bfccps annual report 2011-2012

BFCCPS Annual Report 2011-2012201 Main Street Franklin, MA 02038
Telephone: 508 - 541- 3434 Fax: 508 - 541- 5396
E-mail: BFCCPS.org Web: www.bfccps.org
Head of School [email protected]
Joseph Perna M. Ed Director of School
Operations and Student Activities
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4. Letter From Lori Clements- President BFCCPS Board of Trustees
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3. Introductory Description of the School: The Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School (BFCCPS) opened in 1995 with 150 students in grades K-4. The school added a grade each year until it arrived at its current enrollment of 448 students in grades K-8. BFCCPS can enroll a maximum of 450 students. We plan to continue to strive to full enrollment in grades 5-8, bringing us closer to our maximum enrollment. Our waitlist has grown significantly at each grade level, except 8th. Currently class sizes are not maxed out at each grade level. The issue of class size and implications of adjusting it are considered each year. BFCCPS has just completed its seventeenth year of operation. BFCCPS was awarded its 3rd Charter Renewal during the 2009-2010 school year. The school can operate under this charter until 2015. The school is located in a former Catholic Parish School in Franklin. 4. Dear BFCCPS Community, I am very pleased to present the 2011-2012 Annual Report for BFCCPS and share the significant changes and accomplishments that have occurred over this past year. We have some very significant administrative changes. Last fall, Dr. Kevin O’Malley, our Head of School, informed me that he would be retiring at the end of this school year. Dr. O’Malley’s leadership over the past six years has been instrumental in making us the strong, successful educational facility we are today. He leaves with our very best wishes for his future endeavors as well as our deep gratitude and respect. Although Dr. O’Malley will be greatly missed, it is thanks to him that we were well prepared for his eventual departure. We developed a succession plan several years ago that has allowed for a very seamless transition for our Assistant Head of School, Heather Zolnowski, to step into the leadership role. Mrs. Zolnowski has worked closely with both Dr. O’Malley and the Board of Trustees over the past 5 years, and we are thrilled to have her as our new Head of School. Joseph Perna, who began his career at BFCCPS as our Art Teacher and most recently served as our Director of School Operations and Student Activities, was appointed by Mrs. Zolnowski to the Assistant Head of School position. We are fortunate to have such a strong, experienced leadership team in place for the future. We also have some staffing changes, most notably the retirement of one of our fourth grade teachers, Judy Bergesen. Judy was one of our founding teachers, hired when BFCCPS first opened. Her impact over the past seventeen years is very much appreciated, and we wish her a happy and fulfilling retirement. I would like to express appreciation for the contributions of other staff members who are not returning to BFCCPS next year, and wish them well in their future endeavors: Kate Edgar, Gail Trotin, Kelsey Kolic, Jacob Lewis, Matt Niebels, Joanne Harrington, and Susan McDermott. We welcomed five new staff members to the BFCCPS community this past year: Ann-Marie Palmer (Third Grade Teacher), Luke Callahan (Technology Coordinator), Ruthelaine Monty (Chorus Teacher), Eizabeth O’Neill (Student Services Administrative Assistant), and Sandra Frongillo, (Kindergarten Aide). I will also be leaving the school after serving the maximum time allowed under our bylaws. The past six years of serving on the Board have been both exciting and challenging. I am grateful for all we have accomplished, as well as for the opportunity to have been part of the very successful development of this amazing school. I was able to work closely with my successor, Don Tappin, to facilitate his transition and appreciate the strong leadership he brings to the board. Thank you to the two board members retiring along with me - Anna dos Santos and Poh-Lin Yeoh - for their valuable contributions and dedication to the Board. We welcome new trustees Katie Lepsevich, Kathy Urkevic, and Joe Mullen. In addition to our personnel changes, I would like to highlight several of our significant accomplishments this year. We traveled to San Francisco last fall to receive the 2011 National School of Character award. We were delighted to be invited to present at the conference as well. It was gratifying to have the amazing work of our school validated in this significant manner. Our technology program has made great progress over the past months, including several major equipment purchases. This equipment, together with our new Technology Coordinator, has provided tools that allow us to further incorporate the use of technology in our daily instruction. Our students and staff have benefited greatly from these improvements and the opportunities they provide. We are grateful to those who support our Annual Fund appeal; the proceeds raised over the past several years have gone directly to technology enhancements.
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We are at full enrollment, and our wait lists continue to be lengthy. Student turnover is minimal. We graduated 50 eighth graders – our largest group yet! They will be attending a variety of public and private high schools and leave us with our best wishes for their continued success. In June, protracted negotiations with our landlord finally resulted in our executing a lease. We will be staying in our current location for the immediate future but will continue to seek a solution to the significant space limitations we have and time constraints imposed on us. We attended the Core Knowledge Foundation’s National Conference last fall, and learned that the Foundation was instituting a new certification program. In order to be formally designated as Core Knowledge School, BFCCPS would need to meet very vigorous standards. The Board of Trustees created a task force to assess the work involved to earn this designation as well as determine its value to the school. The recommendation of the task force was not to pursue the designation but to become a “Friend of Core Knowledge”, which would allow us to continue utilizing Core Knowledge as we have been. Over the past two years, we have had conversations about pay for performance. I am excited that we will be piloting a pay for performance program next year at the administrative level, with the goal to include it as part of our salary structure for all staff the following year. We continue to look at creative ways to compensate our employees in spite of challenging finances. BFCCPS is well positioned for many years of success, thanks to our entire school community. We are fortunate to have so many dedicated individuals contributing to the education of our students. I look forward to hearing about the exciting developments the future will bring to this unique and special place. Sincerely, Lori A. Clements President, BFCCPS Board of Trustees
5. SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT: “To assist parents in their role as primary educators of their children by providing the children with a classical academic education coupled with sound character development and opportunities for community service.”
6. PERFORMANCE AND PLANS SECTION
A1. Faithfulness to Charter- Accountability Plan Objectives
Objective Measure Progress 1. The school is faithful to the mission, vision, and educational philosophy defined in the charter application and any subsequent approved amendment(s).
1. 100% of BFCCPS families will be surveyed annually on the faithfulness of the school to its charter. 50% of the families will respond to the survey. Of those respondents, 80% of participating families will respond that the school is faithful to the mission defined in the charter.
BFCCPS is making progress towards this goal.
Throughout the 2011-2012 school year, BFCCPS researched various online survey tools that could be used to survey our population on various aspects of school, including, but not limited to: Faithfulness to charter, academic programs, SPED services, and school operations. During the 2012-2013 school year, The school administration, with input from the faculty and the Board of Trustees, will create a survey that can be conducted electronically by the school community.
Objective Measure Progress 1. The school is faithful to the mission, vision, and educational philosophy defined in the charter application and any subsequent approved amendment(s).
2. Community Service: All K-8 students will participate in a school, local/national, and worldwide community service project each year. All 8th graders will complete a culminating community service project. These initiatives will be documented and shared with the community yearly.
BFCCPS met this goal
Grade School Based Projects Locally Based Projects Globally Based Projects Kindergarten • Leaf Raking with 5th Grade Buddies
• School Clean-up • planting in the community garden • Box tops for Education
• bookmarks for the library • donations to the Franklin Food
Pantry and Santa Foundation • making cards for soldiers (w/ 5th
grade buddies)
Farm (Heifer)
• make cards, napkin holders, visit and help Meals on Wheels
• make bookmarks for Franklin Public Library
• produce Holiday placemats for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital
• Donations for Santa Foundation
Farm (Heifer)
Second Grade • Grow seeds and plant in the Community Garden
• Box tops for Education
on a regular basis
Farm (Heifer)
Third Grade • First grade reading buddies • Box tops for Education
• Forge Hill Senior Living • Donations for the Santa
Foundation • Bake Sale for St. Jude’s hospital
• Read to Feed (Heifer) • Volunteer at Overlook
Farm (Heifer) • Bake Sale to support
Heifer International Fourth Grade • Box tops for Education
• Second Grade Reading Buddies • Meals on Wheels ( writing
letters, poetry • Writing Letters to Soldiers
overseas • Donations to Santa Foundation
• Read to Feed (Heifer)
• Reading to Kindergarten Buddies • Box tops for Education
• Write letters to the US Armed Forces;
• Collect food for Franklin Food Pantry
• Donations to the Santa Foundation
• College letter writing campaign to support all students attending college after graduation
Sixth Grade • Box tops for Education • Name tags for Field Day Water
Bottles • Field Day Activities Coordinator for
grades K-5
• Bookmarks for younger students • Community Harvest Project
grades K-5
Foundation • Volunteer at Providence Food
Pantry • Franklin Community Gardens • Project Just Because
• Read to Feed (Heifer) • Cookbooks for Heifer
Eighth Grade • Various Capstone Projects • Box Tops for Education • School Paper Recycling • Field Day Activities Coordinator for
grades K-5
• Volunteer at Providence Food Pantry Franklin Community Garden
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Objective Measure Progress
1. The school is faithful to the mission, vision, and educational philosophy defined in the charter application and any subsequent approved amendment(s).
3. 90% of 8th grade students will meet 90% of Capstone Project benchmarks as measured in the Capstone Rubrics.
100% of BFCCPS students in grade 8 successfully completed capstone projects.. 94% students in grade 8 met 90% of the Capstone Project benchmarks as measured in the Capstone Rubrics. In 2009, a team of BFCCPS faculty and administrators completely revamped the Advising structure, as well as the Capstone Project process. The team created a systematic approach to the capstone project, which included specific steps, goals, measures, and rubrics for each step. The project, which students used to officially start in the beginning of 8th grade, now began in the middle of 7th grade, directly after the previous 8th grade students presented their completed projects. The class of 2012 was the second group to complete this process. The faculty and administrative team continuously review and adapt the steps after each project period to make the process smoother. The team felt there were three areas that needed improvement for the next Capstone group: Faculty/staff training on the Capstone process; Student understanding of the steps and the process; Parental understanding of the necessity in supporting their student through this process. Faculty members who will be serving as Capstone Advisors will be trained and be given the opportunity to meet with Faculty advisors who are currently working with Capstone students, to help address any questions they may have with the process. For students, we conducted a grade level assembly, where the entire capstone process was reviewed, allowing them to address any questions they may have had. We have also instituted an administrative review panel for all capstone projects to approve of their proposal before they go forward. We have written a letter to parents, with a copy of the Capstone project, and require that they sign off on each step their student completes. We have created the position of Capstone Coordinator for the 2012-2013 academic year. This coordinator will be responsible for training faculty and staff, reviewing the steps with advisors as well as 7th grade studnts, and previewing the project steps with parents. For the 2012-2013 academic year, we have also pushed the start time for 7th graders from February of their 7th grade year, to Ocotber/November of their 7th grade year. The reasoning behind the switch is to give more time for students to spread out their outreach activities, so that there isn’t a big push to complete them in the fall of their 8th grade year. These steps will help faculty members, students, and parents to better understand the Capstone process, as well as the school’s expectations. 2. The board of trustees implements the governance and leadership structure as defined in the charter application and any subsequent approved amendment(s).
1. The board will maintain and update a 5 year strategic plan, and document progress on all stated goals within the strategic plan document. The updated document will be submitted every year along with our annual report. 2. The Board of Trustees will meet 85% of the goals set out in its strategic plan annually.
Please see the Appendix for a copy of the Strategic plan goals set out for this year, as well as the progress of these goals. The complete 5 Year Strategic Plan can be found on the school’s website.
A2. Faithfulness to Charter- Common School Performance Criteria
Implementation of Mission, Vision, and Educational Philosophy:
The mission of the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School is to assist parents in their role as primary educators of their children by providing the children with a classical academic education coupled with sound character development and community service. This mission rests on four pillars: Classical Education, Parents as Primary Educators, Community Service and Character Education. These four pillars are woven into an integrated curriculum, creating an education of the whole child.
The BFCCPS academic program, pedagogical approach, curriculum and assessment continue to be rooted in the unique education philosophy defined by our charter. BFCCPS was founded on the belief that a shared “classical” basis of knowledge makes schooling more effective by allowing students to build on a common base of knowledge. This was evidenced by our adoption of the Core Knowledge Sequence, and over our 15 year history has grown to effectively incorporate core knowledge with the Massachusetts State Frameworks for each subject area. We have resulted in a blended approach that both stays true to the mission of our school, and serves our students as they move through the Massachusetts public school system. For example, eighth grade English may use a suggested Core Knowledge text or poem to teach the comprehension skill set forth by the Massachusetts English Language Arts Frameworks. These alignments were generated over the years collaboratively between administration and staff, and continue to be refined for optimal results
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The academic program also supports the pedagogical approach of educating the whole child, as articulated in the school’s charter. An approach to a classical education not only includes the strong base of the Massachusetts Frameworks and Core Knowledge sequence, but also exposure to diverse Fine Arts and Foreign Language programming. Students at BFCCPS begin taking French in Kindergarten, and Latin in third grade. Students also participate in Physical Education twice weekly, and Music and Art instruction weekly. Beginning in fourth grade students can choose to participate in instrumental band. BFCCPS has earned the unique national distinction of being named on of the top 100 communities for Music Education. In grades 6-8 students participate in a fine arts double period self- selecting from a range of courses including music technology, advanced topics in art, and theater. In the 2010-2011 school year, we also added in depth study of Science, Social Studies, English and Math to the arts block. Students were able to choose from a new selection of classes that included Creative Writing, The Science of Food, Geometry and Architecture. These courses were added to broaden the scope of our classical studies. In an effort to increase the classical nature of our curriculum, we have also maintained the amount of foreign languages our students study. All students grade 3-8 continue to study Latin at least once a week for 50 minutes. We also continued to implement an additional French instruction per week in the fifth grade. We see maintaining a pedagogical approach that emphasizes educating the whole child as key to the achieving the academic success BFCCPS has achieved.
Additionally Character education and community service continue to be key parts of the programming at BFCCPS. We are committed to developing the traits of character and habits in children that will help them to be successful and conscientious contributors to society. Character Education is infused into the delivery of all content areas. In grades K-4, class meeting and Responsive Classroom strategies have become a foundation piece that allows character education instruction and discussion to flourish. Community service occurs regularly, as is developmentally appropriate at each grade level. In grades 5-8, character education and community service are supported by an advising program. With support of our Parent Community Organization (PCO), and our Board of Trustees, we were able to purchase additional character education resources this year, to incorporate into our already existing curriculum. These additions have increased the caliber of Character Education instruction at BFCCPS.
Our character education saw two national distinctions in the 2010-2011 school year. BFCCPS was recognized this year as a Massachusetts School of Character by the Character Education Partnership, a national based organization that is “committed to developing civic virtue and moral character in our youth for a more compassionate and responsible society” (CEP website: www.character.org). The state panel for CEP reviewed the application submitted by BFCCPS, and scored it so high that it was referred to the National committee for consideration for a National Award. The National application was submitted, and BFCCPS parents, students, faculty and staff were interviewed by National CEP panel participants. The national panel met, and BFCCPS was named a 2011 National School of Character. !! BFCCPS was also included in a book by Samuel Casey Carter :!On Purpose: How Great School Cultures Form Strong Character, which showcases 12 exemplary schools to explain how school cultures are made, how they form student character, and how great school cultures ultimately harness student character to drive achievement. Mr. Carter visited BFCCPS in the spring of 2010, and interviewed staff, students, faculty, parents and board members to talk about the character education program at BFCCPS, and determine it’s effects of school culture and performance. BFCCPS was referred to as an example of a school where a strong character education philosophy and program has had a positive effect of academics and school culture.
The BFCCPS advising program continues to undergone some structural refinement. Each student is paired with a faculty or staff member who serves as advisor and provides small group character education and academic skill instruction to that group of students throughout grades 6-8. As a culminating project that highlights student achievement in both character development and community service, seventh grade students begin, and eighth grade students complete a self designed community service capstone project. Evidence that supports the K-8 specific achievements in the character education and community service are listed in the Accountability Plan section of the Annual Report.
The community service pillar of our mission has strengthened under the organization that was implemented in the 2009-2010, and continued in the 2010-2011 school years. In the spring of 2009, members of our FIT (Faculty Input Team) created a Community Service plan for the 2009-2010 school year. In conjunction with administration, FIT presented a 3-tier community service structure in which all students would be involved in at least 3 different types of community service initiatives. One school, one local (i.e. neighborhood, town, state, national) and one global project would be completed at each grade level. The global project was voted on by the community at large, and would be treated as a whole school initiative. For a second year in a row, the community chose Heifer International as our whole school community service organization. Each grade level participated in age appropriate community service and service learning activities that supported the mission of Heifer International. This year, we sent second grade students to Overlook farm for a service learning field trip. Overlook farm is a Heifer International working farm where students can see first hand the effect that this organization can have on the global community. Evidence of community service projects by grade level are listed in the Accountability section of the Annual Report.
A key piece of evidence that supports how we deliver our academic program as outlined in our charter is our monthly Scope and Sequence. The Scope and Sequence is a document generated by teachers that outlines the academic objectives for the upcoming month. This also helps to support a key aspect of our schools mission, the support of parents as the primary educators of their children. In an effort to increase communication with parents, these monthly Scope and Sequence documents are now emailed to each parent.
Strengthening the mission of the school includes strategies to systemically deliver character education, community service and content area concepts in a rigorous and thought provoking way. Curricular changes and text-book adoptions will help to strengthen our
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academic program. In 2009-2010, the school underwent the selection process for a new researched based, coordinated K-4 literacy program. Training of faculty and staff on the implementation of this program continued into the 2010-2011 school year, and led to an incredibly successful implementation of this new program. We have also supplemented our curriculum with technological supported text-books where possible. Students continue to access their Math, Science, Social Studies, French, and ELA textbooks from any computer with internet access. Our literacy focus across all grades for the 2011-2012 school year was to align our current curriculum with the Massachusetts Frameworks incorporating the National Common Core Standards. The teachers worked for the entire year on a curriculum map that laid out each of the required skills, and mapped them to the current skill sequence derived from their textbook.
The mission committee of the Board of Trustees is actively working to support the mission and vision of the school. This past year they worked to create a BFCCPS vision statement and roll out plan. During the 2010-2011 academic year, they had suggested ways the Head of School could broaden the course offerings that would strengthen the Classical Education pillar of the school. As a result of these suggestions, the Head of School broadened the scope of the already existing Arts Block, double period for 6-8 grade students. Now referred to as Classical Enrichment Block, teachers continued to offer advanced art, music, and drama classes, as well as classes in debate, historical perspectives, logic, geometry, and other classically based courses. These courses will continue to expand during 2012-2013 academic year.
The Parents as Primary Educator pillar continues to be the cornerstone of our success as a charter school. Viewing parents and school as a partnership, with the same goal of educating a child to the best of our abilities, has lead to an incredibly vibrant and active school community. Two years ago, the Mission Committee of the Board of Trustees had made a recommendation to the Head of School that the administration develop a Parent Enrichment Council (PEC) that would be charged with supporting parents in their role as the primary (first) educator of their child(ren).
The PEC held two book groups this academic year, based around the books “Little Girls Can be Mean” and “That Crumpled Paper was Due Last Week.” Parents were given 6 weeks to read the book, and then were invited to a book discussion lead by the Assistant Head of School, the School Psychologist and the School Counselor. For each book group, over twenty parents attended.
The PEC organized three community service activities throughout the course of the year. A fall school cleanup day, the Santa Foundation drive, and a Spring clean –up day. All classes participated in the Santa Foundation drive, and over 40 families participated in the two cleanup days.
The PEC also organized a Parent Workshop night. Parents were invited to attend a rotation of workshops lead by BFCCPS faculty and staff. These workshops were designed to offer parents hands on, active strategies that they could use with their students at home while they are completing homework or projects. Workshop topics included: Math Fact strategies; reading strategies for struggling or reluctant readers; The EmPOWER method of organizing writing, and technology use to support educational goals. While this is the third year of Pillar Nights, this is the first time we organized it in a workshop model. Parent feedback was that it was an incredible use of their time, and they were excited to walk away with concrete strategies they could try at home. Parent feedback also indicated that some of the workshops were too rushed. We will implement Pillar Night differently next year. We will offer a series of workshops with only one topic per night, instead of four topics in one night.
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MCAS Performance
OBJECTIVE MEASURE PROGRESS 1. Students at the school demonstrate proficiency, or progress toward meeting proficiency targets on state standards, as measured by the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) in all subject areas and at all grade levels tested for accountability purposes.
1. The school sustains a minimum annual CPI of 90 in ELA and mathematics in the aggregate and for all statistically significant subgroups.
Table 6B 1.1- BFCCPS CPI Rating for ELA and Mathematics
Grade ELA CPI Goal Met/
Not Met Math CPI Goal Met/
Not Met 3 97.4 Met 97.4 Met 4 96.8 Met 92.7 Met 5 96.1 Met 97.5 Met 6 98 Met 95.5 Met 7 99.5 Met 94.5 Met 8 100.0 Met 93.1 Met
OBJECTIVE MEASURE PROGRESS 1. Students at the school demonstrate proficiency, or progress toward meeting proficiency targets on state standards, as measured by the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) in all subject areas and at all grade levels tested for accountability purposes.
2. The school shows an annual decrease in the percentage of students scoring Warning/Failing on standard MCAS tests in ELA and mathematics in the aggregate and for all statistically significant subgroups.
BFCCPS is making progress
Table 6B 1.2- Percentage of BFCCPS students scoring Warning/Failing: 2011 compared to 2012
Grade ELA W/F 2011
0% 2% 0% 0%
0% 0% 0% 7%
A team consisting of administrators, teachers and the Reading Specialist have analyzed individual student MCAS data, identified weaknesses and is providing instructional support based on the analysis to teachers and students in K – 4. The new reading program that we implemented this year includes ability based, fluid grouping of students based on MCAS scores (where available), internal testing, and DIBLES testing. These data points, as well as teacher observation are used to place students into reading groups based on ability. Students are pulled for strategic intervention based on their individual weaknesses. For example, a student could be placed in a higher ability group based on reading fluency, but may be pulled once a week to work on retelling and comprehension. A student who is struggling in many areas, such as fluency, comprehension, and phonemic awareness may be pulled 3-4 times a week for strategic intervention. These groups are assessed 3 times a year, and groups can change based on the new data. BFCCPS staffed a Reading and Math Specialist Aide this year. This job was developed for the purpose of reaching students who may not qualify for Special Education services, but who are struggling in a general education classroom. This teacher worked closely with the Reading and Math specialist to design specialized instruction and support to students based on their weaknesses
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as assessed on the MCAS as well as DIBELS, and classroom assessments. This aide worked with students in grades K-8th grade on targeted lessons to help them in their areas in which they were weak, especially focusing on the students who received a score of Warning or Needs Improvement on the 2010 MCAS.
AYP:
OBJECTIVE MEASURE PROGRESS 2. The school makes Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in the
aggregate and for all statistically significant sub-groups in English language arts and mathematics.
1. Each year, the school makes AYP in the aggregate and for all statistically significant subgroups in English language arts and mathematics.
BFCCPS has met this goal
3. The school does not have a status for accountability purposes of Improvement, Corrective Action, or Restructuring.
2. The school either does not have a status for accountability purposes of Improvement, Corrective Action, or Restructuring or has made the possible improvements and has met AYP for the school year.
BFCCPS has met this goal
Table 6B 1. 3- Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) History: As indicated in the summary* of our AYP provided by the DOE, we have met our AYP in every year.
*(taken directly from the MA DOE website) BFCCPS has made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in both ELA and Math according to 2010 MCAS data in the aggregate
as well as for all statistically significant subgroups. We currently do not have NCLB status for either Math or ELA, our Performance rating is Very High in both areas, and we have met the NCLB ELA goal, and are on target to meet the NCLB Math goal. External Assessments of Student Achievement
OBJECTIVE MEASURE PROGRESS 4. BFCCPS students in grades K-4 will demonstrate their proficiency as readers as measured by external assessments
1. A minimum of 80% of the K-4 students will meet or exceed DIBELS benchmarks for their grade level each year.
BFCCPS is making progress towards
this measure
Table 6B 1.4- % of Students Reaching Grade Level Benchmark on 2011 Final DIBELS Testing
Grade Initial Sound Letter Naming Phoneme Segmentation
Nonsense Word Oral Reading Fluency
Retelling
Kindergarten 100% 100% 94% 98% Not Assessed Not Assessed First Grade Not Assessed 100% 96% 92% 90% 90% Second Grade Not Assessed Not Assessed Not Assessed 84% 94% 98% Third Grade Not Assessed Not Assessed Not Assessed Not Assessed 94% 98% Fourth Grade Not Assessed Not Assessed Not Assessed Not Assessed 76% 84%
* Areas shaded in grey did not meet the Accountability Measure*
Adequate Yearly Progress History NCLB Accountability Status
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
ELA Aggregate
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No status: Very High Performance Rating All Subgroups - - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
MATH Aggregate
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Status: Very High Performance Rating All Subgroups - - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
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BFCCPS made great progress on this measure. During the 2011-2012 school year, the Reading Specialist returned to the Kindergarten and first grade classrooms to provide inclusion support 1x/week. This enabled our students who were weak in specific emergent literacy skills, but not deficient enough to be placed in a Strategic Intervention group, to receive additional support in their classrooms. With the hiring of a full time Reading Aide, we are scheduling this inclusion support with our Reading Specialist in all classrooms K-4 at least 1x/week. Internal Assessments of Student Achievement
OBJECTIVE MEASURE PROGRESS 5. BFCCPS students will demonstrate their proficiency as
readers, writers and mathematicians through internal assessments.
1. Annually, a minimum of 80% of K-4 students will meet or exceed benchmarks measured on Reading unit assessments
this measure 2. Annually, a minimum of 80% of K-8 students will meet or exceed benchmarks measured on Math Unit assessments
BFCCPS is making Progress towards
this measure 3. Annually, a minimum of 80% of 4-8 grade students will meet or exceed benchmarks measured on trimester writing assessments.
this measure The first stage of the BFCCPS internal assessment plan was put into use during the 2011-2012 academic year. Students in grades K-4 were assessed using Reading and Writing Benchmark assessments that were administered at the end of each unit of study. The aggregated data for each grade is included in the table below. Students in grades K-4 were assessed on both mastery of math facts and Math Benchmarks which were assessed on a trimester basis. We are in the process of realigning our math curriculum to the Massachusetts Frameworks incorporating the Common Core standards. Students in grades 5-8 will be assessed at the end of each unit beginning in the 2012-2013 academic year. The BFCCPS Internal Writing exam was administered two times this year, in October as well as February. Every faculty and staff member in the building was trained in using the MCAS scoring rubrics to score Narrative, Expository writing, as well as Response to Literature samples. Students in grades 4-8 were assessed in October, and students in grades 5,6 and 8 were assessed in February. The aggregated data is included in a table below. The 2012-2013 phase of the assessment plan includes a third internal writing assessment to be administered to all students in grades 4-7 in June, 2013.
K-4 Reading Benchmark Assessment Grade Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Unit 5 Unit 6 K 81% 72% 84% 87% 85% N/A 1 N/A 82% 80% 83% 80% 79% 2 84% 87% 91% 82% 84% 78% 3 81% 82% 83% 81% 75% 82% 4 87% 85% 89% N/A N/A N/A
K-4 Math Benchmark Assessment Grade Benchmark 1 Benchmark 2 Benchmark 3 K 75% 82% 84% 1 79% 75% 82% 2 81% 80% 84% 3 81% 80% 79% 4 80% 78% 81%
Internal Writing Assessment Benchmarks Grade Writing Assessment 1 Writing Assessment 2 4 50% N/A 5 50% 73% 6 62% 60% 7 74% N/A 8 88% 92% B2. Academic Program Success- Common School Criteria The tables below illustrate the MCAS data for the 2011 testing administration, as well as a longitudinal look at our MCAS data for the students in Grades 3-Grade 8. The tables include Student Growth Percentile as well as percentages at each performance level.
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Table 6B 2.1 2010 MCAS Data
Table 6B 2.2- Longitudinal MCAS Results Curriculum: In order to maintain academic excellence in the wake of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, BFCCPS has to continually review and revise the curriculum offered to our students. When BFCCPS opened its doors in 1995, teachers planned lessons based solely on the Core Knowledge sequence. As NCLB was passed, and accountability measures began to include the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), it was evident that there were gaps between the material that the state test was based on
2011 MCAS Scores
SGP
3rd Reading 24 65 89 61 10 0 49 N/A 3rd Math 43 49 92 66 8 0 49 N/A
4th English 27 60 87 53 13 0 49 49.5 4th Math 58 17 75 47 25 0 49 74.0
5th English 51 29 86 67 14 0 51 49.5 5th Math 59 33 92 59 8 0 51 63.0
5th Science 69 29 40 50 29 2 52 N/A 6th English 28 66 94 58 6 0 50 48.0
6th Math 38 52 90 58 8 2 50 34.0 7th English 24 73 97 73 2 0 49 52.0
7th Math 40 44 84 51 16 0 50 66.5 8th English 33 68 100 79 0 0 40 49.5
8th Math 55 28 83 52 18 0 40 70.0 8th Science 25 55 80 39 20 0 40 N/A
Year MCAS Taken
Class of ‘12
ELA:98% Math: 93% 6th Grade
ELA: 97% Math: 84% 7th Grade
Class of ‘13 Sixth Grade
ELA:83% Math: 92% 3rd Grade
Class of ‘14 Fifth Grade
ELA: 75% Math: 84% 3rd Grade
ELA:87% Math: 75% 4th Grade
Class of ‘15
Class of ‘16 Third Grade
ELA: 89% Math:92% 3rd Grade
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(frameworks), and the spiraling concepts in the Core Knowledge Sequence. Faculty, staff and administrators have been working diligently to align the two into a cohesive curriculum that supports the mission as well as the educational philosophy and academic integrity of BFCCPS. The alignment of the curriculum began during the 2006/2007 school year with realigning of the core knowledge science concepts to better fit the Massachusetts frameworks so that students would be better prepared for the Science, Technology and Engineering MCAS in 5th and 8th grade. The document illustrates the broad topics, and specific learning objectives that teachers should cover in grades 3-8. Teachers use this document to plan their monthly scope and sequences as well as individual units and lessons. In doing so, they are sure to address student learning objectives from both Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks as well as Core Knowledge Sequence concepts. With the introduction of the new Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks (2011), based on the National Core Curriculum, BFCCPS used professional development time this year to align our ELA curriculum to the new Massachusetts Frameworks, for full implementation in 2012-2013. Our professional development focus this year includes aligning our math curriculum for full implementation in 2013-2014. Table 6B 2.5- DESCRIPTION OF BFCCPS CURRICULA ELEMENTS 2011/12
Major Text and Resources Content Area Grade(s)
Reading Street/My Sidewalks: New in 2010 Literacy K-4; Special Ed
Finish Line MCAS Prep 3-8
6 in 1 Traits ELA-Writing 3-8
Writers Express ELA-Writing 4
EmPowering Writers ELA-Writing 5-8
Wordly Wise ELA-Vocabulary 3-8
Think MATH! Math K-5
Foss Science Kits Science 3-8
Delta Science Kits Science 3-8
Prentice Hall Science Science 6-8
UC Berkeley Evolution Tutorial Science 8th
Learn to Type Computer K-8
Wise Quotes Character Ed K-8
Core Virtues/Character Ed Resource guide Character Ed K-8
Holt World Geography History 6-7
Holt American History I History (Up to 1877) 8
Holt Ancient Civlizations History 7
Holt World History History 8
Geography Alive! History 7-8
History Alive History 5-8
Character Counts Character Education K-8
Second Step Character Education K-5
Instruction:
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The school wide instructional practice is designed to support the BFCCPS pedagogical approach of educating the whole child. Students are supported and challenged through a rigorous curriculum that blends the broadness of the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks with the specificity of the Core Knowledge sequence. Character education themes are embedded in lessons when applicable, and parents are recognized and supported in their role as the primary educator of their children.
Teachers use both the Massachusetts Frameworks and the Core Knowledge sequence, as well as internally created character education resource documents when creating student learning objectives and planning their lessons. These learning objectives and plans are shared with parents through monthly scope and sequence charts sent home and posted on teacher websites. These charts illustrate what will happen in each content area for the month, including character education, community service, foreign language, art, PE and music.
Various instructional practices are utilized throughout the building in order to address the diverse learning styles and needs of a K-8 student body. Whole group, group, and individual instruction are combined with exploratory, teacher directed, and hands-on learning experiences for students depending on the subject matter being taught. Songs are used in the first grade to introduce students to Mesopotamia and the 3 states of matter. In depth family research is conducted in the second grade in order to create extensive family trees as a culminating project to an immigration unit. Third grade students study the Food Chain first hand by growing plants, cultivating crickets and using those crickets to feed classroom salamanders. Students in the fourth grade create a business during their study of the economy to illustrate concepts such as supply and demand, as well as supporting mathematical skills such as multiplication and division of fractions, decimals and whole numbers. The monies raised are donated to a specific charity that the group has extensively researched. Fifth graders are introduced to the periodic table of elements by creating their own elemental t-shirts, and presenting them school wide in the annual BFCCPS Elemental fashion show. Sixth grade students compete in the annual BFCCPS racecar circuit by designing and racing their own model cars based on the scientific concepts of force and momentum. Seventh graders make the trek to the top of Mt. Everest in a lesson that makes geography come alive in the exploration of Tibetan geography. Eighth graders call upon their critical thinking skills, artistic talents, and writing traits that they have learned to rename, recover or reenact the literary classic To Kill a Mockingbird.
Student expectations are communicated in ways that support the various learning and teaching styles necessary for an inclusionary student population. Models include the posting of learning objectives on classroom boards, the use of a weekly syllabus, postings on teacher created websites, and within monthly scope and sequence documents. Discipline and behavior expectations are outlined in the teacher created discipline guide, and school wide student and family expectations are conveyed through the use of an extensive student and family handbook, the Family Pledge, and the Student Character Statement.
Clear expectations are conveyed to teachers through a number of venues. The year starts with a comprehensive faculty meeting, in which the instructional goals and expectations for the school year are articulated. A weekly faculty meeting schedule is devised to support the faculty in accomplishing goals and meeting or exceeding expectations. Faculty and staff have opportunities to meet not only as a full faculty, but also in section (K-4, 5-8), grade level, and as committees (Professional Development, Faculty Input Team). These meetings give the faculty and staff an opportunity to work on various projects, receive support, and communicate effectively with each other and administration. Teachers plan and deliver lessons that support the BFCCPS philosophy of educating the whole child. Using various documents, including, but not limited to: The Massachusetts Frameworks (for all subjects K-4, then individual subjects 5-8), the Core Knowledge sequence, and the character resource guide, as well as their textbooks (teachers edition), and other supplemental resources, teachers create student objectives and plan units and lessons around reaching those objectives. These plans are shared with parents as the monthly scope and sequence documents. This past year our school began using Edline, to create homeroom pages for every faculty member in the school. It was our goal to support each faculty member in setting up their page, and becoming familiar with the technology. The tool was used successfully by the staff and embraced by the school community. Many teachers used their sites to share news about class curriculum and events, as well as post homework.
The schools policies and structures ensure the classroom and school environment is orderly and supports the goal of student understanding, mastery of skills, and is consistent with the school’s mission, are documented in both the Employee Hand Book, and Parent Handbook. Both documents are reviewed and by the Human Resource committee and school administration yearly, and updated to include any operational or policy changes. These handbooks are distributed to the parents and faculty at the beginning of each academic year, and reviewed with both new and returning faculty during orientation.
Program Evaluation:
The main mechanism the school uses to systematically review the quality and effectiveness of the academic program is the yearly accountability process resulting with an Annual Report. As part of this process formal and informal data including students work, testing data, and anecdotal data, is discussed and analyzed relative to our key academic accountability goals. The administrative team of the school is responsible for identifying areas of support and devising an action plan to address the needs. This process has provided a data driven method for systematic review of the quality and effectiveness of the academic program. One recent example of this process at work is the identification of Math as targeted area for improvement, and the subsequent selection of a new math curriculum, specifically targeted towards needs identified through this process, as well as the selection and implementation of a new literacy program. This review often leads to the creation or combination of positions to better suit our adaptive system of education.
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BFCCPS also honors faculty feedback, and empowers teachers to play a key role in the review of the academic program. Teachers participate on two committees key to this task, the Professional Development committee, and the Faculty Input Team. Over the past charter term, the Professional Development committee has identified four key areas of need that could support the academic program: Literacy program, Character education/anti-bullying, implementation of the Core Curriculum. Each of these themes was designated a theme for the year, resulting in numerous workshops, training, and purchase of resources to support teachers in making the academic program successful. Through the Faculty Input Team, teachers are invited to discuss issues key to the school, including the academic program. Some of the topics covered by the Faculty Input Team this year included research on class size, merit pay, the creation of an internal climate committee, and a review of the guidelines they had created in the past.
A range of qualitative and quantitative evidence is used by teachers and school leaders to inform and guide instructional planning and practice. BFCCPS takes a data driven approach to guiding instructional planning and practice. Teachers have had a hand in creating our Accountability plan goals, and in collecting the evidence they demand. Teachers analyze these measures as a key indicator of the success of their instructional practice. These measures include data from standardized tests and internal measures.
Additionally the school continues to use the Educational Data Warehouse to analyze and review data related to MCAS testing to drive instruction. Reports are given to teachers in order for them to identify and address areas of specific needs for individual students. The school administration uses this tool to identify grade level and school wide positive and negative trends. Analyzing this data has become a frequent activity on school wide professional development days.
School Culture:
The BFCCPS Behavior Expectation and Discipline Procedures is another document that illustrates the policies and structures in support of the school mission and productive and safe learning environment. The Faculty Input Team took the lead in designing both a disciplinary philosophy statement, and student statement to provide a consistency of language and approach to how we build a positive culture and learning environment for our students. These two statements form the backbone of how we foster a positive climate and approach to discipline at BFCCPS. The student statement is posted throughout the common areas and in every classroom. The Discipline Philosophy statement reflects our schools emphasis on positive reinforcement and our commitment to our mission.
Our commitment to character education as part of the academic program is also integral to how we establish a positive learning environment at BFCCPS. As a pillar of our school’s mission, its pursuit directly impacts the policies and structures that ensure the classroom and school environment is orderly and supports student engagement.
Disciplinary issues are dealt with seriously, but treated as teachable moments, and time for self reflection on the students’ part. A detention structure is in place for grades 5-8. In school and out of school suspensions are issued for instances of bullying or physical violence, as outlined in the Student Handbook.
The school created a Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan, as required by the DESE. The plan is based on our Character Education program, and already existing structures of parental communication and student expectations. The DESE commended us on the quality of our plan, and has used it as an exemplar for schools who were struggling to complete an acceptable plan.
Diverse Learners: BFCCPS addresses diverse learners the following ways: Student Support Team:
• This is a group of general and special education teachers, who meet twice a month (more frequently if needed) after school for one hour to discuss students who are having difficulty acquiring skills within the curriculum, whether it be social, emotional or academic. This Team offers suggestions to the classroom teacher for methodology, support personnel, materials to be put into place for a specific amount of time, preferably 6-8 weeks. The Team meets back at the end of this time frame to share data and to discuss the effectiveness of the interventions. It is at this time that it is decided if more interventions on the general education level are needed or if the student should be referred for evaluation.
RTI: • In grades K &1, the speech and language therapist and the occupational therapist provide instruction in the general education
classroom, using specific methodology and the general education curriculum for the whole class or for specific centers.
Kindergarten Screening: • All incoming Kindergarten students receive academic, language and motor screening in the Spring before entering. The
results from this screening drive the kindergarten curriculum and general education supports that may be needed. At the time of screening a parent survey regarding their student is included as well as the home language survey.
Other ways diverse learners are addressed:
• Books on CD through RFB&D are provided as needed for students in the curriculum who are registered with RFB&D (with a documented disability).
• Homework Club is open to all students, grades 3-8, at BFCCPS (meets Monday, Tuesday and Thursday after school until 4:00 PM and is supervised by a teacher on staff)
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• Agenda/planner provided to grades 2-8 (everyone uses) and is checked daily for those students who it is specified that this is done..
• Grades 5-8 (everyone) uses a specific organizational system that includes the daily agenda/planner • Reading specialist (works with both high, average, and struggling readers) • Math specialist (works with both high, average and struggling math students) • Differentiation strategies (focus of 08-09 professional development) • Lexia Reading Technology can be used by grades K-8:
o Early Reading, o Primary Reading, o Strategies for Older Students.
• Inspiration – grades 5-8 • Kidspiration-grades K-4 • Study Island-grade 4 math and grades 7, 8 science and social studies. • Type to Learn – 3 is used by all students at BFCCPS beginning in 3rd grade. For those students entering BFCCPS in a more
advanced grade, effort is made to teach the incoming student to type. • Kid Pix K-4
BFCCPS does an Institutional Self Evaluation, which helps to ensure proper accommodations are implemented and established.
Supervision and Evaluation of Teachers:
Informal teacher meetings occur normally at BFCCPS between the faculty and school administration. There is an open door policy initiated by the Head of School, who encourages faculty to stop by to discuss classroom practice and solicit feedback.
At BFCCPS, we continue to evaluate and adapt new Faculty and Staff evaluation system was put into place during the 2010-2011 school year. The system was developed in conjunction with the Faculty Input Team and the BFCCPS administration. The plan requires each faculty and staff member to be assigned an evaluation coordinator (EC). The EC may not conduct all of the employee’s evaluations for the year, but it is their responsibility to go through the pre-planning steps, compile the evaluations, and meet with the employee at the end of the year to review progress on goals. The EC meets with the employee in September, and assists the employee with creating clear, measurable goals for the school year based on the employee’s particular job responsibilities, as well as school goals for the year. A first year faculty/staff member will receive 3 formal evaluations from different administrators over the course of the year. A second year faculty/staff member will receive 2 formal evaluations by two different administrators over the course of the year. A faculty or staff member that has been employed by BFCCPS for 3 or more years has a choice of a formal evaluation by an administrator, a peer evaluation, or a video taped evaluation. An employee in this class will also receive 3 unscheduled walkthroughs to serve as informal feedback on their goals throughout the course of the year. At the end of the year, the employee will meet with their evaluation coordinator to review their evaluations, as well as the progress they have made on their goals, and to begin to think about goals for the following year. tis in place.
Professional Development:
The school has an active professional development committee comprised of volunteer faculty members who work collaboratively with the school administration to identify the professional development theme for the year. The past year included two ambitious professional development activities in areas of critical need, ELA technology integration.
Table 6B 2.6- Professional Development Activities for 2011-2012 Activity Reason Outcome Reading Street Review To review the first year of
implementation, and lay out expectations for year two.
Faculty members worked with the Reading Specialist and Assistant Head of School to set implementation goals for year 2.
Enrichment Block Planning To support new teachers in the Enrichment Block structure
Teachers were exposed to the structure of an Enrichment Block class, and were given time to prepare a syllabus for their 3 arts block classes taught over the course of the year.
EmPowering Writers Train the Trainer model to introduce faculty to the framework of EmPower, and the significance organization has on writing performance.
Teachers were able to learn the first few steps of EmPower, and begin introducing it in their classrooms.
Internal Writing Assessment Training
Teachers worked in small groups with trainers to review the MCAS scoring
Facutly and staff were prepared to score the writing assessments when they were complete.
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rubrics, and to score anchor papers. Anti-bullying: Bystanders and Upstanders
To make teachers aware of the difference between a bystander and an upstander
Teachers introduced to various common language and tools to use with students to encourage upstander responses to bullying situations in and out of school.
ELA Curriculum Planning Teachers met in grade level and vertical teams to align the ELA curriculum to MA frameworks.
Teachers created a grade level, and vertical map of skills taught at each grade level, and the level of understanding and application students should have.
Math Curriculum Planning Teachers met in vertical teams to review the math curriculum, goals and objectives
Teachers K-4 reviewed the new Frameworks, and began looking at skills that have moved either from their grade level or to their grade level. Teachers 5-8 reviewed the curriculum and proposed course realignment to ensure students would be where they needed to be by grade 8.
Technology: Using Chromebooks in the Classroom
Teachers were introduced to the Chromebooks, and given concrete examples of how they can be used in the classroom.
All faculty and staff were encouraged to use the Chromebooks in their class at least 1x by the end of the school year.
Technology: Laptops and Projectors in the classroom
Each classroom teacher was equipped with a laptop and a projector for their class. Detailed training was provided to ease teachers into using this new equipment.
Teachers were required to use their laptop and projector at least 1x/month.
Character Education/Advising Training
Faculty and Staff reviewed the advising guidelines, as well as capstone timeline
Advisors and classroom teachers were given time to plan first two months of Character education lessons and to review the requirements of being an advisor
Community Service/Capstone Project Training for teachers
Faculty and staff reviewed the capstone guidelines, planned community service activities for the year and received training on the remaining capstone steps
Capstone calendar, community service activity at each level was to be planned
Teaching students with ADHD
Teachers were trained on the different strategies that can be effective when working with students that have attention difficulties.
Teachers used the strategies described when needed.
C1. Organizational Viability- Accountability Objectives
OBJECTIVE MEASURE PROGRESS
1. The school develops an annual budget that can be sustained by enrollment and is in support of student academic achievement.
1. The school’s annual budget is sustained by its enrollment.
BFCCPS has met this measure.
2. The school demonstrates a history of positive net assets, adequate cash flow to sustain operations and support the academic program, and consistently operates within budget.
2. Each year, the school demonstrates a history of positive net assets, adequate cash flow to sustain operations and support the academic program, and consistently operates within budget.
BFCCPS has met this measure
3. The school’s annual independent audit is free of material or repeated findings.
3. There is an absence of material or repeated audit findings in annual audits by qualified independent auditor.
BFCCPS is making progress towards this measure
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The auditing firm of Alexander, Aronson and Finning has conducted a successful external audit. This audit was absent of material findings, but did report that the school had completed their End of Year financial report for 2010, but had not included the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School Foundation as a component unit. The school contacted their accounting vendor, who quickly added the Foundation, and resubmitted the report. For the 2011 End of Year Financial Report, this mistake was not repeated, and financials were reported for both the school and the component unit.
Family Engagement:
OBJECTIVE MEASURE PROGRESS
1. The school involves parents/guardians as partners in the education of their children.
1. 100% of BFCCPS families will be surveyed annually on the faithfulness of the school to its charter. 50% of the families will respond to the survey. Of those respondents, 80% of participating families will respond that the school successfully involves parent/guardians as partners in the education of their children.
BFCCPS is making progress towards this measure
2. The Parent Enrichment Council will host 3 parental events each year. The attendance at these events will increase by 20% annually.
BFCCPS is making progress towards this measure.
Throughout the 2011-2012 school year, BFCCPS researched various online survey tools that could be used to survey our population on various aspects of school, including, but not limited to: Faithfulness to charter, academic programs, SPED services, and school operations. During the 2012-2013 school year, The school administration, with input from the faculty and the Board of Trustees, will create a survey that can be conducted electronically by the school community.
The Parent Enrichment Council activities are listed in the Please see the Faithfulness to Charter section of the Common School Performance Criteria for a description of the Parent Enrichment Council activities for 2012-2013.
C2: Organizational Viability- Common School Performance Criteria
Policy decisions: The Board of Trustees created a policy to establish the expectations for student attendance and absences, including conditions that may lead to the disenrollment of a student at BFCCPS, pursuant to a state visit in December. The Board’s Governance Committee, which is comprised of trustees, administrators, and parents, drafted a policy after much discussion. The draft was then distributed to the school community in advance of the formal vote by the Board approving the policy. Amendments to the charter: There were no charter amendments during the 2011-2012 school year. Complaints: There was one official complaint filed with the Board of Trustees concerning the absence of a nurse at school on a one specific day. The unusual circumstances creating this situation was explained to the complaining party, including the strong efforts made by the school to obtain a substitute nurse on short notice. The complaining party forwarded their concern to the state Charter School Office, who after investigation, advised us they were closing their file. Oversight: The Board of Trustees uses several means to assess the performance of the school and school leader (Head of School). We consider our formal testing scores, such as MCAS and DIBELS, our AYP results, progress against the Head of School’s annual goals as established by the Board of Trustees, and feedback from the annual staff survey. Student enrollment, student and staff turnover, waiting list status, recruitment results, and high school placements are also carefully evaluated as indicators of school performance. The Head of School presents an oral and written report to the Board at each monthly meeting, providing the opportunity for frequent dialogue. Trustees have the opportunity to offer feedback and ask questions. Additionally, there is a designated trustee position on the board that must be filled by a full-time staff member. Administration, faculty, staff, and parents serve on board level committees. Trustees are present both at school and school functions, volunteering in a number of capacities. This provides many opportunities for first-hand observation of the school leadership team and the students in the school environment. The board contracts annually with a
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qualified, independent, certified public accounting firm to conduct an audit of our financial statements. The audit results are also important in assessing the school’s performance. Our policy #17 dictates the process for assessing the performance of the Head of School (HOS). The HOS is involved in developing the measurable goals and objectives to be used by the board for evaluating job performance. A mid-year meeting between the HOS and the board’s Human Resources Chair is held to examine the HOS’ progress in meeting the established goals. This is an open meeting that anyone can attend. Feedback from this meeting is shared with the board. If necessary, the goals can be reevaluated or adjusted at this time. Additionally, the Board President and HOS meet monthly meeting to discuss school matters. These meetings are open for anyone to attend. The entire staff is provided the opportunity to voice their opinion through the use of an annual questionnaire soliciting their input. The identity of the individual staff members is protected and kept confidential. The information from the questionnaires is compiled by the HR Committee Chair (a trustee) into a report which is shared with both the HOS and the board at a monthly board meeting. The Trustees also each complete a separate questionnaire evaluating the HOS’ performance. Again, this information is compiled into a single written report that is distributed to the board and discussed with the HOS at a monthly board meeting, which anyone may attend. Board planning: The Board of Trustees has continued to make progress on long-term strategic planning regarding our facility. We have retained professional assistance for developing feasible options to meet our space needs. We are excited about moving forward towards identifying a solution that is achievable. Our Facilities Committee has devoted a significant amount of time and effort this past year in pursuit of answers, and we are grateful for their efforts. This topic is frequently discussed at regular monthly Board meetings. We continue to make strong progress on our strategic plan, which is comprised of five key goals that focus on the mission, academic program, facility, stability, and visibility of BFCCPS over a five year period. We regularly monitor our plan and are currently in year three. The Strategic Plan articulates both a timeline, and action plan to achieve each of these goals. At the Annual Board Retreat and quarterly at a regular monthly board meeting the Strategic plan goals are reviewed by the Board of Trustees and revised if necessary. We have been successful in creating a Vision Statement for our school, which was approved by the Board of Trustees in June. The Mission Committee spent over a year developing, discussing, and revising the statement prior to its approval, and we appreciate their leadership on this task.
Family Satisfaction: This information is referenced though an Accountability Plan objective, and discussed in that section of this report.
Financial Oversight: Our policy #25 is an extensive fiscal policy and procedures guide that describes our budget development. The Finance Committee prepares an annual operating budget of revenues and expenses, a cash flow projection, and a capital budget. The Committee is chaired by the board Treasurer and its members include the Head of School (HOS), Business Manager, other staff, parents, and trustees. Revenue and expense projections are reviewed and approved by the board and modified as necessary. The prioritizing of expenditures occurs in the Finance Committee. In preparation of the annual operating and capital budgets and cash flow projection, the Business Manager prepares preliminary budgets and projections for review by the HOS and the Finance Committee. To support those documents, the Business Manager also prepares current year-to-date financial data with projections of year-end totals. The HOS and the Finance Committee review the budgets and projections for accuracy and feasibility. The Board of Trustees approves and adopts the final budgets and projections. The adopted budgets totals are entered in the general ledger by the bookkeeper for the new fiscal year, in order to prepare budget to actual reports. Any budget amendments that exceed specific guidelines set forth in our policy #22 (Budget Amendments) are presented to the Board for review and approval/rejection. Financial statements displaying budget vs. actual financial results and cash flow projections are prepared by the Bookkeeper, reviewed by the Assistant Head of School, and presented to the Board Treasurer and the Finance Committee for review before final presentation to the Board of Trustees at each monthly board meeting. Monthly managerial reports are prepared based on a predetermined schedule. The annual financial statements of the school are audited by a certified public accounting firm. The firm presents its findings and formal report to the board at a board meeting. Their recommendations are considered and necessary implementation steps are developed in the Finance Committee, and are shared with the board.
Recruitment, enrollment, retention strategies for prior school year:
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BFCCPS continues to strive to recruit, enroll, and retain students of diverse backgrounds, and educational needs.
Recruitment efforts include advertisements in local newspapers, websites, and local businesses, including purchasing advertising at the local performing arts school’s playbill for their performances. Applications are posted in the Franklin Public library as well as other local libraries (Bellingham, Wrentham, Plainville, Milford, Norfolk and Medway.) Applications and brochures are also given to local real estate agents. The school holds at least one information evening in which parents who are interested in the school are invited to attend to get a tour of the school, and hear from administrators, faculty and staff about the mission of the school, curriculum, and other activities that occur at BFCCPS. Babysitting services provided by our Capstone Babysitters and their parents is available to families to encourage them to attend.
Enrollment procedures follow our written and established lottery procedure. Parents fill out an application for the children they are wishing to enroll in the school. The students are put into a lottery based on their status as a sibling of an already attending BFCCPS student, whether they are residents of Franklin, or residents of another Massachusetts town. The enrollment period is advertised on our website, clearly labeled on our applications, and is listed on a sign in front of the school, as well as on the door of the school and in the school’s weekly newsletter. BFCCPS does not have a rolling admissions policy. Any application received after the deadline will not be permitted to participate in that year’s lottery.
Retention strategies for our middle school population have proven successful. Offering a rigorous academic program coupled with character education, and community service has helped to attract and retain students. Expanding our course offerings, especially in our Arts Block area have also helped to retain students in our middle school grades. Students are excited about the classes they can take, and the teachers who teach them.
Name of School: The Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School Date: August 1, 2012 I. Recruitment Plan A. Describe the school’s general recruitment activities, i.e. those intended to reach all students.
General Recruitment Activities List recruitment activities undertaken each year which apply to all students.
1. Advertise in local newspapers 2. The BFCCPS website 3. Information and applications at local libraries 4. Advertise in local businesses/bulletins 5. Franklin Annual Report 6. Stream information evenings on the internet via the school website for families that may be unable to attend the meetings. B. List the goals and strategies the school will implement during the upcoming school year to attract and enroll specific groups of students in order to promote a student population that reflects the demographics of the school’s sending district(s). Create goals and strategies for each of the following categories:
A. Special education students B. Limited English-proficient students C. Students eligible for free lunch D. Students eligible for reduced price lunch E. Students who are sub-proficient (as determined by a previous score of “Needs Improvement” or “Warning/Failing” on
the mathematics or English language arts examinations of the MCAS for the previous two years) F. Students at risk of dropping out of school G. Students who have dropped out of school H. Other subgroups of students who should be targeted to eliminate the achievement gap
Recruitment Plan – Goals and Strategies List goals and strategies for recruitment activities for each demographic group.
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A. Special education students
1. Continue to promote the BFCCPS Student Services Department by inviting community members to PAC meetings including special speakers such as Sarah Ward to speak about topics in Special Education, and the strategies that BFCCPS employs to reach all students
B. Limited English-proficient students
1. Continue to provide applications and recruitment materials in languages other than English 2. Continue to advertise in local community bulletins
C. Students eligible for free lunch
1. Continue to offer babysitting services at our information evenings so that the cost of hiring a babysitter will not be a factor in attending the meetings. 2. Hold information evenings after work hours 3. Stream information evenings on the internet via our website for families who may not be able to attend.
D. Students eligible for reduced price lunch
1. Continue to offer babysitting services at our information evenings so that the cost of hiring a babysitter will not be a factor in attending the meetings. 2. Hold information evenings after work hours 3. Stream information evenings on the internet via our website for families who may not be able to attend.
E. Students who are sub-proficient 1. Advertisements and information evening meetings include information on after school tutoring, academic support, and internal faculty and staff support for students who struggle academically.
F. Students at risk of dropping out of school
1. Advertisements and information evening meetings include information on after school tutoring, academic support, and internal faculty and staff support for students who struggle academically.
G. Students who have dropped out of school
N/A: We are a K-8 school.
H. Other subgroups of students who should be targeted to eliminate the achievement gap
1. Advertisements and information evening meetings include information on after school tutoring, academic support, and internal faculty and staff support for students who struggle academically.
II. Retention Plan Identify the retention goals and strategies the school will implement during the upcoming school year to maximize the number of students who successfully complete all school requirements and to prevent students from dropping out. The retention plan may include activities that address the needs of all students in the school, but must be designed to impact the target groups identified above.
Overall Student Retention Goal
BFCCPS strives to retain 90% of its entire student population.
Retention Plan Goals and Strategies -- List goals and strategies for retention activities
A. Special Education Students 1. BFCCPS will continue to offer high quality special education services, maintain communication with parents, and support students academically, socially and behaviorally.
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2. BFCCPS will offer homework club 2 days a week for grades 3-5 and 3 days a week for grades 6-7 at no charge for any student that would like to attend.
B. Limited English-proficient students
1. BFCCPS will continue to offer high quality English Language Learner services, including assessment, accommodations, and modifications to support students academically 2. BFCCPS will maintain close communication with parents on student progress through ELL programs.
C. Students eligible for free lunch
1. BFCCPS will continue to offer financial assistance with field trips, extra-curricular activities, and school sponsored events.
D. Students eligible for reduced price lunch
1. BFCCPS will continue to offer financial assistance with field trips, extra-curricular activities, and school sponsored events.
E. Students who are sub proficient
1. BFCCPS will continue to offer targeted, strategic intervention in reading and math skills to students who are struggling on MCAS, internal assessments, and by teacher request. 2. BFCCPS teachers will maintain communication with parents of all students, making sure they are kept aware of student progress 3. BFCCPS will offer homework club 2 days a week for grades 3-5 and 3 days a week for grades 6-7 at no charge for any student that would like to attend.
F. Students at risk of dropping out of school
1. BFCCPS will continue to closely monitor the grades of students, and continue close communication with parents of students who are showing signs of academic, social or behavioral stress. 2. BFCCPS will offer homework clubs to students in grades 3-8 to assist with homework and long term project completion. 3. BFCCPS will continue to offer academic, social and behavioral support through our academic advising program.
G. Students who have dropped out of school
N/A we are a K-8 school.
H. Other subgroups of students who should be targeted to eliminate the achievement gap
1. BFCCPS will continue to offer students a rigorous academic program, as well as academic, social, emotional, and behavioral supports to students. 2. BFCCPS internal assessments will serve to identify academic weaknesses, in order for teachers and staff to better support students who are struggling.
8. Dissemination
BFCCPS prides itself on our initiatives and outreaches to both celebrate the achievements of our staff and students, and disseminate our best practices. Our approach to dissemination is best characterized by our multiple examples of community outreach and collaboration. Listed below are the initiatives we’ve taken over the last charter term to build relationships with the district and region, and share our successes with the outside community. As a recent example of collaboration between our school and community BFCCPS has worked closely with the Town of Franklin, to extend the lease of the historic Red Brick School house in Franklin. The beloved Red Brick School House was set to close, and the BFCCPS Board of Trustees saw an opportunity to give back to the town by agreeing to lease the School House on a trial basis. BFCCPS currently leases our school building and as a condition of the lease of some restrictions on the space we can use and time we can have activities in the building. Having the Red Brick School house provides an additional space for student activities, during the day and after school, and does not represent a change to the charter or academic program. This collaboration with the town of Franklin is emblematic of the type of collaboration and dissemination with the community BFCCPS strives for. BFCCPS appreciates the need for charter schools to increase their dissemination practices. It is our goal to increase the amount of contact we have the town public schools, so that transition from one to another would run as smooth as possible for our students. Our school counselor and Assistant Head of School met with the counseling department at the local High School to assist in a smooth transition from one school to another. BFCCPS has been named a Massachusetts School of Character, as well as a National School of Character. That distinction comes with the ability to showcase our promising practices in Character Education with other schools not only in Massachusetts, but also throughout the nation. We will be presenting two of these practices at the Character Education Partnership’s national conference San Francisco, CA in October or 2011.
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We have collaborated with the Franklin Public Schools on initiatives such as the Bullying Intervention and Prevention Plan, reaching out the Franklin Public Schools, and working together to bring a national speaker to meet with all Franklin parents to discuss topics such as cyber bullying and online safety. We look forward to working with them again in the future on similar endeavors. While publications such as Ben's Best allow us to share curricular ideas and lessons with teachers in Franklin, and numerous professional developments presented by our faculty and staff, are some ways in which we currently disseminate our information. We would like to continue to work on ways in which we can solicit feedback of the Charter School, the program of study we offer, the amount of rigor there. The Final BFCCPS goal this year is to increase relationships with Franklin Town Public schools. Our 7th/8th grade Math Teacher hosted the chair of the Franklin High School Math department to strengthen understanding of the high school program and build an ongoing collaborative relationship. Our school counselor also worked closely with the High School guidance counselor meeting several times to discuss practice and help prepare our students for transition to high school. 2011-2012 Present at the National Character Education Partnership Conference. Student Art work on display:
o Franklin Public Library o Art showcase Franklin YMCA o Barnes and Noble Art Show
BFCCPS Music Recital BFCCPS Musical “Willy Wonka” performed at a Franklin Public School theater, open to the public Student Solo and Duet performances for community BFCCPS School Tours and presentations BFCCPS Special Education Program Evaluation and Reports Franklin Public Schools Lifelong Learning Summer Program:
o Art Class o French Class
BFCCPS Summer Programs: o Academic o Enrichment o Instrumental Lessons
Online exchange of information via BFCCPS Website www.bfccps.org MA Charter School Association Student Presentations and Dissemination Activities: Franklin School of the Performing Arts student recitals National Latin Exam National French Contest (FLES Contest) Destination Imagination, jointly with the Franklin Public Schools Lego League Educational Enrichment Program Student participation Rube Goldberg Machine Contest/Fay School/MIT Program Partnership Board of Trustee’s Presentations and Dissemination Activities: Commonwealth of Massachusetts DESE BFCCPS Annual Report Commonwealth of Massachusetts DESE BFCCPS Accountability Plan and Data Online exchange of information via BFCCPS website www.bfccps.org Media Dissemination Activity: Diversity Celebration: Chinese New Year/Diwalli Memberships: MCPSA: Massachusetts Charter Public School Association Association of Supervision and Curriculum Franklin Chamber of Commerce Core Knowledge Foundation Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) Music Educators National Conference (MENC) Technology Institute for Music Educators (TIME) Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) National Association for Supervisors in Music Education (NASME) Other: Banking program with Dean Bank: “It Pays to Save” “Ben’s Best” participate in the annual Project Bread Walk for Hunger in Boston Community Service Projects supported the following institutions:
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o Cradles to Crayons o Random Smiles o Empty Bowls o Franklin Senior Center o Heifer International o St. Jude’s Hospital o Overlook Farm o Rhode Island Food Bank o The Santa Foundation
High School Fair-Invited public, private and independent schools invited to show off their school, Invited Franklin district students to attend Parent Advisory Council Meeting information, dates of meetings, newsletter information was shared between BFCCPS Parent Advisory Council and Franklin SEPAC on an ongoing basis. We also contract (for a fee) for Extended School Year with the Town of Franklin Special Education Department as needed.
9. Financial Reports- Attached, Appendix A • FY11 Un-Audited Income Statement • FY11 Balance Sheet • FY12 Approved Budget • Capital Plan: The BFCCPS Board of Trustees has approved a 5 year strategic plan. This plan includes a goal and
outcome measures around develop a capital plan.
Goal 3: By June 30, 2013, have a school facility that better meets the needs of the students, teachers, staff, and parents. Objective Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Objective 1: Determine which facility option will be pursued: new building on Washington St.; new building on another site; buying and renovating a building; establishing a long term lease and renovating the current building.
X X
Objective 2: Complete a design for the facility option chosen. Success will be evidenced by construction blueprints or other appropriate design document.
X X
Objective 3: Develop detailed financial plans for the facility option chosen. Completion will be evidenced by the creation and approval of construction and maintenance budgets.
X X
Objective 4: Embark on a capital campaign, as evidenced by the formation of a Capital Campaign Committee and a campaign plan.
X X
Objective 5: Complete the planned facility. Completion will be measured by the ability of students and faculty to use the facility for educational purposes.
X X
10. Data Section
INSTRUCTIONAL TIME: Total number of instructional days established in the school’s charter or subsequent amendments 180 Total number of instructional days for the 2011-12 school year 180
First and last day of the 2011-12 school year 8/30/2011- 6/19/2012
STUDENT ENROLLMENT INFORMATION: Number of students who completed the 2010-11 school year but did not reenroll for the 2011-12 school year (excluding graduates) 19
Total number of students enrolled as of October 1, 2011 452 Total number of students who enrolled during the 2011-12 school year after October 1, 2011 2
Total number of students who left during the 2011-12 school year after October 1, 2011 2
Total number of students enrolled as of the June 30, 2012 SIMS submission 447 Number of students who graduated at the end of the 2011-12 school year 50
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Number of students on the waitlist as of June 30, 2012 182
STUDENT DEMOGRAPHIC AND SUBGROUP INFORMATION (for students enrolled as of the June 2011 SIMS submission) Race/Ethnicity # of students % of entire student body African-American 4 <1% Asian 71 16% Hispanic 10 <1% Native American 2 <1% White 343 76% Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander 0 0% Multi-race, non-Hispanic 17 <1% Special education 35 8 % Limite

bfccps annual report 2011-2012

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