State University of New York Minutes of a Meeting of the Education, College Readiness and Success Committee of the Board of Trustees held on June 14, 2011 Notice of a meeting of the Education, College Readiness and Success Committee was duly given on June 3, 2011 (attached). Accordingly, a meeting was held on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 2 p.m. via videoconference from the following locations: Albany, State University Plaza, Federal Building, Conference Room F215C and New York University, Steinhardt School, 82 Washington Square East, New York City. The meeting was also webcast, accessible via http://www.suny.edu. Committee Members present: Trustee Noguera, Chair Trustee Hunt; Trustee Lewin; Trustee O’Brien; and Ambassador Spielvogel. Other Trustees present: Chairman Hayden System Leadership present: Senior Vice Chancellor for Community Colleges and the Education Pipeline Duncan-Poitier Other SUNY Representatives and Staff present: Susan Miller Barker, SUNY Charter Schools Institute (the “Institute”); Lori Clement, the Institute; Kaitlin Gambrill, Office of the Chancellor; Tina Good, Faculty Council of Community Colleges; Jill Lansing, Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor; Ron Miller, the Institute; Ralph Rossi, Esq., the Institute; Jason Sarsfield, the Institute; and Paul Wright, the Institute. CONVENING OF THE MEETING / APPROVAL OF MINUTES Trustee Noguera convened the meeting at 2:05 p.m. Mr. Rossi confirmed that a quorum of the Committee was present with Trustees Hunt and Lewin, Ambassador Spielvogel and Chairman Hayden present. Trustee O’Brien arrived at approximately 2:15 p.m. which marked the participation of the full Committee. Trustee Noguera then called for a motion to approve the minutes of the Committee’s meeting on March 22, 2011. Trustee Hunt made the motion. Ambassador Spielvogel provided the second. The motion passed unanimously. B. Presentation of Senior Vice Chancellor for Community Colleges and the Education Pipeline As a follow-up to the committee's request for additional pre-college and postsecondary education pipeline data, Senior Vice Chancellor Johanna Duncan-Poitier provided a comprehensive overview of the most up to date information on student performance data in high school and college reflecting the preparedness of students to graduate high school and college in order to meet the demands of the 21st century economy. The profile included the latest student achievement data in early childhood, elementary and middle school education; high school graduation rates; participation and trends in college remediation; college graduation rates; and how, consistent with the strategic plan, SUNY is working with its partners to strengthen the education pipeline and cradle-to-career opportunities for students and their families. SUNY has a vested interest in what happens in the P-12 system. The University prepares about one quarter of the teaching workforce and more students need to come to higher education prepared to succeed in college and the workforce. Other states are experiencing similar challenges. The discussion with the SUNY board of trustees focused on: the extent of the need and the reasons for remediation of students entering college; strategies to increase college graduation rates; the need to capture the outcomes of the entire student population, full-time/part-time; the alignment of course work with the core standards; the need for additional work in mathematics and science for high school students and a more prescriptive approach to academic requirements. In her closing remarks, Senior Vice Chancellor Duncan-Poitier highlighted SUNY’s commitment to construct effective clinical teacher preparation programs. As a result, new teachers assigned to the most challenged schools will be better prepared. The members of the SUNY board of trustees indicated that the update was very useful and asked that regular updates on pipeline activities be provided in the upcoming meetings. C. Board Resolutions Trustee Noguera asked Ms. Miller Barker to take the Committee through the proposed Board resolutions. Ms. Miller Barker first took a moment to introduce the Committee to a new Institute employee, Ms. Lori Clement, a senior analyst supporting school evaluation. She noted that Ms. Clement has an MBA from Columbia and earned her undergraduate degree from Syracuse University. Ms. Miller Barker then turned to the Board Resolutions before the Committee; a series of proposals to establish new charter schools that the Institute was recommending for approval. She explained that each of these proposals was received in response to the Institute’s January 2011 Request for Proposals to Establish New York Charter Schools and would open in the fall of 2012. She highlighted the fact that the proposals being recommended included replications of existing successful SUNY authorized charter schools and independent mom and pop schools, some of which propose very strong partnerships with community based organizations. Ms. Miller Barker confirmed that each of these proposals have gone through the Institute’s rigorous vetting process as well as analysis by external experts. The planning teams have been interviewed by Institute staff and the proposed school boards have been interviewed by Trustees Noguera and Trustee O’Brien. Beginning with Children Charter School Ms. Miller Barker provided the Committee with a brief overview of the proposal, summarized here for the record: The school would serve 100 students in Kindergarten and 1st grade and grow to serve 250 students in Kindergarten through 5th grade. The founding team envisions expansion to a K-8 school in a future charter term. The board would contract with the Beginning with Children Foundation, a New York based non-profit organization, for overall charter management services. Until recently the Foundation was a partner organization of the existing schools but became a CMO to broaden its mission, including increased academic support. The Foundation currently manages two other charters schools, the Beginning with Children Charter School (authorized by the NYCDOE) and the Community Partnership Charter School (authorized by the SUNY Trustees). The proposed school would largely be a replication of the two operating schools, each of which has been renewed. There would be improvements to the program however, including a new role in support of academic rigor by the Foundation. The mission of proposed school is to provide: A nurturing community that fosters a love of learning and the development of character for students in grades K-5. Our students achieve academic excellence and are prepared to succeed in top performing high schools and colleges. Our students develop and use G.R.I.T. (Good Judgment, Resilience, Integrity, and Teamwork) for personal and community improvement.” The board is working with the New York City Department of Education to secure public school space in Community School District 14 in Brooklyn where the Foundation enjoys a good relationship with the community. The NYC Schools Chancellor has provided positive comments on this proposal which are included in your binder. The Institute finds that this proposal satisfies all necessary requirements and recommends that the Trustees approve the resolution to establish the Beginning with Children II Charter School. Trustee Lewin asked whether the statute allowed the trustees to establish a direct link from the charter school to SUNY’s teacher preparation programs. Ms. Miller Barker answered that the Institute has worked this spring to strengthen its link to the SUNY Urban Teacher Education Center or SUTEC. As a result, more SUNY charter schools are interested in hosting SUNY student teachers and more are interested in hiring graduates of the SUTEC program. She said that she would report more details on that in September. Trustee Noguera called for motion to approve the proposal to establish the Beginning with Children II Charter School. Trustee Hunt made the motion Ambassador Spielvogel provided the second The motion passed unanimously. Brooklyn Success Academy 2, 3, 4 Ms. Miller Barker suggested taking the next three resolutions together and provided the Committee with a brief overview of the proposals, summarized here for the record: All three schools are proposed replications of the existing Harlem Success Academy 1 Charter School, a consistently high performing charter school. The Trustees have already approved eight replications of this model. The schools would open with 188 students in Kindergarten and 1st grade and would grow to serve 689 students in Kindergarten through 5th grade. The founding team envisions expansion to a K-8 school in a future charter term. The same board of trustees is proposed to oversee all three schools. The board would contract with Success Charter Network, Inc., a New York based non-profit organization, for overall charter management services. The mission of Brooklyn Success 2, 3 and 4 would be to: Provide children in New York City with an exceptionally high quality education that gives them the knowledge, skills, character, and disposition to meet and exceed New York State standards and the resources to lead and succeed in school, college, and a competitive global economy. The board is working with the New York City Department of Education to secure public school space in Community School Districts 13 or 14 in Brooklyn. The NYC Schools Chancellor has provided positive comments on each of these proposals, which has been included in your binder. The Institute finds that these proposals satisfy all necessary requirements and recommends that the Trustees approve the resolutions to establish Brooklyn Success 2, 3 and 4. Ambassador Spielvogel asked if one board can effectively oversee all three schools. Ms. Miller Barker said the Institute believed it could and that there are other examples in SUNY’s portfolio of schools where one board oversees multiple schools, the Icahn schools are a good example. The Ambassador asked if she believed that these individuals could do it and she said yes, that the Institute and Trustees Noguera and O’Brien had interviewed the board. Trustee O’Brien said he appreciated the Ambassador’s concerns. He said he was initially concerned too, including about the additional replications. However, after meeting the board he said he was satisfied that the management organization and the expertise and experience of the board would probably indicate that the very high level of performance that the previous schools had achieved would be achieved again. Trustee Noguera agreed, he said that the original school is among the highest performing charter schools. He said he does have confidence in the board and the organization. He mentioned a teaching institute they provide in the summer. Trustee Noguera called for a motion to approve the proposals to establish Brooklyn Success Academy 2, Brooklyn Success Academy 3, and Brooklyn Success Academy 4. Trustee Hunt made the motion Ambassador Spielvogel provided the second The motion passed unanimously. Central Queens Academy Charter School Ms. Miller Barker provided the Committee with a brief overview of the proposal, summarized here for the record: The Central Queens Academy Charter School would open with 110 students in 5th grade and grow to serve 380 students in 5th through 8th grade. The founders envision adding both a high school and elementary grades in a future charter period. The board would maintain a non-management “partner” relationship with the Asian Professional Extension, Inc. or APEX. APEX is a youth development organization that has worked with recent Asian immigrant youth for almost 20 years. APEX is a New York based non-profit organization that would provide an array of after school and enrichment programs, such as one-to-one mentoring and college preparatory programs, to the charter school. APEX would assist the school with initial start-up activities, including back office, real estate and operations assistance, and also provide access to its development team for purposes of securing additional philanthropic support. The mission of the Central Queens Academy would be to: Prepare middle school students for success in education, the workforce, and the community through a school that integrates literacy, high standards-based academics and culturally responsive supportive services. The school will lay the foundation for students to be able to graduate, attend the competitive high school of their choice, and go on and excel in college. To achieve this mission, the founders would focus particularly on a target population of English language learners (ELLs). Central Queens Academy proposes to reserve 30 percent of its new student seats, starting with its incoming 5th graders, for students at-risk of academic failure, defined specifically as ELLs. The board is working with the New York City Department of Education to secure public school space in Community School District 24, Elmhurst, Queens. Due to the limited amount of public school space available in CSD 24 the board has already begun to aggressively work with community partners, real estate brokers/developers, as well as philanthropic organizations to identify a private facility that would house the school if approved. The NYC Schools Chancellor has provided positive comments on this proposal which are included in your material. The Institute finds that this proposal satisfies all necessary requirements and recommends that the Trustees approve the resolution to establish Central Queens Academy Charter School. Trustee Lewin asked if this school was specifically designed for Asian students. Ms. Miller Barker said that the school set aside seats for English language learners, regardless of their native language. Trustee O’Brien, referencing the interview of the proposed board members, said it was a group that seemed to have everything we would want to see in a board, highly accomplished, close to the community, a group that has identified a specific set of needs within a particular neighborhood, and it seems to be a match for their own experience and expertise. He said as the interview progressed he found himself very impressed by the proposed board members’ spirit and their sense of what they owe to their community and how this school was going to begin to meet that debt. And given their talent level, given their commitment, he said he didn’t think there was any way that this could go wrong. Trustee Noguera agreed with the strength of the proposed board and the proposed school model. However, he said is seeing a little bit of a troubling pattern. He said that this school and another one to be discussed today specialize in serving English language learners and there are several other charters that serve almost no English language learners. And so in effect, he said that what we are seeing is the segregation of these kids into certain schools. Trustee Noguera said that he was very confident, as Trustee O’Brien just said, that this will be a great school with great services. He asked Mr. Rossi to comment on the legal issue noting that he was concerned about the social implications. Mr. Rossi said that it is an absolute violation of law to discriminate against English language learners. He explained that the Charter Schools Act now requires charter schools to serve similar populations as the district schools where they are located. He said it is not a problem to say we want to serve Mandarin students, for example, because there is a large Mandarin population in the neighborhood. It would be a problem for a charter school to say it will not serve English language learners. Ms. Miller Barker said that if it would be helpful, the Institute could, at the next Trustees’ meeting or in a memo, provide a brief about how the enrollment targets under the new law will be set and how schools will be held accountable. Trustee Lewin said that would be helpful. Trustee Noguera called for a motion to approve the proposal to establish the Central Queens Academy Charter School. Ambassador Spielvogel made the motion Trustee Hunt provided the second The motion passed unanimously. Children’s Aid Society Community Charter School Ms. Miller Barker provided the Committee with a brief overview of the proposal, summarized here for the record: The Children’s Aid Society Charter School or CAS Charter School would open with 120 students in Kindergarten and 1st grade and would grow to serve 304 students in Kindergarten through 5th grade. The board would maintain a non-management “partner” relationship with The Children’s Aid Society, a New York based non-profit organization founded in 1853 that focuses on child welfare. The Children’s Aid Society would provide a range of support services to the school, consistent with a community school model, at no cost to the school. The mission of the CAS Community Charter School is a follows: The school will ensure that children will achieve academic success by providing them with the best instructional practices, advancing their physical, emotional, and social needs, fostering a sense of pride and hope, and serving as a safe and engaging community hub. As a community school, the CAS Community Charter School will produce higher student attendance, increased grade retention, and improved test scores because teachers will be more effective, and parents and other adult caregivers will be more involved than schools serving a similar population. The CAS Community Charter School is specifically designed to meet the needs of the most vulnerable students in the Bronx neighborhood of Morrisania, especially those children who are: - currently in foster care or have been in the child welfare system; - are performing below grade level; - are not “school ready” by the time they reach Kindergarten; - have a history of or are at risk of absenteeism; and/or - live with one parent or a single caregiver. The Children’s Aid Society’s deep roots in the South Bronx and its multi-site service centers in the surrounding community will assist the proposed school in providing effective youth development, comprehensive health care and support to parents and care-givers. The board is working with the New York City Department of Education to secure temporary public school space in Community School District 12 (the Morrisania section of the Bronx) until its planned private facility in that area is ready for use. The NYC Schools Chancellor has provided positive comments on this proposal. The Institute finds that this proposal satisfies all necessary requirements and recommends that the Trustees approve the resolution to establish the Children’s Aid Society Charter School. Trustee Lewin asked if the charter was to the Children’s Aid Society. Ms. Miller Barker said the charter goes to the school’s board of trustees who will partner with the Children’s Aid Society. Mr. Rossi noted that some members of the board and the lead applicant are affiliated with Children’s Aid. Ambassador Spielvogel asked why the Children’s Aid Society wanted to do this. Ms. Miller Barker said that the Children’s Aid Society actually has a really long history of working with the public schools just as a partner and support organization and they have put in place afterschool, Saturday, some wraparound services. And what they found is that they are not able to really direct the kind of strong instruction they feel the most at-risk student need; by working with a charter school they believe they can provide wraparound services but also control academic rigor. Ambassador Spielvogel asked if the venture was a success, would Children’s Aid want to open more schools. Ms. Miller Barker said potentially, but the planning team indicated that they wanted to begin with one school and amass some positive data. Chairman Hayden said what he thought was most interesting was the focus on children from foster care. Ambassador Spielvogel asked if this was the first school that we have had an application for to target that audience. Ms. Miller Barker said that this is one of the first schools with wraparound services for students that has come to the trustees. She mentioned Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City has two charters through the New York City Department of Education. Chairman Noguera added that SUNY has approved a school sponsored by The Door that’s going to serve homeless children that will have similar kinds of services available. He said he is really encouraged by this model and the two Roads schools SUNY also approved not long ago, that are going to focus on children who have been incarcerated. He said he believed this is a charter that is taking on a very hard to serve population, some of the City’s most disadvantaged students, and if we can demonstrate success there, we will have really accomplished something. Trustee Lewin asked if all of the school’s students will be in foster care. Ms. Miller Barker said the school would have an admissions priority for those students. Ambassador Spielvogel said he was very impressed with the school’s proposed board. He commented that the CV of Dr. Allen Spiegel was incredibly impressive. Trustee Noguera said that at the interview Dr. Spiegel indicated that he wanted to bring the hospital’s services to bear on the school as well. Ambassador Spielvogel said that was wonderful and moved the item for vote. Trustee Lewin provided the second. The motion to approve the proposal to establish the Children’s Aid Society Charter School passed unanimously. Explore Exceed Charter School Ms. Miller Barker provided the Committee with a brief overview of the proposal, summarized here for the record: The proposal to establish the Explore Exceed Charter School and is similar to one approved by the Committee and full Board last May when it approved the Explore Excel Charter School. The founding board of this school intends to contract with the nonprofit charter management organization Explore Schools Inc. And like Explore Excel, the proposed board of Explore Exceed specifically wants to serve the students and families of a school determined to be failing and therefore closed or phased out by the New York City Department of Education in the high needs Community School Districts 17, 18, 19 or 23, all in Brooklyn. The New York City Department of Education has indicated its support for this board, however, such schools have not yet been identified and likely will not be until test scores are released by the State Education Department. Additionally, a charter school cannot serve as an on-site replacement for a district school in New York City until a siting process has been completed by the NYCDOE and the Panel for Educational Policy, which processes are subject to SED appeals and litigation. Therefore, the applicant’s base enrollment plan is to open with 168 students in Kindergarten through 2nd grade growing to serve 396 students in Kindergarten through 6th grade. If, however, the school is provided an opportunity to: serve students in a persistently low achieving or otherwise failing school OR if it were granted enough facility space to open a K-3rd grade program without serving as a replacement school, the board would seek a charter revision from the SUNY Trustees for waiver of the mandatory collective bargaining unit provisions in the New York Charter Schools Act. Note that even if a waiver is awarded, the employees of the school can still always opt to unionize. The waiver only applies to the automatic unionization based on enrollment, a provision in the Charter Schools Act. The school would then open in the fall of 2012 with 224 students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade and would grow to serve 456 students in Kindergarten through 7th grade. In either case, the applicant and founding team envision growing the school through the 8th grade in a subsequent charter period if granted. Explore Exceed would replicate the successful school models of the existing Explore Schools Inc. affiliated schools. The mission the Explore Exceed would be “for its students to demonstrate the academic skills and critical-thinking abilities they need to be successful in a college-preparatory high school.”  The NYC Schools Chancellor has provided positive comments on this proposal. The Institute finds that this proposal satisfies all necessary requirements and recommends that the Trustees approve the resolution to establish the Explore Exceed Charter School. Trustee Noguera said this is another new territory that we have begun to enter. Democracy Prep is taking over a failing charter school and this in effect would be a turnaround of a district school. Trustee Noguera called for a motion to approve the proposal to establish the Explore Exceed Charter School. Ambassador Spielvogel made the motion. Trustee Hunt provided the second. The motion passed unanimously. Family Life Academy Charter School II Ms. Miller Barker provided the Committee with a brief overview of the proposal, summarized here for the record: The Family Life Academy Charter School II, or FLACS II, would open with 100 students in Kindergarten and 1st grade and would grow to serve 300 students in Kindergarten through 5th grade. The board envisions expanding to a K-8 school in a subsequent charter period. FLACS II is a proposed replication of the existing and successful SUNY authorized Family Life Academy Charter School. Like the school after which it is founded, FLACS II would provide extensive support for English language learners. The board would also maintain a non-management “partner” relationship with Latino Pastoral Action Center, like the original FLACS school. FLACS II would seek to: empower all of its K-5 students, regardless of race, ethnicity, country of origin, socioeconomic status, and/or English language proficiency, to demonstrate mastery of the New York State standards, help them take responsibility for their own learning, and encourage them to explore and affirm human values. FLACS II seeks to have an orderly, nurturing, dynamic and safe environment in which learning is engaging, meaningful, and joyful in preparing students to attend and successfully complete high school and college. The proposed school intends to occupy private leased space located in Community School District 9 at 800 East 156th Street in the Bronx. The proposed facility was secured in a church space in conjunction with the school’s community partner, the Latino Pastoral Action Center. The Institute finds that this proposal satisfies all necessary requirements and recommends that the Trustees approve the resolution to establish the Family Life Academy Charter School II. Trustee Noguera called for a motion to approve the proposal to establish the Family Life Academy Charter School II. Ambassador Spielvogel made the motion. Trustee Lewin provided the second. The motion passed unanimously. Icahn Charter School 6 and Icahn Charter School 7 Ms. Miller Barker provided the Committee with a brief overview of the proposals, summarized here for the record: Both the Icahn Charter School 6 and Icahn Charter School 7 are proposed replications of the successful SUNY authorized Icahn Charter School 1. The Trustees have already approved 4 other replications of this successful model. The schools would open with 108 students in Kindergarten through 2nd grade and grow to 252 students in Kindergarten through 6th grade. The board envisions growing to a K-8 school in a future charter term. The schools would share services with the other schools in the Icahn network. The superintendent of the network would supervise each of the schools’ principals, and the network’s director of operations would oversee all non instructional functions. The same board of trustees that oversees Icahn Charter Schools 1-5 is proposed to oversee Icahn 6 and 7 and would continue its affiliation with the Foundation for a Greater Opportunity which provides start-up support for all of the Icahn schools. SUNY does have a contract provision prohibiting more than 40 percent of a schools’ board from serving as members of the same organization. The Institute is proposing to waive that requirement here for this board -- with respect to its affiliation with the Foundation for a Greater Opportunity. This board has extensive knowledge and experience as a charter school board. The mission of Icahn 6 and Icahn 7 is: Using the Core Knowledge curriculum developed by E.D. Hirsch, Icahn 6 and 7 will provide students with a rigorous academic program offered in an extended day/year setting. Students will graduate armed with the skills and knowledge to participate successfully in the most rigorous academic environments, and will have a sense of personal and community responsibility. The board is working with the New York City Department of Education to secure public school space in New York City Community School District 9 in the Bronx. The NYC Schools Chancellor has provided positive comments on this proposal. The Institute finds that these proposals satisfy all necessary requirements and recommends that the Trustees approve the resolution to establish the Icahn Charter Schools 6 and 7. Trustee Lewin noted that this was another case of one board overseeing multiple schools. Ambassador Spielvogel asked if there was a limit to the number of schools one board could oversee. Mr. Rossi said that the time to limit such growth would be when there is evidence that the board can no longer effectively oversee the schools or carry out its duties. Trustee O’Brien said the Committee should look at the performance numbers for these schools, which are outstanding. He said that he has faith in the Institute’s judgment about the organization. He said that he does have some questions about schools where a management fee is involved and wants to know the Institute is following the money. Ms. Miller Barker indicated that the Institute’s work under planning grant it just received from the National Association of Charter School Authorizers would help to address this; an even more rigorous due diligence process of management organizations than what the Institute already has in place. Ms. Duncan-Poitier noted that the NACSA grant was earned through a very competitive process and that Ms. Miller Barker and the staff are to be commended. Chairman Hayden asked if SUNY had received a negative recommendation from the NYC Schools Chancellor. Ms. Miller Barker said she did not recall receiving one though given the Institute’s rigorous review process she wouldn’t anticipate a negative comment about the quality of an application that reached the level of Trustee consideration. Trustee Noguera called for a motion to approve the proposals to establish Icahn Charter School 6 and Icahn Charter School 7. Ambassador Spielvogel asked Mr. Rossi if he needed to recuse himself given that he knows Mr. Icahn. Mr. Rossi said he would not; that the Ambassador would only have to recuse himself if he had direct business dealings with Mr. Icahn. Trustee Lewin made the motion. Ambassador Spielvogel provided the second. The motion passed unanimously. Manhattan Charter School II Ms. Miller Barker told the Committee that she has served on the board of trustees of Manhattan Charter School, the New York City Schools Chancellor authorized charter school after which the proposed school is modeled. She said that she has recused herself from the review of this proposal and related staff discussions and, as a result, asked Jason Sarsfield, Institute Director of School Applications, to present this proposal to the Committee. Mr. Sarsfield said that this was a proposed replication of the existing Manhattan Charter School located on the lower east side and authorized by the New York City Schools Chancellor. The board of the original school would also oversee Manhattan Charter School II. In keeping with their model, the schools would start small with 96 students in Kindergarten and 1st grade and grow to serve 274 students in Kindergarten through 5th grade. The mission of Manhattan II would be to: prepare its students to achieve high academic levels in the four core academic subject areas and music, to communicate effectively in verbal, mathematical and musical languages, and to apply critical thinking processes and ethical standards to learning, living and problem solving. This school would not have a contract with a management organization or any other formal partner relationship. The board is working with the New York City Department of Education to secure public school space in Community School District 1 in Manhattan. The Board does have contingency plans to locate in private leased space if public space is not available. The NYC Schools Chancellor has provided positive comments on this proposal. The Institute finds that this proposal satisfies all necessary requirements and recommends that the Trustees approve the resolution to establish the Manhattan Charter School II. Trustee Noguera called for a motion to approve the proposal to establish Manhattan Charter School II. Trustee Hunt made the motion. Ambassador Spielvogel provided the second. The motion passed unanimously. Tech International Charter School Ms. Miller Barker provided the Committee with a brief overview of the proposal, summarized here for the record: The school would open with 88 students in 5th grade and would add one grade in each of the next two years until in its third year of operation it would serve 235 students in 6th - 8th grade. The school would then increase 6th grade enrollment in the fourth and fifth year to serve 285 students in 6th - 8th grade. The founders ultimately envision a 6th - 12th grade program and plan to request a charter revision at some point in the initial charter period to add high school grades. Tech International does not propose to maintain a relationship with a charter management organization nor with any formal partner organizations. The mission the Tech International would be to: Offer its students a rigorous, technology-enhanced, internationally focused education that develops critical thinking skills, and builds outstanding academic achievements using a combination of traditional and innovative pedagogies. Tech International Charter School will instill in each student a mastery of academics, work habits and the lifelong skills necessary for college preparation and beyond; and clear expectations of international responsibility through experiential learning of our shared humanity and cultural differences. The school envisions itself as a resource in the community, assisting families in achieving their dreams of success for their children. The board intends to occupy private facility space in Community School District 10 in the Bronx. The Institute finds that this proposal satisfies all necessary requirements and recommends that the Trustees approve the resolution to establish the Tech International Charter School. Trustee Noguera called for a motion to approve the proposal to establish the Tech International Charter School. Ambassador Spielvogel made the motion. Trustee Hunt provided the second. The motion passed unanimously. D. INSTITUTE GENERAL UPDATE Trustee Noguera then asked Ms. Miller Barker to provide a brief report on Institute activity. Ms. Miller Barker began by referring to a memo from her to the Board that was included in their meeting binders. The report is a summary of actions that the Institute has taken on behalf of the Trustees under its delegated authority. The Institute has approved two charter extensions and one charter revision to increase enrollment. She asked if there were any questions or concerns. Hearing none, she referred to a second document in the Committee’s meeting binders; a summary of hearings for co-locations in New York City in which the Institute must make a determination as to whether or not to approve the school moving into the shared space. Ms. Miller Barker underscored that these determinations are not easy to make, but that the Institute works to make its determinations in full consideration of the public comment as well as the work of the staff at the New York City Department of Education. Ms. Miller Barker mentioned that she anticipated that the Institute would issue a call for the merger of charter schools, now allowable under the May 2010 amendments to the Charter Schools Act. She said the Institute also planned to issue a call for the small number of charters remaining from the 2007 allocation of the legislature; charters that had some more flexibilities than those given to SUNY to award in 2010. She emphasized that this later call would be for applicants outside of New York City. Trustee Lewin asked about the number of 2007 charters available for upstate New York. Ms. Miller Barker explained that there were six charters that would be available outside of New York City and outside of any district that already had over 5% enrollment in charter schools. One of the benefits of these charters is that they do not require compliance with the State Education Department building code, something that is difficult and costly to obtain. Ms. Miller Barker said there is a little cost savings for the schools that do not have access to public school facilities as they do in New York City. She said it is also a way to incent applicants and grow more schools upstate. Ms. Duncan-Poitier asked if she was talking about Buffalo. Ms. Miller Barker said yes, and also Rochester and Syracuse, that there are a number of possibilities. Ms. Miller Barker then provided an update on the transition from Harlem Day to Harlem Prep. She said the Institute has selected a graduate student from the University of Albany help the Institute gather qualitative data around the transition. Ms. Miller Barker also mentioned that she and Cyndi Proctor were at the school last week. The new Harlem Prep board and the Democracy Prep team have made much progress. They have plans for a three week summer academic boot camp and then a week before the regular start of the school in the fall they will provide an induction into the Democracy Prep culture. As Pedro indicated earlier, this is a learning process for the Trustees and so we are documenting the learning processes on the part of the Institute. Trustee Lewin clarified by asking if Ms. Miller Barker meant that things were ‘so far so good’? Ms. Miller Barker said yes, that was exactly right. Mr. Rossi added that the board did transition ahead of schedule so all the Harlem Day board members resigned prior to that they elected all the new Harlem Prep board members. He said the Harlem Prep board is in control now. He noted that there was one issue with a small group of Harlem Day parents who received notices that they were on the wait list for admissions to Harlem Prep. The Institute immediately worked with Democracy Prep staff to rectify the issue, assuring admission for all Harlem Day students who indicated that they wanted to return to the building. In fact, following-up on that issue was part of why Ms. Proctor and Ms. Miller Barker were at the school last week. Ambassador Spielvogel asked Trustee Noguera is there were any pending legal actions regarding co-locations. Trustee Noguera deferred to Mr. Rossi. Mr. Rossi said there was no legal action against SUNY but that some SUNY authorized charter schools are involved in lawsuits about the co-location process. SUNY’s role is to await the outcome and be sure parents are aware of possible outcomes and that the school is investigation alternative facilities if possible. Ambassador Spielvogel said to Trustee Noguera: Mr. Chairman, I only represent one vote, but I would like to say that I admire the continued professionalism of the Institute. The writing is clear, very focused and I personally commend the wonderful work you are doing. Ms. Miller Barker thanked the Ambassador. She applauded Jason and Ralph’s team as well. She said this is a big lift, a lot of sifting through and distilling down and making sure that we make great recommendations so that SUNY charter schools maintain their high quality. Mr. Sarsfield added that the participation of Trustee O’Brien and Noguera in the really important interview process at the end is invaluable to helping us come to the right recommendation. He noted that Trustee Lewin has also participated in the past. He said that the Institute really appreciates the time that the Trustees have given to really add value to that process. Trustee Lewin said that she was just amazed at the work that Institute staff do prior to the interviews, calling it phenomenal. Trustee O’Brien asked added his appreciation for staff work. He said he truly appreciated all the work and the professionalism with which it is done that allowed him to make his way through the applications and issues. He said that his ability to participate in the interviews is driven by the great work done beforehand. He extended his thanks. Ambassador Spielvogel asked if the Committee would need to meet during the summer. Chairman Noguera said he did not believe so and asked Ms. Miller Barker to comment. She said she didn’t believe so, that she may update the Committee on replication by memo. E. MEETING ADJOURNMENT Chairman Noguera called for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Ambassador Spielvogel made the motion. Trustee Hunt provided the second. The motion passed unanimously. Chairman Noguera thanked all participants for being there and commended CSI staff for a great job. The meeting adjourned at: 3:55 p.m.