Boston Renaissance Charter Public School 
Charter School Improvement Plan 
Board of Trustees Response to Consultant Report 
August 2007 


The Boston Renaissance Charter Public School Board of Trustees submits the following statements and actions plans to DOE/Charter School Office, as required: 

The July 16, 2007 Report with recommendations from Barbara Miller and Neil Schiavo of the Education Development Center has been very instructive to the Boston Renaissance Charter Public School Board of Trustees. 

During a July 18, 2007 conference call between Miller/Schiavo and Trustees, a lively and informative discussion of a draft of the Report findings and recommendations occurred. In a subsequent July 25, 2007 meeting, the Trustees discussed the final Report and agreed to immediately implement and/or plan near-term action on several Report recommendations. 

Specifically, in response to: 

Question 1. Through what structures and processes does the Board of Trustees govern and  provide oversight to BRCPS? 

Recommendation 1. Articulate which actions are available to the Board and under what  circumstances they might be taken. 

Trustees will be clearer about the kinds of appropriate actions they might take, such as, 1) hold an open discussion, 2) direct the Headmaster to provide a formal proposal, 3) direct a committee to collect additional information, 4) vote to approve an item, or 5) table an idea for later consideration. 

Recommendation 2. Identify what would constitute a formal proposal and when it would be needed. 

The Board will establish a clear definition of what constitutes a formal proposal and when it should be requested. As part of creating this definition, the Board will delineate what information that would be included in a formal proposal (e.g. timeline, goals, budget, and staffing plan). 

Recommendation 3. Articulate what constitutes the work of the Academic Achievement/ Curriculum and Instruction (AACI) committee. 

By the end of September 2007, the entire Board of Trustees will have worked with the AACI to more clearly define and articulate the work of this committee. 

In response to:
 
Question 2. How has the Board of Trustees constructed and implemented a system for evaluating the performance of the Headmaster/CEO? 

To comply with the letter and spirit of the Recommendations connected to Question 2, by the end of September 2007, the Board will 

	- Establish a clear process and expected product for the evaluation of the Headmaster, accompanied by a set timeline. The Board will focus-on specific points around the evaluation process that address: 
		- Which groups will be asked to participate in the Headmaster/CEO s evaluation 
		- How many members of each group will receive a copy of the instrument and what return rate is expected 
		- When and to whom the completed instrument should be returned 
		- What the process will be for analysis of the data 
		- What the report or final product will look like 
		- How the results will be shared among the Board, with the Headmaster, and with the school community? 

Furthermore, the Board will develop a process which emphasizes input from all Board members and data analysis that features Board responses. Board responses will be complemented by consideration of input from other members of the school community, but responses from all Board members will form the basis of the assessment. 

Additionally, the Board will clarify which goals will be used in the evaluation tool and, as goal setting for the Headmaster/CEO should take place at the beginning of the school year and should play a critical role in the annual evaluation process, the Board and Headmaster will discuss and establish goals for the 2007-2008 school year by the end of August 2007. Finally, the Board intends to protect the integrity of the evaluation process by defining and limiting the roles played in the evaluation process by BRCPS staff.