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The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Charter Schools - Recommendations for New Charter Schools

To:
Members of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
From:
Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D., Commissioner
Date:
February 14, 2014

For the 2013-2014 charter school application cycle, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) received ten prospectuses for new charter schools in July 2013. Following a review of these prospectuses by Department staff and external reviewers, I invited six applicant groups to submit charter applications this past fall. Below is a summary of the six charter applications that were submitted.

Proposed School NameDistricts to be ServedOpening YearGrade SpanMax Enrollment
Academy for the Whole Child Charter SchoolFitchburg2014K-4278
Argosy Collegiate Charter SchoolFall River20146-12644
Fenix Charter SchoolLynn20145-12600
New Heights Charter School of Fall River Fall River20146-13800
Springfield Preparatory Charter SchoolSpringfield2015K-8486
STEAM Studio Charter SchoolAndover20149-12450

I recommend that the Board grant two charters for Commonwealth charter schools: Argosy Collegiate Charter School and Springfield Preparatory Charter School. Both of the recommended applicants participated in the 2012-2013 application cycle, and I did not recommend either group to the Board for a charter last year. The quality of the Argosy Collegiate Charter School and the Springfield Preparatory Charter School applications and the capacities of their associated applicant groups have improved significantly since last year. The applicant groups of Argosy Collegiate Charter School and Springfield Preparatory Charter School have sufficiently addressed the Department's previous concerns and substantially met the Department's criteria for approval. This memorandum summarizes the charter application review process and my recommendations with respect to the charter applications.

The Charter Application Review Process

The Department conducted a multi-step review of the charter applications. The goal in this process is to identify those applicant groups that demonstrate the greatest potential for creating successful, high quality public schools. The review process included the following:

Enclosed with this memorandum under Tab A are the following materials:

Tabs B through G contain the following information for each charter application:

The full charter applications can be accessed on the Department's website at Five Public Hearings Scheduled on Six Charter School Final Applications.

Commissioner's Charter Application Recommendations and Rationale

While all applications have strengths and weaknesses, the proposals I am recommending meet the criteria for approval as set forth in the statute and the Board's regulations. I have reviewed these applications through the lens of our charter school accountability framework: the potential success of the academic program, the potential viability of the organization, and the potential faithfulness to the terms of the charter. The schools I am recommending for a charter have a strong likelihood of success in closing the achievement gap and in improving public education in Massachusetts.

Argosy Collegiate Charter School (Tab B)

This is a proposal for a new Commonwealth charter school, to be located in Fall River, focused on college and career readiness for students in grades 6-12. The proposed charter school incorporates specific strategies to address the needs of the anticipated student population, including twice the typical time for instruction in literacy and mathematics and academic support periods for all students in grades 6-8, financial literacy curriculum for all students in grades 6-12, and college skills programming for all students in grades 9-12. The applicant group includes the proposed school leader, a former fellow of Building Excellent Schools.

The superintendent of the proposed school's sending district, Fall River, was invited to submit public comment on the application. No comment was received.

I recommend approval for Argosy Collegiate Charter School.

Springfield Preparatory Charter School (Tab C)

This is a proposal for a new Commonwealth charter school, to be located in Springfield, focused on literacy development and character education within a structured and rigorous learning environment for students in grades K-8. The proposed charter school aims to prepare all students for future success-in high school, college, and beyond. The applicant group includes the proposed school leader, a former fellow of Building Excellent Schools.

The superintendent of the proposed school's sending district, Springfield, was invited to submit public comment on the school's application. No comment was received.

I recommend approval for Springfield Preparatory Charter School.


I am not recommending the Academy for the Whole Child Charter School, Fenix Charter School, New Heights Charter School of Fall River, and STEAM Studio Charter School for new charters. As a result of the review process, I determined that these proposals need further development and revision with respect to the charter school approval criteria. These applicant groups will be invited to participate in a debriefing session with the Department to receive detailed feedback on their applications. Included in the attachments are an executive summary of each proposal, written by the applicant group, and a summary of the final application review, including the application's primary strengths and weaknesses. Other documentation is available upon request.

Cliff Chuang, Associate Commissioner; and Alyssa Hopkins, Coordinator of New School Development, will be at your meeting on February 25, 2014 to assist with the discussion. In the meantime, if you need any additional information, please contact Cliff (781-338-3222), Deputy Commissioner Jeff Wulfson (781-338-6500) or me.

Enclosures

The Charter Application Review Process (Tab A)

Download PDF Document
Public hearings
Download PDF Document
Prospectuses and charter application reviewers
Download PDF Document
Metrics used to evaluate proven provider status
Download PDF Document
Charter application review process and criteria for review

Argosy Collegiate Charter School (Tab B)

Download PDF Document
Executive Summary
Download PDF Document
List of Proposed Board of Trustees
Download PDF Document
Interview Summary
Download PDF Document
Final Application Review
 
Proven Provider Status
Download PDF Document
Student Data, Boston Preparatory Charter School
Download PDF Document
Student Data, Excel Academy Charter School
Download PDF Document
Enrollment Demographic, Boston Preparatory Charter School
Download PDF Document
Enrollment Demographics, Excel Academy Charter School

Springfield Preparatory Charter School (Tab C)

Download PDF Document
Executive Summary
Download PDF Document
List of Proposed Board of Trustees
Download PDF Document
Interview Summary
Download PDF Document
Final Application Review
 
Proven Provider Status
Download PDF Document
Student Data, Boston Preparatory Charter School
Download PDF Document
Student Data, Excel Academy Charter School
Download PDF Document
Enrollment Demographic, Boston Preparatory Charter School
Download PDF Document
Enrollment Demographics, Excel Academy Charter School

Academy for the Whole Child Charter School (Tab D)

Download PDF Document
Executive Summary
Download PDF Document
Final Application Review

Fenix Charter School, (Tab E)

Download PDF Document
Executive Summary
Download PDF Document
Final Application Review

New Heights Charter School of Fall River (Tab F)

Download PDF Document
Executive Summary
Download PDF Document
Final Application Review

STEAM Studio Charter School (Tab G)

Download PDF Document
Executive Summary
Download PDF Document
Final Application Review