evaluation.

E. Serving Students with Special Needs (15

pages)

1. Include the school policy for a Response to

Intervention (RtI) or child study process that

meets all legal requirements.

2. Detail plans to meet the unique needs of

students with Individualized Education Plans (for

special education), 504 Plans, Advanced

Learning Plans (for gifted/talented), Health Plans

and English Language Learners. Include

information on plans for staffing, identification,

documentation, assessment, progress

monitoring, adaptation, and alignment with the

budget.

3. Provide research-based evidence that supports

the chosen strategies for interventions and

support materials selected.

F. Goals, Objectives & Pupil Evaluation (20

pages)

1. Use the Baseline Targets Template to provide

academic goals aligning with state and Institute

standards, as described in the Colorado School

Performance Framework and CSI Performance

Frameworks.

2. Provide a rationale for how the goals and

objectives of the program were determined, that

include alignment with the school’s vision and

mission, and are based on reliable methods to

measure progress along state, CSI, and school

expectations.

3. Describe the purpose and frequency of

assessments used, including school-selected

diagnostic and interim assessment. These

selections must meet requirements of the

Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic

Development Act (Colorado READ Act),

Individual Learning Plans (ILPs), and federal

requirements, such as the Elementary and

Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

4. Describe the school’s data management plan to

include staff roles and responsibilities, the

Student Information System (SIS) and data

warehouse to be used, and indicate its alignment

with the budget.

5. Detail the plan to monitor progress towards

meeting these goals, including how the school

will collect, analyze, triangulate, manage, and

use data on an ongoing basis, particularly to

inform professional development and instruction.

6. Provide a description of the procedures for

taking corrective action in the event that pupil

performance falls below the goals and objectives

outlined in the application, including timeline,

responsible person, and changes as appropriate.

7. Explain how and when student data and school

progress will be communicated to parents and

the broader community.

G. Budget & Finance (15 pages)

1. Submit a six-year budget, including the year 0

implementation year and operating years 1

through 5 using the CSI Budget Template.

2. The budget must balance in all years and reflect

an understanding of specific statutory

(Continued on page 7)

6

Content of the New School Application

requirements including:

a) separation of the general operating funds and

grant funds

b) Public Employees’ Retirement Association

(PERA) contributions

c) 3% TABOR reserve (Colorado Constitution

Article X, Section 20)

3. Include a budget and finance narrative in

alignment with the 6 year budget that specifies:

a) Alignment with the proposed execution of the

school’s mission and focus including staffing,

curriculum, professional development, and

technology

b) Details regarding staffing and a summary of

financial policies and procedures that will ensure

best practice in budget preparation, cash

receipts, purchasing, accounts payable,

adjusting entries, and contracts

c) Procedures to comply with financial reporting

including the Financial Transparency Act (C.R.S.

22-44-301-304) and the annual independent

audit

d) Procedures to regularly review budget versus

actual activity and expenditures against the

school’s mission and vision over time

e) Detailed assumptions for all donations, private

grants, student fees, and foundation revenue

f) Details assumptions for professional, technical,

and consulting services expenditures

g) Explanation of how restricted grant funding will

be spent

h) Detailed revenue and expenditure assumptions

behind facility acquisition, facility improvements,

and ongoing facility costs, including total square

footage and cost per square foot

i) If planning to secure the Charter School Program

grant or other reimbursable grants in the

implementation year, a plan to acquire cash in

the spring prior to opening

j) A contingency plan to mitigate the impact of

Maximum page numbers are indicated in the parentheses adjacent to each content area.

decreased funding or increased expenditures

H. Governance & Operations (10 pages)

1. Provide a description of the governance and

operation of the school, including the nature and

extent of parental, professional educator, and

community involvement in the governance and

operation of the proposed Institute charter

school.

2. Provide an explanation and timeline of the

proposed transition from an applicant team to the

founding governing board including the

identification of individuals making the transition.

Further, detail how the transition plan will provide

for a shift of responsibilities and how the

founder’s original vision and mission will be

brought to fruition.

3. Provide a plan for ongoing board training,

capacity building, and succession planning,

which includes a a discussion of funding, time

allocations, and evaluation tools.

4. Provide an explanation of how the community

will receive information about the formation of a

new charter school and any upcoming lottery or

enrollment deadline.

5. Explain the relationship between the board, the

lead administrator, and committees.

6. Attach the following (the attachments do not

count against the narrative page limitation):

a. Governing board bylaws

b. Articles of Incorporation

c. Organizational chart

d. Resumes of applicant team members

and/or founding board members

e. Draft of initial board policies

f. Draft of the Board Member Agreement

(Continued on page 8)

7

g. Draft of Conflicts of Interest and

Grievance Process and Dispute

Resolution board policies

h. Draft of initial school policies, including:

i. Enrollment process including but

not limited to timeline, description

of waitlist or lottery process, and

any enrollment criteria,

j. Student discipline procedures,

including expulsion and

suspension procedures and an

explanation of how the school will

provide the expelled student with

alternative education, if

applicable.

I. Facilities (10 pages)

1. Provide a facility needs assessment including

number of classrooms, bathrooms, and offices

needed; minimum size of each room; library,

outdoor, and common space needed; overall

size; cost per square foot; zoning and occupancy

requirements; and how each facility aligns with

the facility needs assessment is included in the

narrative.

2. Include proposed locations for the school that

are given based on school design and intended

population with an explanation of prospective

school sites and assistance to find them.

3. Describe your process for selection, review, and

approval of a facility.

8

Application Component Checklist

To confirm that you have reviewed your application for completeness, this checklist MUST

be signed, dated, and submitted along with your application materials.

Signature

Date

9

NEW SCHOOL APPLICATION COMPLETENESS CHECK PRIMARY APPLICATION

COMPONENTS NOTES

Letter of Intent & Executive

Summary Electronic Form □

Vision and Mission □

Evidence of Need & Support □

Leadership □

Education Program □

Serving Students with Special

Needs □

Goals, Objectives & Pupil

Evaluation □

Budget & Finance □

Governance & Operations □

Facilities □

ADDENDA (IF APPLICABLE, AS INDICATED ON THE LOI)

Education Management Provider □

Food Service □

Online □

Transportation □

Waiver OTHER (IF APPLICABLE)

District Notification □

District Resolution □

Identified Appendices □

Adherence to Narrative Page Limits □

School

Application Cycle

1580 Logan St, Suite 210

Denver, Colorado 80203

303.866.3299 ph

303.866.2530 fax

www.csi.state.co.us

C OLOR AD O

C H AR TER SCH OOL

IN ST ITU TE

T h e m i s s i o n o f t h e C h a r t e r

S c h o o l I n s t i t u t e s h a l l b e t o

f o s t e r h i g h - q u a l i t y p u b l i c

s c h o o l c h o i c e s o f f e r e d t h r o u g h

I n s t i t u t e s c h o o l s t h a t d e l i v e r

r i g o r o u s a c a d e m i c c o n t e n t a n d

h i g h a c a d e m i c p e r f o r m a n c e i n

a s a f e e n v i r o n m e n t a n d o n p a r

w i t h t h e h i g h e s t p e r f o r m i n g

s c h o o l s , i n c l u d i n g p a r t i c u l a r l y

s c h o o l s f o r a t - r i s k s t u d e n t s .