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

Uphams Corner Charter School - Progress Report on Renewal Conditions

This memorandum provides you with an update regarding Uphams Corner Charter School (Uphams) in Boston. In January 2007, the Board of Education imposed five conditions, one with subparts, upon the renewal of the charter for Uphams. Below is a summary of information gathered regarding the school since January 2007. The Charter School Office will continue to monitor the school's progress. No further action by the Board is required at this time.

The five conditions imposed on the charter for Uphams are as follows.

1. By June 30, 2007, Uphams Corner Charter School shall have submitted to and received approval from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the following items:

   • A school improvement plan, consistent with the Department's standards for a District Plan for School Intervention.

   • A charter school Accountability Plan, including goals and annual benchmarks regarding academic success, organizational viability, and faithfulness to charter. The Accountability Plan must be aligned to the school's plan for improvement as referenced above, and must include the school's plan for achieving Adequate Yearly Progress in the aggregate and for all statistically significant subgroups in English language arts and Mathematics.

   • All relevant amendments to its charter, in accordance with 603 CMR 1.11.

2. By June 30, 2007, the school shall engage a consultant, who shall be approved by the Commissioner, to review the school's leadership structure and provide training and assistance to strengthen the school's management.

3. By December 2007, Uphams Corner Charter School shall have met or shall be making substantial progress toward the benchmarks set forth in its approved Accountability Plan.

4. By December 2008, Uphams Corner Charter School shall demonstrate that it is an academic success by providing evidence that the school has met or is making substantial progress toward meeting all benchmarks in its 2007-2012 Accountability Plan and has made Adequate Yearly Progress in the aggregate and for all statistically significant subgroups in English language arts and mathematics for 2008.

5. By December 2008, Uphams Corner Charter School shall have completed the necessary property acquisition and fundraising to permit a relocation of the school to the Uphams Corner area no later than September 2009.

Condition 1 - Planning, Submission, and Approval of Plans

Uphams has partially met Condition 1. There are three components to this condition, all of which were to be completed by June 30, 2007. Uphams has completed two of the three required components.

The first component, requiring Uphams to submit a Plan for Charter School Improvement, was completed. The school's plan can be found at http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/reports/2007/uccs/improveplan.pdf or http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/reports/2007/uccs/improveplan.doc. Accountability and Targeted Assistance has reviewed this plan and provided the school feedback. The results of this review can be found at http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/reports/2007/uccs/analysistool.pdf or http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/reports/2007/uccs/analysistool.doc.

The second component required Uphams to submit and have approved a new Accountability Plan aligned with the Plan for Charter School Improvement. Uphams is still working on fulfilling this requirement and submitted the most recent draft to the Charter School Office for its review in late October 2007.

The third component required Uphams to submit and have approved all relevant amendments to its charter. In October 2007, the Board of Education approved amendments to change the school's leadership structure and curriculum model. On November 9, 2007, the Acting Commissioner approved an amendment submitted on October 14, 2007 regarding the school's schedule.

Condition 2 - Consultant Regarding Leadership and Management

Uphams has met Condition 2. Condition 2 required the school to engage a consultant to review its leadership structure and provide training and assistance to strengthen its management. Uphams received approval from the Commissioner and engaged a consultant, Ron Walker, in June 2007. The consultant has reviewed the school's leadership structure and provided training and assistance to strengthen the school's management.

Condition 3 - Progress Toward Benchmarks in Accountability Plan

Uphams has not met Condition 3 because it does not have an approvable Accountability Plan. Condition 3 requires that Uphams meet or be making substantial progress toward meeting the benchmarks set forth in its Accountability Plan by December of 2007. Because Uphams does not yet have an approved Accountability Plan, this condition cannot be assessed as of this date.

Condition 4 - Academic Success and Adequate Yearly Progress

Condition 4 cannot be fully assessed at this time. Condition 4 requires assessment in December 2008 of Uphams' progress toward improving academic performance. With respect to condition 4, Uphams made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in the aggregate and in subgroups for English language arts and mathematics in 2007. Accountability data for 2007 can be found at http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/ayp/ayp_report/school.aspx?fyCode=2007&orgcode=04900305. Future site visits will document progress against the benchmarks established in the school's Accountability Plan. Additional information about the school's academic program can be found in the Charter School Office 7th year site visit report at http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/reports/default.html.

Condition 5 - Facilities

Condition 5 cannot be fully assessed at this time. Condition 5 requires that the school relocate to Uphams Corner by September 2009. In late August, the school moved from its site in South Boston to a temporary site in the YMCA on Huntington Avenue in Boston. Team members on the site visit conducted in October of 2007 learned that the school intends to be at this site for at least the current school year. The school's Board of Trustees is working with a real estate advisor to identify sites in the Uphams Corner neighborhood. At the time of the site visit, no further progress had been made in relocating the school to Uphams Corner and the Board of Trustees has yet to develop a comprehensive strategy for meeting this condition or for raising the funds that will be necessary to meet this condition. Additional information can be found in the report completed by the Charter School Office after a site visit in October (http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/reports/default.html).

If you would like a hard copy of the documents referred to in this memorandum, have any questions, or require additional information regarding Uphams, please contact Jeff Wulfson, Associate Commissioner, at 781-338-6500; Mary Street, Director of Charter Schools, at 781- 338-3200; or me.