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

Charter School Applications

At the February meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, I may recommend that the Board grant charters for new charter schools. In the current application cycle, 18 Commonwealth charters and 41 Horace Mann charters are available. The Department received prospectuses from seven applicant groups in August 2008. All of the prospectuses proposed Commonwealth charter schools. After a review process that included internal and external reviewers using criteria established by the Department, three applicant groups were invited to submit final applications. On November 14, 2008, all three groups submitted final applications.

An executive summary, prepared by each applicant group, is included for your review. The names of the proposed charter schools, their enrollment capacities, and the district(s) they seek to serve are as follows:

Spirit of Knowledge Academy Charter School (SOKA), serving students in grades 6-12 from Leicester, Oxford, and Worcester. Enrollment capacity: 585.

Gloucester Community Arts Charter School, serving students in grades K-8 from Gloucester. Enrollment capacity: 240.

Rediscovery Academy Charter School, located in Waltham serving students in grades 9-12 from throughout the Commonwealth. Enrollment capacity: 220.

The charter school application review process, which was not complete until mid-January, is rigorous and extensive and includes:

• Review panels, during which internal and external reviewers discuss each final application at length, comparing the applications submitted to the application criteria. Review panels are conducted by the Charter School Office. A summary of the review criteria is attached.
• Public hearings held in Gloucester, Waltham, and Worcester in early December.
• Written comment, which is solicited from superintendents, school committees, and the public.
• An interview of each applicant group in the third week of January.

Based on the review of each application against the criteria, feedback received from the review panels, public comment, and information from the final interviews, I will determine which, if any, applicants meet the criteria for a Massachusetts charter school and will make my recommendations to you. A detailed description of the review process for charter applications is attached.

If you have any questions on the applications or review process, please contact Jeff Wulfson, Associate Commissioner, at 781-338-6500; Mary Street, Director of Charter Schools, at 781-338-3200; or me.

Enclosures:

	Description of the Charter Application Review Process
	Executive Summaries
	Charter School Final Application Review Criteria