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New School Application
Fall 2014 cycle for schools
interested in opening August, 2015
The CSI New School Application
The first step in applying for a
charter school contract is to
submit an Executive Sum-
mary as set forth in the 2014
Call for Applications. The New
School Application is intended
for applicants who wish to
apply for CSI authorization as
a new school. It is strongly
recommended that applicants
use the 2014 New School
Application Rubric and con-
sult the CSI Services docu-
ment while drafting their appli-
cation. The Charter School
Institute Board reserves the
right to request additional in-
formation of the charter
school applicant during the
application or interview proc-
esses, at its discretion.
All application materials must
be submitted to the Institute
on or before August 1, 2014.
On or before the date the ap-
plication or any supplement
materials are submitted to the
institute, the Applicant shall
The supporting documents men-
tioned in this section of the applica-
tion can be found on the CSI web-
site at http://www.csi.state.co.us/
prospective_schools/
Introduction to the Charter School Institute
The mission of the
Charter School Institute
shall be to foster high-
quality public schools
choices offered through
Institute charter schools
that deliver rigorous
academic content and
high academic perform-
ance in a safe environ-
ment and on par with
the highest performing
schools, including par-
ticularly schools for at-
risk students.
The Charter Schools
Act was adopted in
Colorado in 1993. The
General Assembly con-
sidered several alterna-
tive authorizer propos-
als before adopting the
Charter School Institute
(CSI) Act in 2004. CSI
authorized two charter
schools in 2005 and
now has a total of 28
schools in its portfolio
throughout Colorado
with more than 10,500
students in attendance.
provide its home district
Board of Education and Ac-
countability Committee a
complete electronic version of
the application, amendment,
or supplement.
The applicant shall provide to
the Institute proof that it has
given such notice to the
Board of Education and Ac-
countability Committee of the
school district in
which the pro-
posed school is
to be located.
Such proof may
consist of a certified mail re-
ceipt, a hand written receipt or
other written acknowledge-
ment from the recipient that
written notification was pro-
vided. The Board of Educa-
tion and Accountability Com-
mittee may each comment on
the application, amendment
or supplement to the Institute,
in writing, within 30 days of
receiving notice of the sub-
mission. Failure to provide
the district with notice of
the application will result in
denial of the application by
CSI.
An application is considered
filed when the Institute re-
ceives the application either in
hard copy or electronically.
Within 5 days after receiving
an application, CSI shall de-
termine whether
the application
satisfies the re-
quirements
Specified in sec-
tion 22-30.5-509(1) and is
therefore complete. If the ap-
plication is not complete, CSI
shall notify the applicant
within the 5 day period and
provide a list of the informa-
tion required to complete the
application. The applicant has
15 days after the date it re-
ceives the notice to provide
the required information to
CSI for review.
All application materials
must be submitted by
August 1, 2014.
1
Who May Apply
An application may be
submitted by one or
more individuals, or by
a nonprofit, govern-
mental, or other entity
or organization. For
new charter schools
geographically located
in districts which have
retained exclusive
chartering authority,
notice of the CSI appli-
cation must be pro-
vided by the applicant
to the district. A list of
districts with their
chartering authority
status can be ac-
cessed via this link:
http://
www.cde.state.co.us/
sites/default/files/
ECA_2012%
20Final_0.pdf
Private schools and
current non-charter
public schools may not
apply to CSI through
this process.
The Institute is not required to
take action on the charter
application if the applicant
does not provide the required
information within the 15 day
period. CSI may request ad-
ditional information during the
review period and provide
reasonable time for the appli-
cant to respond. The Institute
may, but is not required to,
accept any additional infor-
mation the applicant provides
that the Institute does not
request. Upon receipt of a
complete application, and
upon sufficient answers to
CSI requests for additional
information, the CSI Board, in
a public hearing, will rule on
the application on October
14, 2014.
Applicants will be asked to
make a presentation to the
CSI Board during a public
hearing scheduled for Sep-
tember 9, 2014. Any addi-
tional dates and times will be
coordinated with the appli-
cant upon receipt of the com-
pleted application.
Essential Elements of a Quality Application
1. A demonstrated understanding of the
population the school intends to serve.
2. A comprehensive and research-based
curriculum and assessment program de-
signed to hold all students to high stan-
dards, including a plan to meet the differ-
entiated needs of all students.
3. A clear plan for evaluating pupil per-
formance across the curriculum, aligned
with state performance standards, school
performance goals, and accreditation re-
quirements.
4. A plan for recruiting and hiring a strong
and compatible leader.
5. A strong, knowledgeable, diverse, and
capable board of governance or leader-
ship team committed to best practices in
school governance, business operations,
and financial management.
6. A balanced budget and financial plan
including revenues and expenditures com-
plying with state and federal accounting
and reporting requirements that demon-
strates diligence in financial practice and
alignment to other components of the ap-
plication.
7. Multiple viable school facility options
with a clear needs assessment for space
utilization.
A successful application should reflect the following components:
2
Who reviews the application?
Several members of CSI staff
review the application, includ-
ing representatives from all
primary areas of the applica-
tion components. In addition
to CSI staff reviewing the
application, CSI contracts
with external consultants who
possess applicable expertise
to review applications.
How often will the applicant meet with CSI?
The applicant may initially
meet with CSI staff to review
the process, timelines, and
requirements. A representa-
tive of the review team will
also attend and participate in
a required geographic com-
munity meeting. There will be
an applicant interview with
the review team, which will
allow the applicant to provide
additional clarification or in-
formation to the review team.
Additionally, the applicant will
present to the CSI Board in a
public hearing. All of these
events will occur prior to the
staff recommendation and
Board decision. CSI will work
with the applicant to arrange
these dates.
Timeline of Events
The table below outlines the application process steps that occur during the New School Cycle
3
Before applying to the Institute, ensure the following have occurred:
· CSI and Applicant meet to discuss process
· Applicant meets with community members to gauge interest and elicit support
· Applicant notifies home district of intent to apply to the Institute
· Letter of Intent submitted to the Charter School Institute
August 1, 2014
Formal application submitted to the Institute
Application is
reviewed by
Institute for
completion within 5
days
CompleteIncomplete
Revisions Submitted within 15
days
(only once)No revisions or additional
information submitted.
Application Terminated90-Day Clock Begins
August
· Comprehensive review by the
Authorization Unit and
External Review Panel
· Further information may be
requested
September
· Geographic Meetings
· Applicant meets with
Authorization Unit and Board
to answer additional questions
October
· Authorization Unit and
External Review Panel
recommend approval or denial
to CSI Board
CSI Board Votes
October 14, 2014
Application Approved Conditional Approval Application Denied
Contract negotiations between the Institute and Applicant begin
What if the appli-cant did not sub-mit a Letter of In-tent or Executive Summary?
If the applicant did not submit a
Letter of Intent to Apply, please
include with your application a
copy of this document and Ex-
ecutive Summary. Instructions
and the related form for both
items can be found on the CSI
website via the following link:
www.csi.state.co.us/
prospective_schools
If you have provided this infor-
mation to the Institute already,
the Institute will ensure a copy
of these documents is included
in your application review. If
information is not aligned, or
has since changed since your
initial submission, the Institute
will request an updated copy.
Please note, these documents
help inform additional applica-
tion requirements, such as nec-
essary addenda.
Writing the Application The standard application is
divided into 9 primary
application components,
plus addenda, if
applicable. It is important
to remember that each of
these components may
require upfront training
and education to meet the
quality standard expected
by the Institute and the
State of Colorado.
The proposal must be
typed and supplied in both
paper format (one copy in
a 3-ring binder) and in
sections of the application,
as well as a distinct and
separate file for each
individual application
section. All of these may
be placed into a single
zipped file, flash drive, or
folder for submission.
To confirm that you have
reviewed your application
for completeness, the
Application Component
Checklist contained within
this document must be
signed and submitted
along with the application.
electronic format to CSI.
Number all pages within
each section. Each section
should adhere to the
lettering, numbering, and
page limits indicated in the
on the following pages of
this application.
Each of the 9 primary
sections of the paper
formant must be
separated by labeled tab
and begin on a separate
page. The electronic
format must include one
file that contains all
Contact Us CSI staff is happy to supply applicants with additional information, clarification, and direction toward
resources up until the application is submitted to CSI. Please contact CSI’s School Development
Coordinator, Janet Dinnen, at 303.866.4643 or [email protected].
www.cde.state.co.us/cdechart/DistAuthInfo
www.coloradoleague.org/
www.qualitycharters.org /
Websites:
Possible Resources
4
Content of the New School Application
A. Vision and Mission (3 pages)
1. The vision will articulate what the school hopes
to be. The mission should explain how the
school will reach that goal.
B. Evidence of Need & Support (15 pages)
1. Include information about the proposed charter
school’s student body, including the intended
students’ educational needs and demographics
(racial/cultural, socioeconomic, special needs,
and ELL). The application, in its entirety, should
reflect an understanding of the intended student
population.
2. Provide a description of the programmatic
offerings currently available to the target
population that support the need for the
proposed school.
3. Detail the type of broad outreach the founders
conducted to make the student population and
their families aware of the proposed charter
school. This should include future outreach plans
if the charter school is approved.
4. Detail the approximate number of students
expressing an interest in the proposed school.
This information should be disaggregated in a
manner showing demographic information about
prospective students.
5. If there are any existing or anticipated
partnerships or networking relationships, provide
an explanation of their role in development, as
well as the planned resources or agreements
that have been discussed or formalized.
6. Include information on community members,
leaders, and parents who publicly support the
proposed school and their role in the
development of the school.
7. Include a description of the efforts made to
distribute information about the school, including
opportunities for community involvement.
Evidence may be included as attachments.
Maximum page numbers are indicated in the parentheses adjacent to each content area.
C. Leadership (5 pages)
1. Provide a detailed description of the recruiting,
hiring, selection process, and timeline for
identifying the school leader.
2. Detail the profile of your school’s ideal leader,
including skills, qualifications, and
characteristics.
3. Provide a job description and board evaluation
process for the head of school.
D. Education Program (30 pages)
1. Provide a rationale for selecting the chosen
model, including research-based evidence that
supports the effectiveness of the selected model
with the target population.
2. Describe the core content areas, including the
curriculum and instructional strategies that are
supported by research matching needs of the
student population for the proposed school.
3. Provide an explanation of how the curriculum is
either already aligned to state model content
standards or will be aligned within the first year
of school operation including a timeline and
process for monitoring progress.
4. Include an explanation or plan for how the
curriculum is or will be aligned vertically and
horizontally for all grades the school will
serve.Describe the process and methods that
will be used to differentiate instruction based on
identified student needs.
6. Discuss the use of supplemental curricula for
electives or “special” courses that is thorough
and based on state model content standards
when available.
7. Detail the plans for supplemental programming
(summer school, extracurricular activities,
psychosocial programming, remediation and
intervention).
(Continued on page 6)
5
8. Include a description of the organizational
structure that allows for full implementation of the
curriculum.
9. Include information about how the school
calendar and schedule will comply with statutory
requirements.
10. Describe the plan for selecting and engaging in
professional development activities.
11. Include the process for staff evaluation.
E. Serving Students with Special Needs (15
pages)
1. Include the school policy for a Response to
Intervention (RtI) or child study process that
meets all legal requirements.
2. Detail plans to meet the unique needs of
students with Individualized Education Plans (for
special education), 504 Plans, Advanced
Learning Plans (for gifted/talented), Health Plans
and English Language Learners. Include
information on plans for staffing, identification,
documentation, assessment, progress
monitoring, adaptation, and alignment with the
budget.
3. Provide research-based evidence that supports
the chosen strategies for interventions and
support materials selected.
F. Goals, Objectives & Pupil Evaluation (20
pages)
1. Use the Baseline Targets Template to provide
academic goals aligning with state and Institute
standards, as described in the Colorado School
Performance Framework and CSI Performance
Frameworks.
2. Provide a rationale for how the goals and
objectives of the program were determined, that
include alignment with the school’s vision and
mission, and are based on reliable methods to
measure progress along state, CSI, and school
expectations.
3. Describe the purpose and frequency of
assessments used, including school-selected
diagnostic and interim assessment. These
selections must meet requirements of the
Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic
Development Act (Colorado READ Act),
Individual Learning Plans (ILPs), and federal
requirements, such as the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
4. Describe the school’s data management plan to
include staff roles and responsibilities, the
Student Information System (SIS) and data
warehouse to be used, and indicate its alignment
with the budget.
5. Detail the plan to monitor progress towards
meeting these goals, including how the school
will collect, analyze, triangulate, manage, and
use data on an ongoing basis, particularly to
inform professional development and instruction.
6. Provide a description of the procedures for
taking corrective action in the event that pupil
performance falls below the goals and objectives
outlined in the application, including timeline,
responsible person, and changes as appropriate.
7. Explain how and when student data and school
progress will be communicated to parents and
the broader community.
G. Budget & Finance (15 pages)
1. Submit a six-year budget, including the year 0
implementation year and operating years 1
through 5 using the CSI Budget Template.
2. The budget must balance in all years and reflect
an understanding of specific statutory
(Continued on page 7)
6
Content of the New School Application
requirements including:
a) separation of the general operating funds and
grant funds
b) Public Employees’ Retirement Association
(PERA) contributions
c) 3% TABOR reserve (Colorado Constitution
Article X, Section 20)
3. Include a budget and finance narrative in
alignment with the 6 year budget that specifies:
a) Alignment with the proposed execution of the
school’s mission and focus including staffing,
curriculum, professional development, and
technology
b) Details regarding staffing and a summary of
financial policies and procedures that will ensure
best practice in budget preparation, cash
receipts, purchasing, accounts payable,
adjusting entries, and contracts
c) Procedures to comply with financial reporting
including the Financial Transparency Act (C.R.S.
22-44-301-304) and the annual independent
audit
d) Procedures to regularly review budget versus
actual activity and expenditures against the
school’s mission and vision over time
e) Detailed assumptions for all donations, private
grants, student fees, and foundation revenue
f) Details assumptions for professional, technical,
and consulting services expenditures
g) Explanation of how restricted grant funding will
be spent
h) Detailed revenue and expenditure assumptions
behind facility acquisition, facility improvements,
and ongoing facility costs, including total square
footage and cost per square foot
i) If planning to secure the Charter School Program
grant or other reimbursable grants in the
implementation year, a plan to acquire cash in
the spring prior to opening
j) A contingency plan to mitigate the impact of
Maximum page numbers are indicated in the parentheses adjacent to each content area.
decreased funding or increased expenditures
H. Governance & Operations (10 pages)
1. Provide a description of the governance and
operation of the school, including the nature and
extent of parental, professional educator, and
community involvement in the governance and
operation of the proposed Institute charter
school.
2. Provide an explanation and timeline of the
proposed transition from an applicant team to the
founding governing board including the
identification of individuals making the transition.
Further, detail how the transition plan will provide
for a shift of responsibilities and how the
founder’s original vision and mission will be
brought to fruition.
3. Provide a plan for ongoing board training,
capacity building, and succession planning,
which includes a a discussion of funding, time
allocations, and evaluation tools.
4. Provide an explanation of how the community
will receive information about the formation of a
new charter school and any upcoming lottery or
enrollment deadline.
5. Explain the relationship between the board, the
lead administrator, and committees.
6. Attach the following (the attachments do not
count against the narrative page limitation):
a. Governing board bylaws
b. Articles of Incorporation
c. Organizational chart
d. Resumes of applicant team members
and/or founding board members
e. Draft of initial board policies
f. Draft of the Board Member Agreement
(Continued on page 8)
7
g. Draft of Conflicts of Interest and
Grievance Process and Dispute
Resolution board policies
h. Draft of initial school policies, including:
i. Enrollment process including but
not limited to timeline, description
of waitlist or lottery process, and
any enrollment criteria,
j. Student discipline procedures,
including expulsion and
suspension procedures and an
explanation of how the school will
provide the expelled student with
alternative education, if
applicable.
I. Facilities (10 pages)
1. Provide a facility needs assessment including
number of classrooms, bathrooms, and offices
needed; minimum size of each room; library,
outdoor, and common space needed; overall
size; cost per square foot; zoning and occupancy
requirements; and how each facility aligns with
the facility needs assessment is included in the
narrative.
2. Include proposed locations for the school that
are given based on school design and intended
population with an explanation of prospective
school sites and assistance to find them.
3. Describe your process for selection, review, and
approval of a facility.
8
Application Component Checklist
To confirm that you have reviewed your application for completeness, this checklist MUST
be signed, dated, and submitted along with your application materials.
Signature
Date
9
NEW SCHOOL APPLICATION COMPLETENESS CHECK PRIMARY APPLICATION
COMPONENTS NOTES
Letter of Intent & Executive
Summary Electronic Form □
Vision and Mission □
Evidence of Need & Support □
Leadership □
Education Program □
Serving Students with Special
Needs □
Goals, Objectives & Pupil
Evaluation □
Budget & Finance □
Governance & Operations □
Facilities □
ADDENDA (IF APPLICABLE, AS INDICATED ON THE LOI)
Education Management Provider □
Food Service □
Online □
Transportation □
Waiver OTHER (IF APPLICABLE)
District Notification □
District Resolution □
Identified Appendices □
Adherence to Narrative Page Limits □
School
Application Cycle
1580 Logan St, Suite 210
Denver, Colorado 80203
303.866.3299 ph
303.866.2530 fax
www.csi.state.co.us
C OLOR AD O
C H AR TER SCH OOL
IN ST ITU TE
T h e m i s s i o n o f t h e C h a r t e r
S c h o o l I n s t i t u t e s h a l l b e t o
f o s t e r h i g h - q u a l i t y p u b l i c
s c h o o l c h o i c e s o f f e r e d t h r o u g h
I n s t i t u t e s c h o o l s t h a t d e l i v e r
r i g o r o u s a c a d e m i c c o n t e n t a n d
h i g h a c a d e m i c p e r f o r m a n c e i n
a s a f e e n v i r o n m e n t a n d o n p a r
w i t h t h e h i g h e s t p e r f o r m i n g
s c h o o l s , i n c l u d i n g p a r t i c u l a r l y
s c h o o l s f o r a t - r i s k s t u d e n t s .