Alaska’s Charter School Programs Funding Alaska’s Future Leaders

By: Sian Ng-Ashcraft, Theresa Lyons & Daniel Pulu.

PADM 628, Dr. Protasel April 12, 2013

History of Charter School MovementOffer Choice; Innovative curriculum to improve academic performance; Reject “one size fits all.”

Legislation

1965: Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Great Society Program

Project Head Start

Legislation 1994: Charter School legislation – Federal

Charter School Program (CSP) – amendment to ESEA

1998: Charter School Expansion Act – amendment to CSP

2001: No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)

History of Charter School Movement First State Charter School Law –

Minnesota, 1991

1995: Alaska Legislature passed Charter School Act; signed by Governor Knowles

Total of 42 states and District of Columbia with charter school laws

Alaska’s Charter School Legislation Sec 14.03.250 – Establishment of

Charter School

Sec 14.03.260 – Funding for Charter School

Sec 14.11.121 – Grant Program – Subject to legislative appropriation and available funding

Amendments to Alaska Stature for Charter Schools 1st amendment in 2001: HB 101

Increased maximum number of charter schools 30 to 60

Length of charter to maximum of 10 years Remove previous geographical

restrictions

2nd amendment: Senate Bill 235 Removed limit to number of charter

schools

Alaska’s Charter SchoolsBetween 1996-1999

26 Charter schools were proposed

15 schools opened

Currently in 2013

27 Charter schools are operating

Alaska’s Charter Schools Charter schools are established upon approval of

the local school board and the Alaska State Board of Education

Same collective bargaining agreements

Governed by Academic Policy Committee

Monies maintained by school district accounts

Unique method of instruction

Alaska’s Charter Schools Charter schools function

Application process (lotteries)

Unique method of instruction

Required family involvement

Academic excellence

Alaska’s Charter Schools Literature Review

Variation in performance

Creates competition

Choice vs. government selection

Anchorage Choice (Charter Schools) Eight (8) charter schools in ASD

Alaska Native Cultural Aquarian Eagle Academy Family Partnership Frontier Highland Tech Rilke Schule Winterberry

Charter School National Ranking & Scorecard (CER)Center for Education Reform: annual analysis of nation ‘s charter school laws.

2012 – Annual Scorecard for 42 charter laws: National GPA (C grade) 5 As; 10Bs; 15 Cs; 8 Ds; and 4 Fs

2013 – Annual Scorecard for 43 charter laws: 4 As; 9 Bs; 19 Cs; 7 Ds; 4 Fs

Authorizers One single authorizer: State Board of

Education and Early Development Introduction of HB93 (January 13) –

Representative Lynn Gattis of Wasilla To allow multiple Authorizers:

Universities, Government Agencies, Non-Profit Organizations, and Business Entities

Mary Meade disagreement with benefits of multiple authorizers

2013 State Charter School Law Ranking Report (NAPCS) National Alliance for Public Charter

School (NAPCS) – study of NAPCS Model law based on 20 essential components Alaska ranks 41, out of 43 State Laws

NAPCS & CER highlight the needs for Alaska’s Charter School Law to be strengthened

Strengthening Needs Expanding authorizing options

Transparency in Charter application review and decision-making process

Requiring performance-based charter contracts

Clear processes for renewal, nonrenewal and revocation decisions

Strengthening Needs Comprehensive charter school

monitoring and data collection processes

Increasing operation autonomy

Ensuring equitable operational funding and equitable access to capital funding and facilities

Adequate Year Progress (AYP) Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

measures “the extent to which schools succeed in educating all students to a proficiency in at least reading and mathematics. From NAPCS’s data for 2011, Alaska scores above the national average in meeting AYP. Charter schools making the AYP is 77.8% (21 out of 27 schools), and schools failing to make AYP is 22.2% (6 out of 27). The national average for charter schools making the AYP is 58.9% (2,469 out of 4,195 charter schools), and 41.1% (1,726) of charter schools failing to meet the AYP standards.

Alaska Education Funding Formula The State formula ensures that each of

Alaska’s 53 districts receives the resources needed to provide students with a basic education.

Alaska’s Education Funding Formula accommodates the great diversity among 53 school districts

Alaska Education Funding Formula Formula is made up of 8 components

Average Daily Membership School Size Adjustment Temporary Adjustment for Significant Decline

in Enrollment District Cost Factor Special Needs Funding Career & Technical Education Intensive Services Funding Correspondence Students

Anchorage School District Fundso 62% of ASD funds allocated

from the State

o 38% of ASD funds allocated from Local taxes & revenue and Federal grants & programs

Charter School Funding FormulaConsists of 6 Variables( A – F)

Variables utilize the 8 components from the State Education Funding formula

Variable A Average Daily Membership (ADM)

20 –school day count

Charter School Funding Formula

School Size Formula (* ADM)

Variable B

Multiply Variable A by 120% (Special Ed Factor)

Table 1: School Size Formula

Reference School Size Formula 1. 10-19.99 39.60 2. 20-29.99 39.60 + (1.62*(ADM-20)) 3. 30-74.99 55.80 + (1.49*(ADM-30)) 4. 75-149.99 122.85 + (1.27*(ADM-75)) 5. 150-249.99 218.10 + (1.08*(ADM-150)) 6. 250-399.99 326.10 + (.97*(ADM-250)) 7. 400-749.99 471.60 + (.92*(ADM-400)) 8. Over 750 793.60 + (.84*(ADM -750)) Alaska Department of Education & Early Development

Charter School Funding Formula Variable C

Level III Special Ed Intensive Student population ($13 per student)

Variable D Students in 9-12 (* 1%)

Sum of Variables B, C ,D is called the Adjusted ADM.

Adjusted ADM multiplied by Base Student Allocation (Y1213 $5,680) “Basic Need”

Charter School Funding Formula Variable E

Quality School Grant ($16 per student) Add product to Basic Need

Indirect cost (Indirect rate * Basic Need)

Y1213 Indirect rate 3.64%

Charter School Funding Formula

• Variable F• Indirect Cost- Basic Need

• Example of Rilke Schule’s budget projection

Table 2: Example of Rilke Schule’s Budget Projection

Variables Student ADM 360.00 School Size Factor 432.80 Adjusted ADM 432.80 Times: Special Needs Factor 1.20 Total Adjusted ADM 519.36 Times: Student allocation 5,680 Full Implementation 2,949,965 Plus: Quality grants ($16*adjusted ADM) 8,310 Less: Indirect Cost (107,681) Total Funding 2,850,594 Charter Funding 1213

Charter School Business Partnerships

List of the business partnerships of each Anchorage Charter School

Charter Schools in Anchorage Business Partners Alaska Native Cultural Charter School Boys and Girls Club, NE Community

Center Hope Worldwide

Eagle Academy Charter School First National Bank, Eagle River Family Partnership Charter School Credit Union 1

Machaus McDonalds, Abbott

Frontier Charter School N/A Highland Tech Charter School Behavior Matters LLC

Colin Gillam, Financial Advisor Rilke Schule German School of Arts and Science

Alaska Center for Ear , Nose, Throat (AGENT)

Babylon Language Institute of Alaska Bilikin Investment Group David Charles Gosse Photography J & A Hermann LLC Law Offices of Elliott Dennis Northern Smiles Orthodontist

Winterberry Charter School Anchorage Fine Department, Station #1

Behavior Matter LLC Anchorage School District 2012

Other Revenue and Funding CSP Funds/Grants

Priority to states with multiple chartering agencies

Agencies with accountability of reaching clear and measurable objectives

Schools with high degree of autonomy over budgets and expenditures

School Bonds

Alaska’s Charter Schools have not exercise their right to petition for school bonds

Public school projects funded through voters’ approved bonds qualify for 60 - 70% debt reimbursement by the state

Revenue and Funding Sustainability Options Alternative education funding options

Voucher system

Education savings account

Tax-credit scholarship

Individual tax credits/deductions

Conclusion There is a growing movement for alternative

education Alaska House Bill 93: Charter Schools

More research is needed to measure: Student achievement Understand impact on traditional public schools

Families are voluntarily electing charter schools Exercising choices

References Alaska Senate Bipartisan Working Group. (February 8, 2010). Senate Education Committee Moves Bill to Help Charter Schools. Press Release.

Retrieved April 4, 2013 from http://www.aksenate.org/press/020810_committee_moves_education_bill.pdf.

Anchorage School District. (2012). ASD Tube Community [Video file]. Retrieved March 15, 2013 from http://www.asdk12.org/depts/staff_dev/ASDTubeCommunity/CharterSchools.asp.

Anchorage School District. (2013). Retrieved March 28, 2013 from https://www.asdk12.org/.

Anchorage School District. (2013). Where Does ASD's Money Come From? Retrieved March 12, 2013 from http://asdk12.org/budget/.

Comeau, Carol. (Sept 10, 2001). ASD MEMORANDUM #36 (2001-2002). Anchorage School District: Mission Statement and Goals. Retrieved March 01, 2013 from www.asdk12.org/school_board/archives/Arc2001-2002/.../H08M036.pdf.

Cordero-Giorgana, Erick. House Majority Press. (Jan 30, 2013). Gattis Introduces Bill to Enhance Public Charter Schools: HB 93 Allows Multiple Authorizers of Public Charter Schools in Alaska. Retrieved March 29, 2013 from http://www.housemajority.org/item.php?id=item20130130-33.

Gattis, L. (2013). Sponsor statement: House Bill 93 – Charter Schools [January 30, 2013]. Retrieved April 10, 2013 from http://housemajority.org/spon.php?id=28hb93.

Holloway, S. J. State of Alaska Dept of Education and Early Development, (2001). Alaska's Public School Funding Formula: A Report to the Alaska State Legislature. Retrieved March 14, 2013 from http://education.alaska.gov/publications/FundingFormulaSB36Report.pdf.

League of Women Voters. (March 2000). History of the Charter School Movement: What are Charter Schools? Retrieved March 17, 2013 from http://www.dcwatch.com/lwvdc/lwv0003c.htm.

Meade-Olberding, M. (2012). All About Charter Schools [Video file]. Retrieved March 20, 2013 from http://www.asdk12.org/depts/staff_dev/ASDTubeCommunity/CharterSchools.asp.

National Conference of State Legislatures. Charter Schools: Overview. Retrieved March 17, 2013 from http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/educ/charter-schoolsoverview.aspx.

National Education Association – Alaska. (n.d). School Choice. Retrieved March 12, 2013 from http://www.neaalaska.org/sites/default/files/SchoolChoice2013.pdf

Public School Review. (2013). Alaska Blue Ribbon School. Retrieved on March 26, 2013 fromhttp://www.publicschoolreview.com/blueribbon_schools/stateid/AK.

References State of Alaska, Department of Education and Early Development. (2013). History of Alaskan Charter Programs. Retrieved March 25,

2013 from http://www.eed.state.ak.us/ alaskan_schools/charter/pdf/history_of_alaskan_charter_schools.pdf.

State of Alaska, Department of Education and Early Development. Retrieved March 10, 2013 from http://www.eed.state.ak.us/alaskan_schools/charter/

State of Alaska, Department of Education and Early Development. Retrieved March 10, 2013 from http://education.alaska.gov/faq.html#A2.

  The Alaska State Legislature. AS§14.03.250 & AS §14.03.260. Retrieved March 10, 2013 from http

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The Alaska State Legislature. 22nd Legislature (2001-2002). AS§ 14.03.263. Charter school grant program. Retrieved March 10, 2013 fromhttp://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=HB0101D&session=22.

The Alaska State Legislature (2013). House Bill 93 Letters Oppose. Retrieved April 10, 2013 from http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_document.asp?session=28&bill=HB93

The Center for Education Reform. (n.d.). Charter School Law. Retrieved March 10, 2013 from http://www.edreform.com/issues/choice-charter-schools/laws-legislation/.

The Center for Education Reform. (December 2011). The State of Charter Schools: What We Know and What We Do Not Know About Performance and Accountability. Retrieved March 10, 2013 from http://www.edreform.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/StateOfCharterSchools_CER_Dec2011-Web-1.pdf.

The Center for Education Reform. (2013). Annual Charter School Law Report Card Issued. Retrieved March 10, 2013 from http://www.edreform.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/CERCharterLaws2013_Chart_FINAL.pdf.

The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice (2013). The ABCs of School Choice. Retrieved April 10, 2013 from http://www.edchoice.org/CMSModules/EdChoice/File Library/965/The-ABCs-of-School-Choice---2013-edition.pdf.

References The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. (2012). The Public Charter School Dashboard. Retrieved April 7, 2013 from

http://dashboard.publiccharters.org/dashboard/schools/page/overview/state/AK/year/2012  The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. (January 2013). Measuring Up to the Model: Ranking of Charter School Laws. (4th

ed.). Retrieved April 7, 2013 from http://www.publiccharters.org/data/files/Publication_docs/NAPCS_2013%20Model%2Law%20 Rrankings_20130211T204454.pdf.

Toma, E. & Zimmer, Ron. (2011). Two decades of charter schools: Expectations, reality, and the future. Economics of Education Review, 31, p. 209-212. doi: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2011.10.001.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement, Charter School Program. Retrieved March 11, 2013 from http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oii/csp/index.html?exp=0

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