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

Charter Renewal - Initial Discussion for Smith Leadership Academy Charter Public School

This month, the Board will have its initial discussion of the charter renewal application of Smith Leadership Academy Charter Public School (SLA), a Commonwealth charter school located in Dorchester that serves students from Boston. The Board will vote on this renewal at its meeting on January 22, 2008.

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 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 Smith Leadership Academy Charter Public School based on the evidence gathered in the attached Summary of Review and as further summarized below.

I. Academic Success

• SLA serves students in grades 6-8 with a program focused on five principles: 1) achievement in core academic subjects; 2) cultivation of student character and leadership skills; 3) creation of a supportive, orderly learning environment; 4) strong parental involvement; and 5) partnerships with community organizations and other schools.
• The school uses a variety of instructional modalities, with an emphasis on small group learning stations to differentiate instruction and teach to different modalities. Socratic seminars, cooperative learning techniques, and interdisciplinary instruction are also frequently used.
• The school makes extensive use of data analysis to inform instruction. Results from MCAS examinations, the Stanford 9 test, the Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation, the Group Mathematics Assessment, and the Visual-Aural-Read/Write-Kinesthetic Learning Style Inventory are used to create an individual Diagnostic Assessment Profile for each student.
• The school has implemented a number of interventions to improve student performance, including Saturday classes, double math classes, additional teachers for academic classes, and a month long summer program.
• SLA made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in ELA in the aggregate and for all statistically significant subgroups in 2005. In 2006, SLA made AYP in the aggregate, but not for African American Students. In 2007, SLA did not make AYP in the aggregate or for subgroups.
• In 2007, SLA made AYP in mathematics in the aggregate, with an increase of 12.4 points, and for subgroups, with an increase of 13.7 points for students in the Low Income subgroup and 11 points for students in the African American subgroup. SLA did not make AYP in mathematics in the aggregate or for subgroups in all years between 2003 and 2006.

II. Organizational Viability

• SLA is fiscally sound and stable.
• The school's founder left at the end of the school's third year, 2005-06, at which time the school's founding principal replaced him as the head of school. The six member administrative leadership team is supported by a Teacher Advisory Council, which gives teachers a role in such managerial functions as community outreach, hiring, and developing daily procedures and school norms.
• Concerns about governance that emerged in the school's early years have been corrected by steps taken by the school's board of trustees to ensure that it plays a proper role in governing the school. The Board consists of nine members, five of whom are founders of the school. Appropriate channels of communication have been established and the board has been proactive in supporting the school.
• Parents have consistently expressed high levels of satisfaction with the school.
• SLA maintains full enrollment and a waiting list.

III. Faithfulness to Charter

• The mission of SLA is to "develop high-achieving students of good character who use problem solving, communication, and interpersonal skills to inspire others and to catalyze educational, economic, and political advancement within their communities and the broader nation." There are many unique practices, events, and rituals incorporated in the school's program that contribute to the development of a distinctive and strong school culture.
• Subsequent to a Coordinated Program Review in February of 2005, SLA developed a Corrective Action Plan (CAP). A Department summary indicated that all critical issues have been satisfactorily addressed. A follow-up mid-cycle CPR is scheduled for June 2008.

IV. Dissemination

• SLA staff presented two workshops at the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association Best Practices Showcase in March 2007.
• SLA has participated in a number of events in collaboration with community partners, including the establishment of a summer evening Teen Café to address issues of neighborhood youth violence.

If you have 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