District/School Administration Administration
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Charter Renewal - Health Careers Academy Charter School

I recommend that the Board of Education vote to renew the charter for the Health Careers Academy Charter School (HCACS).

Basis of Recommendations Regarding the Renewal of Charters

The charter school regulations state that "[t]he decision by the Board to renew a charter shall be based upon the presentation of affirmative evidence regarding the success of the school's academic program; the viability of the school as an organization; and the faithfulness of the school to the terms of its charter" 603 CMR 1.12. Consistent with the regulations, recommendations regarding renewal are based upon the Department's evaluation of the school's performance in these areas. In its review, the Department has considered both the school's absolute performance at the time of the application for renewal and the progress the school has made during the first four years of its charter.

The superintendent of the Boston Public Schools, the district sending students to HCACS, was invited to submit written comment to the Department regarding the renewal of the school's charter. No written comment was received from the superintendent.

The summary document that follows this memorandum was prepared for you as a compilation of the school's record for the term of this charter. The accountability process for charter schools recognizes that in exchange for increased freedom, a school must demonstrate results within the term of its five-year charter or risk non-renewal. I recommend that the Board renew the charter for Health Careers Academy Charter School based on the evidence gathered in the attached Summary of Review and as further summarized below.

I. Academic Success

• HCACS is a Horace Mann charter school located on the campus of Northeastern University. The school serves students in grades 9-12.
• The curriculum for core classes follows that of the Boston Public Schools, which is aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. In addition to traditional classes, the school has created a sequence of courses related to health sciences and careers in the health care industry. The school arranges healthcare-related internships and enrichment opportunities during the school year and summer. The school also offers a number of advanced placement courses.
• The renewal inspection team observed that lessons were generally teacher-directed, and in many classes, teachers' questions elicited higher-order thinking from students.
• HCACS made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in ELA and mathematics in the aggregate and for all statistically significant subgroups in all years between 2003 and 2007.

II. Organizational Viability

• HCACS is currently a fiscally viable organization.
• HCACS has a signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Boston Public Schools.
• Two site visit teams from the Charter School Office and the renewal inspection team reported evolving but effective leadership structures at HCACS.
• The renewal inspection team and the two site visit teams found a high level of parent satisfaction with HCACS.
• HCACS maintains full enrollment and a waiting list.

III. Faithfulness to Charter

• Students are exposed to the field of health care through visits to health care sites, guest speakers, job shadowing, and health related community service internships.
• HCACS maintains small class sizes, a reading support program, after-school tutoring staffed by students from Northeastern University, and a summer skills-building program.
• A mid-cycle Coordinated Program Review (CPR) in May of 2006 did not note any outstanding special education and civil rights compliance issues. HCACS will receive continued monitoring for English language learners as part of the next scheduled Coordinated Program Review for the Boston Public Schools in March of 2008.

• One of the school's world language teachers was chosen to be a teacher leader and mentor for the Boston Public Schools in 2006-07.
• Another of the school's world language teachers was selected as a recipient of a Community Higher Education School Partnerships grant, funded by Learn and Serve America and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in order to provide workshops in 2005-07 to parents about health issues and possible sources of funding for college.
• Two teachers were recipients of Boston Public Schools/Boston Plan for Excellence Fund for Teachers grants and traveled separately to South Africa and Cape Verde and then presented their experiences at a pilot school conference in October of 2005.
• HCACS has hosted visitors from a diverse range of locations through its participation in the High School Renewal Program of the Boston Public Schools and the small schools network of the Center for Collaborative Education. Visitors have come from Australia, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, New York, the United Kingdom, and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy of South Africa as well as from English High School in Boston and Putnam Vocational High School in Springfield, MA.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Jeff Wulfson, Associate Commissioner, at 781 338-6500, Mary Street, Director of Charter Schools, at 781 338-3200, or me.

Enclosure:    Summary of Review