M E M O R A N D U M October 2, 2012 To: Members of the Charter Schools Committee From: Joseph W. Belluck, Chair, Charter Schools Committee Subject: Approval of the Application for Charter Renewal of Family Life Academy Charter School (Bronx) Action Requested The proposed resolution authorizes the approval of a five-year, full-term charter renewal for Family Life Academy Charter School pursuant to Education Law subdivision 2831(4). Resolution I recommend that the Charter Schools Committee adopt the following resolution: Whereas the Charter Schools Committee, acting on behalf of the Board of Trustees, as required by Education Law subdivision 2851(4)(e), has considered, prior to approval of the application for charter renewal of Family Life Academy Charter School (the “Education Corporation”), located in the Bronx, the means by which the Education Corporation will meet or exceed the enrollment and retention targets of students with disabilities, English language learners, and students who are eligible applicants for the federal free and reduced price lunch program as set forth in the application, which targets were prescribed by the SUNY Charter Schools Institute (the “Institute”) on behalf of the Board; now, therefore, be it Resolved that the Education Corporation’s application for charter renewal, be, and hereby is, approved for a full-term of five years; and be it further Resolved that: 1) the Education Corporation’s school as described in its application for charter renewal meets the requirements of the New York Charter Schools Act of 1998 (as amended) and applicable laws, rules and regulations; 2) the Education Corporation can demonstrate the ability to operate its school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; and 3) so approving the renewal application and renewing the charter is likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes set out in subdivision 2850(2) of the Education Law; and be it further Resolved that the Institute, acting for the Board of Trustees, be, and hereby is, directed to: (1) enter into a proposed renewal charter with the Education Corporation in accordance with this resolution, which proposed charter shall include such assurances and terms as the Institute shall deem necessary and appropriate; and (2) thereafter to submit the proposed renewal charter to the Board of Regents for its review, comment and potential approval. Background The New York Charter Schools Act of 1998 permits the Board of Trustees to renew the charters of education corporations it has authorized. Pursuant to Resolution No. 2012-038 dated June 12, 2012, the Board of Trustees delegated authority to renew charters to the Charter Schools Committee. Pursuant to the Practices, Policies and Procedures for the Renewal of Charter Schools Authorized by the State University Board of Trustees (the “SUNY Renewal Policies”) (last amended on June 25, 2012 and available at: http://www.newyorkcharters.org/schoolsRenewOverview.htm) the SUNY Charter Schools Institute (the “Institute”) conducts a renewal site visit; reviews the information in the renewal application as well as other relevant information, such as assessment data and site visit reports; interviews education corporation trustees and staff; and produces a draft renewal report containing its findings and preliminary recommendation. The draft renewal report also contains an evaluation of a an education corporation’s performance over its charter term based on the criteria provided in the renewal benchmarks described in the SUNY Renewal Policies. The education corporation receives a copy of the draft renewal report and is given an opportunity to comment on it before it is finalized. The Institute makes final renewal reports available in its Albany office and at: http://www.newyorkcharters.org/pubsReportsRenewals.htm. Copies of applications for renewal are on file in the Albany office of the Institute. As set forth in the Institute’s Renewal Report for Family Life Academy Charter School (the “Education Corporation”), which was distributed to the Board of Trustees, the Institute conducted a renewal review of the Education Corporation pursuant to the SUNY Renewal Policies. As a result of this review, the Institute recommends that the Education Corporation’s application for subsequent charter renewal should be granted for a full-term of five years without conditions. If this resolution is approved, the School’s charter will be renewed through June 30, 2018. For the charter school listed above, the Institute properly notified the school district in which the school is located regarding the receipt of an application for charter renewal. As of September 21, 2012, no comments were received. Renewal Recommendation Report Family Life Academy Charter School Report Issued: September 14, 2012 Visit Date: May 15-16, 2012 Charter Schools Institute State University of New York 41 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, New York 12207 518/433-8277 518/427-6510 (fax) www.newyorkcharters.org TABLE OF CONTENTS REPORT INTRODUCTION 1 RECOMMENDATION 1 SUMMARY DISCUSSION 4 SCHOOL OVERVIEW 11 ACADEMIC ATTAINMENT AND IMPROVEMENT 15 APPENDIX: SUNY FISCAL DASHBOARD 21 The school should broadly share the final version of the Institute renewal report with the entire school community. The Institute will post the final report on its website at: www.newyorkcharters.org/pubsReportsRenewals.htm. REPORT INTRODUCTION This report is the primary means by which the SUNY Charter Schools Institute (the “Institute”) transmits to the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (the “SUNY Trustees”) its findings and recommendations regarding a school’s Application for Renewal, and more broadly, details the merits of a school’s case for renewal. This report has been created and issued pursuant to the Practices, Policies and Procedures for the Renewal of Charter Schools Authorized by the Board of Trustees of The State University of New York (the “SUNY Renewal Policies”).1 Information about the SUNY renewal process and an overview of the requirements for renewal under the New York State Charter Schools Act of 1998 (as amended) (the “Act”) are available on the Institute’s website at: www.newyorkcharters.org/schoolsRenewOverview.htm. RECOMMENDATION Recommendation Subsequent Full-Term Renewal The Institute recommends that the SUNY Trustees approve the Application for Subsequent Renewal of the Family Life Academy Charter School and renew its charter for a period of five years with authority to provide instruction to students in kindergarten through eighth grade in such configuration as set forth in its Application for Subsequent Renewal, with a projected total enrollment of 468 students. Background and Required Findings According to the SUNY Renewal Policies (p. 11): In subsequent renewal reviews, and in contrast to initial renewal reviews, the SUNY Trustees evaluate the strength and effectiveness of a school’s academic program almost exclusively by the degree to which the school has succeeded in meeting its academic Accountability Plan goals during the Accountability Period.2 This approach is consistent with the greater time that a school has been in operation and a concomitant increase in the quantity and quality of student achievement data that the school has generated. It is also consistent with the Act’s purpose of moving from a rules-based to an outcome-based system of accountability in which schools are held accountable for meeting measurable student achievement results. Family Life Academy Charter School (“FLACS”) has applied for Subsequent Renewal. In its 12th year of operation, and in its third charter term, FLACS must demonstrate that it has met the criteria for a Full-Term Renewal of five years. The SUNY Renewal Policies provide a Short-Term Renewal outcome only for schools in an initial charter term. Given that the SUNY Trustees have previously renewed the school and based on the Institute’s review of the evidence that it gathered and that FLACS has provided including, but not limited to, the school’s Application for Subsequent Renewal, evaluation visits conducted during the charter term, a renewal evaluation visit conducted in the fourth year of the current charter term, and, most importantly, the school’s record of academic performance determined by the extent to which it has met its academic Accountability Plan goals, the Institute finds that the school has met the criteria for a Full-Term Renewal. Based on all the evidence submitted during the Accountability Period and as described in, or submitted with, the Application for Subsequent Renewal, the Institute makes the following findings required by the Act: FLACS, as described in the Application for Subsequent Renewal, meets the requirements of the Act and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; the school has demonstrated the ability to operate in an educationally and fiscally sound manner in the next charter term; and given the programs it will offer, its structure and its purpose, approving the school to operate for another five years is likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes set out in Education Law subdivision 2850(2). In addition, as required by Education Law subdivision 2851(4)(e), the Institute, acting on behalf of the SUNY Trustees, considered the means by which FLACS will meet or exceed SUNY’s enrollment and retention targets for students with disabilities, English language learners (“ELLs”), and students who are eligible applicants for the federal Free and Reduced Price Lunch (“FRPL”) program. As SUNY and the State Education Department have not yet finalized the methodology for setting targets and set final targets for individual schools, SUNY, for this purpose, used district enrollment averages, and will set final targets after the SUNY Trustees adopt a final methodology. Therefore, in accordance with the standard for Subsequent Renewal found in the SUNY Renewal Policies, the Institute recommends that the SUNY Trustees approve FLACS’s Application for Subsequent Renewal and renew the school’s charter for a full term of five years. Consideration of School District Comments In accordance with the Act, the Institute notified the school district in which the charter school is located as well as public and non-public schools in the same geographic area of the school regarding the Application for Subsequent Renewal. As of the date of this report, the Institute received no comments from the district in response. SUMMARY DISCUSSION Academic Success Academic Accountability Plan Goals Throughout the Accountability Period, FLACS has met its key academic Accountability Plan goals in English language arts and mathematics. The school’s English language arts performance improved in the most recent year, while mathematics performance remained consistent. The school continues to meet its science and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) goals. The Institute presents FLACS’s attainment of its accountability plan goals below under Academic Attainment and Improvement. Specific results for the key academic Accountability Plan goals in English language arts and mathematics appear on pages 17 and 18. Based on the results of the five measures in its Accountability Plan, FLACS has generally met its English language arts goal during the current Accountability Period. The school did not meet its absolute measure in 2009-10, but performance improved in 2010-11, with 78 percent of students achieving proficiency. The school consistently exceeded the Annual Measureable Objective (AMO) set by the state and also outperformed the local community school district, doing so most recently by 20 percentage points. In comparison to demographically similar schools statewide, the school met its target in each year of the Accountability Period. In the most recent year, the school did not meet its cohort growth target, but did show overall growth. The school reported meeting its optional goal of FLACS’s student performance exceeding the performance of students at self-selected comparison schools. Based on the results of the five measures in its Accountability Plan, FLACS has continued to meet its Accountability Plan goal in mathematics. It has consistently far exceeded the absolute target, with more than 90 percent of students achieving proficiency each year of the Accountability Period. The school also consistently exceeded the state’s AMO and outperformed the local community school district, doing so by a margin of over 15 percentage points in the most recent year. In comparison to demographically similar schools state-wide, the school far exceeded its target during each year of the Accountability Period. The school did not meet its cohort growth target in 2010-11, with only two of four cohorts meeting their individual targets, but did show overall growth. The school reported meeting its optional goal of FLACS’s student performance exceeding the performance of students at comparative schools. Qualitative Educational Benchmarks Instructional Leadership. FLACS has strong instructional leadership that has provided teachers with effective planning and instructional guidance throughout the charter term.  Despite a leadership transition at the beginning of this school year, the school maintains an environment of high expectations for teacher performance with the current principal’s strong focus on student achievement data and on celebrations of student success.  The school has a coordinated instructional leadership team including two instructional coaches, who work with teachers in planning curriculum and developing teachers’ pedagogical skills.  With weekly grade-level meetings and regular formal and informal observations used to provide teachers with ongoing feedback on their delivery of instruction, the school has continually monitored the quality of instruction throughout the charter term.  The instructional team augments this support with a comprehensive professional development program that addresses identified pedagogical shortcomings paired with a program of peer-initiated study-groups for teachers.  This structure, along with the school’s success using a performance-based compensation program that rewards teachers for their students’ high achievement, is likely to continue to improve student learning in the next charter term. Curriculum. FLACS continues to implement a clearly defined curriculum, based on commercial products, in all subject areas. Teachers have access to pacing guides and hard copy and online materials for support as they develop grade-level lesson plans during common preparation periods. Teachers submit lesson plans to the principal, assistant principal and instructional coach weekly for review and the instructional leadership team meets weekly to review the overall efficacy of the curriculum. This process, begun in the previous charter term and sustained throughout the current one, allows FLACS to respond quickly to the needs of students. Use of Assessment Data. Supporting its curriculum, FLACS has a robust and thorough system to gather and use assessment data in all subjects to improve instruction. Throughout the charter term, FLACS has regularly administered assessments linked to its curriculum materials in addition to several standardized assessments. For literacy and mathematics, teachers enter assessment results into a common electronic platform that highlights areas of student strength and weakness. In addition, the school’s data consultant creates reports identifying salient student performance issues. Teachers use these data reports in grade-level teams and in discussions with at-risk specialists to target instruction for small groups and individual students in efforts to ensure all students attain grade-level proficiency. Pedagogy. Based on the curriculum and assessment program, teachers create and deliver structured and purposeful lessons that articulate clear expectations for student learning. This foundation has led to high quality instruction throughout the charter term. Teachers routinely post learning aims on the board and discuss lesson objectives with students, who are attentive and engaged in learning activities. Teachers currently present an increasing number of opportunities for student development of higher order thinking skills, and most teachers monitor the understanding of all students in the class through deep and probing questions. The school incorporates writing activities into all subject areas and continues to develop a school-wide writing program. At-Risk Students. FLACS meets the needs of ELLs, students with disabilities and those struggling academically. The school has been deliberate in its efforts to recruit and support students with limited English proficiency throughout its history. At the time of renewal, ELLs or former ELLs comprised nearly half of the school’s population. The school’s language acquisition program is a school-wide effort: English as a Second Language teachers work closely with classroom teachers to ensure ELL students are able to participate meaningfully in the full educational program. As a result of the school’s rigorous English language acquisition program, a notable proportion of students who enter the school as ELL students achieve proficiency on the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) within a year or two of entering the school. The school’s Child Study Team (“CST”) is a crucial component of its at-risk program, assisting teachers in improving their classroom intervention strategies for both students with disabilities and those struggling academically. These at-risk students receive pull-out instruction from Special Education Teacher Support Services (“SETSS”) teachers and/or a variety of after-school and summer intervention programs. In addition to academic intervention services, students with disabilities receive SETSS and/or related services mandated by their Individualized Education Programs (“IEPs”). Special education teachers and generalists meet together regularly in order to re-evaluate the success of the specific set of services and interventions provided to each student in relation to his or her IEP. During the current charter term, FLACS has compiled a strong and compelling record of meeting its academic Accountability Plan goals. With its effective curriculum, assessment and instructional systems, FLACS is likely to continue to meet its academic Accountability Plan goals and improve student learning and achievement during the next charter term. Organizational Effectiveness and Viability Mission. FLACS continues to work with its community partner, the Latino Pastoral Action Center (“LPAC”), to fulfill the school’s mission of helping students “take responsibility for their own learning, and encourage them to explore and affirm human values” while maintaining an orderly, nurturing and dynamic environment. Most notably, the extent to which FLACS has met its Accountability Plan goals reflects the school’s focus on empowering students to achieve high standards. In addition, the school has effectively implemented the key design elements contained in its charter including community service projects and the development of a professional learning community with a lead teacher in each grade. Parent Satisfaction. According to annual survey results, parents and guardians of FLACS students are satisfied with the school. The school consistently earned an “A” on the school environment portion of the New York City Department of Education’s annual Progress Report, indicating that parents and teachers rate academic expectations, safety and respect, communication and engagement highly. Parents are also highly involved in the school as evidenced through the high attendance rates at monthly PTA meetings and biweekly parent workshops. Moreover, lottery applications and the school’s waitlist continue to increase each year as a by-product of parental demand. Organizational Structure. FLACS’s organization effectively supports the delivery of the educational program.  The school has instituted a seamless changeover to a new school leader.  Teachers report that within the continuity of the organizational structure, the new principal has introduced a variety of administrative measures to enhance communication and expectations.  He coordinates the school operations and academic program with a flat reporting structure.  In addition, school leaders continue to manage the school competently and maintain a safe and orderly environment.  FLACS has a clear and consistently applied student discipline system in place.  The school hires and retains a dedicated staff with strong morale in a mutually supportive environment; many staff members have a notably long tenure at the school.  The school has allocated ample resources to support the achievement of its goals.  Throughout the charter term, FLACS has maintained full enrollment with a sizable waitlist of students seeking entry each year. Due to the location of the school and its focus on providing a strong program for serving ELLs, the school’s percentage of ELL students currently exceeds that of Community School District 9, its local South Bronx district. FLACS has set forth procedures and policies to record and monitor its enrollment and retention of ELLs, students with disabilities and students eligible for the federal free and/or reduced price lunch (FRPL) program, suggesting that the school is likely to meet or exceed the enrollment and retention targets set by the SUNY Trustees for the renewal charter term. Board Oversight. The charter school education corporation’s board of trustees worked effectively to oversee the educational program and achieve the school’s mission during the current charter term. The composition of the FLACS board includes individuals with a diverse set of skills including education, real estate, finance and legal expertise, as well as trustees affiliated with LPAC. The board composition reflects the community-focus of the school including two parent representatives, one of whom serves ex-officio as representative of the school’s Parent-Teacher Association. For increased diversity, the education corporation board also seeks additional board members with expertise in fundraising and marketing/communications. The board regularly requests, and school management supplies, reports and statements related to the school’s academic performance and fiscal status, as well as those related to student discipline and legal compliance. The board was actively involved in the process to recruit and hire the current school leader and the finance director. As part of the hiring process, the board reviewed applicant resumes and conducted formal interviews. While the board does not have in place a formal self-assessment, it is working with the United Way to establish a protocol to do so in the future. The board communicates with the school community primarily through regular board meetings. However, as parents generally see the school as successful, few attend the meetings. As such, the board has requested and receives regular updates regarding parental involvement at the school, which the school’s parent coordinator tracks. Board members strive to be present at all major school events. To involve teachers and other staff in governance, the board regularly requests that teachers and staff give presentations and updates at board meetings. The education corporation board conducts annual evaluations of the school’s principal with the assistance and guidance of a third-party consultant. The board holds the school leader accountable for measurable student performance results and for maintaining a fiscally strong and legally compliant organization. The board has in place a comprehensive complaint policy, though they have received no formal complaints during the charter term, which they credit to having strong parent and community outreach. Board Governance. During the current charter term, the FLACS board has generally abided by its by-laws and has held its regular meetings in general compliance with the Open Meetings Law. The board has effectively delegated the development and revision of school policies to the principal. Throughout the charter term, the FLACS board of trustees has generally avoided creating conflicts of interest where possible, and where conflicts exist, the education corporation board has managed those conflicts in a clear and transparent manner through recusal. In material respect, the education corporation board has implemented adequate policies and procedures to ensure the effective governance and oversight of the school. The FLACS board demonstrated a thorough understanding of its role in holding school leadership accountable for academic results, fiscal soundness and legal compliance. The FLACS board has also engaged in long-range planning regarding school facilities. Based on the evidence available at the time of the renewal visit and throughout the current charter term, in material respect, FLACS has been in general and substantial compliance with the terms of its charter, bylaws, applicable state and federal law, rules and regulations. The FLACS board has generally maintained a relationship with outside counsel for advice on legal, compliance and real estate matters. The school has also substantially followed the terms of its monitoring plan. Fiscal Soundness Budgeting and Long Range Planning. Throughout the charter term, FLACS maintained fiscal soundness through conservative budgeting practices, routine monitoring of revenues and expenses and by making appropriate adjustments when necessary. The school develops its annual budget as a collaborative effort between the director of finance (“DoF”) and the principal, with input from the school’s program heads and school board. The school is conservative when considering spending trends, staffing and instructional needs in the development of its annual budget. When the board passes a final budget, the DoF routinely analyzes variances and communicates these variances to the principal, program heads and members of the education corporation board’s finance committee. When negative variances exist, the DoF adjusts future expenses while ensuring that the effect on instruction is minimal. In fiscal years (“FYs”) 2008 and 2009, the school’s operating expenses exceeded operating revenues. The hiring of a new DoF and the use of a third party accounting consultant in the 2009-10 academic year appear to have addressed past budget imbalances. The school posted a small deficit in FY 2010 followed by a surplus in FY 2011. The school is projecting balanced operations, if not a small surplus, in the current fiscal year. Internal Controls. FLACS has maintained appropriate fiscal policies, procedures and controls related to external and internal compliance for cash disbursements, cash receipts, bank reconciliations, payroll, fixed assets, grants/contributions and the preparation of financial statements. The school has accurately recorded and appropriately documented transactions in accordance with management’s direction. Key staff members and the school board document and follow the school’s fiscal policies and procedures. The school’s recent audit reports of internal controls related to financial reporting and compliance with laws, regulations and grants, disclosed no material weaknesses or instances of non-compliance. The lack of any other deficiencies in the reports provides some, but not absolute, assurance that FLACS has maintained adequate internal controls and procedures throughout the charter term. Financial Reporting. The school has complied with financial reporting requirements during the charter term. The school filed budget, quarterly and annual financial statement audit reports in a timely, accurate and complete manner. Each of the school’s annual financial audits indicate that school staff followed and conducted reports in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and received an unqualified opinion, indicating that in the auditor’s opinion, the school’s financial statements and notes fairly represent, in all material respects, the school’s financial position, changes in net assets, and cash flows. The education corporation board has reviewed and approved various monthly and quarterly reports along with the annual financial audit report. Financial Condition. FLACS has maintained adequate financial resources to ensure stable operations and has successfully managed cash flow during the charter term. The school completed FY 2011 in stable financial condition, slightly increasing its total net assets while maintaining low but adequate cash reserves. As illustrated in the SUNY Fiscal Dashboard,3 which appears as an appendix to this report, the school has averaged a “fiscally strong” financial responsibility composite score rating over the current charter term including its most recent year of operation, FY 2011, indicating a consistent level of fiscal stability. The composite score assists in measuring the financial health of a school using a blended score that measures the school’s performance on key financial indicators. The blended score offsets the school’s financial strengths against areas of financial weakness. Over the years, FLACS averaged a “low risk/excellent” rating in its working capital ratio and quick ratio, indicating that the school has had sufficient short-term assets to cover liabilities due in the near to medium term, albeit these ratios weakened in FY 2011. FLACS’s months-of-cash ratio is below the Institute’s guideline of three months of annual expenses in reserves. Other assets, including a $442,000 certificate of deposit (CD) and a $250,000 bank line of credit (secured by the CD), mitigate this issue. Lastly, the school has averaged a “low risk/excellent” rating for its debt-to-asset ratio, or the proportion of debt the school has relative to its assets. The school has no short or long-term debt. On average, the school allocated 85 percent of all expenses over the current charter term to program services. FLACS also showed revenues slightly exceeding expenses per student on an average of one percent. This is evidence of very tight but positive operations. Based on all of the foregoing information, FLACS has demonstrated fiscal soundness over the course of the current charter term. Plans for the Next Charter Term Renewal Charter Exhibits. FLACS has provided all of the key structural elements for a charter renewal and those elements are reasonable, feasible and achievable. Proposed changes to the school’s mission, design elements, enrollment and staffing structure are consistent with the core features of the educational program in place during the current charter term. FLACS proposes the following mission for its next charter term: The Family Life Academy Charter School in partnership with the Latino Pastoral Action Center and parents, seeks to empower all K-8 students to achieve high standards, help them take responsibility for their own learning, and encourage them to explore and affirm human values. FLACS plans to continue its partnership with LPAC and to make slight changes to other key design elements, which would include: * collaborative grade-level teams; * an extended school day and small class sizes; * learning plans for all students; and * customized professional development. Plans for the Educational Program. FLACS proposes two staffing changes for the next charter term. The school would engage a high school admissions counselor to implement a high school placement preparation curriculum in addition to providing ongoing guidance to students and families throughout the high school admission process. The school also plans to make its current part-time guidance counselor position a full-time role to implement a character education program, facilitate parent communications and collaborate with teachers in identifying at-risk students and providing various counseling and support services. These plans would increase organizational capacity and are likely to allow the school to carry out its educational program. The school would continue to provide instruction to students in kindergarten through eighth grade in its current location. The school would continue to lease the facility using the current lease structure that renews every three years. Projected enrollment in each of the five years within the proposed charter term would grow slightly as the school transitions more elementary students into its middle school program; FLACS would operate with a projected total enrollment of 468 students. The enrollment and facility plans are likely to meet the needs of the educational program. Plans for Board Oversight and Governance. Members of the current education corporation board of trustees expressed their interest in continuing their service to the school. The board would maintain its existing committee structure to carry out its responsibilities. Fiscal and Facility Plans. FLACS has presented a reasonable and appropriate fiscal plan for the next charter term including budgets that are reasonable and achievable.  The school has taken a conservative approach to budgeting and planning for the next charter term.  The school developed a working budget that would use the current funding rate for FY 2013 and increase it incrementally (1.5 percent to 2.8 percent) in the next four years thereafter, while also increasing certain expenses at reasonable rates.  The use of a 1.5 percent to 2.8 percent per pupil allowance increase over four years is reasonable.  The plan projects revenues exceeding expenses in each year contingent upon the school continuing to meet enrollment goals as it has done in the past.  These surpluses would continue the school’s trend of maintaining fiscal soundness. Long-range fiscal projections are more susceptible to error than those for a single year.  Such projections are subject to revision due to changes in local conditions, objectives, laws and state funding.  FLACS would develop and adopt annual budgets based on known per-pupil amounts for the districts from which it draws enrollment.  Based on the foregoing fiscal information and the school’s track record of fiscal soundness to date, the Institute finds that FLACS has demonstrated the ability to operate in a fiscally sound manner during the next charter term. At the time of the renewal review, LPAC was looking at a potential site for FLACS II, a replication of the school model scheduled to open in September 2012.  Under consideration is a cooperative plan among LPAC, FLACS and FLACS II to secure financing for the building.  If FLACS participates in the financing, the Institute would review the financing structure to determine its potential impact on FLACS’s fiscal soundness and financial stability. To the extent that FLACS has achieved its key academic goals, continues to implement an educational program that supports achieving those goals, operates an effective and viable organization, and is fiscally sound, its plans to implement the educational program as summarized above during the next charter term are reasonable, feasible and achievable. Based on the foregoing fiscal information and the school’s track record of fiscal soundness to date, the Institute finds that FLACS has demonstrated the ability to operate in a fiscally sound manner during the next charter term. FLACS’s Application for Subsequent Renewal contained all necessary elements as required by the Act. The proposed school calendar allots an appropriate amount of instructional time to comply with all necessary requirements, and taken together with other academic and key design elements, should be sufficient to allow the school to meet its proposed Accountability Plan goals. The school has amended other key aspects of the renewal application, to include the proposed bylaws and code of ethics to comply with various provisions of the Education Law, Not-for-Profit Corporation Law, Public Officers Law, and the General Municipal Law, as appropriate. SCHOOL OVERVIEW Opening Information Date Initial Charter Approved by SUNY Trustees January, 2001 Date Initial Charter Approved by: Board of Regents March, 2001 School Opening Date September, 2001 Location School Year(s) Location(s) District 2001-02 to present 14 West 170th St. Bronx, NY New York City CSD 9 Partner Organizations Partner Name Partner Type Dates of Service Current Partner Latino Pastoral Action Center Community Based Organization 2001-present Renewal Type of Renewal Date First Renewal (Short-Term Charter Extension) December, 2005 Initial Short -Term Renewal April, 2006 Subsequent Full-Term Renewal March, 2008 Current Mission Statement The Family Life Academy Charter School in partnership with the Latino Pastoral Action Center and the parents, seeks to empower all New York City students in grades K-8 to achieve high standards, help them take responsibility for their own learning, and encourage them to explore and affirm human values. Like a family-and in collaboration with each family-the school will create an orderly, nurturing and dynamic environment where learning is engaging, meaningful, and joyful. All members of the school community (students, parents, and teachers) will develop the knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm to continue learning throughout their lives, expand their understanding of what is possible for themselves and their world, and productive and satisfying lives. Current Key Design Elements * Rigorous curriculum including Journeys Reading, Strategies for Writing, Saxon Math, Harcourt Science, and Horizons Social Studies from Harcourt Brace; * Extended school day; 90 to 120 minute literacy block (K-2 - 120 min, 3-5 grade – 90 min, 6 grade - 110 minutes); 60 - 110 minute math black (K-4 – 65 min, 5 grade - 60 min, 6 grade – 110 min); weekly grade level planning period; weekly faculty conference; Saturday Academy for targeted groups; summer school for target population; after school tutoring for targeted population; * School traditions including attendance and academic achievement awards three times a year, community book projects, and opportunities for community service; * A lead teacher for each grade; shared responsibility for teaching and learning among the students, school, and parents reflected in students’ learning plans; * Professional learning community structure – collaborative team, peer reviews; * Expanded data-driven instructional practices; * Continued use of community resources; LPAC New Hope after school, BOOM mentoring * Programs, Thanksgiving community dinner and food drive and other services for families dealing with immigration, social justice activities etc.; * Consistent discipline; parental involvement; close monitoring of student attendance; * Sustained and customized professional development; and * Intentional and improved approaches to the instruction of English language learners. School Characteristics School Year Original Chartered Enrollment Revised Charter Enrollment Actual Enrollment4 Original Chartered Grades Actual Grades Days of Instruction 2001-02 100 - 99 K-1 K-1 183 2002-03 142 156 148 K-2 K-2 197 2003-04 182 192 192 K-3 K-3 198 2004-05 219 219 243 K-4 K-4 194 2005-06 255 - 287 K-5 K-5 184 2006-07 290 - 286 K-5 K-5 184 2007-08 290 - 290 K-5 K-5 183 2008-09 290 - 291 K-5 K-5 182 2009-10 290 343 333 K-6 K-6 182 2010-11 290 393 382 K-7 K-7 192 2011-12 290 441 433 K-8 K-8 192 Student Demographics   2008-095 2009-106 2010-117   Percent of School Enrollment Percent of NYC CSD 9 Enrollment Percent of School Enrollment Percent of NYC CSD 9 Enrollment Percent of School Enrollment Percent of NYC CSD 9 Enrollment Race/Ethnicity American Indian or Alaska Native 0 0 0 0 0 0 Black or African American 21 34 23 33 21 32 Hispanic 79 64 76 64 77 66 Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander 0 1 0 1 0 1 White 0 1 0 1 0 1 Multiracial 0 0 1 0 2 0 Special Populations Students with Disabilities8 11 N/A 10 N/A 11 N/A Limited English Proficient 39 24 34 25 31 26 Free/Reduced Lunch Eligible for Free Lunch 77 85 76 87 79 85 Eligible for Reduced-Price Lunch 11 5 12 4 11 4 Current Board of Trustees9 Board Member Name Term Expires Position Edmund Gaffney June 30, 2013 Chair Pedro Alvarez June 30, 2013 Vice-Chair Francisco Lugoviña June 30, 2013 Chair Emeritus Marvin Dutton June 30, 2013 Secretary Thomas Reardon June 30, 2013 Treasurer Reverend Raymond Rivera June 30, 2013 Trustee Kevin Kearns June 30, 2013 Trustee Janet M. Lerner June 30, 2013 Trustee Jose Rivera June 30, 2013 Trustee Miguel Pena June 30, 2013 Trustee Karin Weekes June 30, 2013 Parent Representative School Leader(s) School Year School Leader(s) Name and Title 2001-02 Isabel Gutierrez, Director, August 2001 - December 2001 Emily Richmond, Interim Director, January 2002 - April 2002 David Ramos, Administrative Director, April 2002 - 2002-03 David Ramos, Administrative Director 2003-04 to 2010-11 Marilyn Calo, Principal 2011-12 to Present Angel Rodriguez, Principal School Visit History School Year Visit Type Evaluator (Institute/External) Date 2001-02 First-Year Visit Institute May 14, 2002 2002-03 Second-Year Visit Institute May 22, 2003 2003-04 Third-Year Visit External February 26-27, 2004 2005-06 Initial Renewal Visit Institute November 1-3, 2005 2007-08 Subsequent Renewal Visit Institute October 9-10, 2007 2009-10 Seventh-Year Visit Institute May 25-26, 2010 2011-12 Subsequent Renewal Visit Institute May 15-16, 2012 ACADEMIC ATTAINMENT AND IMPROVEMENT Background At the beginning of the charter term the school developed and adopted an Accountability Plan that set academic goals in the key subjects of English language arts (“ELA”) and mathematics. The plan also includes science and NCLB goals. For each goal in the Accountability Plan specific outcome measures define the level of performance necessary to meet that goal. The required outcome measures include the following three types: 1) the absolute level of student performance on state examinations; 2) the comparative level of student performance on state examinations; and 3) the growth in student learning according to year-to-year comparisons of grade level cohorts. The following table shows the outcome measures currently required by the Institute in each subject area goal, as well as for the NCLB goal. Schools may have also elected to include additional optional goals and measures in their Accountability Plan. Summary of Required Goals and Outcome Measures in Elementary/Middle School (K-8) Accountability Plans GOAL Required Outcome Measures Absolute10 Comparative Growth11 75 percent at or above Level 3 on state exam Performance Index (PI) meets Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) Percent proficient greater than that of local school district School exceeds predicted level of performance compared to similar public schools by small Effect Size Grade-level cohorts reduce by half the gap between prior year’s percent at or above Level 3 and 75 percent English Language Arts ( ( ( ( ( Mathematics ( ( ( ( ( Science ( ( NCLB School is deemed in “Good Standing” under state’s NCLB accountability system The most important criterion for renewal is academic success, which a school demonstrates in large part by meeting the goals in its Accountability Plan. The Institute determines the outcome of a goal by evaluating the multiple measures associated with that goal. The following presentation indicates the outcome of each of the school’s goals. A general analysis of the key academic goals appears above under Academic Accountability Plan Goals in the summary of the school’s academic success. The following presentation divides the data into two sections: 1) the key goals of English language arts and mathematics; and 2) the additional goals of science and NCLB. The analysis consists of the five years of the Accountability Period; however, to simplify the display of data and in recognizing that recent results are more important, the charts on key goals only display the last three years. Aside from required Accountability Plan measures, the additional goals section following also presents the results of optional academic measures, included in the school’s plan. Based on the Institute’s analysis, some numbers of students differ from those the school reported; these differences do not affect the interpretation of results. ADDITIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN GOALS Science Accountability Plan Goal: FLACS students will demonstrate proficiency in the practice and methodology of scientific inquiry. Outcome: FLACS has met its science goal. Absolute Measure: Each year, 75 percent of all tested students who are enrolled in at least their second year will perform at or above Level 3 on the New York State science examination. Results (in percents) Grade School Year 2007-08 (Tested: 43) 2008-09 (Tested: 49) 2009-10 (Tested: 51) 2010-11 (Tested: 49) 4 81 98 100 92 8 - - - - FLACS has posted strong performance on the state’s 4th grade science exam and exceeded its absolute target in each year during the Accountability Period. Comparative Measure: Each year, the percent of all tested students who are enrolled in at least their second year and performing at or above Level 3 on the State science exam will be greater than that of all students in the same tested grades in the local school district. Results (in percents) Comparison School Year 2007-08 (Grade 4) 2008-09 (Grade 4) 2009-10 (Grade 4) 2010-11 (Grade 4) School 81 98 100 92 District 60 71 72 71 Throughout the Accountability Period, FLACS outperformed the local district on the state’s 4th grade science exam by a wide margin. NCLB In addition to meeting its specific subject area goals, the school is expected under No Child Left Behind to made adequate yearly progress towards enabling all students to score at the proficient level on the state ELA and math exams. In holding charter schools to the same standards as other public schools, the state issues an annual school accountability report that indicates the school’s status each year. Accountability Plan Goal: FLACS was deemed to be in good standing in each year during the Accountability Period and has met the NCLB goal. Outcome: Absolute Measure: Under the state’s NCLB accountability system, the school’s Accountability Status will be “Good Standing” each year. Results Status School Year 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 Good Standing Yes Yes Yes Yes Analysis of Additional Evidence FLACS received a letter grade of “B” on its 2010-11 New York City Department of Education (DOE) Progress Report. The DOE bases the overall Progress Report grade on three categories: School Environment, Student Performance and Student Progress, with the greatest emphasis placed on Student Progress. To raise the bar for schools and increase stability in grades, the city reports that it determined overall cut scores for 2010-11 based on a pre-determined scoring distribution: 25 percent A, 35 percent B, 30 percent C, seven percent D, and three percent F. FLACS received the “B” based on the composite score of the three categories. The school received an “A” in School Environment, which measures factors other than student achievement. For this grade, DOE evaluates parent and teacher satisfaction surveys in order to measure the conditions necessary for learning. In Student Performance, the school received a “C”, indicating that the school’s absolute performance was consistent with its peer schools in New York City. As a result of FLACS’s moderate year-to-year growth in comparison to its peer schools, it received a “C” in Student Progress. These results are consistent with the Institute’s analysis above. APPENDIX: FISCAL DASHBOARD 1 The Practices, Policies and Procedures for the Renewal of Charter Schools Authorized by the Board of Trustees of The State University of New York (revised June 25, 2012) are available at: http://www.newyorkcharters.org/documents/SUNYRenewalPolicies.pdf. 2 For the purpose of reporting student achievement results, the Accountability Period is defined in the SUNY Renewal Policies as the time the Accountability Plan was in effect.  In the case of a Subsequent Renewal, the Accountability Plan covers the last year of the previous charter term through the first four years of the charter term under review.   3 The SUNY Fiscal Dashboard, which provides a detailed financial analysis of each school authorized by the SUNY Trustees, is available at: http://www.newyorkcharters.org/FiscalDashboard.htm. A memo explaining the metrics used within the dashboard is also available at that web address. 4 Source: SUNY Charter Schools Institute Official Enrollment Binder. (Figures may differ slightly from New York State Report Cards, depending on date of data collection.) 5 Source: 2008-09 School Report Cards, New York State Education Department. 6 Source: 2009-10 School Report Cards, New York State Education Department. 7 Source: 2010-11 School Report Cards, New York State Education Department. 8 New York State Education Department does not report special education data 9 Source: Institute records 10 Note: In 2009-10, the State Education Department (SED) raised its achievement standard, by increasing the scaled score cut off for proficiency or Level 3 performance on the ELA and math exams. In order to maintain a consistent standard for determining the absolute measure, the Institute has adapted SED’s “time-adjusted” cut-offs. In the presentation of ELA and math results below, the Institute uses the ‘time-adjusted” Level 3 cut-offs for 2009-10 and 2010-11. In the presentation below of ELA and math results, the Institute uses the ‘time-adjusted” Level 3 cut-offs for 2009-10 and 2010-11. 11 To maintain a consistent standard for evaluating the growth measure, the Institute used “time-adjusted” cut-off scores for ELA and math results in 2009-10 only. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ Committee Resolution -3- October 2, 2012 2 23