Alliance College-Ready Public Schools

Project Description: Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, a nonprofit Charter Management Organization located in Los Angeles, California, is requesting an $8,000,000 CSP Replication Grant to open 10 new charter schools (5 high schools and 5 middle schools) by the end of the grant period. This expansion will allow Alliance to provide an additional 5,250 economically disadvantaged students with a high-quality educational experience. Each of the proposed Alliance schools will deliver a consistent educational environment and experience for students, offering every student the skills, experience, and knowledge to enter college. Alliance’s vision is that, given the correct educational foundation, underserved students can and will succeed in college and in life. In realizing this vision, Alliance has created a powerful, proven, scalable-model for the nation’s schools. Of considerable importance, this project is supported by Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent, John E. Deasy, and the Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa, Mayor of the City of Los Angeles.

Goal 1 Replication: Alliance proposes to open 10 high quality charter schools at the rate of 2 per year within the 5 years CSP grant in low-income, minority areas of the Los Angeles School District.

Objectives: Complete critical planning tasks and start-up tasks for each new school. Sustain each new school. Achieve student outcomes for low-income, minority, and special needs students consistent with those for existing Alliance schools. Outcomes: 10 charter schools will be planned, approved, opened, and operated.

Goal 2 Fidelity to Model: All schools created with this CSP grant will be designed and operated in a manner consistent with the established Alliance model.

Objectives: Every student will be provided with the skills, experience, and knowledge to enter college. Each school will demonstrate adherence to design standards.

Outcomes: 10 charter schools operated in accordance with the proven Alliance model.

Goal 3 High-Quality Charter Schools: All schools created with this CSP grant will be High-Quality Charter Schools as measured by student achievement.

Objectives: All new schools will meet NCLB AYP. More than 90% of students enrolled for over 1 year graduate from high school, pass CA A-G college admission requirements, earn acceptance and enroll in college.

Outcomes: By end of grant period 3,900 students attending 10 charter schools are on path to academic excellence. At full enrollment, the schools will serve 5,250 students.

Application meets the purpose of the CSP as stated in Notice Inviting Applications.

Alliance will replicate its high-quality charter schools in a manner that continues its demonstrated record of success, including success in increasing student academic achievement.

Breakthrough Charter Schools

Goals: Over the next five years, Breakthrough Charter Schools (BCS) will:

• Open eight new schools (serving grades K-8),
• Significantly expand three existing newly opened schools (serving grades K-8), and
• Significantly expand the eight new schools opened during the project as they all progress to full enrollment (adding a grade level each year)

All schools mentioned above will be or are in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods where public school district schools are under-performing. During the term of this grant BCS will augment the capacity of the CMO to support its member schools by integrating HR, accounting, email hosting and performance management tools. BCS will also foster network-wide leadership and teacher development through:

• Creation of in-house professional development for school staff who wish to advance to leadership positions
• Creation of an urban teacher residency program to ensure a strong stream of qualified teachers for new and expanding schools,
• Professional development of Teach for America corps members who take teaching positions in BCS schools

Expected Outcomes

In five years, BCS will be educating over 4,000 students. The eight new and three expanding schools will be highly rated by the Ohio Department of Education because of high levels of student achievement (at least 80% of students proficient in math and at least 85% of students proficient in reading). The network-wide weighted average school performance index score will be 94 (excluding year one of new schools). BCS will affect an increase in the ratio of students to CMO staff from 65 to at least 115 in five years. BCS will hire and retain 75% of the urban teacher residents upon the completion of their residency and 50% of TFA corps members upon the completion of their term of service. Meeting the Purpose of CSP: This application meets the purpose of this grant because it addresses the expansion of several existing high-performing charter schools and the replication of those same schools. The schools that will be expanded and replicated are all managed by the charter management organization (CMO) known as Breakthrough Charter Schools, which has been successfully providing services to the schools for more than a year. The schools within the BCS network have received the highest ratings from the Ohio Department of Education- some showing high achievement going back ten years, before the formation of the CMO.

Cosmos Foundation

The Harmony Public Schools are high performing K-12 public charter schools in Texas that focus on science, computer technologies, engineering, and math (STEM) and to provide exceptional educational opportunities for underserved communities. The Harmony Schools are owned and operated by the Cosmos Foundation, a Texas non-profit organization headquartered in Houston. Harmony currently serves 16,000 school children in grades K-12 in its 33 schools across Texas. Harmony has been providing exemplary education to a high-need student population since 2000. Cosmos Foundation proposes to use the grant funds to open 7 more new charter schools in Texas to serve 5,100 new students by replicating its model, which is designed to provide rigorous college preparatory programs and prepare young students to be college- and career- ready.

The Harmony Quality Charter Replication & Expansion objectives are to: (1) increase the number of high-quality charter schools available to students, parents, and their local communities and inform the community of quality charter schools; (2) improve student academic achievement and college- and career-readiness in charter schools; (3) increase STEM education programs and opportunities available to all students including educationally disadvantaged students; and (4) increase the engagement of all primary stakeholders in school programs and operations. The program will offer an exceptional education opportunity to many thousands of students and their families in the high-need communities. The Cosmos Foundation staff will broadly disseminate the results via conferences, professional organizations, publications, and the web. Harmony will make its free and open charter public school choice option as visible as possible in communities – enrolling every child who walks through its doors and believing in the talents and potential of each one.

DC Preparatory Academy

DC Prep is a CMO committed to bridging the education divide in the nation’s capital by increasing the number of students from low-income communities with the academic preparation and personal character to succeed in competitive high schools and colleges. DC Prep was founded in 2003 and now operates three schools, enrolling more than 1,000 students in preschool– 8th grade. Ninety-eight percent of students are African-American; over 80% are low-income. DC Prep has demonstrated uncommon success and its students are far outpacing their peers in regular public schools. In 2011, for the second consecutive year, DC Prep had the highest performing middle school in Washington for low-income students.

Over the next five years DC Prep will grow to seven schools and at capacity serve more than 2,500 preschool – 8th grade students in Wards 5, 7, and 8, areas of Washington with the highest concentrations of low-income families and the fewest educational options. DC Prep seeks $3.0M from the Charter Schools Program for Replication and Expansion to support this growth over the next five years. Specifically we seek funding:

• to ensure that each Founding School Leader and her/his team have the requisite skills, experience, and support to successfully launch and operate a high-performing school;
• to recruit, develop, and support a cadre of outstanding school leaders and teachers able to implement the DC Prep Educational Model with fidelity and success; and
• to implement effective outreach strategies to familiarize parents and students in neighborhoods identified for expansion, about DC Prep and its results for students.

DC Prep is committed to the successful launch of four new campuses and to achieving results at each new school that are comparable to the outcomes for students at DC Prep’s existing campuses.

KIPP Foundation in consortium with KIPP Regions*

Beyond 100 KIPP Schools: Preparing more students for success in college and life

Project description and goals: From its inception, KIPP has been committed to preparing educationally underserved students for success in high-quality high schools, college, and the competitive world beyond. KIPP serves a student population in which 85 percent qualify for free or reduced price lunch and 95 percent are African American or Latino. KIPP students are outperforming their district peers on state tests, are going on to graduate from high school at nearly 1.5 times the rate of their low-income demographic peers, enroll in college at over twice the rate, and graduate from college at four times the rate. With a network of 109 schools serving 32,000 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, KIPP has a track record of successful replication and focus on student results. With support from the Charter Schools Program, KIPP will open 18 new schools in 2012.

Expected outcomes: The new KIPP schools will serve over 8,000 students in 12 unique communities across nine states and Washington, D.C.

Contribution to Research, Policy or Practice: KIPP commits to share with the broader education sector all of the processes, practices, and strategies employed to accomplish the goals, objectives and outcomes described within this application. Many of the new schools are opening in partnership with their surrounding districts.

* KIPP regions applying in consortium with the KIPP Foundation are KIPP Metro Atlanta, KIPP Austin, KIPP Chicago, KIPP DC, KIPP Gaston, KIPP Houston, KIPP Jacksonville, KIPP LA, KIPP Memphis, KIPP Newark, KIPP NYC, and KIPP San Antonio.

Richard Milburn Academy, Inc.

Go Career! Go College! Expanding Opportunity for High Need Students

The RMA, Inc. serves 2500 high need secondary school students, 75% of whom are economically disadvantaged, in five schools in Florida and nine schools in Texas. The goals of this project are:

Goal 1: Introduce the Corpus Christi, Texas Charter School Model into six new Texas school districts: Spring ISD, Arlington ISD, Victoria ISD, Pasadena ISD, Aldine ISD and Round Rock ISD.

Goal 2: Increase the number of at need students served by 60%, from 1,700 to 4,000.

Goal 3: Improve CMO project management and school-based programs through continuous feedback loop of interim measures of progress toward outcome goals of 90% graduation rate, 60% career rate, and 30% career preparation rate.

Goal 4: Validate teacher and administrator performance incentive plans (EPIC) utilize by RMH charter management since 2004.

This proposal requests $5,870,640 over five years to address Competitive Preference Priority 1- Low-Income Demographic and Competitive Preference Priority 3- Promoting Diversity.

Rocketship Education

Project Description: Rocketship Education (RSED) is a charter school management organization that seeks to provide high-quality education to one million elementary school students in low-income urban neighborhoods by 2040. RSED leverages experience delivering quality education, entrepreneurial know-how, fiscal discipline, and expertise in technology, all in support of student achievement. RSED’s flagship school is the third highest ranked low-income elementary school in California. Its student population is 76% English Learners and 92% low-income. We intend to launch 61 new schools by Fall 2016.

Objectives, Expected Outcomes: RSED will use CSP funds to scale up to 29,632 students in 61 schools and eight regions; develop top-quality school leaders for these schools; further expand professional development; and continue to innovate in the use of technology and individualized instruction. By the fifth grade, 90% of RSED students who have been enrolled for two years or more will achieve at or above grade level Within 3 years of becoming an RSED principal, 80% of principals will demonstrate that 80% of 5th graders in their schools are proficient or advanced. Within 3 years of beginning to teach at an RSED school, 80% of RSED teachers will effect an average of 1.5 grade levels per year of academic performance improvement among their students.

Project Contributions: RSED’s contributions to education together achieve outstanding student outcomes and true scalability. Our Hybrid School Model uses adaptive learning technology in concert with a full day of classroom learning, which saves $500,000 per school per year in salary and other classroom costs. Our Human Capital Development program helps us recruit, develop, and compensate top quality teachers and school leaders, which is key to effective scaling. Response to Intervention, a technique pioneered in special education, enables us to quickly move struggling students to grade level. Parent Empowerment supports parents in becoming activists for student-centered education reform and being closely involved in their children’s school. Our Financial Model allows a regional cluster of 8 schools to be self-sufficient.

Success Charter Network, Inc.

Success Charter Network (SCN) has developed an innovative school model that independent research shows increases student achievement by 13-20%. All of the Success Academies in our network consistently outperform their co-located schools, other schools within their district and schools in many of the wealthiest communities in New York City and State.

Bolstered by our successes, SCN made the decision to ramp up our school expansion more rapidly than we had originally planned. Instead of educating 6,600 students across 19 schools by 2014-2015, we now plan to educate 8,765 students across 21 schools by 2014-2015. In five years (2015-2016), SCN will be serving nearly 11,000 students in New York City. While SCN needs the initial upfront investment provided through this grant to fund its replication, each year its funding request is a smaller percentage of the total project cost as its student enrollment, and therefore its per pupil revenues, increases. At the conclusion of this grant, SCN will be able to continue operating its existing schools while opening new schools solely on its per pupil funding; without any additional federal grant funding.

In past years, SCN has appreciated – but not fully recognized – how critical great teacher training is to successful replication. In order to consistently run a network of high-performing schools, we must invest in building the best teaching force each and every year. Therefore, SCN is introducing a new component to our program to ensure that we maintain exceptional instruction with each new cohort of schools: an innovative teacher training program called T School. T School is distinct from other teacher training programs in that it is extremely rigorous, expects the highest level of accountability achieves an unparalleled depth of curriculum understanding and is rooted in practicality. Most importantly, it will produce incredibly high student outcomes.

The Charter Schools Programs initial investment in SCN has given us the opportunity open a new cohort of schools and has given us the runway to replicate our successful model. The proposed additional funds will allow us to ensure that our schools are equipped with the best possible teaching force – a key ingredient of successful replication.

Uncommon Schools

Uncommon Schools (Uncommon) is a nonprofit organization that starts and manages outstanding urban charter public schools that close the achievement gap and prepare low-income students to enter, succeed in, and graduate from college. Uncommon builds uncommonly great schools by developing and managing regional networks that are philosophically aligned and highly accountable. In addition to opening and managing high-performing schools, Uncommon is also committed to expanding its social impact by sharing best practices and advocating for policy changes that provide educational options to under-served families.

Uncommon currently manages 28 schools in New York City; Rochester, New York; Troy, New York; Newark, New Jersey; and Boston, Massachusetts. This fall the organization will serve 6,000 students across its current geographies. After several years of building a strong group of talented leaders and teachers, as well as proven, replicable systems, Uncommon is in the midst of an ambitious growth plan to ultimately encompass 44 schools, preparing 16,000 K to 12th grade students for college.

The shared mission of each Uncommon school is to prepare students to graduate from college by creating a rigorous, joyful school culture in which transformative college-prep opportunities are made available to low-income children. Uncommon has achieved outstanding academic results based on nationally-normed tests, statewide exams, and graduation milestones. Schools consistently outperform neighborhood schools, rank at the top of their cities, and are among their states’ top-performing urban schools. In addition to academic results, Uncommon tracks the effectiveness of its instructional programs, management services, and operational practices in order to disseminate the systems that work best to schools outside of the Uncommon network. The most frequently cited example of this is the Taxonomy of Effective Teaching Practices (Taxonomy), a collection of 49 techniques high-performing teachers use to drive student achievement. To date Uncommon has shared the Taxonomy with over 5,400 internal and external teachers and leaders with an estimated benefit to over 300,000 students across the country. Uncommon Schools expects to systemize and disseminate additional tools and practices in an effort to influence and catalyze student achievement in schools across the country.

The focus of the following grant is a request for CSP funding to fuel the growth of Uncommon Schools in Newark, New Jersey, and Boston, Massachusetts, specifically. Uncommon’s strong track record, talented leadership, and replicable systems uniquely position the organization for federal CSP funding. Although all Uncommon schools will be sustainable on the public dollar at full enrollment, supplemental public funding and private philanthropy is necessary in the start-up years during which the per pupil cost of running a school is higher due to many up-front expenses and initial low levels of enrollment. State laws in New Jersey do not permit an existing charter to apply for additional CSP grants when opening new, distinct schools; Massachusetts did not receive a CSP funding award in the most recent round of allocation decisions. Due to the unavailability of state funding, federal support of Uncommon’s North Star network in Newark, New Jersey, and Preparatory network in Boston, Massachusetts, would guarantee that over 3,200 additional low-income students in these cities have the opportunity for a high-quality education and the preparation necessary to succeed in and graduate from college. Uncommon respectfully requests $4.256 million in federal CSP funding to support the growth of nine new schools in Uncommon’s North Star and Preparatory networks.