Renewal Recommendation Report Harlem Village Academy Charter School Report Date: January 2, 2013 Visit Date: May 29-30, 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 3 SCHOOL OVERVIEW 12 ACADEMIC ATTAINMENT AND IMPROVEMENT 16 APPENDIX: FISCAL DASHBOARD 27 The school should broadly share the final version of the SUNY Charter Schools Institute’s renewal recommendation 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 Charter 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 Charter Renewal of the Harlem Village Academy Charter School and renew its charter for a period of five years with authority to provide instruction to students in Kindergarten through 12th grade in such configuration as set forth in its Application for Charter Renewal, with a projected total enrollment of 950 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. Harlem Village Academy Charter School (“HVA”) has applied for Subsequent Renewal to continue its current Kindergarten, 5 – 12 grade structure and expand to serve students in grades 1-4. In its ninth year of operation, and in its second charter term, HVA 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. The SUNY Trustees voted to grant HVA’s first charter in June 2002 and voted to renew the school for a full charter term of five years in March 2008. Based on the Institute’s review of the evidence of success posted by the school in the current charter term and that HVA has provided including, but not limited to, the school’s Application for Charter Renewal, evaluation visits conducted during the charter term, a renewal evaluation visit conducted in the 4th 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. As part of the renewal process, the Institute reviewed evidence submitted during the Accountability Period, the Application for Charter Renewal and supplemental information requested or provided. Based on the foregoing, the Institute makes the following findings required by the Act: * the school, as described in the Application for Charter Renewal meets the requirements of the Act and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations (with one exception noted below); * the school can demonstrate 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 of the Act.3 As required by Education Law subdivision 2851(4)(e), HVA included in its application information regarding the means by which it would 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. SUNY4 and the Board of Regents have finalized the methodology for setting targets, but the Institute has not yet set final targets for individual schools. Therefore, the Institute, for this purpose, used district enrollment averages, and will assign final targets by the end of February 2013. The school will agree to substitute the final targets for the district average targets as part of its renewal charter agreement. In accordance with the statute, the Institute, acting on behalf of the SUNY Trustees, considered the school’s plans for meeting its enrollment and retention targets prior to recommending the renewal application for approval. Therefore, in accordance with the standard for Subsequent Renewal found in the SUNY Renewal Policies, the Institute recommends that the SUNY Trustees approve HVA’s Application for Charter 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 regarding the school’s Application for Charter Renewal. As of the date of this report, the Institute has received no comments from the district in response. SUMMARY DISCUSSION Academic Success Academic Accountability Plan Goals Through the five years of the current Accountability Period, HVA has come close to meeting its key academic Accountability Plan goals in English language arts (ELA) and math. While its middle school ELA performance has recently declined, its high school ELA performance is strong. Throughout the Accountability Period, the school has had exceptionally high math performance in both the middle and high school. In 2010-11and 2011-12, with its first two high school graduating classes, HVA met its high school graduation and college preparation goals. The school is also meeting its science, social studies and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) goals. The Institute presents HVA’s attainment of its academic goals below under Academic Attainment and Improvement. Specific results for the key academic Accountability Plan goals in ELA and math appear on pages 18 and 19 for HVA’s middle school and page 20 for the high school; results in high school graduation and college preparation appear on page 21. Based on results of the five middle school and four high school measures in its Accountability Plan, HVA has generally met its ELA goal throughout the current Accountability Period. Viewing the five middle school measures alone, the school has come close to meeting its ELA goal during the Accountability Period. Except for the last year, the middle school exceeded the Annual Measureable Objective (AMO) set by the state; it outperformed the local New York City community school district by at least 15 percent each year. In all but the first year, it met the absolute target of 75 percent proficiency5. HVA’s overall cohort performance showed growth in four years of the Accountability Period. In comparison to demographically similar schools statewide, HVA met its target in the first two years of the Accountability Period, but did not meet it in the most recent three years, when it performed worse than expected each year. The overall low performance on this measure is attributable to the consistently extremely low performance of 5th graders, reflecting their achievement level prior to enrolling at HVA. According to grade-by-grade comparisons to statewide expectations over the course of the Accountability Period, the school’s 5th and 6th graders almost always score worse than expected, while 7th and 8th graders exceed statewide predications. Further, every year without exception, each successive grade has a higher Effect Size score with the 8th grade performing better than expected to a large degree each year. Because of the larger number of 5th graders compared to 8th graders each year, the overall result has been negative in the last three years. This attrition was particularly notable in 2009-10, when only one-third of the students who had enrolled in the 5th grade three years earlier remained in the school for the 8th grade. This pattern has mitigated in the past two years with the attrition rate now cut in half.6 (See Organizational Capacity below for further discussion.) Based on results of the four high school ELA measures, which have been applicable for the last two years, HVA has met each measure with all students each year passing the Regents English exam in the requisite four years and thereby exceeding all the targets in the high school measures. Math performance at HVA remains exceptionally strong. Based on results of the five middle school measures alone, the school has met its math goal throughout the Accountability Period, meeting all measures each year. The middle school has consistently far exceeded the target for absolute performance,7 exceeded the state’s AMO and outperformed the local community school district by a wide margin. In comparison to demographically similar schools statewide, HVA has performed better than expected to a large degree and has also consistently met its cohort growth targets in each grade each year. Based on results of the high school math measures, HVA has met each measure with all students each year passing the Regents math exam in the requisite four years and thereby exceeding all the targets in the high school measures. With four-year high school cohorts graduating in 2010-11 and 2011-12, HVA has met its graduation goal. Almost all students in the two cohorts graduated after entering high school four years earlier. This graduation rate far exceeds that of Community School District 5, the local community school district. Each year, virtually all students in the second year cohort (10th grade) pass at least three Regents required for graduation, giving them a leg up on satisfying requirements and enabling them to concentrate more readily on college preparation. HVA has met its college preparation goal. Its PSAT and SAT scores are comparable to the statewide average. Half the students graduated with an Advanced Regents Diploma, indicating that they passed at least eight Regents exams. The vast majority of HVA students also met the state’s newly established aspirational performance measures in ELA and math (ELA/Math APM), which are indicators of college and career readiness based on higher Regents pass rates and used as predictors of success in entry-level credit-bearing college courses.8 The school reports that four-year colleges admitted almost all HVA students in its first graduating class and that virtually all the graduates continue to be matriculated at the end of their freshman year. Qualitative Education Benchmarks9 Instructional Leadership. The founder, as chief executive officer (CEO), remains the chief academic officer. After a number of changes in the instructional leadership, the leadership in the middle and high school has stabilized. They instill high expectations for student achievement. High school leaders expect teachers to prepare students for college success, not only for passing Regents exams. Both the middle school and high school have an academic director dedicated to clinical instructional coaching and one-on-one professional development. They provide sustained and systematic teacher support with clear expectations for establishing the school culture and developing the competencies of teachers who are new to the school. Earlier in the charter term, middle school leaders held teachers accountable for quality instruction and student outcomes through a bonus system, based in large part on student achievement, but the school eliminated the system because it did not incentivize teachers beyond their strong professional commitment. In contrast, the high school leadership has stressed individual professional growth throughout the charter term. Neither the middle nor high school now administers formal school-wide teacher evaluations, but rely instead on ongoing formative feedback. Nevertheless, leaders develop formal improvement plans for struggling teachers. The school terminates about half the teachers with improvement plans – one in the current year. HVA provides ample opportunity – including extensive planning time during the summer and daily during the school year – for teachers to work collaboratively within departments to develop curriculum and assessments; the school emphasizes peer observation and support as a critical component of professional development and as a means of norming classroom management activity. Use of Assessment Data. HVA continues to have a student assessment system that improves instructional effectiveness and student learning. The school regularly administers teacher created interim assessments aligned to Regents exams and state assessments to monitor student achievement.  Teachers have discretion to develop and administer unit tests and other formative assessments in consultation with their academic director. Using a common Data Investigation Protocol (DIP), teachers and instructional leaders analyze data by standard, item and individual student. Teachers develop re-teaching strategies to address identified deficiencies and to identify students who are struggling. They follow up on these instructional strategies during subsequent diagnostics or through formative classroom assessments. To improve teacher effectiveness, the academic directors use the assessment data to confirm findings from teacher observations. Curriculum. HVA has a comprehensive and organized curriculum framework and is in the process of aligning this curriculum to the Common Core standards.10 The school has scope and sequence documents that provide a bridge between the overarching curriculum framework and teachers’ lesson plans. As a result, teachers know what to teach and when to teach it. Over the course of the charter term, teachers have continued to revise the scope and sequence documents, pacing guides and other supporting tools to aid in instructional planning during the Harlem Village Academies network’s annual Summer Institute.  Teachers develop curriculum units, plan lessons and develop assessments collaboratively in middle school grade team meetings and high school departmental meetings. Pedagogy. Effective instruction remains evident throughout the school. Teachers continue to deliver purposeful lessons with clear objectives aligned to the school’s curriculum. With clear directions to students, appropriate pacing and efficient transitions, teachers maximize learning time.  Throughout the course of the charter term, teachers have encouraged students to support each other’s successes and have implemented effective classroom routines including frequent turn-and-talks to build a culture of scholarship.  Teachers utilize effective checks for understanding including silent “do-nows” at the beginning of every class. Evidence of higher order questioning and problem solving exists in lessons as delivered, especially in the high school. HVA has made student order and discipline a priority throughout the charter term. At-Risk Students. HVA meets the educational needs of students with disabilities and those struggling academically. The special education team supports students with Individualized Education Programs and works with teachers to ensure that they utilize effective strategies to meet students’ educational needs. School leaders report that HVA has a good relationship with the local Committee on Special Education. Teachers are aware of the necessary accommodations for their at-risk students and work with the special education coordinator to monitor their progress. HVA has redoubled its efforts in the middle school to serve the needs of students requiring special education services and students struggling academically by investing significant effort and resources in these areas. For instance, through recruitment efforts and commitments to serving students with high needs, the school has increased its enrollment of students with disabilities to 17 percent of the middle school population and has greatly expanded its special education staff. To address the needs of low performing students at-risk of academic failure as they enter the 5th grade, the school has added after-school tutoring, homework and reading clubs while expanding its Saturday Academy remediation program. At the time of renewal, the school did not have in place a program for serving ELL students. Therefore, the Institute required the school to submit an educationally sound and legally compliant plan for serving ELL students with implementation to begin in the 2012-13 school year. The school has submitted such a plan and the Institute finds it to be an acceptable design for serving ELL students in the next charter term. Organizational Effectiveness and Viability Mission. Throughout the charter term, HVA has focused on fulfilling its mission of preparing “students to graduate from college and to contribute meaningfully to their families, communities and nation.” Insofar as all but one graduating student enrolled in college, HVA is achieving its mission. HVA has continued to implement the key design elements included in its charter. Teachers model lifelong learning with active participation in academic competitions and encourage students to challenge respectfully each other and themselves. With the introduction of the academic director position, the middle school has recently emphasized peer observations and practice-based professional development for teachers. Parent Satisfaction. Based on annual survey data, parents are satisfied with the school. HVA reports that more than 90 percent of responding parents consistently grade the school as an “A” or “B” in educating their children during the current Accountability Period. In addition, the NYCDOE’s annual parent survey shows that 93 percent or more of responding parents expressed high levels of satisfaction with HVA’s educational program and their opportunities to be involved with their child’s education in each year of the current charter term. Parents also consistently graded the school as an “A” or “B” in educating their children. Organizational Capacity. HVA has established a well-functioning organizational structure with staff, systems and procedures including grade level teams and advisories that allow the school to carry out its academic program. The school has established a safe and orderly learning environment and continues to use effectively the demerit system from the previous charter term for student discipline throughout the school. The school principals competently manage day-to-day operations with assistance provided by the school’s partner organization, the Village Academies Network, Inc. Staff from the school’s partner organization principally manages the oversight of operations and legal compliance, while key school-based personnel oversee student discipline and special education services. The respective school leaders have clearly defined roles and responsibilities with distinct lines of accountability that all staff understands. These leaders regularly monitor and evaluate the school’s programs and make changes if necessary including, for example, adjusting its course offerings in the lower grades to more adequately prepare students for the upper grades. When recruiting, the school seeks collaborative and reflective individuals with some teaching experience. Teacher turnover, a challenge early in the charter term, appears to have decreased in the two most recent school years. Throughout the charter term, HVA has generally matriculated students in the 5th grade only, with no backfilling at upper grades. While the school has had a large number of applications and significant waitlist for students seeking entry into the 5th grade, the school has generally lost a sizable number of students each year to attrition. Late in the charter term, to combat attrition, the school has begun to implement a comprehensive student retention strategy through early and frequent parental communications that focus on the school’s discipline policy, code of conduct, and expectations for student performance. The school reports diagnosing extreme student remediation needs early so that students who will have to repeat a grade will do so only in 5th grade. In the past, when the school informed parents toward the end of the school year that their child would be required to repeat the grade, many were upset and left the school. HVA now informs new parents in advance of the first day of school that their child may be in HVA’s Two-Year Program. The school has added a special education teacher focused on 5th grade only and restructured the staffing, scheduling and budget of the reading program to provide more instructional time and smaller class sizes. In that same vein, the school has set forth procedures and policies to record and monitor its enrollment and retention of ELLs, students with disabilities, and students eligible for the FRPL program, with a clear focus on developing additional strategies to recruit and support ELLs. The school currently has in place an admissions set-aside for FRPL-eligible students, and is considering additional at-risk enrollment options if its outreach efforts for ELLs and students with disabilities are unsuccessful. Based on these procedures and good faith recruitment efforts, the school is likely to meet or exceed the enrollment and retention targets set by SUNY. Board Oversight. The HVA education corporation board continues to work effectively to achieve the school’s mission and provide oversight to the total educational program; notwithstanding, the noted lack of an effective ELL program standing out as a governance deficiency. The composition of the HVA board includes individuals with higher education, real estate and banking/finance expertise. The CEO of the network, also participates on the board, but does not vote nor count toward the establishment of a quorum. The individuals on the HVA board also sit on the Harlem Village Academy Leadership Charter School board authorized by the SUNY Trustees. Due to the small size of the HVA board, it does not have an active committee structure. The HVA board relies heavily on the Village Academies Network to oversee day-to-day operations and to hold school leaders accountable for student achievement. The HVA board conducts annual evaluations of the network, and the board holds the network CEO accountable for measurable student performance results and for maintaining a fiscally strong and legally compliant organization. The HVA board does not have in place a formal self-assessment. The HVA board regularly requests, and the network CEO supplies, reports and statements related to the academic performance and fiscal status of the school, as well as on matters related to student discipline and legal compliance. The school has in place a consistently applied student discipline policy. The school has historically had a proportionally large number of student suspensions, though the overall number is declining in relation to the school’s increased parental outreach and retention efforts. Board Governance. During the current charter term, the HVA board has generally abided by its by-laws and has held its regular meetings generally in compliance with the Open Meetings Law. The principals generally manage the development and revision of school policies, which the teaching staff typically reviews prior to implementation. Throughout the charter term, the HVA board of trustees has generally avoided creating conflicts of interest where possible, and where conflicts exist, the 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 HVA board demonstrated a thorough understanding of its role in holding school leadership and the network accountable for academic results, fiscal soundness and legal compliance. Board Compliance. Based on the evidence available at the time of the renewal visit and throughout the current charter term, in material respect, HVA has been in general and substantial compliance with the terms of its charter, bylaws, applicable state and federal law, rules and regulations. The education corporation board has generally maintained a relationship with outside counsel for advice on legal, compliance and real estate matters. The school has substantially followed the terms of its monitoring plan. Fiscal Soundness Budgeting and Long Range Planning. Throughout the charter term, HVA has maintained fiscal soundness through conservative budgeting practices, routine monitoring of revenues and expenses and by making appropriate adjustments when necessary. The network‘s vice president of finance (“VP finance”) and HVA’s finance manager develop annual budgets with appropriate input from the network’s CEO, school principals, business/operations manager and members of the HVA board. The education corporation is conservative when considering spending trends, staffing and instructional needs in the development of its budgets. When a final budget is passed, the VP finance and the finance director routinely analyze variances and communicate these variances to the principals, business/operations manager and members of the HVA board. Actual expenses have been less than actual revenues over the course of this charter term, without exception. Internal Controls. HVA 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 established policies. Staff members and the education corporation board abide by these policies. HVA’s recent audit reports of internal controls related to financial reporting and compliance with laws, regulations and grants disclose no material weaknesses or instances of non-compliance. The lack of any other deficiencies in the reports provides some, but not absolute, assurance that HVA has maintained adequate internal controls and procedures. Financial Reporting. Throughout the charter term, HVA has complied with financial reporting requirements by filing budget, quarterly and annual financial statement audit reports in a timely, accurate and complete manner. Each annual financial audit indicates that school staff followed procedures and conducted reporting in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and have received unqualified opinions, indicating that in the auditor’s opinion, HVA’s financial statements and notes fairly represent, in all material respects, the school’s financial position, changes in net assets and cash flows. The HVA board has reviewed and approved various monthly and quarterly reports along with the annual financial audit report. Financial Condition. HVA has maintained adequate financial resources to ensure stable operations and has successfully managed cash flow. The school has been consistent in spending within budget limits, hence the steady increase in total net assets over the years. The SUNY Fiscal Dashboard, a multi-year financial data and analysis for SUNY authorized charter schools, is an appendix to this report.  As illustrated in the Fiscal Dashboard, the school has averaged a “fiscally strong” financial responsibility composite score rating over the current charter term including the most recent year of operation, fiscal year 2012, 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 performances on key financial indicators.  The blended score offsets the school’s financial strengths against areas where there are financial weaknesses.  Over the years, HVA has averaged a “medium risk/good” 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.  The school has averaged a “low risk/excellent” rating debt-to-asset ratio, indicating the proportion of debt the school has relative to its assets.  The school, which has benefited from a no cost facility by operating in an NYC DOE-owned building, has no short or long-term debt.  HVA’s months-of-cash ratio averaged 2.2 months, slightly below the Institute’s guideline of 3.0 months of annual expenses in reserves.  This is mitigated by conservative assumptions when developing the operating budgets and regular monitoring of variances from the budget.  The school averaged 94 percent of all expenses being allocated to program services over the current charter term.  The school also showed revenues exceeding expenses per student on an average of 7.5 percent. Based on all of the foregoing, HVA has demonstrated fiscal soundness over the course of its charter term. Plans for the Next Charter Term Renewal Charter Exhibits. HVA has provided reasonable, feasible and achievable structural elements for a charter renewal. Planned changes to the school’s mission, enrollment, staffing and facilities reflect the school’s expansion to serve additional grades and are consistent with the core features of HVA’s educational program in place during the current charter term. HVA proposes the following slight change to its mission statement: The mission of Harlem Village Academy Charter School is to develop students of fine character who graduate from college and make positive contributions to society. Maintaining all core elements of its current educational program, HVA’s key design elements in the next charter term would include: * a college-bound school culture with high academic and behavioral standards; * character development emphasizing human values such as kindness, integrity and scholarship to prepare students to become informed and engaged citizens; * data-driven instructional improvement; and * a leadership development system inspired by the Japanese concept of Kounaikenshuu, the collaborative design, testing, and improvement of testing where communities of teachers enhance their skills and further their professional development by thinking deeply together about teaching and learning. Plans for the Educational Program. During the 2012-13 school year, the final year of the current charter term, HVA will begin matriculating Kindergarten students. During the next charter term, HVA would continue its grade expansion by adding an additional elementary grade each year. Projected enrollment would grow to 950 students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Staffing structures for the middle and high school programs would remain constant. However, throughout the next charter term, HVA would hire an additional 42 teachers for elementary grades in addition to an academic director, dean of students and school counselor. Given HVA’s demonstrated ability to attract new students and the network support for recruiting high-quality teachers, the school is likely to fulfill its mission and support a sound educational program with this proposed enrollment Plans for Board Oversight and Governance. Members of the current HVA board of trustees expressed an interest in continuing their service to the school. The education corporation board has no immediate plans to add any other members. Fiscal & Facility Plans. HVA 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 by developing a working budget that would use the current funding level as a baseline for FY 2013 and apply a 1.5 percent increase annually thereafter (the first four years of the new charter), while also increasing certain expenses at reasonable rates. The Institute notes that a 1.5 percent increase each year beginning in FY 2014 is reasonable. The plan projects balanced operations with positive cash flows in each year contingent upon the school continuing to meet enrollment goals as it has in the past. The Institute notes that younger siblings of enrolled students may be a ready source of elementary applicants. Operating surpluses, if realized, will help the school continue its current trend of maintaining fiscal soundness and improving financial stability. 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. HVA would be required to continually 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 HVA has demonstrated the ability to operate in a fiscally sound manner during the next charter term. To accommodate planned growth, the network has built a new facility for the high school and plans to purchase and renovate for the elementary school a non-public school building within a short walk of the high school. The middle school would remain at its current location in northern Central Harlem. HVA’s facility plans are likely to meet the needs of the educational program. HVA’s Application for Charter 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 School Name Name Date Chartered Name East Harlem Village Academy Charter School June 25, 2002 Revised Name Harlem Village Academy Charter School Spring, 2005 Opening Information Date Initial Charter Approved by SUNY Trustees June 25, 2002 Date Initial Charter Approved by Board of Regents September 13, 2002 School Opening Date September 7, 2003 Location School Year(s) Location(s) Grades District 2003-04 to 2005-06 413 East 120th St New York, NY 5-7 New York City CSD 5 2006-07 244 West 144th St. New York, NY 5-8 New York City CSD 5 2007-08 to 2011-12 244 West 144th St. New York, NY 413 East 120th St. New York, NY 5-8 9-12 New York City CSD 5 2012-13 35 West 124th St. New York, NY 244 West 144th St. New York, NY K, 9-12 5-8 New York City CSD 5 Partner Organizations Partner Name Partner Type Dates of Service Current Partner Village Academies Network, Inc. Network partner (Non-profit) 2003-present Renewal Type of Renewal Date Initial Full-Term Renewal March 11, 2008 Current Mission Statement The mission of the Harlem Village Academy Charter School is to prepare our students to graduate from college and to contribute meaningfully to their families, communities and nation. Current Key Design Elements * An elementary school curriculum emphasizing the development of literacy and math skills with a major focus on character development; * A middle school curriculum emphasizing a specific set of skills all students must master in English Language Arts and Mathematics; * A high school curriculum that continues to build upon student’s foundation of basic skills, as well as provide advanced instruction in core content areas; * A longer day with the time to master essential skills and explore enrichment activities; * A college-bound school culture with high academic and behavioral standards; * Character development emphasizing human values such as kindness, integrity and scholarship to prepare students to become informed and engaged citizens; * Frequent communication with parents and methods to involve parents in the educational process; * Frequent, diagnostic assessment of student progress that drives continual instructional improvement; * A leadership development system inspired by the Japanese concept of Kounaikenshuu, the collaborative design, testing, and improvement of testing where communities of teachers enhance their skills and further their professional development by thinking deeply together about teaching and learning; and * A culture of accountability for student achievement. School Characteristics School Year Original Chartered Enrollment Revised Charter Enrollment Actual Enrollment11 Original Chartered Grades Actual Grades Days of Instruction 2003-04 104 76 76 6 5 182 2004-05 208 125 105 6-7 5-6 181 2005-06 312 151 155 6-8 5-7 183 2006-07 416 241 199 6-9 5-8 186 2007-08 240 N/A 233 5-9 5-9 186 2008-09 276 N/A 282 5-10 5-10 182 2009-10 308 N/A 325 5-12 5-11 182 2010-11 340 N/A 369 5-12 5-12 182 2011-12 344 N/A 398 5-12 5-12 182 2012-13 351 523 523 5-12 K, 5-12 182 Student Demographics12   2008-09 2009-10 2010-11   Percent of School Enrollment Percent of NYC CSD 5 Enrollment Percent of School Enrollment Percent of NYC CSD 5 Enrollment Percent of School Enrollment13 Percent of NYC CSD 5 Enrollment14 Race/Ethnicity American Indian or Alaska Native 0 0 0 0 0 0 Black or African American 79 58 76 57 78 56 Hispanic 20 37 20 38 20 38 Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander 0 2 0 2 1 2 White 0 2 2 2 0 3 Multiracial 1 0 1 0 1 0 Special Populations Students with Disabilities N/A N/A N/A N/A 10 N/A English Language Learners 2 11 3 11 3 11 Free/Reduced Lunch Eligible for Free Lunch 78 74 55 72 55 74 Eligible for Reduced-Price Lunch 14 6 13 6 13 5 Current Board of Trustees15 Board Member Name Term Expires Position Dr. Andrew August July 2013 Trustee James Thompson July 2013 Chair David Zwiebel July 2013 Trustee Judith Turner Hamerschlag July 2013 Trustee Deborah A. Kenny July 2013 Secretary (non-voting) Daniel Pianko July 2013 Treasurer Donna Wilson July 2013 Trustee School Leader(s) School Year School Leader(s) Name and Title 2003-04 Deborah Kenny, Executive Director 2004-05 Deborah Kenny, Executive Director 2005-06 Deborah Kenny, Executive Director 2006-07 Deborah Kenny, Executive Director 2007-08 Deborah Kenny, Executive Director 2008-09 Deborah Kenny, Executive Director 2009-10 Deborah Kenny, Executive Director 2010-11 Deborah Kenny, Executive Director 2011-12 Deborah Kenny, Executive Director School Visit History School Year Visit Type Evaluator (Institute/External) Date(s) 2003-04 First-Year Visit Institute May 5, 2004 2004-05 Second-Year Visit Institute May 16, 2005 2005-06 Third-Year Visit External May 1-2, 2006 2007-08 Initial Renewal Visit Institute October 1-5, 2007 2009-10 Seventh-Year Visit Institute March 24-25, 2010 2011-12 Subsequent Renewal Visit Institute May 29-30, 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 ELA and math and high school graduation. The Accountability Plan also includes science, social studies, college prep 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 subject-area 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. The schools may have also elected to include optional goals and measures in the Accountability Plan. Summary of Required Goals and Outcome Measures in Elementary/Middle School (K-8) Accountability Plans GOAL Required Outcome Measures Absolute16 Comparative Growth 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 Summary of Required Goals and Outcome Measures in High School (9-12) Accountability Plans GOAL Required Outcome Measures Absolute Comparative 75 percent proficient on Regents exams after four years Performance Index (PI) meets Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) Percent proficient after four years greater than that of local school district English language arts ( ( ( Mathematics ( ( ( Science ( ( Social Studies ( ( Graduation - 75 percent of students will score at least 65 on at least three different Regents exams required for graduation by their second year. - 75 percent of students in the high school graduation cohort will graduate after the completion of their fourth year in the cohort. - 95 percent of students will graduate after the completion of their fifth year. - the percent of students graduating after the completion of their fourth year will exceed that of the local school district. College Prep (only for college prep schools) - The school will demonstrate preparation of its students for college through at least one optional measure of its own design. - The school will demonstrate college attendance or achievement through at least one measure of its own design. NCLB - School is deemed in “Good Standing” under state’s NCLB accountability system The most important criterion for renewal is academic success, which the 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 under Academic Accountability Plan Goals in the summary of the school’s academic success. The ensuing format divides the data into two sections: 1) the key goals of ELA, math, as well as high school graduation and college preparation; and 2) the additional goals of science, social studies 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 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. REGENTS COLLEGE READY METRICS NOT INCLUDED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND MATH GOALS17 The Board of Regents reports that it now views a "college and career ready" graduation rate – defined as the percentage of students in a cohort who graduate with a score of 80 or better on a math Regents exam and 75 or better on the English Regents exam as an important indicator of future student success. Based on these findings, the Regents have begun to consider changes to New York’s graduation requirements. In the interim, the Regents have established aspirational performance measures to inform schools on the progress of their students. English Language Arts Absolute Measure: Each high school cohort will meet the college readiness standard by scoring 75 percent on the New York State English Regents exam. Results (in percents) Percent Levels 3 & 4 School Year 2010-11 2007 Cohort (N= 31) 2011-12 2008 Cohort (N= 24) 83.9 95.8 By the completion of their 4th year in high school, 84 percent of HVA’s 2007 Total Cohort and 96 percent of the school’s 2008 Total Cohort achieved proficiency using the college ready standard on the Regents English exam. Math Absolute Measure: Each high school cohort will meet the college readiness standard by scoring 80 percent on a New York State Math Regents exam. Results (in percents) Percent Levels 3 & 4 School Year 2010-11 2007 Cohort (N= 31) 2011-12 2008 Cohort (N= 24) 51.6 54.2 By the completion of their 4th year in high school, 52 percent of HVA’s 2007 Total Cohort and 54 percent of the 2008 Total Cohort achieved proficiency using the college ready standard on a Regents math exam. ADDITIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN GOALS Science Accountability Plan Goal: Students will meet and exceed state standards for mastery of skills and content knowledge in the area of science. Outcome: HVA has met its science goal. Analysis of Absolute Measures: 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 2008-09 (Tested: 39) 2009-10 (Tested: 19) 2010-11 (Tested: 44) 2011-12 (Tested: 62) 4 - - - - 8 97 100 100 100 HVA has consistently exceeded its 8th grade science exam absolute performance target with greater than 97 percent of students scoring proficient during each year of the Accountability Period. Absolute Measure: Each year, 75 percent of students in the high school Accountability Cohort will score at least 65 on a New York State Regents science exam by the completion of their fourth year in the cohort. 18 Accountability Cohort 2005 (Tested: ) 2006 (Tested: ) 2007 (Tested: 30) 2008 (Tested:24) Results - - 100 100 (in percents) During the first two years in which it has had Accountability Cohorts, HVA has exceeded its high school absolute performance target with 100 percent of students passing a Regents science exam. Analysis of Comparative Measures: 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 2008-09 (Grade 8) 2009-10 (Grade 8) 2010-11 (Grade 8) 2011-12 (Grade 8) School 97 100 100 100 District 34 42 36 36 HVA has substantially outperformed the local community school district on the state’s 8th grade science exam during each year of the Accountability Period. In 2011-12, the school far exceeded the district’s performance with 100 percent of HVA’s 8th graders scoring proficient compared to only 36 percent of students in the district. . Comparative Measure: Each year, the percent of students in the high school Accountability Cohort passing a Regents Science exam with a score of 65 or above will exceed that of the high school Accountability Cohort from the local school district. Results (in percents) Comparison Accountability Cohort 2005 2006 2007 2008 School - - 100 100 District 66 68 72 N/A HVA outperformed the local community school district on the Regents science assessment requirement in the one year for which data is available during the Accountability Period. While district results are not yet available for 2011-12, the school is expected to outperform its local community school district once again. Social Studies Accountability Plan Goal: Students will meet and exceed state standards for mastery of skills and content knowledge in the area of social studies. Outcome: HVA has met its social studies goal. Analysis of Absolute Measures: Absolute Measure: Each year, 75 percent of students in the high school Accountability Cohort will score at least 65 on a New York State Regents U.S. History exam by the completion of their fourth year in the cohort. Accountability Cohort 2005 (Tested: ) 2006 (Tested: ) 2007 (Tested: 30) 2008 (Tested: 24) Results - - 100 100 (in percents) Absolute Measure: Each year, 75 percent of students in the high school Accountability Cohort will score at least 65 on a New York State Regents Global exam by the completion of their fourth year in the cohort. Accountability Cohort 2005 (Tested: ) 2006 (Tested: ) 2007 (Tested: 30) 2008 (Tested: 24) Results - - 100 100 (in percents) HVA has exceeded its absolute performance target with 100 percent of students scoring proficient on the New York State Regents U.S. History exam and the New York State Regents Global exam for both years that it has had Accountability Cohorts. Analysis of Comparative Measures: Comparative Measure: Each year, the percent of students in the high school Accountability Cohort passing the New York State Regents U.S. History exam with a score of 65 or above will exceed that of the high school Accountability Cohort from the local school district. Results (in percents) Comparison Accountability Cohort 2005 (Tested: ) 2006 (Tested: ) 2007 (Tested: 30) 2008 (Tested: 24) School - - 100 100 District 67 69 67 N/A Comparative Measure: Each year, the percent of students in the high school Accountability Cohort passing the New York State Regents Global History exam with a score of 65 or above will exceed that of the high school Accountability Cohort from the local school district. Results (in percents) Comparison Accountability Cohort 2005 (Tested: ) 2005 (Tested: ) 2005 (Tested: ) 2005 (Tested: ) School - - 100 100 District 64 66 67 N/A HVA outperformed the local community school district on the Regents U.S. History assessment requirement in the one year for which data is available during the Accountability Period with 100 percent of students proficient. The school also outperformed the local community school district on the Regents Global History and Geography assessment requirement in the one year for which data is available again with 100 percent of students scoring at or above proficiency. While district results are not yet available for 2011-12, the school is expected to outperform its local community district on both of these exams. NCLB In addition to meeting its specific subject area goals, the school is expected under NCLB to make 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: Students at Harlem HVA will meet and exceed state standards in all areas required by NCLB accountability guidelines. Outcome: HVA is in good standing according to the state’s NCLB accountability system and has met its NCLB goal. Absolute Measure: Under the state’s NCLB accountability system, the school’s Accountability Status will be “Good Standing” each year. Results Status School Year 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Good Standing Yes Yes Yes Yes Analysis of Additional Evidence HVA received a letter grade of “A” on its 2011-12 NYCDOE Elementary/Middle School Progress Report and a letter grade of “C” on its NYCDOE High School Progress Report. The NYCDOE bases the overall grade on school performance in 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 the letter grades, the city reports that it set overall cut scores for 2011-12 based on a pre-determined scoring distribution. For elementary and middle schools, the distribution is: 25 percent A, 35 percent B, 30 percent C, seven percent D, and three percent F. For high schools, the distribution is: 33 percent A, 32 percent B, 24 percent C, eight percent D, and four percent F. HVA Middle School received the “A” based on the composite score of the three categories. The school received an “A” in School Environment, which measures factors other than student achievement. This category is largely based on parent and teacher satisfaction surveys, which measure the conditions necessary for learning. In the category that measures Student Performance, the school received an “A,” indicating that the school’s absolute performance was better on the whole than its peer schools in New York City. As a result of HVA’s substantial year-to-year growth in comparison to its peer schools, it received an “A” in Student Growth. HVA High School received the “C” based on a composite score of the three categories. The school received an “A” in School Environment, which measures factors other than student achievement. This category is largely based on parent and teacher satisfaction surveys, which again measure the conditions necessary for learning. In the category that measures Student Performance, the school received a “D,” indicating that the school’s absolute performance was lower than that of its peer schools in New York City; however, HVA outperformed over 70 percent of schools citywide on these same measures. As a result of HVA’s moderate year-to-year growth in comparison to its peer schools, it received a “C” in Student Growth. The school received an “A” in College and Career Preparation, which measures the school on the basis of its students passing advanced courses, meeting English and math standards, and enrolling in a post-secondary institution. 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://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 second to last year of the charter term under review.   3 New York Education Law § 2850(2). 4 SUNY Trustees’ Charter Schools Committee resolution dated October 2, 2012. 5 For the purpose of evaluating the goal’s absolute measure, the Institute has adapted the State Education Department’s (‘SED’s”) “time-adjusted” ELA cut score for 2011-12 as it had in 2010-11. The other four measures utilize the current, revised ELA cut scores. As such, the cut scores for the state’s AMO and cohort growth are different from last year when the “time-adjusted cut score” was used instead. 6 HVA reports that the school-wide attrition rate was 11 percent for 2010-11 with a slight decrease to nine percent for 2011-12 in comparison to 19 percent for the local community school district. The New York City Department of Education (“NYCDOE”) reports a discharge rate of nine percent for the HVA middle school alone in comparison to a discharge rate of 16 percent for the community school district’s middle schools. 7 For the purpose of evaluating the goal’s absolute measure, the Institute has adapted SED’s “time-adjusted” math cut score for 2011-12 as it had in 2010-11. The other four measures utilize the current, revised math cut scores. As such, the cut scores for the AMO and cohort growth are different from last year when the “time-adjusted cut score” was used instead. 8 Almost all the students in the HVA cohort graduated with a score on their Regents examinations of 75 or better in English; about half scored 80 or better in math. These results are better than the statewide cohort in which about one-third of the students met both standards combined. 9 The Qualitative Education Benchmarks are a subset of the SUNY Charter Renewal Benchmarks (the “SUNY Renewal Benchmarks) available at: http://www.newyorkcharters.org/documents/SUNYRenewalBenchmarks5FINAL5-8-12.pdf (p. 2). 10 The Common Core State Standards initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). They developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, a clear and consistent framework to prepare students for college training and the workforce. New York State adopted the Common Core State Standards in 2011 and began assessing student achievement toward meeting the standards in 2012. 11 Source: SUNY Charter Schools Institute’s Official Enrollment Binder. (Figures may differ slightly from New York State Report Cards, depending on date of data collection.) 12 Source: 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 School Report Cards, SED. 13 The 2010-11 Students with Disabilities statistic is derived from the school’s October 2010 student enrollment report to SED (2010-11 BEDS Report). 14 District-level Students with Disabilites enrollment data are not available for 2010-11. SED released these district data for the first time in spring 2012. Based on the state’s Empirical Analysis of Enrollment Targets, the CSD’s 2011-12 Students with Disabilities enrollment is 16 percent compared to 17 percent for the school. 15 Source: Institute Board records. 16 Note: In 2009-10, the SED raised its achievement standard, by increasing the scaled score cutoff 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” cutoffs. In the presentation below of ELA and math results, the Institute uses the ‘time-adjusted” Level 3 cutoffs for 2009-10 , 2010-11 and 2011-12. 17 The Institute will require that all high schools incorporate measures using the college ready metrics into their Accountability Plans starting in 2012-13. The Institute has not yet set absolute targets. 18 In order to meet this measure, students must score a 65 or greater on any one or more of the Science Regents exams offered in New York State which are Living Environment, Earth Science, Chemistry and Physics. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ Charter Schools Institute ? Renewal Recommendation Report 21 Charter Schools Institute ? Renewal Recommendation Report 29