2018 charter renewal - school board management software

2018 CHARTER RENEWAL

Staff RecommendationsNovember 12, 2018

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GOAL #1 Great Schools in Every Neighborhood

CONTENT OF TODAY’S PRESENTATION

1. Review charter renewal criteria and process;

2. Inform DPS Board Members of key evidence points for the charter schools eligible for renewal; and

3. Answer questions about staff renewal recommendations.

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DENVER PLANTHE

2020

A Foundation for Success in

School

GOAL #2 GOAL #3

Ready for College and

Career

GOAL #1

Great Schools in Every

Neighborhood

GOAL #4Support for the

Whole Child

GOAL #5Close the

Opportunity Gap

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ACCOUNTABILITY IN CHARTER RENEWAL

Transparent criteria

Renewal criteria are clear to all stakeholders, generating buy-in

Benchmarks School and District work together to mutually define adequate progress

Equity Across

GovernanceThe SPF and SPC are our common tools to create

equitable accountability for all schools.

School Surrenders

Staff works with schools to negotiate surrenders if benchmarks are not met, minimizing the disruption

of school closure.

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SHARED COMMITMENT TO ACCOUNTABILITY


WHAT INFORMS A RENEWAL RECOMMENDATION?Renewal recommendations are made based upon a body of evidence,which includes a school’s academic and organizational performance, with student outcomes being the primary consideration.

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Evidence Evidence Collection MethodStudent Outcomes -SPF (in the most recent year and over time)

-Progress towards contract termsFinancial & Operational Performance

-Financial Performance Framework (FPF)-Financial Staff Interview-Board and School Leader Interview-Application & Document Review

Leading Indicators of Performance

-School Site Visit (observations and interviews), including ELA Program Review-Application & Document Review

Governance & Oversight -Board Interview-Board Meeting Observation-Application & Document Review


SCHOOL PERFORMANCE COMPACT AND CHARTER RENEWAL INTERSECTION

The SPC is governance neutral and applies to charter schoolsjust as it does to innovation and district-managed schools.The following schools are eligible for the SPC and charter renewal this year, and, therefore, recommendations will be brought forward in December and January through the SPC:- Compass Academy (December SPC timeline)- DSST Cole Middle School (January SPC timeline)Charter Schools may be recommended for closure even if they are not SPC eligible for the following reasons:- Operational and/or financial insolvency

- Schools on other performance frameworks (i.e.: Early SPF or Alternative SPS) with persistently and consistently poor student outcomes.

- Consistent poor performance (including on the traditional SPF)

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REMINDER OF DIFFERENT SPFs

There are three frameworks that comprise the SPF in DPS:▪ Early – The Early Ed Framework is designed for our Early Education Centers and

schools that serve only students in grades 3 and below. If these schools remained on the Traditional Framework, they would be missing a significant portion of measures, as CMAS Growth results are not available until 4th grade. In some unique cases, schools with 4th graders may also receive an Early Ed SPF because they do not have enough eligible fourth graders to receive CMAS growth results. The renewal schools rated on the Early Framework in 2018 were: KIPP NE Elementary, REACH, Rocky Mountain Prep Southwest, and Roots.

▪ Traditional – The Traditional Framework is used for most Elementary schools, all middle and traditional high schools.

▪ Alternative – The Alternative Framework is designed for schools that have been designated as an Alternative Education Campus through the state. These are schools that typically serve our students most at risk, including student who are over-aged or under-credited. The renewal schools rated on the Alternative Framework in 2018 were: AUL, RiseUp, and Denver Justice.

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The type of SPF a school is on, and when they will be transitioning to the traditional from the early, is part of the body of evidence considered by PMT.


ORGANIZATIONAL HEATH

As independent non-profit organizations, organizational health is a key component of a successful charter school. Given the linkages between enrollment and funding, enrollment also is a key element of assessing organizational health. For this year’s renewal process, this meant that:

• The 2017 Strategic Regional Analysis notes that Denver is seeing a declining number of school-aged children. This is especially true in particular parts of the city.

• Financial health, including enrollment, is always part of the body of evidence considered at renewal, and more schools may struggle in this area given regional trends.

• We deeply believe in managing schools towards student outcomes (as measured by the SPF) and not being prescriptive about school size or staffing model AND we know that enrollment health is deeply tied to financial health and a school’s ability to offer the program approved in their charter.

• As such, charter schools were asked additional questions in this year’s application and interviews about enrollment health and you will see there are some conditions that include enrollment targets, in order to protect against financial insolvency.

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SPECTRUM OF POSSIBLE OUTCOMES

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0 Years 5 Years

Consistent and Persistent Low Performance

Consistent and Persistent

Strong Performance

For schools in the middle we give a range of years, often with the

opportunity for an extension if the schools meets benchmarks (the

“plus contract”)Explaining the “Plus Contract”: If we give a school a “2+2”, that means, the school gets a contract for two years AND, if they hit benchmarks in those two years AND meet the other material terms of their contract, they will receive an additional two years on the contract without going through renewal. In most cases, if the benchmarks are not met the school will go through renewal as if they had received a standard two year contract. In some cases, a school will agree during renewal that, if benchmarks are not met, they will surrender their contract and cease operations.Note: See full details in the appendix.


PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS

The Portfolio Management Team is committed to continuous improvement, including process improvements each charter renewal cycle. In particular, the process was improved this year by: Revising the School Quality Framework, based on user

feedback, in particular focused on leadership; Adding additional focus in the process on enrollment and

financial health; Streamlining school site visits for consistent and persistent

strong performing schools to honor their strong outcomes for students AND ensure we were still collecting important information about sustainability of outcomes, with a focus on equity.

The Portfolio Management Team will survey school leaders, Charter Board Chairs, and site visit team members to inform revisions to next year’s process.

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RECOMMENDATIONS OVERVIEWRegion: Far Northeast

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School SPF Framework Recommendation Abbreviated RationaleDSST: Green Valley Ranch HS

Traditional Five-year renewal Consistent strong performance; fully built out to all grades.

KIPP NE Leadership Academy HS

Traditional Three-year renewal with the opportunity for a two-year extension

Consistent strong performance; not fully built outto all grades.

KIPP NEElementary

Early Ed. Two-year renewal with the opportunity for a three-year extension

Historically rated as meeting expectations; “yellow” in most recent year due to academic gaps.

KIPP NE MS Traditional Two-year renewal with the opportunity for a two-year extension

Upward performance trends;not yet meeting expectations.

Monarch Montessori

Traditional One-year renewal with the opportunity for a two-year extension

Drop from yellow to orange;has systems underway to support improvement, but facing lower enrollment.


RECOMMENDATIONS OVERVIEWRegion: Near Northeast

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School SPF Framework

Recommendation Abbreviated Rationale

Rocky Mountain Prep Creekside

Traditional Five-year renewal Consistent strong performance; fully built out to serve all grades

Roots Elementary

Early Ed.

One-year renewal with the opportunity for a one-year extension

Not yet meeting SPF expectations; concerns about financial sustainability and improvement trajectory.


RECOMMENDATIONS OVERVIEWRegion: Southwest

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DSST College View HS

Traditional Three-year renewal with the opportunity for a two-year extension

Consistent strong performance; not fully built out to serve all grades.

Rocky Mountain Prep Southwest

EarlyEd.

Two-year renewal with the opportunity for a three-year extension

Historically rated as meeting expectations; “yellow” in most recent year due to academic gaps.

STRIVE Prep -Federal

Traditional Five-year renewal Consistent strong performance; fully built out to serve all grades.

STRIVE Prep -SMART

Traditional One-year renewal with the opportunity for a two-year extension

Inconsistent track record; incentivizes continued improvement.


RECOMMENDATIONS OVERVIEWRegion: Northwest

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Academy of Urban Learning

Alternative One-year renewal with the opportunity for a one-year extension

Consistently not met expectations; currently engaged in turnaround with strong leading indicators.


RECOMMENDATIONS OVERVIEWRegion: Southeast and Central

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Denver Justice High School

Alternative Two-year renewal with the opportunity for a one-year extension

Consistently not met expectations;shows improved outcomes on key measures.

Downtown Denver Expeditionary

Traditional Two-year renewal with the opportunity for a two-year extension

Upward performance trends; not yet meeting SPF expectations.

REACH Early Ed. Two-year renewal with the opportunity for a one-year extension

Upward performance trends; not yet meeting SPF expectations.

RISE Up Alternative One-year renewal Not met expectations since opening; short-term renewal gives new leader the opportunity to improve quickly.

Wyatt Academy Traditional Two-year renewal with the opportunity for a two-year extension

Upward performance trends; not yet meeting expectations.

CHARTER CONTRACT RENEWAL: SCHOOL

OVERVIEWS

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GOAL #1 | Great Schools in Every Neighborhood

DSST GREEN VALLEY RANCH HIGH SCHOOL: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

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Recommendation: Five-year renewal

Rationale: The school has a consistent and persistent track record of meeting expectations, and is fully built out to include all grades. Leading indicators show the school is set up to continue to meet or exceed expectations.

Contract Status: 5th year of a five-year contract; The school received performance-based extension.

SPF Overall: 2014: 92% 2016: 85% 2017: 81% 2018: 70%School Mission: DSST Public Schools transforms urban public education by eliminating

educational inequity and preparing all students for success in college and the 21st century.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:72.7%

Minority:92.2%

ELL:59.8%

SPED:6.0%

2018-2019:

Students: 550

Grades:09 - 12

Leadership: Principal:Jenna Kalin

ED/CEO:Bill Kurtz

Board Chair:Gloria Zamora

Note: Throughout, due to the switch to assessments transitions, there was no 2015 SPF.


DSST GREEN VALLEY RANCH HIGH SCHOOL: 2018 SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

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DSST GREEN VALLEY RANCH HIGH SCHOOL: 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Domain School Performance

P/SAT: Status: In Evidence Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), 69.5% of students scored at or above the College Ready level, which is more than the 60% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. In Math, 60.4% of students scored at or above the College Ready level, which is above the 40% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. Both indicators were above the average of similar schools.

Growth: The school’s MGP was 46.5 in EBRW and 62 in Math. While EBRW is below the “Meets Expectations” cut point of 50, both measures are higher than similar schools.

PSR: The CDE “Best-Of” graduation rate is 96.7%, which is above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark.

Gaps: The school generally “Meets Expectations” on its disaggregated measures, including for Students of Color, English Learners, and Students in Poverty. The school “Does Not Meet Expectations” on limited measures for Students with Disabilities.

DSST GREEN VALLEY RANCH HS SCHOOL: OTHER INDICATORS

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Domain School PerformanceSchool Quality Framework (SQF) Indicators*

Teaching: Teachers set objectives grounded in the standards and provided students with aligned resources, which led to generally high levels of student engagement. However, there was minimal differentiation observed.School Leadership:There are strong instructional systems and structures in place to ensure that the school vision guides the work of staff members. Educational Programming:While there are strong supports in place for students who need help completing coursework, some gaps exist in Special Education programming to provide academic intervention beyond core instruction. Staff members recently engaged in cultural competency training.School Culture: The school has strong systems in place to support school culture, such as multi-grade morning meetings, academic advisory, and meaningful opportunities for student leadership. Instructional time is consistently maximized as a result of classroom management systems and structures, such as positive praise and restorative practices.Governance:The DSST Network Board has strong skills as well as systems in place in order to provide oversight to the school, including a strategic plan and a regular practice of receiving academic updates.

Financial Risk Rating

LOW RISK Overall, with low risk in enrollment, occupancy and balance sheet, and medium risk in costs per student and operating margin.

*Note: Schools eligible for focused site visits based on consistent and persistent strong outcomes were not rated for each component of the SQF.


KIPP NORTHEAST LEADERSHIP ACADEMY: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

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Recommendation: Three-year renewal with the opportunity for a two-year extension if the school continues to meet expectations on the 2019, 2020, and 2021 SPFs

Rationale: The school has a consistent and persistent track record of meeting expectations, but school does not have full data set yet, serving 12th graders for the first time in 2018-19. If the school can continue to “Meets Expectations” after being fully built out, it should be eligible to receive the maximum contract length.

Contract Status: 4th year of a four-year contract (first renewal)

SPF Overall: 2016: 88% 2017: 91% 2018: 88%

School Mission: Our mission is to equip our students with the academic skills and character strengths necessary to succeed in college and the competitive world beyond.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:86.2%

SOC:94.4%

ELL:69.1%

SPED:10.5%

2018-2019:

Students: 517

Grades:09 - 12

Leadership: Principal:Grant Erwin

ED/CEO:Kimberlee Sia

Board Chair:Dan Friesen


KIPP NORTHEAST LEADERSHIP ACADEMY: 2018 SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

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KIPP NORTHEAST LEADERSHIP ACADEMY: 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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P/SAT: Status: In Evidence Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), 63.1% of students scored at or above the College Ready level, which is more than the 60% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. In Math, 45.9% of students scored at or above the College Ready level, above the 40% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. Both indicators were above the average of similar schools.

Growth: The school’s MGP was 51 in EBRW and 72 in Math. Both EBRW and Math are above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark of 50, and both measures are higher than similar schools.

PSR: The school has 92.2% of students “On-Track” to graduate, which is above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark. Because the school has 12th graders for the first time this year, there is not yet graduation rate data available.

Gaps: The school generally “Meets Expectations” on its disaggregated measures, including for Students of Color, Students in Poverty, English Learners, and Students with Disabilities.


KIPP NORTHEAST LEADERSHIP ACADEMY: OTHER INDICATORS

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Domain School PerformanceSQF School Quality Indicators

Teaching: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has strong systems in place that promote teacher quality, beginning with a mission-aligned hiring process and including consistent teacher coaching, evaluation and professional development. The observed instruction included clear objectives, as well as instructional strategies that held all students accountable and led to high levels of student engagement in the classroom. School Leadership: Rating: Meets ExpectationThe school has strong systems, structures, and processes in place that promote leadership and ensure student achievement and school sustainability, with organizational structure and operational leadership as areas of particular strength.Educational Programming: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school uses a teacher-developed curriculum and aligned, network-developed assessments. Programming for students in need of additional support is high-quality. The school has adapted its curricular materials to reflect the cultures and identities of the students.School Culture: Rating: Meets ExpectationThe school has strong systems in place to support school culture, such as clear expectations, restorative practices, and a focus on college preparedness, and many systems in place to involve families in the school community, such as an active PTO and a family council. Instructional time is consistently maximized as a result of classroom management systems and structures. Governance: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe Board has the strong skills and systems in place to provide oversight to the network of KIPP Colorado schools, with a strong system of reporting key academic, operational, and human capital data across its schools.


LOW RISK Overall, with low risk in enrollment, occupancy, and operating margin, and medium risk in costs per student and balance sheet.


KIPP NORTHEAST ELEMENTARY: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

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Recommendation: Two-year renewal with the opportunity for a three-year extension if the school “Meets Expectations” on the 2020 SPF

Rationale: The school has historically met expectations but received a rating of “Approaching Expectations” in 2018 due to its performance on academic gaps. If it can return to meeting expectations while transitioning to the Traditional Framework, which would include addressing academic gaps, then it should be eligible to receive the maximum contract length.


Early SPF Overall: 2014: NA 2016: 74% 2017: 66% 2018: 57%School Mission: Our mission is to equip our students with the academic skills and character

strengths necessary to succeed in college and the competitive world beyond.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:82.3%

SOC:93.6%

ELL:44.2%

SPED:11.3%

2018-2019:

Students: 484

Grades:ECE - 04

Leadership: Principal:Lindsey Lorehn




KIPP NORTHEAST ELEMENTARY: 2018 EARLY SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

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KIPP NORTHEAST ELEMENTARY: 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Domain School PerformanceCMAS: Status: On CMAS Literacy, 37.5% of students scored meets or exceeds, less than the 50%

“Meets Expectations” benchmark. On CMAS Math, 52.5% of students scored meets or exceeds, more than the 50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. Because the school is on the Early Ed SPF, it does not have a similar schools cluster.

Growth: Last year, the school did not have fourth or fifth grade students, so it does not have CMAS MGP.

Early Literacy:

Status: The school “Does Not Meet Expectations” for the percent of student reading on grade level in kindergarten, with 48%, and “Does Not Meet Expectations” for the percent of students reading on grade level in grades 1-3, with 51%.

Growth: The school scored below the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the percent of significantly below students ‘catching-up’ with 29.4% growing at least one proficiency band. The school scored below the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the combined percent of significantly below and below students to ‘catch-up’ with 36.7% growing at least one proficiency band.

Gaps: The school was generally “Approaching Expectations” on its disaggregated measures. It did not meet expectations for English Learners or for Students in Poverty.


KIPP NORTHEAST ELEMENTARY: OTHER INDICATORS

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SQF School Quality Indicators

Teaching: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has strong systems in place that promote teacher quality, beginning with a mission-aligned hiring process and including consistent teacher coaching, evaluation and professional development. The observed pedagogy included instructional strategies that were sometimes differentiated to meet the needs of students and led to high levels of student engagement in the classroom. School Leadership: Rating: Exceeds ExpectationsThe school has strong systems, structures, and processes in place that promote leadership and ensure student achievement and school sustainability, with a strength in school culture systems.Educational Programming: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school uses a high-quality, network-developed curriculum and high-quality assessments that are implemented with a focus on cultural competency. Programming for students in special education is strong; however, there were inconsistent supports in place for English Language Learners.School Culture: Rating: Exceeds ExpectationsThe school has strong systems in place to support school culture, such as intentional recognition of school values, and many systems in place to involve families in the school community, such as school-wide celebrations, coffee with school leaders, and family groups. Instructional time is consistently maximized as a result of clear, consistent classroom management systems and structures.Governance: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe Board has the strong skills and systems in place to provide oversight to the network of KIPP Colorado schools, with a strong system of reporting key academic, operational and human capital data across its schools.


LOW RISK Overall, with low risk in enrollment, occupancy and operating margin, and medium risk in costs per student and balance sheet.


KIPP NORTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL : RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

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Recommendation: Two-year renewal with the possibility of a two-year extension if the school meets expectations on the 2020 SPF

Rationale: The school has made improvements on the SPF in the most recent year, much of which was evident in a strong site visit. However, it still has not met expectations. If the school can meet expectations on the SPF by 2020, it should receive additional years, but not the full amount, given its inconsistent track record.

Contract Status: 2nd year of a two-year contract; The school did not meet contractual terms for extension of contract.

SPF Overall: 2014: 80% 2016: 35% 2017: 32% 2018: 44%School Mission: Our mission is to equip our students with the academic skills and character

strengths necessary to succeed in college and the competitive world beyond.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:86.4%

SOC:95.4%

ELL:65.3%

SPED:9.2%

2018-2019:

Students: 451

Grades:05 - 08

Leadership: Principal:Stephanie Olson




KIPP NORTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL : 2018 SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

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KIPP NORTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL : 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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CMAS: Status: On CMAS Literacy, 39.2% of students scored meets or exceeds, which is less than the 50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. On CMAS Math, 15.5% of students scored meets or exceeds, less than the 50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. The CMAS Literacy score was higher than the average score of similar schools, while CMAS Math was not.

Growth: The school’s MGP was 66 on CMAS Literacy and 44 on CMAS Math. The CMAS Literacy is above the “Meets Expectation” benchmark and higher than similar schools, while CMAS Math was not.

Gaps: The school generally “Approaches Expectations” on its disaggregated measures. The school “Meets Expectations” for Students with Disabilities, but not for Students of Color, English Learners, or Students in Poverty.


KIPP NORTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL:OTHER INDICATORS

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Teaching: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has strong systems in place that promote teacher quality, beginning with a mission-aligned hiring process and including quality teacher coaching, evaluation and professional development. The observed instruction included clear objectives and supports that led to high levels of student engagement in the classroom. However, there was little evidence of differentiated instruction or peer-to-peer learning.School Leadership: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has strong systems, structures, and processes in place that promote leadership and ensure student achievement and school sustainability, including a clear organizational structure that builds the capacity of school leaders.Educational Programming: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school uses a high-quality curriculum and research-based assessments, which are implemented in a culturally competent manner. Programming for students in need of additional support were of varied quality. In particular, there were strengths in Special Education instruction, but areas for focus in ELL instruction.School Culture: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has strong systems in place to support school culture, such as advisory classes and grade-level assemblies, and many systems in place to involve families in the school community, such as parent committees. Instructional time is often maximized as a result of classroom management systems and structures, such as restorative practices. Students report being invested in school-wide reward systems.Governance: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe Board has the strong skills and systems in place to provide oversight to the network of KIPP Colorado schools, with a strong system of reporting key academic, operational and human capital data across its schools.


LOW RISK Overall, with low risk in enrollment, occupancy, balance sheet, and operating margin, and medium risk in costs per student.


MONARCH MONTESSORI: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

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Recommendation: One-year renewal with the possibility of a two-year extension if the school is not rated “red” on the 2019 SPF and the school’s 1-year performance in 2018-19 is aligned with SPF “yellow” expectations

Rationale: This is the school’s 1st year rated orange, and it has some systems underway to support improvement, including a focus on data-driven instruction and coaching. If it is able to disrupt the performance decline and meet the agreed upon rigorous benchmarks, then it should earn an additional two years.

Contract Status: 2nd year of a two-year contract; The school not meet contractual terms for extension of contract.

SPF Overall: 2014: 42% 2016: 40% 2017: 44% 2018: 34% School Mission: We aim to ensure that high quality, Montessori education is available to all

families that seek it, in order to help each child reach their full potential in all areas of life. Monarch Montessori provides a holistic approach to learning, based on the educational philosophy of Dr. Montessori.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:72.4%

SOC:85.6%

ELL:31.2%

SPED:9.2%

2018-2019:

Students: 213

Grades:K - 05

Leadership: Principal:Ann Massengill

ED/CEO:Laura Pretty

Board Chair:Jessica Brody


MONARCH MONTESSORI: 2018 SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

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MONARCH MONTESSORI : 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Domain School PerformanceCMAS: Status: On CMAS Literacy, 19.5% of students scored meets or exceeds, which is less than the

50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. On CMAS Math, 9% of students scored meets or exceeds, less than the 50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. Both indicators were less than the average of similar schools.

Growth: The school’s MGP was 40 on CMAS Literacy and 43.5 on CMAS Math. Both scores were less than the MGP score for similar schools and below the benchmark.

Early Literacy:

Status: The school “Does Not Meet Expectations” for the percent of student reading on grade level in kindergarten, with 29.7%, and is “Approaching Expectations” for the percent of students reading on grade level in grades 1-3, with 64%.

Growth: The school scored above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the percent of significantly below students ‘catching-up’ with 45.6% growing at least one proficiency band. The school scored below the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the combined percent of significantly below and below students to ‘catch-up’ with 47.1% growing at least one proficiency band.

Gaps: This school is “Approaching Expectations” on its disaggregated measures. It did not meet expectations for English Learners, Students of Color, Students in Poverty, or Students with Disabilities.


MONARCH MONTESSORI: OTHER INDICATORS

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Teaching: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school has some systems in place that promote teacher quality, beginning with a clear hiring process and including some teacher coaching, evaluation and professional development. The observed pedagogy included clear objectives and instructional strategies that were often differentiated. While students were highly engaged in their work, they were not always prepared to show mastery at the end of a learning task.School Leadership: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has most systems, structures, and processes in place that promote leadership and ensure student achievement and school sustainability, with leadership team coaching as an area of strength.Educational Programming: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school uses a Montessori curriculum in conjunction with a research-based reading program; however, the school does not have sufficient curricular resources in place to address the math standards. The school uses high-quality, research-based assessments. Programming for students in need of additional support is of varied quality. While ELD and content instruction met the needs of ELL students, some Special Education programming was not well aligned to the Montessori work time.School Culture: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has strong systems in place to support school culture, such as restorative practices, and some systems in place to involve families in the school community, such as celebrations of academics and culture. Instructional time is consistently maximized as a result of classroom management systems and structures that enable student autonomy. Governance: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe Board has most skills and systems in place to provide oversight to the school, including for operations and finance, but less for long-term strategic planning. At the observed Board meeting, the Board used new dashboards and reported on the development of a strategic plan.


MEDIUM RISK Overall, with low risk in enrollment, balance sheet, and operating margin, medium risk in costs per student, and high risk in occupancy.


ROCKY MOUNTAIN PREP CREEKSIDE: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

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Rationale: The school has a consistent and persistent track record of meeting expectations, and is fully built out to include all grades. Leading indicators show the school is set up to continue to meet or exceed expectations.

Contract Status: 5th year of a five-year contract; The school received a performance-based extension.

SPF Overall: 2014: 63% 2016: 74% 2017: 83% 2018: 65%School Mission: Every child realizes their full potential through a rigorous and loving elementary

education.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:78.9%

SOC:85%

ELL:44.8%

SPED:13.7%

2018-2019:

Students: 602

Grades:ECE - 05

Leadership: Principal:Austen Kassinger

ED/CEO:James Cryan

Board Chair:Lee White


ROCKY MOUNTAIN PREP CREEKSIDE: 2018 SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

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ROCKY MOUNTAIN PREP CREEKSIDE: 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Domain School PerformanceCMAS: Status: On CMAS Literacy, 42.7% of students scored meets or exceeds, which is less than the

50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. On CMAS Math, 56.9% of students scored meets or exceeds, more than the 50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. Both indicators were higher than the average score of similar schools.

Growth: The school’s MGP was 40 on CMAS Literacy and 57 on CMAS Math. The CMAS Math score is above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark and higher than similar schools.

Early Literacy:

Status: The school “Does Not Meet Expectations” for the percent of student reading on grade level in kindergarten, with 60%, and “Does Not Meet Expectations” for the percent of students reading on grade level in grades 1-3, with 57.5%.

Growth: The school scored below the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the percent of significantly below students ‘catching-up’ with 38% growing at least one proficiency band. The school scored below the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the combined percent of significantly below and below students to ‘catch-up’ with 43% growing at least one proficiency band.

Gaps: The school generally “Meets Expectations” on its disaggregated measures, including for English Learners, Students of Color, and Students in Poverty, but not for Students with Disabilities.


ROCKY MOUNTAIN PREP CREEKSIDE: OTHER INDICATORS

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SQF School Quality Indicators*

Teaching:The observed pedagogy meets expectations, including well-planned and standards-aligned lessons and high levels of student engagement in the classroom. School Leadership:There are strong instructional systems and structures in place that promote leadership and ensure student achievement. Educational Programming:The school uses a standards-based curriculum and aligned assessments. The school has programming for students in need of additional support, in particular students with IEPs, but it is working on systems for ELL and GT students. Staff members recently engaged in training on diversity, equity, and inclusion and there were some classroom resources that reflected the cultures and identities of students. School Culture:The school has many systems in place to support a strong school culture, such as a consistent classroom management program. Instructional time is often maximized as a result of classroom management systems and structures such as No Nonsense Nurturing. Students report being invested in the school and its leadership programs.Governance:The Board has strong skills in place to provide oversight to the school, including engaging the broader community.


LOW RISK Overall, with low risk in enrollment, costs per student, balance sheet, operating margin, medium risk in occupancy.



ROOTS ELEMENTARY: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

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Recommendation: One-year renewal with the opportunity for a one-year extension if the school meets academic (Green on Growth Measures of 2019 SPF) and enrollment (225 total students as of October Count 2019) benchmarks

Rationale: Although the school is yellow on the Early SPF and green on growth, there are concerns about enrollment and leading indicators. If the school shows meaningful improvement by meeting academic growth measures and getting to a sustainable enrollment, the school should receive another year.


Early SPF Overall: 2016: 22% 2017: 46% 2018: 40%

School Mission: Roots Elementary cultivates wonder into a lifetime of opportunity.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:69.2%

SOC:91.2%

ELL:11.0%

SPED:13.8%

2018-2019:

Students: 182

Grades:K - 04

Leadership: Principal:Kathryn Martinez

ED/CEO: (Interim)Steph Itelman

Board Chair:Eric Sondermann


ROOTS ELEMENTARY: 2018 EARLY SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

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ROOTS ELEMENTARY: 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Domain School PerformanceCMAS: Status: On CMAS Literacy, 9.8% of students scored meets or exceeds, which is less than the 50%

“Meets Expectations” benchmark. On CMAS Math, 2.6% of students scored meets or exceeds, less than the 50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. Because the school is on the Early Ed SPF it does not have a similar schools cluster.

Growth: Last year, the school did not have fourth or fifth grade students, so it does not have CMAS MGP.

Early Literacy:

Status: The school “Approaches Expectations” for the percent of student reading on grade level in kindergarten, with 70%, and “Does Not Meet Expectations” for the percent of students reading on grade level in grades 1-3, with 53.3%.

Growth: The school scored above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the percent of significantly below students ‘catching-up’ with 50.5% growing at least one proficiency band. The school scored above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the combined percent of significantly below and below students to ‘catch-up’ with 59.1% growing at least one proficiency band.

Gaps: The school was generally “Approaching Expectations” on its disaggregated measures. It did not meet expectations for English Language Learners or Students in Poverty.


ROOTS ELEMENTARY: OTHER INDICATORS

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Teaching: Rating: Does Not Meet ExpectationsThe school has some systems in place that promote teacher quality, beginning with a mission-aligned hiring process and including teacher coaching, evaluation and professional development. The observed instructional strategies were sometimes differentiated. However, there were consistently low levels of student engagement and mastery.School Leadership: Rating: Does Not Meet ExpectationsThe school has some systems, structures, and processes in place that promote leadership and ensure student achievement. Although there is a clear school vision for instruction and culture, the vision is not evident across most classrooms.Educational Programming: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school uses a standards-aligned, research-based curriculum and high-quality assessments. The school has systems in place for identifying students who need reading intervention but does not provide sufficient support for students in math. Although ELD instruction explicitly addresses language in all four domains, sheltering practices do not meet the needs of many ELL students.School Culture: Rating: Does Not Meet ExpectationsThe school has many systems in place to involve families in the school, such as communication systems and school events. Although there are systems to promote student involvement, they do not have buy-in from many students. Discipline and behavior management systems do not meet the needs of many students, which leads to significant lost learning time.Governance: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe Board has the skills and systems in place to provide financial, academic and operational oversight to the school, with, in particular, clear goals aligned with the school’s mission, on which the Board receives regular updates.


HIGH RISK Overall, with low risk in operating margin, medium risk in balance sheet, and high risk in enrollment, occupancy and costs per students. Enrollment Details: For the current academic year, the school has 182 students enrolled, 39 fewer than projected.


DSST COLLEGE VIEW HIGH SCHOOL: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

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Recommendation: Three-year renewal with the opportunity for a two-year extension if the school continues to meets expectations on the 2019, 2020, and 2021 SPFs

Rationale: The school has a consistent and persistent track record of meeting expectations, but school does not have full data set yet, serving 12th graders for the first time in 2018-19. If the school can continue to “Meets Expectations” after being fully built out, it should be eligible to receive the maximum contract length.


SPF Overall: 2014: NA 2016: 92% 2017: 87% 2018: 57%

School Mission: DSST Public Schools transforms urban public education by eliminating educational inequity and preparing all students for success in college and the 21st century.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:88.9%

SOC:96.1%

ELL:79.8%

SPED:6.9%

2018-2019:

Students: 514

Grades:09 - 12

Leadership: Principal:Becca Meyer

ED/CEO:Bill Kurtz

Board Chair:Gloria Zamora


DSST COLLEGE VIEW HIGH SCHOOL: 2018 SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

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DSST COLLEGE VIEW HIGH SCHOOL: 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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P/SAT Status: In Evidence Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), 53.1% of students scored at or above the College Ready level, which is less than the 60% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. In Math, 47.3% of students scored at or above the College Ready level, above the 40% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. Both indicators were higher than the average of similar schools.

Growth: The school’s MGP was 34 in EBRW and 54 in Math. Math is both above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark of 50 and similar schools. EBRW is below similar schools.

PSR: 77.8% of the students were on-track to graduate, above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark. Because the school has 12th graders for the first time this year, they do not yet have graduation rate data.

Gaps: The school generally “Meets Expectations” on its disaggregated measures, including for English Learners and Students in Poverty, but not Students of Color and Students with Disabilities.


DSST COLLEGE VIEW HIGH SCHOOL: OTHER INDICATORS

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Domain School PerformanceSQF School Quality Indicators*

Teaching: The observed pedagogy met expectations. Teachers set objectives grounded in the standards and provided students will aligned resources, which led to generally high levels of student engagement. However, there was minimal differentiation observed.School Leadership: There are strong instructional systems and structures in place to ensure that the school vision guides the work of staff members. Educational Programming: Although there are strong supports in place for students who need help completing coursework, some gaps exists in programs to provide academic intervention beyond core instruction. All staff members recently engaged in training on how identity might impact interactions with students, but class materials only reflected the culture and identities of students in some classes.School Culture: The school has strong systems in place to support a strong school culture, such as multi-grade morning meetings, academic advisory, and meaningful opportunities for student leadership. Instructional time is often maximized as a result of classroom management systems and structures, such as positive praise and varied cognitive engagement strategies.Governance: The DSST Network Board has strong skills as well as systems in place in order to provide oversight to the school, including a strategic plan and a regular practice of receiving academic updates.


LOW RISK Overall with low risk in enrollment, occupancy, balance sheet and operating margin, and medium risk in costs per student.



ROCKY MOUNTAIN PREP SOUTHWEST: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

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Recommendation: Two-year renewal with the opportunity for a three-year extension if the school meets expectations by the 2020 SPF

Rationale: The school has historically met expectations but received a rating of “Approaching Expectations” in 2018 due to its performance on academic gaps. If it can return to meeting expectations while transitioning to the Traditional Framework, which would include addressing academic gaps, then it should be eligible to receive the maximum contract length.


Early SPF Overall: 2016: 52% 2017: 67% 2018: 58%

School Mission: Every child realizes their full potential through a rigorous and loving elementary education.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:91.7%

SOC:93.4%

ELL:60.7%

SPED:14.5%

2018-2019:

Students: 426

Grades:ECE - 04

Leadership: Principal:Jenni Reese

ED/CEO:James Cryan

Board Chair:Lee White


ROCKY MOUNTAIN PREP SOUTHWEST: 2018 EARLY SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

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ROCKY MOUNTAIN PREP SOUTHWEST: 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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CMAS: Status: On CMAS Literacy, 18% of students scored meets or exceeds, which is less than the 50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. On CMAS Math, 44% of students scored meets or exceeds, less than the 50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. Because the school is on the Early Ed SPF it does not have a similar schools cluster.

Growth: Last year, the school did not have fourth or fifth grade students, so it does not have an MGP score.

Early Literacy:

Status: The school “Meets Expectations” for the percent of student reading on grade level in kindergarten, with 78.4%, and “Does Not Meet Expectations” for the percent of students reading on grade level in grades 1-3, with 38.8%.

Growth: The school scored above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the percent of significantly below students ‘catching-up’ with 47.9% growing at least one proficiency band. The school scored below the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the combined percent of significantly below and below students to ‘catch-up’ with 49.7% growing at least one proficiency band.

Gaps: The school was generally “Approaching Expectations” on its disaggregated measures. It met expectations for Students with Disabilities, but not for Students of Color, Students in Poverty, or English Learners.


ROCKY MOUNTAIN PREP SOUTHWEST: OTHER INDICATORS

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Teaching: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school has strong systems in place that promote teacher quality, beginning with a rigorous hiring process and including consistent teacher coaching, evaluation, and professional development. The observed pedagogy included clear objectives and instructional strategies that were sometimes differentiated to meet the needs of students. Although there were high levels of student engagement, in most observed classrooms, a subset of students did not show mastery of the objective, and there was little evidence of differentiation.School Leadership: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has strong systems, structures, and processes in place that promote leadership and ensure student achievement and school sustainability with a strength in leadership team coaching.Educational Programming: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school uses a standards-aligned curriculum and high-quality, research-based assessments. Programming for students in need of additional support is varied in effectiveness. In particular, programming for students with IEPs was a strength, and ELL instruction was an area for growth. Staff members recently engaged in training on diversity, equity, and inclusions, but the observed curriculum was not representative of the culture or identities of students at the school.School Culture: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has strong systems in place to support school culture, such as a strong discipline program, and many systems in place to involve families in the school community, such as barbecues and parent nights with the pre-school. Instructional time is consistently maximized as a result of classroom management systems and structures, such as positive narration with No Nonsense Nurturing. Students report being invested in STEP goals. Governance: Rating: Not Rated*The Board has strong skills in place to provide oversight to the school, including engaging the broader community.


MEDIUM RISK Overall, with low risk in occupancy, balance sheet and operating margin, and medium risk in enrollment and costs per student.

*Due to the Board schedule, PMT was not able to observe a Board meeting (although it was able to review documents and conduct an interview). As such, Governance was not rated.


STRIVE PREP - FEDERAL: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

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Rationale: The school has a consistent and persistent track record of meeting expectations. Leading indicators show the school is set up to continue to meet or exceed expectations.

Contract Status: 5th year of a five-year contract

SPF Overall: 2014: 70% 2016: 75% 2017: 68% 2018: 60%School Mission: The mission of STRIVE Preparatory Schools is success for every student. Through

a demanding education of high standards, structure and accountability, STRIVE Preparatory Schools prepares students for educational success from middle school through college.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:94%

SOC:98.6%

ELL:82.5%

SPED:17.5%

2018-2019:

Students: 325

Grades:06 - 08

Leadership: Principal:Rebecca Riopelle

ED/CEO:Chris Gibbons

Board Chair:Amber Valdez


STRIVE PREP - FEDERAL: 2018 SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

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STRIVE PREP - FEDERAL: 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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CMAS: Status: On CMAS Literacy, 33.3% of students scored meets or exceeds, which is less than the 50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. On CMAS Math, 17.1% of students scored meets or exceeds, less than the 50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. Both indicators were higher than the average score of similar schools.

Growth: The school’s MGP was 66 on CMAS Literacy and 62 on CMAS Math. Both are above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark and higher than similar schools.

Gaps: The school “Meets Expectations” on its disaggregated measures for Students with Disabilities, but not for Students in Poverty or English Learners.


STRIVE PREP - FEDERAL: OTHER INDICATORS

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SQF School Quality Indicators*

Teaching:The observed pedagogy met expectations, including clear objectives, instructional strategies that were often differentiated to meet the needs of most students, as well as high levels of student engagement in most classrooms. School Leadership:There are strong instructional systems and structures in place to ensure that the school vision guides the work of staff members. Educational Programming:There are strong systems in place to support students in need of intervention, as well as students in ELL programming. Staff members recently engaged in training on cultural competence, such as the impact of micro-aggressions, but the observed curriculum was not representative of the culture or identities of students at the school.School Culture:The school has many systems in place to support a strong school culture, including a clear discipline policy positive behavior system. Instructional time is often maximized as a result of classroom management systems and structures, such as clear routines and transitions. Students report being invested in school-wide celebrations of values, such as Fun Friday.Governance:The Board has the strong skills and systems/structures in place to provide oversight to the school, including regular tools for academic, financial, and operational oversight. The Board is operating from a three-year strategic plan.


LOW RISK Overall, with low risk in enrollment, occupancy, costs per student and balance sheet, and medium risk in operating margin.



STRIVE PREP - SMART: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

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Recommendation: One-year renewal with the possibility of a two-year extension if the school is not rated “red” on the 2019 SPF and the school’s 1-year performance in 2018-19 is aligned with SPF “yellow” expectations

Rationale: This is the school’s second year as orange, and it is focused on supporting particular subgroups as its key improvement strategy. It has some systems underway to address this. If the school is able to avoid a decline and meets agreed upon rigorous benchmarks, then it should earn another two years.


SPF Overall: 2014: 45% 2016: 47% 2017: 37% 2018: 38%School Mission: The mission of STRIVE Preparatory Schools is success for every student. Through

a demanding education of high standards, structure and accountability, STRIVE Preparatory Schools prepares students for educational success from middle school through college.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:92.6%

SOC:99.4%

ELL:87.3%

SPED:13.3%

2018-2019:

Students: 489

Grades:09 - 12

Leadership: Principal:Jack Holmes

ED/CEO:Chris Gibbons

Board Chair:Amber Valdez


STRIVE PREP - SMART: 2018 SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

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STRIVE PREP - SMART: 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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P/SAT: Status: In Evidence Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), 41.4% of students scored at or above the College Ready level, which is less than the 60% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. In Math, 30.8% of students scored at or above the College Ready level, less than the 40% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. On both indicators, the school was above the average of similar schools.

Growth: The school’s MGP was 32 in EBRW and 47 in Math. Both EBRW and Math are below the “Meets Expectations” benchmark of 50. Although growth in EBRW is less than similar schools, it is more than similar schools in Math.

PSR: The school has a “Best-Of” graduation rate of 94.2%, which is above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark.

Gaps: The school generally “Approaches Expectations” on its disaggregated measures. It “Meets Expectations” for Students in Poverty, but not for Students of Color, English Learners, or Students with Disabilities.


STRIVE PREP - SMART: OTHER INDICATORS

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Teaching: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school has strong systems in place that promote teacher quality, beginning with a rigorous hiring process and including quality teacher coaching, evaluation and professional development. Teachers used objectives that were aligned to relevant grade-level standards and used a variety of strategies that engaged most students. However, students were often not pushed to higher-order thinking and were inconsistently supported in reaching mastery. School Leadership: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has many systems, structures, and processes in place that promote leadership and ensure student achievement and school sustainability, with a strength in school culture leadership. Although the school has many systems in place to support instruction, they are not yet leading to a consistent implementation of the vision.Educational Programming: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school uses a high-quality, research-based curriculum and aligned assessments. In many classes, teachers used sheltering practices and co-teacher models to support the needs of students with IEPs and students in ELL programming; however, these practices were not yet sufficient to ensure high levels of mastery. Although the school offers some courses that are directly related to the identity of many students, such as Chicano Studies, the observed curriculum in other courses does not reflect the culture of many students. School Culture: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has many systems in place to support a strong school culture and many systems in place to involve families in the school community, such as meetings with school and network leaders. Instructional time is often maximized as a result of common classroom management systems and structures.Governance: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe Board has strong skills and systems/structures in place to provide oversight to the school, including regular tools for academic, financial, and operational oversight. The Board is operating from a three-year strategic plan.


LOW RISK Overall, with low risk in enrollment, occupancy, costs per student and operating margin, and medium risk in balance sheet.


ACADEMY OF URBAN LEARNING: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

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Recommendation: One-year renewal with the opportunity for a one-year extension if the school meets academic benchmark of being orange on 2019 Alternative SPF; school agrees to surrender if not met

Rationale: The school has consistently not met expectations. However, the Board and staff are engaged in dramatic turnaround, including the replacement of the principal, much of the staff, and many board members. The recent site visit indicates the school has made some significant improvements to instruction and school culture, showing early signs of turnaround success. As such, the school deserves one year to see if these early indicators of success translate to improved student outcomes.


Alternative SPF Overall: 2014: 47% 2016: 21% 2017: 22% 2018: 19%

School Mission: “AUL strives to provide a comprehensive and quality high school education for students who come from uncertain living conditions.”

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:80.6%

SOC:94.4%

ELL:29.6%

SPED:20.4%

2018-2019:

Students: 131

Grades:09 - 12

Leadership: Principal:Jennifer Jackson

ED/CEO:N/A

Board Chair:Thomas Bryan


ACADEMY OF URBAN LEARNING: 2018 ALTERNATIVE SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

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ACADEMY OF URBAN LEARNING: 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Academic Growth:

On the 2018 SPF, the school scored “Approaching Exceptions” on studentsmeeting MAP growth goals in Reading, Math, and Language Use. (This indicator is based on three years of data.)

Academic Status:

On the P/SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing, 7.5% of students scored at or above the College Ready level, which is less than the 15% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. In Math, 1.9% of students scored at or above the College Ready level, below the 6% “Meets Expectations” benchmark.

Completion Rate:

The school CDE best-of completion rate of 63.6% is above the “Meets Expectation” benchmark of 55.4%.


ACADEMY OF URBAN LEARNING: OTHER INDICATORS

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Teaching: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school has systems in place that promote teacher quality, beginning with a mission-aligned hiring process and including consistent teacher coaching and professional development. The observed pedagogy had clear, grade-level aligned objectives and high levels of student engagement in most classrooms, though it did not always lead to student mastery. School Leadership: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has systems in place that promote leadership and ensure student achievement and school sustainability. The leadership team is focused on increasing attendance and joy. Educational Programming: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school uses a project-based learning approach to be intentionally relevant for students. Although much of the school’s program has scaffolds and differentiation, programming for students with IEPs and English language learners in particular partially meets expectations.School Culture: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has systems in place to support a strong school culture, focused on increasing student joy in particular. Instructional time is often maximized because of strong classroom management systems and structures. Governance: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe Board has some structures in place to provide oversight to the school, including an active finance committee and mission-aligned Board. At the observed meeting, the Board was observed monitoring timely financial and operational data, however, missed the opportunity to discuss timely academic data.


MEDIUM RISK Overall, with low risk in occupancy and balance sheet, medium risk in enrollment and operating margin, and high risk in costs per student.


DENVER JUSTICE HIGH SCHOOL: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

65

Recommendation: Two-year renewal with the possibility of a one-year extension if the school meets expectations on the 2020 Alternative SPF

Rationale: The school is yellow on our common performance framework and it missed its renewal goals by less than a percentage point. The site visit indicated some improvement to school culture in the last year, but revealed a number of gaps in instructional systems. Further, there are some enrollment concerns. If the school meets its rigorous performance goal in two years, it should receive an extension.

Contract Status: 1st year of a one-year contract; The school did not meet contractual terms for extension of contract.

Alternative SPF Overall: 2014: 36% 2016: 25% 2017: 44% 2018: 40%

School Mission: Denver Justice High is a place where ‘At-risk’ youth can become successful ‘youth of promise’ by being given high standards, opportunities and an environment which cultivates growth and learning.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:84.4%

SOC:93.3%

ELL:25.6%

SPED:22.2%

2018-2019:

Students: 99

Grades:09 - 12

Leadership: Principal: Stephen Parce ED/CEO: N/A Board Chair: Gary Losh


DENVER JUSTICE HIGH SCHOOL: 2018 ALTERNATIVE SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

66


DENVER JUSTICE HIGH SCHOOL: 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

67


Academic Growth:

On the 2018 SFP, the school scored “Meets Expectations” on students meeting MAP growth goals in Reading and Language Use, but not in Math. (This indicator is based on three years of data.)

Academic Status:

On the P/SAT, 9% of students scored at or above the College Ready level in Evidence Based Reading and Writing, less than the 15% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. In Math, 2% of students scored at or above the College Ready level, below the 6% “Meets Expectations” benchmark.

Completion Rate:

The school’s CDE best-of completion rate of 68.9% is above the “Meets Expectation” cut score of 55.4%.


DENVER JUSTICE HIGH SCHOOL: OTHER INDICATORS

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Teaching: Rating: Does Not Meet ExpectationsThe school has few systems in place to promote teacher quality. Teacher coaching occurs inconsistently and the evaluation process was unclear to many teachers. Teachers often posted objectives, but they often did not align to grade-level standards or student work. Instructional strategies were rarely differentiated to meet the needs of students, and there were uneven levels of student engagement in the classroom. School Leadership: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school has some systems, structures, and processes in place that promote leadership and ensure student achievement and school sustainability. Key systems that support school culture and instruction have been inconsistently implemented, such as structures to hold all students accountable for learning.Educational Programming: Rating: Does Not Meet ExpectationsThe school uses inconsistent teacher-developed curriculum. Although school leaders monitor academic progress using MAP, a research-based measure, there is not a standard-aligned system of interim assessments. Programming for students in need of additional support is inconsistent. There are some in-class supports for students in Special Education and ELL programming, but there are not systemic approaches to providing students in these programs access to grade-level content. The school has reviewed its curricula for cultural competency, which includes units on voting and immigration. School Culture: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school has some systems in place to involve families in the school community, such as regular Community Nights. Staff and teachers have created a school culture in which students report feeling safe, but many classrooms lack structures to hold all students accountable for their learning.Governance: Rating: Not Rated*The Board in in the process of rebuilding after formally splitting from the other Justice high school in Colorado. It has some systems in place but is seeking to add capacity.


HIGH RISK overall, with low risk in occupancy, medium risk in enrollment, and high risk in cost per student, balance sheet, and operating margin.

*Due to the Board schedule, PMT was not able to observe a Board meeting (although it was able to review documents and conduct an interview). As such, Governance was not rated.


DOWNTOWN DENVER EXPEDITIONARY: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

69

Recommendation: Two-year renewal with the possibility of a two-year extension if the school “Meets Expectations” on the 2020 SPF

Rationale: The school has made improvement in the most recent year, some of which was evident in the recent site visit. However, the school is still not meeting SPF expectations. If the school can meet expectations in two years, which would include addressing the current academic gaps, it should receive additional years, but not the full contract term, given its inconsistent track record.

Contract Status: 2nd year of a two year contract; The school did not meet contractual terms for extension of contract.

SPF Overall: 2014: 63% 2016: 42% 2017: 38% 2018: 44%School Mission: The Downtown Denver Expeditionary School (DDES) is an EL Education K-5 DPS

public charter school. DDES seeks to richly implement the core principles, practices, and curriculum of EL Education to offer a diverse, caring and collaborative learning environment while utilizing the city as our campus.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:23.2%

SOC:38.5%

ELL:3.2%

SPED:8.4%

2018-2019:

Students: 401

Grades:K - 05

Leadership: Principal:Meghan MacDonald

ED/CEO:Letia Frandina

Board Chair:Tara Manthey


DOWNTOWN DENVER EXPEDITIONARY: 2018 SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

70


DOWNTOWN DENVER EXPEDITIONARY: 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

71


CMAS: Status: On CMAS Literacy, 59.9% of students scored meets or exceeds, which is more than the 50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. On CMAS Math, 35.2% of students scored meets or exceeds, less than the 50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. Both indicators were less than the average of similar schools.

Growth: The school’s MGP was 56 on CMAS Literacy and 41 on CMAS Math. While the CMAS Literacy MGP is higher than the benchmark and that of similar schools, the CMAS Math MGP is lower.

Early Literacy:

Status: The school “Meets Expectations” for the percent of student reading on grade level in kindergarten, with 88%, and “Meets Expectations” for the percent of students reading on grade level in grades 1-3, with 81.1%.

Growth: The school scored above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the percent of significantly below students ‘catching-up’ with 59.5% growing at least one proficiency band. The school scored above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the combined percent of significantly below and below students to ‘catch-up’ with 67.8% growing at least one proficiency band.

Gaps: The school generally “Does Not Meet” expectations on its disaggregated measures. While it does meet expectations for Students with Disabilities, it does not for Students of Color or Students in Poverty.


DOWNTOWN DENVER EXPEDITIONARY: OTHER INDICATORS

72



Teaching: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school has strong systems in place that promote teacher quality, beginning with a mission-aligned hiring process and including quality teacher coaching, evaluation and professional development. The observed pedagogy partially meets expectations. Although there were high levels of student engagement, instruction was inconsistently differentiated to meet the needs of students, which led to varied levels of student mastery.School Leadership: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has strong systems, structures, and processes in place that promote leadership and ensure student achievement and school sustainability, with areas of strength in organizational structure and leadership team coaching. Educational Programming: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school uses high-quality curricula, including research-based and teacher-developed resources, depending on the content area. The school monitors student learning with high-quality, aligned research-based assessments. Programming for students in need of additional support is somewhat quality. In particular, there are strong systems for intervention, but Special Education and ELL instruction had a few areas of weakness, in particular, strategies to support access to grade levelcontent in the general education setting. School Culture: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has most systems in place to support a strong school culture, such as a positive behavior systems, and many systems in place to involve families in the school community, including student led-conferences. Instructional time is sometimes maximized as a result of classroom management systems and structures. Students report being invested in celebrations of school values.Governance: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe Board has the skills and systems in place to provide oversight to the school. At the observed meeting, the Board shared they are currently working under the guidance of an outside consultant to develop long-term goals and a strategic plan to better define their work.


LOW RISK Overall, with low risk in occupancy, costs per student, balance sheet and operating margin, and medium risk in enrollment.


REACH CHARTER SCHOOL: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

73

Recommendation: Two-year renewal with the possibility of a one-year extension if the school meetsacademic (Meets on 2020 SPF Early Literacy Growth Measures) and enrollment (147 K-5 students as of 2020 October Count) benchmarks

Rationale: The school is yellow on our common accountability tool (the Early SPF); however, it has very limited data given grades served and school size. The site visit indicated there are many instructional systems on which to improve. However, if the new school leader can improve early elementary academics and enrollment, it should earn an additional year.


Early SPF Overall: 2016: 64% 2017: 37% 2018: 41%School Mission: The mission of REACH is to provide an inclusive PK to 5th grade school in Near

Northeast Denver in which educators and families Re-imagine Excellence for All in a Community with Heart.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:27.7%

SOC:39.2%

ELL:4.6%

SPED:31.5%

2018-2019:

Students: 129

Grades:ECE - 05

Leadership: Principal:Jason Marsh

ED/CEO:N/A

Board Chair:Katherine Rains


REACH CHARTER SCHOOL: 2018 EARLY SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

74


REACH CHARTER SCHOOL: 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

75

Domain School PerformanceCMAS On CMAS Literacy and Math, not enough students took the assessment for the school to receive an SPF

rating for status or growth.

TS Gold* Status: On all subjects of TS Gold, the school scored below the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the percent of students on level, with a range of 71% to 84%.

Growth: On TS Gold Language, Literacy, and Cognitive, the school scored above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the percent of students “catching-up” by moving up levels, with a range of 94% to 100%. On TS Gold Literacy, the school scored below the “Meets Expectations” benchmark.

Early Literacy Status: The school was rated as “Does Not Meet Expectations” for the percent of student reading on grade level in kindergarten, with 48%, and “Does Not Meet Expectation” for the percent of students reading on grade level in grades 1-3, with 51%.

Growth: The school scored below the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the percent of significantly below students ‘catching-up’ with 21.1% growing at least one proficiency band. The school scored below the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the combined percent of significantly below and below students to ‘catch-up’ with 27% growing at least one proficiency band.

Gaps The school scored “Meet Expectations” for its disaggregated measures, in large part as a result of bonus points earned for having multiple center-based programs at the school. It did not meet expectations for Students in Poverty, Students of Color, or Students with Disabilities.

*The school has limited data; as such, TS Gold performance by ECE students has a significant impact on the school’s Early SPF.


REACH CHARTER SCHOOL: OTHER INDICATORS

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Teaching: Rating: Does Not Meet ExpectationsThe school is developing its teacher coaching and professional development systems, which, at the beginning of the school year, are primarily focused on school culture and ELL strategies. The observed pedagogy was often below grade-level and required limited higher-order thinking of students.School Leadership: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school leader has focused on school culture leadership, and there is early evidence of the culture vision across classrooms. However, the school’s instructional vision is not clear, and systems for instructional improvement are not evident.Educational Programming: Rating: Does Not Meet ExpectationsTeachers have curricular resources in math but do not have access to a standards-based literacy program. Assessment systems do not drive instructional improvement. There were some systems for students in need of additional support, including explicit instruction on language for English Language Learners. School Culture: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school has an intentional focus on involving families in the school community and systems to support addressing more significant behavior events that are focused on student safety and dignity. Instructional time is not consistently maximized as a result of inconsistently implemented classroom management systems and routines.Governance: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe Board has a number of systems to support its governance-level oversight, including use of a clear and consistent data dashboard and strong financial oversight. However, it is not yet operating off of a strategic plan and may be missing key elements of data in its dashboard.


HIGH RISK Overall, with low risk in enrollment and operating margin, and high risk for occupancy, costs per student and balance sheetFor the current academic year, the school has 93 students enrolled, 15 fewer than projected.


RISE UP COMMUNITY SCHOOL: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

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Recommendation: One-year renewal

Rationale: The school has been red or orange since opening. The school was generally partially meeting expectations on the site visit, but the school leader is leaving midyear which makes it difficult to assess likelihood of future improvement . Further, financial sustainability is a concern, given high fixed occupancy costs.


Alternative SPF Overall: 2016: 20% 2017: 39% 2018: 29%

School Mission: To engage young people who have previously dropped out of school or are at risk of dropping out. In a supportive environment, each student is held to high expectations, cultivates a sense of social justice, and is inspired to obtain a high school diploma and prepare for college and careers after graduation.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:65.6%

SOC:94.3%

ELL:44.3%

SPED:13.1%

2018-2019:

Students: 115

Grades:09 - 12

Leadership: Principal:Lucas Ketzer

ED/CEO:N/A

Board Chair:Osvaldo Cabral


RISE UP COMMUNITY SCHOOL: 2018 ALTERNATIVE SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

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RISE UP COMMUNITY SCHOOL: 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Academic Growth:

On the 2018 SFP, the school scored “Meets Expectations” on students meeting MAP growth goals in Reading and Language Use and “Approaching” on Math. (This indicator is based on three years of data.)

Academic Status:

On the P/SAT, 7.3% of students scored at or above the College Ready level in Evidence Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), less than the 15% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. In Math, 1.6% of students scored at or above the College Ready level, below the 6% “Meets Expectations” benchmark.

Completion Rate:

The school’s CDE best-of completion rate of 24.6% is below the “Meets Expectation” benchmark of 55.4%.


RISE UP COMMUNITY SCHOOL: OTHER INDICATORS

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Teaching: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school has some systems in place that promote teacher quality, beginning with a mission-aligned hiring process and including some teacher coaching, evaluation and professional development. The observed instruction had clear objectives and instructional strategies that were sometimes differentiated to meet the needs of students. However, content was often below grade-level, and there were sometimes low levels of student engagement in the classroom. School Leadership: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school has some systems, structures, and processes in place that promote leadership and ensure student achievement and school sustainability, with a strength in school culture leadership and an area for focus in instructional leadership.Educational Programming: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school uses a teacher-developed curriculum and some research-based assessments. However, there were not consistent systems in place to ensure progress monitoring towards goals. Programming for students in need of additional support is inconsistent. School Culture: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school has some systems in place to support a strong school culture, including a focus on restorative practices. However, the school is still establishing family engagement structures, and instructional time is often lost as a result of classroom management systems and structures. Governance: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsAfter significantly reconstituting in the 2017-2018 school year, the Board has some systems and structures in place to provide oversight to the school. At the observed Board meeting, the Board discussed timely operations data (enrollment data) but did not engage in discussion of timely academic data.


MEDIUM RISK Overall, with low risk in enrollment, costs per student, balance sheet, and operating margin, and high risk in occupancy.


WYATT ACADEMY: RECOMMENDATION & SCHOOL OVERVIEW

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Recommendation: Two-year renewal with the possibility of a two-year extension if the school meets expectations on the 2020 SPF

Rationale: The school has made improvement to its SPF in the most recent year, but still has not met expectations. Last year, the Board decided to close the middle school in order to focus on elementary programming. The recent site visit indicates the school has made some significant improvements to instruction and school culture. If the school can get to “Meets Expectations” by 2020, it should receive additional years, but not the full amount, given its inconsistent track record.


SPF Overall: 2014: 26% 2016: 42% 2017: 38% 2018: 46%School Mission: We are a learning community united by great teaching, high academic standards,

and rigorous accountability on the tireless pursuit of success for our scholars. We prepare them for high school, college and beyond.

Enrollment (17-18):

FRL:94.2%

SOC:97.7%

ELL:52.7%

SPED:8.8%

2018-2019:

Students: 189

Grades:K - 05

Leadership: Leaders: Karen Craig, Kate Mishara, Andrew Vidockler, Rick Brewer

ED/CEO:N/A

Board Chair:Amy Swieringa


WYATT ACADEMY: 2018 SPF SCHOOL SUMMARY

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WYATT ACADEMY: 2017-2018 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Domain School PerformanceCMAS: Status: On CMAS Literacy, 9.7% of students scored meets or exceeds, which is less than

the 50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. On CMAS Math, 16.4% of students scored meets or exceeds, less than the 50% “Meets Expectations” benchmark. Both indicators were less than the average score of similar schools.

Growth: The school’s MGP was 40 on CMAS Literacy and 65 on CMAS Math. The CMAS Math MGP is higher than the MGP of similar schools.

Early Literacy:

Status: The school “Did Not Meet Expectations” for the percent of student reading on grade level in kindergarten, with 55.3%, and “Did Not Meet Expectations” for the percent of students reading on grade level in grades 1-3, with 33.1%.

Growth: The school scored above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the percent of significantly below students ‘catching-up’ with 62% growing at least one proficiency band. The school scored above the “Meets Expectations” benchmark for the combined percent of significantly below and below students to ‘catch-up’ with 54.2% growing at least one proficiency band.

Gaps: The school generally “Meets Expectations” on its disaggregated measures, including for English Learners.


WYATT ACADEMY: OTHER INDICATORS

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Teaching: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has most systems in place that promote teacher quality, beginning with a rigorous hiring process and including consistent teacher coaching, evaluation, and professional development. Teachers communicated clear objectives and maintained high levels of student engagement. Although instructional strategies did lead many students to mastery, tasks inconsistently pushed students to higher-order thinking. School Leadership: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has an interim four-person shared leadership team structure, in which there is not a single principal. There are systems in place that support each of the leaders in executing in their specific area. However, explicit leadership coaching has not begun. Educational Programming: Rating: Partially Meets ExpectationsThe school uses a high-quality, research-based curriculum and consistent assessments. There are a number of meaningful supports for student with disabilities and English Language Learners; however, newer systems for academic intervention are not yet built out. Staff members regularly engage in training on cultural competency and the observed curriculum in some classrooms reflected the cultures and identities of students.School Culture: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe school has many systems in place to support a strong school culture, such as monthly celebrations of values, and many systems in place to involve families in the school community, such as family groups. Instructional time is consistently maximized as a result of classroom management systems and structures, such as predictable routines. Governance: Rating: Meets ExpectationsThe Board has most skills and structures in place to provide oversight to the school. At the observed Board meeting, the Board was observed receiving and engaging in conversation with detailed reports on academics, school culture, community engagement and operations.


MEDIUM RISK Overall, with low risk in costs per student, balance sheet and operating margin, and medium risk in occupancy, and high risk in enrollment.

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