“THE” Academy All Girls Charter School A Proposed Shelby County Charter School Application for Charter April 1, 2019 Respectfully Submitted by “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Founding Board Clarice Loggins, Founder TABLE OF CONTENT General Information……………………………………………………………………………………………… Assurances Form…………………………………………………………………………………………………... Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………. Section 1 Academics 1.1 School Mission and Goals………………………………………………………………………………4 1.2 Enrollment Summary……………………………………………………………………………………6 1.3 Academic Focus and Plan……………………………………………………………………………….8 1.4 Academic Performance Standards……………………………………………………………………...42 1.5 Phase- In / Turnaround Planning (Does Not Apply / New-Start) …………………………………. N/A 1.6 High School Graduation and Postsecondary Readiness (Does Not Apply/Elementary School) …. N/A 1.7 Assessments………………………………………………………………………………….................47 1.8 School Calendar and Schedule………………………………………………………………………... 56 1.9 Special Populations and At-Risk Students……………………………………………………………. 66 1.10 School Culture and Discipline………………………………………………………………................75 1.11 Marketing, Recruitment, and Enrollment……………………………………………………………...80 1.12 Community Involvement and Parent Engagement…………………………………………………….84 1.13 Existing Academic Plan (Does Not Apply / New-Start) ..................................................................N/A 1.14 Performance Management (Does Not Apply / New Start) ………………………………………...N/A Section 2 Operations 2.1 Governance…………………………………………………………………………………...................86 2.2 Start-Up Plan…………………………………………………………………………………................96 2.3 Facilities……………………………………………………………………………………………….100 2.4 Personnel/Human Capital……………………………………………………………………...............102 2.5 Professional Development……………………………………………………………………………. 120 2.6 Insurance……………………………………………………………………………………………….123 2.7 Transportation………………………………………………………………………………………….124 2.8 Food Service…………………………………………………………………………………………...124 2.9 Additional Operations………………………………………………………………………................125 2.10 Waivers………………………………………………………………………………………............131 2.11 Network Vision, Growth Plan, & Capacity (Does Not Apply / New-Start) ……………………………………N/A 2.12 Network Management (Does Not Apply / New-Start) …………………………………………………………N/A 2.13 Network Governance (Does Not Apply / New-Start) ………………………………………………………… N/A 2.14 Charter School Management Contracts (Does Not Apply / New Start) ……………………………………… N/A 2.15 Personnel / Human Capital-Network-wide Staffing Projections (Does Not Apply / New-Start) ……. ……… N/A 2.16 Personnel / Human Capital – Staffing Plans, Hiring, Management, and Evaluation (Does Not Apply / New- Start) Section 3 Finances 3.1 Planning and Budget Worksheet………………………………………………………………………. Not Numbered 3.2 Budget Narrative………………………………………………………………………………………. Not Numbered 3.3 Financial Plan (For Existing Operators) (Does Not Apply / New-Start) ..............................................N/A 3.4 Financial Plan (For Existing Operators) (Does Not Apply / New Start) ……………………………...N/A Attachments Attachment A: Annual School Academic Calendar………………………………………………………………...133 Attachment B: Student Handbook / School Forms…………………………………………………………………135 Attachment C: Student Discipline Policy…………………………………………………………………………. 142 Attachment D: Student Enrollment Policy………………………………………………………………................149 Attachment E: Pledge Support from Prospective Partners & Letter of Support/MOU’s/ Contracts……………….152 Attachment F: Board Governance Documents F1. Articles of Incorporation……………………………………………………………………………………160 F2. Proof of Non-Profit and Tax-Exempt Status……………………………………………………………… 161 F3. By-Laws…………………………………………………………………………………………………….163 F4. Code of Ethics………………………………………………………………………………………………175 F5. Conflict of Interest Policy…………………………………………………………………………………. 182 F6. Board Member Resumes……………………………………………………………………………………183 F7. Board Policies, Including Policies on Open Meetings and Open Records…………………………………193 Attachment G: School Organizational Chart……………………….…………………………………………….... 228 Attachment H: School Leader Resumes/Student Achievement Data……………………………………….............229 Attachment I: Employee Manual/Personal Policies………………………………………………………………....242 Attachment J: Insurance Coverage………………………………………………………………………………… 261 Attachment K: CMO Agreement (Does Not Apply/New-Start) ………………………………………………… N/A Attachment L: Organization/Network Annual Reports or Audits (Does Not Apply/New-Start) ………………. N/A Attachment M: Network Organizational Chart (Does Not Apply/New-Start) …………………………………. N/A Attachment N: CMO Documentation (Does Not Apply/New-Start) ……………………………………………. N/A Attachment O: Planning and Budget Worksheet ……………………………………………………... Not Numbered Attachment P: Budget Narrative………………………………………………………………………. Not Numbered Attachment Q: Network Budget (For Existing Operators) (Does Not Apply/New-Start) .................................... N/A Attachment R: Student Achievement/Growth Result (for Existing Operators) (Does Not Apply/New-Start) …. N/A Attachment S Portfolio Summary Template (For Existing Operators (Does Not Apply/New-Start) ……………N/A Attachment T: School Reports/LEA Evaluations (For Existing Operators) (Does Not Apply/New-Start) ……...N/A Attachment U: School Financials (For Existing Operators) (Does Not Apply/New-Start) ……………………...N/A Attachment V: Litigation Documents (For Existing Operators) (Does Not Apply/New-Start) ………………… N/A Additional Information for Charter School Application-Shelby County Schools....................................Not Numbered “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Executive Summary “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will be a place where we are committed to educating intellectually adventurous thinkers, courageous, and compassionate leaders. Our school’s nurturing and simulating atmosphere will allow all girls various avenues to excel academically as well as creatively. Our school will be a community where academic achievement goes hand in hand with becoming imaginative, independent thinkers – where girls discover themselves and the world around them – where they learn what it means to make a difference. Our dynamic, intense, and rigorous curriculum accompanied by a renowned character building and arts program will adequately prepare girls to be challenged to lead lives of purpose as responsible, generous – minded women. “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will be a college-preparatory K-5 single gender elementary school serving the families of Shelby County and will be open to all girls in the Shelby County demographic area with its location in the Central City West region part of town. The school will open with Kindergarten, accepting 40 students in its inaugural year. By year 6, “THE” Academy will serve grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 240 students. ‘THE’ Academy will operate on a 180-day instructional day calendar running from August to May. Our school day will begin at 8:15am with optional breakfast served daily @ 8:00am. The school day will conclude at 3:15pm each day. “THE Academy will be prepared to offer a variety of subjects and courses including Reading Foundational Skills, Expeditionary Learning (EL) as a part of our English Language Arts Curriculum, Science, Social Studies Weekly, Art, Music, P.E., Creative Writing, and Performing Arts classes (Drama, Music, Dance, Art). “THE” Academy’s academic program and curriculum will be tailored to meet the needs of an all-girls population, including female students that identify as English Language Learners, Students with disabilities and students that are a high-risk population. “THE” Academy’s academic program will focus on Expeditionary Learning (EL) K-5 and data-driven mathematics and literacy skill building opportunities in the lower grades(K-2) to move students along a learning continuum in the upper grades, based on their strengths, interests, and needs. “THE” Academy’s academic program and curriculum alignment with the Tennessee Common Core Standards will create and sustain a strong achievement-oriented culture and college preparatory curriculum that will assist in accelerating the growth of all of our young female students. Both curriculum and culture will be deliberately aligned to the needs and performance of our group of students. Our curriculum will challenge, engage, develop, and support lifelong learning while empowering all girls, regardless of their individual needs, to succeed in middle school, high school, and beyond. ‘THE” Academy will focus on results, our Leadership Team and faculty will be appropriately trained to use goal-specific data to evaluate the academic progress of individual students, pods of students, grade-level groups and the school as a whole. We will regularly administer reliable assessments that align to our school’s curriculum. We will use pre/post assessments cycles across Page 1 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School all courses to develop data driven instruction. Continual professional development and strong teacher coaching relationships will be employed to ensure teacher teams are basing instructional decisions in data and thoughtfully implementing lessons and unit plans to reach all learners in a classroom. Teachers will work in teams to create learning plans for students based on their strengths and areas of improvement. In Addition to assessments in content classes, we will use Smarty Ants /Achieve 3000, to track students’ reading growth throughout the year. We will also administer MAPS Testing three times a year to measure yearlong progress across standards in both literacy and math. Following these assessments, we will hold in-service “data days” with faculty to immediately review MAPS results and create data-driven instructional plans. Using a modified Response to Intervention system, students’ learning needs will be assessed, and teachers will create re-teaching plans for small group and whole class instruction. Strategies and specific goals for each student will be set for each MAPS cycle. Our school will also have an Intervention Team to monitor students at risk of academic failure, students with special needs and ELL students. At “THE” Academy, we wholeheartedly believe that students at all performance levels will struggle at some point and it is critical to all stakeholders within our school community that there are options in place to provide extra support as needed. At “THE” Academy, teachers and school leadership will work collaboratively to connect, create, instruct, and reflect to consistently improve teacher practice. We will develop a Teacher Development Academy (TDA), “THE” Academy’s learning institute for teachers, will focus on preparing our faculty to meet the academic and emotional needs of our young female students. Each year, teachers will receive quality professional development hours. “THE” Academy’s professional development series will begin in July with an intensive 2-week program before school starts and continue every Wednesday throughout the school year. In addition, we will also create extended learning opportunities for our staff within our school schedule; from grade-level and departmental meeting, to cross-grade collaboration and common planning amongst coteachers, our faculty will receive the necessary training and development to increase student achievement. In addition to a distinct academic curriculum and program, “THE” Academy intends to teach a set of core values to our girls. Girls will develop a sense of community and shared purpose guided by the core beliefs of (IDEALS) Integrity, Discipline, Enjoyment, Achievements, Leadership and Sisterhood will guide our alternative approach to discipline. Using positive reinforcements, owning actions, and understanding how the individual impacts the community will help develop a basis for a successful young female. Teachers will be coached in relationship-building and how to use a progression of interventions to ensure students are kept in the learning environment. “THE” Academy will open with a small Leadership Team that is comprised of the School Leader, Director of Curriculum and an Operations Director (in year 0). The Operation Director Page 2 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will take lead of the business management, facilities and supply management side of the Charter while the School Leader will work closely with the Director of Curriculum to manage the multiple work streams of school culture and curriculum. In the first year, we plan to add an Intervention Specialist who will also serve as the Assessment Coordinator to oversee the critical work of ensuring appropriate accommodations for all learners and strong systems and routines for testing school-wide. Additionally, we will have an ESL leadership position to provide support for English Language Learners (ELLs) both in and out of the classroom. As “THE” Academy expands year by year, additional leadership roles will be added to the team including Director of Student Affairs, Director of Communication and Summer Program Coordinator. Page 3 of 261 Section 1 Academics “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School 1.1 School Mission and Vision Mission “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will provide a diverse atmosphere, which empowers girls in kindergarten through fifth grade, to become confident, intelligent, and successful young women, while developing a passion for life-long learning in a global society. Vision “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will be a place where we are committed to educating intellectually adventurous thinkers, courageous, and compassionate leaders. Our school’s nurturing and simulating atmosphere will allow all girls various avenues to excel academically as well as creatively. Our school will be a community where academic achievement goes hand in hand with becoming imaginative, independent thinkers – where girls discover themselves and the world around them – where they learn what it means to make a difference. Our dynamic, intense, and rigorous curriculum accompanied by a renowned character building and arts program will adequately prepare girls to be challenged to lead lives of purpose as responsible, generous – minded women. “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will be a college-preparatory K-5 single gender elementary school. We believe a single-gender program will create a nurturing, stimulating classroom climate in which female students can express themselves freely which will help to stimulate higher order thinking skills. 1Studies show that all girls’ schools create a culture of achievement and a comfort level that helps them develop a greater self-confidence, where they will perform better academically in middle school, high school, and college. “THE” Academy will be a school that capitalizes on a girl’s unique learning style as well as, a school that focus solely on the development and maturation of a girl’s well-being. A rich literacy-based environment where girls will develop a lifelong love for reading, along with expressing themselves in the arts in an atmosphere where real-world problem-solving skill will be enhanced. This school will be a place where a girl takes center stage. We believe girls will thrive if we create a more personalized school experience for them with smaller class sizes and individualized instruction that takes place in small groups where each girl’s data is the driving force. At “THE” Academy, we want to close the “literacy gap” so our primary focus will be on literacy in all grades, through advance curriculum, and strategic instructional delivery that fuels academic growth and data driven results. Expeditionary Learning (EL) modules will be used to aid in the literacy gap. This highly comprehensive, standards-based core literacy program, that engages teachers and students through compelling, real world content will help us to deliver proven results. “THE” Academy girl will spend quality time in our school, receive data-driven Page 4 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School instruction that fuels academic growth, take part in a school culture of high expectations, receive personalized coaching as it relates to social and emotional growth, be taught by strong teachers that educate the whole child, and receive additional support such as intervention and enrichment blocks to personalize learning. We believe these programmatic choices will allow our young girls to achieve their potential, think critically, and demonstrate understanding of grade level standards. We will target girls living in Shelby County that have been labeled Disadvantage, English Limited Learners and Special Education Students. The Academy’s curriculum will operate on the core beliefs of Excellence in:    Academics: The classroom will be student centered, students will be engaged in discussion providing justification for solutions to math problems or citing evidence to support answers to text dependent questions, which allows teachers and students to delve deeply into concepts. The foundation that all students can and will learn. Meeting our goals that all students will be reading at or above grade level by third grade, with continuous assessments in literacy and math in K-2, in grades 3-5 continuous assessments will address the mastery of standards within the content of each subject. Arts: (music, drama, visual art, dance (P.E.) All students can benefit from the opportunity to learn about and experience the arts. The arts will be integrated into the school curriculum as well as a stand-alone subject which will be an essential part of providing a well-rounded education. Attributes: character development will be a critical component of our school life. Students will develop a sense of community and shared purpose guided by the core beliefs of (IDEALS) Integrity, Discipline, Enjoyment, Achievements, Leadership, and Sisterhood. A partnership between home and school will also foster strong learning for every student. These core principals alongside the concept and components of a rigorous traditional standard based education will create a unique elementary school design currently unavailable to communities in the mid-south. Goals At “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School, we embrace accountability at all levels, for students, for teachers, for leadership, and for the school as a whole; we know that schools must produce results. We are committed to improving the education outcomes for all our students in the Memphis community, and changing the long-term trajectory of their lives. To achieve this, we will hold ourselves to the highest standards for academic, organizational and financial performance. We believe that the SCS Performance Framework represents a rigorous approach to school accountability grounded in the best practices of the National Association for Charter School Authorizers. As such, “THE” Academy will utilize the Performance Framework – and its detailed metrics for academics, including progress, achievement gap, and school culture; for financial performance, including near term and sustainability indicators; and for organizational performance, including those regarding the educational program, financial management and Page 5 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School oversight, governance and reporting, students and employees, and the school environment. It is our aim to earn Exemplary for academic performance and Meets Standard for financial and organizational performance. In addition to these ambitious metrics, we have established additional mission-specific academic and organizational goals and targets. 1.2 Enrollment Summary Grade Level Year 1 2020-21 K 40 40 40 40 40 At Capacity 2025-26 40 1 0 40 40 40 40 40 2 0 0 40 40 40 40 3 0 0 0 40 40 40 4 0 0 0 0 40 40 5 0 0 0 0 0 40 Total 40 80 120 160 200 240 Anticipated Demographics Mid-Town / Northeast Year 2 2021-22 % of Economically Disadvantaged Students 95% Year 3 2022-23 % of Students With Disabilities 5% Year 4 2023-24 Year 5 2024-25 % of English Language Learner 5% Targeted Population “THE” Academy’s goal is to academically prepare a population of girls from a wide range of backgrounds to successfully transition from grade to grade. We will be an open- enrollment commuter school where we propose a college preparatory, rigorous single-gender education for grades, K-5 to some of our most underserved and underperforming communities. Currently, there are no free public all girls’ elementary schools located in the city of Memphis. The need for a high performing all girl’s public elementary school would be beneficial to the communities of Memphis. The Midtown district is an anchor in the Memphis’ arts scene, including the Playhouse on the Square, Hattiloo Theater, Memphis College of Arts and the new Ballet Memphis. The Midtown community with its rich attributes to the Shelby County Schools district was one of the key factors in the decision-making process of choosing the right location for “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School. “THE” Academy wishes to reach a population within a part of a community that is rich with valuable resources. “THE” Academy will be a commuter school, however schools located in the Midtown district such as, Vollentine, Springdale and Snowden have all been cited as academically low performing schools based on their state testing results. Page 6 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School 2 According to the Tennessee Dept. of Education TVASS cite, Springdale and Vollentine Elementary first and second grade student’s average growth index both reflect that the schools have met the growth standards, however the average achievement growth score for these schools are a 1. Which indicate that they are both performing in the bottom 20% of schools in the reference population. Springdale’s’ first and second grade is made up of 100% Blacks / Hispanic / Native Americans, 0% ELL, 91% Economically Disadvantage, 7% SPED. Vollentines’ first and second grade is made up of 99% Black / Hispanic / Native American, 2% ELL, 11% SPED, 87% Economically Disadvantage. Unlike the previous mentions’ schools, Snowden’s achievement growth is not in the bottom 20% of schools, however Snowden is considered a Focus School. 3According to (TDOE) Focus Schools are schools in the state with the largest achievement gaps between groups of students. Snowden’s identified group for low achievement is the Economically Disadvantages. At Snowden, the first and second grade consist of 74% Black / Hispanic / Native American, 4% ELL, 29% Economically Disadvantage, 5% SPED. The data indicates that the economically disadvantaged students of this community are not performing at the rate of their peers. It is our desire to fill the gap with the educational offerings that “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will provide. The test scores of these grade levels are predictors of the student’s success in their future endeavors. It will be our goal to have all students performing at or above grade level by 3rd grade. “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School proposes to open with 40 girls in Kindergarten. We will then add one grade with 40 girls each year, reaching full capacity with K-5 enrollment by year 2025-2026. By adding one grade per year and having small class sizes this will help us to strategically develop systems, create successful instructional programs, and develop new curricular materials, while building a strong foundation for achievement, arts and attributes to educate the population in which we will serve. Need for Proposed School Memphis is a city that has great diversity in our communities. Our city has grown also in the diversity of education. The diversity in education is not only exposing children to different cultures, but also exposing them to different learning styles and curriculums. Today, parents have so many different options of where to send their child to be educated. Memphis has several outstanding private all girls’ elementary schools that meet the needs of our more privileged or affluent students. There is not a free public all-girls’ elementary school that meets the needs of our less affluent, underserved, and disadvantage girls, therefore “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School believes that all girls should have the opportunity to be afford the same rigorous, challenging, academic experience, with state-of-the-art classrooms like the more affluent girls. Where high standards are set, with exceptional teachers that constantly challenge themselves to 2 3 http://www.tn.gov/education/topic/tvaas https://www.tn.gov/education/article/2015-school-accountability Page 7 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School grow professionally and evaluate emerging trends in their fields. 4According to the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS) girls attending all-girls schools are more likely to have an experience that supports their learning than are girls attending coed schools (independent and public). 94.9% of students at all girls’ schools agree or strongly agree they are motivated by their desire to succeed. Nearly 80% of girls’ school students report most of their classes challenge them to achieve their full academic potential. 95% report participating actively in class discussion. Over 80% of girls’ school report participating in activities that prepare them for the world outside of school helping them to link concepts across problem domains. 87% feel their opinion are respected and feeling more comfortable being themselves and expressing their ideas. Almost 95% of girls’ school students report their work has contributed to successfully reading and understanding challenging materials, showing greater gains on core academic and life skills. 96% of girls’ school students report receiving more frequent feedback on their assignments gave them a feeling of support in their endeavors. 85% girls’ school students spend more hours a week doing homework, attending study groups, tutoring others and working with their teachers than co-ed school students. 5Studies have demonstrated that students who attend single-gender schools consistently perform better on standardized test, regardless of socioeconomic status and generally have a more positive attitude about school with fewer absences. Nearly 100% of girls’ school grads go on to college with test scores above the national norm. “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will be a single-gender, K-5 elementary school with open-enrollment to girls in the Central City West Region. “THE” Academy will place an emphasis on enrollment, however recruitment efforts will not be limited to only local neighborhoods around the Central City West region. 1.3 Academic Focus and Plan Academic Focus “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will be a college preparatory charter were the academic program will be based on our founding team’s beliefs about instruction and curriculum: (a) high quality instruction drives student achievement and leads to mastery of knowledge/skills, (b) challenging and supporting our young girls as it relates to individual character development drives them towards academic success, and (c) rigorous high-quality student work creates equity. Teachers will frame instructional delivery and learning around Tennessee Common Core Learning Standards. Instructional content will be culturally relevant and rigorous to prepare our young girls to meet middle school, high school and college entrance requirements. We believe that all young girls can achieve and reach their full potential. To create a culture of rigorous academic exploration, we have turned to the work of Ron Berger, Libby Woodfin, and Anne Vilen in their book, Learning that Lasts: Challenging, Engaging, and 4 http://www.ncgs.org/SteepedInLearning.aspx Page 8 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Empowering Students with Deeper Instruction. At “THE” Academy, we will derive our pedagogical stance largely from the notion of deeper learning and the expanded vision of student achievement it carries with it. For too long, measures of student achievement have been largely limited to performance on high-stakes testing. We do not believe that Math and ELA scores alone can clearly project whether our students will be career and life ready or have the skills and character traits needed for positive, active, engaged participation in our society. While we believe in the importance of these annual State tests, we reject the notion of a single measure of student achievement. Instead, we align with Berger’s three-dimensional approach to measurement: mastery of knowledge/skills, character, and high-quality student work. These three aspects of achievement will be realized through strong instructional practices throughout our curriculum and instructional delivery. “THE Academy’s unique educational program will be grounded in the six outcomes of Deeper Learning. Our model will also place an emphasis on Expeditionary Learning, PerformanceBased Assessments, and Culturally Responsive Education. Through Deeper Instruction, Expeditionary Learning, Performance-Based Assessments, and Culturally Responsive Education, our students will explore real-world problems in math, sciences, social studies, and ELA content areas. Our young girls will learn to collaborate, question, create, and reflect with other students as well as teachers to understand why specific learning standards or targets are important. Our core content classes will allow students to develop the habits of deep engagement through “disrupting the paradigm of teacher-centered instruction” and creating spaces for students “to be the thinkers and doers, collaborating, creating knowledge, and engaging in work that matters. Students will apply the knowledge obtained from their core classes to real world applications that are centered around essential questions. Each year, students will advance through topics designed to prepare them for the challenges of middle school. Students will be supported in building foundational reading and mathematical skills in K-2 while also developing the collaborative and communication skills needed to excel in grades 3-5. With a student population of 5% of students who identify as Students with Special Needs, 90% of students who receive free and reduced lunch, and 5% of students that are classified as English Language Learners, we will have the academic systems, structures, and resources in place to ensure all students have the instruction support and accommodations they need to attain academic achievement. “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will move girls in grades K- 5 through hands-on learning experiences that will link thematic concepts from the classroom to everyday life during their Reading Learning Blocks using the Expeditionary Learning Modules (EL). Our young girls will develop the critical thinking skills and academic mindsets needed to confront any topic, research it, and have the confidence to defend their opinions and claims. In both the primary and intermediate grades our curriculum will foster collaborative work between students while maintaining a high level of academic rigor and supporting the individual capacities and growth of each student. Students will be nurtured and challenged in exploring themselves, society, history culture, and identity through the academic content areas. Page 9 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School All instructional materials and curricular choices have been made with the intent to teach the skills and content knowledge our students will need to meet and exceed Tennessee Common Core Learning Standards and to prepare them for TNReady Tests. At the beginning of each school year, the Leadership Team will provide quality teachers for each grade level, with Interim Assessments, end of the unit test, scope and sequences, instructional calendars, unit plan, unit plan templates (for revisions), sample lesson plans and resource text bundles from which teachers can pull instructional materials to plan and prepare high quality lessons that lead to mastery of core academic content. Our School Leader will visit other high performing schools that educate a similar population. She will work closely with other School Leaders, educators, and members of the Leadership Team to create and gather high-quality curricular materials for all core content areas necessary to build the foundation of our instructional model and academic program. Curriculum material created by the founding team will be evaluated consistently and revised after each use by Teacher Teams, and the Leadership Team to reflect best practices in education. Using student work, teacher reflections on curriculum material, student data, and Tennessee Common Core Standards, revisions to the academic rigor. Unit plans, scope and sequences, curriculum maps, and instructional calendars will be revised throughout the year during Date Driven Professional Development Days (which occurs 4 times a year) to address shifts in instructional practices, standards and assessment alignment, and student data and outcomes. Our Instructional Team and teachers will constantly seek to improve our academic program and curriculum to ensure high academic achievement for our young girls. Deeper Instruction -Six Outcomes of Deeper Learning It is our belief that a school-wide academic focus on the Six Outcomes of Deeper Learning will set ‘THE” Academy students up for lifelong academic, career, civic, and interpersonal success because our curriculum will engage students and teachers in exploration and discovery-based learning activities, collaborative problem solving, and interdisciplinary learning. The Six Outcomes of Deeper Learning skills will also support and enhance our students learning of the Tennessee Common Core learning standards. These learning opportunities will mimic the skill sets needed to succeed in middle school, high school and beyond. We will use the Six Outcomes for Deeper Learning as a pedagogical framework for curriculum design, professional development, and evaluation of outcomes. While we will place high value on achievement and hold ourselves accountable for exceeding the average state pass rates on math and ELA tests, we will place equal value on high-quality student work, the process and development of collaborative and skilled communication, on how collaborative and skilled at communication our students become, the development of their scientific and historical critical thinking practices, the growth of their creative mathematical problem solving skill sets, and the level at which our students can drive their own learning processes. To foster student proficiency in Deeper Learning, “THE” Academy will train teachers by focusing on these primary areas: Mastery of Core Academic Content – At “THE” Academy, students will be assessed daily on both their understanding of content and how that content can be applied to different situations. We will use Page 10 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School daily exit tickets, unit post assessments, performance-based assessments, presentations, and project in addition to standardized tests. Every core content class will also teach writing strategies to ensure that students are improving their individual thinking skills and mastery of content. Critical Thinking/Problem Solving – Our instructional vision aligns with students knowing how and when to apply the core content to develop assumptions and make wellinformed arguments by doing the cognitive lifting and problem solving within the classroom. During each lesson, teachers and students are consistently implementing feedback and addressing misconceptions so that students have the knowledge and key understanding of core content. Background knowledge needed to access skills or content is presented daily in order for students to analyze texts, solve problems, discuss and debate ideas and issues, and complete rigorous performance task and experiments. To evaluate what students, know and how to apply what they know to work through complex problems or task, students will acquire the information needed and be assessed on content. Collaboration – Our young girls will learn how to work collaboratively in order to identify and implement solutions to solving problems and/or completing task. Students will learn how to use knowledge acquired and resources gathered to complete group task and projects. Students will support each other, provide constructive solution-based feedback, and understand the role they may play in a group or whole class setting. Teachers will also work in collaboration to create intellectually prepared daily lessons to ensure mastery of core content and critical thinking. During PD and daily planning periods, teachers will use exemplar plans to effectively create lessons that promote exemplar responses to master daily objectives and standards. Effective Communication - We believe that high-quality instruction is the key to student achievement. But in order to present high quality instruction, teachers must teach students how to effectively communicate what they know and what they want to know. Teachers will teach students how to share knowledge, meaning, and goals. Students will learn how to express themselves in multiple ways. Students will also learn that communication is not just speaking but actively listening and writing to ensure you understand and have mastered daily objectives and standards. Through student presentations, conferencing, group work, and group projects, students will learn how to effectively communicate their knowledge and understanding. To create school-wide cohesion and consistency, “THE” Academy will prioritize communication among Leadership Team and teachers about instructional strategies. Instructional strategies used by teachers to improve student thinking, investment, and instructional rigor will be communicated and discussed throughout the year. Teachers will work with coaches and/or the Leadership Team on individualized focus areas. Teachers will be trained on instructional techniques during PD, summer training, and during oneon-one coaching sessions. Instructional strategies will focus on: (a) teacher practice (classroom management and instructional delivery), (b) critical thinking, (c) creating rigor, (d) reflection and feedback, and (e) student engagement and culture (building classroom culture). Self-Directed Learning – According to Berger, “learning how to learn is an integral part of the deeper learning instructional practices that students master as they monitor and direct their own learning. Through student-centered work and facilitation from teachers at “THE” Academy, our students Page 11 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will understand how they learn as well as their own learning styles; they will learn to reflect on their progress and set goals in order to increasingly take more responsibility for their own learning. Academic Mindsets – Our young girls will be encouraged to have a strong belief in themselves and their ability. They will learn to overcome obstacles and adversity in their learning by trusting their own capability and understandings. Through academic conferences and teacher-student relationships, students will learn to support other students. Students will understand the importance of their work and how it relates to future aspirations and goals. The Expeditionary Learning Curriculum- Knowing that the heart of learning is literacy and being a school that aims to empower young girls through our curriculum. We will be using the Expeditionary Learning Curriculum. This language arts curriculum is a comprehensive, standards-based core literacy program that engages teachers and students through compelling, real world content and builds equitable and inclusive learning opportunities for all students. Real-World Curriculum-Our approach to curriculum will make standards come alive for students by connecting learning to real-world issues and needs. Academically rigorous, projectbased learning expeditions, case studies, projects, fieldwork and service learning will inspire students to think and work as professionals, contributing high-quality work to authentic audience beyond the classroom. “THE” Academy will ensure that students have access to a rigorous college preparatory curriculum, and regularly analyze that curriculum to align with Tennessee Common Core Standards. Invigorating Instruction-Our classrooms will be alive with discovery, inquiry, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration. Teachers talk less. Students talk (and think) more. Lessons have explicit purpose, guided by learning targets for which students takes ownership and responsibility. Students engagement strategies and activities serve to differentiate instruction and maintain high expectation to bring out the best in all students, cultivating a culture of high achievement. Assessing Students Learning-Our Leadership Teams, Teachers, and students will embrace the concept of student-engaged assessments in education. Assessing Students build student ownership of learning, drives achievement and focuses students on reaching standards-based learning targets. Students continually conduct learning assessments and improve the quality of their work through models, reflection, critique, rubrics, and expert assistance. Leadership Teams, Instructional Teams, and Teachers will conduct ongoing data inquiry and analysis, examining factors including students work and results of formal educational assessments. Respectful Culture- Our school will build cultures of respect, responsibility, courage, and kindness, where students and teachers will be committed to quality work and citizenship. School structures and traditions-such as crew, community meetings, exhibitions of student work, and service learning ensure that every student is known and cared for, student leadership is nurtured, and contributions to the school and world are celebrated. Students and staff are supported to do better work and be better people than they thought possible. Leadership-Our school leaders will build on our school vision focused on student achievement and continuous improvement. And will align all school activities with that vision. Leaders will use data wisely, boldly shape school structures to best meet student’s needs, celebrate joy in learning, and build a school wide culture of trust and collaboration. At “THE” Page 12 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Academy Leadership in our school goes beyond a single person or team; it’s a role and expectation for all. Performance-Based Assessments -Performance-Based Assessments will be implemented in our Expeditionary Learning Courses and across core content classes at the end of each unit. This form of assessment will allow students to create projects, papers, exhibits, presentations, and/or experiments to show proficiency in their expeditionary learning and individualized core content courses. Teachers will norm on assessing student work and providing feedback to students using assessment rubrics. Definition of Instructional Rigor and Engagement -It is critical that our students engage in rigorous and appropriate task that requires them to learn at high levels but have supports in place to demonstrate learning at levels that lead to high academic achievement. ‘THE” Academy will create a culture of high expectations where all students, no matter their academic performance level can grapple with challenging content aligned to college and career readiness standards. Teachers will facilitate student discourse and learning will maintain the rigor. Student engagement includes students spending time on task, contributing/creating a work product or task, and constant inquiry through posing and answering questions. Academic Plan “THE” Academy’s academic program will allow us to break from existing paradigms and be truly transformational as we aim to marry the notions of achievement on standardized tests with expeditionary, personalized learning to demonstrate that both can be done at a high level. This means encouraging creativity and play in students, faculty, and staff along with instilling consistent academic rigor and a desire to consistently improve one’s teaching practice into the culture of our school. Instructional leadership will support innovation while always having our eyes and minds focused on the data and outcomes of teacher practice to ensure curriculum choices are aligned to annual academic goals. Teachers and leaders will be trained on new tools, and ideas will flow amongst team members to cultivate openness to new ways of thinking, while at the same time instructional leaders will ensure research-based best practices and learning goals are kept at the forefront of teacher practice. This may mean that we will continue to do some things in traditional ways, but we will do so intentionally with full understanding of other possibilities when we do. The intent of our curriculum and academic model is to provide a framework where teachers can meet the distinct needs of all our students. Appropriately trained staff members will guide our students in classrooms that are engaging; teachers will facilitate whole group classroom instruction, small group instruction, and individual one-on-one instructional sessions to guide and assess students through grade level curriculum. All students will take English Language Arts (ELA) and Writing each day for 190 minutes and Mathematics each day for 100 minutes. Students will also take Social Studies, Science, Encore Classes (music, art, creative writing and P.E.) for 50 minutes each, once a week. We will also Page 13 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School have Morning Meetings at the beginning of each day. Our year-long academic program will be divided into four instructional cycles, each nine-week long. Students will be assessed, and teachers will meet weekly to analyze results and trends and make action plans to ensure all students master the skills and content they need. In addition to the core courses and performing arts classes, all students will participate in either intervention or enrichment courses such as Guided Reading, Close Reading Mastery, Math Investigations and Exemplar Problem Solving, Independent Reading, Digital Literacy Lab (using Achieve 3000 /Smarty Ants, Accelerated Reader), Digital Fluency (using IReady Math and IReady Ready). Students that are more than 3 years behind in reading or math will receive an intervention block of instruction. Intervention Block (IB) will have no more than 10 students and be led by a teacher or Instructional Coach. Any student that is performing on or above grade level will receive an Enrichment Block (EB). Students that fall between one to two years behind in grade level will be evaluated using their assessment data, current grades, work quality, and reading level, on a case by case situation to determine the best course option for them as it relates to areas of struggle in math, reading, and writing. Each IB and EB block will take place 30 minutes each day throughout the school week. The Power of Two: Collaborative Team Teaching -All math and literacy (ELA) classes within our school will be co-taught. Collaborative Team Teaching will improve student learning, allowing every young girl access to the instruction needed to achieve academic success. Staff will utilize data to further enhance curriculum and develop personalized learning plans for both individual students and groups of students. Teachers will have multiple opportunities during their day as well as school week to collaboratively plan and meet in grade and subject teams about data to inform instruction and to strengthen their capacity to teach the students at ‘THE” Academy. Focus on Literacy and Math -the educational needs in Shelby County are great for young girls. In 2017 and 2018, the rate of student proficiency in math for elementary aged girls on the TNReady Assessment in Shelby County was less than 16%. Also, in 2017 and 2018, less than 17% of elementary aged girls in the Shelby County were performing on grade level in ELA. The most important factor determining success in school is a child's ability to read. The strongest indicator of future college-attendance is a child's coursework in mathematics. To work on closing pervasive opportunity gaps in math and reading skills as mentioned above, ‘THE” Academy’s academic program will focus on data-driven mathematics and literacy skill-building opportunities in lower grades, which will in turn prepare students for upper grade experiences. Building on best practices of high performing charter schools like Star Academy, and Maxine Smith Stem Academy, we are offering blocks of reading and writing to our students. Our students will have a 190-minute block of Integrated English Language Arts (ELA) daily. This class will be the bedrock of our literacy curriculum and will encompass the development of both reading and writing college ready skills. Our Math Course will also be a 100-minute block Page 14 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School broken into math problem solving (conceptualizing mathematics) and procedures. With longer instructional periods of Math and Integrated ELA, our students and teachers will have the time needed to master distinct sets of academic skills in reading, writing, arithmetic, and problem solving. In addition, our 4th and 5th grade students will have daily intervention in one of the following areas: Phonics, Guided Reading, Digital Literacy (ELA), Digital Fluency (Math), Investigation Math, or Writing Lab. Major Core Curriculum Courses: Overview of Courses Expeditionary Learning/English Language Arts - A Framework for Deeper Literacy and Writing Instruction- ‘THE” Academy will build a culture of literacy instruction that spans content areas and creates a strong foundation of learning for each student. It is our deep belief that reading is the cornerstone of learning. In that vein, our program must serve to not only instill foundational reading skills in our students, but also inspire a love for the written word and communication in our children. It is our goal that students learn to read, think and write like scientists, mathematicians, historians, engineers, poets, and artists. To achieve these results, our pedagogical approach to reading/writing instruction hinges on incorporating reading experiences into each classroom. The Expeditionary Learning curriculum offers 190 hours of literacy per day. At the heart of the curriculum, at all grades level, are the hour-long module lessons. Each grade level includes four modules, which span a full school year. The four modules allow students to build important content knowledge based on a compelling topic related to science, social studies, or literature. Each module uses rich, authentic texts throughout. In K-2, Module 1 is just six weeks, to allow time for getting classroom routines and cultures in place. Grades 3-5 Modules 1-4 last 8-9 weeks. The last unit of each module Unit 3, culminates with a perf romance task. This is where students have created their “magnificent thing” and are writing about it, bringing together what they know about tools, collaboration and perseverance. In K-2 Unit 1 students read, sing, discuss, dramatize, draw and write to acquire strong content knowledge as well as the literacy skills that they need to do so. Students use informational texts, learn how to ask and answer questions about the many texts they work with, and they learn to collaborate and converse with one another, capturing their thinking in pictures and words. In Unit 2, they begin work “close reading” of complex text. In primary grades, this reading happens through the text read aloud (a close read-aloud). Teachers use a close read-aloud guide to conduct a series of sessions (across multiple lessons) that invite students to analyze and discuss this rich literacy text. During modules lessons in this unit, students also do a series of design challenges that give them hands-on experience with collaborative problem solving. As the lessons in each unit progress, teachers regularly check in on students’ progress. Each unit has a standards-based assessment built in. Here students read, write, or speak with increasing independence about the texts they have been working with. These assessments help you in two ways. They allow you to have a clear sense of what your students can do and cannot yet do, and they give you valuable information about how best to use the time in Labs for each student; benefit. This unfolding of the three units means that by Unit 3, when the performance task is introduced students are fully Page 15 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School equipped to create their “magnificent things” and to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplish through supported, standards-based writing. In 3-5 Unit 1, students read, discuss, dramatize, draw, and write so that they acquire strong and specific content and background knowledge, as well as the literacy skills that they need to do so. In the process, the students learn to read closely, reread carefully for meaning, gather evidence and develop a paragraph. In Unit 2, they take this basic understanding to a deeper level. They do more research and discuss with one another what defense specific animals might have. With close support, they respond to a prompting question to write a full multi-paragraph essay about animal defenses. Throughout, for homework, students are reading independently at their own level. They are using research texts to gather deeper and deeper knowledge about how animals use natural defenses to survive and thrive. Through strong professional development in literacy best practices, all teachers on our team will feel equipped and inspired to build the literacy skills of our students within their content area. In addition to being integrated into all subject areas, English Language Arts (both Reading and Writing) will include 760 minutes per week of instruction around grade-level core curriculum literacy skills. Each unit of instruction in ELA will integrate a wide range text including contemporary and classic literature that represents various cultures. Throughout our ELA course, in all grades, we will focus on grammar and usage of academic language while developing effective written communication. We will teach students to read, write, think and discuss complex texts. Within ELA classrooms, we set our sights on instilling a love of reading and writing in our students while continuously pushing their thinking through deep questioning, analysis, and discussion of text. In ELA, intellectual rigor is defined as the process of reading, thinking, and discussing that pushes students’ critical reading, thinking, speaking/listening, and writing abilities, while also developing their innate curiosity and creativity. We believe engagement happens when teachers carefully plan for various strategies and protocols within their lesson design that ensure 100% of students’ minds are active. This happens by focusing away from teacher-centered learning experiences and towards student-driven work time with conferring and targeted coaching. Within ELA classrooms, we will ensure that foundational reading skills are established, with the high expectation of producing 1-2 years of reading growth annually. While ensuring all students are on grade-level within two years of attendance at our school, we will push our students to grapple with complex texts and ideas that spark student curiosity and engage them in authentic academic communication. Within ELA classrooms, we set our sights on instilling a love of reading and writing in our students while continuously pushing their thinking through deep questioning, analysis, and discussion of text. In ELA, intellectual rigor is defined as the process of reading, thinking, and discussing that pushes students’ critical reading, thinking, speaking/listening, and writing abilities, while also developing their innate curiosity and creativity. We believe engagement Page 16 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School happens when teachers carefully plan for various strategies and protocols within their lesson design that ensure 100% of students’ minds are active. This happens by focusing away from teacher-centered learning experiences and towards student-driven work time with conferring and targeted coaching. Within ELA classrooms, we will ensure that foundational reading skills are established, with the high expectation of producing 1-2 years of reading growth annually. While ensuring all students are on grade-level within two years of attendance at our school, we will push our students to grapple with complex texts and ideas that spark student curiosity and engage them in authentic academic communication English Language Arts and Independent Reading - At “THE” Academy, we strongly believe in the power of sustained Independent Reading (DEAR Time) as a key lever in lifting student achievement. Students will have access to a wide range of engaging, high quality children’s and young adult literature and will be given 10 minutes daily at the beginning of their Morning Meeting to read independently from selected text that is on the individual student grade level. In addition, all students will be given an Independent Reading block each day for 20 minutes. Students will also be expected to read for at least thirty minutes at home each night. Teachers will instruct and conference with students as well as assess student progress towards individual reading goals. Through independent reading, our girls will build reading stamina and will develop and strengthen comprehension skills, fluency, and decoding strategies at their assessed reading level. English Language Arts Intervention Outline – At the end of each Intervention Assessments (IA) cycle (as mentioned previously there will be four Interim Assessment cycles that each last 9 weeks), assessment data is collected, and students will be placed into appropriate intervention groups based on their data. Specifically, for English Language Arts, students will be placed in interventions based on Foundation and Performance (F&P) and Lexile test results as well as IA data. Reading will take precedence for intervention over writing in most cases. Classroom teachers will work with instructional leaders to form intervention groups periodically throughout the year following assessment cycles. Intervention options will be as follows: ELA Intervention Intervention Guided Reading Close Reading Mastery Block Digital Literacy-Achieve 3000/Smarty Ants Accelerated Reader Writing Lab -Guided Writing Details 2+ grade levels below target as measured by MAPS and Lexile testing 1-2 grade levels below target as measured by MAPS Testing and reading/writing targets 2+ grade levels below target in writing as measured by On-Demand Writing Assessment Page 17 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Math Curriculum —A Framework for Deeper Mathematical Problem Solving -The goal of the math curriculum at “THE” Academy is to focus on learning mathematical concepts both for teachers and students. Aligned with the Six Outcomes of Deeper Instruction, math classrooms will empower students to succeed at a higher mathematical level. Specifically, instruction will build student capacities with problem solving and critical thinking while fostering collaboration and ensuring content mastery. Our goal is to build a culture of mathematics where both students and teachers are comfortable with grappling with complex topics and concepts and using problem solving reasoning and strategies to continually reach higher levels of understanding and build on the math skills they already know through exploration of conceptual mathematics. Students will develop growth mindset as they begin to see themselves improve and persevere through mathematical challenges. This starts with meeting students where they are, which is the foundation of math fluency and conceptualization. The Integrated Math curriculum and course will be aligned to the Tennessee Common Core Standard. Students will achieve content mastery while developing problem solving skills. Throughout our Mathematics Course, students will collaborate in order to discuss math concepts and work on learning tasks to deepen their conceptual understanding of math related topics. Teachers will establish classroom cultures where they facilitate student discourse and construct arguments around math related topics. We will use Engage NY to support our curriculum development, to coach our teachers with best practices around math instruction. The purpose of our curriculum and math course is to prepare all students for mastery of grade level standards. Learning mathematics requires more than learning facts and procedures for solving certain types of problems. Our math lesson structure (see details in Figure 2.3 below) will compel students to grapple with problems that challenge them while learning to be comfortable with mathematical arguments that happen within the classroom. In addition, students will demonstrate a deeper understanding of concepts not just through discourse (Task) but through application (Independent Practice). This structure allows us to revisit our key design element of intensive skill building in the K-2 while still tackling higher level thinking for our 3-5 experience. Our Math Course will prepare students within our school to develop proficiency and expertise in several mathematical practices that have longstanding importance in mathematics education and in the world. Our math framework is aligned with the Tennessee Common Core Stare Standards for Mathematical Practice, which will be integral to the design of our courses and units of study. The instructional team will develop units of study before the beginning of the school year for the entire year derived from the Math Modules found on Engage New York. Our curriculum will require a balance of solid conceptual understanding (procedural skill and fluency, speed and accuracy in calculation, etc.) and application of skills in problem solving situations. Through Deeper Instruction and exploration, students will develop conceptual understanding of math topics and strategies to persevere by making connections to previously learned content, applying mathematical practices, thinking flexibly, and solving real-world problems. Our goal is to build a culture of mathematics where both students and teachers are comfortable with exploration and Page 18 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School analysis of mathematical real-world situations. Jo Boaler, Professor of Mathematics Education, Stanford University stated that, “instead of being told a method and then practicing it, students will need to learn to choose, adapt, and use [a variety of] methods”48 This thinking will inform our practice to help ensure teacher and student success within the math environment. Mathematical Intervention Outline - At “THE” Academy, our intervention block will fill a deficit area in a student’s math development. The student may need pre-teaching (acceleration), re-teaching, fluency development, or conceptual development. Intervention times and teaching will be built into the school schedule. Intervention groups will be no larger than 10 students to maintain an appropriate student to teacher ratio when working with our most struggling students. Planning and preparation for our interventions will include several components: targeted focus, mental math, and procedural fluency practice. Teachers will select standards to teach based on student data. Data will come from Diagnostics, Interim Assessments, and post-unit Assessments. Teachers will determine the root cause of students’ misunderstanding and create a teaching plan that develops students’ mastery of prerequisite skills and grade level skills using concrete, pictorial and abstract representations. Math Enrichment -All students that are performing on or above grade level will take a 30minute enrichment course beginning in 3rd grade that will offer an accelerated math curriculum in which students will have the opportunity to be placed on track to take our Enrichment course. “THE” Academy will use a customized mathematics curriculum, created by the Instructional Leadership Team, and supplemented by Singapore Math an Engage New York, to create tasks and assignments for our enrichment block to provide additional learnings for our students that are performing on or above grade level. Social Studies Curriculum-Studies Weekly is a standards-based comprehensive curriculum that applies a Balanced Literacy approach to education. The combination of printed weekly units and web-based primary source media, audio reader and other features creates a high level of student engagement. Teacher-created lesson plans will include rigorous and relevant assessment, word study, writing prompts, reading (modeled, shared, guided, and independent). Social Studies Weekly fosters critical thinking skills that help will develop a new generation of responsible decision makers. Social Studies Weekly will also create engaging learning experiences that inspire human hearts and profoundly impact our students as they become critical thinker, and responsible decision makers. This highly engaging, student-centric content will help us brings learning to life for every child. With rigorous and relevant assessments, these colorful and engaging weekly magazines cover Tennessee State Standards. Our Students will be engaged in an era of exploratory from the age of discovery, from the birth of liberty and the foundation of a nation, through the crucible of rebirth and the challenge of westward expansion to the 20th century with primary media sources that document our history. We aim to do this while also covering the knowledge base needed for mastery of standards-based content and academic Page 19 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School growth. Students will also explore history outside the classroom through museum fieldwork, expert visitors, and community investigation. Science Curriculum-Our Science curriculum will develop our young girls to become life-long problem solvers and critical thinkers. Based on the Tennessee Science Standards, we will design units of study that prepare “THE” Academy students for middle school science courses and beyond. Through experimentation, inquiry, critical thinking, problem solving, lab work and teamwork, all students will be provided with the experiences necessary to become responsible decision-makers in this increasingly technological world. Our science curriculum will focus heavily on developing the language and computational skills of our students. “THE” Academy students will ask questions and define scientific problems while using models and lab-based inquiry to carry out investigations. Students will use mathematical thinking to analyze data and construct explanations or develop plans for further investigation. Teachers will provide support through content focused mini-lessons that instill foundational knowledge in students. Additionally, teachers will foster independent learning habits through coaching and pushing students to sharpen their thinking through high-order questioning. Performing Arts Curriculum- The final stage of “THE” Academy’s academic focus is The Arts (visual arts, dance/ P.E., music, drama). All students can benefit from the opportunity to learn about and experience the arts. The arts will be integrated into our daily instruction. 6Studies show the arts expand the boundaries of learning for the students and encourage creative thinking and a deeper understanding of the core subjects, language arts, math, science, and social studies. The Arts will also be emphasized in our Performing Arts classes; dance, visual art, drama, and music, where each student will have to audition for the arts class of their choice, once they are selected for their performing arts class, they will meet twice a week, the last hour of the school day. If a student is unsuccessful in their 1st choice for their performing arts class, they will be allowed to audition for their second choice. The Performing Arts Classes will be taught by parttime teachers / volunteers with mastery in their fields (Y1-Y3). Based on our location we will tap into the available resources of our surrounding communities in hopes of creating a long-lasting partnership. During Y3-Y6 we are projected to hire fulltime teachers in each discipline The teachers in the Arts classes will also use the scaffolding techniques: I Do (teach, model, and the teacher provides lots of examples). We Do (whole class shares in work; students work in small group or pairs. You Do (independently). Each day the student will have a 50-minute class in “The Arts” called PATS Classes (Performing Arts Team Support), with a different class each day. Art: The entire school will participate in visual art classes. The students in grades K-2 may learn line recognition, shapes identification, compositional planning (how to use tools paintbrush, paint, scissors and glue sticks) patterns, texture and primary and secondary colors. 6 http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/the-importance-of-art-in-child-development/ Page 20 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School In grades 3-5, students may learn techniques, shapes within –shapes illusion of forms, basic geometric form, face and figures, shaping using colors, painting techniques and sculpture. Drama / Creative Writing: The entire school will participate in drama. The students in grades K-2 students will focus on drawing, dictating, writing words and phrases, writing sentences, paragraphs, stories report and using graphic organizers. Grades 3-5 students will build on prior Knowledge. They will also learn techniques to help with the development of higher-level aspects of composition, such as topic focus and maintenance, organization, and using language and conventions. This experience will give the students an opportunity to frequently practice writing in a variety of modes for different purposes. Music: The students will have as their Orff Music, K-2 students will study beat/Rhythm, vocal tone, movement, So-Mi-La, ABA Form and wood and metal Barred instruments. Grades 3-5 students will study traditional notation, pentatonic and diatonic scales, soprano recorder, canon, dynamics instrument technique, proper and audience etiquette. Dance / P.E: The students will take dance/P.E. class where they will learn mature forms of locomotors and non-locomotors movements demonstrate body control, using sufficient muscular-strength, endurance and flexibility and forms of rolling, kicking, dribbling, catching, throwing while using a variety of manipulatives. Furthering the Mission and Academic Focus/Plan of “THE” Academy through Curriculum and Instruction – “THE” Academy’s curriculum and instruction will provide the materials and processes through which staff can assess individual needs, set goals, and implement systems to assess goals and learning targets (objectives). Our instructional support staff (School Leader, Director of Curriculum, and Grade Chairs) will design our Framework for Effective Instruction. The Framework for Effective Instruction will support the implementation of school wide best practices as it relates to classroom instruction. As it relates to improving instructional practices, teachers will work with Grade Chairs and members of the School Leadership Team to identify areas of growth and next steps. Teachers will know what to teach by following scope and sequences, curriculum maps and pacing calendars with daily objectives. Teachers will be trained on how to select appropriate, rigorous materials and activities for each subgroup of students. The instructional support staff will provide curriculum maps, scope and sequences, calendars, templates, rubrics and all necessary materials to ensure that all teachers are well prepared to deliver the highest quality instruction possible. These materials will be utilized during faculty orientation and professional development sessions and will be saved on our school-wide Shared Drive to ensure that teachers have immediate access to instructional materials. “THE” Academy’s curriculum will be reviewed and revised at the end of each Interim Assessment Instructional Cycle as teachers and leadership determine what is effective and what is not. Staff will base timing and progression through the curriculum on achievement of goals and objectives. Assessment of the curriculum will also be based on student outcomes and effectiveness of the teaching strategies. Specific staff members, such as the Director of Curriculum, the School Page 21 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Leader, and Grade Chairs, will lead personalized professional development around creating, selecting, and personalizing instructional material. Response to Intervention - Our Director of Curriculum and Student Support Team will manage the RTI process school-wide while working alongside the Student Intervention Specialist, Learning Specialists (Special Education Teachers), and service providers to ensure RTI systems are followed prior to referral for Special Education. Because of the persistent opportunity gap and low-test scores of some students in our district, we anticipate that some of our students will come in below grade level in 1st grade, and for this reason we have designed our school with heavy literacy and math interventions in grades K-2. Students will receive baseline reading and math testing at the beginning of each year, and this data-along with prior test scores-will help create early interventions in math and reading for students who are more than two years below grade level in either subject area. Intervention students will receive an additional block daily in targeted instruction to develop basic skills. “THE” Academy’s faculty will be heavily trained and invested in Response-to-Intervention (RTI) to ensure that all steps are taken before referring a student for a disability screening. “THE” Academy’s RTI Program will be led by the Intervention and Assessment Coordinator during year 1 and with the support of the ESL/ENL Teacher during year 2 and beyond. Students will qualify for “THE” Academy’s RTI Program if they fall into the bottom 10% of the cohort based on grades, performance level on post assessments, and interim assessment scores at the end of each instructional cycle. Throughout each instructional cycle (there are four per year that last between 6-8 weeks), we will collect both academic and behavioral data and frequently monitor data to determine the most effective strategy for of intervention we should implement for “struggling” or “at-risk” students. Leading our Intervention Team, the Intervention and Assessment Coordinator will work with the School Leader, Guidance Counselor, Director of Curriculum and ESL/ENL Teacher during year 1 to seek to understand root causes of struggling students and ensure all behavioral and academic needs are met. Instructional Coach, Director of Student Affairs, and Grade Team Leaders will be added to the Intervention Team during year 2 and 3. The Intervention Team will meet once a month to discuss students and to formally evaluate the effectiveness of interventions that are in place for groups of students. The Instructional Coach/Data Coach will create a data dashboard that stores key information for each student as it relates to academic (GPAs, number of words read, reading level, IA scores, post assessment Scores, and state exam scores) and behavior (number of detentions, scorecard points earned and deducted, suspensions, and special recognitions) data. We will use the data dashboard to determine which students are “struggling” or “at-risk”. Any student that is performing at the bottom 10% is considered “struggling” or “at-risk” and will receive Tier 1 and Tier 2 services. At the end of an instructional cycle, teachers will use academic and behavioral data to evaluate growth and improvement. If the student continues to struggle, he will begin to receive RTI Tier 3 interventions. If the student has demonstrated improvement and is no longer Page 22 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School in the bottom 10% of his class, he will no longer receive interventions and will go through an exit conference with a parent/guardian and his Teacher. All Students that are in enrolled at “THE” Academy, will receive RTI Tier 1. RTI Tier 1 consistent of high-quality classroom instruction, in-class group interventions, and in class differentiated instruction that meets the specific needs of students in the class. Students in RTI Tier 2 will receive weekly group conferences with their Teacher to review student work and reflect on grades, study habits, homework quality and completion, and in class struggles. Teachers and a member from the Intervention Team will also have parent meetings with students in Tier 2. Students in Academic RTI Tier 3 will receive weekly individual progress reports and intensive support (i.e. Saturday Academy, after school tutoring, homework help during elective blocks). Student and parent will also have to meet with the School Leader to determine possible next steps based on the child and their needs. This only occurs if students are not making progress. *Why a single-gender education model? *What does an all-girl school offer our proposed community? Why a single-sex education model? Girls’ schools create a culture of achievement where girl’s accomplishments are what matters. In an all-girls school the speakers, players, writer’s doers and leaders are girls. 785% of recent girls’ school graduates say going to an all-girls school inspires a can-do attitude. At a girls’ school, every girl learns to take on academic challenges, express her thoughts, opinions and participate in new learning experiences. An all-girl environment will create a special, sister like bond among girls and build a strong sense of community. At “THE” Academy, every girl will be an achiever in her own way, by empowering her with a rigorous academic curriculum, individualized attention and encouragement. She will learn to develop a love for her own interest, which will be all the ingredients needed, simply put an all girl’s school teaches girls that there is enormous potential and power in being a girl. The autonomy of a charter will allow us to maximize the use of resources toward the academic needs of our targeted girl population. We will extend our school day, maximizing literacy instruction, increasing instructional personnel, providing the study of a rigorous language arts program to infuse vocabulary development, and creating a school culture where achievement is embraced, and attributes will be one of the school’s goal. Our K-5 grade curriculum will allow us to attack the achievement gap at its roots and educate every girl through 5th grade. An allgirls school further informs our design to best reach the needs of our community and meet the ambitious academic goals we have set for them. “THE” Academy’s unique instructional 7 http://www.ncgs.org/GirlsSchoolAdvantage.aspx Page 23 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School approach, unique curriculum, unique focus on literacy and unique school culture will provide a unique result for every girl attending “THE” Academy. What does an all-girl school offer our proposed community? “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will offer a single-gender, college preparatory, opened-enrollment, K-5 elementary education based on the Tennessee Academic Standards. Currently, no free public all-girls elementary school operate in the Memphis community. Students will be attracted to the school because of the unique single-sex model along with the rigorous curriculum that provides opportunities for differentiated learning and the dynamic performing arts program. Real-world, student-driven learning opportunities will also appeal to both struggling and academically gifted learners from diverse economic and ethnic backgrounds. The prospective student population of “THE” Academy will likely reflect on average the demographics of Midtown / Northeast Memphis. The average combined student population is 8 80.8% African-American, 42% White and 18% Hispanic, and 5% other. In addition to selecting an area that does not currently offer a free public all-girls school, there are several low performing elementary schools located in this demographic. Students in these communities provide proof points for this research; 6low elementary literacy begets poor middle school achievement, inadequate college readiness, and lack of future life options. “THE” Academy will offer parents a choice for their elementary school daughter. This single-sex model would be the first of its kind driven by a focus on literacy and the arts. “THE Academy will offer unique academic shifts in literacy, math, science, social studies and the arts and two unique components: structured learning and Multiple Intelligence. Our aim is to provide a high-quality public single-sex educational option for parents of elementary aged girls within communities without such option. For students in our proposed enrollment zone, there are not that many open enrollment options that will guarantee their girl’s preparation for a competitive middle school, high school, or a collegiate future. We remain inspired by mandates that an all girls’ school creates a culture of achievement and comfort level that helps them develop a greater self-confidence, where they will perform better academically in middle school, high school and college. Within our culturally diverse influenced city, however a severe achievement gap persists. Our local public schools are failing to make State Growth Achievement Goals. 9Tennessee has the largest gap between the percentage of students proficient in reading and math on state assessments. Tennessee has pushed to reform the percentage. They have begun to increase the rigor of testing by moving to a more hands-on student driven test TCAP and Tennessee Academic Standards based knowledge, with the hopes this will provide our students with a more 21st century education. At “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School we will help to generalize the local ramification of such discrepancies and work 8 9 http://www.areavibes.com/memphis-tn/midtown/demographics/ https://www.tn.gov/education/topic/tcap-results-at-a-glance Page 24 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School with the underperforming families raising children in our target communities, the overwhelming majority of whom are dependent upon the quality of a good local public-school option available to them. Daily/Weekly communication between home/school address behavioral and academic growth, a proactive partnership between home and school builds a strong learning for every student: Home visits and family orientations: We will talk to families about the aspirations they have for their child and the work it will take together to get there. We will provide daily progress reports on a student’s progress, engage in weekly communication on specific behavioral and academic growth, provide ongoing opportunities to learn and grow as a family and school community and continue to deepen our partnership all year. Spiral All the Time: Each student will need constant review of standards and skills taught previously particularly those who lack an educational rich environment outside of school. In every class, students will be provided opportunities to engage with standards as the curriculum and data dictate. Teachers will make instructional decision based on all data (exit ticket, weekly test, common assessments, NWEA MAPS). Empower and train teachers to focus on the core: The teachers that are hired to provide instruction at “THE” Academy will carry the load of providing high quality, standards base daily instruction. Each teacher will be responsible for creating engaging lessons that include the steps on how each lesson will be orchestrated in their weekly/bi-weekly lesson plans. The teacher will follow the district provided maps for each grade level. They will also be responsible for tracking the content that is covered by placing stickers (color coded) on an Academy created poster that list the standards for their grade levels and an additional poster that displays the major work of the grade. The color-coded stickers will indicate the student’s level of mastery based on the common assessment data green-mastery (80-100%) yellow-partial mastery (79-50%) red-nonmastery (49%-below). During the summer, the teachers will receive hands-on training on the expectation of creating standard base instructional plans that are engaging and detailed. This professional development will be delivered by the Executive Director and School Director. The teachers will receive a sample lesson plan that details the format that is expected. The School Leader will model high quality instructional lessons in every subject area. The teachers will also be provided with an instructional check list of what the components of each portion of the lesson should entail. The teachers will also view videos that are available on the TDOE website through PBS Learning Media. Teachers will also be encouraged to download iTunes U to view instruction provided by educators in Tennessee. These resources are what the administrative team will use to build our repertoire of what instruction should look like. The School Leader will seek out seasoned teachers to hire at least one per grade level. Also, as we continue to build partnership throughout the district, we will allow our teachers to shadow teachers that are capable of providing instruction that is data driven and standards based. Professional development will be on-going through the school year. All professional development activities Page 25 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will be based on our ultimate academic goals of producing students who are performing at or above grade level by grade 3. These PD activities will occur every Wednesday during (PLC’S), faculty meetings, in-services days, and faculty retreat. Instructional Methods Strong curriculum is the catalyst for excellent lesson plans and high-quality instruction. The Tennessee Academic Standards guide the curriculum and help teachers determine what to teach so that each student will master expectations for each grade level. At the beginning of the year, teachers will plan their yearly units to ensure overall coverage of the standards. Long term planning will also be completed before the school year begins in grade level teams. Each year teachers will begin to plan across grades to ensure instruction is aligned with the mission and vision of “THE” Academy. The School Leader will train and support our staff on using the lesson and unit plan formatted for “THE” Academy. “THE” Academy will designate a staff member as a Lead Teacher. The Lead Teacher will start employment at least 2 months early. She will also help train the teachers on lesson plans review and summer professional development. Daily Instruction Structured, Sequential Approach: Direct Instruction is an explicit, scientifically-based model of effective instruction used primarily in the elementary grades. The guiding principles are that (1) every child can learn if we teach carefully and (2) all teachers can be successful when given effective programs and instructional delivery techniques. A clear presentation limits misinterpretation, helping students generalize skills across contexts. At the start of each day, students can complete a hop to it exercise for extra practice, from skills recently taught. Homework will also include a spiraling activity to keep students practicing multiple objectives. Use Data: “THE” Academy will use data to guarantee students make progress to end of course, end of year, and long-term targets. A significant amount of data will be generated by school wide common assessments; each teacher will use data to help make informed decisions on their instructions for student’s progression. Keeping our students organized along with constant feedback is essential to the success of “THE” Academy. Teachers and student will keep data folders that will include printouts from their NWEA MAP, and easy CBM assessments. Purposeful Homework: “THE” Academy’s teachers will be trained on using homework to reinforce the standards learned in class. At “THE” Academy, students will learn that homework completion is at the core of their responsibilities and help to prepare them for high performing middle school, high school and college. Parents are required to check and sign their child’s homework each night. All homework is checked by the teachers daily, and students who do not Page 26 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School complete their homework face consequences like losing their recess or free time and will be instructed to complete unfinished homework during recess or free time.   K-2 Homework: Teachers will provide families with a weekly news letters that details the week’s assignments and expectations. Nightly reading logs with the expectation that students read for 15 minutes, draw a picture and /or write a summary of what was read and have parents sign. Assignments will also be supplemented by basic skill work. 3-5 Homework: In grade 3, HW increases to 40 minutes a night and grows by 15 minutes each year so that students have one hour of HW by grade 5. In these grades, HW continues to consist of reading logs with the expectation that girls read 20 minutes and complete a short summary of their reading. In math, students complete the correlated worksheet from the Eureka Math Lesson that may include addition and subtraction, fractions, and decimals, multiplication and division. Teachers post HW in a common classroom area and students take time at the end of the day to copy HW into agenda books. During that time, teachers will inspect a students’ agenda book to see signature. Enable Diverse Learners: “THE” Academy’s mission is to educate girls within an achievement-oriented culture. This defined is a culture wherein all girls, regardless of race, class, or creed, learn at the highest levels. Aligned to our mission, we therefore prioritize instructional strategies meant to enable diverse learners to achieve which include (1) Modality Based Instruction (2) Small Group/One on One Tutoring (3) Extended Time (4) Modified Instructional Strategies (5) Tiered Approach to Instruction and (6) Enrichment for Advanced Girls.    10 Modality Based Instruction: Chanting and rhyming create excitement about learning and will help girls to remember key concepts. 10Research has been found to link the use of music in literacy helps ELL students with vocabulary acquisition because songs are an effective way of teaching the pronunciation of these words. “THE” Academy instruction includes daily cheers to reinforce school culture and academic concepts and rhymes and chants which push vocabulary development and accurate pronunciation of less familiar words. Physical activities maintain a students’ engagement. Students learn new concepts with hand signals, finger snaps, and other gestures. Teachers will use cheers and gestures to reward individuals or groups while instruction occurs. Small Group: The students will be engaged in an objective driven lesson based on the standard that was taught during the whole group session during the literacy block. These small groups will be homogenously grouped based on the students’ current data and checks for understanding performed during the whole group portion of the lesson Modified Instructional Strategies: “THE” Academy believes that instructional strategies must embrace diverse learners and ensure every student fulfills their potential. https://educationcloset.com/2012/07/17/integrating-music-and-literacy/ Page 27 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Professional development and instructional design support the differentiation of instruction based on a student’s need. We will hold specific professional development during the summer about how to adapt instructional strategies for exceptional, ELL, struggling, or gifted students. During these sessions, teachers learn strategy, rehearse it as though they were in classroom, and critique each other’s implementation. Strategies research identified as leading to the success of special needs students with a rigorous curriculum include: *Use an overhead projector with and outline of the lesson. *Reduce course load for students with learning disabilities. (In compliance with their IEP) *Provide student with chapter outlines/study guides that cue key points in their readings. *Provide detail newsletters on the instructional focus for the week. *Ask questions in a way that helps the students gain confidence. *Keep oral instructions logical and concise. Reinforce them with a brief cue word. *Frequently verbalized what is being written on the whiteboard. *Create detailed lesson plans *At the end of class, summarize the important segments of each presentation. *Establish the clarity of understanding that a student may have about class assignments. (Exit Tickets) *Give assignments both in written and oral form. *Have practice exercises available for lessons. *Have all students underline key words/direction on activity sheets. *Pace instruction carefully to ensure clarity. *Present new vocabulary weekly. *Provide and teach memory associations. *Talk distinctly and at a rate that all students can follow. *Use plenty of examples, oral, or otherwise, in order to make topics understandable. *Use straight forward terms with step by step instructions. *Write legibly, using white board protocol. Page 28 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School *Use props to make narrative situations more vivid and clear. *Create a print-rich environment. *Offer to read written material aloud, when necessary. Consistently present instruction in the I Do, We Do, They Do format. *Read aloud material that is written on the whiteboard. *Review relevant material, preview material, present new material then summarizes. *Suggest that students use both visual and auditory senses when reading the text. *Encourage students to practice using Accountable Talk with their peers. Instructional Consistency Instructional consistency will support academic achievement, assist leadership in supporting teachers, and encourages positive behavior. We will achieve consistency through an emphasis on common language and consistent techniques that ensure all staff share common instructional expectations. Prioritized strategies include (1) The Taxonomy of Teaching (2) Gradual Release (3) White Board Protocol and (4) Common Room Design Taxonomy of Teaching: “THE” Academy will use a variety of academic, behavioral and advanced instructional techniques as found in 11Teach Like a Champion that reinforces a student expectation and build high levels of a student’s engagement. During summer, professional development, we will select four techniques as a school wide PD focus and differentiate for specific teachers as the year continues. Using a coaching style, based on a student’s achievement data and instructional observations, we will continue to use taxonomy techniques to drive teacher professional development using a consistent language and a focus on what will most impact a students’ achievement. 100 %: Behavioral & Academic:   Behavioral: Method in which a teacher demands everyone’s full participation to complete a task or activity associated with learning and will not continue instruction until all students have complied. Academic There is a difference between right and partially right. When responding to an answer in class, the teacher holds out for an answer that is 100% right. Students should not be told an answer is correct when it is not. Stretch It: Academic: Many teachers respond to a correct answer by saying “good” or “right.” With this technique, a teacher can push students to higher standards by asking them to “stretch” 11 http://teachlikeachampion.com/ Page 29 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School their answer by explaining how they arrived at an answer a more complex question that builds on the same concept or standard. No opt out: Academic: Process in which a student who answers incorrectly is not able to give up on the learning process. We have high expectations for students’ performance and a teacher should not accept “I don’t know” for an answer. Instead the teacher should prompt the student to attempt to answer. If the student genuinely does not know the answer the teacher will call on a fellow student to assist, and then the student will be asked the same question or be given a similar question to answer correctly. Precise Praise: Technique used by teachers to reward girls with praise using very specific examples that are meaningful and genuine. Gradual Release “I Do/We Do/You Do”: Each lesson begins with the teacher demonstrating the concept/skill “I do” and then providing opportunities to practice the concept together “We do”. Then girls will practice the concept independently “You do” until they reach individual mastery through the course of a lesson, students can complete the assignment independently and at higher level than when first introduced. As teachers give more guided opportunities for students to practice a skill or concept in smaller groups, students will be provided with both more time and more independence, so they can work on problems individually. White Board Protocol (WBP): All teachers at “THE” Academy will use a common board protocol called White Board Protocol (WBP). The WBP consists of the objectives, Do Now, Agenda, and HW; it will set the student academic expectation and serves as a visual clue to manage instructional pacing. Adapted for its simplicity in the elementary grades which will require the following: *Class and date is updated and posted on the board. *Objectives provide specific goal(s) for the day. Objectives are measurable, aggressive learning goals directly connected to standards developed in the curriculum. *GQ reflect the focus of the standard and lends itself to connect the beginning of the lesson to the end of the lesson. *Homework is required in all academic classes each day and provides students with the opportunity to practice and reinforce that day’s skill and content knowledge. *Common Room Design: “THE” Academy believes the classroom must be a responsive place of learning. Every feature should contribute to a simple, but grand operation: educating students for academic and personal excellence. At “THE” Academy, Students’ homerooms will have a theme; (K) Under the Sea, (1st) Butterflies (2nd) The Learning Safari (3rd) Super Stars (4th) Rock Stars and (5th) All-Stars. The Page 30 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School following is a list of features all “THE” Academy’s classrooms will share. This list is not meant to be exhaustive and the features should become less visible as students become older. *Homework Guidelines: Clear expectations and examples of quality work are posted next to the homework assignments on the white board of every classroom. These guidelines cover: complete heading; unwrinkled paper; legible writing; using a pencil only; complete sentences (grade 2 onwards); complete answer for every problem. *Monthly Calendar: Monthly calendars will be provided by the school and used by teachers and the students to manage time and assignments, and to teach numbers, patterns, days of the week, and months of the year. students benefit from understanding the routines of the year and use the calendar to forecast what is coming next. The lead teacher is responsible for updating all dates on the calendar and all classroom birthday’s. *Rules/ First Signs: During professional development, each teacher is provided with several professionally made, culturally related signs to decorate their room, send important messages, and create a culture of consistency across classrooms. *Word Wall: All classrooms have a word wall stationed next to the main white board where sight words and new vocabulary words are listed alphabetically. *Literacy Workstation Rotations: All students are heterogeneously grouped for workstation rotations. In an easily adjustable pocket chart student’s names or pictures indicates a student’s Workstation Rotation Group so that confusion is avoided. *Behavioral Chart: This chart will have each girls name on it. An Academy Statue and points will be given at the end of each week based on behavior. (E) 10 points (S) 5points (N) and (U) receive no points. Each month girls will be invited to the Academy Awards Show to exchange their Academy Statues for various items. They may choose to save their points if they choose. Example; 20- 50 points food items, 60-100 points toys over 100 points may attend a school wide fun activity. *Noise Level Meter: The Noise Level Meter is a tool that allows all staff members to regulate the level of noise during class and non-class time. The meter’s volumes are silent, library level, soft voices, and sister time voices. *College Paraphernalia of Teacher’s Alma Mater: Each Academy’s homeroom will display their homeroom teacher’s college that he/she attended. *Classroom Job List: All members of the school community are responsible for maintaining a clean, organized learning environment. This requires the active involvement of a few students daily. In each classroom, the teacher will post a list of jobs needing to be completed daily. Jobs included are those that are essential to ensuring the classroom is in good condition, tasks are completed efficiently, and student leadership is fostered. Sample jobs might include; erasing the Page 31 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School board, handing out snacks, leading the line, resetting the workstation chart, passing out take home folder, holding the hand sanitizer before lunch, organizing the class library and leading the classroom cheer. Only a handful of students will have jobs and girls selected for jobs are those who earned their teacher’s confidence. *Hallway Passes: During school hours, students should not be in the hallways without a pass from their teacher. Names of where the student should be going will be on each pass. Passes will be worn like a necklace and exist for the following; restroom, office, and errands. *Evacuation Instruction: This document is distributed during the summer and is posted in every classroom. *Classroom Library: Every classroom will provide a culture of literacy. This culture begins with a well-maintained bookshelf filled with books. Books are organized by reading levels and by genre (books about fantasy, fairy tales, animals, sports and biographies). Two of the students’ job will be to return books to their correct bin. *Wall Space for Outstanding Student Work: “THE” Academy’s students will pride themselves on completing quality work. All teachers will post superior work inside and outside their classrooms. *Items to be kept in Take Home Folder /Binder Pocket List: All teachers post a list of items to be kept in a take home folder (K-1) binder pocket (2-5) This list includes items that do not need to be returned in 24 hours. *Supply Table: Every teacher has a small table that includes supplies necessary for teaching and learning (stapler, scissors, and three-hole punch, glue, markers, crayon, pencils and notebook paper and tablet sheets). *Folders for Absent Students: If a student is not in class, the work that she missed is collected systematically. To help facilitate this system, each homeroom has a set of manila folders on the supply table that contains all the day’s material organized systematically by content and subject and when a student is absent a folder with her name is placed at their table and all distributed materials are placed into the folder as they are distributed to students throughout the day. *School Mission: A framed copy of the school mission is provided to every teacher during summer and should be placed in a prominent classroom location. *Colored Coded Collection Folders: Homework is collected daily in the morning, prior to the start of the day. Collection folders include; Reading Logs-Yellow, Math-Red, Writing-Green, Science /Social Studies-Blue. Page 32 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School *Each classroom: (K-2) will have a station with laptop computers and headphones for the student to use during workstation time. These computers are cued to directly go to Smarty Ants (Reading) and IReady (Math). (3-5) Achieve3000 (Reading), IReady Math and Read 180. *Reading Carpet: This carpet is where Morning Meeting, Read Aloud and various whole group activities will occur. * Reading Comprehension Table: K-5 classrooms will have a kidney shaped table for small group instruction. This table has a teacher chair and at least four student chairs as a crate for instructional materials (leveled book for the week and phonics material). Intervention Support and Meeting the Needs of Students with Disabilities, ELL and Accelerated Gifted Students Students with Special Needs- Our school will have ample resources to address the needs of English Language Learners, students with disabilities and students at risk of academic failure. While the needs of students who are facing challenges will be considered on a case-by-case basis, there will be specific support staff responsible for addressing academic and behavioral issues as they arise. Our school will have a Student Support Team to monitor students at risk of academic failure, students with special needs, and ELL students. Our team will meet four times a month to develop a plan of action for at-risk students or students with special needs. We will also meet to develop various supports for ELL students. During these meetings, the team will discuss current interventions that have been put in place and the impact of the interventions, and whether the interventions should continue, if necessary. The team will also agree on the interventions to be used for the next cycle and will set the next meeting to evaluate the students’ progress. Annually, our Special Education Teacher and Student Support will lead the distribution of student IEPS and 504 plans. This will be done in a secure, managed process where the Student Support Team trains teachers on how to read these plans and create appropriate interventions for the classroom. Teachers will be responsible for signing documentation that demonstrates their understanding of IEPs and 504s and their ability to use these plans to guide support for students. The Special Education Teacher and Student Support will manage the record-keeping process and ensure that IEPs and 504s are kept secured in both digital and paper copies. “THE” Academy is committed to ensuring that all students make transformative academic and social gains that will propel learning each year. We are committed to ensuring fair financing and the appropriate use of Special Education funds through hiring, purchasing needed technology, and creating support services that provide an equitable learning environment for all students. The Special Education Teacher and Student Support Team will be tasked with creating and managing systems and routines that ensure all students receive equal access to curriculum and maintain school compliance to all federal laws and regulations related to serving students with special needs and second language learners. From the inception of “THE” Academy, we have envisioned a school environment designed for all learners. As mentioned, all math and literacy Page 33 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School classrooms will be co-taught and follow the principals of Universal Design for Learning to create equal access to general education learning for all students. Our various after-school and tutoring opportunities will also be accessible to all students—all layers of our school community will be built with equal access for all learners in mind Once school records are obtained for incoming Academy students with IEPs (Individualized Educational Programs) we will work with the CSE to transition the student appropriately to our school environment and create the right supports according to the IEP for the student. This will require a meeting between the student’s family, the CSE, Special Education Teacher and Student Support, to discuss how services will be aligned with the current IEP. Families, school leadership, and the CSE will come to an agreement on the best services for each child as dictated by the IEP. For students with lagging academic or socio/emotional skills, teachers will refer students to the Special Services team and the RTI process before being sent to the CSE for further special education testing. The RTI process is designed to manage CSE referrals and ensure that no child is referred for evaluation without due diligence by faculty. All referrals to the CSE will state the reasons for referral and all academic/behavioral interventions attempted prior to referral along with parental/guardian involvement in the process. The CSE will then be responsible for all baseline testing of the student, including psycho-educational evaluation, related service assessment, and socio-emotional testing. Once a student is given an IEP, the CSE will be primarily responsible for reevaluation and decertification processes. “THE” Academy’s Special Education Teacher and Student Support Services will forge and maintain a close working relationship with the CSE to ensure that students are receiving the best supports and implementation of IEPs as possible. We will always strive to teach “THE” Academy students in the least restrictive environment and will lean heavily on our RTI process to ensure that appropriate placements are found for all students. Learning Specialists/Special Education Teacher will monitor implementation of learning plans and progress towards annual goals for the students on their grade band beginning year 1. The Learning Specialist will regularly check in with Classroom Teachers about students to monitor student progress both academically and socially. “THE” Academy will review IEPs annually, and the Special Education Teacher and Student Support Team will contact the CSE to reevaluate and revise students’ IEPs and 504s as needed. Our team will work with the CSE to ensure that teachers are present for IEP meetings and that annual and tri-annual IEP meetings are completed on time. We will push our students with IEPs to take the same State achievement tests in math and ELA as their general education peers unless advised by the IEPs not to. Students with IEPs and 504s will receive accommodations and modifications aligned to their plans, and parents/guardians will receive IEP progress reports four times a year in addition to report cards and personal contact from teachers. As required by Tennessee Special Education Dept, “THE” Academy will provide an annual report including the number of students with IEPs and 504 plans, the specifics of each student’s diagnosis, and the plans in place to support each child in the Page 34 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School educational setting. “THE” Academy will submit all required reports by federal, state, and local authorities. We will comply with Shelby County Schools requirements. Special Education Program Assessment – “THE” Academy aims to provide the highest quality Special Education services available in Shelby County. To hold ourselves accountable to meeting this goal, the Student Support Team will meet monthly to assess the implementation of our special education program using school-wide and individual student data. We will assess our program using annual goals that cover areas such as progress towards meeting IEP goals, disaggregated student growth data on standardized and internal assessments, socio-emotional progress, and promotion requirements. We will rigorously analyze our Special Education Program to ensure that it complies with federal, state, and internal requirements regarding the implementation of IEPs, feedback from the CSE on school-based education, and effectiveness of Special Services professional development. We will measure results and pay close attention to the academic and behavioral outcomes of our students with disabilities. Students with IEPs and 504s will receive feedback on their work products. Based on class data and student work products, instruction is adjusted and individualized daily to ensure mastery or progress towards learning goals. Data from work products or assessments is also analyzed and sub-groups are created based on the data for in class small group instruction. After each IA cycle, Teachers will meet during our weekly scheduled PD on Wednesday to analyze data and create action plans to ensure all students with IEPs are making progress and are on track to meeting grade level indicators and mastery of IEP goals by their next annual review. Parent communication is also key in monitoring student progress. Learning Specialists/Special Education Teacher a and Student Support Services will meet with families of students with IEPs at the beginning of the year (August – September) to discuss learning plan for the year, behavior management and instructional techniques we will utilize based on the student’s past experiences. We will also solicit feedback from the family regarding past strategies that may have been effective for the child. We will use this meeting with the family to discuss the child’s strengths and interest as well as previous supports provided. The beginning of the year meeting with families is where we will set the tone for communication, trust, and accountability for student’s success. Throughout the year, parents will receive progress reports with their child’s current grades. Parents will also receive texts or emails regarding the academic and behavior progress of their child. English Language Learners-–“THE” Academy will work with English Language Learners through a Structured English Immersion (SEI) program that provides additional language supports to ELLs without removing them from the general education setting. Our ELL/ENL Teacher will be trained in Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP)53, a research-based instructional method that ensures students are gaining access to academic content while also developing English language proficiency. SIOP helps both ELL teachers and general education teachers make lessons more accessible and comprehensible to students while also preparing them Page 35 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School for rigorous high school and college courses. The foundation of this is the faculty-wide belief that we are all literacy teachers, which will happen through academic and cultural professional development. Teachers will work with their coaches on regularly assessing their curriculum and adjusting lesson plans to include reading and writing instruction. For example, a science teacher will be pushed through coaching to include explicit vocabulary instruction and include regular reading strategy lessons within content lessons. ELL students will also benefit from being in cotaught classrooms along with all ‘THE” Academy students because co-taught classrooms provide more opportunities for one-on-one support, small group instruction, consistent check-ins and targeted feedback. The level of support for ELL students who qualify for ESL services will also depend on their proficiency in English as determined by their TNESLAT score. Levels of support can range from daily small group ESL instruction during Guided Reading, to Phonics instruction during Intervention Block, or differentiated or scaffolded instructional materials in all classes. Some ELL students who score in a higher range on the assessment will receive fewer services, such as push-in support with their core academic classes. No matter the level of the support, the ENL/ESL Teacher along with the grade level Teachers will determine what a child needs are and how we will provide them. “THE” Academy will provide each family with a Home Language Survey during enrollment. Students from non-English speaking homes will have an interview with the ESL teacher in both English and the family’s home language. If the process identifies that the child speaks no English, she will be classified as ELL. For students with Limited English proficiency, student will be given Tennessee State Identification Test for English Language Learners (TNSITELL) to determine English proficiency level. Parents/guardians will be provided with written notification of this assessment in both the home language and English of the child’s English level, the method of ELL instruction used at “THE” Academy, how it will help the child learn English, and the requirements for exiting the program as well as the guardian/parental right to deny ELL services. Students will also be assessed in their home language in reading and math to determine grade-level ability outside of English proficiency status. This will ensure that “THE” Academy does not misdiagnose ELL students or place them in remedial classes or interventions that are inappropriate. Students who qualify for both ELL and SPED services will receive the full benefits of both programs. ELL Services, Staffing, and Staff Development – “THE” Academy will comply with all applicable laws related to ELLs including but not limited to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 and Casteneda vs. Pickard (1981). ELL students will be included in all aspects of our school community and valued as an integral part of our school culture. To ensure that ELL students master English proficiency in a timely manner, all ELL students will receive instruction from trained staff, specialized curricular resources when needed, extra time and tutoring supports, and push-in services in classes where needed. All teachers will receive professional development from the ENL/ESL Teacher and from the Intervention Specialist. Trainings will focus on appropriate language scaffolds for ELL students Page 36 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School and ways to identify persistent struggles of ELL students and how to address them. Staff will also receive training around strategies for working with ELL students such as: the use of sentence starters, visuals, wait time during questioning and discussion, vocabulary supports, partner pairing, and classroom discourse. Throughout the year, the ESL /ENL Teacher will lead teacher trainings and provide feedback on implementation of best instructional practices to the staff. We anticipate having several bilingual faculty members to assist with students’ and parents’ written and verbal communication; we will utilize outside language providers to ensure that other home languages also receive similar support and attention. ELL students will receive the appropriate accommodations as dictated by law, and the ESL/ENL teacher by year 5 will be responsible for ensuring that services are provided for their caseloads of students. “THE” Academy will provide the faculty with a list of students who receive ELL accommodations for instruction and assessment. The ESL/ENL Teacher will work with General Education Teachers to ensure that services are provided. ELL Program Assessment -ELL students will take the annual Tennessee State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (TNSESLAT) to determine progress towards English language proficiency and English language levels for the coming school year. “THE” Academy will administer this test and analyze the results in terms of how rapidly students are making growth towards English proficiency. We will monitor how long it takes students to reach English proficiency and monitor how well students do academically while in the ELL program. We will use this reflective process to make adjustments as needed to the ELL program. If an ELL student fails to show appropriate progress in the core academic areas, additional modifications to our curriculum and interventions will be made. Students receiving ESL services will take the TNSESLAT exam at the end of each school year. The TNSESLAT assesses proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking in English. After administered, all students receive a score of Entering, Emerging, Transitioning, Expanding, or Commanding. Any student who subsequently test high enough (Commanding) to exit the program will be deemed to be no longer in need of ELL services. Students who have exited the program based on TNSESLAT will be monitored for two years. To ensure that students in the ELL program are achieving the desired results, an annual evaluation will occur. ‘THE” Academy will evaluate the progress of our ELL students on standardized assessments and non-standardized assessments against that of the non-ELL students. Gifted and Talented Students – Part of our model is to not only focus on students that are not performing on grade level, but to prepare students who, our curriculum and academic program will consistently challenge our highest performing and advance students to compete academically with their peers across the country. Five times per week, beginning in 1st grade , students that are identified as advanced performing students based on data, will take an Enrichment Course for Math and ELA. During the Enrichment Block, students will spend three days a week working through an advance math curriculum (curriculum will be created by Page 37 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Instructional Leadership Team using Engage NY) that will place them on track to take the Regents Course and exam. Students will also be challenged twice a week with above grade level texts during the Enrichment Block that will be navigated independently to assist with supports around writing, comprehension and understanding of a text above grade level. Achievement Goals- “THE” Academy will target at-risk students, reflective of Shelby County District, including English/New Language Learners (5%), Students with Disabilities (5%), and those eligible for Free and Reduced-Price Lunch (Economically Disadvantaged 90% Students). Assessment System, we will monitor academic data through student work analysis, daily and weekly formative assessments, end of the unit summative assessments, IAs, and TNReady Test in order to ensure ongoing progress monitoring of all goals. “THE’ Academy’s Board of Trustees (BOT) will monitor progress towards the benchmarks listed in the TDOE Charter School Performance Framework. Detailed. Our BOT will also oversee legal, operational, fiscal, and administrative compliance with the State and effectiveness of our academic program through regular internal and external audits. The results of internal and external audits will be reviewed regularly by our BOT and our Leadership Team. BENCHMARK 1: INDICATORS a) Performance Framework Accountability Designation of Reward or Good Standing b) At least 75% of total tested students in the school maintain a proficient testing level or trend toward proficiency from one year’s test administration to the next. Analysis will examine proficiency maintenance or improvement of all students in the school compared to each student’s previous year’s test scores c) At least 75% of subgroups of students in the school maintain a proficient testing level or trend toward proficiency from one year’s test administration to the next. Analysis will examine proficiency maintenance or improvement of students in the school who are economically disadvantaged, students with special disabilities and English Language Learners compared to each student’s previous year’s test. d) Among all students tested, the 75% of students who score proficiently on 2-5 state assessments for all students at the school level meets or exceeds the district average. e) Among all subgroups tested, 75% of students who score proficiently on 2-5 state assessments by subgroup at the school level compared to the subgroup meets or exceeds the district average. Includes students who are economically disadvantaged, students with disabilities and English language learners. f) Among each grade level of students tested, 75% of students who score proficiently on 2-5 state assessments for all students by grade level meets or exceeds the district average. BENCHMARK 2: TEACHING AND LEARNING Curriculum a) The school has a documented curriculum that is aligned to the TNCCLS. b) Teachers use unit and lesson plans that introduce complex materials, stimulate higher order thinking, and build deep conceptual understanding and knowledge around specific content. Page 38 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School c) Curriculum is aligned horizontally across classrooms at same grade level and vertically between grades d) Curriculum is differentiated to provide opportunities for all students to master grade-level skills and concepts. e) The curriculum is systematically reviewed and revised. Instruction a) The school staff has a common understanding of high-quality instruction, and observed instructional practices align to this understanding. b) Instructional delivery fosters engagement with all students. Assessment and Program Evaluation a) The school uses a balanced system of formative, diagnostic and summative assessments b) The school uses qualitative and quantitative data to inform instruction and improve student outcomes. c) The school uses qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the academic program and modifies the program accordingly. Supports for Diverse Learners a) The school provides supports to meet the academic needs for all students, including but not limited to: students with disabilities, English language learners, and economically disadvantaged students b) The school has systems to monitor the progress of individual students and facilitate communication between interventionists and classroom teachers regarding the needs of individual students. BENCHMARK 3: CULTURE, CLIMATE, AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT Behavior Management and Safety a) The school has a clear approach to behavioral management, including a written discipline policy b) The school appears safe and all school constituents can articulate how the school community maintains a safe environment. c) The school has systems in place to ensure that the environment is free from harassment and discrimination. d) Classroom environments are conducive to learning and generally free from disruption Family Engagement and Communication a) The school communicates with and engages families with the school community. b) Teachers communicate with families to discuss student’s strengths and needs. c) The school assesses family and student satisfaction using strategies such as surveys, feedback sessions, community forums, or participation logs, and considers results when making school wide decisions d) The school has a systematic process for responding to family or community concerns. Page 39 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School e) The school shares school-level academic data with the broader school community to promote transparency and accountability among families, students and school constituents. Social Emotional Support a) The school has systems or programs in place to support the social-emotional needs of students. b) School leaders collect and use data to track the social-emotional needs of students. c) School leaders collect and use data regarding the impact of programs designed to support students’ social and emotional health. BENCHMARK 4: FINANCIAL CONDITION Near Term Indicators a) Current Ratio b) Unrestricted Days Cash c) Enrollment Variance d) Composite Score Sustainability Indicators a) Total Margin b) Debt to Asset Ratio c) Debt Service Coverage Ratio BENCHMARK 5: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 1.The school has an accurate and functional accounting system that includes monthly budgets 2. The school sets budget objectives and regularly analyzes its budget in relation to those objectives. 3.The school has allocated budget surpluses in a manner that is fiscally sound and directly attends to the social and academic needs of the students attending the school 4.The school has and follows a written set of fiscal policies. 5.The school has complied with state and federal financial reporting requirements. 6.The school has and is maintaining appropriate internal controls and procedures. 7.The school follows generally accepted accounting principles as evidenced by independent financial audits with an unqualified audit opinion, a limited number of findings that are quickly corrected, and the absence of a going concern disclosure. BENCHMARK 6: BOARD OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNANCE 1.The board recruits and selects board members with skills and expertise that meet the needs of the school 2.The board engages in strategic and continuous improvement planning by setting priorities and goals that are aligned with the school’s mission and educational philosophy Page 40 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School 3.The board demonstrates active oversight of the charter school management, fiscal operations and progress toward meeting academic and other school goals. 4.The board regularly updates school policies. 5.The board utilizes a performance-based evaluation process for evaluating school leadership, itself and providers. 6.The board demonstrates full awareness of its legal obligations to the school and stakeholders. BENCHMARK 7: ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY School Leadership a) The school has an effective school leadership team that obtains staff commitment to a clearly defined mission and set of goals, allowing for continual improvement in student learning b) Roles and responsibilities for leaders, staff, management, and board members are clearly defined. Members of the school community adhere to defined roles and responsibilities. c) The school has clear and well-established communication systems and decision-making processes in place to ensure effective communication across the school. d) The school successfully recruits, hires, and retains key personnel, and makes decisions – when warranted – to remove ineffective staff members. Professional Climate a) The school is fully staffed with high quality personnel to meet all educational and operational needs, including finance, human resources, and communication. b) The school has established structures for frequent collaboration among teachers. c) The school ensures that staff has requisite skills, expertise, and professional development necessary to meet student’s needs. d) The school has systems to monitor and maintain organizational and instructional quality— which includes a formal process for teacher evaluation geared toward improving instructional practice. e) The school has mechanisms to solicit teacher feedback and gauge teacher satisfaction. BENCHMARK 8: MISSION AND KEY DESIGN ELEMENTS a) School stakeholders share a common and consistent understanding of the school’s mission and key design elements outlined in the charter. b) The school has fully implemented the key design elements in the approved charter and in any subsequently approved revisions. BENCHMARK 9: ENROLLMENT, RECRUITMENT, AND RETENTION a) The school maintains sufficient enrollment demand for the school to meet or come close to meeting the enrollment plan outlined in the charter Page 41 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School If enrollment and retention targets are not met: a) The school is making regular and significant annual progress towards meeting the targets b) The school has implemented extensive recruitment strategies and program services to attract and retain students with disabilities, English language learners, and students who are eligible for free and reduced priced lunch. Strategies include but are not limited to: outreach to parents and families in the surrounding communities, widely publicizing the lottery for such school, efforts to academically support these students, and enrollment policy revisions, such as employing a weighted lottery or enrollment preference, to increase the proportion of enrolled students from the three priority populations. c) The school has implemented a systematic process for evaluating recruitment and outreach strategies and program services for each of the three categories of students, and makes strategic improvements as needed. BENCHMARK 10: LEGAL COMPLIANCE a) The school has compiled a record of substantial compliance with applicable state and federal laws and the provisions of its charter including, but not limited to: those related to student admissions and enrollment; FOIL and Open Meetings Law; protecting the rights of students and employees; financial management and oversight; governance and reporting; and health and safety requirements. b) The school has undertaken appropriate corrective action when needed and has implemented necessary safeguards to maintain compliance with all legal requirements. c)The school has sought Board of Regents and/or Charter School Office approval for significant revisions 1.4 Academic Performance Standards Annual and Long Term Academic Achievement Goals “THE” Academy’s Academic Performance Standards are Aligned with our Mission. “THE” Academy believes that for young girls to be successful, cumulative proficiency is critical to academic success and progression. Students will receive weekly and monthly supports to ensure that every young girl at “THE” Academy will have the opportunity to explore and master concepts throughout the year. These supports will include after school homework help, daily peer reinforcement, interim assessment “re-teaching” through different methods and modalities, and Saturday Academy. With such supports and with the school’s highly structured environment, the goal is for all students, if not the clear majority, to achieve academic success at the end of each year. At “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School, we embrace accountability at all levels, for students, for teachers, for leadership, and for the school as a whole; we know that schools must produce results. We are committed to improving the education outcomes for all our students in Shelby County, specifically in the Mid-town/Northeast community, and changing the long-term Page 42 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School trajectory of their lives. To achieve this, we will hold ourselves to the highest standards for academic, organizational and financial performance. We believe that the SCS Performance Framework represents a rigorous approach to school accountability grounded in the best practices of the National Association for Charter School Authorizers. As such, “THE” Academy will utilize the Performance Framework – and its detailed metrics for academics, including progress, achievement gap, and school culture; for financial performance, including near term and sustainability indicators; and for organizational performance, including those regarding the educational program, financial management and oversight, governance and reporting, students and employees, and the school environment. It is our aim to earn Exemplary for academic performance and Meets Standard for financial and organizational performance. In addition to these ambitious metrics, we have established additional mission-specific academic and organizational goals and targets. “The” Academy All Girls Charter School Academic and Organizational Goals Academic Goals * 90% of all student who have attended the school for two or more years will Absolute Performance Growth Measures Achievement Gap and Comparative Measures School Culture and Climate Families Students Teachers and Staff Organizational Goals Student enrollment, attendance, and retention Governance Teaching Staff score Proficient or Advanced on the TNReady Test. *K-2 students demonstrate 1.5 yrs. Of Lexile growth in reading comprehension * By the end of 5th grade, all students will score at 75 percentiles or higher on the NWEA MAP assessment in reading, math, language, and science. *All students will show five percentiles of growth each year on the MAP until they reach the 75th percentile or higher. *There will be a 4% or less achievement gap between student subgroups (i.e., race, economic status, disability, and English language proficiency on the TNReady Test. *“THE” Academy will outperform surrounding elementary schools and the SCS district on all NWEA MAP and TnReady Test assessments in every grade and subject tested. *90% of families who complete the parent satisfaction survey will be satisfied/very satisfied (4/5 on a scale of 1-5) with “THE” Academy overall. *80% of students will indicate they are satisfied/very satisfied with “THE” Academy on the annual survey. *80% of students will indicate that are satisfied/very satisfied with their individual classroom experiences on the annual survey. *90% of teachers and staff will agree/strongly agree that “THE” Academy is a professional rewarding work environment on the annual survey. *85% of students who begin the school year at “THE” Academy will remain in the school throughout the academic year. * “THE” Academy will re-enroll 90% of its students overall for reasons other than geographic relocation. * “THE” Academy will maintain an average daily attendance of 97% or higher. *The diversity of “THE” Academy will reflect the diverse population of the MidTown/Northeast Community. *The Board of Directors will provide effective and sound oversight of the school by conducting an annual self-evaluation and reviewing/updating the bylaws as necessary. *The Board of Directors will conduct a formal annual review to measure the effectiveness of the school’s leadership using formal evaluation. *The Board of Directors will conduct an annual analysis of the school’s organizational strategic strengths and weaknesses as part of a long-term strategic plan. *100% of “THE” Academy’s instructional team will be highly qualified. Page 43 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School *100% of staff evaluations will be conducted annually. *Less than 10% of “THE” Academy’s adult team that are a culture, philosophical, and skill fit will leave after two or fewer years. *100% of the school’s curriculum, programs, policies and activities will be consistent with essential legal and regulatory requirements. Goal Setting Process The process for setting, monitoring and revising academic achievement goals will occur annually. Program Reviews will take place twice a year for “THE” Academy in the spring and in the fall. In the spring, the Executive Director and School Director along with the data team review the school’s data and set targets for the upcoming year. In the fall, those targets are revisited once additional data sources are available (such as TnReady State assessment scores). Additionally, we use NWEA MAPS to set school wide goals in achievement, culture and program fidelity. Progress towards these goals will be measured in data team meetings. Corrective Action Plans If “THE” Academy is unable to meet state and/or district achievement expectations, the first step would be to use data to identify which aspects of the school model are the root cause. The NWEA MAPS, data assessments programs and the School Leader Evaluation will be used to identify root cause data. In addition, a site visit would be conducted (although the school would have likely already been visited multiple times). School Leader and Leadership Team will use the site visit to probe specific issues based on the data. At the start of the day, the School Leader and Leadership Team will align on the root cause issues, the School Leader will observe professional development, a student focus group related to the root cause will be held, a teacher focus group related to the root cause will be held, and classrooms will be observed. At the conclusion, the School Leader and Leadership Team will meet to review findings from the day and co-develop an intervention plan. For example, if there are challenges in math, additional math coaching support from daily interventions and tutoring would be provided. The school will work to show improvement within the year. If the School Leadership and Leadership Team do not observe growth in the school over the course of the year, they may reassess the staffing plan. Lastly, if the school is stagnant and the other interventions have not proven successful, the School Leader may assess if a leadership change is needed based on the data sources provided above. Page 44 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Remediation of Academic Underperformance “THE” Academy will provide multiple supports for students who are underperforming academically. Teachers will provide quarterly benchmark exams and interim assessments in core content areas to monitor their students’ progress and will be available for additional support during teacher planning hours. “THE” Academy is committed to serving the needs of every student, no matter their background. “THE” Academy will succeed with some of the most socioeconomicallydisadvantaged student populations in the city and will have specific academic interventions and strategies to support such high need students:     Reading and Math Intervention Programs: Achieve 3000/Smarty Ants, and IReady Math will be standards-aligned intervention programs for reading and math, that is given to students that test below grade levels in reading and/or math. English Learners: Achieve3000/Smarty Ants, reading/language arts program is designed for students below grade level, provides intensive supports for students entering school as beginning ELLs, After School Tutoring: Students who are not achieving a satisfactory grade within a particular class and/or need more support in a subject can attend tutoring, which is offered for an hour every day after school and ran by credentialed teachers. After School Hours: Teachers hold one hour twice a week after school to provide additional support. Promotion / Retention Regular assessment is important in order to guide the provision of academic services, enhance classroom instructional strategies, and measure student learning and students’ progress toward meeting “THE” Academy’s academic achievement standards. Therefore, “THE” Academy shall employ a comprehensive student assessment system to help ensure that students remain on course to meet the academic achievement standards of the district and on target to meet the grade level standards recognized by state and federal governments. Should a student fail a core subject, the student will attend our Summer Academy for the opportunity to excel to the next grade level. If a student does not pass the summer program, they will not advance to the next grade. Students with IEPs will be held to standard promotional criteria unless their IEP indicates their promotional criteria is modified. Promotion and Retention Decisions: Assessment of the student in the context of the total learning situation and its attendant circumstances should be used to determine what is best for the student. Factors to be considered in deciding what is best for the student should include: 1. current skill level; 2. the student's age; Page 45 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. achievement potential; previous performance; evaluative data; chances for success with more difficult material when current skills are inadequate; number of absences; previous retention; maturity level; standardized test results; what benefits can be accomplished by retention. Promotion: Promotion shall be based on skill mastery and shall be considered on the basis of what is best for the student in terms of school success. Retention: Retention is used to help students improve their knowledge base by providing an additional year of instruction to address inadequate skills mastery. Retention will be considered on an individual basis. Deficiencies in several of the factors to be considered in deciding what is best for the student that are listed above indicate that retention shall be considered. Retention, however, will not be used as a punitive measure or as a way to hold a student back because of parental wishes when a student's performance does not warrant it or if “THE” Academy feels retention is inappropriate. Communication and Supports for Academic Success and Promotion: Aligned to our belief that we are partners with parents in students’ academic success, we will regularly communicate with families about students’ progress. Moving beyond traditional one-way communication, i.e., simply sending reports home to inform parents about grades, we will utilize structures that promote robust, two-way communication and collaboration with families. At “THE” Academy, students and families will have multiple and ongoing ways to be informed of and support their student’s academic success throughout the school year. They include: 1. Progress Reports: Progress reports will be sent home every four-week intervals. The Progress Report will not be a part of the student’s formal academic record. Rather, it is an opportunity to communicate with parents/guardians regarding how their student is doing at the halfway point in the grading period. Progress Reports will include a letter and/or numeric grade indicating the student’s grade and the student’s performance. A parent/guardian whose child is failing more than one course at the Progress Report time may be required to meet with the teacher of that course within one week of receiving the Progress Report. Based on the Progress Report, parents/guardians may call or request a conference with any teacher. 2. Report Cards: Each student will receive a comprehensive report card at the end of each nine weeks. These will include students’ grades in each academic course, behavioral data (i.e., attendance, discipline actions). Page 46 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School A collectively developed educational plan, which suggests different strategies and materials, should be considered for every student to be retained. The School Director shall monitor the progress of the retained students Special Consideration: Special consideration for promotion and/or retention shall be given to students with special academic, social, and emotional needs. English Language Learners (ELL): ELL students shall meet the same standards as all students. However, in accordance with federal law, English language proficiency shall not be the sole factor in determining that a student has not met performance standards for promotion. Intervention strategies shall include, where appropriate, assistance in the development of English language proficiency. Students with Disabilities: To the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities shall be governed by “THE” Academy’s student standards established for students without disabilities. All enrichment, interventions/remediation, opportunities, benefits and resources made available to students without disabilities shall be made available to students with disabilities. Students with disabilities may be exempt from promotion/retention standards if an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team determines that the student does not have the ability to successfully meet general curricular standards. Students with disabilities are not subject to promotion/retention standards if, due to the nature and severity of their disability, they have an IEP allowing them to take an alternative form of state assessment. Ongoing Academic Supports through our Response to Intervention Framework: “THE” Academy recognizes that the elementary school students we hope to serve in the MidTown/Northeast community will come to us with varying levels of academic readiness. Based on the performance of the elementary schools in the area, it is likely that many students will be below grade level. As a result, “THE” Academy’s program is modeled on a comprehensive Response to Intervention Framework that is designed to provide ongoing and individualized supports to students. Through our tiered model – including differentiated core instruction, tailored daily reading instruction, integrated intervention block, peer tutoring, and numerous other structures – we will provide responsive, real-time support to students. These supports and how students will be identified to receive them are fully articulated in the Academic Focus and Plan, Special Populations and Assessment sections. 1.7 Assessment “THE” Academy believes in a data driven environment to ensure students receive personalized, targeted learning support throughout their experience. The strategic use of objective data will best inform ongoing curriculum development, classroom instruction, student support and professional development. Our carefully designed system of assessment will be in place to measure students’ gradual mastery of and engagement with the Tennessee Common Core Learning Standards for each grade and subject. Such assessments will demonstrate accountability Page 47 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School and commitment to high levels of achievement, while showcasing our academic model. Our assessment system will balance formative and summative assessments, combining process-based writing, on-demand writing, quizzes, exit tickets/reflection tickets, pre- and post- unit assessments, conferences, participation in discussions, and Interim Assessments across subjects to get an accurate picture of each student’s needs and development. Assessments will be regularly administered and will be utilized to accomplish the following goals: identify students’ educational needs; revise educational goals and standards, provide instructional feedback to students, evaluate the quality of the curriculum, and to evaluate our academic program strengths and areas in need of improvement in order to meet the needs of all learners. Overview of “THE” Academy’s Assessment System - Our young girls will be expected to achieve a level of academic performance that will enable them to succeed at Memphis’ best high schools and the nation's best colleges and other post-secondary paths. Our faculty will collect various sources of student data to understand student performance, assess teaching practices, and make informed decisions about instruction based on the data from assessments (Data Driven Instruction (DDI) - Focus on Results). However, it is important that we discuss an expanded notion of data here to connect back into our pedagogical position of deeper learning--our school data will encompass more than Math and ELA standards as measured by State Assessment. In addition, we will push ourselves to include a measure of knowledge/skill mastery, character growth, and high-quality student work (as demonstrated on Performance-Based Assessments) in our DDI cycles. We will always begin with the end; assessment data drives daily instruction. We will track, analyze, and respond to data both strategically and often (daily). We will use assessments and assessment data to spiral skills into future units, adjust instruction, and re-teach standards not mastered to ensure we are meeting the needs of our students. “THE” Academy’s School Leader along with our Data Specialists will own the vision of DDI process. Twice a month the School Leader, Director of Operations, Data Specialist, and Director of Academic Affairs will meet to discuss school data. The Data Specialist will create a data dashboard that will track key academic indicators of performance such as: course grade, reading levels, IA results, state exam scores, unit post assessment scores, attendance, and current interventions. The dashboard will also track behavior as it relates to the number of suspensions, detentions, score card points earned or deducted, and teacher removals. This dashboard will be created using google docs and will also be shared with the entire staff each week. Daily Assessments - At “THE” Academy we will regularly administer reliable assessments that align to our school’s curriculum. We believe in the power of individualized feedback. All teachers have 100 minutes of time built into their schedule to grade student work during Common Planning. Teachers will have time to grade with co-teacher to identify trends and plan instruction as a response to data from student work. Teachers will provide individual feedback to each student on exit tickets, writing task, and other work products or task. The goal is for Page 48 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School teachers to provide feedback that leads to quick improvements to student outcomes. Data collected from daily assessments such as exit tickets will be entered into teacher gradebooks (PowerSchool) and will be available online for families to also track student progress. We will also print progress reports every 4 weeks to send home. Weekly Assessments - Frequent formative assessments that will allow us to tailor lessons and personalized support to meet student needs will be administered weekly. “THE” Academy will employ the following ongoing formative assessments to evaluate mastery of skills and content and help teachers determine which students need more attention: quizzes, on-demand writing assignments, and exemplar problem. All formative assessments will be aligned to previouslytaught standards and will closely resemble the rigor and language of the TNReady Exam. Weekly assessments serve as check-ins to determine if students are mastering standards taught throughout the unit. Students consistently scoring below proficient or below a 70% on weekly quizzes are invited to attend extra help before or after school. Semi-Annual Assessments - We will use pre/post-assessment cycles across all courses to develop data driven instruction. Pre-and post-assessment will be created by the leadership team. Pre-and post-assessments will serve as the summative assessment for each unit. Students will take the pre-assessment to determine what information students already know and what standards should the teacher spend the most time on. At the end of each unit, students will be given the same assessment to track progress and growth towards the standards taught during the unit of study. All pre-and post-assessments are unit focused and will mimic the language and rigor of the TNReady Assessment. We will also have students create Writing Portfolios. At the end of each novel study unit in ELA, students will produce a writing piece that demonstrates mastery of writing standards that were taught throughout the unit. In addition to pre/post-assessments, we will use NWEA MAP, and Achieve 3000/Smarty Ants to track students’ reading growth throughout the year. We will administer NWEA MAP Assessments three times a year, at the beginning, middle, and end of the year. NWEA MAP and Achieve3000/Smarty Ants Reader data will be used to group students and measure growth. We will use reading assessment data to set individualized goals for students to work towards. We will also administer four Interim Assessments from the Achievement Network to measure yearlong progress across standards in both ELA and Math. IAs are created before the beginning of the school year by the Achievement Network and reviewed and revised by the School Leader and Director of Academic Affairs. During the school year, data from IAs is used to determine which students are proficient on which standards, what standard and/or skill should be re-taught whole group, which content needs to be spiraled into the next units for more practice, and which individual students need small group re-teach or review. Teachers will spend a full day of PD after each instructional cycle analyzing data, determining whole-group and sub-group trends, creating action plans, and revising instructional materials to respond to the needs of their students. With the assistance of the Achievement Network Coordinator and our Data Specialist, Page 49 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School teachers and school leadership will analyze and share data using school-wide templates and data tracking systems. Teachers will understand their students’ performance in relation to grade level, school and The Achievement Network-wide performance. Our Intervention Team will also use the data from these assessments to target certain groups of students for intervention and/or remediation as well as enrichment. IA, Achieve 3000/Smarty Ants, and NWEA Map scores will be sent home in at the end of each instructional cycle. At the highest level, staff, leadership and the Board of Trustees will work together to ensure the quality of assessment is appropriate and that the framework around their administration is purposeful and informative. The board and leadership team will use measurable objectives and frequent Interim Assessments aligned to clear standards and performance targets. Yearly Assessments – All students in grades 2-5 will take the TNReady Exam for Math and ELA. We will use the data from these assessments to determine growth and create school wide revisions to our curriculum, school wide assessments, and performance tasks. We will distribute data to families at the beginning of the following year during open school house night in September. Projects will be grade with a rubric that will be designed by the teacher. Monitoring student progress will be an ongoing process in all classrooms and across our school community. Informal data collection will include daily classroom observations with department trackers/checklists by teachers and classroom observations by school leaders. Data will be used to guide instruction that will be led by teachers as they make instructional decisions, and by school leadership as they plan for interventions for groups and individual students each week. Parent Communication - Progress reports will be shared with families the last Thursday of each Month. Interim Assessment results will be shared with students to give them an understanding of their own improvement towards their goals. We will also host Student Lead Conferences twice a semester. During SLCs, students and teachers will present student data, strengths and areas of improvement to parents. Plans for Evaluating Student Performance At “THE” Academy, each teacher plans every lesson with clear end-of year student goals in mind, a definite picture of current learning and strategic benchmarks that connect the two. For students with special needs or for ELL, our detailed assessment program supports the rapid identification of areas or strength or weakness. Using this assessments data, we will assign students to small groups, develop tailored instructional plan and provide additional small group support. At the start of the school year, students will be given a series of diagnostic assessments using NWEA MAP. Once NWEA MAP is completed, the School Director will provide teachers with a list of students who will complete the easyCBM benchmark. They will receive a separate list for reading and math and if shown that a student has scored lower on reading than math then the student would only need to be assessed on the easyCBM in reading. The results of these Page 50 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School diagnostic assessments will provide a benchmark against which we measure a student progress and inform instructional planning. This information will be sent home to parents as well as presented to the Governing Board. Below is a list and description of some of the assessments “THE” Academy intend to use. Daily Exit Tickets/Checks for Understanding: Teachers will use exit tickets at the end of each block of instruction as a formative assessment to measure which students mastered the objective and which need additional support. Exit tickets inform adjustments to lesson plans, student grouping, and tutoring needs. Often, exit tickets will be used for more informal checks for understanding during whole group instruction and specifically during the phonics blocks. Every student will receive a four-week interim report that is sent home to families and must be signed and returned to school. NWEA MAP: The NWEA MAP is a universal screener that measures what students know and informs what they’re ready to learn. By dynamically adjusting to each student’s performance, MAP Growth creates a personalized assessment experiences that accurately measure performance-whether a student performs on, above, or below grade level. Easy to use reports help teachers teach, student learn and administrators lead. Map growth reveals how much growth has occurred between testing events and also shows projected proficiency. Teachers will track growth throughout the school year and use them to differentiate instruction and pinpoint individual student needs technology enhanced items show how students are engage and measure enough depth of knowledge to determine a students’ true understanding. EasyCBM: Once students have completed the NWEA MAP the easyCBM benchmark assessments will determine an even more precise need for tiered interventions and target skills for focus during the designated time for RTI2 in their intervention. Kindergarten Early Entry Screening: The Kindergarten Entry Inventory (KEI) will be given to provide a comprehensive, developmental profile with specific benchmarks related to kindergarten readiness for each incoming kindergarten student in Tennessee. The information that is gathered will be used to consider how a child' s early learning experiences affect preparation for kindergarten and inform kindergarten teachers of each student's foundational skills in literacy and language development, math and cognition, social-emotional development, and physical development. TNReady/ State Mandated Assessments: “THE” Academy will administer annual state managed assessments (TNReady), beginning in second grade and continuing throughout fifth grade to measure a student mastery of grade level standards and to assess annual progress. Page 51 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Measuring and Evaluating Performance   Individual Student Performance: If a student is performing below proficiency on interim assessments and benchmarks, the classroom teacher will identify and implement the appropriate interventions. If a classroom’s performance is falling short of academic expectations or goals, the School Leader will work with the teacher to plan for implementation of strategies for performance improvement such as attending in-house workshops on issues such as behavior management and data analysis, using peer collaboration on lesson planning and delivery and utilizing a video library of best classroom practices. School-Wide Performance: The School Leader will provide coaching to the School Leadership Team bi-weekly. Through this approach, the School Leader will be able to consistently monitor the performance of the school. Program Review Program Reviews will occur twice a year and will be a comprehensive reviews of a school’s strategic plan, performance, and fidelity. This review will help to enhance “THE” Academy’s model. The Program Review will be led by “THE” Academy’s School Leader. Program Reviews will cover explicit objectives aligned to each aspect of the Tennessee Academic Standards and incorporate reflection on relevant data. Analysis of these data pieces is used to inform the school’s plans around student leadership opportunities, Advisory, teacher leadership opportunities and the school PD plan. During Program Reviews, data by subgroup is also reviewed in depth. During a program review, the following topics are covered:     Reviewing a school’s data per the NWEA MAPS Achievement Data Reviewing a school’s approach to Ensuring Quality Teaching and Instruction – this includes reviewing the school’s formal evaluation data, as well as professional development plan and outcomes Reviewing the school’s approach to Eliminating Barriers to Learning this includes reviewing the Counseling Program, the SPED Program, the Intervention Program and the Daily Schedule Reviewing a school’s approach to Promoting Leadership and Character Skills – this includes reviewing the school’s approach to providing student leadership opportunities and building relationships with community partners At the conclusion of the Program Review, the School Leader and School Leadership Team prioritize next steps and develop a plan regarding next steps. Page 52 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Site Visits The School Leader along with Board members will conduct site visits. These site visits will provide an opportunity to visit classrooms and interview a cross-section of stakeholders. The frequency of site visits, specific purpose of the visit and the detailed site visit protocol will vary based on the need of the school. Data for Subgroups The NWEA MAPS can also be used to dive into academic performance by subgroup. There are opportunities to drill down into student data for ELLs, SPED students and by ethnicity. School leaders have access to this data and can guide their school teams to interpreting the data, as well as coach individual teachers on creating plans for reteaching and/or enrichment. Data Collections and Analysis, Interpretation, PD and support “THE” Academy’s robust platform will assist educators in accessing all of “THE” Academy schools’ data information. The data warehouse is managed by Shelby County Schools Information Technology and Knowledge Management teams. Through the data warehouse, “THE” Academy is able to generate reports that provide comprehensive student enrollment, demographic and achievement data, enabling teachers and school leaders to spend more time garnering insight and developing action plans rather than searching and aggregating the data on their own. “THE” Academy’s data will be synced with the data warehouse on a frequent basis so that these functions are available to all “THE” Academy teachers. The School Leader and teachers will be responsible for using the student performance data reports to identify areas for improvement and PD opportunities for teachers. The School Leader will be supported by the Board and teachers to help interpret performance data or decision‐ making. In addition, the School Leader will also provide PD for school leaders regarding the use of data. The School Leader will help each Teacher understand his/her school’s data, benchmark it against other schools and share best practices and suggestions for improvement. During the school year, teachers will be supported by Department Chairs and peers in learning to gather the appropriate data, interpret results and develop an action plan. School Advisory Councils, made up of students, parents and staff, will also reflect on school data at multiple points in the year. Strategic Goal Setting Our assessments will be used to set goals for a students’ achievement. Class level, grade level, and whole school goals will motivate students and help teachers to plan. Goals are set for students based on initial assessments. The initial NWEA MAPS Assessment will occur schoolwide in August. “THE” Academy recognizes goal setting must represent both students hitting the absolute benchmarks and making progress on current achievement. Benchmark goals allow teachers and Page 53 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School students to make and measure progress to common standard that can also drive instruction. Even when a student arrives in kindergarten far behind, without knowing their letters and numbers, even a student with limited English speaking ability will be quickly identified to ensure academic success. We believe that a benchmark must remain constant. If a student arrives as a pre-reader and we anticipate that a large number will arrive as such, the expectation remains that they can reach a Tier II, or grade 1 readiness, by the end of kindergarten. By setting goals our staff will decide the best way to accelerate their students’ instruction. If a student does not meet the benchmark, we will need progress goals to ensure that, along the way to end the goal, significant progress is being achieved. Progress is tracked on the way to meeting that standard to ensure that, while a student is significantly far behind, equally significant milestones are met along the way. If a student entered the school in grade 1 at a Tier III, we would need the student to make at least two levels of progress to stay on track to reaching Tier I by grade 3. If progress is not being achieved, we will tailor intervention help for that student. We will provide Smarty Ants intervention for ELL student, even if English is not their primary language or they are learning multiple languages concurrently and one language in a nonsequential manner. The goal of assessment accommodation is to remove sources of difficulty for ELL students without negatively impacting the intent of measurement, while still maintaining the test construct and without giving ELL students an advantage over other students. Intervention Tools Used Achieve 3000/Smarty Ants, IReady Math, (Math and Literacy): We will use these districts approved intervention tools to father assist our students whom have not scored on or above grade level on the NWEA MAP assessments and easyCBM benchmark. These intervention tools will be used for students that have been placed for tiered intervention in reading and scored below level in math. Students will be placed on the computer 30 minutes each day for intervention practice. These intervention tool will also be assigned for homework practice. English Language Learner, ELL Accommodations: All English Language Learners (ELLs) identified by the District based on NWEA MAP results are considered for further assessment with easyCBM; however, ELL students who are enrolled for their first year in a U.S. school may be given special consideration. ELL students in their 1st year in an English-speaking school are usually expected to follow an English Language Development (ELD) or ESL path unless there are apparent learning difficulties that demonstrate a need for an RTI² approach. Data from the WIDA English language proficiency assessments, W-APT and/or ACCESS, should be used to guide decisions regarding increased ELD or use of the easyCBM and targeted intervention. The school-based RTI2 Team should review available WIDA data, confer with appropriate teachers, and weigh any special circumstances that may indicate a need for an RTI² approach. Page 54 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Special Education Accommodations: The special education teacher administers the easyCBM benchmark to students with disabilities who have academic goals in their Individual Education Programs (IEP). easyCBM benchmarking in reading and math should be administered to all students on their caseload (excluding AFS, FS, and BIC). Results of the easyCBM assessment will be reviewed by the special education teacher and RTI2 Data team to determine if the deficit area is currently served by special education services or would be provided intervention in the general education setting. For example, a student currently receiving special education for a Specific Learning Disability in reading comprehension only would receive intervention and progress monitoring through special education in reading comprehension; however, if the student needed Tier 2 or 3 intervention in math problem solving, then intervention and progress monitoring would be provided in the general education setting for math problem solving. Instructional Level for intervention and progress monitoring will be determined by the teacher assigned to provide intervention following the benchmark review. Data and Collection Reporting and Responsibilities School Leader: Sets dates for common assessments creation, revision, approval, facilitation, analysis. Analyze results for school-wide trends. Reviews plans for Data Days. Uses action plans to set school goals and inform observation data. Leads data days where the team shares data, analysis, and sets school goals. Creates reports based on Data Day results. Organize action plans to encourage collaboration. Director of Curriculum and Instruction: Reviews and approves all assessments. Review Unit and Lesson Plans to look for trends. Creates plans for data. Reviews and assist teachers as they write action plans. Teachers: Create common assessments with help from School Leader. Write lesson and unit plans aligned to the standards. Participate actively in Data Days. Create action plans during data days and implement action steps in classroom. Make Data Public: High performing school share data with students, families, and the community. In both the entrance to the school and every classroom, school wide achievement data will be posted. “THE” Academy will share NWEA MAPS Assessment data, in a schoolwide common space, such as a bulletin board outside the front office, showing students growth. Within classrooms, teachers will display data that shows the class’ progress on the NWEA MAPS assessments using results throughout the year. Students’ goals are to move to Tier II or Tier I each year. We will create a website were the community can access the schools’ up to date data. The Governing Board will operate with a standing Academic Achievement Committee and receive a monthly update with data that covers student recruitment, enrollment and attendance, state assessments data, national assessment data, interim assessments data, report card data, and cultural data (HW completion, Suspension, etc.) All assessment results will be provided to the authorizer and the larger community through publication and distribution of the school’s Annual Page 55 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Report. In the Annual Report, “THE” Academy will provide data on all exceptional population as well as by demographic and for ELL. Additional Teaching Support for Assessments: Assessment data is regularly analyzed and then used to plan interventions. The role of the School Leader and/or Teacher is to closely analyze the data of low-performing students and determine if additional assessments or additional interventions are necessary. The School Leader might take steps to suggest to a teacher: *Schedule Tutoring Lessons - Based on assessments data; the Teacher might design a lesson and select students to participate during end of day tutoring. *Differentiate Homework - Teacher might use a student’s assessments data to create daily, weekly or monthly packets that provide additional HW for students who either require enrichment, support learning the English Language or extra practice on basic skills. If, after a round of assessments and interventions, a student has still not made progress then the tiered support will continue. Accountability will be a strong driver of student achievement and requires clear, measurable, data-driven goals that fully align with the school’s mission. A comprehensive and transparent assessment system best supports a students’ achievement, ensuring all stakeholders are aware of individual, class-wide, subgroup, and school wide performance results. “THE” Academy’s goals and objectives fully support, as outlined in, the state-mandated requirement that the school meet and exceed minimum state standards and improve our student learning. Goals and objectives will correlate with our mission to provide a school that is rigorous, structured, and supportive of all learners. 1.8 School Calendar and Schedule Academic Schedule “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will operate under the district provided school calendar 180 days. The goal for student attendance is 100% daily or no less than 97%. Emphasis will be placed on regularly daily attendance by recognizing those students who are meeting the designated goal of 97%. Reminders, parent conferences and SART Meeting will be “THE” Academy’s way of ensuring our attendance goals are met. Extended Day We provide an extended school day of 8 hours and 30 minutes. The school day will begin at 7:30 AM and end at 3:15 PM. All staff members are expected to arrive no later than 7:15 AM. All students must arrive by 7:45 AM. Students will receive a total of 360 instructional minutes from 7:30 AM to 3:15 PM. These hours will be divided up as follows: Reading/Language Arts 190 minutes, mathematics 100 minutes, science and social studies 30 minutes (these subjects will Page 56 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School be alternated every other day at the teacher’s discretion). There will be a strong focus on language arts and mathematics, without neglecting science and social studies, due to them being equally important. This schedule will be required for student learning because it will allot students adequate time for instruction in collaboration with independent practice time. Teachers will be able to closely monitor student progress and adjust as they see fit. In addition to instruction, there are additional practices that will occur throughout the duration of the school day to ensure academic success. To maximize on all aspects of student learning, in addition to the allotted instruction time there will also be tired intervention. RTI2 will be conducted daily. Each grade level will have a 60-minute tiered intervention block. Likewise, there will be opportunities for students to take advantage of tutoring. Tutoring will be offered after school Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdays for up to 30-45 minutes a session. Daily School Schedule Our doors will open each day at 7:30 AM for breakfast, and the day ends at 3:15PM. This schedule maximizes on instructional time and student learning. During a typical day at “THE” Academy the literacy block will consist of whole group instruction where the standards-based objectives will be introduced coupled with small groups and literacy rotation. The small groups will be homogeneous group and will allow the teacher to deliver targeted instruction based an objective. During math, the teacher will deliver instruction utilize the Eureka Math program. The instructional block for math will consist of the following components; fluency, concept development, application problem, student debrief and the exit ticket. The final hour of the day will be devoted to enrichment/intervention. Students will be heterogeneous grouped per tiers. Designated teachers based on classroom drop-in /observations will provide enrichment / interventions based on their strengths. The data will dictate the type of instruction that will occur in Tier1, Tier 2, Tier 3. Staff members will have 50-minute PLC’S daily. The PLC’S will be conducted by the grade level leaders or administration where instructional practices, professional developments and lesson planning will be discussed. Below is a sample of a second-grade schedule “THE” Academy will offer. Homerooms 2-01- 2-02 Arrival and Breakfast (7:30-7:45) Morning Procedures (7:45-7:55) Morning Meeting (7:55-8:05) ELA/Literacy Block (8:05-10:05) Whole Group Small Group /Literacy Rotations Independent Practice Whole Group Wrap-up /Exit Ticket Writing Math (10:10-10:55) Page 57 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Lunch (11:00-11:30) PATS Time (11:35-12:20) (Performing, Arts Team, Support) Restroom (12:30-12:40) Math (1:00-2:00) DEAR (2:00-2:15) RTI (2:15-2:45) Afternoon Procedures (2:45-3:00) Dismissal (3:15) Student Day At 7:30 Kimberly arrives to school ready for another fantastic day at “THE” Academy. As she hugs her mother and her mother tells her to have a good day, she walks towards the front door. On her way, there, the School Director greets her as usual. Kimberly excitedly enters the building, dressed in full uniform, with all materials needed for the day. She proceeds to the classroom in an orderly fashion. When she arrives at the classroom there awaits her teacher at the door. She extends her arm to hug Kimberly and tell her good morning. Kimberly hugs her teacher back, says good morning and proceeds into the classroom. Kimberly places her belongings at her assigned seat and walks towards the table where breakfast is displayed (milk, juice, sausage biscuit, and an apple). She selects her breakfast and takes it back to her seat. While she partakes in breakfast, she and a classmate discuss the upcoming project, which is a cereal box book report, and how it should be labeled. At 7:40, she is finished with breakfast. She places a napkin on top of it, as taught by the teacher, and pushes it to the side. She then walks back over to her teacher, who is still standing in the doorway monitoring the hallway as well as the classroom and asks if she may go to the restroom. “Of course, I’ll watch you from here,” replied the teacher. Kimberly exits the classroom and walks a few doors down to the restroom. Kimberly uses the restroom, washes and dries her hands, then returns to the classroom. Then she places her language arts homework from last night in the basket in the center of the table and takes out her “DO NOW” folder to begin the morning task on subject verb agreement. She is struggling with number five. The group’s captain notices it and quietly assists Kimberly. She puts her “DO NOW” folder away and takes out her agenda book to copy down tonight’s homework. Once her homework is written down she puts her agenda book away and places her language material in front of her just as she finishes, the teacher turns off the classical music and asks everyone to come together in 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. The students understand breakfast is now over and its time to transition to morning meeting. As previously taught, one at a time, in sequential order, each group goes and disposes their trash in the trashcan then sits on the carpet in their assigned seat. Kimberly waits for group one to finish then she gathers her trash, stands up, pushes her chair to the table, throws her trash away, and goes to the carpet, sits in her “SLANT” and prepares for the daily motivation to get the day started, while the teacher checks the role. After 10 minutes of expressing something great that happened since last meeting, Page 58 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School chanting, and words of encouragement, the young ladies are enthused and eager to begin the day. As they are dismissed from the group, one group at a time, they proceed to their assigned seats, turn to the story for the week, and sit in their assigned seats awaiting the whole group discussion. The teacher asks the objective for the week. Kimberly raises her hand and says, “I can identify the main ideas and the details that support it.” “That is correct Kimberly, great job, replies the teacher!” Would someone like to explain what that means? Another student replies, “I agree with Kimberly, I would like to add identifying the main idea and the details that support it means I can locate the main idea in a story and give evidence or details that support and explain why that is the main idea.” Very well stated said the teacher. Then the class reviews the story’s genre type and answers some comprehensive questions about it, since the first read was done yesterday. The timer sounds, informing the class it is now time for literacy rotations. Students gather their belongings and rotate to their assigned heterogeneous rotations. Kimberly is the timekeeper in her group. She arrives at her first rotation, reading/listening centers; she sets the timer for 15 minutes as the materials manager passes out the “on level” leveled readers to all group members. The group takes turns reading a page at a time of the story until they are done. Once the story is finished they collaboratively discuss the comprehension questions at the end and talk accountably among each other discussing their thoughts and providing evidence to support their answers. The timer sounds. Kimberly stops the timer, places it back in its designated area and proceeds to her next rotation, smoothly and quietly. Upon arriving at the computer, once again, she sets the time. Then Kimberley remembers the target skill for the week is main idea and details, so she finds the Lakeshore activity titled main idea and begins to practice. When the timer sounds, she stops it, logs out of the activity, places the headphones in their designated area, pushes her chair up, and proceeds to the kidney table for direct instruction with the teacher. As Kimberly sits down at the table, she set the timer and grab her dry erase board and marker. The teacher gives each student a flash card. The card has a short paragraph and four answer choices. The students are to read the card and choose the correct answer. On the board, they are to write their answer choice and evidence, or supporting details, which supported the main idea. When Kimberly is done, she places her board face down and waits on the others to finish. Kimberly volunteered to go first. She read her paragraph and the answer choices aloud. The other students, using sign language, displays their answer choice. Then Kimberly turns her board over and reveal her answer and they talked accountably about why they chose the answer they did and provide evidence to support it. This was repeated for each of the remaining 3 students in the group. The timer sounds, and Kimberly and the other students erase their boards and place them along with the markers back on the table in front of them, stand up, push their chairs up, and smoothly and quietly, transition to their final literacy rotation, the writing center. Kimberly sets the timer for 15 minutes as another group member pass out the writing prompt. The writing skill for the week is narrative writing. Kimberly loves narrative writing because she enjoys expressing how she feels. She is eager to draft her thoughts about what she could do as a student to ensure “THE” Academy remain a positive environment for all girls. She begins by drawing a web and drafting her ideas, and then Page 59 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School proceeds to writing. When the timer sounds, she brings her final thought to a close, places her draft in her writing folder, passes it and the prompt back to the materials manager, and smoothly and quietly transitions back to her assigned seat. When she sits down she immediately begins the independent assignment for the day. Her assignment was to illustrate the main idea for this week’s story. Just as the timer is sounding, she is wrapping up her illustration. She places it in the appropriate place, sit in her SLANT, and prepare to participate in the closure of the lesson. The materials manger passes each group member a slip of paper out of the envelope labeled “Mail”. Kimberly is thinking of her quiz question she would construct to demonstrate her understanding about main idea and details. “This will be perfect,” said Kimberly. She begins to write; what is the purpose of supporting details? (A) To tell more about the main idea (B) To make the story sound interesting (C) To make the story long (D) To tell what the story is mostly about. Then she folds it up and put it in the “Mail” envelope. She knows science is next, because yesterday was social studies so, so she prepares her desk by placing her science book and folder in front of her. As the teacher commends the class for an outstanding lesson in language today the remaining students turn in their mail, putting reading material away, and transitioning to science material. The time is now 10:10am, which is the science block. Kimberly is eager to finish the discussion on the types of clouds. This morning on the way to school, Kimberly notices the clouds were fluffy like cotton balls. She couldn’t wait to tell the teacher the clouds out today were cumulous clouds. When the teacher asks the class to tell her what they were studying in science and the objective. Kimberly eagerly raises her hand along with several other classmates. While Amy was giving a review of the information learned previously, Kimberly patiently waits to talk accountably with her. When she is called on she says, “I would like to piggy-back off Amy and add we learned about the three types of clouds; cumulous, stratus, cirrus. The clouds in the sky today are cumulous clouds because they are fluffy like cotton balls.” The teacher was very impressed and said she would have to agree with each of them. Kimberly and the class continues to learn and discuss the clouds, at the completion of the discussion, are the independent/group activities. The materials manager in each group distributes the material and Kimberly and the other timekeepers set the timer for 15 minutes. Their task is to use the construction paper and cotton balls to create the various clouds and include a caption under each describing them. Kimberly and her group work together, each taking on a different task. Kimberly’s task is to construct a stratus cloud. She remembers these were the fog clouds that lay low like a blanket, so she began to stretch her cotton ball out like a blanket. She is enjoying this activity. Hands on activities are her favorite since she was more of a visual learner. She needs a picture to accompany the information for her to completely understand. Kimberly looks at the timer and notifies the group that they have 3 minutes remaining before it was time to bring the assignment to a close and prepare for lunch. When the timer sounds, Kimberly turn it off, put her finishing touches on her task, and smiles with pride as the captain places their assignment in the basket. She clears her work area and waits for her group to be called to line up. Once they are called she Page 60 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School retrieve her lunchbox then get in number order in line. She steps between Amy and Joy because they were numbers 7 and 9. Her number is 8 because her last name fell between theirs alphabetically. Escorted by the teacher, the girls walk quietly and in a straight line to the cafeteria for lunch. They sit down at their assigned table and began to eat and have casual conversation. The School Leader walks about monitoring and checking to see how their day had been thus far. Kimberly is excited to tell her about the science activity on clouds and how much she enjoys it. The School Leader is pleased and tells her she would have to stop by and look at their creations. The girls love to hear that. They proceed to enjoy their lunch and each other’s company. Once their 30minute lunch period come to an end, they are called by tables to dispose of their trash and line up at the door, their teacher was standing awaiting for them. The teacher said, “I hope you all had a good healthy lunch and enjoyed it,” as she escorted them to their support class for the day, art. Although she is not the best artist, Kimberly loves art. She knows it is not about how well you draw, as her teacher tells her, but about the creativity and thought put into making the creation. As they enter a classical tune is playing. Upon entering, the teacher tells them to listen to the tune and think about how it makes them feel. Once the tune is turned off, the class is instructed to draw an illustration of how they feel as they listen to the tune. The timer went off at 11:25 signaling there is 5 minutes left. The students bring their illustrations to a close and clean up their supplies. They line up numerically at the door, the teacher is there to receive them. On the way to the class they stop by the restroom. Four girls enter and the remaining stand outside the door in a straight line with one block between them and the person in front of them. Kimberly is among the next set of girls waiting to enter. When one girl comes out another goes in. Once Kimberly is done in the restroom, she gets a sip of water and return to the line with her classmates who are done and ready to return to the classroom. Once everyone joins the line, the teacher and the class proceed to the classroom. The students enter the room. The timer is set for 2 minutes for them to gather their belongings for math class. The timer sounds, and the time is 12:55pm. The students are called per their numbers to line up with their material. The teacher walks them to Mrs. Givens, the math instructor’s class, and she escorts Mrs. Givens’ class to her room for language arts. Kimberly likes math class because she loves Mrs. Givens. Mrs. Givens reminds her of her mother however, Kimberly struggles a little in math. Upon entering the class, Mrs. Givens says good afternoon to each of her math magicians. Yesterday they discussed wholes and parts so today Kimberly is sure they will continue to learn about fractions. She walks to her assign seat, take out her math folder and begin the day’s calendar math while the teacher checks the role. When her calendar math is completed, it is math workshop time. The day’s objective is reviewed then the students go to their assign groups. Kimberly goes to the table with Mrs. Givens because she needs additional direct instruction. Because Kimberly needs visuals to assist her with her learning, and Mrs. Givens knows this, she has different color paper plates that are cut to demonstrate each of the benchmark fractions. Kimberly and the two other students grab their dry erase boards and markers. They are each given a fraction. Kimberly writes her fraction on the board. Mrs. Givens then asks her which number informs you of the total amount. Page 61 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Kimberly’s fraction was 3/5. Kimberly tells her the 5. Mrs. Givens said, “Correct, 5 is your what?” Kimberly thinks for a moment then nervously said, “Denominator?” Mrs. Givens highfives her and say great job! Kimberly smiles. Now draw on your board, a total of five, the teacher instructs. So, Kimberly draws a circle and divides it into 5 parts. She is feeling confident now and goes ahead and shades in three of the five pieces. When Mrs. Givens returns to Kimberly after helping the other students, she is pleased to see that Kimberly has display correctly on her board 3/5. Kimberly is proud of herself too. Each of the students is given 3 additional practice problems. They can either use the board or the fraction pieces to demonstrate their understanding. Kimberly notices Joy is struggling so as Joy is holding the pieces Kimberly explains to her to think of it like a pizza. If your fraction is ¼ that means you have 4 slices of pizza in all so you need to draw a circle and divide it into 4 parts. The one means you only ate 1 slice so you need to color it. Now this shows you ate ¼ of the pizza. Kimberly is overjoyed! Not only has she mastered the objective but also, she is now able to assist her peers. The final 15 minutes of class, Kimberly confidently works on her independent assignments, which consist of fractions within word problems. The timer sounds at 2:20. This meant there is 5 minutes left and it is time to wrap-up the workshops. Kimberly and her classmates’ transition back to their assign seats and begin to write their 3 stars and a wish exit ticket. Kimberly writes; * I learned the top number of a fraction is the numerator *the bottom number is the denominator *I am smart enough to help my classmates when they are struggling WISH: I wish I am successful every day in math like I was today! She hands it to Mrs. Givens and packs up her math material. The time is now 2:30 so Mrs. Givens instructs the students to take out their library books in observance of DEAR time. For the next 15 minutes, the students and teacher will read silently. The timer sounds at the end of 15-minutes of DEAR period and the students put their books away and gather their material to transition back to homeroom. Mrs. Givens tells the class how proud of them she is today and how much she enjoys their class. As Kimberly walks out the door she hugs Mrs. Givens and said, “Thank you for helping me. I love you!’ Mrs. Givens smiles, hugs her back, and tells Kimberly she loves her more. Mrs. Givens walks Kimberly and her class to their homeroom and picks up her homeroom. The teacher welcomes her homeroom back to class as they enter. It is now time for the intervention. Tier 3 students grab your intervention folders and remain in the room while the Tier 2 students stand at the door and prepare to go to Mrs. Givens class. The Tier 1 students grab their project information and go to their work area. Kimberly is a tier 2 so she walks with Mrs. Givens to her class. Today is a computer day. Kimberly grabs her assigned laptop out of the laptop cart on the way to her seat. Upon sitting down, she opens the computer and logs on to IXL. She opens her intervention folder and look at her current NWEA MAP Assessment Individualized Student report and locate areas of concerns that she needs additional practice in. Fractions are a target area, so she selects grade 2 and find the fraction subtitle and begin with the first activity. As she receives a score of 100 she checks it off on her report and move to the next skill. Page 62 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Mrs. Givens walks around monitoring and assisting as needed. When the 60-minute intervention block ends, students are escorted back to their homeroom. The time is now 3:45 Kimberly is back in her homeroom and following afternoon procedures, gathering what’s needs for homework, packing her backpack, and listening to afternoon announcements. At the completion of the announcements, Kimberly lines up in her dismissal order. She is a car rider, so she lines up behind the bus riders and in front of the walkers and aftercare students. The teacher tells everyone to have a great afternoon and escorts the class out. Everyone is dropped off at the designated location and Kimberly, along with the rest of the car riders, is escorted outside by the teacher. They stand and wait for their ride to pull up in the car rider line. Kimberly spots her mother’s car, tells the teacher, “there’s my mother’s car,”. Once her car is first in line, The Teacher walks Kimberly to her car, tells her to have a great evening and she’ll see her tomorrow. Kimberly replies, “Yes ma’am, you too.” Then she gets in the car. Teacher Day Its 7:00 am Mrs. Loggins enthusiastically arrives at “THE” Academy professionally dressed and prepared with all needed materials. She is eager to see what this day has in store for her as well as her students. She cheerfully walks into the building using her identification for entrance. As she walks in to the office there is the School Director. “Good morning, Mrs. Loggins.” she said. Mrs. Loggins replied, “A great morning it is!” Then she proceeds to check in, check her mailbox, and then off to the classroom to get her day started. She speaks to a few of her colleges along the way. Mrs. Loggins unlocks her door and enters the classroom. She puts her personal belongings away, turns on her classical CD, and unpacks the papers she graded last night from her bag. She files them away then sits at her computer to check her email. Since she changed her whiteboard protocol yesterday afternoon before going home. All she needs to do is erase last night’s homework and write tonight’s. She also places the materials the students need for science in the basket in the center of the groups. Breakfast is delivered, and she sets it up on the table for the students to select their choice. The time is now 7:25 and she proceeds to her doorway to prepare to welcome her scholars. She hugs and greets each of them as they enter while monitoring the hallway to ensure everyone is following proper hallway procedures. Once the hallway is clear and most the students have returned from the restroom, she enters the classroom and prepares for morning meeting. The students have completed their breakfast, “DO NOW”, and gone to the restroom. Mrs. Loggins turns the classical music off and asks the class to come together in 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. The students sit in the SLANTS and await their table to be called to dispose of their trash and transition to the carpet. Group 1, group 2, and group 3 she calls. While everyone is gets settle she checks the role. Once everyone is on the carpet she says, “Good morning again! Welcome back to another awesomely amazing day at “THE” Academy! Does anyone have anything they’d like to share with us that happened since we last met?” One student shares she’s going to be a big sister. Mrs. Loggins assures her she’d be the best big sister in the world and the new baby will be so lucky to have her. Page 63 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Then she asks the girls, why do you think she said what she said? The all chant, “Because we are the BEST! We strive for nothing LESS!” “You better know it,” she cheered. Today is going to be an, AMAZING day, she and the class chant, because at “THE” Academy we are GIRLS being equipped with the foundation that will develop us into educated, beautiful, and wellrounded young ladies. “Now everyone turns and hugs one of their classmates, now hug yourself. I love each of you, now let’s go and be GREAT,” said Mrs. Loggins. She dismisses them by groups back to their seats. The time is now 8:05. It is time for the reading language arts block. She sets the timer for 20 minutes and ask, “Can anyone tell me what the objective for the week is?” Kimberly tells her they will be able to identify main ideas and the details that support them. “Great job, Kimberly,” she replies. “Would someone like to explain what that means,” she asks. Another student talks accountable, agreeing with Kimberly and adding it means they can tell the simple most important fact about the story, what it’s mostly about, and provide evidence or details to support it. Mrs. Loggins smiles prideful and commend them for their comprehension of the objective. They proceed to discuss the story of the week. Mrs. Loggins calls on students to talk accountable, summarizing the story and stating what they each think the main idea is and providing supporting details. As they are bringing their whole group discussion to an end the timer sounds. The students begin to transition smoothly and quietly to their literacy rotations. Mrs. Loggins walks around monitoring and making sure each group is on task and don’t need any assistance. As she approaches her direct instruction table the students are just about settled with all the materials she left on the table they need. Her first group is the below level, the next two groups are on level, and the final group is advanced level. She has main idea flash cards at each level to meet each group’s need. The students read their cards, determine the main ideas and provide evidence to support their thoughts. The below level group receives a little more assistance from Mrs. Loggins. The on-level groups receive minimal assistance and the advanced level group led their group and assisted each other. The time is now 9:35. Students are transitioning back to their assign seats, Mrs. Loggins sets the timer, and for the next 25 minutes they will work on their differentiated assignments. Mrs. Loggins walks throughout the classroom monitoring and assisting if needed. When the timer sounds, she does a rhythmic clap, the students repeat it and they proceed to whole group wrap-up. She said, “You’ve got mail!” The material managers proceed to grab the envelope from the center of their group and give everyone a strip of paper. She said, “Remember, you are pretending you are the teacher preparing a quiz on main ideas and supporting details.” She glances over their shoulders as they write their questions. As they wrap it up and put reading materials away and take out science materials she tells them she enjoyed their language lesson today and is proud of them. Mrs. Loggins said, “I fill up with water. Once I am too full I burst and precipitation falls from me down to the ground. What am I? The class responds, a cloud! She then tells them they are correct. “Who can tell me what our science lesson from Monday consists of,” she asked? The students eagerly raise their hands. One student tells her the clouds and the different types. She informs them to elaborate on it. Kimberly tells her they learned about the three cloud types; cumulous, stratus, and cirrus. She then adds the clouds Page 64 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School in the sky today are cumulous clouds. Mrs. Loggins talks accountably with them and agree with each of their statements. The students lead the discussion discussing each cloud and its description. After reviewing, the students were asked to look at their task card for the day. Each group member executes their role and completes the task. Mrs. Loggins walks around and monitor each group’s progress and help where needed. When the timer sounds at 10:50 Mrs. Loggins said, “Class!” They reply, “Yes?” She informs them they have 5 minutes to bring their assignment to a close and complete their exit ticket, which will be 3 stars and a wish. The stars symbolized 3 things they learned from the day’s lesson and the wish represent what they wish they knew more about. The students place them in the basket; Mrs. Loggins collects them as the students prepare for lunch. She calls them in their number order to line up. She escorts her class down the hall to the cafeteria. Once each student goes through the line she exits the cafeteria and goes to have her lunch. She and her teammate eat their lunch and have casual conversation in addition to picking each other’s brains for ideas and answers to things they are unsure about. Five minutes prior to lunch ending, Mrs. Loggins heads back to the cafeteria to await her class. When they are all in line and prepared to leave, she says, “I hope everyone enjoyed their lunch!” She then escorts them to their support class. Once they are in she gathers her data notebook for her grade level’s PLC meeting. They discuss Achieve 3000/Smarty Ants and NWEA MAPS data and set new SMART Goals (short terms goals on standards students are struggling with and need additional assistance with). It is now 12:30 and Mrs. Loggins makes her way back to pick her class up from support. She stands at the door and waits for her class to be dismissed. Upon their being dismissed, on the way to the classroom she stops the class by the restroom and monitor them as they 4 at a time use the restroom, get water, and return to line. Once everyone has used the restroom and gotten water, Mrs. Logins escorts them back to the classroom. They gather their material to transition to math class. Once everyone is ready Mrs. Loggins lines the class up and escorts them down the hall to Mrs. Givens’ class. She receives Mrs. Givens’ class and escorts them to her classroom for reading language arts. She begins the reading language arts block. It is formatted just as she did with her class this morning. At the completion of the reading block she tells the class how much she enjoyed them and was proud of them. She lines them up by group and escorts them back to their homeroom and receives her homeroom. Once they are back in her classroom, she instructs everyone to take out their intervention folder and sets the timer for 60 minutes. Tier 3 students are instructed to grab their assigned laptops and log on to Smarty Ants because today is a computer day. Tier 2 students are transitioning to Mrs. Givens. Mrs. Loggins sits with the Tier 1 student’s as they discuss word problems like those on the CRA (Constructive Response Assessment). Once she knows they are on track, she monitors the students on Smarty Ants. The timer sounds, the students pack their material up. Those who are in their homeroom will be instructed to adhere to afternoon procedures, the others will line up at the door and transition to their homeroom. As the Tier 2 students return, they began to follow the afternoon procedures as well. Mrs. Loggins remind them to get all material they need for homework and to be sure their homework is written down in their agenda books. She called the bus riders, car riders, then Page 65 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School walkers and aftercare students to line up in their corresponding dismissal order. After listening to the afternoon announcements Mrs. Loggins escorts the students out, making sure bus riders, walkers, and aftercare are at their designated location then she proceeds outside with the car riders. When each student’s car pulls up, she walks them to the car, tell them to have a great afternoon and she’d see them tomorrow. Once the last student is gone she reenters the building. She goes back to her classroom and prepare for the next day. Once her whiteboard protocol is changed she packs her bag with papers she need to take home and grade. She checks her email, straightens her classroom, gathers her personal belongings, goes to the office to sign out, and proceed to the parking lot to get in her car and head home to prepare for another great day. 1.9 Special Populations and At-Risk Students Special Student Populations and Related Service: Our school will have ample resources to address the needs of English Language Learners, students with disabilities and students at risk of academic failure. While the needs of students who are facing challenges will be considered on a case-by-case basis, there will be specific support staff responsible for addressing academic and behavioral issues as they arise. Our school will have a Student Support Team to monitor students at risk of academic failure, students with special needs, and ELL students. Our team will meet four times a month to develop a plan of action for at-risk students or students with special needs. We will also meet to develop various supports for ELL students. During these meetings, the team will discuss current interventions that have been put in place and the impact of the interventions, and whether the interventions should continue, if necessary. The team will also agree on the interventions to be used for the next cycle and will set the next meeting to evaluate the students’ progress. Annually, our Special Education Teacher and Student Support will lead the distribution of student IEPS and 504 plans. This will be done in a secure, managed process where the Student Support Team trains teachers on how to read these plans and create appropriate interventions for the classroom. Teachers will be responsible for signing documentation that demonstrates their understanding of IEPs and 504s and their ability to use these plans to guide support for students. The Special Education Teacher and Student Support will manage the record-keeping process and ensure that IEPs and 504s are kept secured in both digital and paper copies. “THE” Academy is committed to ensuring that all students make transformative academic and social gains that will propel learning each year. We are committed to ensuring fair financing and the appropriate use of Special Education funds through hiring, purchasing needed technology, and creating support services that provide an equitable learning environment for all students. The Special Education Teacher and Student Support Team will be tasked with creating and managing systems and routines that ensure all students receive equal access to curriculum and maintain school compliance to all federal laws and regulations related to serving students with special needs and second language learners. From the inception of “THE” Academy, we have envisioned a school environment designed for all learners. As mentioned, all math and literacy classrooms will be co-taught and follow the principals of Universal Design for Learning to create Page 66 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School equal access to general education learning for all students. Our various after-school and tutoring opportunities will also be accessible to all students—all layers of our school community will be built with equal access for all learners in mind. Identifying Students with Special Needs -Once school records are obtained for incoming Academy students with IEPs (Individualized Educational Programs) we will work with the CSE to transition the student appropriately to our school environment and create the right supports according to the IEP for the student. This will require a meeting between the student’s family, the CSE, Special Education Teacher and Student Support, to discuss how services will be aligned with the current IEP. Families, school leadership, and the CSE will come to an agreement on the best services for each child as dictated by the IEP. For students with lagging academic or socio/emotional skills, teachers will refer students to the Special Services team and the RTI process before being sent to the CSE for further special education testing. The RTI process is designed to manage CSE referrals and ensure that no child is referred for evaluation without due diligence by faculty. All referrals to the CSE will state the reasons for referral and all academic/behavioral interventions attempted prior to referral along with parental/guardian involvement in the process. The CSE will then be responsible for all baseline testing of the student, including psycho-educational evaluation, related service assessment, and socioemotional testing. Once a student is given an IEP, the CSE will be primarily responsible for reevaluation and decertification processes. “THE” Academy’s Special Education Teacher and Student Support Services will forge and maintain a close working relationship with the CSE to ensure that students are receiving the best supports and implementation of IEPs as possible. We will always strive to teach “THE” Academy students in the least restrictive environment and will lean heavily on our RTI process to ensure that appropriate placements are found for all students. Response to Intervention - Our Director of Curriculum and Student Support Team will manage the RTI process school-wide while working alongside the Student Intervention Specialist, Learning Specialists (Special Education Teachers), and service providers to ensure RTI systems are followed prior to referral for Special Education. Because of the persistent opportunity gap and low-test scores of some students in our district, we anticipate that some of our students will come in below grade level in 1st grade, and for this reason we have designed our school with heavy literacy and math interventions in grades K-2. Students will receive baseline reading and math testing at the beginning of each year, and this data-along with prior test scores-will help create early interventions in math and reading for students who are more than two years below grade level in either subject area. Intervention students will receive an additional block daily in targeted instruction to develop basic skills. “THE” Academy’s faculty will be heavily trained and invested in Response-to-Intervention (RTI) to ensure that all steps are taken before referring a student for a disability screening. “THE” Academy’s RTI Program will be led by the Intervention and Assessment Coordinator during year 1 and with the support of the ESL/ENL Teacher during year 2 and beyond. Students Page 67 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will qualify for “THE” Academy’s RTI Program if they fall into the bottom 10% of the cohort based on grades, performance level on post assessments, and interim assessment scores at the end of each instructional cycle. Throughout each instructional cycle (there are four per year that last between 6-8 weeks), we will collect both academic and behavioral data and frequently monitor data to determine the most effective strategy for of intervention we should implement for “struggling” or “at-risk” students. Leading our Intervention Team, the Intervention and Assessment Coordinator will work with the School Leader, Guidance Counselor, Director of Curriculum and ESL/ENL Teacher during year 1 to seek to understand root causes of struggling students and ensure all behavioral and academic needs are met. Instructional Coach, Director of Student Affairs, and Grade Team Leaders will be added to the Intervention Team during year 2 and 3. The Intervention Team will meet once a month to discuss students and to formally evaluate the effectiveness of interventions that are in place for groups of students. The Instructional Coach/Data Coach will create a data dashboard that stores key information for each student as it relates to academic (GPAs, number of words read, reading level, IA scores, post assessment Scores, and state exam scores) and behavior (number of detentions, scorecard points earned and deducted, suspensions, and special recognitions) data. We will use the data dashboard to determine which students are “struggling” or “at-risk”. Any student that is performing at the bottom 10% is considered “struggling” or “at-risk” and will receive Tier 1 and Tier 2 services. At the end of an instructional cycle, teachers will use academic and behavioral data to evaluate growth and improvement. If the student continues to struggle, he will begin to receive RTI Tier 3 interventions. If the student has demonstrated improvement and is no longer in the bottom 10% of his class, he will no longer receive interventions and will go through an exit conference with a parent/guardian and his Teacher. All Students that are in enrolled at “THE” Academy, will receive RTI Tier 1. RTI Tier 1 consistent of high-quality classroom instruction, in-class group interventions, and in class differentiated instruction that meets the specific needs of students in the class. Students in RTI Tier 2 will receive weekly group conferences with their Teacher to review student work and reflect on grades, study habits, homework quality and completion, and in class struggles. Teachers and a member from the Intervention Team will also have parent meetings with students in Tier 2. Students in Academic RTI Tier 3 will receive weekly individual progress reports and intensive support (i.e. Saturday Academy, after school tutoring, homework help during elective blocks). Student and parent will also have to meet with the School Leader to determine possible next steps based on the child and their needs. This only occurs if students are not making progress. Services Staffing and Related Services – “THE” Academy will hire Tennessee licensed Special Education Teacher who will serve as Learning Specialists. The Special Education Teacher and Student Support who will be hired during year 1, will work to manage the IEP and 504 caseloads. If students with severe disabilities enter our school, the team will ensure that the Page 68 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School students can work with certified school aides and paraprofessionals. When students with IEPs or 504s enroll at “THE” Academy, the Special Education Teacher and Student Support Team will also ensure that we have the right services to fit a child’s IEP or 504. The Intervention Team will ensure that all General Education Teachers receive the appropriate IEP sections for the student they teach and coach teachers on implementation of best practices aligned with UDL principles. The Special Education Teacher and Student Support Team will be responsible for organizing and leading professional development for the rest of the staff on IEP and 504 implementations. We will contract out the necessary Special Service Providers (speech, physical, occupational therapists) to provide on-site services as needed. All special education services will be provided by licensed, qualified teachers and or staff members. We will have a full-time Guidance Counselor beginning year 1 to provide counseling services at school, and plan to partner with the CSE to find high-quality speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy, audiology, paraprofessionals and/or other related services as required as mentioned above. The Special Education Teacher and Student Support Team in year 2 and beyond will secure service providers through the CSE, create service schedules, train service providers in school-wide systems, and will serve as the primary contact for all related services providers. Assessing and Reporting Special Education Information - Learning Specialists/Special Education Teacher will monitor implementation of learning plans and progress towards annual goals for the students on their grade band beginning year 1. The Learning Specialist will regularly check in with Classroom Teachers about students to monitor student progress both academically and socially. “THE” Academy will review IEPs annually, and the Special Education Teacher and Student Support Team will contact the CSE to re-evaluate and revise students’ IEPs and 504s as needed. Our team will work with the CSE to ensure that teachers are present for IEP meetings and that annual and tri-annual IEP meetings are completed on time. We will push our students with IEPs to take the same State achievement tests in math and ELA as their general education peers unless advised by the IEPs not to. Students with IEPs and 504s will receive accommodations and modifications aligned to their plans, and parents/guardians will receive IEP progress reports four times a year in addition to report cards and personal contact from teachers. As required by Tennessee Special Education Dept, “THE” Academy will provide an annual report including the number of students with IEPs and 504 plans, the specifics of each student’s diagnosis, and the plans in place to support each child in the educational setting. “THE” Academy will submit all required reports by federal, state, and local authorities. We will comply with Shelby County Schools requirements. Special Education Program Assessment – “THE” Academy aims to provide the highest quality Special Education services available in Shelby County. To hold ourselves accountable to meeting this goal, the Student Support Team will meet monthly to assess the implementation of our special education program using school-wide and individual student data. We will assess our Page 69 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School program using annual goals that cover areas such as progress towards meeting IEP goals, disaggregated student growth data on standardized and internal assessments, socio-emotional progress, and promotion requirements. We will rigorously analyze our Special Education Program to ensure that it complies with federal, state, and internal requirements regarding the implementation of IEPs, feedback from the CSE on school-based education, and effectiveness of Special Services professional development. We will measure results and pay close attention to the academic and behavioral outcomes of our students with disabilities. Students with IEPs and 504s will receive feedback on their work products. Based on class data and student work products, instruction is adjusted and individualized daily to ensure mastery or progress towards learning goals. Data from work products or assessments is also analyzed and sub-groups are created based on the data for in class small group instruction. After each IA cycle, Teachers will meet during our weekly scheduled PD on Wednesday to analyze data and create action plans to ensure all students with IEPs are making progress and are on track to meeting grade level indicators and mastery of IEP goals by their next annual review. Parent communication is also key in monitoring student progress. Learning Specialists/Special Education Teacher a and Student Support Services will meet with families of students with IEPs at the beginning of the year (August – September) to discuss learning plan for the year, behavior management and instructional techniques we will utilize based on the student’s past experiences. We will also solicit feedback from the family regarding past strategies that may have been effective for the child. We will use this meeting with the family to discuss the child’s strengths and interest as well as previous supports provided. The beginning of the year meeting with families is where we will set the tone for communication, trust, and accountability for student’s success. Throughout the year, parents will receive progress reports with their child’s current grades. Parents will also receive texts or emails regarding the academic and behavior progress of their child. English Language Learners Supports – “THE” Academy will work with English Language Learners through a Structured English Immersion (SEI) program that provides additional language supports to ELLs without removing them from the general education setting. Our ELL/ENL Teacher will be trained in Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP)53, a research-based instructional method that ensures students are gaining access to academic content while also developing English language proficiency. SIOP helps both ELL teachers and general education teachers make lessons more accessible and comprehensible to students while also preparing them for rigorous high school and college courses. The foundation of this is the faculty-wide belief that we are all literacy teachers, which will happen through academic and cultural professional development. Teachers will work with their coaches on regularly assessing their curriculum and adjusting lesson plans to include reading and writing instruction. For example, a science teacher will be pushed through coaching to include explicit vocabulary instruction and include regular reading strategy lessons within content lessons. ELL students will also benefit from being in co-taught classrooms along with all ‘THE” Academy students because Page 70 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School co-taught classrooms provide more opportunities for one-on-one support, small group instruction, consistent check-ins and targeted feedback. The level of support for ELL students who qualify for ESL services will also depend on their proficiency in English as determined by their TNESLAT score. Levels of support can range from daily small group ESL instruction during Guided Reading, to Phonics instruction during Intervention Block, or differentiated or scaffolded instructional materials in all classes. Some ELL students who score in a higher range on the assessment will receive fewer services, such as push-in support with their core academic classes. No matter the level of the support, the ENL/ESL Teacher along with the grade level Teachers will determine what a child needs are and how we will provide them. Identifying ELLs – “THE” Academy will provide each family with a Home Language Survey during enrollment. Students from non-English speaking homes will have an interview with the ESL teacher in both English and the family’s home language. If the process identifies that the child speaks no English, she will be classified as ELL. For students with Limited English proficiency, student will be given Tennessee State Identification Test for English Language Learners (TNSITELL) to determine English proficiency level. Parents/guardians will be provided with written notification of this assessment in both the home language and English of the child’s English level, the method of ELL instruction used at “THE” Academy, how it will help the child learn English, and the requirements for exiting the program as well as the guardian/parental right to deny ELL services. Students will also be assessed in their home language in reading and math to determine grade-level ability outside of English proficiency status. This will ensure that “THE” Academy does not misdiagnose ELL students or place them in remedial classes or interventions that are inappropriate. Students who qualify for both ELL and SPED services will receive the full benefits of both programs. ELL Services, Staffing, and Staff Development – “THE” Academy will comply with all applicable laws related to ELLs including but not limited to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 and Casteneda vs. Pickard (1981). ELL students will be included in all aspects of our school community and valued as an integral part of our school culture. To ensure that ELL students master English proficiency in a timely manner, all ELL students will receive instruction from trained staff, specialized curricular resources when needed, extra time and tutoring supports, and push-in services in classes where needed. All teachers will receive professional development from the ENL/ESL Teacher and from the Intervention Specialist. Trainings will focus on appropriate language scaffolds for ELL students and ways to identify persistent struggles of ELL students and how to address them. Staff will also receive training around strategies for working with ELL students such as: the use of sentence starters, visuals, wait time during questioning and discussion, vocabulary supports, partner pairing, and classroom discourse. Throughout the year, the ESL /ENL Teacher will lead teacher trainings and provide feedback on implementation of best instructional practices to the staff. We anticipate having several bilingual faculty members to assist with students’ and parents’ written and verbal communication; we will utilize outside language providers to ensure Page 71 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School that other home languages also receive similar support and attention. ELL students will receive the appropriate accommodations as dictated by law, and the ESL/ENL teacher by year 5 will be responsible for ensuring that services are provided for their caseloads of students. “THE” Academy will provide the faculty with a list of students who receive ELL accommodations for instruction and assessment. The ESL/ENL Teacher will work with General Education Teachers to ensure that services are provided. ESL Program Assessment -ELL students will take the annual Tennessee State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (TNSESLAT) to determine progress towards English language proficiency and English language levels for the coming school year. “THE” Academy will administer this test and analyze the results in terms of how rapidly students are making growth towards English proficiency. We will monitor how long it takes students to reach English proficiency and monitor how well students do academically while in the ELL program. We will use this reflective process to make adjustments as needed to the ELL program. If an ELL student fails to show appropriate progress in the core academic areas, additional modifications to our curriculum and interventions will be made. Students receiving ESL services will take the TNSESLAT exam at the end of each school year. The TNSESLAT assesses proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking in English. After administered, all students receive a score of Entering, Emerging, Transitioning, Expanding, or Commanding. Any student who subsequently test high enough (Commanding) to exit the program will be deemed to be no longer in need of ELL services. Students who have exited the program based on TNSESLAT will be monitored for two years. To ensure that students in the ELL program are achieving the desired results, an annual evaluation will occur. ‘THE” Academy will evaluate the progress of our ELL students on standardized assessments and non-standardized assessments against that of the non-ELL students. Gifted and Talented Students – Part of our model is to not only focus on students that are not performing on grade level, but to prepare students who, our curriculum and academic program will consistently challenge our highest performing and advance students to compete academically with their peers across the country. Five times per week, beginning in 1st grade , students that are identified as advanced performing students based on data, will take an Enrichment Course for Math and ELA. During the Enrichment Block, students will spend three days a week working through an advance math curriculum (curriculum will be created by Instructional Leadership Team using Engage NY) that will place them on track to take the Regents Course and exam. Students will also be challenged twice a week with above grade level texts during the Enrichment Block that will be navigated independently to assist with supports around writing, comprehension and understanding of a text above grade level. Inclusion /Co-Teaching “THE” Academy’s inclusion model with external support will be utilized in all grade levels to ensure students’ needs are being met in the least restrictive environment. Our special education Page 72 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School teachers will provide inclusion class services using the co-teaching model. In September of each year, special education teachers and their identified general education co-teacher will participate in co-teaching professional development. The co-teaching model will include the general and special education teachers share responsibility for planning, delivery and evaluation of instruction for girls identified. The special education teacher jointly co-plans lessons, deliver instruction through a variety of co-teaching models, develop and implement clear responsibilities, reflect and adjust jointly, and share responsibility and accountability. The general education teacher functions as the content matter expert and presents the lesson while the special education teacher is the expert in differentiation and accommodation. The special education teacher circulates to provide individual assistance, prompting and re-direction. The special education teacher watches how students are responding to the instruction and plans ways to address students who are not responding. Teachers make joint decisions regarding instructional routines, organizational routines, behavior management grading and testing, of instruction by focusing on functional skills instruction, transition planning and building on student interests and skills. . Graduation of Students with Special Needs: This will be a K-5 School; this section is not applicable. Identifying and Addressing the Needs At-Risk Students Although we are an elementary school, we anticipate the arrival of some below grade level students. “THE” Academy will use a data- driven approach from the first contact with a student, which will help our administrators and teachers to adequately plan the right selection of services. “THE” Academy’s approach to implementing a selection of interventions for students that struggle with achieving educational success, whether due to academic or economic disadvantages, include; 1.) using data to identify and ensure targeted interventions and 2.) providing tailored academic as well as nonacademic support in order to promote high achievement. “THE” Academy’s data analysis will help determine which girls’ are not making expected levels of progress in reading or math on standard measures. Our school will conduct an analysis of standardized testing results, a quarterly review of benchmark assessments of students behavioral and attendance data along with ongoing grade-level progress monitoring. Other data review may include discipline data or classroom progress reports. Our practice of continuous assessment of progress ensures appropriate instructional decision-making, teacher supports based on student performance outcomes and the provision of rigorous learning experiences for at-risk students. Page 73 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Student Identified as Homeless Homeless students shall have equal access to the same free appropriate public education as provided to other students. The McKinney-Vento Act (Section 725) defines “homeless children and youth” as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including children and youth who are: • Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; • Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping grounds, or similar settings due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; • Living in emergency or transitional shelters; • Abandoned in hospitals; • Awaiting foster care placement; • Students who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designated for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations); • Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances described above; • Unaccompanied youth, including youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian, such as runaways and youth denied housing by their families. 2. The aforementioned youth have the following rights: • The right to immediate enrollment in school, even if lacking paperwork normally required for enrollment (e.g., such as previous academic records, immunization records, proof of residency or other documentation); • The right to attend 1) her school of origin, 2) last school attended, or 3) the school in the attendance area where the family or youth is currently residing, based on the parent’s request or views of an unaccompanied homeless student and where feasible to the district considering the best interests of the student; • The right to receive transportation to her school of origin, if this is requested by the parent or staff charged with assisting homeless students; • The right to services comparable to those received by housed schoolmates, including transportation and supplemental education services; 1. 12 The right to attend school along with children not experiencing homelessness. Segregation based on a student's status as homeless is strictly prohibited. The rights of homeless students as defined 12 http://www.naehcy.org/educational-resources/essa Page 74 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School above shall be posted in “THE” Academy and other places around the community (e.g., shelter, soup kitchen, etc.). The School Leader will be responsible for assisting homeless students and shall ensure that services and information regarding the rights existing under federal law are provided to students and parents who are homeless. Power of Attorney for Childcare (T.C.A.§34-6-302) (Policy #6002) Parents of a minor child may delegate to any adult person residing in this state temporary caregiving authority regarding a minor child when hardship prevents the parent(s) from caring for the child. Hardships identified are: 1. The serious illness or incarceration of a parent or legal guardian; 2. The physical or mental condition of the parent or legal guardian is such that care and supervision cannot be provided; 3. The loss or inhabitability of the child's home as the result of a natural disaster. When one of the above hardships is applicable, the custodial parent(s) and the caregiver must make an appointment to meet with “THE” Academy’s Administrative Personnel in order to complete the application for Power of Attorney. Hardships not listed above should be referred to juvenile court to change the custody. 1.10 School Culture and Discipline “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will be a happy, comfortable nurturing place. There will be behavior expectations in place to foster appropriate academic and character development. These expectations help the student in the classroom, enabling them to reach their unique individual potential. Students function best with consistency in an orderly, safe environment in which expectations are clear and gently, but firmly, upheld. At the heart of our behavioral expectation will be the Golden Rule, which is promoted through the Character Education program and guidance from classroom teachers. If a student has consistent difficulty in following the expectation of her teachers, appropriate steps will be taken to help her learn to make better choices. These steps could be in the form of reminders- either verbal or written, time-out, loss of privileges, Conduct Slips, or a visit to the School Director. A Conduct Slip would require a parent’s signature. At times, parents will receive a call, so everyone can work together to help use the situation as learning and growing experience for their child. School Culture ‘THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will build on a happy and nurturing learning environment where everyone at “THE” Academy will be responsible for establishing respectful, nurturing relationships with our students. Where our team of leaders will know the students not only by name but as individuals with unique feelings and personal traits. All new students Page 75 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School registering at “THE Academy will be brought together during the summer for an initial introduction to our culture of high expectations We will also build our school cultural around common research-based values and offer a highly structures school environment, that balances the rigor of educational excellence with the excitement that comes from high achievement. Some of our Culture Elements include: *IDEALS Values * Family Involvement *Excitement and Rigor IDEALS Values: With a strict Code of Conduct as one important foundation for academic achievement, “THE” Academy will build a school-wide and classroom culture that rewards and teaches positive behavior. Our cultural of positive behavior is based upon the teaching and practice of our Core Values of IDEALS: Integrity, Discipline, Enjoyment, Achievements, Leadership and Sisterhood. *Integrity: We are honest, we do what’s right and we refuse to compromise our values. *Discipline: We have self-control and we make good choices. *Enjoyment: We bring joy to our learning, our school, and our community. *Achievement: We are influential, and we show the way. *Leadership: We take charge and lead the way. *Sisterhood: We are united, we rise and fall together. Family Involvement Includes *Academy Contracts *Home Visits *Academy Nights *Frequent Communication *Parent Conferences Parents will be educational partners with the school, and we will work hard to engage every family in the learning of their daughter and life of the school. Beginning with initial enrollment, the administrative team meets individually with each family to welcome them to the school community and sign a Contract of Excellence holding students, families, and the school accountable to attendance, performance and behavioral expectations. Our commitment to continue to engage parents and families continue with a Family Orientation just prior to the beginning of the academic year as well as Family Academy Nights during each trimester of school. At Family Academy Nights, parents and guardians receive in depth training on how they can be most effective in helping their child gain the foundation necessary for future academic success. Communication and involvement continues throughout the year in the form of conferences, progress reporting written daily and weekly (daily for conduct, weekly for homework and other assignments), as well as report cards. We will conduct annual family surveys to collect key information about parents’ evaluation of the school and their input Page 76 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School regarding the school’s growth and development over time. Families are provided with a Student Handbook, which outlines our approach to discipline and other school expectations. Each of the below strategies are described in more detail below; Academy Contract: Students, parents, and teachers together sign an Academy Contract of Excellence that articulates the clear expectations for behavior at the family orientation prior to the start of school. The purpose of this contract is to bring absolute clarity to the expectations and consequences of a students’ behavior so that miscommunication never is the reason for a students’ misbehavior. “THE” Academy’s Contract is specifically cited when addressing all infractions. Home Visits: Following the close of our enrollment process, we will visit each new students’ family before their child begins at the school. Individualized meetings provide families with an overview of the school’s design, including our mission, academic program, homework expectation, and code of conduct, uniform policy and opportunities for family involvement. During meetings, families indicate formal support for school policies by reviewing and signing an Academy Contract. For families that have limited English Proficiency, all documents will be provided in the family’s native language and the teacher is joined by a native speaker or translator from either the school’s staff or a local community organization Academy Nights: At minimum, we will host four Academy Nights throughout the year geared towards supporting families in helping their daughters achieve academic success. Academy nights are schedule for; *Before the first instructional day of school *During the first semester report card period *During the second semester report card period *At the end of the school year For example, some of the topics addressed may include: “How do I effectively help my child with her homework?” “What are the best techniques for Reading Stories?” and “How do I avoid a reading loss during summer or winter break?” We will also use these evenings to welcome families, provide them with an inviting environment to socialize with one another, and share the school’s accomplishments. Frequent Communication We will engage with families in the following ways on a regular basis. *Daily / Weekly Progress Reports *Weekly summary of learning objective and homework for all classes each night Page 77 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School *Bi-weekly phone calls to discuss a girl’s academic progress and character development *Monthly newsletters of classroom and school wide news and information Parent-Teacher Conferences Following each semester, families are invited to the school for a parent-teacher conference to discuss the academic and behavioral performance of their child. These meetings include quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a students’ achievement. Each conference includes assets and challenges as well as concrete plan for moving forward. Conferences are highly recommended; this requirement is articulated in the Student Handbook. Excitement and Rigor A strong school culture will be the foundation from which our students will excel. Along with building character through our Core Values of IDEALS (Integrity, Discipline, Enjoyment, Achievement, Leadership and Sisterhood) and our unique academic program will all be the ingredients to create an atmosphere that allows continuously elements of joy. We believe that a school design focused sharply on high student achievement and character education can also be fun. The Excitement Factor at “THE” Academy will be seen during community meetings, in the classroom, in the hallways, and during transitions. School Discipline Plan “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School’s full Discipline Policy including a detailed description of due process controls for when a student is suspended or expelled and the process for how the school will protect the rights of students with disabilities in disciplinary actions and proceedings can be found in Attachment C. School Discipline Philosophy and Supporting Practices At “THE Academy students are expected to behave in a manner that exemplifies dedication, discipline, desire, honesty, loyalty and respect. Our students will be held responsible and accountable for behavior that conveys these principals. Discipline Levels *Mild Violations: A mild behavior infraction is a minor misbehavior that does not impede the learning of others or only does so to a minimal extent. Ex; minor uniform violation, chewing gum, failure to complete homework. Consequences for mild infractions may include teacher interventions through classroom discipline plans. *Moderate Violations: Moderate behavior infractions are misbehaviors that more persistently impede the learning of the student or her peers. Ex; instigating a fight, inappropriate conduct to a Page 78 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School teacher or administrator. Consequences for moderate infractions may include referrals, parent conference, or parent shadowing. *Severe Violations: Severe behavior infractions are actions that are serious violations. Ex; bullying, having a weapon. Consequences for severe infraction may include referrals, parent’s conferences and possible suspension. Discipline for Special Education Students In the case of a special education student, or student who receives 504 accommodations, “THE” Academy will ensure that it makes the necessary adjustments to comply with the mandates of Tennessee and federal laws, including the IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Plan of 1973, regarding the discipline of students with disabilities. Prior to recommending discipline for a Section 504 student or special education student, the School Director will convene a review committee to determine whether the students’ misconduct was a manifestation of their disability; whether the student was appropriately placed and receiving the appropriate services at the time of the misconduct; and/or whether behavior intervention strategies were in effect and consistent with the student’s IEP or 504 Plan. If it is determined that the student’s conduct was not a manifestation of their disability, that the student was appropriately placed and was receiving appropriate services at the time of the misconduct and that the behavior intervention strategies were in effect and consistent with the students IEP, then “THE” Academy will follow all procedures that comply with the mandates of the state and federal laws, including the IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in discipline this student. Individuals Responsible for Carrying Out Discipline Policies All certificated staff are required to play a part in student discipline in order to maintain a positive school culture, the School Leader and School Leadership Team play a lead role. The job of an administrator is to be an instructional leader on campus and supervise all staff members. Additionally, the School Leader and School Leadership Team play a lead role in student discipline and attendance and are responsible for monitoring data, tracking, leading parental communication and school wide initiatives related to discipline. School Leader is also responsible for coordinating and supervising the safety plan. Acculturating Students Who Enroll Mid-Year Students who enroll mid-year, the class assigned will serve to integrate the student(s) into our school culture. In addition, prior to starting, they will be allowed to shadow another student for a day. Along with their parents, they will meet with a faculty member from the administrative team to do a brief orientation. Page 79 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Professional Development for Student Discipline In the summer of each school year, teachers will participate in a series of professional development designed to ensure teachers will be able to: *Establish and maintain a structure, discipline, achievement-focused school and classroom environment that uphold high academic and behavioral expectations for every girl and embody the school’s mission. *Hold each student accountable to meeting behavioral and learning expectations, including following and implementing policies for uniforms, homework and academic support. *Execute discipline policies, using role play and practice of scenarios. *Serve special needs students appropriately and effectively to ensure they reach ambitious academic goals in accordance with their Individualized Education Plans. *Provide strategic, targeted English Language Development for ELLs so they are equipped to meet the same ambitious behavioral goals as native English speakers. *Participate in a professional learning community in which each educator is responsible for seeking and accepting critical feedback and support and committed to improving professional practices to advance a students’ achievement. *Commit to upholding the school family student commitment and expectations defined in the staff handbook and the student handbook. 1.11 Marketing, Recruitment and Enrollment “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will not discriminate on any basis including but not limited to the basis of race, religion, gender, or disability. Any student eligible to attend a Shelby County School is eligible to attend “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School. As such, “THE” Academy will implement a marketing plan that fairly and appropriately targets a diverse population in the geographic area of the school. Specifically, “THE” Academy will target any elementary school age girl in the Midtown, Northeast and nearby areas with a strong interest in and has a natural curiosity for attending an all-girls school. “THE” Academy’s Board of Directors have already begun implementing marking strategies to engage the local community in the school. The Board has created a website (www.theacademygirlsschoolmemphisorg). The Board is also working on developing a Facebook campaign targeting parents of girls that will be entering kindergarten in the 2020-2021 school year. “THE Academy has already begun a word-of-mouth campaign targeting families of current elementary age girls as well as prominent community members. The Board has been Page 80 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School invited to and participated in neighborhood forums and activities in an effort to generate community discussions about the school. If approved, “THE” Academy will move forward with the following marking plan: *Build upon the current website and market it online using Google Ad Words *Continue the Facebook social media campaign *Continue the word-of-mouth campaign through active community engagement *Hold community meetings / information sessions at local places such as churches and neighborhood community centers *Advertise in local papers including The Commercial Appeal, Memphis Parent Magazine, Memphis Flyer, LaPrensa Latin News, and Memphis Latino News *Place print media flyers and brochures at area businesses, community centers, libraries, churches, farmers’ markets, beauty / barber shops, and child care facilities *Place signs along streets and highways and at businesses frequently patronized by community members on their daily commute “THE” Academy will work to ensure language is not a barrier to enrollment by providing print materials also in Spanish where possible which aligns with the LEA and targeted demographics. All stated marketing strategies will commence immediately upon application approval with emphasis placed initially on online and word-of-mouth advertising followed by a stronger emphasis on print advertising closer to the opening of school. School Outreach to At-Risk Students, Special Needs, and ELL Students “THE” Academy will customize our student recruitment efforts and student enrollment process to attract all girls, including those categorized as low-achieving, economically disadvantaged, and special needs. Outreach events may include extensive door to door marketing, simple and easy to understand forms and brochures with language that is written to help share our vision. We will adhere to the Homeless Assistance Act and ensure that each child of a homeless individual and homeless girls have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education as provided to other children and youths. Attracting and Recruiting Students with Disabilities: Partnerships will be formed with local school district committees that specialize in Special Education. We will also work with elementary schools and local community-based agencies that service children with disabilities to reach and attract students with disabilities. We will use local media outlets to reach parents and students, post bulletin board publications, organize special events with question and answer session regarding Special Education. Page 81 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Attracting and Recruiting English Language Learners: We will host targeted informational sessions for non-English speaking students in both English and Spanish. Additionally, our recruitment materials (“THE” Academy brochures, handouts, website, etc.) will mention unique services offered for ELL students. All efforts within our school to advertise our educational model and special services offered for English Language Learners will be delivered to families in both English and Spanish, including the “THE” Academy’s Enrollment Application. We will advertise in local Spanish publications, such as LaPrensa and build relationships with organizations that serve the Spanish speaking community. Attracting and Recruiting Economically Disadvantaged Students: We will use all the above mention recruitment methods outlined above to recruit economically disadvantaged students. With over 90% of Shelby County students eligible to receive free and reduced lunch, we will target young girls who are eligible by working with local homeless shelters, going door-to-door in public housing to distributing fliers, and by building relationships with churches and food pantries to assist in our efforts to attract and target this population of young females. Outreach Timelines Planning / Preparation Peak Recruitment Season August – September October – December *Set recurring meeting with recruiting team *Continue meetings with recruitment team *Kick-off recruitment plan *Develop recruiting strategy, Community Engagement support plan and Communication plan *Visit partner organizations to drop off recruitment materials *Map key events, timelines and sequencing to support the strategy *Hold school based recruitment events including Open House, Parent Nights, community events, etc. * Start building relationships with any partner organization *Attend Charter School Fair Enrollment / Follow Through January – April Summer Retention *Hold Enrollment Event(s) *Host a social event at the school to keep families interested and excited about attending in the fall *If fully enrolled, continue to collect registration packets from students selected in lottery, pull from waitlist if necessary *Reach out to families at least once during this period to maintain relationship (newsletter, phone call, mailer) May – August If under-recruited: *Continue to hold recruitment events, phone bank, door knock *Develop summer recruitment strategy *Continuously check in on progress *Hold Lottery (If applicants > seats) Enrollment: “THE” Academy intends to begin operation in August 2020 with 40 Kindergarten girls. Each year after that, we intend to enroll a new class of 40 girls. “THE” Academy will replace girls who do not remain enrolled through the fifth grade. Starting with Kindergarten and growing one grade at a time allows us to address the needs of girls and families, ensuring our mission of having small class sizes by which effectiveness has been supported by research on Page 82 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School achievement and parental satisfaction. Upon reaching K-5 capacity, the academic success and personal excellence in each girl will be driven through middle school, high school, college and life. Academic Year 2027-2028 2026-2027 2025-2026 2024-2025 2023-2024 2022-2023 2021-2022 2020-2021 K 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 1st 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 0 2nd 40 40 40 40 40 40 0 0 3rd 40 40 40 40 40 0 0 0 4th 40 40 40 40 0 0 0 0 5th 40 40 40 0 0 0 0 0 Total 240 240 240 200 160 120 80 40 As stated above, in year 1 (2020-2021), “THE” Academy will enroll 40 Kindergartens. In Year 2 (2021-2022), we anticipate promoting and backfilling (if needed) 40 students into grade 1 and admitting an additional 40 Kindergartens again. At the beginning of each year after Year 1 and 2, we will enroll a cohort of 120 students. By year 2025-2026, we will reach full capacity of 240 students. With our co-taught instructional model, our student to teacher ratio throughout the charter term will be approximately 20:1. We do anticipate 8% attrition during 2nd grade of each year and another 7% of attrition during the 5th grade year of each cohort of students. We will backfill cohorts in grades 1 through October 31st of each year to reach full enrollment. “THE” Academy has received tremendous support from members of the Memphis community. Public Outreach Information indicates strong support for an all-girls school in the district. Our proposed all-girls experience resonated with members from various communities within Memphis. 100% of our supporters agreed that a free all-girls school was needed in Shelby County. Statistical evidence also supports our efforts in developing an all-girls school for Shelby County: in the 2016-17 school year, there was a tremendous show of support for families wanting their daughters in a free all-girls charter school demonstrating a clear desire from the community to have more quality charter school options. Evidence of Enrollment Projections that will meet or exceed targets set by the Board of Regents – Parents, community members, and educators from Shelby County have expressed the desire and need for a free quality all-girls charter school like “THE” Academy. We had the support of over 100 community members, families, and/or educators at an open forum concerning the opening of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School. Members of the community have provided input to the planning team and have supported various events and public forums that we have hosted. Strategies also listed below will also assist in adequate enrollment and full accessibility for all students. Recruitment efforts and maintenance of a Page 83 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School waiting list will assure an adequate applicant pool to select students from to ensure targeted enrollment projections. 1.12 Community Involvement and Parent Engagement Plan for Engaging Parents and Community Members in School Development “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School believes that in person collaboration with the surrounding communities is vital in the success of opening our school. The Board will spend significant time initially in community meetings, churches, neighborhood board meetings, sporting events, and other avenues discussing the exciting opportunities “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will provide children. We will meet with leaders from other all-girls school and members of the performing art community to explore partnership opportunities. This transparent and collaborative approach will minimize unnecessary hurdles and gain support to open “THE” Academy. We will also use social media to inform and update the community as well as the local newspaper and other marketing strategies as outlined in our Marketing Plan. To ensure that all parents and stakeholders understand the unique education plan, parents and students will be given thorough explanations of the curriculum and school expectation prior to enrollment. This information is delivered through a variety of ways: open houses, published information, brochures, online application, and social media. After enrollment and the start of school, parents continue to have flexibility to monitor their child’s progress online and through parent conferences. Communication with Parents The Board members of “THE” Academy understand that parents are the most important partners in a child’s life learning experience. We will collaborate regularly with parents by scheduling regular parent/teacher/student conferences for the students to share their learning with their parents and holding parent information meetings. On a larger scale, the school will work with parents to develop a strong parent organization (PTA) that will support the school and provide support to families as needed. The school will also use its website and social media as a vehicle to communicate with parents and students regularly. “THE” Academy will create a safe opendoor policy in which parents will always be welcome partners. Plans for Informing Parents and Community Members, Engaging Parents and Community Members in the Life of the School and Programs Offered to Parents and / or Community Academy Family Nights: Will emphasize a student’s accomplishments and celebrations to encourage family attendance. A sample agenda might include a kick-off speech, students’ performances, 4 different workshops from Lead Teachers on supporting a specific subject at home (literacy, math, social studies/science), and then a chance for families to mingle with each Page 84 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School other, their daughter and staff while enjoying complimentary snacks. To guarantee that every Academy Night is as welcoming and well-attended as possible, we will take the following steps:         Offer translation and interpreters for any family who needs one Utilize parent ambassadors to make reminder calls, greet parents, and introduce the evening Offer complimentary food (coffee and pastry if morning: pizza and soft drinks in the evening) Accommodate families with young children, by offering childcare (staff will provide child care to children 0-4) Hold all events in the middle of the week and send multiple reminders home Provide all written communication in a family’s home language Incentivize attendance using raffle drawings for children’s books or Gift Certificates Follow up with any parent who does not attend immediately Parental Commitments / Trainings Overall, we will communicate proactively and frequently with families. Parents will be taught how to be a successful Academy parents, and any document they will be asked to sign will include a version written in their child’s home language for example, “THE” Academy Contract, written to support their daughter and the educational mission of the school, will have a Spanish version. These parental commitments include ensuring that their child is at school and on time, in their uniform each day, helping with homework and ensuring that it is completed, reading with their child each night, contacting the teacher regarding any problems or questions on an assignment, and providing a quiet place with light for their child to study at home. Parents will be informed that they may get a phone call from the school for any reason regarding their child. In return, they receive each teacher and administrators cell phone number at their first orientation and are encouraged to call between 4pm and 9pm 5 days a week and between 9am and 9pm on Saturday. They will also receive each staff members email. Family surveys will be issued throughout the year. Once the school has developed a strong and active PTA during its first year of operation, we will work to identify one parent to join the Board of Directors of “THE” Academy. Parents who join the Board of Directors will enjoy the same responsibilities and rights as all other members of the board. Stakeholder Meeting “THE” Academy intends to change the trajectory of its students’ lives and create a viable and sustainable organization in the community. Therefore, we believe in the importance of transparent communication about our progress with the Midtown and Northeast community and intend to: Page 85 of 261 Section 2 Operations “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School    Publish an annual report of academic and organizational progress and present the report to community stakeholders. Report results of annual School Stakeholders survey Invite community leaders, business leaders, and potential advocates to see the school and speak to the School Director on a semester basis. School Director will lead tours alongside an Academy’s parent, providing opportunities to see our girls up close. Section 2: Operations Plans and Capacity 2.1 Governance “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School believes governance is an important aspect of the school’s success in conjunction with a dynamic academic program. The Board’s primary goal will be to increase student learning for all girls. The Board will ensure that “THE” Academy is in compliance with all laws governing charter schools in Tennessee. People have been identified and policies have been developed to aid in the structure building of “THE” Academy’s mission driving the school’s governance. To illustrate this, these elements are described as follows            Legal status Governing Board Roles /Responsibilities Governing Board Biographies Board Recruitment Transition, Structures, and Composition Organizational Chart Plan for Parental Community Involvement Policy Development Evaluating Success Training of Board Members Resolution of Concerns Legal Status We have taken the necessary steps to register our name and file the Articles of Incorporation with the State of Tennessee. Governing Board Roles and Responsibilities “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Board of Directors will serve as the governing body of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School. The Board will be responsible for the overall operations of the school. This will include developing and maintaining a balance budget, Page 86 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School selecting outstanding personnel, overseeing a rigorous and unique academic program, and creating and maintaining a safe, caring, and nurturing school environment. The Board will also regularly review the overall academic performance of “THE” Academy, monitor the school’s climate, and supervise the progress of annual school goals. The Board will be responsible for strategic planning and updating school policies as needed. The Board will be responsible for ensuring that the school is complying with all state and federal laws and reporting requirements. The control and governance of “THE” Academy is vested in the Board of Directors. All management decisions will be delegated to the School Leader. The Board along with its members is responsible for the school’s purpose and mission being upheld and fulfilled. All Board members are committed to:         Developing policies and procedures Effectively managing resources Ensuring alignment of mission, vision, and goals with educational programs Selecting, supporting, and evaluating the School Leader Effective long-term business and organizational planning Financial support Initiating funding opportunities Community image enhancement Leadership matters in the success of all schools. The Board has already identified our School Leader. This person has had a long and distinguished career in education and many years of experience as an effective school leader. The School Leader has prior experience as a teacher and administrator, has a strong understanding of and experience in successfully implementing a school’s educational mission, has exceptional oral and written communication skills, has experience in implementing and maintaining a responsible school budget, and is well-respected in the local community. The School Leader will be directly supervised by the Board of Directors to whom the School Leader will report too. Furthermore, the prospective school Leader has been involved since day one in the planning of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School and has been an integral part of the development of the charter application The Founding Board has six members, all whom intend to serve on the Governing Board. The application and school design has been supported by, contributed to, and reviewed by each member of this group. The Founding Board Members consists of a diverse group of Memphis leaders. Page 87 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Their skills include, but are not limited to, school leadership, curriculum, instruction, assessment, operations, accounting, finance, marketing, communication, public relations, human resources, and governance. We began initially meeting in September 2016. Founding Board Members Donna Graves Retired Entrepreneur Early Childhood Development Neal Roberson Rod Loggins Area Manager Bancorp South Bruce Newman Attorney Newman & Decoster Law Firm Pat Houston Logistic St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital Earlene Holloway Retired Teacher Shelby County School Area of Expertise Education Marketing Finance Operations Fund Raising Community Relations Finance Marketing Operations Law Operations Accounting Committee Assignment and Officer Status Academic Accountability Governance Committee Board Secretary Governing Board Finance Committee Governing Board Finance Committee Board Chair Governing Board Finance Committee Board Treasure Governing Board Community Relations Human Resource Parent Involvement Governing Board Education Policy Community Relations Governance Committee Governing Board Donna Graves-Retired Teacher, Entrepreneur: Mrs. Donna Graves has always been a dedicated and motivating teacher. She believes in going beyond the basics in providing a well-balanced and challenging curriculum for her students. The concept of having an inviting, positive and clean environment has been a central focal point. She believes that all children can learn if given the right tool, incentive and environment. She also believes that teaching is a partnership between the school and parents. Mrs. Graves has always involved her parents in participating in their child’s learning experiences through various methods and interventions. Mrs. Graves has a wide range of teaching experiences for over 23 years in the public-school system. In addition, to her classroom experiences she has held positions in leadership at the local school site as the Federal and State Programs Manager, Program Quality Review trainer and lead reviewer, School Improvement Program (SIP) coach, English as a Second Language Coach and Parent Advisory Council and School Liaison. On the district level, she continued to use her skills to do many of the same duties as on the school site level. She could assist in the implementation of the districts Substance Abuse Narcotics Education (SANE) program, district wide School Improvement Plans, implementation of the updated bilingual program (K-12), GIFTED intensive training and Program Quality Review Leader for Page 88 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School three different school districts. Mrs. Graves organized and maintain the Eboni Childcare Center in Memphis for 12 years. She was responsible to the board of directors for a budget of over one million dollars annually, staff of 70 and enrollment of 400 students ages 6 weeks to twelve years old. Under her administration, the center maintained a three-star rating for consecutive years of implementation. Mrs. Graves believes that one should give back to the community in which they receive. She serves on the Memphis Branch NAACP Board of Directors, Financial Secretary and Committee Chair in the River City (TN) Links, Incorporated, memberships in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Phi Delta Kappa International, and the Mt. Olive Cathedral Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. She is honored to be featured in the ‘Women of Courage Book, II’ published by Nestle’ USA. Neal Roberson: Partner, Greystone Mezzanine Advisors, LLC: Neal Roberson created and successfully launched a $50 million commercial real estate debt fund focused on mezzanine loans subordinate to CMBS senior loans. He led all aspects of fund structuring, documentation and marketing process, including financial model, investor presentation, private placement memorandum, limited partner agreement and general operating agreement. As a member of the financial-services industry group, worked with clients on capital raised and strategic-advisory engagement in the asset management sector, with a focus on business development companies. Closed more than 50 transactions totaling approximately $4.0 billion. Rod Loggins-Vice President, Cadence Bank: Branch Manager/ Personal Banker/ Small Business Development Specialist Rod Loggins’ drive, passion, and analytical mind make him ideally suited for the banking industry. His distinguished career began with service to our country in the United States Navy, where he served with the Marines during Operation Desert Storm of the first Gulf War. After his honorable discharge from military service, he quickly advanced through the ranks in the mortgage banking industry where he held leadership roles as a Regional VP of Sales with CitiMortgage as well as a Senior Manager with First Tennessee Bank. In 2008, Rod devoted his time and expertise running a real estate investment business as a selfemployed entrepreneur. Rod is married and has been for the past 30 years. He also has a 22year-old son who is in his senior year in college. In his spare time, Rod enjoys painting, dinning out and spending quality time at home. Family and friends say that Rod is “positively and extremely driven” and approaches his personal life as well as his business with a can-do / no excuses attitude. Pat Houston: Customer Service Rep. Purchasing: Pat Houston has served her community in various avenues of help. She works with the Glory Tabernacle Christian Church by helping the youth, homeless ministry, food and pantry service to the community. Earlene Holloway-Teacher, Retired Shelby County Schools: Mrs. Earlene Holloway has been an educator for over 30years. She has prepared countless number of students throughout the district. She graduated from LeMoyne-Owen College and obtained a Master of Education from Trevecca Nazarene College and her 30 plus Master’s Degree from Cumberland University. Mrs. Holloway has received many prestige’s awards through her teaching career such as; Who’s Who Page 89 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Among America’s Teachers, WBBP 1480 Making a difference in Student Award, Teacher of the Year System Level, and National Formal Concerned Citizen of Tunica OrganizationDistinguished Service Award. She is also a member of the Sigma Gama Rho Sorority and on the Trustee Board of her church. Earlene Holloway is now retired but still carries a life-long passion for the children in our district. Bruce S. Newman-Lawyer, Newman & Decoster: Bruce S. Newman was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Pace University in Manhattan where he received his undergraduate degree in accounting and was one of the youngest members of the accounting profession ever to pass all four parts of the CPA exam at the same time. He interned for Touche Ross & Company, one of the "Big Eight" accounting firms, and worked for Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co., another "Big Eight." He received a Master’s in Taxation and a Law degree from Pace University, both while practicing as a CPA. During law school, Mr. Newman studied entertainment law under his mentor, Martin E. Silfen, a highly-respected entertainment lawyer, who represented Aerosmith, Blondie, and other monsters of music. In 1985, he and his partner, Peter J. DeCoster, an international tax expert from Great Britain, started Newman, DeCoster. In 1989, Mr. Newman opened the midtown Memphis office of Newman, DeCoster, and has capitalized on the re-birth of the arts and entertainment business Transitions, Structures, Composition The Board of Directors will govern “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School. There will be a minimum of three members and will not exceed eleven members. The Board will accept full responsibility to ensuring the mission and financial responsibilities adhere to the terms and agreement of the charter. Once the charter is approved, a formal meeting will occur, and the transitioning of the Founding Board to the Governing Board will take place. After a clear and transparent board election process, decision making process and policies for membership terms (describe in Board Policy Book), “THE” Academy will elect officers, approve key policies, and approve the upcoming calendar of meetings. The board will immediately share the calendar to comply with Open Meeting laws and consider community participation during the school’s startup year. From that point forward, the board’s work will be led by its officers and executed largely through its committee structure. Officers are elected by the Board and include Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. New officers may be added and filled at any meeting of the Board. The Board will work efficiently through a committee structure. The initial standing committees include Governance, Academic Accountability and Finance. The Board may establish other committees or task forces as it deems necessary. A majority vote of those present at a Board meeting constitute action by the Board. The Board may not act unless a quorum of the Directors is present. In drafting and approving school policies, the Board of Director will adhere to the following decision-making process: conduct Board level discussion; assign member to draft policy; write first draft of policy; and present policy to Board for approval. Page 90 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School To maintain longevity, financial policies and practices will be implemented. This will be achieved by annual financial statement audit in conjunction with maintaining a balanced budget. A system of fiscal checks and balances along with budgeting process will be developed and maintained. The Finance committee will work closely with the School Director and any external providers as appropriate, so fiscal policies and practices can responsibly be developed and executed. The school’s financial status will be reported in a monthly meeting when the Finance committee reports to the Board. Board Recruitment The members of the founding Board have been meeting for the previous three years planning a Public All-Girls Charter School themed educational program that is currently not available to students in the local area. Board members were identified and recruited based on individual’s commitment to improving student learning, empowering teachers, and building a strong community. The Board has a various and diverse area of expertise that when blended together result in a strong, highly functioning Board. The genesis of creating the founding Board of Directors came from a grassroots effort to provide an innovative education program for elementary school girls that does not currently exist. Our board is a representation of highly respectable leaders in the Memphis area. They have collectively committed to oversee that all governance responsibilities to not only start up, but as well as maintain the operation of a charter school. In the event of a Board vacancy, the vacant seat will be announced to the parents and to the local community. After a period of no less than two weeks and no more than four weeks, the Board will meet and fill the seat with a qualified candidate. The ideal candidate will reflect the ideas of the founding board and will share a strong commitment to the school’s mission and goals. The new member will serve out the remaining term of the previous member. New Board members will be recruited among existing connections and those who add to the diversity of the skills we are seeking. Priority will be given to those whose skill experience consists of, but are not limited to, education, community involvement, and funding. A formally approved Board Policy Book will serve as the guidelines for board development and recruitment. Plan and Community Involvement The Board will comply with the Tennessee Open Meeting Law. The Board will post on the school website the yearly board meeting schedule with dates, times, agendas, and minutes of meetings. The Board will actively seek input by all stakeholders by providing a public comment period at the beginning of each Board meeting and by posting Board members email address. The Board will seek input from the faculty by seeking the faculty to choose an ex-officio nonvoting faculty member to attend Board meetings and interact with the Board. A yearly Satisfaction Survey will be administered to all parents and students. The purpose of the survey is to evaluate school performance and to determine school strengths and weakness. The Page 91 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School results will be used as important tool to determine the success of meeting the school’s mission and vision and will be used in strategic planning. Policy Development The Board of Directors is committed to an open and transparent decision-making process. The Board will seek input from all stakeholder when developing school policies. In making policy decisions, the Board will rely heavily on the advice of our Board attorney to ensure that the policy being considered meets all state and federal guidelines. The Board will also involve the faculty, school administration, School Improvement Team, and parents when establishing school policies. The Board will follow best practices when developing school policies. This will include examining the effectiveness of teacher professional development, ensuring high student expectations, maintain a safe, nurturing and caring school climate, and by reviewing school accountability data to ensure that instruction is data driven. Upon authorization, when the board transitions to the Governing Board, it will move forward to adopt proposed Bylaws under which it will operate. The Governing Board will maintain a minimum of 3 members and a maximum of 11. A copy of the Proposed Bylaws, Conflict of Interest Policy, and drafts versions of Initial Policies are in the Board Policy Book. Evaluating Success To ensure the success of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School, the Board will review academic, cultural and financial data on a regular basis. As “THE” Academy Board expands, it may choose to appoint a series of committees that will more closely monitor the school’s performance in certain areas such as: *Executive: Empowered to make decisions on behalf of the full Board. *Academic: Reviews annual performance goals, monitors school progress, advises “THE” Academy’s curriculum, educator effectiveness, assessment and accreditation *Finance: Audit / Budget /Development: Ensures organization is in good fiscal health and is compliant with laws, confirms strategic priorities are reflected in budget, oversees selection of auditor and reviews annual audit. Develops strategy for fundraising and development, builds financial support At its current size, this committee structure is not necessary. “THE” Academy’s Board evaluates the School Leader according to a set of competencies, including achievement of annual performance goals, effectiveness of strategic planning, instructional leadership, financial management, board relations, relationship-building, Page 92 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School communications and public relations, fundraising, leadership skills and interpersonal skills. The School Leader evaluates the School Leadership Team and informs the Board about evaluation results and significant personnel decisions. Training of Board Members As Board members join the Board, they will meet with the Board Chair and Board Attorney. The Board understands that new members training is critical to long term success of our school. High quality orientation of new Board members will ensure the continuity of the school’s mission and vision. Our Board Chair and Board attorney will meet with new Board members and will review with them the school’s Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation, the charter application, the minutes of previous meetings, and the current financial update. They will also receive governance training and related training on various topics as determined by the current Board and the school attorney. New Board members and current Board members will also attend workshop offered by the Office of Charter Schools. The new member training sessions that are conducted by our Board attorney will also be open for current Board members. Founding Board members will receive training beginning in August 2019 and will continue the training monthly until the school opens in August 2020. The topics covered will include the role of the Board, drafting Board Policy, Tennessee Charter School Law, review of the Open Meeting Laws, understanding the monthly financial statement, parliamentary procedures, establishing Board policies, strategic planning, and other topics that are deemed important by the Board and the Board attorney including all girl’s school’s awareness training. Board members will also receive governance training and training offered by the Office of Charter Schools beginning immediately after approval of the application. Additionally, “THE” Academy seeks to keep Board members informed of key happenings regularly via an email highlighting development in all regions and import news impacting “THE” Academy. Conflicts of Interest The Board of Directors will comply with all state and federal laws that govern conflict of interest issues that apply to no-profit organization. Specifically, the Board will require each member to comply with the guidelines set out by the 61-2-406 Tennessee General Statutes. The Board members will be required to inform the full Board of any potential conflict of interest when there is any transaction or decision that the Board is discussing or scheduled to vote upon. A Board member conflict of interest shall exist in instances including but not limited to when a Board member has a material financial interest or if the Board member is serving as an officer, general partner, trustee, or director of the organization or business being discussed. The Board member with the conflict of interest may participate in the discussion. The vote will take place by the remaining Board members with no conflict of interest. Page 93 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School The Board of Directors will conduct itself with only the highest standards of moral and ethical standards. To ensure the compliance the Board will follow the guidelines set forth by the Tennessee School Boards Association. Furthermore, Several Board members have signed a Conflict of Interest Statement (Board Policy Handbook) that required each member to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest. There are no current relationships that pose an actual or perceived financial conflict of interest within the Board of Directors. One Board member is married to Clarice Loggins (School Leader) and Rod Loggins but have worked with Board attorney Bruce Newman to ensure “THE” Academy complies with all legal requirements regarding the Conflict of Interest Policy. The Board members will have no financial interest in the school. (Attachment F5). Organizational Chart “THE” Academy’s organizational chart displays a relationship an accountable between management and governance to the mission of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School. The School Leader will report to the board and the School Leadership Team will report to the School Leader. Immediately upon the authorization, the school leader will be hired. The School Leader will manage all operations with the close guidance and support of the board. At that point, the school intends to begin to search for a Director of Operations. Without Start-Up Grants the school will be unable to hire a full-time Director of Curriculum and Instruction until Y1 but will take advantage of the talents of our School Leader as well as the flexibility offered by the Lead Teacher position to fulfill the duties of the Director of Curriculum and Instruction position in Y1. Page 94 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Governance Organizational Chart “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School / Organizational Chart Board of Directors Governance Committee Finance Committee Resource Development Comittee Academic Accountability Comittee School Leader Director of Operation Director of Curriculum Instruction Lead Teachers Page 95 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School 2.2 Start-Up Plan Start-Up Plan Many stakeholders at “THE” Academy have a role to play in the successful planning and launching of the new school. The following table describes the specific activities, associated timelines, and owners. This plan aligns with the Year 0 budget and compensation for school-site staff (e.g. School Leader, Director of Curriculum and Director of Operation) hired in the planning year by “THE” Academy’s Board will be funded through the Charter School Grant and The Walton Foundation Grant. If grants are not achievable for Year 0 for staff full time, Staff has agreed to continue working on their former jobs until funds are made available. Person Responsible Start Date Academic Program and School Administration School Leader has been Board of Directors August 2019 named Develop curriculum and School Leader August 2019 programming for “THE” Academy Coordinate with School Leader November 2019 assessment, curriculum, and education technology vendors to procure educational materials Recruit and hire School Leader December 2019 appropriately qualified BOD staff, including key leadership positions Compare and sign up for School Leader January 2020 benefits and 403B plans Finalize staff, student, and School Leader December 2019 parent handbook Provision classrooms School Leader January 2020 appropriately Prepare school calendar School Leader March 2020 and distribute to families Director Operation Prepare class schedules School Leader May 2020 and distribute to teachers Plan to provide a range of School Leader January 2020 special education services Student Recruitment and Enrollment Plan, conduct, and School Leader November 2019 document student Director of Operation recruitment and school marketing efforts Set an enrollment date School Leader December 2020 and arrange for lottery Director of Operation Conduct the lottery School Leader / DO April 2020 Projected Complete Date August 2019 December 2019 December 2019 May 2020 March 2020 January 2020 March 2020 May 2020 August 2020 August 2020 April 2020 January 2020 April 2020 Page 96 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Notify parents and guardians of the results of the lottery Call families admitted off the waitlist Conduct enrollment meetings with families Secure 501(c)3 status Ratify school by-laws within 30 days of issuance of charter Request student records from students' former districts Arrange for separate locked storage for students' academic and health records Enhance the school’s discipline policies in its charter application, including provisions for the discipline of special education students as needed and include in student/family handbook Write the school's FERPA policy Give annual notice to families regarding the school’s FERPA policy, preferably within the charter school’s student/family handbook Set up student files with proper FERPA protections and procedures If applicable, draft notice to parents regarding FERPA directory information, and distribute to parents. Revise and enhance the school’s Open Meetings Law policy to make it a working policy Distribute the code of ethics from the Charter Application to school trustees, officers and employees Director of Operation April 2020 May 2020 School Leader DO School Leader April 2020 October 2020 May 2020 August 2020 Organizational Viability School Leader December 2019 Board of Director November 2019 January2020 December 2019 School Leader Director of Operation May 2020 August 2020 School Leader February 2020 April 2020 School Leader DO January 2020 April 2020 School Leader January 2020 April 2020 School Leader January 2020 April 2020 School Leader June 2020 August 2020 School Leader June 2020 August 2020 Board of Directors January 2020 April 2020 School Leader January 2020 March 2020 Page 97 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Petition Shelby County Schools for public colocated facility; consider public facility offered If public option offered not pursued, locate a school facility and Shelby County Schools within 10 days of identification Enter and obtain a legal review of proposed lease or purchase agreement, and submit it to Shelby County Schools Obtain a Certificate of Occupancy and any other required permits, and submit them to the Institute Obtain a Certificate of Occupancy and any other required permits, and submit them to the Institute Ensure that school buildings are ADA compliant or that school has adequate plans to accommodate students with physical disabilities Obtain Certificates of Insurance Create life safety procedures and train teachers accordingly Create a draft SAVE plan and submit it to Shelby County Schools Write a plan and procedures to control access to the building Hire necessary security personnel, if needed Ensure that there is adequate signage and that the building is numbered for emergency response School Leader Facilities September 2019 School Leader September 2019 February 2020 School Leader February 2020 March 2020 School Leader February 2020 February 2020 School Leader DO February 2020 February 2020 School Leader DO February 2020 February 2020 School Leader January 2020 February 2020 School Leader March 2020 April 2020 School Leader November 2019 December 2019 Director of Operation May 2020 July 2020 School Leader DO School Leader DO May 2020 July 2020 June 2020 July2020 Develop the school's fiscal policies and procedures and draft Initial Statement Set up bank accounts and accounting system School Leader Board of Directors School Leader Board of Directors Finances June 2019 November 2019 November 2019 December 2019 December 2019 Page 98 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Secure an independent accountant firm Adopt Pre-Opening budget Adopt Year 1 budget Create annual cash flow projection and submit to Shelby County School; submit revised budget if necessary Establish a payroll system Establish a billing system Plan to provide nutrition services to the school's students Ensure that appropriate food and beverage storage is available at the school Set up a process for the distribution and collection of forms for free and reduced priced lunch, and for collection of lunch funds, including internal controls Contact school district of location or appropriate entity to arrange for school nurse, and/or recruit and hire a school nurse Develop a medications administration plan Develop health services plan Ensure that all students are appropriately immunized, or are excused from so being Ensure that the school will have the proper number of defibrillators and trained staff Facilitate transportation services with students’ districts of residence, including assisting parents with requests for transportation prior to April 1 Board of Directors December 2019 January 2020 School Leader Board of Directors School Leader Board of Directors School Leader November 2019 December 2019 March 2020 July 2020 May 2020 June 2020 School Leader December 2019 January 2020 School Leader January 2020 March 2020 School Management and Operations School Leader April 2020 DO June 2020 School Leader DO July 2020 August 2020 School Leader DO April 2020 May 2020 School Leader DO April 2020 June 2020 DO June 2020 August 2020 School Leader DO DO June 2020 August 2020 May 2020 August 2020 School Leader DO June 2020 August 2020 School Leader DO January 2020 March 2020 Page 99 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Challenges One challenge in starting a new school is student recruitment. To address this challenge, we have a vigorous community engagement strategy to recruit students to our school using a multipronged communication and outreach strategy involving meeting with key influencers, meeting with parents and fostering relationships with students. A second challenge involves hiring highly qualified, mission-aligned school leaders and teachers for our school. To address this challenge, we have developed a hiring strategy based on 20 years of experience in recruiting highly effective candidates. 2.3 Facilities Basic Facility Needs “THE” Academy’s education program at its full capacity in Year 6, requires-30 classrooms (3540 including computer labs) with classroom sizes ranging from 700-1000 sq. ft. The building would need to be a minimum or somewhere near 30,000sq ft. which is inclusive of 30 classrooms and the ancillary spaces describe below in additional classroom needs. We would need less space than this in the first four years as we grow to full capacity but ideally, we would like to operate in a building that could serve this capacity by year 6. Additional Classroom Needs          2 Computer labs for classes of 20 students for testing Main office that includes offices for administrations 3 workspaces: Counselor workspace, teacher’s lounge, workroom / copy room Conference Room Gym and / or multi-purpose room that can accommodate all students standing Cafeteria Kitchen area, space for food warmers and working refrigerator with adequate electrical outlets Adequate storage space for books, etc. Sufficient parking to comply with City requirements and meet school’s program Identifying and Securing a Facility “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School has secured a building at 2567 Pershing Ave. has adequate space to accommodate facility needs at full capacity. There are additional rooms that will be used as office spaces. There is a full commercial kitchen which we will use. The sponsor (Glory Community Development Corporation) is the owner of the facility and has agreed to allow “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School to utilize the facility rent free. The space identified will accommodate the school and its faculty due to the fact that it was formally a functioning daycare, minimal cosmetic repairs and renovations costing approximately $25,000.00 will be required for Page 100 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School aesthetic appeal for ‘THE” Academy All Girls Charter School. The space is large enough to accommodate the school’s growth and expansion needs (the space currently has 33,000 square feet). “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will be responsible for insurance, utilities, and maintenance. Our long-term strategy for a permanent facility will consist of procuring a commercial developer or broker to either construct or locate a facility in the event the current option is not sufficient, however the space provided by the sponsor will accommodate the school’s growth and any expansion. Consequently, “THE” Academy has an internal Real Estate Team that has over 40 years’ experience in locating commercial real estate that we will assist any contract to help find an existing building or empty school, ideally in a space already permitted for education, and invest in renovating as necessary in the event we are in need more space. Timeline and Compliance On the site identified, “THE” Academy will determine facility improvement requirements, working with a licensed contractor to build the design. “THE” Academy will research planning, zoning and safety requirements to ensure the design is compliant. “THE” Academy will work with Shelby County Facilities Division to assess the facility for ADA compliance concurrently with lease negotiations. The design will be approved by the Shelby County Schools Facilities Division before being released for bid. Once a contractor has been selected through the bidding process, construction will begin, and we will ensure the building meets health and safety requirements and building codes that are identified during the design phase. While in the process of receiving bids, we will concurrently engage philanthropic funders in Tennessee and national financial institutions to secure funding for the facility. Once the facility is complete, “THE” Academy Facilities Committee will maintain ongoing compliances, involving engaging respective government agencies for annual or periodic inspections and/or getting certifications of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and Fire Life Safety systems. Start Date End Date Activity As soon as charter is approved December 2019 January 2020 January 201 January 2020 February 2020 January 2020 February 2020 February 2020 March 2020 March 2020 April 2020 June 2020 March 2020 June 2020 July 2020 Site identified Assess facility and sign lease Plan and design facility improvements Design is approved and sent out for bid Financing is secured for the facility improvements Contractor is selected Construction and upgrades occur Building is certified for occupancy Page 101 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School 2.4 Personnel/Human Capital “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School believe that quality teachers and staff are necessary to achieve outstanding results. Teacher quality will drive our school and every employee will be part of a team dedicated to academic success and personal excellence to help our girls achieve the highest level of success in middle school, high school, college and life. It is upon this resultdriven philosophy that we make all policies and decisions and most particularly regarding personnel. All faculty and staff of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School must have a deep, focused alignment and commitment with the mission and vision of the school. Leadership Structure: Key leaders for the school will include:    School Leader: The School Leader is the primary leader of the school and is accountable for the school’s academic performance and operations. She will report to the Executive Director. Director of Curriculum & Instruction: The Director of Curriculum & Instruction will be held accountable by the School Leader with respect to teacher performance and growth, student achievement, and quality of curriculum. Director of Student Affairs: The Director of Student Affairs provides leadership in developing comprehensive program plans as well as implementing and evaluating the planned programs for Tier II and Tier III Students. Determines program needs and allocates resources of staff and materials. Attends meetings (i.e. IEP meetings) with parents and staff in order to assist in facilitating appropriate programs and services for individual students. Hiring School Leaders “THE” Academy will conduct extensive diligence to select the most qualified and dedicated School Leader. “THE” Academy seeks to identify its Founding School Leader at least 12 months to the school opening. We understand the importance of hiring school leaders from local communities, so we will seek partnership with human capital organizations such as Tennessee New Leaders, Teach for America and The Tennessee Charter Center to identify potential external School Leadership. The School Leader’s duties and responsibilities will include;    Hire and develop school staff (certificated and classified) Serve as administrator and instructional leader of school, direct and supervise the curriculum and guidance program of the school Plan the master schedule of classes for students and for assigning members of the certificated staff Page 102 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School              Evaluate the performance of teachers and other school employees and counsel them on their individual development Mold student discipline policies to meet unique student population needs Direct financial and human resources at the school site Responsible for school budgetary planning and business operations Work closely with parents and the community at large Initiate and implement community support and advisory groups Accountable for students’ overall academic performance Manage school revenues and expenses to stay within agreed upon budget Available for contact with parents, students and staff to discuss student progress and problems after class, at night or on weekends (via cell phone or in person) Maintain work hours extending beyond school hours for other professional duties or functions such as staff meetings, etc. Maintain professional standards and a school environment that is productive and focused Participate in “THE” Academy and individual professional development Participate in other events aimed at promoting or developing “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School (recruitment) We will look for the following qualification in all administrator candidates:          Valid Administrator credentials Relevant Masters or equivalent degree Substantial teaching experience at the elementary level, with a history of improving student achievement Demonstrated leadership capabilities Proven management and team building skills Experience managing budgets, creating and implementing policies Excellent interpersonal communication and writing skills Experience working in an entrepreneurial environment A passion for improving and driving education reform Hiring Teachers “THE” Academy will hire a diverse faculty comprised of the best teachers available. We will achieve this goal by continuing our rigorous recruitment process to hire highly effective. ‘THE” Academy will specifically look for candidates who demonstrate unwavering belief in the potential of all students and are passionate about improving public education. To guarantee all employees meet standards and licensing requirements, we will develop a hiring process that meets the state of Tennessee Highly Qualified level of teaching and leadership. The School Leader will be responsible for hiring top graduates from various education programs in the country and utilize our network of Tennessee staff to reach experience teachers. We plan to Page 103 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School advertise nationally and locally and employ internet channels to find the best candidates. We will meet with candidates from Teach for America and establish a relationship with Memphis Teacher Residency. We will have presence at local job fairs, distribute flyers and brochures at local community events and host several open house networking events throughout the recruitment season. The interview process will be conducted by the School Leader, the process will consist of resume screening, in-person interview, online applications, phone screen, group interview, school interview, reference and background checks. The rigorous hiring process is designed to make certain the individuals we are considering joining our school exhibit the following:   Alignment- believes in and supports the school’s mission and vision. Intelligence- displays competence in the position seeking and willing to learn and achieve.  Coachable- receives feedback and builds appropriately upon it.  Initiative- oriented and eager.  Communication- written and verbal skills are strong.  Content Knowledge- builds and develops skills.  Classroom skill- strong classroom management and instruction delivery.  Team orientation- collaborates well with a team, realizing it is not about the individual but the whole. “THE” Academy’s teacher interview process includes five steps with the School Leader being responsible for making the final hiring decision. 1) Online Application: The application includes a resume, cover letter and credential check, which ensures we have a pool of highly qualified staff. 2) Phone Screen: “THE” Academy will ask a series of questions to assess cultural fit or ability to teach in an urban setting, and pedagogy. This stage helps “THE” Academy assess whether the candidate fits “THE” Academy’s culture, shows perseverance and passion and is reflective. 3) Group Interview Process: Candidates who pass the phone screen are invited to a group interview session that consists of three components. a. Content Assessment: During these component individuals are tasked with using data to develop a follow up lesson targeted to a specific state standard. Through this process, “THE” Academy assesses the candidate’s ability and depth in designing a lesson plan that contains specific strategies to engage students and understanding of data to drive decision-making. Following the lesson plan creation, the candidates will rotate through one-on-one short interviews to discuss the process through which the candidate used the data and designed the lesson. This mini-interview assesses the candidate’s reflection and perseverance. Page 104 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School b. Group Collaborative Exercise: During this component, individuals work together (with the help of prior reading) to examine realistic school data and develop an Advisory lesson with action steps toward addressing a school need. This component assesses candidate collaboration, communication, mindset orientation, and problem-solving skills. Like above, candidates will rotate through another set of short one-on-one interviews to discuss the process candidates experienced while completing the group assignment. This mini-interview assesses the candidate’s response to feedback and perceptions of working with a team. c. Writing Component: As individuals rotate through steps a and b above, candidates will respond to specific scenarios and questions assessing a candidate’s understanding of working in an urban environment and an experience during which the candidate took extra steps to reach a goal while working with students. 4) School Interview: Finalists are invited to an in-person interview with the school site recruitment team. During this time, candidates will meet with other teachers, observe classrooms and lunch periods while interviewing directly with the administrative team. 5) Reference and Background Checks: Reference and background checks are conducted for finalists. “THE” Academy shall comply with the provisions and procedures of Education Code, including the requirement that, as a condition of employment, each new employee must submit a set of fingerprints for the purpose of obtaining a criminal record summary. No employee shall be permitted to commence work at ‘THE” Academy until clearance has been obtained. All employees will undergo a criminal background check and fingerprinting as well as a child abuse registry check. Applicants will be required to provide a full disclosure statement regarding prior criminal records. All staff will be required to produce documents for U.S. employment authorization and will be required to follow all mandated child abuse reporting laws. In addition, “THE” Academy will follow the practices required by the TN Board of Education with regards to contractors, volunteers and board members who have unsupervised access to children or are allowed unaccompanied access to School premises. Hiring Classified Staff and Counselor The following classified staff will be hired, with the process starting once the School Leader has been identified School Operations Staff: including Director of Operation and General Office Secretary who will be responsible for managing day-to-day operations of the school. Applicants are screened through a resume review, phone screen, skills-based assessment, inperson interview, reference checks and a school culture interview. Will be done by the centralized office staff so that administrators’ time is spent reviewing qualified candidates only. Page 105 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School SPED Aide/ Teacher Assistance: responsible for providing academic and behavior support to SPED students in both Special Education and General Ed classrooms. The schedule of classes in which they assist is driven by student needs and developed by school-site administrators in collaboration with lead teachers. Aides perform a variety of instructional tasks in such areas as reading, writing, and mathematics. SPED Aides must meet state requirements with a minimum of 48 hours of post-secondary coursework. Aides go through a selection process involving:    Resume screen 20-minute phone screen One-on-one interview with the School Leader to review specific role expectations, discuss past experiences, and assess skill and content-knowledge. Counselor: will work with the School Leader as part of the school leadership team. The counselor’s role is primarily focused on student advocacy. In addition to providing counseling services, the counselor supervises student 504 plans, assists with scheduling, facilitates parent conferences and works with administration in developing PD particularly related to ELL and RT Counselors are selected as follows.     Resume and application question screen 30-minute phone screen assessing background knowledge and experiences One-on-one interview with the Director of Student Support focused on behavioral-based questions to assess fit Candidates deemed qualified for hire are invited to meet directly with the School Director who will make the final hiring decision Salary Ranges Position Average Salary Year Hired Number of Employees School Leader $90,000 Year 0 1 Director of Operations $65,000 Year 0 1 Director of Curriculum and Instruction $80,000 Year 1 1 Director of Student Affairs $80,000 Year 2 1 Page 106 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Teachers $50,000 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 2 4 6 8 10 12 Elective Teachers $50,000 General Secretary $18/hr. Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 1 2 3 4 4 1 Guidance Counselor $50,000 Year 3 1 Special Education Teacher $50,000 Year 2 1 ELL Teacher $50,000 (Part-Time) Year 2 1 Intervention Specialist $45,000 Instructional Coach $45,000 Year 3 Year 5 Year 3 1 2 1 Teacher Assistance $18 hr. Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 1 2 3 Teacher Retention “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School seeks teachers with a growth mindset and will also provide coaching and supports to enable teachers’ success and happiness in the classroom. Longer-term, we work to retain our best teachers by providing them with a voice in decisionmaking around policies that impact them while personalizing their career paths in meaningful ways. We have worked to add teacher leadership opportunities, which will be available to teachers at “THE” Academy, for teachers who want to stay in the classroom but grow their impact and stretch themselves. “THE” Academy acknowledges that building camaraderie amongst staff is a leading factor to retention as well. To promote collaboration, “THE” Academy will provide both formal and informal mentors for teachers to help further their practice and will offer regular opportunities for teachers to convene for professional development and build networks across schools. “THE” Academy will also put a heavy emphasis on training administrators because we have identified the quality and effectiveness of the admin-teacher relationship to be one of the top drives of retention. Lastly, “THE” Academy realizes that opportunities for collaboration with peer teachers (across subject areas and grade levels) are a critical aspect of retention. We will explore how we can Page 107 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School create communities of practice across regions so teachers in California, Tennessee and Washington can learn from each other directly or virtually. Grant Funded Positions Some of the positions we need to hire in “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School start-up year will be funded by The Walton Foundation Grant and Tennessee Charter School Grant. The following positions will be funded by the grant in the school’s planning year (Year 0):   The School Leader: will be hired ideally 12 months prior to the school’s opening and could spend the first 6 months training in an Administrator-in-Residence (AIR) Program and the 2nd half of the year focusing on getting the school setup. The Director of Operations: will also be hired in Year 0 to assist with budgeting, payroll, expense and other financial activities. These positions will be covered by public funds once the school opens and grants expires. Teacher Qualification Summary Position Qualification Lead Teacher, Classroom Teachers, Elective Teachers Special Education Teacher          Strong commitment to, belief in, alignment with mission and vision of school.  Tennessee state teacher certification eligibility.  Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree.  Minimum of one year working in urban education with a history of significant gains in student performance and/or growth  Excellent verbal and written skills.  Experience or familiarity analyzing data and using data to inform decisions and/or instruction.  Strong organizational Skills.  Openness to feedback, desire to continue development s professional, and willingness to take responsibility for student outcomes and achievement. Strong commitment to, belief in, alignment with mission and vision of school. Tennessee state teacher certification eligibility. Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree. State certification in special education Minimum of one year working in urban education with a history of significant gains in student performance and/or growth Excellent verbal and written skills. Experience or familiarity analyzing data and using data to inform decisions and/or instruction. Strong organizational Skills. Page 108 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School  Openness to feedback, desire to continue development s professional, and willingness to take responsibility for student outcomes and achievement. School Leadership Roles School Leader Board of Directors will hold the School Leader of “THE” Academy accountable regarding all aspects of the school’s academic programs, financial management, and organizational health. The School Leader is entrusted with advancing the school’s mission, maintaining the financial viability of the organization, and determining the future direction of the school in accordance with the mission.               Create, monitor, and sustain school culture of academic excellence through consistent implementation of systems, and structures to maximize student learning. Manage and work closely with the Director of Curriculum and Instruction on all jobs responsibilities associated with the positions. Manage the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Director of Student Affairs, Director of Operations, Teachers, as well as all other staff including representative of all outsourced business function. Lead all student community meetings in coordination with the Director of Student Affairs. Lead all staff development and administrative meetings in coordination with the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Manage and direct recruitment, hiring, and retention of all staff members, including salary, contract, and benefits orientations. Draft and provide evaluation of all staff members. Coordinate lottery, admissions, enrollment, and waitlist procedures for the school. Lead orientation, training and evaluation of all staff. Implement all student discipline, code of conduct, and behavior standards in conjunction with other administrative and teaching staff. Review all students report cards before disbursement to families, or delegates to appropriate staff upon school growth. Serve as primary spokesperson for school to both internal and external constituents including media, community, members, parents, political leaders and representative, and visitors. Support and work with all Board Committees as well as provide information, data, reports, and context necessary to assist in effective governance of the school. Manage and allocate school resources, including financial resources, in alignment with values of school; work with external back office providers and Director of Operations to evaluate the accuracy of all financial documents. Page 109 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School     Supervise and monitor daily inputs and out puts of school including accounts payable and receivable, cash receipts and disbursements, payroll/benefits, taxes, staff, and school supplies. Work with Director of Operations, Director of Curriculum & Instruction and Director of Student Affairs to prepare or oversee and submit required reports, evaluation, and data to all external and funding sources. Continue to develop a financial plan for school’s capital needs to secure permanent facility for school. Inspire staff and student body to remain focused and determined in work of fulfilling the mission of school. Director of Curriculum & Instruction The Director of Curriculum & Instruction will be held accountable by the School Leader with respect to teacher performance and growth, student achievement, and quality of curriculum. The Director of Curriculum & Instruction is entrusted with advancing the mission of the school through the management and development of a standard aligned curriculum; participation in the evaluation, support, and development of teaching staff; and collaboration with the School Leader on areas of instructional and/or curricular need at the school.          Embody mission, vision, core beliefs and strategic direction of the school. In consultation with the School Leader, help to develop and monitor a curriculum (scope and sequence, planning, etc.) that maximizes and enhances student learning in all core subjects. Plan and run staff professional development sessions as needed and coordinate professional development sessions from outside resources. Serve as instructional coach for the faculty through regular observation, feedback, meetings, and additional metrics of support in order to provide a quality instructional program to students within the context of a disciplined school culture. Research and develop best practices to be implemented and supported in school. Analyze student achievement data as well as teacher performance data on variety of metrics, both quantitative and qualitative, and use information to collaborate with School Leader on strategic plan and short and long-term vision for school. Coordinate and manage administration of all standardized student assessments and evaluations, including state assessment, interim assessments, and nationally normed assessments. Review report cards for every student and provide feedback to teachers before review by School Leader. Co-manage assigned aspects of school-wide routines such as lunch procedures, bus timetables, and before and after-school plans. Page 110 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Director of Student Affairs The Director of Student Affairs will be held accountable by the School Leader by providing leadership in developing comprehensive program plans as well as implementing and evaluating the planned programs for Tier II and Tier III Students. Determines program needs and allocates resources of staff and materials. Attends meetings (i.e. IEP meetings) with parents and staff in order to assist in facilitating appropriate programs and services for individual students. Draft and revise IEPs as necessary to ensure needs of special education students are being served.                 Maintain detailed student IEP and 504 records according to state and federal guidelines. Provide daily tutoring to special education and other students, in individual or small group settings. Embody mission and vision of school. Create standards aligned curriculum including scope and sequence, annual plan, unit plan, and lesson plans; develop interim, midterm, and final assessments as needed. Develop and implement ambitious, and standards aligned lesson plans targeted with end goal of student performance at or above grade level expectations. Teach and enforce school wide systems, rules and consequences, disciplinary codes, and rewards. Provide academic support and tutoring to small groups or individual students as needed/schedule. Analyze student achievement data in collaboration with Director of Curriculum & Instruction and School Leader. Implement data tracking system and use data to inform instructional development and delivery. Communicate regularly and proactively with students and families. Collaborate with other staff members and actively participate in all professional development and learning activities. Work to continuously improve effectiveness on in all instructional practices, using school’s teacher performance rubric as a guide. Use feedback to make productive change in performance. Completes all administrative requirements before given deadlines. Participates in additional activities including field trips, intensive academic support session, and other required programs as needed throughout the year. Modeling the school’s IDEA values and setting the standard for professional behavior. Keeping extremely accurate student discipline records, documenting all conferences, suspension, and cell calls for behavior. Director of Operations: The School Leader will hold the Director of Operations accountable in regard to his/her performance and growth. The Director of Operations is entrusted with advancing the mission of the school through the development and implementation of a budget, Page 111 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School coordination of external and internal operations, and fundraising all of which will be done in collaboration with the School Leader.            Create and maintain high standards of financial management and oversight with regard to budgets, cash flow statements, expenditures and revenues. Ensure compliance with generally accepted accounting principles as well as all other requirements (federal, state, local, and suggested). Provide bookkeeping services to school using provided financial and accounting software. Provide regular feedback to School Leader on tools and resources that may strategically improve financial management, Supervise daily accounting of school including accounts payable and receivable, cash receipts, payroll and benefits, general ledger, taxes, and allocation of non-financial resources. Prepare and submit all relevant reports, evaluations, and data of both internal and external agencies, funding sources, and parties Report to and collaborate with the School Leader and interface with external back office support throughout budgetary process including establishment of priorities and maintenance of finical outputs on daily and/or weekly basis. Coordinate food services bids and contracts for all student meals and snacks in conjunction with vendor selected and with School Leader. Oversees resources provided to all staff, including classroom resources, copy machines, phones, computers and technology. Provide verbal and written financial reports at all Board of Directors Finance Committee meetings, in coordination with School Leader. Serving as the liaison to the school’s parent organization. General Office Secretary: The School Leader will hold the General Office accountable regarding his/her performance and growth. The General Office Secretary is entrusted with advancing the mission of the school through the organization and running of all administrative task including phone calls, copies, filing, and record-keeping.       Strong commitment to belief in and alignment with mission and vision of school. Maintain accurate complete, neat, and organized files for every student. Maintain accurate attendance records and follow-up with families when students are not present at school. Coordinates all school mailings. Ensures strict confidentiality of personal student and staff records and data. Makes copies as needed. Page 112 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School      Maintain enthusiastic greetings of all school stakeholders (in person, by phone, through email, and through mail) and provides information and directs communication thoughtfully. Communicates to all school stakeholders in thoughtful, calm, and knowledgeable way. Remains familiar with school policies, procedures, and operations, Drafts and edits documents, as needed. Completes other responsibilities as requested by School Director. Evaluation and Coaching of School Leaders “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School knows that effective School Leaders are those who consistently act to improve academic achievement for all students and increase the effectiveness of their teachers. The Board of Directors will observe school leaders once a month, two-hour sessions. These observations include; • Observe a school leadership meeting and look for the diversity of team members, shared leadership, and accountability among staff. • Observe TEAM walk-throughs and ask the administrator to send a copy of the feedback shared with the teachers following the walk-through. • Observe a post-conference with a teacher. It is a good idea to have the School Leader check with the teacher first to make sure he/she is comfortable with being observed in that setting. • Reserve about 30 minutes at the end of a site visit for questioning around indicators that were not able to be observed during the visit. • Visit teacher-led and administrator-led collaborative sessions frequently. • Observe classrooms at each school to monitor classroom practices and culture. • Go to the school for visits before school begins (e.g., during car rider or bus rider time) to see how the tone is set for the day. Consider staying through announcements and other morning routines to visit with staff and teachers. Coaching Conversations • Hold brief coaching and goal-setting sessions around key elements of the rubric. The following are highly impactful areas of focus, but conversations and goals are not limited to these: shared leadership, building teacher leaders, and leveraging educator strengths. • Have administrators complete the department’s self-reflection document and schedule a follow-up conversation to discuss it. Page 113 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School • Ask the School Leader to have prepared evidence and discussion points on the indicator they feel they are doing the best job with this year. This allows them to begin the evaluation process on a positive note and makes them feel like they have more control of driving the conservation and support. • During the initial visit, discuss what needs improvement and how administrators plan to improve before the end of the semester. Setting a concrete goal allows the tone to be set as, “Let’s do this together,” rather than, “I’m out to get you.” School Leadership Evaluations “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School knows that effective School Leaders are those who consistently act to improve academic achievement for all students and increase the effectiveness of their teachers. Therefore, “THE” Academy will develop a Leadership Evaluation System, which encompasses these ideals. Like the Teacher Evaluation System, the Leadership Evaluation System provides: 1) common language for discussing school leader effectiveness by defining what it means to be a highly effective school administrator, and 2) a platform for a future administrator performance-based compensation system with defined career paths. The Leadership Evaluation System will contain four standards in which to measures: Instructional Leadership: Cultural of Teaching & Learning: Professional Learning & Growth: Resource Management. The rubric aligns with the Tennessee State Evaluation System for Leadership and provides opportunities for continuous improvement and individual goals that target student achievement, school improvement and professional growth. See below for the rubric. School Leadership Evaluation Rubric Standards Indicators A1. Capacity Building A2. Data Analysis & Use A3. Interventions A4. Progress Monitoring B1. Leveraging Educator Strengths Culture for Teaching B2. Environment & Learning B3. Family Involvement Instructional Leadership Page 114 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School B4. Ownership B5. Recognition & Celebration C1. Evaluation Professional Learning C2. Differentiated Professional Learning & Growth C3. Induction, Support, Retention & Growth C4. Teacher Leaders C5. Self-Practices D1. Community Resources D2. Diversity D3. Employee & Fiscal Management Resource Management School Leader Performance Levels 5 Significantly Above Expectations 4 Above Expectations 3 At Expectations 2 Below Expectations 1 Significantly Below Expectations The School Leader consistently and significantly exceeded basic competence on standard(s) of performance. This band is reserved for truly outstanding leadership as described by very demanding criteria; there will be relatively few scores at this level. The School Leader exceeded basic competence on standard(s) for performance most of the time. This level describes solid, expected professional performance; any administrator should be pleased with scores at this level. The School Leader demonstrated basic competence on standard(s) of performance The School Leader did not demonstrate competence on standard(s) of performance. The school leader’s performance has real deficiencies and must improve (although some novice administrators might start here). The School Leader did not demonstrate competence on standard(s) of performance. The school leader’s performance has real deficiencies and must improve (although some novice administrators might start here). Page 115 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Support and Evaluation of Teachers The foundation of our mission is academic excellence. Teacher evaluations are significant in receiving sufficient student performance. The decision of allowing one to remain a staff member is tied to their academic performance, not tenure, advancement of degrees, or other factors. Every member of the staff is hired due to their demonstrated ability to partake in meaning, measurable methods for increasing the academic success of our students and the school. If a staff member displays performance that is unsatisfactory the School Leader will immediately provide direct and written feedback. This feedback will inform the staff member about their underperformance. A meeting will be setup immediately to discuss the next steps. In the event the staff member fails to meet the goals outlined in the meeting, the School Leader will seek other options, not limited to, further action plan and or dismissal of the staff member. Our school’s goal is to maintain much of our staff providing the necessary training and structure eliminating underperformance before it surfaces. Realistically, there will be times when turnover will occur. Our goal is to present career options for staff members to fill any vacancies from within. For example, a teacher may be receiving feedback and support throughout the year that is preparing them for the lead teacher position the next year. Vacancies will be posted with Teach for America, online, in the newspapers and at higher education institutes. The Teacher Evaluation System “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will use The Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model (TEM) which is an evaluation tool that focuses on principals and teachers working together to ensure the best possible instruction every day. Through frequent observation, constructive feedback, student data, and professional development, TEM is designed to support all educators in doing their best work to help every student learn and grow. At “THE” Academy we believe teachers are the most important factor influencing student success, and the goal of TEM is to provide educators with a model to help them continuously improve their practice. A complete picture of what’s going on in the classroom is essential to driving educator improvement; therefore, we want to look at how teachers are delivering instruction and what students are learning from those lessons. By using observations and data together, TEM allows teachers and school leaders to have an ongoing dialogue about how what’s going on in the classroom is impacting student performance. Ultimately, growth in teachers’ skills will lead to growth in student achievement. In the TEM Model teacher evaluation consists of frequent observations and constructive feedback for educators through multiple observations and pre- and post-conferences. Using the indicators of the TEM rubric, educators work together to identify what is working well in the classroom (area of reinforcement), where there is room for improvement (area of refinement), and options for professional development to support continued growth. Page 116 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School The minimum required number of observations is based on licensure status and evaluation scores from the previous year. TEM Model rubric uses: Designing and Planning: Learning Environment: Instruction: and Professionalism Teacher Evaluation Rubric Instruction Planning *Standards & Objective *Motivating Students *Presenting Instructional Content *Lesson Structure and Pacing *Activities & Materials *Questioning *Academic Feedback *Grouping Students *Teacher Content Knowledge *Teacher Knowledge of Students *Thinking Problem Solving *Instructional Plans *Student Work * Assessment Environment *Expectation *Managing Student Behavior *Environment *Respectful Culture Professionalism *Professional Growth and Learning *Use of Data *School and Community * Leadership Teacher Performance Level 5 Significantly Above Expectations (425-500) 4 Above Expectations (350-424.99) 3 At Expectations (275-349.99) 2 Below Expectations (200-274.99) A teacher at this level exemplifies the instructional skills, knowledge, and responsibilities described in the rubric, and implements them without fail. He/she is adapted at using data to set and reach ambitious teaching and learning goals. He/she makes a significant impact on student achievement and should be considered a model of exemplary teaching. A teacher at this level comprehends the instructional skills, knowledge, and responsibilities described in the rubric and implements them consistently. He/she is skilled at using data to set and reach appropriate teaching and learning goals and makes a strong impact on student achievement. A teacher at this level understands and implements most of the instructional skills, knowledge, and responsibilities described in the rubric. He/she uses data to set and reach teaching and learning goals and makes the expected impact on student achievement. A teacher at this level demonstrates some knowledge of the instructional skills, knowledge, and responsibilities described in the rubric, but implements them inconsistently. He/she may struggle to use data to set and reach appropriate teaching and learning goals. His/her impact on student achievement is less than expected. 1 Significantly Below Expectations (Under 200) A teacher at this level has limited knowledge of the instructional skills, knowledge, and responsibilities described in the rubric, and struggles to implement them. He/she makes little attempt to use data to set and reach appropriate teaching and learning goals, and has little to no impact on student achievement. Page 117 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Capacity to respond to student and staff needs Responding to staff needs For “THE” Academy, the most effective teacher supports are individualized, aligned to teacher performance (per the evaluation), job-embedded and frequent. One of the biggest priorities of the Teacher Development and Evaluation System is to ensure that teachers receive appropriate, differentiated support that is tied to real, reliable and robust evaluations of performance and need. In TEM evaluation tracking system and PD portal, teachers receive a private, personalized dashboard through which they can communicate with administrators about observations, record and manage personal growth goals and find tailored support and solutions for meeting those goals via My Learning Plan online PD resources. To accomplish “THE” Academy’s goal of having a highly effective teacher in every classroom, all teachers work with an administrator to complete a Professional Growth Plan (PGP) during the first 30 days of the Spring semester. After the first and second semesters, teachers meet with administrators to analyze their progress and discuss strengths and areas of growth. Responding to student needs “THE” Academy’s School Leader will provide PD for school leaders regarding the use of data monthly. The School Leader will help the staff understand the school’s data, benchmark it against other Charter schools (now that the entire network will be using the same Tennessee Academic Standards) and share best practices and suggestions for improvement. The School Leader will help teacher improvement using data. During the school year, teachers will be supported by Department Chairs and peers in learning to gather the appropriate data, interpret results and develop an action plan. “THE” Academy will also reflect on school data at multiple points in the year. “THE” Academy will put heavy emphasis on responding to school and staff needs as evidenced by our School Leader Evaluation rubric which includes several indicators around building a collaborative and well-functioning team, developing staff in differentiated ways that will improve their practice and engaging staff, students and parents in the process. The school’s leadership team will have the skills and experience to execute in these areas. “THE” Academy School Leader will be able to exhibit the ability to be responsive to staff and student needs, will coach the School Leadership Team to improve their ability to respond to staff and student needs. Unsatisfactory Performance and Dismissal Through the Teacher Evaluation System and the Leader Evaluation System, “THE” Academy identifies the scale and scope of an individual teacher’s and school leader’s weaknesses and will work collaboratively to provide a comprehensive range of professional supports. Teachers and School Leadership Teams will be put in place when it is determined that a teacher or school leader does not meet, or only partially meets, the standards defined by the TEM Model and Leader Evaluation Framework, respectively. Page 118 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School If progress is not evident, “THE” Academy places him/her on an Improvement Plan. The Improvement Plan calls for additional and intensified support (e.g., specific recommendations for improvement, direct assistance in implementing recommendations). In the event that a teacher/school leader continues to show no improvement in performance or fails to meet the TEM or Leader Evaluation standards, they may be terminated or let go at the end of the school year. The supports that “THE” Academy provides teachers and school leaders who are performing below standards will be personalized, in-depth and include one-on-one coaching. These supports will make a measurable difference in teacher and school leader practice, and therefore the incidence of dismissal based on poor performance will be low. Additionally, “THE” Academy’s teachers are at will employees, so they can be dismissed at any time for discipline violations, but due process will be executed to ensure fairness to all teachers. In the event that school leadership or teacher changes occur mid-year, “THE” Academy will backfill the vacancy from quality sources. The Director of Curriculum & Instruction may step in to fill the role of School Leader in case of school leadership turnover. At the school site level, School Leader will first look within their existing teaching staff to identify additional capacity to address mid-year teacher turnover. They will also work with the School Leadership Team to identify qualified long-term substitutes. Below is the staffing chart outlining staff projections. Position School Leader Director of Operation Director of Curriculum & Instruction Director of Student Affairs Classroom Teachers Elective Teachers Special Education Teacher ELL Teacher Start-up 1 Year 1 1 Year 2 1 Year 3 1 Year 4 1 Year5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 2 4 6 8 10 0 0 2 3 4 4 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 (Part-Time) Page 119 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Teaching Aids or Assistants Guidance Counselor 0 1 1 2 2 3 0 0 1 1 1 1 General Secretary Intervention Specialist Instructional Coach Cafeteria Staff Custodial 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 2 2 3 3 0 1 2 2 3 3 2.5 Professional Development Professional development refers to activities that enhance professional growth. Professional Development structures at “THE” Academy are designed to work towards the following goals: 1) to establish a faculty culture of academic rigor and continual learning to push students to achieve at their highest levels and potentials and 2) to create opportunities for teachers to learn the skills needed to support students socially, culturally, and emotionally through the elementary grades so that students are ready to meet the academic challenges they will face. The School Leader, and the Director of Curriculum & Instruction will work with other Leadership Team members to develop professional learning opportunities that place instructional excellence and effectiveness at the center of “THE” Academy’s professional culture. All in-house professional development will be directed and managed by the Leadership Team who will partner with various school leaders, experienced teachers, and outside organizations to meet the goals stated above. Professional Development, or the Teacher Development Academy (TDA) will include annual all-staff retreats, Summer Institutes for teachers and school leadership, along with weekly and quarterly sessions aligned to school improvement efforts. Professional Development Structures at “THE” Academy - Our Teacher Development Academy (TDA), which is our learning institute for teachers, will focus on preparing our faculty to meet the academic and socio-emotional needs of our students to prepare them to foster and promote our unique school culture. Our professional development program will be broken into tiers: Induction Tier (1-3 years), Intermediate Tier (3-6 years), and Experienced Tier (6+ years). This structure will allow us to address the individual needs and specific challenges of our teachers based on years of experience and teaching expertise. We want our teachers to participate actively in making sense of new practices, so it is important that our professional development experiences are differentiated based on the level of experiences and expertise of our teachers. Faculty in our upper tiers of professional development will take leadership roles within our Page 120 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School school community and take leadership in the training of newer teachers through coaching and training roles. Our teachers will engage in vibrant, ongoing professional development by participating in workshops and ongoing learning related to innovative and unique teaching strategies. Summer Teacher Development Academy (TDA): “THE” Academy’s faculty will join the Leadership Team for a two-week institute for professional learning and school opening preparation. The institute is designed to infuse our faculty in the core values of “THE” Academy and establish a strong adult culture for teaching learning. We also aim to develop common practices around procedures, systems, and routines, and provide curriculum with time to unpack units in content teams and plan for the year ahead. During Summer TDA, our school’s leadership team will lead workshops and seminars about: developing strong adult culture, developing strong student culture, common procedures, systems, routines, observation feedback cycle, academic program, curriculum development and unpacking unit, and teaching all learners sessions. Ongoing Professional Development - Our Teacher Development Academy will take place throughout the school year every Wednesday for staff-wide PD. We will also create extended learning opportunities for our staff within our school schedule; from grade-level and department meetings, to cross-grade collaboration and common planning amongst co-teachers, to weekly coaching meetings, our faculty will receive the necessary training, feedback and development to improve student achievement and grow as educational professionals. Along with sessions led by the Leadership Team, experienced teachers will also have the opportunity to lead PD sessions. “THE” Academy will also utilize outside presenters and consultants. Twice a year the faculty will visit other high performing schools to observe and reflect on best practices that could be implemented at “THE” Academy. Coaching Meetings -Throughout the year, all teachers will be supported by their Instructional Coach beginning year 2, who will be required to provide meaningful, actionable feedback to teachers to improve or fine tune their instructional practices. Through these interactions, teachers as well as coaches will learn to build on their strengths and seek out tools to ensure continued improvement and excellence. Evaluation of the PD Program “THE’ Academy’s professional development programs will be evaluated routinely and improved based on feedback, observation, and assessment data. At the end of each semester, we will survey staff members to evaluate which sessions, workshops, or trainings were useful or impactful, which were not, and topics or skills staff would like to learn about in future sessions. Student assessment data and school culture data will also be used to identify targeted future professional development sessions. Page 121 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Beginning of the Year PD Schedule “THE” Academy teachers will have 10 days of Professional Development in the month of July to start our inaugural year. Some of these days may be specifically designated for new teachers. The teachers are supported throughout this time by administrators. Topics over these PD days could include:        School Site Orientation (introductions, policies, school culture, etc.) Planning and preparation (best practices in lesson planning, writing standards-based three-part objectives, writing a cognitively engaging Day 1 lesson, etc.) Clear Expectations and Classroom Management (Practicing signature strategies and classroom management techniques on developing a classroom management plan, etc.) Strong Relationships and Strong Presence (Applying the five techniques for building positive, professional, secure relationships with students; demonstrating five key elements of Strong Voice, etc.) Developing engaging curriculum Using data to improve instruction (e.g. reviewing data from the previous year) Teacher-administrator meetings Number of PD days The expected number of days for PD will at minimum be 10 days of summer PD, 3 during the year and school PD/collaboration 2-3 times per week.      10 days of Summer Professional Development (explained above) 3 “THE” Academy Days during the school year, a time for common planning and collaboration within subject teams across “THE” Academy, allowing school staff to share innovative practices across the district. School Leader will use content area teacher evaluation data to identify needs and build relevant PD to address those needs. There is no school for students on these 3 Academy Days. Weekly School-Wide Professional Development Activities: School Leader will work in conjunction with the Instructional Leadership Team to design PD for use at the school level. It is typically 90 minutes to two hours once or twice a week. This occurs before school starts or after school ends. Collaboration time is also built into the schedule (either using the PD time above or additional time). Annual Training/Retreat: An annual three-to-five-day retreat for school staff to plan for the year and receive PD. Mid-Year Retreat: A half-day to two-day retreat for school staff to evaluate progress, reflect and adjust the school’s plan for the final semester. New Teachers may receive additional specialized workshops that cover topics that first-year teachers have previously struggled with such as: classroom management, using data to improve Page 122 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School instruction and best practices in lesson planning. They would be pulled out of their classrooms at these times and sessions would be led by the School Leader and the Director of Curriculum & Instruction. SPED and ELL PD “THE” Academy’s School Leader will provide broad support to all “THE” Academy’s teachers in serving special populations and at-risk students in their appropriate content areas. She will provide specialized, more in-depth support and training on strategies to teachers focused primarily on SPED/EL populations, which occur as pull-out sessions during the year. “THE” Academy will also have a Special Education Program Administrator to specifically support our special education teachers including support on implementation of IEPs beginning in June 2020. PD sessions for all teachers on these topics are built into the school year, and occur during the weekly PD sessions that occur on the school-site. Special Education topics include strategies for supporting students and other related topics such as modified grades, alternative portfolios, discipline of students with disabilities, etc. and occur ~2 times per semester. Frequency of ELL PD and topics including communication with ELL families is determined based on the size of the ELL population. 2.6 Insurance “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will have insurance coverage provided by Boyle Insurance Company. Upon approval of the charter application, “THE” Academy will contact Boyle to add the new school to the insurance plan. In the process of purchasing a facility and developing safety plans for the school, we will share with Boyle the following requirements: • Worker’s Compensation (as required by law) • General Liability Insurance ($1,000,000) • School Board/Professional Liability ($5,000,000) • Commercial Auto Liability Insurance ($1,000,000) • Umbrella Coverage ($5,000,000) • Property Insurance (100% replacement cost, including Boiler/Machinery and business interruption/extra expense losses) Boyle has agreed to provide the required insurance after the charter is approved and will price the insurance addition based on the requirements above. Page 123 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School 2.7 Transportation Transporting students (including SPED students) “THE Academy All Girls Charter School does not plan to provide transportation but in the event, we must, we will map out the number of girls likely to require transportation and plan to provide transportation to all students who require it. This plan includes a combination of buses, shuttles from transit centers and potentially bus passes. Specific routes will be mapped out once students have been identified. Buses will be secured with a contractor as needed for extracurricular activities. Saturday school will not be offered. In addition, we will provide a bus for Special Education students, as dictated by the student’s IEP. Oversight The Director of Operations will contract with a bus provider for “THE” Academy, set rates, negotiate routes and troubleshoot problems over the course of the planning year and once a final facility location has been identified. The Director of Operations will also identify operators who can provide transportation for extracurricular activities and negotiate rates. In addition, the Director of Operations will identify operators who can provide transportation for extracurricular activities and negotiate rates. “THE” Academy will partner with Durham Transportation, ABC Transportation or Harmony Transportation to provide needed bus services. Compliance ‘THE” Academy will abide by all state and federal regulations regarding its transportation service, particularly including the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. We will work with our transportation contractor, both during the initial negotiations and contract development and after implementation and use additional resources (such as public transportation options) to ensure that any student that meets the qualification for being homeless or temporarily displaced will be able to remain in the school, even if temporarily living outside of the general boundaries. We anticipate offering after school activities and therefore families will be responsible for picking their daughters up. For early dismissal, we intend to work with families so that they can arrange adequate childcare for their daughters. Morning and Afternoon drop offs and pick- ups will be the responsibility of the families. Special transportation will be provided when necessary for girls with disabilities. As per state and federal laws and regulations, all personnel directly involved in providing transportation of girls with disabilities will have training regarding the needs of girls with disabilities. We intend to work with Durham, ABC, and/or Harmony Transportation for bus services. 2.8 Food Service  “THE” Academy All Girls Character School intends to use Shelby County Schools Food Nutrition Services for meal service and require that all meal preparation, serving, and documentation must meet the guidelines of the national school lunch and school breakfast program. We will offer girls the opportunity to participate in the School Breakfast and Page 124 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School National School Lunch Program and we will have the facilities to prepare meals for these programs. As such, we will use SCS Food Nutrition Services which we know they will offer us the price per meal, including milk, condiments applicable to the menu, serving utensils if applicable, packaging and containers needed to transport food in a sanitary manner, and transportation to and from the school. SCS Food Nutrition Services expectations include;  Maintaining Tennessee Health Department Bi-Annual Inspection with a Passing Score  Maintaining Daily Individual Meal Food Production Records  Maintaining Daily Individual Meal Component Documentation  Maintaining 21- day Monthly Cycle Menus  Making accommodations for Food Allergies  Insuring hot meals maintain at 140 degrees or above and cold meals at 40 degrees or below prior to and during transport and delivery  Providing meals that are individually package and sealed  All meals will be priced as a united, which meet USDA requirements  Implement the “Traditional Menu Planning Approach”  All meals and menus will be appropriate to the age of The Academy’s students  They provide substitute food components for a girl with disabilities (7 C.F.R. Section 15b) Our budget builds assumption that any revenue from the School Breakfast or School Lunch Program is spent on our food program and submitted as a reimbursement. Managing this process will be the responsible of the Financial Secretary. 2.9 Additional Operations Technology “THE” Academy recognizes and embraces the important role technology plays in educating children to prepare them for the opportunities of tomorrow. Technology has proven invaluable not only as a skills-based tool for children to learn, but also as an additional instructional tool to assist teachers in providing targeted, effective learning instruction for successful educational outcomes. “THE” Academy’s philosophy of the role of technology in the classroom is based on three concepts. First, technology is a core for learning. Second, technology must be ubiquitous, Page 125 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School (i.e., readily accessible to teachers and students in the classroom and all areas where learning takes places). Third, educational use of the Internet will be ensured via the installation of software filters designed to block access to those sites deemed unsuitable for student access including pornographic sites. Supervision by faculty and staff will further ensure appropriate student use of the Internet. “THE” Academy bases technology instruction on six national standards that support computer literacy beginning in Kindergarten These standards are taught with increasing complexity at appropriate levels (Level I, Grades K-2, Level II, Grades 3-5) as follows. The student: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Knows the characteristics and uses of computer hardware and operating system Knows the characteristics and uses of computer software Understanding the relationships among science, technology, and the individual Understands the nature of technological design Understand the nature and uses of different forms of technology Understands the nature of and operation system Although educational tools and services are individual to schools, “THE” Academy will typically use a common set of tools and services that have been proven to be effective. In addition, schools within a region may have common tools and services provided by District, State or sponsor. “THE” Academy will provide support for all such educational tools and services to ensure success. Classrooms are the primary focus of school technology and to a large degree determine the infrastructure need of the school. “THE” Academy promotes the use of technology in the classroom through versatile and interactive equipment in combination with valuable content and services. A standard Academy classroom will contain the following:     1 teacher laptop to provide full and mobile access to resource and services 5 desktops per classroom for student use Headphones for all student computers Access to printing in a convenient but cost effective and supportable manner Technology Used in Classrooms “THE” Academy will use a variety of technology programs to help with student achievement. Achieve 3000/Smarty Ants: is an integrated literacy system that will be used to monitor our students to help increase reading fluency. This reading program helps monitor progress of critical reading skills. Achieve3000/ Smarty Ants will be also used to measure abilities in key reading areas of phonemic awareness, alphabetic knowledge, fluency with text, vocabulary, and comprehension. The program is administrated individually and provides immediate feedback for differentiated tiered instruction. Teachers are alerted when students are not making adequate progress so that the instructional program can be modified before a pattern of failure becomes established. This program uses short tests, at least monthly that target critical areas to inform Page 126 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School instruction. Smarty Ants Early Read will be used for K-3 and Achieve 3000 Advanced Reading for grades 4-5. “THE” Academy will use Achieve 3000/Smarty Ants as a learning intervention tool to help teachers monitor students that have been deemed for tier leveling. Students will use this program 30 minutes a day. IReady Math: is a diagnostic math program that provides a deep customized evaluation of every student and tracks student growth and performance. This program is based on student response patterns; adaptive assessments are able to derive large amounts of information from limited number of test items. This program allows student assessments to move accurately and more efficiently to pinpoint students’ needs. IReady Math adapts to each student providing easier or harder questions depending on students’ answer to previous questions. This program is beneficial for providing differentiated instruction and for determining where students are ready for further challenge. It measures student growth with detailed diagnostic results and individualized next step for instruction. IReady Math is targeted to each student’s unique needs, with its easy-to-read reports provide teachers with detailed action plan for individual instruction in any style learning environment. IReady Math will be used at “THE” Academy for the purpose of a learning intervention tool. Reports will be used for monitoring, to help with a students’ progress. Students will use this program 30 minutes a day. NWEA MAPS: The NWEA MAP assessment is an adaptive, norm-referenced formative assessment that is given to students in grades K-12. This assessment provides data on current student achievement and growth in reading and math. NWEA MAP is used as a tool to help teachers make class-level and student-level instructional decisions and is also used as a general screener to identify candidates for intervention. This assessment is given 3 times per year in the fall, winter, and spring PowerSchool: is a unified classroom management program with full-feature capabilities for attendance, grading content, assignments, behavior, assessments and collaboration. This program will also empower teachers to manage the entire instructional process more efficiently with a comprehensive software solution that eliminates traditional technology (Grade book, assessment and learning). Helps manage attendance, assignments, grades and calendar events – all from one easy-to-use dashboard. This program also helps with management for special education and interventions. Teachers will use this program inside and outside of the classroom. easy CBM: The easyCBM assessment is used to measure and monitor the progress of students who have been identified as candidates for intervention based on results from the NWEA MAP assessment. These students receive progress monitoring and support based on their tier level (Tier II or Tier III). This assessment is given 3 times per year in the fall, winter, and spring Page 127 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Student Information Management In order to ensure compliance with FERPA, “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will annually notify parents of their rights. The annual notification will include information regarding a parent's right to inspect and review his or her child's education records, the right to seek to amend the records, the right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information from the records (except in certain circumstances), and the right to file a complaint with the DOE regarding an alleged failure by a school to comply with FERPA. FERPA exempts disclosure of records to school officials with a legitimate educational interest from parental consent. Therefore, the school will also notify parents of its definitions of the terms "school official", and "legitimate educational interest." The annual notification will be published in the Student Parent Handbook. The school will provide a parent with an opportunity to inspect and review his or her child's education records within 45 days following the receipt of a written request. A school will provide a parent with copies of education records, or make other arrangements if necessary (e.g., the parent cannot travel to the school to view the record.) A parent has the right to request that inaccurate or misleading information in his or her child's education records be amended. While the school is not required to amend education records, it will consider all requests. If the school decides not to amend a record in accordance with a parent's request, the school will inform the parent of his or her right to a hearing on the matter. If, because of the hearing, the school still decides not to amend the record, the parent has the right to insert a statement in the record setting forth his or her views. That statement will remain with the contested part of the student's record for as long as the record is maintained. The school will not disclose personally identifiable information from a student's education records unless the student's parent has provided written consent. However, there are a few important exceptions to that rule: 1.) FERPA allows "school officials," including teachers, within a school to access personally identifiable information contained in education records provided the school has determined that they have "legitimate educational interest" in the information. School officials can include: teachers, administrators, support staff, nurse/health staff, etc. As mentioned previously, a school must define both “school officials” and what it deems “legitimate educational interest” in its annual notification to parents. A school official generally has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities. 2.) Another exception permits a school to disclose personally identifiable information from a student's education records, without consent, to another school or district in which the student seeks or intends to enroll. The sending school may make the disclosure if it has included a statement that it forwards education records in such circumstances in its annual notification of FERPA rights. 3.) For students who are in state custody (including foster care), the Tennessee Department of Children's Services may access a student's educational records without parental consent, and school districts are not required to notify the parents of the child before releasing the information pursuant to a court order. 4.) Authorized school officials may release or permit access to a student’s education record, without consent, in some circumstances. School or district officials will make a reasonable effort to notify the student’s parent(s) or the eligible student before making a Page 128 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School disclosure. “THE” Academy will store records in a safe and secure location, such as a locked file cabinet or another location with equivalent security. Finally, the school will identify those categories of personally identifiable information from a student’s education records considered to be “directory information,” which may generally be released unless the parent/legal guardian notifies “THE” Academy, in writing, of his/her refusal. Student records shall be maintained in a limited access area and shall be locked always. All permanent or archival records will be kept in a locked fireproof cabinet. Access to the records shall be confined to required school personnel (i.e., clerical personnel). Records shall not be made available to anyone outside “THE” Academy except in accordance with guidelines for public records or in the event of a law court order. Records shall be made available to District staff for monitoring and oversight. School Health and Nursing Services “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will contract with Well Child Services through Shelby County Schools or Le Bonheur Health Services to obtain school nursing services. The nurse’s role would include caring for sick and injured students; providing physician-ordered medical treatments, procedures and medications; performing state-mandated screenings; attending Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings for students with medical diagnoses and concerns; auditing immunization records; providing health education and promotion to staff and students; and providing training and delegation per state mandates to school staff. Well Child Services or Le Bonheur would also provide “THE” Academy with the following health services: Hearing and vision screenings, comprehensive health physicals, athletic assessments, occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech language therapy. The Director of Student Affairs would manage the relationship with Le Bonheur or Well Child, ensure ongoing compliance with health regulations and oversee the school nurse. Safety and Security Once the facility arrangement is finalized, “THE” Academy will be appropriately guard the facility by an alarm system and door locks only accessible by authorized employees. In addition, we will look to contract with security vendors to provide additional security on the campus as needed. If needed, “THE” Academy will have a set of indoor and outdoor cameras to be monitored by security personnel and door buzzer at school entrance where visitors can be identified via camera and must be buzzed in to enter the school (i.e., an electronic strike entry system with video intercom). Power School will be checked to ensure whoever is picking up the student is authorized as a parent/guardian and/or emergency contact. Once “THE” Academy finalize facility arrangements, we will evaluate if additional safety and security procedures are required. For emergencies and crises, the School Leader, will work to develop a school safety plan (Blueprint) based specifically on the needs of the school site in conjunction with law enforcement and the Fire Marshall. This Blueprint will include, but not be limited to, the following responses: fire, flood, terrorist threats and hostage situations. This Blueprint will provide faculty, staff, students and parent volunteers with site-specific emergency instructions Page 129 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School during an emergency crisis or disaster. The Blueprint will delineate responsibilities of all school employees and is organized per the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS). School personnel designated to carry out specific emergency responsibilities are expected to understand the policies, procedures and systems. Training and exercises with staff members will be an ongoing component of the Blueprint. The Blueprint will be reviewed and updated annually by the School Administrators, staff, and district personnel. Drills and exercises will be conducted annually. Copies of the Plan will be distributed to school employees, the Regional Office and other entities as appropriate. “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will comply with local, state and federal building codes. The school will test sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers and fire alarms annually at its facilities to ensure that they are maintained in an operable condition always as well as conduct periodic fire drills. Entering and Leaving the Premises: At the time, when all staff are hired, they will be advised of the proper procedures for entering and exiting the building. Employees are expected to abide by the guidelines at all time. Visitors in the workplace To provide for the safety and security of employees and the students of “THE” Academy, only authorized visitors are allowed in the workplace. Restricting unauthorized visitors helps maintain safety standards, protect against theft, ensure security of equipment, protects confidential information, safeguard employee welfare, and avoid potential distractions and disturbances. All visitors should enter the building through the office and must check in with the secretary of front office at the school. Authorized visitors will receive directions or be escorted to their destination. Employees are responsible for the conduct and safety of their visitors. If an unauthorized individual is observed on “THE” Academy’s premises, employees should immediately direct the individual to the office, or if necessary notify the School Leader. Violence in the Workplace “THE” Academy will not tolerate fighting, threats and other acts of violence against employees, co-workers, job applicants, clients or vendors. In addition, possession of firearms, weapons, ammunition or explosives on school property or while on school business is strictly prohibited. Acts or threats of violence or physical harm, whether made directly or indirectly violate the safe and professional conduct of our school. If you are subjected to or threatened with harm by a coworker, parent or vendor, or if you become aware of another individual who has been subject to or threatened with violence, or if you know of circumstances which might result in violence you should report this information to your administrator immediately. Please bring all threats to our attention so that we can deal with them appropriately. Do not assume that any threat is not serious. Any investigation into threatening remarks or conduct will be conducted with as much confidentiality as possible. No adverse action will be taken against anyone who brings a goodfaith complaint under this policy. Page 130 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Reporting Illegal and Unethical Acts: If you have knowledge of or suspect any illegal behavior by another employee, you are required to report such activity immediately to an administrator. School Maintenance Upon finalization of securing a facility the School Leader will provide support in selecting facilities maintenance vendors when needed. The School Leader and Director of Operations will develop a preventative maintenance schedule, conduct periodic inspections to assess facilities and needs and manage routine maintenance as necessary. In the case of an emergency to the building “THE” Academy will contract with an outside source. “THE” Academy will not have a full-time maintenance staff until Y-2. 2.10 Waivers T.C.A. Citation Description of Statute Proposed Replacement Policy or Practice How Will Waiver of This Statute Help Student Achievement? Leave 49-5-702-713 and 49-5806-810 Requirements for substituting/ replacing teachers during leave of absences are outlined here. Licensed Personnel Salaries 49-3-306(a) The commissioner, as approved by the state board of education, shall annually formulate a table of training and experience factors and a state salary schedule to be effective for each school year, which shall be applicable to all licensed personnel in every LEA No teacher or principal in a TN public school shall allow the use of a textbook whose subject is excluded by the commission, unless the textbook contains a subject that is included in a textbook that was previously listed and purchased with public funds. Principals and We would like to have the flexibility to decide the best way to respond to a leave of absence depending on the specific circumstances. “THE” Academy has developed a salary schedule for teachers based on number of years with the school. A school-wide bonus may also be offered based on the TVAAS level achievement by the school. This would give “THE” Academy the flexibility to determine the best way to manage a leave of absence without impacting students. We believe that our compensation system allows us to attract and retain the most highly effective teachers in our classroom. “THE” Academy will develop an academic curriculum to guide the success of our school. To develop and execute these curriculums, we need the flexibility to use the standard based material as aligned to the curriculum. Using high quality materials that are aligned to our academic model and curriculum will enable the highest student achievement. Use of Unapproved Textbook 49-6-2206 Page 131 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Capital Outlay 49-3-311 Library Information Center 0520-13.07(2) teachers in violation of this provision shall be fined. The State Board shall establish minimum standards for school sites, including locations, school attendance centers, the construction of building for school purposes, the remodeling or renovation of buildings for school purposes of a capital outlay nature and for equipment for buildings for school purposes. No board shall obligate or expend any state or local school funds for any project of a capital outlay nature that does not conform to the standards adopted by the state board as authorized in this section. The requirements in this rule specify personnel, including the need for a library information specialist with endorsement as a library information specialist for a school our size, and material procurement. “THE” Academy will manage its own facility; we would like to have the ability to improve the facility as needed. Having flexibility to improve facilities to best concentrate on our student’s needs will support higher performance. Given resources constraints, the school will not have a librarian in its start-up year, but we will still ensure that students can access and use library by having classroom library. We would also like to maintain flexibility on our library resources based on our students’ need Allow students access to a library and ensuring there are supports to guide them, even if not in the form of a librarian, will ensure that they are still getting the most out of the resource. Page 132 of 261 Attachments “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Attachment A / Annual School Academic Calendar “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School 2020-2021 School Calendar July 2020 Su M Tu August 2020 W Th F S 1 2 3 4 Su M Tu W September 2020 Th F S Su M 1 Tu W Th F S 1 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 26 27 28 29 30 31 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 27 28 29 30 30 31 October 2020 Su M Tu W 4 5 6 7 11 12 13 18 19 25 26 Su M November 2020 December 2020 Th F S Su M Tu W Th F S 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 F S Su M Tu W Th F S 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 January 2021 Tu W Th Su M Tu W Th F S 14 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 11 12 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Su M Tu W Th F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 February 2021 March 2021 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 28 29 30 31 31 April 2021 Su M Tu W May 2021 Th F S 1 2 3 Su M Tu W Th June 2021 F S Su M 1 Tu W Th F S 1 2 3 4 5 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 25 26 27 28 29 30 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 27 28 29 30 30 31 School Closed/ Holidays Teacher in-Service Day (no school for students) Page 133 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School First and Last Day of School Parent Conferences Important Dates July February July 27-31 Professional Development Days February 15 Professional Development Day July 30 Parent Orientation February 18 Parent Conference (4:00-7:00pm) July 30-31 Registration March August March 12 ½ Day August 3-7 Professional Development Days March 15-19 Spring Break August 10 First Day of School April September April 2 Good Friday September 7 Labor Day May September 17 Parent Conference (4pm-7pm) May 27 Last Day of School October October 5 Professional Development Day October 12-16 Fall Break November November 11 Veterans Day November 25-27 Thanksgiving December December 18 ½ Day December 21-31 Winter Break January January 1 New Year’s Day Winter Break January 4 Students Return January 18 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Page 134 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Attachment B/ Student Handbook / School Forms Dear Parents /Guardians, Welcome to the inaugural year of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School!!! What an honor it is to partner with you and your daughter to provide an education for your most precious possession that will enable her to become a lifelong learner. The ability to express one’s self is an important tool. Collaboration, or shared responsibility with a common goal in mind, reaches every area of our school. Working with others in positive way is a skill that we value and strive to instill in all aspects of our school. This Handbook should serve as a communication tool for you and your family, to provide what is needed for your daughter to flourish in a steady and nurturing environment. Clearly communicated rules and guidelines allow us all to work together to ensure that her years are consistent. Creating a school climate that she can count on is the right step in helping her reach her full potential. Take some time to go over the Handbook with your daughter so that both of you understand the school’s expectations for 2020-2021. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact any administrator at your earliest convenience. Once again welcome to the most exciting year ever!!!! Sincerely, “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Staff Page 135 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Attendance: Every day, your daughter is engaged in a variety of learning activities that include group work, collaboration and teacher instruction time. Each day builds on the next and your daughter’s participation not only influences her own learning, but the learning of those in her classroom. Taking your daughter out of school unnecessarily disrupts not only her routine but also the routine of those with whom she is learning. We ask that you honor your daughter’s schedule and the schedule of our teachers by not planning trips and unnecessary absences outside of the already scheduled holidays. School Hours Monday – Friday 7:30am-3:15pm Arrival: Girls may enter the building at 7:30am. They will be allowed to go to their classrooms where they can study or read a book. School begins at 8:00. Girls who arrive after this time must have a tardy slip. Tardy: Class begins promptly at 8:00am and girls should arrive by 7:50am. Morning classroom opens at 7:30am. A girl arriving after 8:00am is tardy and should receive an admit slip from the office. Please walk your daughter into the building and sign her in. After 5 tardy in a semester, parents will be contacted. Dismissal: Your child will be dismissed at 3:15pm please refrain from picking up your child early, as we know any interruptions can disrupt the learning process. Visitors: We ask all visitors please come to the main office upon entering the building. During school hours from 7:30am-3:00pm, visitors must sign in and wear a visitor badge. Individuals without a visitor badge will be asked to go back to the office to obtain one. Visitor badges are used to maintain security. Parent Volunteer: All parent volunteers must sign in at the main office, obtain a name tag and receive a parent volunteer badge. Badges must be returned to the main office upon departure. Health Information Medical Appointments: Please avoid making doctor, dentist, and orthodontist, appointments that will require your daughter to miss class. If a student is to leave school for a medical appointment, parents should contact the school as soon as possible. If your child returns to school following the appointment, sign her in at the office. Sickness You must keep your daughter home if she has any of the symptoms listed below. If your child is experiencing any of these symptoms while at school, you will be called and asked to pick her up as soon as possible  Fever of 100 degrees or more  Vomiting and/or diarrhea  Unexplained rash  Unexplained inflammation of the eyes or eyelids  Sore throat not related to allergies  Injury that may need a doctor’s assessment Returning to school- Your daughter may return to school *24 hours after being fever free without the aid of acetaminophen and ibuprofen *24 hours after last vomiting or episode of diarrhea and when she is back on regular food *24 hours after starting antibiotics for pink eye, strep throat, or other bacterial infection Page 136 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School *24 hours after regaining strength and normal activity *24 hours after hospitalization, including a visit to ER *With a doctor’s note after treatment of several bacterial infection Remember also, if your daughter is not well enough to be at school she is not well enough to attend activities that put her into contact with other children. Medical Administration Policy Policy: To support the student who must receive medications at school to help promote optimal wellness. Whenever possible, medication, both prescriptions on non-prescription, should be dispensed at home. Protocol: The school nurse or those who have been trained may assist the student in the selfadministration of both prescription and non-prescription medication Procedures: The following steps must be taken for a medication to be dispensed at school  No student may have prescription or non-prescription medication on their person, in their purse or book bag, or in their locker. The only exceptions are *Asthmatics may keep inhalers on their person for self-administration as needed, per doctor’s order.  Those with severe allergic reactions to food, insects or other agents may keep an antihistamine  Diabetics may use an insulin pump. Parents must deliver all medications to the main office. Medications may not be sent to school in the student’s book bag. Birthdays / Social Gathering / Party Invitations We love celebrating birthdays at “THE” Academy. Parents are welcome to send a special snack for the “Birthday Girl” and her classmates. Please notify your daughter’s teacher two days ahead so that she can coordinate treats, if two girls share the same day. Please be sure the snacks are packaged and *Nut free *Ready to serve (no slicing or cutting) *No candles please *Prepackage Invitations: Unless all classmates are invited, invitations to parties may not be distributed at school. Also, please do not arrange to pick up children for parties after school and please remind your daughter of the importance of not discussing her party plans and guest list at school where she could be over heard, and feelings hurt. At “The” Academy, we stress kindness and tactfulness toward others. Social Media: “THE” Academy respects the privacy of its students and families. As a community of caring, we ask that you show the same consideration when using images captured at school events on social media outlets. Items from Home: Please do not allow your child to bring food, candy, gum, money, stickers, sticker books, jewelry (either real or costume) to school unless they are for a special activity that has been approved by teacher. Bullying Policy: Bullying is not an acceptable behavior at “THE” Academy. Bullying is defined as any behavior that diminishes another person, including, but not limited to teasing, intimidation, frightening, hurting or excluding. Education program and special emphasis is Page 137 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School placed on preventing and recognizing bullying. Cell phones: Girls are not permitted to bring cell phones to school. Cafeteria Rules Lunch is a good time for children to practice good manners and develop the social graces appropriate to their age  Use good manners say, “please and thank you”  No game playing at table  Raise your hands for assistance or permission to leave the table  Make each girl feel welcome at your table by not saving places  Eat your own lunch. No trading or giving away food  Do not leave trash or food on the floor or tables Campus Security: All visitors, including parents, must check in at the main office and receive a name tag. All school personnel have been instructed to question any person without a name tag. Snow and Inclement Weather Day Procedure: “THE” Academy will follow Shelby County Schools Inclement Weather Procedure. Announcement about school closures and emergency early dismissals will be communicated on The Academy’s website, through broadcast, and email. In the event of an unscheduled early dismissal, pick-up procedures will be communicated to parents this way, as well. Behavior Expectation / Discipline / Responsibility: “THE” Academy is a happy, comfortable nurturing place. There are behavior expectations in place to foster appropriate academic and character development. These expectations help the girls learn to show respect for themselves and others around them. The expectations develop their gifts in the classroom enabling them to reach their unique individual potential. Children function best with consistency in an orderly, safe environment in which expectations are clear and gently, but firmly, upheld. If a child has consistent difficulty in following the expectation of her teachers, appropriate steps will be taken to help her learn better choices. These steps could be in the form of reminders- either verbal or written, a time out and loss of privileges, conduct slip or a visit to the principal. A conduct slip requires a parent’s signature at times; parents will receive a call so everyone can work together to help use the situation as learning and growing experience for their daughter. Grading Information The Academy’s Grading Scale 100-93 A 92-85 B 84-75 C 74-70 D 69 and below F Page 138 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Interim Progress Reports / Report Cards: After four weeks of each grading period, “THE” Academy will send an interim progress report home. This report shows your child’s exact grade in each subject along with the conduct grade. The grades from our Special Classes will also be given. Please sign the report and return it to school the next day. Report cards will be sent home at the end of each nine-week grading period. Please sign and return on the following day. Weekly Progress Reports: Progress reports will go home on Tuesday. Please sign and return the form. Failure to sign a weekly progress report will result in receiving a call from the teacher just to make sure you have received the report. Conduct and Work Habit Punches: Each nine weeks your child will receive a Conduct / Work Habit Chart, which will hang on the conduct board. Punches on the behavior log will be given if rules are broken, missed homework assignments, book reports and projects not turned in. A total of punches received for the week will be recorded in the child’s weekly Tuesday folder. Please sign after each week indicating you are aware of the punches your child has received for the week. Each week the total will be carried down until the final nine weeks. 0-3 punches = E 4-6 punches = S 7-9 punches = N 10 / above punches = U Weekly Folders: “Tuesday Folder” will go home every Tuesday along with the child’s weekly graded papers. This folder will contain all the work from the previous week. Important notices and reminders will also be sent home in this folder. The folder will contain a form with a weekly conduct grade and work habits, please sign the form stapled inside the folder. Don’t send the weekly papers back. Daily Assignments: Students will receive daily assignments from textbooks, worksheets, board work, and workbooks. Students will be expected to complete all daily assignments in class, no daily assignments will be sent home with the students to finish. Failure to complete these assignments can cause the student’s grades to be lowered. Students who fail to complete daily assignments will lose their center time or recess. They will spend this time making up any missed or incomplete assignments. Organizational Notebooks: It is a very important part of our teaching because it is a means of communicating with you and it is a tool to help teach organizational skills. Your child is responsible for taking the notebook home every afternoon and bringing it back each morning. Homework Policy Homework: Girls will receive homework on the following nights Monday - Thursday. Students who fail to return homework will lose their center time, recess and will receive a punch for work on the behavior log for work habits. They will spend this time making up the missed or incomplete assignments. Forgotten Homework: To teach responsibility, parents should not bring forgotten homework, books, or projects to school, unless specifically requested by a teacher. If your daughter forgets her assignments, books or other items of importance, in this event, you must go to the office and an administrator will escort her to her classroom. Page 139 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Testing Information Testing: Spelling test will be given every Friday. Please keep up with the weekly words in your child’s Organizational Notebook. If the end of each learning week there is no school, and then the test will be given on Thursday. Parents please help your child with studying their spelling words every night. This will help your child score well on the test. Weekly Test will also be given in Math, English, Vocabulary, Science or Social Studies. Each test will only cover the skills taught that week. The tests will be TN READY formatted. If there is a half day, then the students will take their test in the morning. Reading Each child is required to read 15 minutes each night. They will bring home their reading book every night. Listen to your child read their weekly story and ask questions about the story. Book Reports: Each Wednesday your child will be required to turn in a book report. Students may choose to use their weekly reading story or read a book from home. Book reports count as a grade and must be turned in on time. Write a 5-sentence paragraph summarizing the story. Always include the title, author, setting and characters if any. This assignment must be done for homework on Tuesday night. Use your notebook paper to write the report on. Textbooks Information Textbooks: Your child will be issued textbooks. The textbooks will be brought home. Please help your child with being responsible for taking care of his/her textbooks. Any damage that occurs to the textbooks during the school year will be the responsibility of the child. Parents will be charged for damaged books. Calendars: Monthly calendars will be distributed each month. This calendar is a major part of communication with the parents as to the events and things happening in our school. The calendar will contain all the events, projects due date, book reports due dates, Fun Friday activities, birthdays etc. Parents please place the calendar in a visible and safe place so that it may be viewed on a daily base. Projects Projects: Each month, students will turn in a completed project to be graded. Projects will be given out in a timely manner. Students are expected to complete each project to the best of their ability. Parents please assist your child with completing and sticking to the teacher given direction as much as possible. Page 140 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Uniform Policy: All Girls are expected to wear school uniforms each day, unless there are fun activity days which will be determined by the School Director. Each girl will wear a polo style shirt in the following colors Light Blue -KK and 1st grade Yellow- 2nd and 3rd grade Pink – 4th and 5th *Bottoms: Khaki pants, shorts, skirt * Shoes Black /White Saddle Oxford If found out of uniform the student will report to the office and the General Secretary will look through the School’s Clothes Closet to accommodate the student. If there is no dress attire to accommodate the student will be given a written warning. 1-2 out of uniform = written warning 3-4 out of uniform = conference with parent School Conferences Conferences There will be four designated days for parent conferences this school year. “THE” Academy will send home the dates and times in advance. However, you may schedule a conference whenever you feel one is needed. Teachers will be available before school at 7:15 am and after school at 4:15 pm ---------------------------------------------------Cut/return----------------------------------------------------I have received a copy of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School student / parent handbook. I understand the expectations. I was given an opportunity to ask questions. I know that the staff is available to answer questions throughout the school year. I was given a telephone number where the staff can be reached. Parent’s Signature________________________ Child’s Name____________________________ Date___________________ Page 141 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Attachment C / Student Discipline Policy “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Student Discipline Plan The staff and students of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School believe that everyone has the right to experience a safe and friendly school environment. Therefore, we will: 1. Keep hands, feet and all objects to ourselves. 2. Show respect to others. 3. Follow directions the first time without question. 4. Be prepared for class each day. 5. Be punctual and attend class each day. Discipline Procedures When a student violates classroom/school rules for the first time, teachers will discuss the infraction with the student and document the incident as a Step-One Referral on the referral form. In the event a student commits a second infraction; the teacher will contact the parent to discuss the issue and document the parent/teacher conference as a Step-Two Referral. A parent must be contacted for a Step-Two Referral to be completed. If a third infraction occurs, the Step-Three Referral must be documented on the referral form. If the student is disrupting the class to the point where learning cannot take place in the classroom, they may be sent to speak with the School Director. First Infraction (Teacher Intervention)  Teacher-Student Conference  Team Conference  Documentation as a Step-One Referral  Team Time-Out  Silent Lunch  Morning Detention  Loss of Privileges Second Infraction (Teacher Intervention)  Parent Contact (Written or Phone Call)  Documentation as a Step-Two Referral Third Infraction (Administrative Intervention)  Documentation as a Step-Three Referral  Student sent to office with referral form completed  Parent Contact by administrator At “THE” Academy, girls may be required to issue a verbal or written apology for their behavior. Parents are notified immediately if a girl commits a moderate infraction or any more serious infraction. Parents are fully informed at all stages of any disciplinary decision. In School Corrective Action: If a student commits an infraction that calls for a consequence of in School Corrective Action such action will be taken at the discretion of the School Director. Page 142 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School School Leader is authorized to place a student into the in-school corrective action plan program, for good and sufficient reason. Good and sufficient reasons include, but are not limited to: *Willful and persistent violation of the rules of the school or truancy; *Immoral or disreputable conduct or vulgar or profane language; *Violence or threatened violence against the person of any personnel *Willful or malicious damage to real or personal property of the school, or the property of any person attending or assigned to the school; *Marking, defacing or destroying school property; School Leader or her designee(s) will immediately notify a guardian of the student, in person or on the phone, and will send written confirmation by personal delivery or express mail within 24 hours of the decision to suspend a girl.  Guardians of the girl will have the opportunity to have an informal discussion of the suspension with the School Leader or/her designee(s).  School Leader or her designee(s) may require the guardians to meet with representatives of the school before the girl may return to classes.  Alternative will be provided within 24 hours of any short-term suspension. Suspension Out-of-school suspensions vary in length from one (1) to ten (10) days. It is not the intent of “THE” Academy Al Girls Charter School to remove students from the school society for minor violations. Therefore, suspension from school will be used with caution and only in appropriate cases. The School Leader, has sole discretion to issue out-of-school suspensions from one (1) to ten (10) days. 1. A behavioral intervention plan shall be developed for students who accumulate more than five days of suspensions during the school year. 2. Multiple suspensions shall not run consecutively; nor shall multiple suspensions be applied to avoid expulsion from school. Reasonable effort will be made to contact the parent/guardian immediately regarding any suspension. If contact with the parent/guardian cannot be made, the student will remain at school until dismissal time except in cases of police arrest or an emergency, such as when the student's continued presence poses a danger to persons or property in the school or an ongoing threat of disrupting the academic process. Students on suspension must not be Page 143 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School permitted to enter school property, attend class, or participate in school-sponsored activities while under suspension, unless otherwise allowed by law and/or Board policy (see TCA 496-3401(d) and the policy 6055 Alternative Schools) or when scheduled with the school administration to take exams. Expulsions Expulsions vary in length from eleven (11) days to the remainder of the school year or one (1) calendar year for state-mandated expulsions. [Any single suspension in excess of ten (10) consecutive days or multiple suspensions totaling 15 days in one month is an expulsion.] The School Leader may issue expulsions subject to student legal due process rights regarding appeals of expulsions [suspension of more than ten (10) days] and in accordance with the Shelby County School Schools Student Code of Conduct. “THE” Academy’s Board may modify a state-mandated one-year expulsion on a case-by-case basis. Expulsion may occur when student’s infraction involves: • a credible/substantive threat of harm; • possession of a dangerous weapon (firearm, knife, Taser, explosive, etc.); • assault resulting in serious bodily injury to staff/student(s); or • off-campus felony with a firearm, The School Leader or designee shall: 1) consult with appropriate district staff responsible for IDEA (i.e., SPED and 504) to determine whether a student has an identified or suspected need for services under IDEA and hold a manifestation determination meeting if necessary; and 2) immediately refer the student for safety assessment. The department responsible for safety assessment shall provide the names of students referred for safety assessment to the department responsible for attendance and discipline. Expelled students who either chose to appeal or chose not to appeal their expulsions may, at the discretion of the parent and upon assignment by ‘THE” Academy, participate in alternative school or may attend other appropriate educational settings during the remainder of the expulsion. “THE” Academy will partner with Shelby County Schools office responsible for alternative schools and will inform the parents that the placement decision is being taken under advisement pending outcome of the safety assessment. Safety assessment findings and recommendations will be utilized in making the placement decision and in the implementation of the safety plan of the student. Page 144 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Students with a confirmed identified or suspected need for services under IDEA shall be exempted from this advisement period and may receive immediate alternative school placement or other appropriate accommodations. The safety assessment advisement period must be completed within ten (10) days of the original incident. If extenuating circumstance exist preventing the completion of the safety assessment within ten (10) days of the incident (e.g., failure of parental/family participation in the safety assessment), then “THE” Academy’s Board shall convene to discuss and make a recommendation regarding the appropriate placement of the student and the educational services (e.g., safety plan) available for the student. ‘THE” Academy’s Board Chair will form a committee which include Member of the Board, School Leader, teacher, making sure that 504 implementations, special education services, and, when applicable, legal services is available. Upon consideration of the discussion and recommendations of the committee, “THE” Academy shall make the placement determination and provide a justification if alternative placement is not made. Providing Instruction during Removal To ensure academic progress, alternative instruction will be provided to girls’ who have been suspended or removed. The method and form of this alternative instruction will be determined on a case-by-case basis. In all situations, the method and form will be selected with the goal of maximizing the girl’s academic progress. It will enable the student to master material, completed assignments, and participate in assessments. Instruction will commence within one day of a girl’s being removed or suspended. In such cases, instruction will occur within the school facility, at the girl’s home, or at a contracted facility, or tutors hired for the purpose. Staff will receive professional development on how to best educate girls who have been removed from the classroom due to discipline issues. Immediately, teachers will receive professional development on positive behavior support to avoid future incidents and, for staff supporting the disciplined girls, professional development will focus on how to organize curriculum to minimize missed content. Typically, these sessions will include weekly one-on-one meetings with the School Director or Director of Curriculum and Instruction during a teacher’s planning period or after school. In school-wide sessions, teachers will compliment discussions of individual girl misbehaviors with neutral discussion of data. Looking at behavioral data collected by an administrator during walk-through that describes the number of girls whose clips were moved down, what the clips were moved down for (objective or subjective behaviors), and organized misbehaviors by demographic and subgroup, will support teacher’s ability to build positive classroom culture in the future. Page 145 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Policy for Infractions Which Constitute Violation of Law: Infractions that are violations of municipal, state, and federal law (such as weapons possessions, assaults, thefts, and possession of controlled substances) will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. By focusing on the “small” infractions, we intend to create a culture that is orderly and conducive to learning and in which more serious offenses do not occur. Should they occur, however, we stand prepared to ensure the educational success and safety of all girls by applying our Code of Conduct per the policies outlined above, investigating the facts, obtaining witness statements, and ensuring adherence to due process procedures. If the School Leader believes it is warranted, the girl will be expelled. The School Leader shall report to the Memphis Police Department any documentable or suspension incident involving illegal drugs, firearms, explosives, or other weapons outlined in TCA 39-17-1309. Appealing an Expulsion The School Leader will give written or actual notice of the expulsion to the parent/guardian within 24 hours, including giving notice that the parent/guardian of the girl has five days to file an appeal. All appeals must be filed, orally or in writing, within the five (5) days after receipt of the notice of expulsion. The parent/guardian, the girl, or a teacher requested by the girl can appeal the decision. Absent a timely request for appeal, the decision of the School Leader will be final. The appeal will be filed with the Governing Board of Directors. The hearing will be held no later than 10 days after the beginning of the expulsion. Notice of the time and place of the hearing will be provided to the parent/guardian, the girl, the School Leader and a teacher, if applicable, who chose to file an appeal. The Governing Board of Directors may affirm the decision of the School Leader, order removal of the expulsion unconditionally or upon such terms and conditions as it deems reasonable. The action of the Governing Board of Directors is final. Reporting Procedures of Infractions “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will be responsible for mandatory reportable criminal offenses in accordance with state law and Shelby County Schools Board policy (7005 Mandatory Police Reporting). The School Leader shall consult with Shelby County Schools department responsible for security when determining whether local law enforcement should be contacted regarding any violation regarding expulsion that does not require mandatory reporting to law enforcement or other agency. For reporting discrimination and sexual harassment, any student or parent/legal guardian who believes she is experiencing student-to-student discrimination or sexual harassment shall report such circumstances to a teacher, counselor, or School Leader immediately. If the report is made to a teacher or counselor, she must notify the School Leader immediately. Page 146 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School shall include in each application to the Tennessee Department of Education for assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Act the following report of expulsion imposed in accordance with this policy as it applies to the Gun Free Schools Act: 1.The name of the school concerned, 2.The number if girls expelled from the school 3.The type of weapon concerned “THE” Academy All Girls Character School policies and administrative rules and regulations pertaining to girl’s conduct shall be filed with the Commissioner of Education. Discipline and Special Education Students Students who also qualify for special education services determined to have violated this policy may be suspended, expelled, or remanded or otherwise disciplined only in accordance with special education laws and policies. For infractions offenses, remand of a student who qualifies for special education services must be based on recommendation of the IEP team and the student must have a manifestation meeting prior to remand or exclusion from school for over ten (10) days. Unless a disciplinary infraction is the direct result of a student’s disability, the student will be disciplined in the same manner as a nondisabled student. “THE” Academy, parent/guardian, and relevant members of the IEP team will review all relevant information to determine: a. if the conduct was a direct result of the district’s failure to implement the IEP; and/or b. if the conduct in question was caused by, or had a direct and substantial relationship to, the student’s disability. Serious safety issues involving weapons, drugs, or inflicting serious bodily injury upon another person while at school, on school premises, or at a school function will result in removal for up to forty-five school days. In cases of expulsions [suspensions longer than ten (10) days], the student must continue to receive educational services. Regular education students may invoke rights under special education laws under certain conditions, including if the parent has expressed concern in writing to the School Leader or “THE” Academy’s Board, or the student’s teacher, that the student is in need of special education and related services. The school district must also contact the education specialist at the Department of Children’s Services if a foster child (with or without an identified disability) has allegedly committed an offense that may result in a suspension of ten (10) or more days or has had a petition filed against her by the school. Page 147 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Corporal Punishment No employee of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School shall engage in corporal punishment, condone its use, or seek permission from another (including a parent) to administer it. Some examples of corporal punishment include, but are not limited to: • Shoving, striking, grabbing, shaking or hitting a student • Throwing objects at a student • Unreasonable restraint of a student • Directing others to engage in any of the activities listed above. There may be times when an Academy employee may need to use physical contact with a student. This should only be done for reasons of self-defense or defense of another. Any action done for these reasons must be: • Proportional to the student’s conduct; and • The most restrained means available to control the situation. Resorting to physical contact to protect oneself or another and/or regain/maintain order must be a last resort after all other reasonable means have been exhausted. Restraint and/or isolation of special education students are governed by relevant TN state law. Each situation will be reviewed by “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School. Safe Relocation of Students Employees who are directly responsible for a student’s education or who otherwise interact within the scope of their assigned duties may relocate a student from the student’s present location to another location when such relocation is necessary for the student’s safety or the safety of others or intervene in a physical altercation between two (2) or more students to end the altercation by relocating the student. Such employees may use reasonable force to physically relocate the student or intervene in a conflict if the student is unwilling to cooperate with the employee's instructions. If an employee is unable to resolve the matter with the use of reasonable or justifiable force are required, the student shall be allowed to remain in place until such a time as local law enforcement officers or school resource officers can be summoned to relocate the student or take the student into custody until such a time as a parent or guardian can retrieve the student. If physical relocation becomes necessary, the teacher shall immediately file a report of the incident with the building principal. If the student's behavior constitutes a violation of the “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Behavioral Policy, then the report shall be placed in the student's permanent record. Otherwise, the report shall be kept in the student's discipline record, and not become a part of that student's permanent record. Page 148 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Attachment D / Student Enrollment Policy Enrollment Policy “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School is a public charter school open to any girl regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, social or economic status, and/or special needs. “THE” Academy accepts kindergarten through 5th grade girls, except for girls who have been expelled / suspended from their previous school or have other pending disciplinary issues. There are no academic enrollment requirements. “THE” Academy reserves the right to decline enrollment to a girl if false, misleading or incomplete information is included on the enrollment documents. Enrollment preferences is given to; (1) Current student; (2) Girl(s) of school founders and girl(s) of staff; (3) Siblings of current girl(s) and (4) Girls living within the SCS District boundaries. Girls from outside the SCS District may only be admitted after all SCS District girls on the waiting list have been given an opportunity to enroll. “THE” Academy reserves the right to deny enrollment requests from girls residing outside of SCS District when enrollment would have a negative impact on the efficient use of school resources. The Founder and School Director may set numerical limits defining hardship for the school and programs to provide for appropriate and efficient use of facilities and staff. State law requires that an equitable selection process, such as a lottery, be held to determine who will be enrolled if more girls apply than there are openings at any grade level. “THE” Academy will hold an annual lottery on the third Thursday in February to determine placements on the waiting lists for all grade levels. This list will be in effect immediately after the lottery is held. Process of Enrollment All potential girls wishing to enroll at “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School must complete an enrollment application form which can be obtained on “THE” Academy’s website. The forms can be returned in person, by mail, or via fax. To be eligible for the annual lottery, the form must be submitted after January 1st and received at least 24 hours prior to the lottery. Only one enrollment application form may be completed for each girl. Parents of potential Kindergarten girls may not submit an enrollment form for their daughter until January prior to when their daughter is eligible to be enrolled in kindergarten. The names of girls who apply after the due date will be placed at the bottom of the applicable waiting list in the order the application was received. Page 149 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Continued Enrollment Girls currently enrolled at “THE” Academy automatically qualify for readmission for next academic year. Parents/Guardians will be required to complete and return a recommitment form (indicating their intent to continue their daughters’ enrollment at “THE” Academy) by the 2nd Friday in February of each year. Any girl who chooses not to re-enroll or who does not submit a recommitment form by the deadline will lose her spot. Kindergarten Enrollment To be eligible for kindergarten, a girl must be 5 years on or before August 15 of the year of kindergarten enrollment. Waiting List State law requires lists be re-drawn annually. Parents/Guardians of girls whose names are on the waiting lists will be notified in December of the date of the next lottery and invited to submit a new enrollment application to have their daughter included in the lottery. “THE” Academy will publicize the lottery to the public and invite other families to include their daughter(s) names in the lottery. It is recommended that families research the school and become familiar with The Academy’s education program before an offer of enrollment is made. Background information is available at our website. Monthly tours of the school are also available. Please call the office for schedule times. Offers of Enrollment In order to be fair to all families of girls on the waiting list and to fill class rosters in a timely manner, offers of enrollment must be accepted within 48 hours. This time frame may be shortened to 24 hours during the period between August 15 and September 15. Offers of enrollment may be made via telephone or in person. If the listed telephone number is not answered, an offer of enrollment will be sent by mail. Acceptance must be made within 48 hours of when the offer is made or of the date the offer was delivered, as verified by the U.S. Postal Service. If no response is received within 48 hours, the girl will be moved to the bottom of the waiting list. If an offer of enrollment is declined, that girl will go to the bottom of the application waiting list. Student Transfers “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will not restrict the ability of parents/guardians to exit a school, apply for admission at any other school, enroll at another school, or maintain a waitlist slot at another school. Page 150 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Student Returning Enrolled girls may at any time request to transfer to another school. “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will encourage them to stay, especially if it is mid-semester. In a situation that a girl does leave and later chooses to return, the student’s parents must complete an application and return it to the main office. When the application is submitted, the parents will be informed if there is space available or if they will be placed on the waiting list, pursuant to the enrollment policy. Student Withdrawals If a parent wishes to withdraw or transfer their daughter from “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School, it is his/her responsibility to notify the School Leader. In some cases, the School Leader may want to meet with the girl’s parents. In addition, the student must follow the returning student policy if she wishes to return to “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School. Parents will receive unofficial transcripts until all books are returned and fees are paid. Additional Guidelines 1. It is the responsibility of the parent to notify the school of any siblings who they wish to enroll at the school. 2. Recent additional to families (stepdaughter, foster daughter) qualify as siblings under this policy. It is the responsibility of parents to notify the school of these children. 3. If a girl ceases to be enrolled at “THE” Academy, her siblings who are still awaiting enrollment will be placed at bottom of the general grade level waiting list. 4. If a girl has accepted enrollment at “THE” Academy and then registers and attends another school, the offer of enrollment at “THE” Academy is automatically withdrawn. Parent/Guardian have obligation to provide accurate and complete information on “THE” Academy’s enrollment applications and forms. Page 151 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Attachment E / Pledge Support from Prospective Partners & Letters of Support / MOU Contact Page 152 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Page 153 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Page 154 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School 884 N. Belvedere Boulevard Memphis, TN 38107 March 20, 2015 To Whom It May Concern: I am pleased to support “The Academy All Girls Charter School”. This school would be a great asset to the community. This is a wonderful idea and it would benefit a lot of girls, both advantaged and disadvantaged. Please feel free to contact me if I can further share my support for this school. I look forward to collaborating with you on this work. Sincerely, Kellie Williams Unit Leader Lowenstein House Incorporated Culinary Arts Teacher (901)503-3293 kellierenee2001@yahoo.com Page 155 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School From: SCOTTSY@scsk12.org Subject: The Academy All Girls Charter School Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2015 To whom it may concern: I am a 6th grade teacher at White Station Middle School, and I believe that The Academy All Girls Charter School would be a great asset to Memphis. There are rarely any all-girls public schools, but there is a myriad of all-girls private schools. Obviously, there are reasons girl’s private schools exist and thrive. Some of the benefits of attending such a school are that girls would be able to focus more on academics (and not on boys), and discussions concerning female issues can be more open and more comfortable for all participants. Although such a school is most often a private school which charges an exorbitant tuition and is usually made up of middle to upper class demographic, it is probably more needed in disadvantaged areas with a poorer demographic. A well-run, well-established public girls school could give underprivileged females a good foundation to rise up from poverty and achieve their dreams. There's an old African proverb which states.” If you educate a boy child, you educate one person. Rather, if you educate a girl child, you educate a family and a whole nation." The Academy All Girls Charter School can help educate a nation. Thank you, Ms. Soo Scott http://wsmsclue67.blogspot.com Sixth Grade CLUE Reading White Station Middle School Page 156 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School March 23, 2015 To Whom It May Concern: I am submitting this letter of recommendation to show my full support of the Academy All Girls Charter School. I currently teach in the midtown community and I believe it would serve as a great asset to the surrounding area. Many of the disadvantaged girls, as well as the advantaged girls, would benefit from this innovative idea. It has not been done before and could be proved to highly effective. I personally know one of the teachers applying for this charter school. She has decades of teaching experience and has served as a teacher mentor to me when I first started teaching. She possesses a positive and enthusiastic personality. She has a great rapport with the students, as well as the parents. If you have any further questions or concerns, you can contact me at lisamboysen@bellsouth.net. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Lisa Boysen Third Grade Teacher Shelby County Schools Page 157 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Date: 23 Mar 2015 I support The Academy All Girls Charter School. This school would be a great asset to the community. This is a great idea and it would benefit a lot of girls both advantage and disadvantaged girls. Pamela Moore Parent Chanda J. Donald Sherwood Elementary School 1156 Robin Hood Ln Memphis TN 38111 To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to convey my support for The Academy All Girls Charter School. This school would be a great asset to the community. This is a great idea and it would benefit a lot of girls both advantaged and disadvantaged. Sincerely, Chanda J. Donald Elementary School Teacher Page 158 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School To whom it may concern I feel that The Academy All Girls Charter school will be a great educational program for females within this community. These underprivileged girls need leadership and direction to understand how the importance of a good education will impact their lives. This program will also motivate parents to take an active part in their child's education and show them how to become better parents. This program is what many communities need because it will bring children, educators, and parents together in a positive way. Becky Pinlac-Ecos Special education teacher I fully support The Academy All Girls Charter School. This type of school would be a great asset to the community because it would help girls to be successful academically, socially and emotionally. So many girls today do not have parents who are able to provide the knowledge and/or guidance that they need; this school would meet that need. The all-girls concept will allow the girls to focus on school without the distraction of the opposite sex. In conclusion, I lend my complete support to this idea. LaTanya Barber Special Education Teacher Page 159 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Attachment F/ Board Governance Documents F1. Articles of Incorporation Page 160 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School F2. Proof of Non-Profit and Tax-Exempt Status Page 161 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Page 162 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School F3 By-Laws Page 163 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Page 164 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Page 165 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Page 166 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Page 167 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Page 168 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Page 169 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Page 170 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Page 171 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Page 172 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Page 173 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Page 174 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School F4. Code of Ethics Principle I: Responsibility to the Profession The professional educator is aware that trust in the profession depends upon a level of professional conduct and responsibility that may be higher than required by law. This entails holding one and other educators to the same ethical standards. A. The professional educator demonstrates responsibility to oneself as an ethical professional by: 1. Acknowledging that lack of awareness, knowledge, or understanding of the Code is not, in itself, a defense to a charge of unethical conduct; 2. Knowing and upholding the procedures, policies, laws and regulations relevant to professional practice regardless of personal views; 3. Holding oneself responsible for ethical conduct; 4. Monitoring and maintaining sound mental, physical, and emotional health necessary to perform duties and services of any professional assignment; and taking appropriate measures when personal or health-related issues may interfere with work-related duties; 5. Refraining from professional or personal activity that may lead to reducing one’s effectiveness within the school community; 6. Avoiding the use of one’s position for personal gain and avoiding the appearance of impropriety; 7. Taking responsibility and credit only for work actually performed or produced, and acknowledging the work and contributions made by others. B. The professional educator fulfills the obligation to address and attempt to resolve ethical issues by: 1. Confronting and taking reasonable steps to resolve conflicts between the Code and the implicit or explicit demands of a person or organization; 2. Maintaining fidelity to the Code by taking proactive steps when having reason to believe that another educator may be approaching or involved in an ethically compromising situation; 3. Neither discriminating nor retaliating against a person on the basis of having made an ethical complaint; 4. Neither filing nor encouraging frivolous ethical complaints solely to harm or retaliate. 5. Cooperating fully during ethics investigations and proceedings Page 175 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School C. The professional educator promotes and advances the profession within and beyond the school community by: 1. Influencing and supporting decisions and actions that positively impact teaching and learning, educational leadership and student services; 2. Engaging in respectful discourse regarding issues that impact the profession; 3. Enhancing one’s professional effectiveness by staying current with ethical principles and decisions from relevant sources including professional organizations; 4. Actively participating in educational and professional organizations and associations; and 5. Advocating for adequate resources and facilities to ensure equitable opportunities for all students. Principle II: Responsibility for Professional Competence The professional educator is committed to the highest levels of professional and ethical practice, including demonstration of the knowledge, skills and dispositions required for professional competence. A. The professional educator demonstrates commitment to high standards of practice through: 1. Incorporating into one’s practice state and national standards, including those specific to one’s discipline; 2. Using the Code of Educator Ethics and other ethics codes unique to one’s discipline to guide and frame educational decision-making; 3. Advocating for equitable educational opportunities for all students; 4. Accepting the responsibilities, performing duties and providing services corresponding to the area of certification, licensure, and training of one’s position; 5. Reflecting upon and assessing one’s professional skills, content knowledge, and competency on an ongoing basis; and 6. Committing to ongoing professional learning. B. The professional educator demonstrates responsible use of data, materials, research and assessment by: 1. Appropriately recognizing others’ work by citing data or materials from published, unpublished, or electronic sources when disseminating information; 2. Using developmentally appropriate assessments for the purposes for which they are intended and for which they have been validated to guide educational decisions; 3. Conducting research in an ethical and responsible manner with appropriate permission and supervision; 4. Seeking and using evidence, instructional data, research, and professional knowledge to inform practice; Page 176 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School 5. Creating, maintaining, disseminating, storing, retaining and disposing of records and data relating to one’s research and practice, in accordance with district policy, state and federal laws; and 6. Using data, data sources, or findings accurately and reliably. C. The professional educator acts in the best interest of all students by: 1. Increasing students’ access to the curriculum, activities, and resources in order to provide a quality and equitable educational experience. 2. Working to engage the school community to close achievement, opportunity, and attainment gaps; and 3. Protecting students from any practice that harms or has the potential to harm students. Principle III: Responsibility to Students The professional educator has a primary obligation to treat students with dignity and respect. The professional educator promotes the health, safety and well-being of students by establishing and maintaining appropriate verbal, physical, emotional and social boundaries. A. The professional educator respects the rights and dignity of students by: 1. Respecting students by taking into account their age, gender, culture, setting and socioeconomic context; 2. Interacting with students with transparency and in appropriate settings; 3. Communicating with students in a clear, respectful, and culturally sensitive manner; 4. Taking into account how appearance and dress can affect one’s interactions and relationships with students; 5. Considering the implication of accepting gifts from or giving gifts to students; 6. Engaging in physical contact with students only when there is a clearly defined purpose that benefits the student and continually keeps the safety and well-being of the student in mind; 7. Avoiding multiple relationship with students which might impair objectivity and increase the risk of harm to student learning or well-being or decrease educator effectiveness; 8. Acknowledging that there are no circumstances that allow for educators to engage in romantic or sexual relationships with students; and 9. Considering the ramifications of entering into an adult relationship of any kind with a former student, including but not limited to, any potential harm to the former student, public perception, and the possible impact on the educator’s career. The professional educator ensures that the adult relationship was not started while the former student was in school. Page 177 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School B. The professional educator demonstrates an ethic of care through: 1. Seeking to understand students’ educational, academic, personal and social needs as well as students’ values, beliefs, and cultural background; 2. Respecting the dignity, worth, and uniqueness of each individual student including, but not limited to, actual and perceived gender, gender expression, gender identity, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and culture; and 3. Establishing and maintaining an environment that promotes the emotional, intellectual, physical, and sexual safety of all students. C. The professional educator maintains student trust and confidentiality when interacting with students in a developmentally appropriate manner and within appropriate limits by: 1. Respecting the privacy of students and the need to hold in confidence certain forms of student communication, documents, or information obtained in the course of professional practice; 2. Upholding parents’/guardians’ legal rights, as well as any legal requirements to reveal information related to legitimate concerns for the well-being of a student; and 3. Protecting the confidentiality of student records and releasing personal data in accordance with prescribed state and federal laws and local policies. Principle IV: Responsibility to the School Community The professional educator promotes positive relationships and effective interactions, with members of the school community, while maintaining professional boundaries. A. The professional educator promotes effective and appropriate relationships with parents/guardians by: 1. Communicating with parents/guardians in a timely and respectful manner that represents the students’ best interests; 2. Demonstrating a commitment to equality, equity, and inclusion as well as respecting and accommodating diversity among members of the school community; 3. Considering the implication of accepting gifts from or giving gifts to parents/guardians; and 4. Maintaining appropriate confidentiality with respect to student information disclosed by or to parents/guardians unless required by law. B. The professional educator promotes effective and appropriate relationships with colleagues by: 1. Respecting colleagues as fellow professionals and maintaining civility when differences arise; 2. Resolving conflicts, whenever possible, privately and respectfully and in accordance with district policy; Page 178 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School 3. Keeping student safety, education, and health paramount by maintaining and sharing educational records appropriately and objectively in accordance with local policies and state and federal laws; 4. Collaborating with colleagues in a manner that supports academic achievement and related goals that promote the best interests of students; 5. Enhancing the professional growth and development of new educators by supporting effective field experiences, mentoring or induction activities across the career continuum; 6. Ensuring that educators who are assigned to participate as mentors for new educators, cooperating teachers, or other teacher leadership positions are prepared and supervised to assume these roles; 7. Ensuring that educators are assigned to positions in accordance with their educational credentials, preparation, and experience in order to maximize students’ opportunities and achievement; and 8. Working to ensure a workplace environment that is free from harassment. C. The professional educator promotes effective and appropriate relationships with the community and other stakeholders by: 1. Advocating for policies and laws that the educator supports as promoting the education and well-being of students and families; 2. Collaborating with community agencies, organizations, and individuals in order to advance students’ best interests without regard to personal reward or remuneration; and 3. Maintaining the highest professional standards of accuracy, honesty, and appropriate disclosure of information when representing the school or district within the community and in public communications. D. The professional educator promotes effective and appropriate relationships with employers by: 1. Using property, facilities, materials, and resources in accordance with local policies and state and federal laws; 2. Respecting intellectual property ownership rights (e.g. original lesson plans, district level curricula, syllabi, grade books, etc.) when sharing materials; 3. Exhibiting personal and professional conduct that is in the best interest of the organization, learning community, school community, and profession; and 4. Considering the implications of offering or accepting gifts and/or preferential treatment by vendors or an individual in a position of professional influence or power. Page 179 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School E. The professional educator understands the problematic nature of multiple relationships by: 1. Considering the risks that multiple relationships might impair objectivity and increase the likelihood of harm to students’ learning and well-being or diminish educator effectiveness; 2. Considering the risks and benefits of a professional relationship with someone with whom the educator has had a past personal relationship and vice versa; 3. Considering the implications and possible ramifications of engaging in a personal or professional relationship with parents and guardians, student teachers, colleagues, and supervisors; and 4. Ensuring that professional responsibilities to paraprofessionals, student teachers or interns do not interfere with responsibilities to students, their learning, and wellbeing. Principle V: Responsible and Ethical Use of Technology The professional educator considers the impact of consuming, creating, distributing and communicating information through all technologies. The ethical educator is vigilant to ensure appropriate boundaries of time, place and role are maintained when using electronic communication. A. The professional educator uses technology in a responsible manner by: 1. Using social media responsibly, transparently, and primarily for purposes of teaching and learning per school and district policy. The professional educator considers the ramifications of using social media and direct communication via technology on one’s interactions with students, colleagues, and the general public; 2. Staying abreast of current trends and uses of school technology; 3. Promoting the benefits of and clarifying the limitations of various appropriate technological applications with colleagues, appropriate school personnel, parents, and community members; 4. Knowing how to access, document and use proprietary materials and understanding how to recognize and prevent plagiarism by students and educators; 5. Understanding and abiding by the district’s policy on the use of technology and communication; 6. Recognizing that some electronic communications are records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state public access laws and should consider the implications of sharing sensitive information electronically either via professional or personal devices/accounts; and 7. Exercising prudence in maintaining separate and professional virtual profiles, keeping personal and professional lives distinct. Page 180 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School B. The professional educator ensures students’ safety and well-being when using technology by: 1. Being vigilant in identifying, addressing and reporting (when appropriate and in accordance with local district, state, and federal policy) inappropriate and illegal materials/images in electronic or other forms; 2. Respecting the privacy of students’ presence on social media unless given consent to view such information or if there is a possibility of evidence of a risk of harm to the student or others; and 3. Monitoring to the extent practical and appropriately reporting information concerning possible cyber bullying incidents and their potential impact on the student learning environment. C. The professional educator maintains confidentiality in the use of technology by: 1. Taking appropriate and reasonable measures to maintain confidentiality of student information and educational records stored or transmitted through the use of electronic or computer technology; 2. Understanding the intent of Federal Educational Rights to Privacy Act (FERPA) and how it applies to sharing electronic student records; and 3. Ensuring that the rights of third parties, including the right of privacy, are not violated via the use of technologies. D. The professional educator promotes the appropriate use of technology in educational settings by: a) Advocating for equal access to technology for all students, especially those historically underserved; b) Promoting the benefits of and clarifying the limitations of various appropriate technological applications with colleagues, appropriate school personnel, parents, and community members; and c) Promoting technological applications (a) that are appropriate for students’ individual needs, (b) that students understand how to use and (c) that assist and enhance the teaching and learning process. Page 181 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School F5. Conflict of Interest Policy Page 182 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School F6. Board Members Resumes Board Member Resumes 1089 Oakridge Drive Memphis, TN 38111 Home: ((901) 452-3888 or Cell: (901) 581-6366 E-mail Address: DGraves661@aol.com Donna Bentley Graves Summary of Qualifications Lynwood USD Will Rogers Elementary School [1973 - 1991] Lynwood, CA Classroom Teacher; Gifted, Bilingual and Traditional in self-contained, Open classroom and Team Teaching settings School site Resource Teacher; Maintained Title I, and Bilingual Program compliance; ESL trainer and coordinator; Program Quality Review Trainer and lead reviewer; Parent Advisory Council and School Improvement Plan. Lynwood Unified School District Federal State and Program Office- Teacher on Special Assignment Monitored State and Federal Program Compliance, Lead Program Review Teams, Substance Abuse Narcotics Education Program (SANE), Parent Advisory Council, School Improvement Plans. Eboni Childcare Center [ 1995 - 2007] Memphis, TN Executive Director Operated and maintained DHS records and regulations for students ages 6wks.-12 yrs. Lynwood USD [2007 - 2010] Lynwood, CA Classroom Teacher, GIFTED self-contained classroom, grade 3. Education University of CA, San Diego San Diego, CA Cross Language Actuation Development Credential (CLAD) CA State University, Los Angeles M.A. Education, Emphasis in Early Childhood Education Los Angeles, CA University of Southern CA California State Life (K-9) Credential Los Angeles, CA University of CA, Santa Barbara B.A. Black History Santa Barbara, CA Professional Membership Phi Delta Kappa International Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Links Incorporated, River City (TN) Chapter Community Affiliations NAACP Memphis Branch, Executive Board Mt. Olive Cathedral Christian Methodist Episcopal Church NAACP Memphis Branch, Executive Board Honors ‘Women of Courage, Book II, “published by Nestle’ USA CHIMES, Honor Society, UC, San Barbara Page 183 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School School Leader Resume Clarice Loggins / Founder 6571 Jack Cove, Millington, TN 38053-(901) 569-4557-rodresa@msn.com Summary Enthusiastic and energetic professional educator with 19+ years’ work experience, seeking a teaching position on the college level. Proven capacity to bring extraordinary organizational and management skills to the classroom Highlights  Superb leadership and communication skills  Urban public schools background  Tennessee Teaching License  Title I knowledge  Standardized testing techniques  Organizational development knowledge Accomplishments Consistently led students to improve test scores every year by an average of 15%. Developed innovative instruction methods that became the standard for the entire second grade team. Founded and led a comprehensive summer tutoring and enrichment program. Teacher of the month and teacher of the week awards earned multiple times throughout career. TEACHING EXPERIENCE: Teacher, 2nd grade, August 2003 to present Rozelle Creative & Performing Arts Elementary School, Memphis, TN  Initiate hands-on computer activities which correspond with lesson plans  Conduct and manage discipline within classroom of 23 students  Expand experience by attending professional development workshops, PTA meetings, and conferences  Provide enriching activities for after school tutoring program  Implemented a variety of teaching methods such as lectures, discussions and demonstrations  Provided tutoring on individually and small group bases to help with difficult subjects  Established positive relationships with students, parent’s fellow teachers and school administrators  Collaborated with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning and student engagement  Improved students’ reading levels through guided reading groups and whole group instructions  Created lesson plans in accordance with state curriculum and school-wide curriculum standards Page 184 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Page 2 Clarice Loggins Teacher, 2nd grade, August 1995 – August 2003 Snowden Elementary School, Memphis, TN  Assisted lead teacher in presenting grade-appropriate lessons for 17 students  Developed lesson plans which utilized computer programs  Participated in after school tutoring and mentoring program  Attended staff meetings and student/teacher consultations  Established clear objectives for all lessons, units and projects  Set and communicated ground rules for the classroom based on respect and personal responsibility  Taught students to exercise problem solving methodology techniques during test  Taught students in various stages of cognitive, linguistic, social and emotional development  Encouraged students to explore issues in their lives and in the world around them RELATED EXPERIENCE: Volunteer Coordinator, 2004 – present Glory Tabernacle Christian Church, Millington, TN  Recruited, trained and assigned volunteer tutors in Elementary and Middle Schools in summer enrichment camp  Tutored students individually and as a group in grades kindergarten, - 5th grade  Tutored first graders individually in reading Instructor lecturer, 2003 – present Rozelle Creative & Performing Arts Elementary School 2003 - present  In service staff meeting and  Professional development training Education Master of Arts in Education, Cumberland University, Lebanon, TN Bachelor of Science in Social Science/ Elementary Education Lemoyne Owen College, Memphis, TN Page 185 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Board Member Resumes ROD LOGGINS 6571 Jack Cove Millington Tennessee, 38053 (901) 292- 5185, rodresa@msn.com __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Senior Sales Executive Senior Sales Executive with over 25 years of success managing Sales in Mortgage and Banking. Proven leadership in startup and territory expansion situations for a Fortune 500 and large regional bank, Citi Bank and Regions Financial Corporation. Consistently earned top ranks in sales performance in every position by bringing revenues, profits and market share to new heights. Success Keys: Profit Turnaround; Staff Retention; Operational Efficiencies, Risk Mitigation, High Touch Customer Retention     Key person branded Citi Banks loan portfolio in the South East US grew sales from $25M to over $1B in 4 years. Managed at the height 50 remote executives in South Eastern United States. Revitalized lost accounts for Regions Financial Corporation Forrest City, AR Branch by growing households by 2%. Consistently ranked as Top performer 2013 and 2014 Chairman’s club for Regions Financial Corporation. Rapid Integration: Recognize synergies, and led well planned strategies to increase and expand mortgage offering while at Patriot Mortgage. Reversed loss trajectory and increase bank brand and community reputation while at Bancorp South. Sales Strategist and Leader: who excels in driving revenues through innovation and focus. Noted for pioneering and engineering sales strategies that brand and establish new territories as well as foster personal sales best practices with clients that was subsequently adopted by all other branches throughout territory. Product Knowledge Expert and Sales Tactician: Motivating and driving market enthusiasm through public speeches, private and public business sectors and industry trade groups. Accomplished in turning mediocre performers into high performance sales teams and managing and motivating sales channel teams. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Vice President Business Development Cadence Bank Memphis, Tennessee Feb 2017- present Page 186 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Business Development and Consumer Retail Bank Manager. Increase CRA hours 164%. Increase small business acquisitions 43%. Increase loan volume by 43%. National Account Executive Citadel Servicing Corporation Memphis, Tennessee Sep 2017- Nov 2018 National Account Executive for Non-QM Mortgage lender. Established new broker relationship with 35 new brokers in CA, TN, FL, TX RI, MD. Managed a book of business of over 50 clients. Closed $8,000,000. In volume with first nine months. Conduct training webinars for new and existing brokers. Conducted 50 emails daily and a minimum of 50 phone calls. AVP Sales Manager Bancorp South Community Development Lending Memphis, Tennessee MAR 2017-Sep 2017 Area manager for community development lending covering West Tennessee and the entire state of Mississippi supervising 12 loan officers. Coordinating lending activity and community organizations to meet CRA requirements. Was able to exceed peer in every CRA measurable benchmark in all territories. Increase market penetration by hiring necessary staff for emerging markets. Senior Loan Officer Patriot Mortgage Millington, Tennessee APR 2016- MAR 2017 Senior mortgage loan officer. Originating Conventional and Government mortgage loans. $ 1,000,000 producer. Assistant Vice President, Branch Manager Forrest City, Arkansas NOV 2012 – APR 2016 Regions Financial Corporation A top tier manager in consumer banking, small business development, and equity lending with two offices. Aggressively recruited to revitalize the Forrest City market for Regions Financial Corporation. Challenged to jumpstart flailing efforts and build all new sales through loan volume, and grow revenue and households. Managing Director, Owner RDL Real Estate Development LLC Millington, Tennessee MAY 2008 – PRESENT Managing director for a real estate investment firm with an interest in residential and commercial properties Regional Vice President of Sales, Sales Manager CITI Bank/Argent Mortgage, Rolling Meadows Illinois SEP 2002- APR 2008 One of the world’s leading financial institutions. Recruited to develop and brand non-conforming residential mortgage products covering the southeast United States. Hired, coach, trained developed and overseeing 35 sales professionals and ultimately expanding to 8 states. Page 187 of 261 “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School EDUCATION Bachelor of Science, Business Administration Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois Boards: Tennessee Lawyer Fund for Client Protection, FedEx New Area, The Academy All Girls School, United Housing, Family Promise of Memphis, Memphis Area Association of REALTOR Military Service: United States Navy Combat Veteran: Operation Shield /Storm/Honorable Discharge Page 188 of 261 Board Member Resume Earlene Holloway 1734 Foster Ave / Memphis, TN 38114 901-725-5439 Eholl53053@bellsouth.net OBJECTIVE: Obtain a position as an elementary School Teacher that will utilize my strong dedication to children’s development and to their educational needs. I am dedicated and student-focused who is committed to providing a well-balanced, supportive and engaging learning environment for all students. TEACHING EXPERIENCE 3RD Grade Teacher, 1992-2014 Rozelle Elementary School – Memphis City Schools/Shelby County Schools Memphis, TN Responsibilities Teaches Grade 3 students, supervises the class assigned by the school, implements the system’s curriculum with thoroughness and deep commitment, also writing curriculum for the Modern Red Schoolhouse Educational Model, aligning scope and sequence for each grade level, write units of study according to Core Knowledge format, explore use of technology within the classroom allowing students to become better self-learners by doing research and producing a project, write lessons plans incorporating standards and specific performance indicators (SPI’s), monitors student performance and achievement, prepares report cards and other documents and records on time, meets with principal on a regular basis to report on the performance of the students, implements strategies based on results of research conducted in the classroom and with fellow teaching staff, respects the individuality and unique abilities of each student, attends all meetings of committees and teams that the school has set up, provides a safe and conducive learning set up, helps coordinate school events and student activities like educational field trips, school competitions, and programs, participates in regular professional development sessions set by the school, meets with parents of students to discuss the student’s progress, does other tasks assigned by the principal from time to time. 2nd Grade Teacher, 1988-1992 Grahamwood Elementary – Memphis City Schools Memphis, TN Responsibilities Teaches Grade 2 students, supervises the class assigned by the school, and implements the system’s curriculum by incorporating the FIP Program to students, writing lesson plans, developing centers for individualized skills, monitoring students performances and achievement, prepares report cards and other documents and records on time, attends all meetings, provides a safe and conducive learning environment, participates in regular professional development sessions set by the school or district, meets with parents of students to discuss the student’s progress, does other tasks assigned by the principal from time to time, and work bus duty. 1st Grade Interim Teacher, 1987-1988 Alton Elementary School – Memphis City Schools Memphis, TN Responsibilities Interim 1st Grade teacher, supervises the class assigned by the school, and implements the system’s curriculum by working with lead teacher, write lessons plans, develops activities for teacher assistance to help with reading skills, monitors the performances and achievements of students, prepares report cards and other documents and records on time, attends all faculty meetings, provides a safe and conducive learning environment for students, participates in regular professional development sessions set by the school or district, meets with parents of students to discuss the student’s progress, does other tasks assigned by the principal from time to time. 1st Grade Interim Teacher, 1984-1987 Avondale Elementary School – Marion School District Marion, AR Responsibilities 1st Grade teacher, supervises the class assigned by the school, and implements the system’s curriculum, writes lesson plans, develops activities for teacher assistance to help with reading skills, prepares report cards and other documents and records on time, monitors student performances and their achievement, meets with principal on a regular basis to report on the performance of the students, respects the individuality and unique abilities of each student, attends all meetings of committees and teams that the school has set up, provides a safe and conducive learning environment for students, helps coordinate school events and student activities like educational field trips, school competitions, and programs, participates in regular professional development sessions set by the school, meets with parents of students to discuss the student’s progress, does other tasks assigned by the principal from time to time. 4th Grade Teacher, 1982-1984 Phelix Elementary – Marion School District Marion, AR Responsibilities 4th Grade teacher, supervises the class assigned by the school, and implements the system’s curriculum with great dedication and enthusiasm, designs lesson plans for students with learning difficulties and gifted learners, develops activities for students to monitor their performances and achievements, prepares report cards and other documents and records in a timely manner, meets with principal on a regular basis to report on the performance of the students, attends all meetings of committees and teams that the school has set up, provides a safe and conducive learning environment for students, practices for school competitions and programs, participates in regular professional development sessions set by the school, meets with parents of students to discuss the student’s progress, does other tasks assigned by the principal from time to time. EDUCATION: Cumberland University: 2002-2004 Degree: 30+ Master Degree Major: Elementary Education GPA: 3.50 Graduation date: 2004 Trevecca Nazarene College: 1986-1988 Degree: Master of Education Major: Administration & Supervision K-8 GPA: 3. 20 Graduation date: May 19, 1988 LeMoyne- Owen College: 1978-1981 Degree: Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education Major: Elementary Education – Minor: Special Education GPA: 3.53 Graduation date: December 19, 1981 Page 190 of 261 Board Member Resume Neil I. Roberson 5284 S Angela Rd Memphis, TN 38120 901-218-6779 neilroberson1@gmail.com EXPERIENCE GREYSTONE MEZZANINE ADVISORS, LLC, Memphis, TN / New York, NY 2017 - 2018 Partner Created a joint venture with Greystone & Co., Inc., and successfully launched a $50 million commercial real estate debt fund focused on mezzanine loans subordinate to CMBS senior loans Led all aspects of fund structuring, documentation and marketing process, including financial model, investor presentation, private placement memorandum, limited partner agreement and general partner operating agreement RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC., Memphis, TN (upon acquisition of Morgan Keegan) 2012 - 2017 Vice President – Investment Banking As a member of the financial-services industry group, worked with clients on capital raise and strategic-advisory engagements in the asset management sector, with a focus on business development companies (“BDCs”) Closed more than 50 transactions totaling approximately $4.0 billion consisting of initial public offerings, secondary offerings, private placement and debt capital offerings Primary responsibilities include cultivating new client relationships, advising senior management teams on capital raise alternatives, authoring strategic and financial advisory presentations, managing all aspects of equity and debt offerings (pitch, due diligence, negotiation, documentation, valuation, financial modeling and marketing) and leading / mentoring a team of junior bankers throughout the execution process Assisted in solidifying Raymond James’s BDC / alternative asset manager practice as the leading middle-market advisor and underwriter of public equity and debt offerings, as ranked by transactions closed since 2012 MORGAN KEEGAN & COMPANY, INC., Memphis, TN 2007 - 2012 Associate / Associate Vice President – Investment Banking Assisted on numerous middle-market merger & acquisition, public equity and debt placement transactions in multiple industries, including energy, consumer and industrial sectors General responsibilities included preparing internal presentations, assisting in presentations to potential clients, Page 191 of 261 creating financial models (valuation, mergers and LBOs), conducting due diligence, assisting in the drafting of various offering documents and coordinating securities marketing FTN FINANCIAL, Memphis, TN 2002 - 2004 Agency Underwriter Underwrote Federal Home Loan Bank bond issues for depository and financial institutions; priced, structured and executed reverse inquiry trades greater than $15,000,000 for institutional accounts Worked with a team of three Agency Underwriters to solidify FTN Financial as the #2 ranked U.S. Research Agency Underwriter in 2003 with over $70 billion in issuance Research Analyst 2001 - 2002 Provided U.S Agency research for sales force with over 3,500 institutional accounts worldwide Performed analysis on U.S. Agency sector total returns, spread trends and current market conditions for Agency trading desk and risk management EDUCATION VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY OWEN GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT Master of Business Administration, 2006 Concentrations: Accounting, Finance WHU, Otto Beisheim School of Management Summer Program: Koblenz, Germany UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE Bachelor of Business Administration, 2000 Major: Finance Richmond College Study Abroad Program: London, England Page 192 of 261 F7. Board Policies, Open Meeting and Open Records “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School DRAFT POLICY BOOK Table of Contents Section I- The School 1.01 Mission Statement 1.02 School Legal Status 1.03 Non-Discrimination Section II- The Board 2.01 School Bylaws 2.02 Decision Making 2.03 Public Attendance at Board Meetings 2.04 Policy Making 2.05 Conflicts of Interest 2.06 Board Review of Administrative Procedures 2.07 Special Task Forces to the Board 2.08 Standing Committees 2.09 Board Election Procedures 2.10 Board Self Evaluation Section III- Administration 3.01 Administrative Structure Section IV- Enrollment 4.01 Waiting List Page 193 of 261 Section V- Finances and Accounting 5.01 Accounting Policies 5.02 Financial Reporting Procedures 5.03 Investment Policy 5.04 Banking Policy 5.05 Budget Principles and Procedures 5.06 Audit Procedures Definitions The terms below shall have the following meanings:      Board- The Board of Directors of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School THE Academy- “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School District- Shelby County Schools District School Director- Board Appointed School Director of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Parent- parent or legal guardian of THE Academy All Girls Charter School student Section I- The School 1.01 Mission Statement Mission Statement: The mission of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School is to provide a culturally diverse atmosphere, which empowers, as well as grooms, young girls, kindergarten through fifth grade, into confident, intelligent, and successful young ladies. Our dynamic, intense, diverse, and rigorous curriculum accompanied by a renowned character building and arts program will adequately prepare girls to become passionate life-long learners in a global society. Core Belief: In support of every girl who enters our doors, “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School is passionately committee to seven Core Belief:       All girls can and will learn. All girls must be reading at or above grade level by third grade. All staff receives targeted, mission-driven and individualized professional development. Joy and rigor create a culture of achievement. K-2 interim assessments address math and literacy development; grades 3-5 interim assessments address mastery of skill and content in each subject. A longer school day and strategic daily schedule maximize achievement. Page 194 of 261  A deep, pro-active partnership between home and school fosters strong learning for every girl. 1.02 School Legal Status “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School is a Tennessee charter school organized pursuant to the Tennessee Charter Schools Act. “THE” Academy operates pursuant to a charter granted by the Board of Education on. Under the Charter Schools Act, “THE” Academy is a public school within the District. Its status as a nonprofit corporation does not affect its status as a public school. “THE” Academy operates as a Tennessee nonprofit corporation for governance, finance and administrative purposes. The nonprofit’s Articles of Incorporation is provided. As marked in the letter of intent, we have applied and received non-profit incorporation and 501(c) (3) status. Page 195 of 261 1.03 Nondiscrimination Page 196 of 261 Page 197 of 261 Page 198 of 261 Page 199 of 261 Page 200 of 261 Section II – The Board 2.01 School Bylaws Page 201 of 261 Page 202 of 261 Page 203 of 261 Page 204 of 261 Page 205 of 261 Page 206 of 261 Page 207 of 261 Page 208 of 261 Page 209 of 261 Page 210 of 261 Page 211 of 261 2.02 Decision Making “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School is created to serve students. The Board of Directors and administration will make decisions based on the mission and vision of the school, keeping the students as the central focus. 2.03 Public Attendance at Board Meetings All meetings of the Board shall be called, noticed and held in compliance with the provisions of the Tennessee Public Charter Schools Act of 2002, and to the extent required therein with applicable provisions of the Tennessee Open Meetings Law. Except as otherwise permitted by those Acts, all meetings of the Board shall be open and public. The Board shall not act at any meeting required to be open to the public vote by secret ballot. Any vote taken in violation of this section shall be null and void. 1. We would like any community members to have the opportunity to show interest and concern in the school. Accordingly, the public is cordially invited to attend all open meeting of the Board. Every regular Board meeting will allot pre-scheduled time for public comment. Reasonable time limit rights are reserved by the Board. 2. When the Board is meeting in executive session, meetings will be closed. An executive session can be called only to discuss matters not appropriate for public discussion. 3. Individuals who desire to make requests, presentations, or proposals to the Board should direct any inquiry to the Founder who will respond per the following procedures: a) The School Leader, will consult with the Board Chair and, if appropriate, other Board members about including the request on the agenda for the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. b) If the item is included on the agenda, the Board will receive in their packet for the next regularly scheduled meeting written information directly from the person making the request. If specific Board action is being requested, that action should be in the written document. c) The person may present their information orally to the Board when the agenda item is discussed. The Board reserves the right to establish reasonable time limits for public comments and presentation 4. Meeting notices will be placed in the school’s office as well as on the website at least two days prior to the meeting. It will be in full compliance with all public meeting laws in the state of Tennessee. Page 212 of 261 Place of Meetings: All meetings of the Board shall be held in the School Leader’s office or such other place as shall be determined from time to time by resolution of the Board, within or in places outside of Tennessee, or as required by an existing and valid charter between the corporation and an authorizing school district or other appropriate Tennessee legislative body. Annual Meeting: The annual meeting of the Board shall be held during the month of December on a date chosen by the President or the Board for the purposes of electing Directors and officers and transacting such business as may properly come before the meeting. If the annual meeting is not held on the date designated therefor, the Board shall cause the meeting to be held as soon thereafter as may be convenient. Regular Meetings: Regular meetings of the Board shall be held on such dates and at such times as shall be determined from time to time by resolution of the Board. If at any time any regular meeting falls on a holiday, such regular meeting shall be held on the next business day. At least 72 hours before a regular meeting, the Board or its designee shall post an agenda containing a brief general description of each item of business to be transacted or discussed at the meeting, including items to be discussed in closed session. The agenda shall specify the time and location for the regular meeting and shall be posted in a location that is freely accessible to members of the public, or on the corporation’s internet web site, if the corporation has one, and at the site of each charter school operated by the corporation. The agenda shall include information regarding how, to whom, and when a request for disabilityrelated modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services may be made by a person with a disability who requires modification or accommodation to participate in the public meeting. The agenda shall provide an opportunity for members of the pubic to directly address the Board on any item of interest to the public before or during the Board’s consideration of the item, that is within the authority of the Board. Except as otherwise permitted by the Tennessee Public Charter Schools Act of 2002, no action or discussion shall be undertaken on any item not appearing on the posted agenda. Presentation to the Board/Agenda Items: Any person may address the Board concerning any item on the agenda prior to action by the Board on such item. Such comments shall be limited to five minutes, unless the Board, at its discretion, votes to shorten or lengthen the time for each speaker. The total time devoted to presentations to the Board on agenda items shall not exceed one-half hour unless additional time is granted by the Board. If the number of persons interested in addressing the Board on an item cannot be accommodated in the time allotted, the Board shall take reasonable steps to allocate time fairly among those supporting or opposing the item. Presentation to the Board/Non-Agenda Items: Members of the public may address the Board on any item not listed on the Board meeting agenda. Speakers will be limited to three minutes, unless the Board, at its discretion votes to shorten or lengthen the time for each Page 213 of 261 speaker. No more than a total of fifteen minutes shall be devoted to all non-agenda items at regular meetings. The President may disallow a request to address the Board if repetitive of other speakers, or if the speaker seeks to make a presentation that he or another speaker has made at a previous meeting, if it appears that the total allotted time may be exceeded. Members of the public attempting to make complaints or charges against an employee before the Board in open session will be offered the option to meet with staff to file a complaint under “THE” Academy’s established complaint procedures. Disturbance of Meetings: If any meeting is interrupted by a group or groups of persons so as to render the orderly conduct of such meeting unfeasible and order cannot be restored by the removal of individuals who are interrupting the meeting, the members of the Board conducting the meeting may order the meeting room cleared and continue in session or may adjourn the meeting and reconvene at another location selected by majority vote of the Board. In such a session, final disposition may be taken only on matters appearing on the agenda. Representatives of the press or other news media, except those participating in the disturbance, shall be allowed to attend any session held pursuant to this section. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the Board from establishing a procedure for readmitting an individual or individuals not responsible for disturbing the orderly conduct of the meeting. Preparation of the Board Agenda: The Secretary or designee shall be responsible to prepare the agendas for all regular meetings of the Board. Agenda Distribution: The Board agenda, with supporting information for a regular Board meeting, shall be delivered to Board members at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. The Secretary or designee is responsible for the distribution of Board packets (which include the official agenda and all supporting information to be discussed/acted upon in open session). In addition to the provisions of agendas, all supporting public information shall be provided to those persons or parties who have requested to be placed upon the Board’s mailing list. A reasonable fee may be charged to receive the actual costs of providing the agenda. The agenda shall also be posted for public notice as set forth in Section 4.4. Special Meetings: (1) A special meeting may be called at any time by the Chair of the Board of the corporation or by most the members of the Board by delivering written notice personally, by mail, by fax, or by electronic mail to each member of the Board. Written notice shall be deemed waived in the following circumstances: (a) a Director submits a written waiver of notice with the secretary of the Board at or prior to the time the meeting convenes. A written waiver may be given by telegram, fax, or electronic mail; or (b) a Director is present at the time the meeting convenes. (2) Notice of a special meeting shall be: Page 214 of 261 (a) Posted on the School’s website. The school is not required to post a special meeting notice on its web site if it (i) does not have a web site; (ii) employs fewer than ten full-time equivalent employees; or (iii) does not employ personnel whose duty, as defined by a job description or existing contract, is to maintain or update the web site; and (b) Prominently displayed at the main entrance of the school’s main location and the meeting site if it is not held at the school’s main location. Such adequate notice must be delivered or posted, as applicable, at least twenty-four hours before the time of such meeting as specified in the notice. (3) The call and notices required under Articles 4.5(1) and 4.5(2) shall specify the time and place of the special meeting and the business to be transacted. Final disposition shall not be taken on any other matter at such meetings by the Board. (4) The notices provided in this section may be dispensed with in the event a special meeting is called to deal with an emergency involving injury or damage to persons or property or the likelihood of such injury or damage, when time requirements of such notice would make notice impractical and increase the likelihood of such injury or damage. Emergency Meetings: In the event of an emergency, involving injury or damage to persons or property or the likelihood of such injury or damage, and there is a need for expedited action by the Board to meet the emergency, the Chair of the Board may provide for a meeting site other than the regular meeting site and the notice requirements set forth in these Bylaws shall be suspended during such emergency. 2.04 Policy Making 1. The Board is solely responsible for adopting, repealing, or amending policies for “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School. Action by the Board shall be accomplished as set forth in the bylaws. 2. All proposals for adopting, repealing, or amending policies for “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School may be made in writing by any board member, parent, or student and submitted by an administrator of the schools. When appropriate policy change proposals shall include adequate information concerning potential fiscal impact on the school. 3. Except in cases of special need, the Board shall follow procedure n adopting, repealing or amending policies at “THE” Academy: (a) The First Reading. The proposed policy shall be submitted for approval on first reading at a regular or special meeting of the Board called for that purpose. The proposed policy shall be contained in the Board packet distributed prior to the meeting. At first reading the Board shall receive public comment and comments from sponsor of the proposed policy. A vote of Page 215 of 261 the Board will be taken after the reading, and if the amendment receives a simple majority vote of the Directors present at the meeting, it will be placed on the agenda for a second reading at the next meeting of the Board. (b.) The Second Reading. If the proposed policy is approved on first reading, it will be placed on the agenda and considered at the next regular or special meeting of the Board called for that purpose. No amendment shall be adopted at second reading unless the amendment receives a two-thirds vote of the Directors present at the meeting. If the proposed policy is adopted upon second reading it shall become a policy of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School, and the Policy Manual shall amend accordingly. (c.) Special Need. Upon a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Directors present at a regular or special meeting called for that purpose, a special need may be declared. If a special need is declared, a policy may be adopted on first reading. (d.) Proposed policies should reference the policy provision it will be amending. Ideally, the entire policy will be reprinted with new language in all caps, and language to be deleted lined out. New policies should include the proposed table of contents policy title. Page 216 of 261 Page 217 of 261 2.06 Board Review of Administrative Procedures 1. The Board recognizes that its role is to ensure that “THE” Academy is well managed, not to manage “THE” Academy. The School Director shall be responsible for the day-to-day administration of affairs of “THE” Academy and shall manage all activities of the school as prescribed by the Board. As a result, the Board need not review administrative policies and regulations in advance of issuance except as required by law. However, the Board should approve in advance any highly sensitive matters of policy and/or regulations that have the potential to impact its duties and obligations to “THE” Academy and/or the Shelby County Public School Board. To that end, the School Director shall exercise his or her discretion to identify and bring to the Board’s attention any such policies and regulations prior to issuance. 2. Administrative policies and regulations should reference existing Board policy when applicable. 3. The Board reserves the right to review administrative policies and regulations at its discretion. The board can revise or veto regulations only when in it judgment such regulations are inconsistent with the Board’s policies. 2.07 Special Task Forces of the Board 1. Special task forces purpose is to their contribution to the school’s mission by conducting studies, identifying problems, and developing recommendations to assist the Board in decision making. The ultimate authority to make decisions, however, will be the Board’s as required by law. 2. Special task force may be formed by the Board at such time for such purposes as the Board may deem necessary. They will be given clear objective, and will be dissolved upon accomplishing that objective. 3. Special task force members will be selected by the Board, including those with expertise or adequate knowledge related to the objective. 2.08 Standing Committees 1. Academic Achievement Committee- review school assessment policies and procedures, ensuring they conform to district and state standards. Also, responsible for reviewing results of school assessment programs, reporting findings to the Board and, when applicable, proposing changes in policy indicated by assessment findings. Page 218 of 261 2. Finance Committee- review and submit an annual balanced budget to the Board and, after Board approval, making the budget available to the public. The Finance Committee will also oversee preparation of the annual report, including audited financial statements, and other exhibits required by the Shelby County Schools district, and make them available to the public. 3. Governance Committee- set the criteria for Board election, identifying and evaluating candidates for the Board of Directors. The Governance Committee will present a slate of candidates for election to the Board at least once annually. Election will be by simple majority of the sitting Board. The Governance Committee will also conduct the Board selfevaluation. 2.09 Board Election Procedures The Governance committee shall prepare and submit to the Board a report of the nominees it recommends for election. The number of seats available shall be determined in accordance with the by-laws. Whenever possible, nominated board member credentials will be presented one meeting prior to their election. Board members will be elected by simple majority of the quorum present at that meeting during which elections are held. Each director shall serve from the next scheduled Board meeting after the election until the end of his or her term as determined by the Board. 2.10 Board Self Evaluation The Board believes that efficient and effective performance of the Board itself can have a significant impact on the overall success of the school and is an essential component of good governance. Therefore, the Board will conduct an annual evaluation of its own work. The Governance Committee will conduct the evaluation. This Committee shall determine the format of the evaluation, but it must include a formal written evaluation. The evaluation process should be designed to encourage constructive feedback aimed at improvement. Section III- Administration 3.01 Administrative Structure 1. The Chair along with the Founder and School Director will be relied on to provide professional and administrative leadership. The School Director will be hired by and report directly to the Board of Directors. 2. The School Director will both directly and indirectly supervise all other staff member employed by the school. He or she will be ultimately responsible for selecting staff members, conducting staff interviews, and recommending compensation levels. Page 219 of 261 3. Annually, the Board will compose a School Director Evaluation Committee, to consist of three members that include the Board Chair. Section IV- Enrollment 4.01 Enrollment and Waiting List Students will be recruited ensuring equal access to the school without discriminating against student’s due to their race, age, sex, religion, national origin, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law. All students residing within the jurisdiction of the authorizing LEA may attend “THE” Academy assuming they are the right age. In January of each school year the school will display the application asking for basic information and verifies that students will enter kindergarten in the fall of that year. The school description will accompany the application. This application will be mailed to completed letters of intent to enroll, distributed throughout the community, as well as posted on line. There will be a thirty-day window for the completion of the application. All applications will be received by the school and tracked with a date of receipt. All information will be collected and stored in a central database. In the event, there are more applicants than space available, an admissions lottery will be held within seven days that complies with lottery regulations outlined in Tennessee Rules and Regulations 0520-14-01-04. Once all spaces have been filled a waiting list will be developed for all remaining students who have registered in the event that a seat should open up. If there are available seats after the application deadline, applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis. Students will be admitted to the school on a first come-first served basis until no additional spaces are available. Section V Finance and Accounting 5.01 Accounting Policies “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will create and maintain accounting, billing, and cash control policies, procedures and records that are consistent with and in compliance with the state and federal regulations. “THE” Academy will engage the services of individuals (accounting specialists) who will provide the necessary financial and accounting services required. These accounting, audit, and financial management policies are designed to: 1. Protect and secure the assets of “THE” Academy; Page 220 of 261 2. Ensure the maintenance of accurate records of “THE” Academy’s financial activities; 3. Ensure compliance with governmental and private funder reporting requirements. THE Academy shall engage the services of persons or entities which will provide necessary financial and accounting service required by policies. Cash 1. Bank accounts are established by donors and funding requirements 2. All checks require the Founder’s signature 3. The Founder shall be the only individual authorized to sign checks 4. Banks are promptly notified of any changes of authorized check signers 5. All checks are to be pre-numbered and accounted for 6. Voided checks are to be properly defaced and maintained Cash Receipts 1. The Founder or designee prepares a bank deposit slip, listing each item 2. Receipts are deposited daily. 3. Someone other than the person making deposits is responsible for opening the daily mail, making a log of cash receipts, restrictively endorsing the payment, making note of any restrictions on the log entry, and account coding the receipt by receivable or revenue account. 4. The bank’s stamped duplicate deposit slip is attached to the remittance documentation. 5. Daily deposit log and duplicate deposit slip are forwarded to the Financial Secretary for verification and data entry. 6. Cash is deposited in the appropriate bank account on funding restrictions. Cash Disbursement 1. Cash disbursements are made by check. 2. The Founder approves all invoices for payment. 3. Checks for payment are signed only when supported by approved invoices (checks will not be processed and signed in advance or proper invoicing approval procedures). 4. Vendors invoice are recalculated on site to ensure accuracy. This recalculation must occur prior to the preparation of a check to pay the invoice. After the recalculation is complete, the employee who performed the recalculation must initial the vendor invoice, indicating that the amount is correct and the invoice can be paid 5. The Founder will check and compare data on supporting documents to checks presented for signature. 6. Bank transfers are scheduled and investigated to ascertain that both sided of the transaction are recorded. Page 221 of 261 7. The employee responsible for mailing checks will not be responsible for recording cash disbursements. These two functions must be handled by different employees to ensure that the appropriate checks and balances are in place. 8. Supporting documentation is noted as paid, check number, date paid, and general ledger account code. Supporting documentation is noted as approved for payment. 9. Account coding for each payment are reviewed for accuracy. 10. Finance and accounting staff and/or the accounting specialist will ensure that all costs paid through the utilization of external funding sources are recognized as ordinary, necessary, within the budget, are arm’s length transactions, and do not deviate from established practices of the organization. General Ledger Account Coding 1. All cash receipts and disbursements are account coded and reviewed by the Founder. 2. A policy will be followed that documents the rationale used to allocate shared expenses among functions, grants and/or contracts reviewed periodically. 3. Funding from multiple sources may be kept in an account with other funding; however, it must be tracked independently. Revenue 1. Revenue is earned using the accrual basis of accounting. 2. Cost reimbursement grants or contracts earn revenue when the expenses are incurred (not committed) 3. When “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Board of Directors deems it either necessary or prudent to do so, the Board of Directors may, to the extent permitted by applicable law or regulation, remove restrictions placed on any revenue by the donor(s) of the revenue. Expenses 1. Expenses are charged directly to programs when specific identification is available. 2. Expenses are prohibited to be used for any purpose that is ineligible under a funding award. 3. Each grant, loan, or contract expenditures must be recorded according to the budget categories for the specific funding source. For each funding award, “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will maintain records that allow for comparison of outlays with approved budget amounts. 4. When there are government funds involved, “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will follow applicable cost principles. Page 222 of 261 5. When there are government funds involved, programs and grants will not be charged for items which are un-reimbursable under applicable principals or policies such as, but not limited to: entertainment, fundraising expenses, bad debts, fines or penalties or interest on debt. 6. Before “THE” Academy seeks reimbursement from a funder, a cost will be considered allocable to an external funding source (unless otherwise prohibited) if it is treated consistently with other costs incurred for the same purpose in like circumstances and if: a) The cost is incurred specifically for the award. b) The cost benefits both the award and other work and can be distributed in reasonable proportion to the benefits received, or is necessary to the overall operation of the organization, although a direct relationship to any particular cost objective cannot be shown. 7. Any cost allocable to a particular award or other objective may not be shifted to other awards to overcome funding deficiencies, or to avoid restrictions imposed by or by the term of any award of funds Collection of Delinquent Accounts 1. Outside collection agencies may be used in the event efforts to collect money due have not been successful. 2. The Founder is authorized to submit delinquent debts (over 90 days) to an outside collection agency. Write-off of Delinquent Debts/Charges 1. Records must indicate that diligent efforts to obtain payment have been exercised before the decision is made to write off any debt. 2. The request for approval of a write-off must include a short narrative of actions taken to collect and rationale for the debt being considered uncollectable. 3. The Founder has the discretion to approve debt write-offs of a board-authorized amount. Any amount above the board-authorized amount that is requested to be considered a write-off must be approved by 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors. Reference to this action will be included in the board packet for the next regularly scheduled Board of Directors Meeting. 4. The budget line item for fees and collections must be updated by means of a budget revision to reflect uncollectable fees/debts. 5. If collection is made of a debt previously written-off as uncollectable, it will be recognized as revenue in the current period. Page 223 of 261 Fixed Assets 1. Fixed assets refer to “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School tangible properties that have useful lives that benefit the school over a period of years. These properties include all equipment, textbooks, computers, and vehicles are considered fixed assets. 2. Fixed assets purchases will be made in accordance with account payable procedures. 3. It is the policy of the school to capitalize fixed assets with cost of $500 or more with the useful like benefiting the school of three years or more. 5.02 Financial Reporting Procedures 1. The accounting specialist is responsible for composing monthly and yearly reports of costs centers by revenue source, expense code, and assets and liability account balances. 2. Financial reports are reconciled to the general ledger and accounting records prior to submission to funding source. 3. If an expenditure is different from an external funding source’s approved budget, prior approval must be obtained from the funding source prior to the submission of the financial report. 4. Monthly financial reports which analyze “THE” Academy’s financial position and effectiveness of its management and programs will be presented to the Finance Committee of the Board of Directors and also reported within the board packets. 5. Periodic reports will be provided to all funding sources as requested or required by contract. 6. Finance and accounting staff and/or the Accounting Specialist will maintain records that identify adequately the source and application of funds for all activities. These records shall contain information pertaining to award, authorizations, obligations, assets, outlays, income and interest. Records to be maintained include copies of contracts, invoices, proof of payments and allocations tracking when costs are distributed among several funding sources. 5.03 Investment Policy All assets and their placement not needed immediately will be approved by the Board of Directors assuring compliance utilizing the below principles. Principles 1. Minimize Risk: strategy will be derived annually ensuring appropriate discharge of responsibilities to donors, lenders, and contractors 2. Maximize Investment Return: at the highest interest, available funds will be invested 3. Local Bank and Institution Support: local preference for customer service within Shelby County Page 224 of 261 Procedures 1. Monthly, the Founder and School Director or designee will review with the Finance Committee the projected cash needs of the corporation and the assets available for investment. 2. Monthly the Finance Committee’s will provide the School Director or designee with guidance regarding investment and institutions. 3. The Finance Committee will designate a representative to consult with the School Director or her designee between meetings on such matters as investment period timeliness and institutional issues. 4. The Founder and Director or designee will contact local institutions as needed to determine the best rate of return for investments. 5. The Board of Directors will compose a policy for minimizing risk annually. 5.04 Banking Policy 1.” THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will keep all funds available not already invested in a federally insured bank. 2. Support Local Banks if Economically Feasible; All assets kept in bank accounts will be in banks defined as local. 5.05 Budget Principles/Procedure Structure of the budgetary process shall evolve from the mission and by-laws of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School with consideration given to the requirements of any of the organization’s funding partners Budget Principles 1. The budget process will be in compliance with funding applicable with state and federal laws. 2. The budget process will comply with all guidelines set by the Board of Directors. 3. Each year all programs area shall identify and develop a plan for its operation. The budgets need to execute the plan shall be developed by appropriate personnel, with concurrence from the School Director. Procedures 1. The Founder and School Director will prepare and submit an operating budget to the Board of Director’s 30-60 days prior to the beginning of the new fiscal year and prior to submission to funding sources. Page 225 of 261 2. If budget submission is due to funding source prior to 60 days before the beginning of the fiscal year, the organization’s Board of Directors will review a preliminary budget and adopt it if necessary. 3. The approved preliminary or final operating budget will become the blueprint for the budget submission to all outside funders. 4. Differences in budget line items between the organization’s operating budget and a Funder’s approved budget will be resolved in negotiations between the School Director and the funding agency. Adjustments in Budget and Spending Plans 1. Any adjustments and changes in spending policies/budget which vary by more than 10% from the original approved budget will be initialed by the Founder and submitted for approval to the Board of Directors. 2. These changes will be communicated in writing to funding sources as required by contractual agreements. 3. If proposed changes are unsatisfactory the funder, the Founder will communicate this response to the Board of Directors, who may authorize: a. Changing the budget/plan to one which is satisfactory to funder b. Entering into negotiations to develop a compromise satisfactory to the funder and the Board of Directors. 4. After approval of the changes by all parties, the changes will be communicated in Writing to all affected management staff. 5.06 Audit Procedure 1. “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will contract for an independent audit to be performed by a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) at the conclusion of each fiscal year. 2. The audit(s) will be completed within four months of the ending of the fiscal year. 3. The auditor(s) will test accounting mechanisms in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards for not-for-profit organizations and as contractually required by funding sources. 4. A formal written report of the audit will be presented to the Board of Directors and to each funding source to whom delivery is either prudent or required. Page 226 of 261 Attachment G / School Organizational Chart School Organizational Chart Organizational Chart: Year 1 General Secretary(1) Director of Operations (1) Food Service Workers(2) Classroom Teacher(2) Goverance Board(6) School Leader (1) Director of Curriculum (1) Special ED Teacher (1) ELL Teacher(1) Teacher Assistanc(1) Electives Teachers (4) Page 227 of 261 Attachment G / School Organizational Chart Organizational Chart: Year 6 / Full Capacity State of TN Department of Education Shelby County Schools (SCS) Governing Board (6) School Leader (1) Director of Operations (1) Director of Student Affairs (1) Instruction Coach (1) Intervention Specialist (1) Classroom Teaching Staff (12) Guidance Counselor (1) Kitchen Staff (3) Director of Curriculum & Instruction (1) General Secretary (1) Special Ed Teacher (1) Teacher Assistance (3) ELL Teacher (1) Elective Teachers (4) Custodial Staff (3) Page 228 of 261 Attachment H / School Leader Resume / Student Achievement Data Clarice Loggins 6571 Jack Cove, Millington, TN 38053-(901) 569-4557-rodresa@msn.com Summary Enthusiastic and energetic professional educator with 19+ years’ work experience, seeking a teaching position on the college level. Proven capacity to bring extraordinary organizational and management skills to the classroom Highlights  Superb leadership and communication skills  Urban public schools background  Tennessee Teaching Certification  Title I knowledge  Standardized testing techniques  Organizational development knowledge Accomplishments Consistently leads students to improve test scores every year by an average of 15%. Developed innovative instruction methods that became the standard for the entire second grade team. Founded and led a comprehensive summer tutoring and enrichment program. Teacher of the month and teacher of the week awards earned multiple times throughout career. TEACHING EXPERIENCE: Teacher, 2nd grade, August 2003 to present Rozelle Creative & Performing Arts Elementary School, Memphis, TN  Initiate hands-on computer activities which correspond with lesson plans  Conduct and manage discipline within classroom of 23 students  Expand experience by attending professional development workshops, PTA meetings, and conferences  Provide enriching activities for after school tutoring program  Implemented a variety of teaching methods such as lectures, discussions and demonstrations  Provided tutoring on individually and small group bases to help with difficult subjects  Established positive relationships with students, parent’s fellow teachers and school administrators  Collaborated with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning and student engagement  Improved students’ reading levels through guided reading groups and whole group instructions  Created lesson plans in accordance with state curriculum and school-wide curriculum standards Page 229 of 261 Page 2 Clarice Loggins Teacher, 2nd grade, August 1995 – August 2003 Snowden Elementary School, Memphis, TN  Assisted lead teacher in presenting grade-appropriate lessons for 17 students  Developed lesson plans which utilized computer programs  Participated in after school tutoring and mentoring program  Attended staff meetings and student/teacher consultations  Established clear objectives for all lessons, units and projects  Set and communicated ground rules for the classroom based on respect and personal responsibility  Taught students to exercise problem solving methodology techniques during test  Taught students in various stages of cognitive, linguistic, social and emotional development  Encouraged students to explore issues in their lives and in the world around them RELATED EXPERIENCE: Volunteer Coordinator, 2004 – present Glory Tabernacle Christian Church, Millington, TN  Recruited, trained and assigned volunteer tutors in Elementary and Middle Schools in summer enrichment camp  Tutored students individually and as a group in grades kindergarten, - 5th grade  Tutored first graders individually in reading Instructor lecturer, 2003 – present Rozelle Creative & Performing Arts Elementary School 2003 - present  In service staff meeting and  Professional development training Education Master of Arts in Education, Cumberland University, Lebanon, TN Bachelor of Science in Social Science/ Elementary Education Lemoyne Owen College, Memphis, TN Page 230 of 261 Attachment H / Student Achievement Data Page 231 of 261 Page 232 of 261 Page 233 of 261 Page 234 of 261 Page 235 of 261 Page 236 of 261 Page 237 of 261 Page 238 of 261 Page 239 of 261 Page 240 of 261 Page 241 of 261 Attachment I / Employee Manual / Personnel Policies “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School Employee Handbook Table of Contents Section 1 - Introduction 1.1 Welcome 1.2 Employee Handbook 1.3 Changes in Policy 1.4 Employment-At-Will 1.5 Arbitration Policy Section 2 - Employment Policies 2.1 Employee Classifications 2.2 Equal Employment Opportunity & Americans with Disabilities Act. 2.3 Confidentiality 2.4 Employment of Minors 2.5 Employment of Relatives 2.6 Introductory Period 2.7 Personnel Records and Employee References 2.8 Privacy 2.9 Immigration Law Compliance 2.10 Political Neutrality Page 242 of 261 Section 3 - Hours of Work and Payroll Practices 3.1 Pay Periods and Paydays 3.2 Overtime 3.3 Rest and Meal Periods 3.4 Time Cards 3.5 Payroll Deductions 3.6 Wage Garnishment 3.7 Direct Deposit Section 4 - Standards of Conduct and Employee Performance 4.1 Anti- Harassment and Discrimination 4.2 Attendance 4.3 Discipline and Standards of Conduct 4.4 Dress Code 4.5 Safety 4.6 Substance and Abuse 4.7 Workplace Searches 4.8 Internet, Email and Computer Use Policy 4.9 Social Media Policy 4.10 Cell Phone Policy Section 5 - Employee Benefits and Services 5.1 Generally 5.2 Group Health Insurance 5.3 Group Life Insurance 5.4 COBRA 5.5 Worker's Compensation Page 243 of 261 5.6 Social Security Benefits (FICA) 5.7 Unemployment Insurance Section 6 - Employee Leaves of Absence and Time Off 6.1 Generally 6.2 Family and Medical Leave 6.3 Workers' Compensation Leave 6.4 Bereavement Leave 6.5 Jury Duty 6.6 Voting Time Page 244 of 261 Section 1 Introduction 1.1 Welcome to “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School 1.2 Employee Handbook: This Employee Handbook ("Handbook") is designed to summarize certain personnel policies and benefits of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School (“THE” Academy) and to acquaint employees with many of the rules concerning employment with “THE” Academy. This Handbook applies to all employees, and compliance with “THE” Academy’s policies is a condition of employment. This Handbook supersedes all previous employment policies, written and oral, express and implied. “THE” Academy reserves the right to modify, rescind, delete, or add to the provisions of this Handbook from time to time in its sole and absolute discretion. This Employee Handbook is not a binding contract between “THE” Academy and its employees, nor is it intended to alter the atwill employment relationship between “THE” Academy and its employees. ‘THE” Academy reserves the right to interpret the policies in this Handbook and to deviate from them when, in its discretion, it determines it is appropriate. 1.3 Changes in Policy: Since our school is constantly changing, “THE” Academy expressly reserves the right to revise, modify, delete, or add to any and all policies, procedures, work rules, or benefits stated in this handbook or in any other document, except for the policy of at-will employment as described below. No oral statements or representations can in any way alter the provisions of this Handbook. Nothing in this employee handbook or in any other document, including benefit plan descriptions, creates or is intended to create a promise or representation of continued employment for any employee. Any changes to your at-will employment status, described below, must be in writing and must be signed by “THE” Academy. If you are uncertain about any policy or procedure, please check with your School Director or Financial Secretary. 1.4 Employment-At-Will: Employment with “THE” Academy is on an at-will basis, unless otherwise specified in a written employment agreement. You are free to resign at any time, for any reason, with or without notice. Similarly, ‘THE Academy is free to conclude the employment relationship at any time for any lawful reason, with or without cause, and with or without notice. Nothing in this Handbook will limit the right of either party to terminate an atwill employment. No section of this Handbook is meant to be construed, nor should be construed, as establishing anything other than an employment-at-will relationship. This Handbook does not limit management's discretion to make personnel decisions such as reassignment, change of wages and benefits, demotion, etc. No person other than the Founder/Executive Director or School Director has the authority to enter into an agreement for employment for any specified period of time or to make an agreement for employment other than at-will terms. Only the Founder/Executive Director or School Director of “THE” Academy has Page 245 of 261 the authority to make any such agreement, which is only binding if it is in writing and signed by the Founder/Executive Director of “THE” Academy. 1.5 Arbitration Policy: In consideration of your employment with “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School, its promise to arbitrate all employment-related disputes, and your receipt of the compensation, pay raises, and other benefits paid to you by the company, at present and in the future, you agree that any and all controversies, claims, or disputes with anyone (including “THE” Academy and any employee, officer, director, or benefit plan of “THE” Academy, in their capacity as such or otherwise), whether brought on an individual, group, or class basis, arising out of, relating to, or resulting from your employment with “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School or the termination of your employment with “THE” Academy, including any breach of this agreement, shall be subject to binding arbitration under the terms and conditions set forth in the at-will employment, confidential information, invention assignment, and arbitration agreement between you and “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School (or such other confidentiality agreement between you and “THE” Academy, each the "confidentiality agreement"). In the event the confidentiality agreement between you and “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School does not contain an arbitration provision, then you nevertheless agree to arbitrate any and all claims set forth above in a neutral, mutually agreeable forum according to the applicable minimum standards for arbitration. Section 2 Employment Policies 2.1 Employee Classifications: The following terms are used to describe employees and their employment status: Exempt Employees - Employees whose positions meet specific tests established by the Federal Labor Standards Act ("FLSA") and Tennessee state law. In general, exempt employees are those engaged in executive, managerial, high-level administrative and professional jobs that are paid a fixed salary and perform certain duties. In addition, certain commissioned sales employees and highly paid computer professionals are exempt. Exempt employees are not subject to the minimum wage and overtime laws. Nonexempt Employees - Employees whose positions do not meet specific tests established by the FLSA and Tennessee state law. All employees who are covered by the federal or state minimum wage and overtime laws are considered nonexempt. Employees working in nonexempt jobs are entitled to be paid at least the minimum wage per hour and a premium for overtime. Full-Time Employees - Employees who are not temporary employees, independent contractors, or independent consultants and who are regularly scheduled to work a schedule of 40 hours per work week. Page 246 of 261 Part-Time Employees - Employees who are not temporary employees, independent contractors, or independent consultants and who are regularly scheduled to work less than 40 hours per work week. Temporary Employees - Employees who are hired as interim replacements to temporarily supplement the workforce or to assist in the completion of a specific project. Employment assignments in this category are of limited duration and the temporary employee can be let go before the end of the defined period. Short term assignments generally are periods of three (3) months or less, however, such assignments may be extended. All Temporary employees are atwill regardless of the anticipated duration of the assignment (see Employment-at-Will Policy). Temporary employees retain that status unless and until notified in writing of a change. Independent Contractor or Consultant - These individuals are not employees of “THE” Academy and are self-employed. An independent contractor or consultant is engaged to perform a task according to his/her own methods and is subject to control and direction only as to the results to be accomplished. Independent contractors or consultants are not entitled to benefits. Each employee will be advised of his or her status at the time of hire and any change in status. Regardless of the employee's status, the employee is employed at-will and the employment relationship can be terminated by “THE” Academy or the employee at any time, with or without cause and with or without notice. 2.2 Equal Employment Opportunity & Americans with Disabilities Act.: It is the policy of “THE’ Academy to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to unlawful considerations of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status or any other classification protected by applicable local, state or federal laws. This policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics, or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, job assignment, working conditions, compensation, promotion, benefits, scheduling, training, discipline and termination. “THE” Academy expects all employees to support our equal employment opportunity policy, and to take all steps necessary to maintain a workplace free from unlawful discrimination and harassment and to accommodate others in line with this policy to the fullest extent required by law. For example, “THE” Academy will make reasonable accommodations for employees' observance of religious holidays and practices unless the accommodation would cause an undue hardship on “THE’ Academy’s operations. If you desire a religious accommodation, you are required to make the request in writing to your manager as far in advance as possible. You are expected to strive to find co-workers who can assist in the accommodation (e.g. trade shifts) and cooperate with ‘THE” Academy in seeking and evaluating alternatives. Moreover, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), “THE” Academy provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to the fullest extent required by law. “THE” Academy Page 247 of 261 may require medical certification of both the disability and the need for accommodation. Keep in mind that “THE” Academy can only seek to accommodate the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual. Therefore, it is your responsibility to come forward if you are in need of an accommodation. “THE” Academy will engage in an interactive process with the employee to identify possible accommodations, if any will help the applicant or employee perform the job. 2.3 Confidentiality: In the course of employment with “THE” Academy, employees may have access to "Confidential Information" regarding “THE” Academy, which may include its business strategy, future plans, financial information, contracts, suppliers, customers, personnel information or other information that “THE” Academy considers proprietary and confidential. Maintaining the confidentiality of this information is vital to “THE” Academy competitive position in the industry and, ultimately, to its ability to achieve financial success and stability. Employees must protect this information by safeguarding it when in use, using it only for the business of ‘THE’ Academy and disclosing it only when authorized to do so and to those who have a legitimate business need to know about it. This duty of confidentiality applies whether the employee is on or off “THE” Academy premises, and during and even after the end of the employee's employment with “THE” Academy. This duty of confidentiality also applies to communications transmitted by “THE” Academy electronic communications. See also Internet, Email and Computer Use policy, herein. As a condition of employment with “THE” Academy, all employees must sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. 2.4 Employment of Minors: The FLSA's child labor provisions, which “THE” Academy strictly adheres to, are designed to protect the educational opportunities of youth and prohibit their employment in jobs that are detrimental to their health and safety. Generally speaking, the FLSA sets the minimum age for employment (14 years for non-agricultural jobs), restricts the hour’s youth under the age of 16 may work, and prohibits youth under the age of 18 from being employed in hazardous occupations. In addition, the FLSA establishes subminimum wage standards for certain employees who are less than 20 years of age, full-time students, student learners, apprentices, and workers with disabilities. Employers generally must have authorization from the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) in order to pay subminimum wage rates. 2.5 Employment of Relatives: “THE” Academy recognizes that the employment of relatives in certain circumstances, such as when they will work in the same department, supervise or manage the other, or have access to confidential or sensitive information regarding the other, can cause problems related to supervision, safety, security or morale, or create conflicts of interest that materially and substantially disrupt “THE” Academy operations. When “THE” Academy determines any of these problems will be present, it will decline to hire an individual to work in the same department as a relative. Relatives subject to this policy include: father, mother, sister, brother, current spouse or domestic partner, child (natural, foster, or adopted), current mother-inlaw, current father-in-law, grandparent, or grandchild. If present employees become relatives Page 248 of 261 during employment, “THE” Academy should be notified so that we may determine whether a problem involving supervision, safety, security or morale, or a conflict of interest that would materially and substantially disrupt “THE” Academy operations exists. If “THE” Academy determines that such a problem exists, “THE” Academy will take appropriate steps to resolve the problem, which may include reassignment of one relative (if feasible) or asking for the resignation of one of the relatives. 2.6 Introductory Period: The first 90 days of employment are considered an introductory period for all newly hired employees. During this time, you will learn your new responsibilities, get acquainted with fellow employees, and determine whether you are happy with the position. Also, during this time, the School Director will monitor your performance. Upon completion of the introductory period, the School Director will review your performance. If “THE” Academy finds your performance satisfactory and decides to continue your employment, you will be advised of any improvements expected. This is also an opportunity for you to make suggestions to improve “THE efficiency and operations. Completion of the introductory period does not entitle you to remain employed by “THE” Academy for any definite period of time, but instead allows both you and “THE” Academy to evaluate whether or not you are right for the position. Your status as an at-will employee does not change the employment relationship may be terminated with or without cause and with or without advance notice, at any time by you or “THE” Academy. 2.7 Personnel Records and Employee References: “THE” Academy maintains a personnel file and payroll records for each employee as required by law. Personnel files and payroll records are the property of “THE” Academy and may not be removed from “THE” Academy’s premises without written authorization. Because personnel files and payroll records are confidential, access to the records is restricted. Generally, only those who have a legitimate reason to review information in an employee's file are allowed to do so. Disclosure of personnel information to outside sources will be limited. However, “THE” Academy will cooperate with requests from authorized law enforcement or local, state, or federal agencies conducting official investigations and as otherwise legally required. Employees may contact a Human Resources representative to request a time to review their payroll records and/or personnel file. With reasonable advance notice, an employee may review his or her own records in “THE” Academy offices during regular business hours and in the presence of an individual appointed by “THE” Academy to maintain the records. No copies of documents in your file may be made, with the exception of documents that you have previously signed. You may add your comments to any disputed item in the file. By policy, “THE” Academy will provide only the former or present employee's dates of employment and position(s) held with “THE” Academy’s Compensation information may also be verified if written authorization is provided by the employee. 2.8 Privacy: “THE” Academy is respectful of employee privacy. All employee demographic and personal information will be shared only as required in the normal course of business. Healthcare enrollment information is kept in a separate folder from other human resources forms. Workers' Page 249 of 261 Compensation information is not considered private healthcare information; however, this information will be released only on a need-to-know basis. “THE” Academy does not make or receive any private healthcare information through the course of normal work. If any employee voluntarily shares private healthcare information with a member of management, this information will be kept confidential. If applicable, ‘THE’ Academy will set up guidelines for employees and management to follow to ensure that company employees conform to the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 2.9 Immigration Law Compliance: In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, each new employee, as a condition of employment, must complete the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 on the date of hire and present documentation establishing identity and employment eligibility within three business days of date of hire. Former employees who are rehired must also complete an I-9 form if they have not completed an I-9 form with “THE” Academy within the past three years, or if their previous I-9 form is no longer retained or valid. You may raise questions or complaints about immigration law compliance without fear of reprisal. 2.10 Political Neutrality: Maintenance of individual freedom and our political institutions necessitates broad scale participation by citizens concerning the selection, nomination and election of our public office holders. “THE” Academy will not discriminate against any employee because of identification with and support of any lawful political activity. “THE” Academy employees are entitled to their own personal political position. “THE” Academy will not discriminate against employees based on their lawful political activity engaged in outside of work. If you are engaging in political activity, however, you should always make it clear that your actions and opinions are your own and not necessarily those of “THE” Academy, and that you are not representing “THE” Academy. Section 3 Hours of Work and Payroll Practices 3.1 Pay Periods and Paydays: Employees are paid on a bi-weekly basis. All employees will be paid every other Friday. All employees are paid by check or direct deposit on the abovementioned payday. If the regular payday falls on a weekend or “THE” Academy holiday, employees will be paid on the last business day before the holiday and/or weekend. 3.2 Overtime: Nonexempt employees will be paid in accordance with federal and Tennessee state law. All overtime work by non-exempt employees must be authorized in advance by their manager. Only hours actually worked will be used to calculate overtime pay. 3.3 Rest and Meal Periods: All rest and meal periods will be in accordance with Tennessee state law. Nonexempt employees scheduled to work six consecutive hours will be provided a 30minute unpaid meal period, unless work is such that there is ample time for breaks throughout Page 250 of 261 the day. Reasonable unpaid break time will also be provided to breast-feed an infant or express breast milk. 3.4 Time Sheet: Nonexempt employees are required to keep an accurate and complete record of their attendance and hours worked. Time sheets are official business records and may not be altered without the employee's supervisor's approval and may not be falsified in any way. 3.5 Payroll Deductions: Various payroll deductions are made each payday to comply with federal and state laws pertaining to taxes and insurance. Deductions will be made for the following: Federal and State Income Tax Withholding, Social Security, Medicare, State Disability Insurance & Family Temporary Disability Insurance, and other items designated by you or required by law (including a valid court order). You can adjust your federal and state income tax withholding by completing the proper federal or state form and submitting it to Accounting or Human Resources. At the start of each calendar year, you will be supplied with your Wage and Tax Statement (W-2) form for the prior year. This statement summarizes your income and deductions for the year. 3.6 Wage Garnishment: A garnishment is a court order requiring an employer to remit part of an employee's wages to a third party to satisfy a just debt. Once “THE” Academy receives the legal papers ordering a garnishment, we are required by law to continue making deductions from your check until we have withheld the full amount or until we receive legal papers from the court to stop the garnishment. Even if you have already paid the debt, we still need the legal papers to stop the garnishment. 3.7 Direct Deposit: All employees are encouraged, but not required, to use direct deposit and have their paychecks deposited into a bank account. Section 4 Standards of Conduct and Employee Performance 4.1 Anti- Harassment and Discrimination: “THE” Academy is committed to providing a work environment free of sexual or any form of unlawful harassment or discrimination. Harassment or unlawful discrimination against individuals on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status or any other classification protected by local, state or federal laws is illegal and prohibited by “THE” Academy policy. Such conduct by or towards any employee, contract worker, customer, vendor or anyone else who does business with “THE” Academy will not be tolerated. Any employee or contract worker who violates this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of his or her employment or engagement. To the extent, a customer, vendor or other person with whom “THE” Academy does business engages in unlawful harassment or discrimination, “THE” Academy will take appropriate corrective action. Page 251 of 261 Prohibited Conduct: Prohibited harassment or discrimination includes any verbal, physical or visual conduct based on sex, race, age, national origin, disability or any other legally protected basis if: Prohibited harassment includes (but is not limited to) unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and lewd, vulgar or obscene remarks, jokes, posters or cartoons, and any unwelcome touching, pinching or other physical contact. Other forms of unlawful harassment or discrimination may include racial epithets, slurs and derogatory remarks, stereotypes, jokes, posters or cartoons based on race, national origin, age, disability, marital status or other legally protected categories. Prohibited harassment might also be transmitted using “THE” Academy’s electronic communications system, or through other on-line conduct. Complaint Procedure: Employees or contract workers who feel that they have been harassed or discriminated against, a submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment or engagement; b. submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for decisions concerning that individual's employment or engagement; or c. it creates a hostile or offensive work environment. who witness any harassment or discrimination by an employee, contract worker, customer, vendor or anyone else who does business with “THE” Academy, should immediately report such conduct to their supervisor or any other member of management. Do not allow an inappropriate situation to continue by not reporting it, regardless of who is creating the situation. No employee, contract worker, customer, vendor or other person who does business with this organization is exempt from the prohibitions in this policy. In response to every complaint, “THE” Academy will conduct an investigation which may involve interviewing witnesses if warranted and, if improper conduct is found, take appropriate corrective action. To the extent that an employee or contract worker is not satisfied with “THE” Academy handling of a harassment or discrimination complaint, he or she may also contact the appropriate state or federal enforcement agency for legal relief. 4.2 Attendance: Punctuality and regular attendance are essential to the successful operation of “THE” Academy business. If an employee is unable to report to work (or to report to work on time) for any reason, the employee must notify his or her supervisor before his or her starting time. If an employee desires to leave work for any reason during the workday, the employee must obtain the approval of his or her supervisor prior to leaving. In the event that the employee fails to call his or her supervisor or report for work for 3 consecutive workdays, the employee will be deemed to have voluntarily resigned from his or her employment with “THE” Academy and will be removed from the payroll. Excessive absenteeism or tardiness may subject the employee to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. 4.3 Discipline and Standards of Conduct: As an at-will employer, “THE” Academy may impose discipline whenever it determines it is necessary or appropriate. Discipline may take various forms, including verbal counseling, written warnings, suspension, demotion, transfer, reassignment or termination. The discipline imposed will depend on the circumstances of each case; therefore, discipline will not necessarily be imposed in any particular sequence. Moreover, Page 252 of 261 at any time “THE” Academy determines it is appropriate; an employee may be terminated immediately. Every organization must have certain standards of conduct to guide the behavior of employees. Although there is no possible way to identify every rule of conduct, the following is an illustrative list (not intended to be comprehensive or to limit “THE” Academy’s right to impose discipline for any other conduct it deems inappropriate). Keep in mind that these standards of conduct apply to all employees whenever they are on “THE” Academy’s property and/or conducting “THE” Academy business (on or off “THE” Academy’s property). Engaging in any conduct “THE” Academy deems inappropriate may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. a. Dishonesty; b. Falsification of Company records; 4.4 Dress Code: What we wear to work is a reflection of the pride we have in “THE” Academy, in what we do, and in ourselves. Although dress code requirements will vary according to job responsibilities, we ask that your appearance at all times show discretion, good taste, and appropriateness for the safe performance of your job. 4.5 Safety: “THE” Academy is committed to providing a safe workplace. Accordingly, “THE” Academy emphasizes "safety first." It is the employee's responsibility to take steps to promote safety in the workplace and work in a safe manner. By remaining safety conscious, employees can protect themselves and their coworkers. Employees are expected to promptly report all unsafe working conditions, accidents and injuries, regardless of how minor so that any potential hazards can be corrected. 4.6 Substance and Abuse: “THE” Academy is committed to providing its employees with a safe and productive work environment. In keeping with this commitment, it maintains a strict policy against the use of alcohol c. Unauthorized use or possession of property that belongs to “THE” Academy, a coworker, or of the public; a. Possession or control of illegal drugs, weapons, explosives, or other dangerous or unauthorized materials; b. Fighting, engaging in threats of violence or violence, use of vulgar or abusive language, horseplay, practical jokes or other disorderly conduct that may endanger others or damage property; c. Insubordination, failure to perform assigned duties or failure to comply with “THE” Academy’s health, safety or other rules; d. Unauthorized or careless use of “THE” Academy materials, equipment or property; h. Unauthorized and/or excessive absenteeism or tardiness; e. Lack of teamwork, poor communication, unsatisfactory performance, unprofessional conduct, or conduct improper for the workplace; f. Sexual or other illegal harassment or discrimination; g. Unauthorized use or disclosure of “THE” Academy’s confidential information; h. Violation of any Academy’s policy and the unlawful use of drugs in the workplace. Consequently, no employee may consume or possess alcohol, or use, possess, sell, purchase or transfer illegal drugs at any time while on “THE” Academy premises or while using “THE” Academy vehicles or equipment, or at any location during work time. No employee may report to work with illegal drugs (or their metabolites) or alcohol in his or her bodily system. "Illegal drug" means any drug that is not legally obtainable or that is legally obtainable but has not been legally obtained. It includes prescription drugs not being used for prescribed purposes or by the person to whom it is Page 253 of 261 prescribed or in prescribed amounts. It also includes any substance a person holds out to another as an illegal drug. Any violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Any employee, who feels he or she has developed an addiction to, dependence upon, or problem with alcohol or drugs, legal or illegal, is strongly encouraged to seek assistance before a violation of this policy occurs. Any employee who requests time off to participate in a rehabilitation program will be reasonably accommodated. However, employees may not avoid disciplinary action, up to and including termination, by entering a rehabilitation program after a violation of this policy is suspected or discovered. 4.7 Workplace Searches: All offices, desks, file drawers, cabinets, lockers, “THE” Academy vehicles, and other Academy equipment (including but not limited to computers, e-mail and voice mail) and facilities or any area on “THE” Academy premises are the property of “THE” Academy ("THE” Academy’s Property"), and are intended for business use. Employees should have no expectation of privacy with respect to “THE” Academy property and/or items stored within “THE” Academy or on “THE” Academy premises. Inspection may be conducted at any time, without notice, at the discretion of “THE” Academy. In addition, when “THE” Academy deems appropriate, employees may be required to submit to searches of their personal vehicles, parcels, purses, handbags, backpacks, brief cases, lunch boxes or any other possessions or articles brought on to “THE” Academy’s premises. Persons entering the premises who refuse to cooperate in an inspection conducted pursuant to this policy may not be permitted to enter the premises. All employees must cooperate in an inspection; failure to do so is insubordination and will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. 4.8 Internet, Email and Computer Use Policy: “THE” Academy uses various forms of electronic communication including, but not limited to: computers, email, telephones, voicemail, instant message, text message, Internet, cell phones and smart phones (hereafter referred to as "electronic communications"). The electronic communications, including all software, databases, hardware, and digital files, remain the sole property of “THE” Academy and are to be used only for “THE” Academy business and not for personal use. The following rules apply to all forms of electronic communications and media that are: (1) accessed on or from “THE” Academy premises; (2) accessed using “THE” Academy computer or telecommunications equipment, or via Academy- paid access methods; and/or (3) used in a manner which identifies “THE” Academy. The following list is not exhaustive and “THE” Academy may implement additional rules from time to time. a. Electronic communication and media may not be used in any manner that would be discriminatory, harassing, or obscene, or for any other purpose that is illegal, against Academy policy, or not in the best interest of “THE” Academy. Employees who misuse electronic communications and engage in defamation, copyright or trademark infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, discrimination, harassment, or related actions will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination. a. Employees may not install personal software on “THE” Academy’s computer systems. b. Employee's own electronic media may only be used during breaks. All other company policies, including “THE” Academy’s no tolerance for Page 254 of 261 discrimination, harassment, or retaliation in the workplace apply. c. All electronic information created by any employee on “THE” Academy premises or transmitted to Academy property using any means of electronic communication is the property of “THE” Academy and remains the property of “THE” Academy. You should not assume that any electronic communications are private or confidential and should transmit personal sensitive information in other ways. Personal passwords may be used for purposes of security, but the use of a personal password does not affect “THE” Academy ownership of the electronic information. “THE” Academy will override all personal passwords if necessary for any reason. d. “THE” Academy reserves the right to access and review electronic files, messages, internet use, blogs, "tweets", instant messages, text messages, email, voice mail, and other digital archives, and to monitor the use of electronic communications as necessary to ensure that no misuse or violation of “THE” Academy policy or any law occurs. All such information may be used and/or disclosed to others, in accordance with business needs and the law. “THE” Academy reserves the right to keep a record of all passwords and codes used and/or may be able to override any such password system e. Employees are not permitted to access the electronic communications of other employees or third parties unless directed to do so by “THE” Academy management. No employee may install or use anonymous e-mail transmission programs or encryption of e-mail communications. f. Employees who use devices on which information may be received and/or stored, including but not limited to cell phones, cordless phones, portable computers, fax machines, and voice mail communications are required to use these methods in strict compliance with the Confidentiality section of this Handbook. These communications tool 4.9 Social Media Policy: “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School is committed to utilizing social media to enhance its profile and reputation, to listen and respond to customer opinions and feedback, and to drive revenue, loyalty and advocacy. We encourage employees to support our activities through their personal social networking channels while adhering to the guidelines outlined in this section. For the purpose of this section, social media and networking refers to the use of web-based and mobile applications for social interaction and the exchange of usergenerated content. Social media channels can include, but are not limited to: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs, review sites, forums, online communities and any similar online platforms. Employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and to respect the views and opinions of others. “THE” Academy and its employees are committed to conducting ourselves in accordance with best industry practices in social networking, to being responsible citizens and community members, to listening and responding to feedback, and to communicating in a courteous and professional manner. Behavior and content that may be deemed disrespectful, dishonest, offensive, harassing or damaging to ‘THE” Academy interests or reputation are not permitted. The use of social media channels on Academy’s time for personal purposes is not allowed. Any social media contacts, including "followers" or "friends," that are acquired through accounts (including but not limited to email addresses, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, or other social media networks) created on behalf of “THE” Academy will be the property of “THE” Academy. Page 255 of 261 Employees must not disclose private or confidential information about “THE” Academy, its employees, clients, suppliers or customers on social networks. Employees must respect trademarks, copyrights, intellectual property and proprietary information. No third-party content should be published without prior permission from the owner. “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School maintains the right to monitor company-related employee activity in social networks. Violation of policy guidelines is grounds for discipline, up to and including termination. 4.10 Cell Phone Policy: The use of personal cell phones at work is discouraged because it can interfere with work and be should not be used for communicating confidential or sensitive information or any trade secrets. g. Access to the Internet, websites, and other types of Academypaid computer access are to be used for Company-related business only. Any information about “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School, its products or services, or other types of information that will appear in the electronic media about the School must be approved before the information is placed on any electronic information resource that is accessible to others. Therefore, employees who bring personal cell phones to work are required to keep the ringer shut off or placed on vibrate mode when they are in the office, or classroom and to keep cell phone use confined to breaks and meal periods. Conversations should be had away from areas where other employees are working. Cell phones should not be used in front of students unless it is necessary in the line of conducting of school business. When cell phone use interferes with the satisfactory performance of an employee's duties or disturbs others, the privilege of using a personal cell phone at work may be taken away and other disciplinary action, up to and including termination, may be imposed. “THE” Academy may provide cell phone allowances to employees in certain positions in an effort to improve efficiency and effectiveness. When cell phones are used for “THE” Academy’s business, employees must comply with all school policies governing conduct, including our policies prohibiting discrimination, harassment, and violence in the workplace. When using the cell phone in a public place, please remember to maintain the confidentiality of any private or confidential business information. As a courtesy to others, please shut cell phones off or place on vibrate mode during meetings. Section 5 Employee Benefits and Services 5.1 Generally: Aside from those benefits required by state and federal regulations, “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School also offers additional benefits for its employees. From time to time, benefits may be added or deleted from the benefits package. The Company reserves the right to make such changes. This Handbook does not contain the complete terms and/or conditions of any of “THE” Academy current benefit plans. It is intended only to provide general explanations. For information regarding employee benefits and services, employees should contact SCS Human Resources. Page 256 of 261 5.2 Group Health Insurance: “The” Academy All Girls Charter School offers a group health plan for eligible employees. The Company's group health insurance plan is offered through Cigna. For more information, refer to the Company's benefits booklet for complete details and benefits. 5.3 Group Life Insurance: “The” Academy All Girls Charter School offers a group life insurance plan for eligible employees, including accidental death and dismemberment coverage. “THE” Academy’s group life insurance plan is offered through SCS. For more information, refer to the Shelby County Schools/ “THE” Academy’s benefits booklet for complete details and benefits. 5.4 COBRA: Under the provisions of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) of 1986, if you are covered under “THE” Academy’s group health insurance plan(s) you are entitled to continue your coverage in the event that your employment with “THE” Academy ends. Under COBRA, “THE” Academy must offer each qualified beneficiary (the employee and any covered dependents) who would otherwise lose coverage under the plan as a result of a qualifying event an opportunity to continue their insurance coverage. A qualifying event is defined as termination of employment, a reduction in the number of hours of employment, death of covered employee, divorce or legal separation, a dependent child ceases to be dependent, eligibility of the covered employee for Medicare, or an employer's bankruptcy. 5.5 Worker's Compensation: All states have Workers' Compensation laws whose purpose is to promote the general welfare of people by providing compensation for accidental injuries or death suffered in the course of employment. These laws are designed to provide protection to workers suffering occupational disabilities through accidents arising out of, and in the course of employment. “THE” Academy will carry Workers' Compensation Insurance for all employees and pays the entire cost of the insurance program. An employee who suffers an injury or illness in connection with the job is usually eligible to receive payment through the insurance company for lost wages. In addition to disability payments, necessary hospital, medical and surgical expenses are covered under Workers' Compensation, with payments being made directly to the hospital or physician. Workers' Compensation benefits to injured workers also include assistance to help qualified injured employees return to suitable employment. 5.6 Social Security Benefits (FICA): During your employment, you and “THE” Academy both contribute funds to the Federal government to support the Social Security Program. This program is intended to provide you with retirement benefit payments and medical coverage once you reach retirement age. 5.7 Unemployment Insurance: “THE” Academy pays a state and federal tax to provide employees with unemployment insurance coverage in the event they become unemployed through no fault of their own or due to circumstances described by law. This insurance is Page 257 of 261 administered by applicable state agencies, who determine eligibility for benefits, the amount of benefits (if any), and duration of benefits. Section 6 Employee Leaves of Absence and Time Off 6.1 Generally: While regular attendance is crucial to maintain business operations, “THE” Academy recognizes that, for a variety of reasons, employees may need time off from work. “THE” Academy has available a number of types of leaves of absence. Some are governed by law and others are discretionary. For all planned leaves, however, employees must submit a request at least 3 days in advance; in case of emergencies, employees should submit the request as soon as they become aware of the need for leave. All leaves must have the approval of “THE” Academy’s School Director. If, during a leave, an employee accepts another job, engages in other employment or consulting outside of “THE” Academy, or applies for unemployment insurance benefits, the employee may be considered to have voluntarily resigned from employment with “THE” Academy. All requests for a leave of absence will be considered in light of their effect on “THE” Academy and its work requirements, as determined by “THE” Academy’s School Director, which reserves the right to approve or deny such requests in its sole discretion, unless otherwise required by law. For disability-related leave requests, “THE” Academy will engage in an interactive process with the employee to determine if a leave is the most appropriate accommodation. The employee must provide a certification from his or her health care provider to “THE” Academy to support a leave for medical reasons. Failure to provide the required certification to “THE” Academy in a timely manner will result in delay or denial of leave. If an employee requires an extension of leave, the employee must request such extension and have it approved before the expiration of the currently approved leave. While “THE” Academy will make a reasonable effort to return the employee to his or her former position or a comparable position following an approved leave of absence, there is no guarantee that the employee will be reinstated to his or her position, or any position, except as required by law. 6.2 Family and Medical Leave: Because of ‘THE” Academy’s small size, we are not required to comply with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act ("FMLA"). However, we recognize that our employees may occasionally need to take unpaid leave to care for a new child, to care for a seriously ill family member, to handle an employee's own medical issues, or to handle issues relating to a family member's military service, possibly including caring for a family member who is injured while serving in the military. If you anticipate that you might need time off to deal with family and medical issues, please speak with your supervisor. We will seriously consider every request on a case-by-case basis. 6.3 Workers' Compensation Leave: Any employee who is unable to work due to a workrelated injury or illness and who is eligible for Workers' Compensation benefits will be provided Page 258 of 261 an unpaid leave for the period required. The first 12 weeks will be treated concurrently as a family and medical leave under the federal Family Medical Leave Act ("FMLA") for employees eligible for FMLA leave. 6.4 Bereavement Leave: In the event of a death in the immediate family, employees may have up to 3 working days, with pay, at their regular straight time rate or base salary, to handle family affairs and attend the funeral. "Immediate family" is defined as: father, mother, brother, sister, spouse, domestic partner, child, mother-in-law, father-in- law, grandparents and grandchildren. 6.5 Jury Duty: U.S. citizens have a civic obligation to provide jury duty service when called. By state law, employees are entitled to regular wages minus jury fees, as long as the employer has at least 5 employees and the employee has been employed for at least six months. Night shift employees will be excused from shift work during and for the night before the first day of jury service. The employee must bring in the jury duty notice as soon as it is received so that appropriate arrangements can be made to cover his or her duties. Employees are required to call in or report for work on those days or parts of days when their presence in court is not required. 6.6 Voting Time: Employees who are registered voters and whose workday begins less than three hours after polls open or ends less than three hours before polls close will be given reasonable time off (up to three hours) with pay during the time polls are open to vote in any local, state, and national election. Employees should provide notice before noon on the day before the election if time off is required. At-Will Employment Agreement and Acknowledgement of Receipt of Employee Handbook Employee: _________________ I acknowledge that I have been provided with a copy of “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School (the "Company") Employee Handbook, which contains important information on the Company's policies, procedures and benefits, including the policies on AntiHarassment/Discrimination, Substance Use and Abuse and Confidentiality. I understand that I am responsible for familiarizing myself with the policies in this handbook and agree to comply with all rules applicable to me. I understand and agree that the policies described in the handbook are intended as a guide only and do not constitute a contract of employment. I specifically understand and agree that the employment relationship between “THE” Academy and I is at-will and can be terminated by “THE” Academy or me at any time, with or without cause or notice. Furthermore, “THE” Academy has the right to modify or alter my position, or impose any form of discipline it deems appropriate at any time. Nothing in this handbook is intended to modify “THE” Academy policy of at-will employment. The at-will employment relationship may not be modified except by a specific written agreement signed by me and an authorized representative of “THE” Academy. This is the entire agreement between “THE” Academy and me regarding this subject. All prior or contemporaneous inconsistent agreements are superseded. I understand that “THE” Academy reserves the right to make changes to its Page 259 of 261 policies, procedures or benefits at any time at its discretion. However, the at-will employment agreement can be modified only in the manner specified above. I further understand that “THE” Academy reserves the right to interpret its policies or to vary its procedures as it deems necessary or appropriate. I have received “THE’ Academy All Girls Charter School Employee Handbook. I have read (or will read) and agree to abide by the policies and procedures contained in the Handbook. By: ___________________________________ Date: __________________ By: ___________________________________ Date: __________________ Page 260 of 261 BO YLE Frederick C. Smith Vice President Direct: (901) 7664209 Fax: (901) 7664210 MEMO TO: Clarice Loggins FROM: Fred Smith DATE: March 8, 2019 The Academy All Girls Charter School This will confirm our several conversations regarding Property and Liability coverage for the above captioned which will commence operations for the upcoming school year. We propose to place coverage with Church Mutual Insurance Company. Premium will be dependent on exposures and rates when you actually begin operations. Thanks for thinking of us and don't hesitate to call if you should have any questions. Most sincerely, Fred C. Smith Page 261 of 261 Finances/ Budget "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Year 2 Through 5 Budget Revenue Assumptions Annual Revenue Increase Cumultative Increase State Revenues Basic Education Program BEP Transportation Component BEP Capital Outlay Other Other Federal Revenues Title I Title II Title III NSLP E-Rate CSP Startup Grant Other Other Year 2 2021-22 100.00% 200.00% Year 3 2022-23 200.00% 600.00% Year 4 2023-24 300.00% 2400.00% Year 5 2024-25 400.00% 12000.00% Assumption $483,440 $0 $12,000 $0 $0 483,440 12,000 - $966,880 $0 $24,000 $0 $0 $1,450,320 $0 $36,000 $0 $0 $1,933,760 $0 $48,000 $0 $0 $2,417,200 $0 $60,000 $0 $0 $12,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 12,000 - $24,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $36,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $48,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $60,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 1,014,880 1,522,320 2,029,760 2,537,200 School Activity Revenues Other Other Other Other Other $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Fundraising & Philanthropy Other Other Other Other Other $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Total Revenues Year 1 2020-21 0.00% 100.00% 507,440 Assumption Notes 200 Compensation Year 1 2020-21 Administrative Staff Principal/School Leader Assistant Principal Special Education Coordinator Deans, Directors Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Administrative Compensation Instructional Staff Teachers Special Education Teachers Eduacational Assistants/Aides Elective Teachers Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Instructional Compensation Year 2 2021-22 Year 3 2022-23 Year 4 2023-24 Year 5 2024-25 91,800 66,300 158,100 - 93,866 67,792 83,436 245,093 96,212 69,487 85,522 251,221 98,858 71,397 87,874 258,129 101,824 73,539 90,510 265,873 102,000 38,189 140,189 208,590 39,048 104,295 351,933 320,707 69,487 80,048 160,354 48,106 678,702 439,369 71,397 82,250 164,763 49,429 807,208 565,687 73,539 127,076 226,275 101,824 1,094,401 Assumption Notes Non-Instructional Staff 8) Year 2 through 5 Budget Page 1 of 24 Clerical Staff Custodial Staff Operations Social Workers/Counseling Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Non-Instructional Compensation "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Year 2 Through 5 Budget 39,981 41,081 42,313 69,487 71,397 73,539 66,707 68,542 70,598 176,175 181,020 186,451 38,148 31,824 69,972 39,006 67,792 32,540 139,338 Other Compensation Other Compensation Other Compensation Other Compensation - - - - - Total Compensation 368,261 736,364 1,106,097 1,246,357 1,546,725 Employer Benefits & Taxes Year 1 2020-21 Year 2 2021-22 Year 3 2022-23 Year 4 2023-24 Year 5 2024-25 Social Security Medicare State Unemployment Disability/Life Insurance Workers Compensation Insurance Other Fringe Benefits Medical Insurance Dental Insurance Vision Insurance TCRS Certified Legacy TCRS Certified Hybrid TCRS Classified Legacy TCRS Classified Hybrid Other Classified Retirement Other Retirement 22,832 22,832 22,832 22,832 22,832 22,832 - 45,655 45,655 45,655 45,655 45,655 45,655 - 68,578 68,578 68,578 68,578 68,578 68,578 - 77,274 77,274 77,274 77,274 77,274 77,274 - 95,897 95,897 95,897 95,897 95,897 95,897 - Total Employer Benefits & Taxes 136,993 273,928 411,468 463,645 575,382 Assumption Notes Operating Expenses Annual Expense Increase Cumultative Increase Year 1 2020-21 0.00% 100.00% Year 2 2021-22 5.00% 105.00% Year 3 2022-23 10.00% 115.50% Year 4 2023-24 25.00% 144.38% Year 5 2024-25 35.00% 194.91% Contracted Services Professional Development Financial Services Audit Services Legal Fees Copier Lease and Usage Internet and Phone Service Cell Phone Service Payroll Services Health Services Transportation IT Services Contracted SPED Services Insurance Postal Charges Bank Charges $10,000 $0 $20,000 $20,000 $0 $6,000 $50,000 $7,500 $11,500 $0 $12,000 $0 $15,550 $1,000 $600 2,000 5,000 5,000 - $2,100 $0 $5,250 $5,250 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $2,310 $0 $5,775 $5,775 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $2,888 $0 $7,219 $7,219 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $3,898 $0 $9,745 $9,745 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Supplies & Materials Textbooks and Instructional Supplies Education Software Student Supplies $12,000 $12,000 $12,000 3,000 2,000 1,500 $3,150 $3,150 $3,150 $3,465 $3,465 $3,465 $4,331 $4,331 $4,331 $5,847 $5,847 $5,847 8) Year 2 through 5 Budget Assumption Notes Page 2 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Year 2 Through 5 Budget $3,465 $4,331 $5,847 $3,465 $4,331 $5,847 $3,465 $4,331 $5,847 $3,465 $4,331 $5,847 $3,465 $4,331 $5,847 $3,465 $4,331 $5,847 $3,465 $4,331 $5,847 $3,465 $4,331 $5,847 $3,465 $4,331 $5,847 $3,465 $4,331 $5,847 $3,465 $4,331 $5,847 $3,465 $4,331 $5,847 Faculty Supplies Library Books Testing & Evaluation Student Laptops Faculty Laptops Office Supplies Printing Paper Marketing Materials Student Uniforms Gifts & Awards - Students Gifts & Awards - Teachers and Staff Health Supplies $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 1,500 500 2,000 3,500 1,200 6,000 500 500 250 $3,150 $3,150 $3,150 $3,150 $3,150 $3,150 $3,150 $3,150 $3,150 $3,150 $3,150 $3,150 Facility Related Expenses Rent Utilities Custodial Waste Faculty Furniture Student Furniture Internet/Network Equipment Other Equipment Building Decorum Tenant Improvements Other Other Other Other Other $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 12,000 3,600 4,800 2,500 7,500 5,000 2,500 - $12,600 $3,780 $5,040 $0 $2,625 $7,875 $5,250 $2,625 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Other Charges Staff Recruitment Student Recruitment & Community Engagement Parent & Staff Meetings Authorizer Fee Other $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 500 1,000 500 - 525 1,050 525 - 550 1,100 550 - 625 1,250 625 - 675 1,350 675 - Debt Service Other Other Other Other Other $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 36,000 - - - - - Total Operating Expenses 110,350 101,745 109,725 132,169 164,962 Total Expenses 615,604 1,112,037 1,627,291 1,842,171 2,287,068 8) Year 2 through 5 Budget $13,200 $3,960 $5,280 $0 $2,750 $8,250 $5,500 $2,750 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $15,000 $4,500 $6,000 $0 $3,125 $9,375 $6,250 $3,125 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $16,200 $4,860 $6,480 $0 $3,375 $10,125 $6,750 $3,375 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Page 3 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Proposed School Information Proposed School Name Lead Sponsor Name Lead Sponsor E-mail Address Lead Sponsor Phone Number CMO/EMO Affiliation "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School Clarice Loggins Proposed Authorizer Proposed Opening Grade Level(s) Proposed Final Grade Level(s) Proposed First Year of Operations Shelby County schools KK KK-5th 2020-21 Anticipated Enrollment Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 40 80 120 160 200 Note: These cells auto-populate after completing Tab 2. 1) Proposed School Information rodresa@msn.com 9012925185 Page 5 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Student Assumptions Enrollment Assumptions Year 1 2020-21 Year 2 2021-22 Year 3 2022-23 Year 4 2023-24 Year 5 2024-25 Pre-Kindergarten (Informational Only) 40 80 120 160 200 Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade 9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 40 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 40 40 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 40 40 40 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 40 40 40 40 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total Enrollment (excluding PreKindergarten) 40 80 120 160 200 Change in Net Enrollment 40 40 40 40 40 2) Student Assumptions Page 6 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Student Assumptions # of Classes By Grade Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Pre-Kindergarten (Informational Only) 0 0 0 0 0 Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade 9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total # of Classes 2 4 6 8 10 Change in Net # of Classes 2 2 2 2 2 Other Key Assumptions Enter Estimated Percentages 2) Student Assumptions Page 7 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Student Assumptions SPED % SPED Count 5% 2 5% 4 5% 6 5% 8 5% 10 ELL % ELL Count 5% 2 5% 4 5% 6 5% 8 5% 10 Anticipated Paid % Anticipated Reduced % Anticipated Free % Anticipated Paid Count Anticipated Reduced Count Anticipated Free Count Total Free and Reduced Count -90% 95% 95% -36 38 38 76 -90% 95% 95% -72 76 76 152 -90% 95% 95% -108 114 114 228 -90% 95% 95% -144 152 152 304 -90% 95% 95% -180 190 190 380 School Days Attendance Rate 180 97% 180 97% 180 97% 180 97% 180 97% 2) Student Assumptions Page 8 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Pre-Opening Budget Revenue Assumptions Year 0 2019-20 Federal Revenues Rate/Assumption CSP Startup Grant Title I Fundraising & Philanthropy Other Other Other Other Other Amount Assumption Notes 600,000 Annually Walton Foundation Private Donations Sponsor LOC $325,000 $0 $0 $0 Total Revenues New Start Up Annually Annually Line of credit Detail any private funding sources 925,000 Additional Space to Provide Fundraising Details Compensation Assumptions Year 0 2019-20 Administrative Staff Principal/School Leader Assistant Principal Special Education Coordinator Deans, Directors Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Administrative Compensation FTE Count 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 $80,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 Instructional Staff Teachers Special Education Teachers Eduacational Assistants/Aides Elective Teachers Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Instructional Compensation 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Non-Instructional Staff Clerical Staff Custodial Staff Operations Social Workers/Counseling Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Non-Instructional Compensation 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Bonus Other Non FTE Compensation Other Non FTE Compensation 3) Pre-Opening Budget School Leader Assumption Notes 80,000 - - Page 9 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Pre-Opening Budget Other Non FTE Compensation - Total FTE Count Total Compensation 1.00 80,000 Employer Benefits & Tax Assumptions Year 0 2019-20 Social Security Medicare State Unemployment Disability/Life Insurance Workers Compensation Insurance Other Fringe Benefits Medical Insurance Dental Insurance Vision Insurance Other Retirement Base Assumption 6.20% 1.45% $400 per employee 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% $0 $0 $0 0.00% Assumption Notes $4,960 $1,160 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Total Employer Benefits & Taxes 6,120 Operating Expenses Year 0 2019-20 Contracted Services Professional Development Financial Services Audit Services Legal Fees Copier Lease and Usage Internet and Phone Service Cell Phone Service Payroll Services Health Services Transportation IT Services Contracted SPED Services Insurance Postal Charges Bank Charges $5,000 $0 $12,000 $12,000 $9,000 $0 $2,400 $6,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $6,250 $500 $500 $5,000 $0 $12,000 $12,000 $90,000 $0 $2,400 $6,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $6,250 $500 $500 Supplies & Materials Textbooks and Instructional Supplies Education Software Student Supplies Faculty Supplies Library Books Testing & Evaluation Student Laptops Faculty Laptops Office Supplies Printing Paper Marketing Materials Student Uniforms $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $2,400 $3,000 $1,200 $10,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $2,400 $3,000 $1,200 $10,000 $0 3) Pre-Opening Budget Continous education/site visits Assumption Notes CPA/ Accounting Attorney fee ATT&T Tmobile Accounting School Leader Lap top TV, bill board and social media Page 10 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Pre-Opening Budget Gifts & Awards - Students Gifts & Awards - Teachers and Staff Health Supplies $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Facility Related Expenses Rent Utilities Custodial Waste Faculty Furniture Student Furniture Internet/Network Equipment Other Equipment Building Decorum Tenant Improvements Other Other Other Other Other $12,000 $3,600 $4,800 $0 $2,500 $0 $2,400 $0 $3,500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $12,000 $3,600 $4,800 $0 $2,500 $0 $2,400 $0 $3,500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Other Charges Staff Recruitment Student Recruitment & Community Engagement Parent & Staff Meetings Authorizer Fee Other $5,000 $1,000 $500 $0 $0 $5,000 $1,000 $500 $0 $0 Debt Service Other Other Other Other Other $36,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $36,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1000 per month Renovation REV LOC Total Operating Expenses 222,550 Total Expenses 308,670 3) Pre-Opening Budget Page 11 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Pre-Opening Cash Flow Cash Flow Summary Year 0 2019-20 Total Budget Beginning Cash Year 0 2019-20 July Year 0 2019-20 August Year 0 2019-20 September Year 0 2019-20 October Year 0 2019-20 November Year 0 2019-20 December Year 0 2019-20 January Year 0 2019-20 February Year 0 2019-20 March Year 0 2019-20 April Year 0 2019-20 May Year 0 2019-20 June Year 0 2019-20 Total Year 0 2019-20 AR/AP - - 184,278 168,555 152,833 1,062,110 1,046,388 1,030,665 1,014,943 999,220 983,498 967,775 952,053 Revenues Federal Revenues Fundraising & Philanthropy 600,000 325,000 210,000 10,000 10,000 600,000 335,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 600,000 645,000 #VALUE! Total Revenues 925,000 210,000 10,000 10,000 935,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 1,245,000 #VALUE! Expenses Staffing Employer Benefits & Taxes Contracted Services Supplies & Materials Facility-Related Expenses Other Charges Debt Service 80,000 6,120 134,650 16,600 28,800 6,500 36,000 6,667 510 11,221 1,383 2,400 542 3,000 6,667 510 11,221 1,383 2,400 542 3,000 6,667 510 11,221 1,383 2,400 542 3,000 6,667 510 11,221 1,383 2,400 542 3,000 6,667 510 11,221 1,383 2,400 542 3,000 6,667 510 11,221 1,383 2,400 542 3,000 6,667 510 11,221 1,383 2,400 542 3,000 6,667 510 11,221 1,383 2,400 542 3,000 6,667 510 11,221 1,383 2,400 542 3,000 6,667 510 11,221 1,383 2,400 542 3,000 6,667 510 11,221 1,383 2,400 542 3,000 6,667 510 11,221 1,383 2,400 542 3,000 80,000 6,120 134,650 16,600 28,800 6,500 36,000 Total Expenses 308,670 25,723 25,723 25,723 25,723 25,723 25,723 25,723 25,723 25,723 25,723 25,723 25,723 308,670 Operating Income (Loss) 616,330 184,278 (15,723) (15,723) 909,278 (15,723) (15,723) (15,723) (15,723) (15,723) (15,723) (15,723) (15,723) 936,330 - - - - - - - - - - - - 184,278 168,555 152,833 1,062,110 1,046,388 1,030,665 1,014,943 999,220 983,498 967,775 952,053 936,330 Changes in Accounts Receivable Changes in Accounts Payable Line of Credit Proceeds Line of Credit Repayments Other Balance Sheet Activity Ending Cash - #VALUE! Details of Cash Flow Year 0 2019-20 Total Budget Year 0 2019-20 July Year 0 2019-20 August Year 0 2019-20 September Year 0 2019-20 October Year 0 2019-20 November Year 0 2019-20 December Year 0 2019-20 January Year 0 2019-20 March Year 0 2019-20 April Year 0 2019-20 May Year 0 2019-20 June Year 0 2019-20 Total Year 0 2019-20 AR/AP Revenues Revenues Federal Revenues CSP Startup Grant Year 0 2019-20 February 600,000 Fundraising & Philanthropy Other Other Other Other Other 325,000 - Total Revenues 925,000 - $0 $10,000 $50,000 $150,000 $0 210,000 - $0 $10,000 $0 $0 $0 10,000 - $0 $10,000 $0 $0 $0 10,000 600,000 $325,000 $10,000 $0 $0 $0 935,000 - $0 $10,000 $0 $0 $0 10,000 - $0 $10,000 $0 $0 $0 10,000 Assumption Notes - $0 $10,000 $0 $0 $0 10,000 - $0 $10,000 $0 $0 $0 10,000 - $0 $10,000 $0 $0 $0 10,000 - $0 $10,000 $0 $0 $0 10,000 $0 $10,000 $0 $0 $0 10,000 - $0 $10,000 $0 $0 $0 10,000 600,000 325,000 120,000 50,000 150,000 1,245,000 - Titel I Grant (120,000) (50,000) (150,000) #VALUE! Walton Grant Private Donations Sponsor LOC #VALUE! Compensation Year 0 2019-20 Total Budget Compensation Principal/School Leader Assistant Principal Special Education Coordinator Deans, Directors Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Administrative Compensation Instructional Staff Teachers Special Education Teachers Eduacational Assistants/Aides 4) Pre-Opening Cash Flow 80,000 80,000 - Year 0 2019-20 July Year 0 2019-20 August $6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Year 0 2019-20 September $6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 $0 Year 0 2019-20 October $6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 $0 Year 0 2019-20 November $6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 $0 Year 0 2019-20 December $6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 $0 Year 0 2019-20 January $6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 $0 Year 0 2019-20 February $6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 $0 Year 0 2019-20 March Year 0 2019-20 April Year 0 2019-20 May Year 0 2019-20 June $6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Year 0 2019-20 Total Year 0 2019-20 AR/AP 80,000 80,000 - - School Leader - Assumption Notes - Page 12 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Pre-Opening Cash Flow Elective Teachers Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Instructional Compensation - $0 $0 Non-Instructional Staff Clerical Staff Custodial Staff Operations Social Workers/Counseling Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Non-Instructional Compensation - $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Bonus Other Non FTE Compensation Other Non FTE Compensation Other Non FTE Compensation - $0 $0 $0 $0 Total Compensation 80,000 - - $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 - - $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 - $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 - - - - - - - - 80,000 - $0 $0 $0 $0 6,667 6,667 Employer Benefits & Taxes Year 0 2019-20 Total Budget Social Security Medicare State Unemployment Disability/Life Insurance Workers Compensation Insurance Other Fringe Benefits Medical Insurance Dental Insurance Vision Insurance Other Retirement 4,960 1,160 - Total Employer Benefits & Taxes 6,120 Year 0 2019-20 July Year 0 2019-20 August Year 0 2019-20 September Year 0 2019-20 October Year 0 2019-20 November Year 0 2019-20 December Year 0 2019-20 January Year 0 2019-20 February Year 0 2019-20 March Year 0 2019-20 April Year 0 2019-20 May Year 0 2019-20 June $413 $97 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $413 $97 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $413 $97 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $413 $97 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $413 $97 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $413 $97 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $413 $97 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $413 $97 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $413 $97 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $413 $97 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $413 $97 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $413 $97 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 510 510 510 510 510 510 510 510 510 510 510 510 Year 0 2019-20 Total Year 0 2019-20 AR/AP 4,960 1,160 - - 6,120 - Assumption Notes Operating Expenses Year 0 2019-20 Total Budget Year 0 2019-20 July Year 0 2019-20 August Year 0 2019-20 September Year 0 2019-20 October Year 0 2019-20 November Year 0 2019-20 December Year 0 2019-20 January Year 0 2019-20 February Year 0 2019-20 March Year 0 2019-20 April Year 0 2019-20 May Year 0 2019-20 June Contracted Services Professional Development Financial Services Audit Services Legal Fees Copier Lease and Usage Internet and Phone Service Cell Phone Service Payroll Services Health Services Transportation IT Services Contracted SPED Services Insurance Postal Charges Bank Charges 5,000 12,000 12,000 90,000 2,400 6,000 6,250 500 500 $417 $0 $1,000 $1,000 $7,500 $0 $200 $500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $521 $42 $42 $417 $0 $1,000 $1,000 $7,500 $0 $200 $500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $521 $42 $42 $417 $0 $1,000 $1,000 $7,500 $0 $200 $500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $521 $42 $42 $417 $0 $1,000 $1,000 $7,500 $0 $200 $500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $521 $42 $42 $417 $0 $1,000 $1,000 $7,500 $0 $200 $500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $521 $42 $42 $417 $0 $1,000 $1,000 $7,500 $0 $200 $500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $521 $42 $42 $417 $0 $1,000 $1,000 $7,500 $0 $200 $500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $521 $42 $42 $417 $0 $1,000 $1,000 $7,500 $0 $200 $500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $521 $42 $42 $417 $0 $1,000 $1,000 $7,500 $0 $200 $500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $521 $42 $42 $417 $0 $1,000 $1,000 $7,500 $0 $200 $500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $521 $42 $42 $417 $0 $1,000 $1,000 $7,500 $0 $200 $500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $521 $42 $42 $417 $0 $1,000 $1,000 $7,500 $0 $200 $500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $521 $42 $42 5,000 12,000 12,000 90,000 2,400 6,000 6,250 500 500 - Assumption Notes Professional Development Financial Services Audit Services Legal Fees Copier Lease and Usage Internet and Phone Service Cell Phone Service Payroll Services Health Services Transportation IT Services Contracted SPED Services Insurance Postal Charges Bank Charges Supplies & Materials Textbooks and Instructional Supplies Education Software Student Supplies Faculty Supplies Library Books Testing & Evaluation Student Laptops Faculty Laptops Office Supplies Printing Paper Marketing Materials Student Uniforms Gifts & Awards - Students 2,400 3,000 1,200 10,000 - $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $200 $250 $100 $833 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $200 $250 $100 $833 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $200 $250 $100 $833 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $200 $250 $100 $833 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $200 $250 $100 $833 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $200 $250 $100 $833 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $200 $250 $100 $833 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $200 $250 $100 $833 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $200 $250 $100 $833 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $200 $250 $100 $833 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $200 $250 $100 $833 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $200 $250 $100 $833 $0 $0 2,400 3,000 1,200 10,000 - - Textbooks and Instructional Supplies Education Software Student Supplies Faculty Supplies Library Books Testing & Evaluation Student Laptops Faculty Laptops Office Supplies Printing Paper Marketing Materials Student Uniforms Gifts & Awards - Students 4) Pre-Opening Cash Flow Year 0 2019-20 Total Year 0 2019-20 AR/AP Page 13 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Pre-Opening Cash Flow Gifts & Awards - Teachers and Staff Health Supplies Facility Related Expenses Rent Utilities Custodial Waste Faculty Furniture Student Furniture Internet/Network Equipment Other Equipment Building Decorum Tenant Improvements Other Other Other Other Other Other Charges Staff Recruitment Student Recruitment & Community Engagement Parent & Staff Meetings Authorizer Fee Other Debt Service Other Other Other Other Other - $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 12,000 3,600 4,800 2,500 2,400 3,500 - $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $0 $200 $0 $292 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $0 $200 $0 $292 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $0 $200 $0 $292 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $0 $200 $0 $292 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $0 $200 $0 $292 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $0 $200 $0 $292 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $0 $200 $0 $292 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $0 $200 $0 $292 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $0 $200 $0 $292 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $0 $200 $0 $292 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $0 $200 $0 $292 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $0 $200 $0 $292 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 12,000 3,600 4,800 2,500 2,400 3,500 - - Rent Utilities Custodial Waste Faculty Furniture Student Furniture Internet/Network Equipment Other Equipment Building Decorum Tenant Improvements Other Other Other Other Other 5,000 1,000 500 - $417 $83 $42 $0 $0 $417 $83 $42 $0 $0 $417 $83 $42 $0 $0 $417 $83 $42 $0 $0 $417 $83 $42 $0 $0 $417 $83 $42 $0 $0 $417 $83 $42 $0 $0 $417 $83 $42 $0 $0 $417 $83 $42 $0 $0 $417 $83 $42 $0 $0 $417 $83 $42 $0 $0 $417 $83 $42 $0 $0 5,000 1,000 500 - - Staff Recruitment Student Recruitment & Community Engagement Parent Meetings Staff Meetings Other 36,000 - 3,000 - 3,000 - Total Operating Expenses 222,550 18,546 Total Expenses 308,670 25,723 4) Pre-Opening Cash Flow 3,000 - 3,000 - 3,000 - 3,000 - 18,546 18,546 18,546 18,546 18,546 25,723 25,723 25,723 25,723 25,723 3,000 - 3,000 - 3,000 - 18,546 18,546 25,723 25,723 - - Gifts & Awards - Teachers and Staff - Health Supplies $0 $0 3,000 - 3,000 - 3,000 - 36,000 - - 18,546 18,546 18,546 18,546 222,550 - 25,723 25,723 25,723 25,723 308,670 - Page 14 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Year 1-5 Staff Assumptions FTE Assumptions Year 1 2020-21 40 2 Year 2 2021-22 80 4 Year 3 2022-23 120 6 Year 4 2023-24 160 8 Year 5 2024-25 200 10 Administrative Staff Principal/School Leader Assistant Principal Special Education Coordinator Deans, Directors Other (Specify in Assumptions) 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 0.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 1.00 Total Administrative FTE 2.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 Instructional Staff Teachers Special Education Teachers Eduacational Assistants/Aides Elective Teachers Other (Specify in Assumptions) 2.00 0.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 4.00 0.00 1.00 2.00 0.00 6.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 1.00 8.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 1.00 10.00 1.00 3.00 4.00 2.00 Total Instructional FTE 3.00 7.00 13.00 15.00 20.00 Non-Instructional Staff Clerical Staff Custodial Staff Operations Social Workers/Counseling Other (Specify in Assumptions) 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 2.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 2.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 2.00 Total Non-Instructional FTE 2.00 3.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 Total FTE 7.00 13.00 20.00 22.00 27.00 Fiscal Year Enrollment # of Classes Compensation Assumptions Annual Increase Cumultative Increase Administrative Staff Principal/School Leader Assistant Principal Special Education Coordinator Deans, Directors Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Administrative Compensation 5) Year 1-5 Staff Assumptions Base Assumption $90,000 $0 $0 $65,000 $80,000 Year 1 2020-21 Year 2 2021-22 Year 3 2022-23 Year 4 2023-24 Year 5 2024-25 2.00% 102.00% 2.25% 104.30% 2.50% 106.90% 2.75% 109.84% 3.00% 113.14% 91,800 66,300 - 93,866 67,792 83,436 96,212 69,487 85,522 98,858 71,397 87,874 101,824 73,539 90,510 158,100 245,093 251,221 258,129 265,873 School Leader Assumption Notes Diretor of Operations Director of Curriculum and Student Affairs Page 15 of 24 Instructional Staff Teachers Special Education Teachers Eduacational Assistants/Aides Elective Teachers Other (Specify in Assumptions) "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Year 1-5 Staff Assumptions $50,000 $65,000 $37,440 $50,000 $45,000 102,000 38,189 - 208,590 39,048 104,295 - 320,707 69,487 80,048 160,354 48,106 439,369 71,397 82,250 164,763 49,429 565,687 73,539 127,076 226,275 101,824 140,189 351,933 678,702 807,208 1,094,401 38,148 31,824 39,006 67,792 32,540 39,981 69,487 66,707 41,081 71,397 68,542 42,313 73,539 70,598 69,972 139,338 176,175 181,020 186,451 Other Compensation Other Compensation Other Compensation Other Compensation - - - - - Total Compensation 368,261 736,364 1,106,097 1,246,357 1,546,725 Total Instructional Compensation Non-Instructional Staff Clerical Staff Custodial Staff Operations Social Workers/Counseling Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Non-Instructional Compensation $37,400 $24,000 $0 $65,000 $31,200 Teachers SPED Teacher Assistants Art,Music,PE and Creative Writing Intervention Specialist Secretary Housekeeping Guidance Counselor Food Services Employer Benefits & Tax Assumptions Social Security Medicare State Unemployment Disability/Life Insurance Workers Compensation Insurance Other Fringe Benefits Medical Insurance Dental Insurance Vision Insurance TCRS Certified Legacy TCRS Certified Hybrid TCRS Classified Legacy TCRS Classified Hybrid Other Classified Retirement Other Retirement 5) Year 1-5 Staff Assumptions Year 1 2020-21 Year 2 2021-22 Year 3 2022-23 Year 4 2023-24 Year 5 2024-25 Base Assumption 6.20% 1.45% $400 per employee 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% $22,832 $22,832 $22,832 $22,832 $22,832 $22,832 $45,655 $45,655 $45,655 $45,655 $45,655 $45,655 $68,578 $68,578 $68,578 $68,578 $68,578 $68,578 $77,274 $77,274 $77,274 $77,274 $77,274 $77,274 $95,897 $95,897 $95,897 $95,897 $95,897 $95,897 Health Insurance Annual Increase Cumultative Increase 0.00% 100.00% 0.00% 100.00% 0.00% 100.00% 0.00% 100.00% 0.00% 100.00% $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Assumption Notes Page 16 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Year 1 Budget Revenue Assumptions State Revenues Basic Education Program BEP Transportation Component BEP Capital Outlay Other Other Annual Revenue Increase Cumultative Increase Year 1 2020-21 0.00% 100.00% Rate/Assumption $12,086 $0 $300 $0 $0 $483,440 $0 $12,000 $0 $0 Federal Revenues Title I Title II Title III NSLP E-Rate CSP Startup Grant Other Other $0 $300 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $12,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 School Activity Revenues Other Other Other Other Other $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Fundraising & Philanthropy Other Other Other Other Other $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Total Revenues SCS Fringe Benefit Assumption Notes SCS Fringe Benefit SCS Fringe Benefit 507,440 Compensation Year 1 2020-21 Administrative Staff Principal/School Leader Assistant Principal 6) Year 1 Budget FTE Count 1.00 0.00 91,800 - Assumption Notes Page 17 of 24 Special Education Coordinator Deans, Directors Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Administrative Compensation "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Year 1 Budget 0.00 1.00 0.00 2.00 66,300 158,100 Instructional Staff Teachers Special Education Teachers Eduacational Assistants/Aides Elective Teachers Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Instructional Compensation 2.00 0.00 1.00 0.00 0.00 3.00 102,000 38,189 140,189 Non-Instructional Staff Clerical Staff Custodial Staff Operations Social Workers/Counseling Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Non-Instructional Compensation 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 2.00 38,148 31,824 69,972 Other Compensation Other Compensation Other Compensation Other Compensation - Total Compensation 368,261 Employer Benefits & Taxes Year 1 2020-21 Social Security Medicare State Unemployment Disability/Life Insurance Workers Compensation Insurance Other Fringe Benefits Medical Insurance Dental Insurance Vision Insurance TCRS Certified Legacy TCRS Certified Hybrid TCRS Classified Legacy TCRS Classified Hybrid Other Classified Retirement Other Retirement 22,832 22,832 22,832 22,832 22,832 22,832 - Total Employer Benefits & Taxes 136,993 6) Year 1 Budget Assumption Notes Page 18 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Year 1 Budget Operating Expenses Year 1 2020-21 Contracted Services Professional Development Financial Services Audit Services Legal Fees Copier Lease and Usage Internet and Phone Service Cell Phone Service Payroll Services Health Services Transportation IT Services Contracted SPED Services Insurance Postal Charges Bank Charges $2,000 $0 $5,000 $5,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $2,000 $0 $5,000 $5,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Supplies & Materials Textbooks and Instructional Supplies Education Software Student Supplies Faculty Supplies Library Books Testing & Evaluation Student Laptops Faculty Laptops Office Supplies Printing Paper Marketing Materials Student Uniforms Gifts & Awards - Students Gifts & Awards - Teachers and Staff Health Supplies $3,000 $2,000 $1,500 $1,500 $0 $500 $0 $2,000 $3,500 $1,200 $6,000 $0 $500 $500 $250 $3,000 $2,000 $1,500 $1,500 $0 $500 $0 $2,000 $3,500 $1,200 $6,000 $0 $500 $500 $250 Facility Related Expenses Rent Utilities Custodial Waste Faculty Furniture Student Furniture Internet/Network Equipment Other Equipment Building Decorum Tenant Improvements Other Other Other Other Other $12,000 $3,600 $4,800 $0 $2,500 $7,500 $5,000 $2,500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $12,000 $3,600 $4,800 $0 $2,500 $7,500 $5,000 $2,500 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 6) Year 1 Budget Assumption Notes Page 19 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Year 1 Budget Other Charges Staff Recruitment Student Recruitment & Community Engagement Parent & Staff Meetings Authorizer Fee Other $500 $1,000 $500 $0 $0 $500 $1,000 $500 $0 $0 Debt Service Other Other Other Other Other $36,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $36,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 Total Operating Expenses 110,350 Total Expenses 615,604 6) Year 1 Budget Page 20 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Year 1 Cash Flow Cash Flow Summary Year 1 2020-21 Total Budget Year 1 2020-21 July Year 1 2020-21 August Year 1 2020-21 September Year 1 2020-21 October Year 1 2020-21 November Year 1 2020-21 December Year 1 2020-21 January Year 1 2020-21 February Year 1 2020-21 March Year 1 2020-21 April Year 1 2020-21 May Year 1 2020-21 June Year 1 2020-21 Total Year 1 2020-21 AR/AP Beginning Cash 936,330 936,330 1,077,316 1,068,303 1,059,289 1,050,275 1,041,262 1,032,248 1,023,234 1,014,221 1,005,207 996,193 987,180 Revenues State Revenues Federal Revenues School Activity Revenues Fundraising & Philanthropy 495,440 12,000 - 41,287 1,000 - 41,287 1,000 - 41,287 1,000 - 41,287 1,000 - 41,287 1,000 - 41,287 1,000 - 41,287 1,000 - 41,287 1,000 - 41,287 1,000 - 41,287 1,000 - 41,287 1,000 - 41,287 1,000 - 495,440 12,000 - - Total Revenues 507,440 42,287 42,287 42,287 42,287 42,287 42,287 42,287 42,287 42,287 42,287 42,287 42,287 507,440 - Expenses Staffing Employer Benefits & Taxes Contracted Services Supplies & Materials Facility-Related Expenses Other Charges Debt Service 368,261 136,993 12,000 22,450 37,900 2,000 36,000 30,688 11,416 1,000 1,871 3,158 167 3,000 30,688 11,416 1,000 1,871 3,158 167 3,000 30,688 11,416 1,000 1,871 3,158 167 3,000 30,688 11,416 1,000 1,871 3,158 167 3,000 30,688 11,416 1,000 1,871 3,158 167 3,000 30,688 11,416 1,000 1,871 3,158 167 3,000 30,688 11,416 1,000 1,871 3,158 167 3,000 30,688 11,416 1,000 1,871 3,158 167 3,000 30,688 11,416 1,000 1,871 3,158 167 3,000 30,688 11,416 1,000 1,871 3,158 167 3,000 30,688 11,416 1,000 1,871 3,158 167 3,000 30,688 11,416 1,000 1,871 3,158 167 3,000 368,261 136,993 12,000 22,450 37,900 2,000 36,000 - 615,604 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 615,604 - (108,164) (9,014) (9,014) (9,014) (9,014) (9,014) (9,014) (9,014) (9,014) (9,014) (9,014) (9,014) (9,014) (108,164) - 150,000 - - - - - - - - - - - - 1,077,316 1,068,303 1,059,289 1,050,275 1,041,262 1,032,248 1,023,234 1,014,221 1,005,207 996,193 987,180 978,166 Total Expenses Operating Income (Loss) Changes in Accounts Receivable Changes in Accounts Payable Line of Credit Proceeds Line of Credit Repayments Other Balance Sheet Activity Ending Cash Details of Cash Flow Year 1 2020-21 Total Budget Year 1 2020-21 July Year 1 2020-21 August Year 1 2020-21 September Year 1 2020-21 October Year 1 2020-21 November Year 1 2020-21 December Federal Revenues Title I Title II Title III NSLP E-Rate CSP Startup Grant Other Other Year 1 2020-21 February Year 1 2020-21 March Year 1 2020-21 April Year 1 2020-21 May Year 1 2020-21 June Year 1 2020-21 Total Year 1 2020-21 AR/AP Revenues Revenues State Revenues Basic Education Program BEP Transportation Component BEP Capital Outlay Other Other Year 1 2020-21 January Assumption Notes 483,440 12,000 - $40,287 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $40,287 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $40,287 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $40,287 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $40,287 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $40,287 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $40,287 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $40,287 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $40,287 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $40,287 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $40,287 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $40,287 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 483,440 12,000 - - 12,000 - $1,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 12,000 - - School Activity Revenues Other Other Other Other Other - $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 - - Fundraising & Philanthropy Other Other - $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 - - 7) Year 1 Cash Flow Assumption Notes Page 21 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Year 1 Cash Flow Other Other Other Total Revenues 507,440 $0 $0 $0 42,287 $0 $0 $0 42,287 $0 $0 $0 42,287 $0 $0 $0 42,287 $0 $0 $0 42,287 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 42,287 $0 $0 $0 42,287 42,287 $0 $0 $0 42,287 $0 $0 $0 42,287 $0 $0 $0 42,287 $0 $0 $0 42,287 - - 507,440 - Compensation Compensation Principal/School Leader Assistant Principal Special Education Coordinator Deans, Directors Other (Specify in Assumptions) Year 1 2020-21 Total Budget Year 1 2020-21 July Year 1 2020-21 August Year 1 2020-21 September Year 1 2020-21 October Year 1 2020-21 November Year 1 2020-21 December Year 1 2020-21 January Year 1 2020-21 February Year 1 2020-21 March Year 1 2020-21 April Year 1 2020-21 May Year 1 2020-21 June 91,800 66,300 - $7,650 $0 $0 $5,525 $0 $7,650 $0 $0 $5,525 $0 $7,650 $0 $0 $5,525 $0 $7,650 $0 $0 $5,525 $0 $7,650 $0 $0 $5,525 $0 $7,650 $0 $0 $5,525 $0 $7,650 $0 $0 $5,525 $0 $7,650 $0 $0 $5,525 $0 $7,650 $0 $0 $5,525 $0 $7,650 $0 $0 $5,525 $0 $7,650 $0 $0 $5,525 $0 $7,650 $0 $0 $5,525 $0 Year 1 2020-21 Total Year 1 2020-21 AR/AP 91,800 66,300 - - Total Administrative Compensation 158,100 13,175 13,175 13,175 13,175 13,175 13,175 13,175 13,175 13,175 13,175 13,175 13,175 158,100 - Instructional Staff Teachers Special Education Teachers Eduacational Assistants/Aides Elective Teachers Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Instructional Compensation 102,000 38,189 140,189 $8,500 $0 $3,182 $0 $0 11,682 $8,500 $0 $3,182 $0 $0 11,682 $8,500 $0 $3,182 $0 $0 11,682 $8,500 $0 $3,182 $0 $0 11,682 $8,500 $0 $3,182 $0 $0 11,682 $8,500 $0 $3,182 $0 $0 11,682 $8,500 $0 $3,182 $0 $0 11,682 $8,500 $0 $3,182 $0 $0 11,682 $8,500 $0 $3,182 $0 $0 11,682 $8,500 $0 $3,182 $0 $0 11,682 $8,500 $0 $3,182 $0 $0 11,682 $8,500 $0 $3,182 $0 $0 11,682 102,000 38,189 140,189 - $3,179 $0 $0 $0 $2,652 $3,179 $0 $0 $0 $2,652 $3,179 $0 $0 $0 $2,652 $3,179 $0 $0 $0 $2,652 $3,179 $0 $0 $0 $2,652 $3,179 $0 $0 $0 $2,652 $3,179 $0 $0 $0 $2,652 $3,179 $0 $0 $0 $2,652 $3,179 $0 $0 $0 $2,652 $3,179 $0 $0 $0 $2,652 $3,179 $0 $0 $0 $2,652 $3,179 $0 $0 $0 $2,652 38,148 31,824 - Non-Instructional Staff Clerical Staff Custodial Staff Operations Social Workers/Counseling Other (Specify in Assumptions) Total Non-Instructional Compensation 38,148 31,824 69,972 Other Compensation Other Compensation Other Compensation Other Compensation - Total Compensation 368,261 5,831 $0 $0 $0 $0 30,688 5,831 $0 $0 $0 $0 30,688 5,831 $0 $0 $0 $0 30,688 5,831 $0 $0 $0 $0 30,688 5,831 $0 $0 $0 $0 30,688 5,831 $0 $0 $0 $0 5,831 5,831 $0 $0 $0 $0 30,688 $0 $0 $0 $0 30,688 30,688 5,831 $0 $0 $0 $0 30,688 5,831 $0 $0 $0 $0 30,688 5,831 $0 $0 $0 $0 30,688 5,831 69,972 - - - 368,261 - $0 $0 $0 $0 30,688 Assumption Notes Employer Benefits & Taxes Year 1 2020-21 Total Budget Year 1 2020-21 July Year 1 2020-21 August Year 1 2020-21 September Year 1 2020-21 October Year 1 2020-21 November Year 1 2020-21 December Year 1 2020-21 January Year 1 2020-21 February Year 1 2020-21 March Year 1 2020-21 April Year 1 2020-21 May Year 1 2020-21 June Social Security Medicare State Unemployment Disability/Life Insurance Workers Compensation Insurance Other Fringe Benefits Medical Insurance Dental Insurance Vision Insurance TCRS Certified Legacy TCRS Certified Hybrid TCRS Classified Legacy TCRS Classified Hybrid Other Classified Retirement Other Retirement 22,832 22,832 22,832 22,832 22,832 22,832 - $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $1,903 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Total Employer Benefits & Taxes 136,993 11,416 11,416 11,416 11,416 11,416 11,416 11,416 11,416 11,416 11,416 11,416 11,416 Year 1 2020-21 Total Year 1 2020-21 AR/AP 22,832 22,832 22,832 22,832 22,832 22,832 - - 136,993 - Assumption Notes Operating Expenses Year 1 2020-21 7) Year 1 Cash Flow Year 1 2020-21 Year 1 2020-21 Year 1 2020-21 Year 1 2020-21 Year 1 2020-21 Year 1 2020-21 Year 1 2020-21 Year 1 2020-21 Year 1 2020-21 Year 1 2020-21 Year 1 2020-21 Year 1 2020-21 Year 1 2020-21 Year 1 2020-21 Page 22 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Year 1 Cash Flow Total Budget July August September October November December January February March April May June Contracted Services Professional Development Financial Services Audit Services Legal Fees Copier Lease and Usage Internet and Phone Service Cell Phone Service Payroll Services Health Services Transportation IT Services Contracted SPED Services Insurance Postal Charges Bank Charges 2,000 5,000 5,000 - $167 $0 $417 $417 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $167 $0 $417 $417 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $167 $0 $417 $417 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $167 $0 $417 $417 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $167 $0 $417 $417 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $167 $0 $417 $417 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $167 $0 $417 $417 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $167 $0 $417 $417 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $167 $0 $417 $417 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $167 $0 $417 $417 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $167 $0 $417 $417 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $167 $0 $417 $417 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 2,000 5,000 5,000 - - Assumption Notes Professional Development Financial Services Audit Services Legal Fees Copier Lease and Usage Internet and Phone Service Cell Phone Service Payroll Services Health Services Transportation IT Services Contracted SPED Services Insurance Postal Charges Bank Charges Supplies & Materials Textbooks and Instructional Supplies Education Software Student Supplies Faculty Supplies Library Books Testing & Evaluation Student Laptops Faculty Laptops Office Supplies Printing Paper Marketing Materials Student Uniforms Gifts & Awards - Students Gifts & Awards - Teachers and Staff Health Supplies 3,000 2,000 1,500 1,500 500 2,000 3,500 1,200 6,000 500 500 250 $250 $167 $125 $125 $0 $42 $0 $167 $292 $100 $500 $0 $42 $42 $21 $250 $167 $125 $125 $0 $42 $0 $167 $292 $100 $500 $0 $42 $42 $21 $250 $167 $125 $125 $0 $42 $0 $167 $292 $100 $500 $0 $42 $42 $21 $250 $167 $125 $125 $0 $42 $0 $167 $292 $100 $500 $0 $42 $42 $21 $250 $167 $125 $125 $0 $42 $0 $167 $292 $100 $500 $0 $42 $42 $21 $250 $167 $125 $125 $0 $42 $0 $167 $292 $100 $500 $0 $42 $42 $21 $250 $167 $125 $125 $0 $42 $0 $167 $292 $100 $500 $0 $42 $42 $21 $250 $167 $125 $125 $0 $42 $0 $167 $292 $100 $500 $0 $42 $42 $21 $250 $167 $125 $125 $0 $42 $0 $167 $292 $100 $500 $0 $42 $42 $21 $250 $167 $125 $125 $0 $42 $0 $167 $292 $100 $500 $0 $42 $42 $21 $250 $167 $125 $125 $0 $42 $0 $167 $292 $100 $500 $0 $42 $42 $21 $250 $167 $125 $125 $0 $42 $0 $167 $292 $100 $500 $0 $42 $42 $21 3,000 2,000 1,500 1,500 500 2,000 3,500 1,200 6,000 500 500 250 - Textbooks and Instructional Supplies Education Software Student Supplies Faculty Supplies Library Books Testing & Evaluation Student Laptops Faculty Laptops Office Supplies Printing Paper Marketing Materials Student Uniforms Gifts & Awards - Students Gifts & Awards - Teachers and Staff Health Supplies 12,000 3,600 4,800 2,500 7,500 5,000 2,500 - $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $625 $417 $208 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $625 $417 $208 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $625 $417 $208 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $625 $417 $208 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $625 $417 $208 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $625 $417 $208 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $625 $417 $208 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $625 $417 $208 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $625 $417 $208 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $625 $417 $208 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $625 $417 $208 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,000 $300 $400 $0 $208 $625 $417 $208 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 12,000 3,600 4,800 2,500 7,500 5,000 2,500 - - Rent Utilities Custodial Waste Faculty Furniture Student Furniture Internet/Network Equipment Other Equipment Building Decorum Tenant Improvements Other Other Other Other Other 500 1,000 500 - $42 $83 $42 $0 $0 $42 $83 $42 $0 $0 $42 $83 $42 $0 $0 $42 $83 $42 $0 $0 $42 $83 $42 $0 $0 $42 $83 $42 $0 $0 $42 $83 $42 $0 $0 $42 $83 $42 $0 $0 $42 $83 $42 $0 $0 $42 $83 $42 $0 $0 $42 $83 $42 $0 $0 $42 $83 $42 $0 $0 500 1,000 500 - - Staff Recruitment Student Recruitment & Community Engagement Parent Meetings Staff Meetings Other 3,000 - 36,000 - - Facility Related Expenses Rent Utilities Custodial Waste Faculty Furniture Student Furniture Internet/Network Equipment Other Equipment Building Decorum Tenant Improvements Other Other Other Other Other Other Charges Staff Recruitment Student Recruitment & Community Eng Parent & Staff Meetings Authorizer Fee Other Debt Service Other Other Other Other Other 36,000 - 3,000 - 3,000 - 3,000 - 3,000 - 3,000 - 3,000 - 3,000 - 3,000 - 3,000 - 3,000 - 3,000 - Total AR/AP Total Operating Expenses 110,350 9,196 9,196 9,196 9,196 9,196 9,196 9,196 9,196 9,196 9,196 9,196 9,196 110,350 - Total Expenses 615,604 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 51,300 615,604 - 7) Year 1 Cash Flow Page 23 of 24 "THE" Academy All Girls Charter School New Charter School Application Budget Template Year 0 & Years 1 through 5 Summary Revenue Assumptions Year 0 2019-20 Starting Fund Balance Year 2 2021-22 Year 3 2022-23 Year 4 2023-24 Year 5 2024-25 - 616,330 508,166 411,009 306,038 493,627 State Revenues Federal Revenues School Activity Revenues Fundraising & Philanthropy Total Revenues 600,000 325,000 925,000 495,440 12,000 507,440 990,880 24,000 1,014,880 1,486,320 36,000 1,522,320 1,981,760 48,000 2,029,760 2,477,200 60,000 2,537,200 Staffing Employer Benefits & Taxes Contracted Services Supplies & Materials Facility-Related Expenses Other Charges Debt Service Total Expenses 80,000 6,120 134,650 16,600 28,800 6,500 36,000 308,670 368,261 136,993 12,000 22,450 37,900 2,000 36,000 615,604 736,364 273,928 12,600 47,250 39,795 2,100 1,112,037 1,106,097 411,468 13,860 51,975 41,690 2,200 1,627,291 1,246,357 463,645 17,325 64,969 47,375 2,500 1,842,171 1,546,725 575,382 23,389 87,708 51,165 2,700 2,287,068 616,330 (108,164) (97,157) (104,971) 187,589 250,132 616,330 508,166 411,009 306,038 493,627 743,759 Net Income Ending Fund Balance 9) Summary Year 1 2020-21 Page 24 of 24 Attachment P: Budget Narrative Budget Narrative Below is a budget narrative for “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School that details revenues and expenditures for the school from start up through year five. The budget and accompanying narrative align to the mission, academic program and priorities of “THE” Academy. We have taken the following steps to guarantee that we build a conservative and accurate budget.        “THE” Academy understands that during the first year of operation, in which the school is continuing to grow grade levels, it will experience operating deficit. This is largely due to the start- up cost. The school has accounted for this early deficit by maintaining a healthy cash balance during and at the end of each fiscal year. In addition, “THE” Academy will seek a line of credit to help during this time. “THE” Academy will be located at 2567 Pershing. This space being occupied by “THE” Academy was once a thriving daycare ready to accommodate the growth of “THE” Academy. In addition, the school thinks it is financially responsible to have a healthy cash reserve to address unforeseen expenses and cash flow fluctuation. We intend to continue to enroll new students through grade 5 and assume a 5% rate of attrition each year thereafter. We also will budget for hourly employees for such needs as contracted special education providers and tutors for small groups as needed to support our K-5 grades. In all cases, if increased enrollment requires an additional classroom of girls, the subsequent increase in BEP funds would support our hiring of an additional FTE. Likewise, should community demand or financial necessary require or allow the school to add girls in grade K-5, we would be open to this possibility and be prepared to aggressively pursue it, because the facility space is available. All contracts at “THE” Academy are at- will contracts. As such, salaries will not be directly proportional to experience or degree. However, in every case, we have estimated that the majority of teachers in each grade will earn a salary compatible to SCS salaries and we increase salaries based on the new TEM Evaluation Scores Level 5=1,200.00, Level 4=800.00, Level 3=400.00. While our mission and vision’s emphasis on teacher quality inspires us to hire as many full-time employees as possible, we also reserve a significant fund for hourly specialists to ensure we provide the individual support needed for all learners. Used to support special needs girls, office support, ELL students and enrichment program in Y1. Y1 we budget $45K for special education teacher and Y1 $45K for ESL teacher. By Y4, revenues will exceed expenditures. “THE” Academy will operate on public funds, fundraising and cooperation donation private as well as public to sustain its population of girls and staff structure, and retain a 90-day expense reserve in its bank account. In Y5, our budget we will spend approximately 25% on personnel, 15% on operating expenses, 9% on facilities, 3% on technology. At the end of Y4-Y5 we will have a substantial surplus for bonuses related to performance and expansion related to growth. After Y1, we reserve a cash balance each year to accommodate potentially unforeseen costs, mostly related to the debt service or cosmetic repairs and upgrades of the facility.  “THE” Academy understands the importance a line of credit can provide with regards to a steady cash flow during lean start-up years. To that end, we have research a bank that will provide this credit and are eager to enter robust conversation with Cadence Bank. In addition, our sponsor, at the Glory Community Development Corporation, has agreed to lease the space for only $1,000 per month. Revenues The primary source of revenue for “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will be funds received from Tennessee Dept. of Education for the Basic Education Program (BEP). Our school has budgeted $12,086 per girl per guidance from LEA. The annual revenue from the BEP is calculated as the per pupil funding amount ($12,086 per girl) multiplied by the enrollment at the school in each fiscal year. The budget conservatively assumes a 1% annual increase in the BEP for the term of the charter. In addition to BEP Funds, the school has budgeted to receive approximately: $300.00 per girl in Title I funds for qualifying girls; and reimbursement funding for federal breakfast and lunch programs. “THE” Academy understands that funding from Title I, SPED, and the federal breakfast and lunch program work on a reimbursement basis, and has structured its cash flow projections accordingly. To supplement BEP and federal funds, “THE” Academy will apply to the Walton Family Foundation for a startup grant of $325,000 immediately authorization. The grant is paid in two installments: $30,000 is awarded prior to authorization and $295,000 upon approval of the application. In addition, we will receive $600,000 CSP Start up grant. All funds received during the pre-operational year will be used to cover salary expenses for the School Leader as well as for recruitment of students, office, instructional supplies, furniture, and facility acquisition cost prior to opening. “THE” Academy will engage in further fundraising efforts in the startup year and each year thereafter, to supplement public funding sources and funding provided by the Walton Family Foundation. Expenditures The expenditures of “THE” Academy are divided into three main categories: personnel (salaries and benefits), school operation, and facilities. All expenditures are driven by the school’s mission of preparing all its girls for success in middle school, high school, college, and life. Personnel Personnel expenses comprise a significant portion of “THE” Academy’s annual budget. The school views high-quality administration and instructors as critical to the success of the school. The Board of Directors of “THE” Academy will determine a competitive compensation package based on education, experience, and skill sets and will include an annual 2% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to staff other than teachers. Teacher salaries will be comparable to SCS salaries and competitive with all local charter school salaries. Our staggered, slow-growth enrollment plan provides a strategic pipeline to grow teachers from Classroom Teachers to Grade-Level Teacher positions to Lead Teacher and Administration, minimizing future staff recruitment costs. In accordance with the Tennessee Charter Statue T.C.A. 49-113-119, teachers of “THE” Academy will participate in the group insurance plans of the LEA (Shelby County Schools). The school has properly accounted for all staffing costs regarding Social Security and Medicare, health benefit plan, state retirement, life insurance, and unemployment. School Operations “THE” Academy has budgeted for expenditures related to the general operation of the school, including professional development, student and staff recruitment, instructional and assessment material and supplies, printing, and postage, field trip, transportation, food cost, and legal and audit fees. Professional Development Quality professional development is essential to developing and maintaining a high caliber team of administrators, teachers, and staff. The school has allocated $1,500 per FTE per year, which includes travel and professional fees. “THE” Academy administrators, teachers, and staff will have the opportunity to visit and study at least one high performing urban charter school as well as attend at least one conference and workshop on effective teaching and learning practices this plan is reflected by the professional development days embedded into our calendar. Teacher and Student Recruitment    Student Recruitment and Marketing- Including funds allocated for student recruitment and fundraising/ marketing efforts, which are led by the School Leader. Approximately $5,000 has been allocated for the School Leader in the pre-operational year and each year thereafter to engage in student recruitment and fundraising efforts. Staff Recruitment – Due to “THE” Academy’s strong emphasis on ensuring high- quality administrators, teachers, and staff members, the school has budgeted $1,500 per year in recruitment cost, including the cost of marketing and interviews. Based upon our study of high performing charter schools, we anticipate conducting in-person interviews with a minimum of five candidates for each position and conducting national searches whenever possible. Instructional and Assessment Material and Supplies/Student Supplies and Materials        Classroom Supplies- Includes supplies and classroom decorum purchased by faculty for their classrooms and includes school-wide decorum. This amount is based on historical costs at other charter schools (approximately $2,000) per year for general building decorum, $200.00 per instructional FTE for classroom supplies, and $30.00 per girl for student supplies) Instructional Materials- These funds primarily include curricular material such as textbooks, student workbooks, and teacher guides. The conservative assumption is that the average cost of instructional materials per student is $300 per year. The school will plan to replace textbooks every five years (due to updated information and normal wear and tear). In all cases, we strive to minimize textbook costs by purchasing used editions on Amazon.com and sharing editions across classrooms. We should be able to secure materials from the SCS warehouse from schools that have closed or lost enrollment. Our plan is to utilize our Title I budget to supplant our instructional material needs such as refurbishing our Journey's Reading Kits, purchasing additional resources for RTI2 or to purchase manipulatives for Math and Science. Student Assessments Materials- “THE” Academy will administer state-mandated tests as well as a nationally norm referenced test, and internal assessments. This line item is based on historical costs, current projections, and conservative estimates (approximately $50.00 per students per year). Printing and Paper- Includes all costs associated with printing and copying for instructional purposes, including paper. This line item is based on historical costs (approximately $30.00 per girl per year) Publications and Library Expense- “THE” Academy will build its library over a period. The school will seek in-kind donations as well as purchase books annually for its library. The school has budgeted $25.00 per girl per year to cover expenses related to the purchase of books for the library. Each classroom will have a take-home section of books for this purpose. Postage and Shipping- Includes routine postage and shipping. This is based on historical costs of other charter schools (approximately $7.00 per girl per year). Student Furniture- “THE” Academy has budgeted approximately $225.00 per girl ($20,000 for 2020-2021 academic year) for student furniture, including tables, desk, and chairs. In all cases, we will aim to purchase cost-effective and possibly used furniture. We will visit SCS Warehouse for used furniture.  Gifts and Awards- “THE” Academy believes in rewarding our girls and faculty and staff for its accomplishments and hard work. As such, the school has budgeted for gifts and awards (approximately $5.00 per girl per year and $100.00 per FTE per year). Office –Administration The primary cost drivers are office supplies, furniture for faculty and staff, expenses associated with faculty and parent meetings, insurance.     Office Supplies- Includes central office supplies. This is based on historical costs of other charter schools (approximately $500.00 per month) Furniture – “THE” Academy has budgeted approximately $500.00 per FTE for furniture. Faculty and Parent Meeting and Activities- Includes cost for faculty working meetings as well as parent meeting. This item is based on historical cost (assumes an annual expense of $500- mainly for food coast) Insurance- Includes insurance expense for general liability, umbrella, school board professional liability, building contents, employer’s liability for workers’ compensation, surety bond, and physical/sexual abuse and molestation liability. The school has budgeted $12,500 per year for insurance and anticipates a 3% COLA Communication   Cell Phones- “THE” Academy will cover the cost of a cell phone device and a monthly service plan with data package for school administrators. The school has budgeted a onetime $150.00 per device cost and $100.00 in monthly service charge. Telephones (School Facility) and Internet- “THE” Academy’s building is already installed with phones and internet but we have included this monthly cost in our utilities as $750.00 per month for telephone and Internet services at the school facility. Technology & Equipment   Computers- “THE” Academy has budgeted to purchased 20 desktop computers, 5 per classroom, beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year at an average cost of $700.00 per computer (which would include all necessary hardware costs). The school assumes an average computer life of four (4) years. The school may receive donations or computers at a significantly lower price and has explored Tennessee’s refurbished computer program which would have a favorable impact on the budget. Administrator/Teacher/Staff Laptops- Each Academy’s administrator, teacher, and staff member will be provided with a laptop at an average cost of $500.00 per computer, including software costs. The school assumes it will need to replace laptops every four (4) years to keep pace with technological upgrades. The school may receive in-kind donations or computers at a significantly lower price, which would have a favorable impact on the budget.  Software- “THE” Academy will purchase Achieve 3000/Smarty Ants, IReady Math and NWEA MAPS Programs. The school has budgeted $50.00 per girl per year for education software. Achieve 3000/Smarty Ants typically charges a base fee and a school license fee. We have based our estimate on costs from local charter school. Field Trips “THE” Academy believes it is essential for its girls to have educational experiences outside the classroom (cultural, arts,). “THE” Academy will likely schedule one local trip per grade per month and has budgeted $200 per grade level per year for these trips. These trips help girls gain a broader perspective on their education and life goals. Girls will earn the right to participate on trips by meeting academic and behavioral expectations. Food Costs The Academy estimates having 90% of its girls will qualify for free and reduced lunch and expects this percentage to stay constant through the first five years of charter operations. (Food costs that will be reimbursable through federal funds) Contracted Service     Accounting- “THE” Academy has budgeted $5,000 per year for annual audit to be conducted by a CPA firm. Tennessee Charter requires an annual audit. Legal- “THE” Academy has budgeted $5,000 for legal expenses each year (when/if the need arises). We anticipate an increase by 10% each year. Back Office Services- “THE” Academy plans to contract with an outside firm to handle finance, accounting, budgeting, and cash flow management. The school has budgeted $2,000 for these services in Y1. Payroll Services- The Academy has budgeted $10.00 per FTE per payroll period for payroll services SCS Additional Information SCS Additional Information “THE” Academy’s goal is to academically prepare a population of girls from a wide range of backgrounds to successfully transition from grade to grade. We will be a commuter, openenrollment elementary school where we propose a college preparatory, rigorous single-gender education for grades, K-5 to some of our most underserved and underperforming communities. Currently, there are no free public all girls’ elementary schools located in the city of Memphis. The need for a high performing all girl’s public elementary school would be beneficial to the communities of Memphis. The Midtown district is an anchor in the Memphis’ arts scene, including the Playhouse on the Square, Hattiloo Theater, Memphis College of Arts and the new Ballet Memphis. The Midtown community with its rich attributes to the Shelby County Schools district was one of the key factors in the decision-making process of choosing the right location for “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School. “THE” Academy wishes to reach a population within a part of a community that is rich with valuable resources. “THE” Academy will be a commuter school, however schools located in the Midtown district such as, Vollentine, Springdale and Snowden have all been cited as academically low performing schools based on their state testing results. 1According to the Tennessee Dept. of Education TVASS cite, Springdale and Vollentine Elementary first and second grade student’s average growth index both reflect that the schools have met the growth standards, however the average achievement growth score for these schools are a 1. Which indicate that they are both performing in the bottom 20% of schools in the reference population. Springdale’s’ first and second grade is made up of 100% Blacks / Hispanic / Native Americans, 0% ELL, 91% Economically Disadvantage, 7% SPED. Vollentines’ first and second grade is made up of 99% Black / Hispanic / Native American, 2% ELL, 11% SPED, 87% Economically Disadvantage. Unlike the previous mentions’ schools, Snowden’s achievement growth is not in the bottom 20% of schools, however Snowden is considered a Focus School. 2According to (TDOE) Focus Schools are schools in the state with the largest achievement gaps between groups of students. Snowden’s identified group for low achievement is the Economically Disadvantages. At Snowden, the first and second grade consist of 74% Black / Hispanic / Native American, 4% ELL, 29% Economically Disadvantage, 5% SPED. The data indicates that the economically disadvantaged students of this community are not performing at the rate of their peers. It is our desire to fill the gap with the educational offerings that “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School will provide. The test scores of these grade levels are predictors of the student’s success in their future endeavors. It will be our goal to have all students performing at or above grade level by 3rd grade. According to the regional Seat Analysis information, Central City West region has five schools on the 2018 State Priority List and four schools on the Additional Targeted Support and Invention (ATSI) State List. Four of the nine also scored below a 2.00 on the School Performance Scorecard. So, based on the Seat Analysis Central City West region has more seats available than students to fill them at every grade level. In grades K-5 there are 2,457 unused seats (under enrolled) and one of the elementary charter school in this region that is on the States 1 2 http://www.tn.gov/education/topic/tvaas https://www.tn.gov/education/article/2015-school-accountability Priority list has been recommended for closure with an estimated loss of 336 students. Based on the most recent School Performance Scorecard (2016-18), the North Memphis/Uptown, Orange Mound, and South Memphis neighborhood have the highest percentage of students in schools with a School Performance Scorecard rating below a 3.00 in the Central West region. Using 3.00 on the School Performance Scorecard as the marker for performance, the Central City West region need 4,000 more seats in K-5. “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School proposes to open with 40 girls in Kindergarten. We will then add one grade with 40 girls each year, reaching full capacity with K-5 enrollment by year 2025-2026. By adding one grade per year and having small class sizes this will help us to strategically develop systems, create successful instructional programs, and develop new curricular materials, while building a strong foundation for achievement, arts and attributes to educate the population in which we will serve. Need for Proposed School Within the Central City West region, located in Shelby County Schools District, ELLs and students with disabilities make up 24% and 23% respectively of this region’s student population. 90% of students in the region qualify for FRPL, indicating that a significant proportion of the student population is economically disadvantaged. In response to this, our school will tailor to the needs and strengths of our students by helping each child reach his fullest intellectual and social potential. Our school has been designed to address the diverse needs, strengths, knowledge, skills, and deficits of the students that will enter our building. By implementing a rigorous curriculum, setting high expectations, personalizing learning and instruction, and building a culture of care and support, our school will set the foundation that is needed for our students to be successful beyond elementary school. Through this model, we will have the capacity to alter the trajectory of our young girl’s lives, for the betterment of our community and society. “THE” Academy will enhance and expand the educational options for young girls in the Central West region, where the student achievement data referenced above demonstrates a great need for more high-quality school options. Through our unique instructional model and school culture, which are outlined in detail throughout our Charter Application, “THE” Academy provides tools for robust academic, character and social education for young girls in this region. With 2,457 unused seats, Central City West region has one of the highest number of seats available based on the Regional Seats Analysis information sheet. “THE” Academy seeks to provide the female students in grades K-5 of the Central City West region with a college preparatory education who not yet have access to a high-performing school. “THE” Academy’s planning team and founding board selected the Central City West region and the Midtown as its target area because they have either lived or worked within or around the community. As a Founding Board and Team, the wish is to improve the academic performance of the young girls within the community. Members of the Planning Team have taught students from the community in previous schools in which they have taught in. The desire is to address and improve the low academic attainment of young girls in this particular community. The Founding Team has the capacity, experience, and expertise to achieve the mission, objectives and vision that represents “THE” Academy. The need for a quality all-girls charter school in Midtown has been indicated by the number of community members, educators, and families that have shown support and provided input and feedback on our academic model. “THE” Academy’s Planning Team has conducted meaningful public outreach in Midtown and surrounding neighborhoods. The Planning Team has publicized events, solicited parent and community feedback, met with local elected officials, given Community Presentations, and made phones calls and sent hundreds of email communications which have resulted in an overwhelming amount of support for “THE” Academy. Memphis is a city that has great diversity in our communities. Our city has grown also in the diversity of education. The diversity in education is not only exposing children to different cultures, but also exposing them to different learning styles and curriculums. Today, parents have so many different options of where to send their child to be educated. Memphis has several outstanding private all girls’ elementary schools that meet the needs of our more privileged or affluent students. There is not a free public all-girls’ elementary school that meets the needs of our less affluent, underserved, and disadvantage girls, therefore “THE” Academy All Girls Charter School believes that all girls should have the opportunity to be afford the same rigorous, challenging, academic experience, with state-of-the-art classrooms like the more affluent girls. Where high standards are set, with exceptional teachers that constantly challenge themselves to grow professionally and evaluate emerging trends in their fields. 3According to the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS) girls attending all-girls schools are more likely to have an experience that supports their learning than are girls attending coed schools (independent and public). 94.9% of students at all girls’ schools agree or strongly agree they are motivated by their desire to succeed. Nearly 80% of girls’ school students report most of their classes challenge them to achieve their full academic potential. 95% report participating actively in class discussion. Over 80% of girls’ school report participating in activities that prepare them for the world outside of school helping them to link concepts across problem domains. 87% feel their opinion are respected and feeling more comfortable being themselves and expressing their ideas. Almost 95% of girls’ school students report their work has contributed to successfully reading and understanding challenging materials, showing greater gains on core academic and life skills. 96% of girls’ school students report receiving more frequent feedback on their assignments gave them a feeling of support in their endeavors. 85% girls’ school students spend more hours a week doing homework, attending study groups, tutoring others and working with their teachers than co-ed school students. 4Studies have demonstrated that students who attend single-gender schools consistently perform better on standardized test, regardless of socioeconomic status and generally have a more positive attitude about school with fewer absences. Nearly 100% of girls’ school grads go on to college with test scores above the national norm. “THE” Academy will place an emphasis on enrollment, however recruitment efforts will not be limited to only local neighborhoods around the Central City West region. 3 http://www.ncgs.org/SteepedInLearning.aspx