STATEPUBLICCHARTERSCHOOLAUTHORITY

2016CALLFORQUALITYCHARTERSCHOOLSWINTERCYCLEREQUESTFORPROPOSALS

SchoolsOpeningFall2017andBeyond

ReleasedOctober30,2015

ApplicationTrackC:

Start-UpApplicant(CommitteetoForm)SeekingtoReplicateAHighPerformingCharterSchoolWithoutEMOSupportorCMOAffiliation

Section I:IntroductionfromBoardChair KathleenConaboy

Dear Charter Applicant,

Onbehalf of the State PublicCharter SchoolAuthorityand our 23,000 incredible students, we thankyou for yourinterest inapplyingtooperate a high-performingschool inNevada. Whether you areapplyingto operate asingle charter or to add to anexistingnetworkof schools, we understand thetremendousamount of workand commitment required to openand runa high-performingschool.

The development and release of thisCall for QualityCharter Schoolsand Request for Proposals(RFP) marksthe SPCSA’sfourthgenerationof charter authorizingand reflectsthesweepingeducation reformsadopted duringthe 2015 Legislative Session.Some of those statutorychangeswill not take effectuntil the winter of 2016 andsome regulationsmaynot comeinto effectimmediately.However, we have designed thisprocessto assist applicantsduringthe winter 2016applicationcycle inmeetingthe newrequirementsnow.Hopefully, thisapproach willmitigate theneed to modifyyour plansinthe near term.

TheSPCSAiscommitted to qualityineveryaspect of our operation, and we firmlybelieve thatqualityauthorizingleads to qualityschools. We arecommitted to granting chartersonlyto thoseteamswhoclearlydemonstrate the academicvisionand financial and operationalcapacitynecessarytogovernand operate high-performingschools.We welcome applicantswho seektoserve students inoururbancore,our growingsuburbs, and our rural andNative Americancommunities.

Our statutoryresponsibilitycompelsusto provideour studentsandfamilieswiththe verybestoptionsthecharter communitycanprovide.To thatend, we will continue to partner withexperienced evaluatorslocallyand acrossthe countryto reviewthe applicationswe receive.Weare confident that we have created a demanding, thorough,and transparent applicationand reviewprocess.

Asyou complete your application, please feel free tocontactour teamwithany questionsvia also operate a d a Twitter account at @NevadaCharterswhichwe invite you to followfor updatesthroughoutthisand future applicationcycles.

Again, thankyou for yourinterest injoiningour effort to build and deliver ahighqualitypublicschooloptionto everystudent inNevada.

Sincerely,

KathleenA. ConaboyBoard Chair

Section II: Instructions

OPERATOR APPLICANTINSTRUCTIONS

Specifications

  • Itis the responsibilityof the applicant to ensure that the content iscomplete,detailed, andeasilyunderstood and followed byreviewers;external experts;and parents, families, and thegeneral public.
  • This RFPmaybe completed withresponsesfollowingeach question(e.g., thequestionsfollowingthe headingsParentand CommunityInvolvement,Driving forResults,HumanResources, etc.).Please leave the textof the question in the document to facilitate reviewandpublictransparency.
  • All narrative elements of the applicationmust be typed with1-inchpagemarginsand 11-pointCambria font,single-spaced.
  • All headingsmust be in11, 12,or14 point Cambriafont.
  • Tables maybeineither 11or10 pointCambria font.
  • Eachmajorsection(Executive Summary,Meetingthe Need, AcademicPlan, etc.) must beginona separate page, asindicated inthe RFPdocument.
  • All pagesmust beconsecutivelynumbered inthe footer, includingall attachments.
  • The table of contentsmust identifythe page numberof eachmajor sectionofthe narrative andeachrequired attachment.
  • Schoolsare encouraged toutilize Microsoft Word’scross-referencingfeaturesto allowforautomaticupdatesto page numberswithinthe document for anyelement discussedinmorethanone section.Simplyreferringreviewersto content inanothersectionor expectingreviewerstoseekout andinferananswer frominformationwhich mayormaynot be found inanattachment isunacceptableand will be deemed unresponsive.Petitionersare expected toexercise appropriate judgement inbalancingresponsivenesswithexcessivelyduplicativecontent.It ishighlyadvisable to answer the questionposed and refer the reviewer to additionalcontextualinformationthat will informreviewwithtransitional and referential phrasessuch as“As discussed ingreater detail inthe Section beginningonpage , the school will...”and“Reviewersseekingmoreinformationon maywishto refer to the sectionlabeled beginningonpage .More specifically, the schoolwill...”
  • Referencesand citationsshould be placedinthe footer.
  • The name of eachmajor sectionand attachment, e.g. “Attachment 1,” etc.must be placedinthefooter tofacilitate easyreviewand navigationof the materials.Bookmarkingof individualsectionsand attachmentsinAcrobat isstronglyencouraged to enhance readabilityand facilitatea thoroughreview.
  • Schoolsare encouraged to use MicrosoftWord’sstylesfeatures( tomanage formatting, provide forbookmarkingand cross-referencing, and facilitate the generationof the tableof contentsandother featuresthroughthe headingstylesfunctionality.
  • Ifa particular question doesnot applytoyour teamor application, simplyrespond with anexplanatorysentence identifyingthe reason thisquestionisnot applicable to your team orproposal ANDincludingthe term “not applicable”withinthe sentence.
  • All questions, includingthoseidentified as“Not Applicable”and tablesnot utilizedmust be leftinthe document. Responsesmaynot exceed 100pagesof narrative responsesand tables,meaningthat the final submission,includingall RFPquestions(whichconstitute 23 pages),must be equal toor lessthan123 pages.Tableswhichare accompanied withdirectionspermittingtheschool to modifythe number of rowsand to customize the designated contentmaybe changed asindicated.
  • Attachmentsare not included inthe narrative pagelimit.
  • All required attachmentsshould be clearlylabeledand uploaded inthe file format specified andwiththe file namesprovided.
  • ApplicantsMUSTsubmit applicationselectronicallyfollowinginstructionsprovided bytheSPCSA. Allother attachments maybe formatted at the applicant’sdiscretion.All documents,other thanbudget documentsand datasubmissionsbetter suited to Excel, must be submitted asPDFdocuments. All PDFdocuments, other thanthose individual pagescontainingsignatureswhichareinserted intoconverted documents,mustbe submitted asfullyconverted (notscanned)documents.1
  • ApplicationCoversheet
  • Proposal NarrativeTemplate—Note: There are fourseparate RFPs outlining differentapplicantmodels.Please selectthecorrectone.Applicants are encouraged to bookmarkeachsectionof the PDFdocument to facilitate thoroughreview.
  • Charter School Board Member InformationSheetTemplate—Note: There areseparateStartUpand ExperiencedCMOBoard Memberversions.
  • Board Membership Template
  • IncubationYear PlanningTable
  • Financial PlanWorkbook(submit inExcel)
  • The followingis a listof attachmentsto accompanythe application:

1.Letters ofCommunitySupport/Partnership (preferablyPDFconversionbut maybe scannedtoPDF)2

2.Leadership teamjobdescriptions

3.Resumesand student achievement data forschool leader (Note:identified schoolleaderisstronglyrecommended forStart-Upapplicants)

4.Competenciesused for school leaderselection

5.Teacher evaluationtool(s)

6.School leader evaluationtool(s)

7.Board Member Template

8.Board Member InformationSheets

9.Board Bylaws, Code of Ethicsand Conflict ofInterest Policies

10.IncubationYear PlanningTable

1Pleasenotethattheapplicationsubmissionportalhastwofilelimitations:anindividualfilecanbenomorethan10megabytesinsize.Moreover,thereisanoveralllimitpersubmissionformof20megabytes.Applicantsarestronglyencouragedtolimitthenumberofscannedpagesanduseappropriatetoolstoreducethesizeofscannedpagestopreventuploadingissues.

2Asnotedabove,applicantsarestronglyencouragedtolimitthenumberofscannedpagesduetofilesizelimitationswhichareinherenttotheapplicationsubmissionportal.

11.College/UniversityDualCredit agreement documentation(ifapplicable)

12.Operational executionplan

13.Proof of FacilityCommitment (if applicable)

14.Insurancecoverage

15.Budget narrative

16.Financial PlanWorkbook

17.ReplicationSchool historical financial documents

18.ReplicationSchool achievement and audit data

  • Whensubmittingresumesand biographies ofcommittee toformmembers, proposed boardmembersand staff, label eachdocument withthe individual’saffiliationwiththe proposedschool (planning/committee to formmember,board member, principal, teacher, etc.)andcombine the filesinto asingle converted PDFdocument.Bookmarkingof individual sectionsisstronglyencouraged to enhance readabilityand facilitate a thoroughreview.
  • Complete allsheetsintheFinancial PlanWorkbook.
  • Reviewall elementsof your applicationforcompletenessbeforesubmitting.Incompleteapplicationswill not be accepted,and applicantsarenot able to amend, revise,or supplementtheir applicationafterit hasbeensubmittedunlessthe SPCSA, at itssole discretion, requestsadditional informationorthe SPCSAboard votestoreject the applicationand the applicantchoosesto resubmit a revised applicationduringthe statutoryresubmissionwindow.
  • Applicantsarestronglyencouraged tomaintainfinal Microsoft Word versions ofall writtenmaterials.Inthe event that anunsuccessfulapplicant electsto resubmit anapplicationwithadditional content and documentation duringthe statutoryresubmissionwindow, the applicantwill be expected to use the TrackChangesfunctionto identifyanyadditionsor deletionsto theapplication.Specificformat requirements forsuchresubmissionswill be furnished toapplicantsprior to the beginningof the resubmissionwindow.
  • Applicantsare reminded that all applicationsubmissionsare publicrecordsand are posted onthe SPCSAwebsite.Once a schoolis approved,it isexpected that thecomplete charterapplicationand anysubsequent amendments willbe postedonthe school’swebsite or willotherwise be made available via electronicmeansuponrequest fromanymember of the public.To ensure the broadest rangeof accessibilityfor publicdocuments, theSPCSAstronglyencouragesapplicantstoconsult the AccessibilityGuidance offered byourpeer authorizer, theMassachusettsDepartmentof Elementaryand SecondaryEducation: The usage of the Microsoft stylesfeaturediscussed earlier will alsohelp to facilitate accessibility.

SubmissionInstructions

1.To be eligible tosubmit afull proposal for the Winter 2016 applicationcycle,applicantsmustfirstsubmitthe Notice of Intentby 5:00pm PTonDecember1st, 2015.Applicantswho havesubmitted aNotice of Intent fora previousround must submit a newNotice of Intent to allowfor planningof reviewingactivitiesand other authorizingwork.The Winter 2016 Cycle Noticeof Intent to Applyis a webformwhichcanbe accessed at

2.Applicationsshould be prepared usingthe templatesand onlinesubmission processestablishedbythe SPCSA.

3.Inorder tocomplete andsubmit your RFPpacket, youwill need tomeet the followingminimumtechnologyrequirements:

a.Alocal copyof MicrosoftOffice Word 2007 and Microsoft Office Excel 2007

b.Alocal copyof Adobe Acrobat Standardor Professional ora third partyPDF-creationsolutionthat allows forconverting, combining, andconsecutivelypaginatingfilesintoportable document format

c.Alocal copyof MicrosoftOffice Project and Microsoft OfficeVisio or other software oraschool-selectedsuitableweb-based equivalent (e.g.Lucidchartfor flowcharts) withthecapacityto produce detailed Gannt charts, flowcharts, and explanatorygraphicsforinclusioninthe MicrosoftWord narrative or the requested attachments

d.Microsoft Internet Explorer Version9or above ORGoogle Chrome Version 40or above

e.Areliable Internet connection

f.Alaptop or desktop computer withat least 50 Mbof free space to store downloadedRFP documentsand localcopiesof your RFPsubmission

4.Applicantsmayupload proposals upto 5:00 pmPTonJanuary15, 2016. Oncethe proposal issubmitted, applicants willbe unable to access,edit,or revise proposals.TheSPCSADirector,may,at hissole discretion, grant a brief extensionofthe applicationwindowinthe event thatthe Authorityobserves a connectivityor server issue related to the portal.Applicantsarestronglyencouraged to upload applicationdocumentswell before the deadline.

5.Thesubmissionportal islocated at portal will automaticallyshut downaccessto all applications at 5:00 pm PT onJanuary15,2016.Be sure to allowadequate time toupload alldocumentswellbefore the deadline.Latesubmissions,includingapplicationsthatare partiallyuploaded, will not be accepted.Please note that the applicationsubmissionportalhas twofile size limitations:anindividual file canbenomore than10megabytesinsize.Moreover,thereis anoveralllimitpersubmissionformof20megabytesintotal.Applicants are strongly encouragedto limit the numberofscanned pages anduse appropriatetools toreduce the size of scanned pagesto preventuploadingissues.

6.You will upload eachelementof the application(e.g., Cover Sheet, Proposal, FinancialWorkbook, attachments, etc.) separatelyusingthe online portal.

7.To permit the Authority to addresspublictransparencyrequirementsduringboard meetings,two complete paper copiesof the applicationmustbe received within5 businessdays of thesubmissionof the online application.Eachpaper applicationmust include anassurance thatitis identical to the electronicsubmission.The SPCSAreservesthe right to direct applicantstosubmit additional papercopies.The papercopyof the applicationwill not be reviewed bystaffor external reviewers.

8.Charter proposalsare read and scored byanexternal teamof evaluatorsfromNevadaandacrossthe nation, each ofwhomhasexpertise inacademics, operations, and/or finance, aswellas thecommunitiesbeingserved.

Guidance and Resources forApplicants

Applicantsare encouraged to familiarize themselveswithcurrentNevada lawand regulationsrelatingto charterschools.AsNevada’sstatutesand regulationsarecontinuingto evolve, it isadvisable to monitor and evaluate all changesto ensure that anyproposed elementsmeet currentexpectations.The Authoritydoesnot have the capacityor the statutoryauthorityto provideindividual guidance or legal advice.Charterschoolapplicantsare encouraged to consult theCharter School Associationof Nevada and an attorney who iswell versed incharterschoollawforguidance ininterpretingthose elements of statute and regulationfor whichthe Authorityhasnotincorporatedits policyexpectationsinthisdocument.

Nevada Revised Statutes:NRS386.490etseq.containsthe vastmajorityof lawpertainingtocharter schools:

Duringthe 2015 legislative session, the state adopted a number of reformsrelated to charterschools.Keybillswhichpassed include:

  • SB509:Balancesadditional operatingflexibilityforcharter schoolswithbroad changesincharter school authorizingand accountability:
  • SB460: Provides foranaccountabilityframework to evaluate the performance ofasmall subsetof charter schoolswhichhave a missionto exclusivelyserve opportunityyouth, studentswithdisabilities, and other particularlyvulnerable populations:
  • SB208:Codifiesexistingminimumexpectationsregardingthe notificationoffamilieswhenanewcharter school isscheduled toopenina communityand changesthe expectationsaroundrecruitingand enrollingstudents:
  • SB390:Permitsbut doesnot requirecharter schoolsto give admissionspreference tostudentswho attend overcrowdedschools or underperformingschools withina2 mileradius ofacampus:
  • SB200:Permitsbut doesnot requirecharter schools onmilitarybasesto giveadmissionspreference tostudents ofpersonnel residingonoremployed bythe militarybase:

Nevada AdministrativeCode:As a state with a biennial legislature, Nevada reliesheavilyonitsregulatoryframeworktoprovide guidance ontheinterpretationand executionof its laws.Theprovisions ofNAC386.010 through386.47 governthe administrationof thestate’scharter schoolprogram:

Thestate adopted a number of changesto the NACregardingcharter schoolsduringthe 2014interim.Most of these modificationsreflect thecreationof the SPCSAin2011 and the creationofacharter school accountabilitysystemin2013.Someof these changeshave notyet beencodifiedinto the existingNAC:

R036-14A:

R069-14A:

R075-14A:

R076-14A:

Due to the legislative changesduringthe 2015session, applicantsshould anticipate that manyofthese regulationswill be revised to reflect the mostcurrent lawduringthe fallof2015 and thewinter of 2016 asNevada continuesto adopt best authorizingand oversightpracticesand policiesfromother leadingcharter schoolstates.

Pursuant to SB509, the Authoritymayrequire thatschoolsenterinto amended and restated chartercontractsas a conditionof grantinganamendment;thismechanismallowsusto requireschoolstodevelop additional technical amendmentsandcontractual changesasstatutoryand regulatoryrequirementsevolve.

Additionally, theState of Nevada recentlyreceiveda federalCharter SchoolsProgramgrant.Charter school applicantsare stronglyencouraged to reviewthe federal non-regulatoryguidancerelated to the Charter SchoolsProgramand to consult the eligibilityand approval criteria for thosegrants.Acopyof the approved CSPgrant applicationcanbe found at that CSPgrant fundsare highlycompetitive and there isno guarantee that anapprovedcharter school applicantwill be awarded aCSP grant fromthe Nevada Department of Educationorthat the amount willmeetthe fullstartup needsof the school.It isimportant to note that, pursuantto federal law and theconditions of the grant program, these fundscannot beused to payforfacilities.

AdditionalGuidance and Resources forSchools

TheNevadacharter school movement and theSPCSAhave undergone dramaticchanges inthe pastfour yearsas a result of legislative changesinthe 2013 legislative sessionand the sweepingeducation reformsadopted duringthe 2015 legislative session.Asnoted above, the policyandoperatinglandscape forcharterschoolshasundergone significant shifts,includingsomechangeswhichhave yet to be codified into regulationand standard practice.

Inlight of thesechangesand the Authorityboard’sdeep commitment to accountabilityandcontinuousimprovement,the expectationsand standardsfor charter applicationapproval and forongoingoperationhavecontinued toevolve and our processhas becomeincreasinglymorerigorous.Consequently, applicantsarestronglycautioned against excessive borrowingof languagefrom“boilerplate”Nevadacharterapplicationmaterial and sample resourcesthat are widelyavailableonthe internet, includinglegacymaterialsona varietyofstate websites, includingdocumentsmaintained for a subset of existingschools onthe SPCSAwebsite.

Astheyplantheir schools,the Committeesto Formof Start-Upcharter schools inconjunctionwithanEMO are encouraged to reach out not onlytoNevada’sleading4 and 5 star schools, but also tothe top performingcharter schools inleadingcharter school markets,includingnot onlystatesinthe westernUnited States, but alsoschools inplaceslikeNewYork,Massachusetts, and the Districtof Columbia.While there are somecontextual differencesbetweenstates, youwillfind that manyofthese networkshave experienced challenges as theyhave grownand canshare lessonslearnedabout howto growintentionally, strategically, and effectively.

Applicantsare encouraged to avoid quotingentirestatutes or regulations,orincludingdocumentsthat canreferred to rather thanprovided intheir entiretyinthe application. Do not print materialsoff theNevadaDepartment of Education’swebsiteor the State PublicCharter School Authority’swebsite for inclusioninthe application;the ReviewTeamcanaccessthose websites if necessary.Includingdocumentsandstatutesand regulationsintheir entiretywill resultinanunmanageablylarge application. Rather thanquotingorincludingthe entire text of statute, regulationand/ordocuments inthe application, include onlyrelevantexcerpts or summarize the statute, regulation ordocument. Do not hesitate to provide citations ofrelevant statutesor regulationsalongwith athoughtful, original discussionof howtheschoolintendsto implement the requirements of the law,regulation, or processina waywhichisfullyalignedwiththemission, vision,and programoutlinedinthe application.Indesigningtheir policies, processes, and procedures,schoolsare encouraged toconsider the who, what, where, when, and whyfor eachelement intheschool’soperatingsystem.

Overviewof theWinter2016 Application and ApplicationCycle

The table belowdetails someof the differencesbetweeneligible applicant typesand tracks:

TrackA:Start-UpApplicant / TrackB:Start-UpApplicant
ContractingwithEMO / TrackC:Start-UpApplicant
IndependentlyReplicatingaProvenSchoolModel / TrackD:ExperiencedNon-Profit
Applicant WhichAlready GovernsHighAchievingCharterSchools
Eligible Applicant / Committee toForm / Committee toForm / Committee toForm / Non-Profit CharterManagementOrganizationWhichDirectlyHoldsChartersinNVor OtherStatesorNevada Non-ProfitAffiliate of Sucha CMO
MayApplicant Contract
withEducationManagementOrganization(ForProfit/Non-Profit)? / No-NotPermittedforTrackA / Yes-Requiredfor TrackB / No-NotPermittedforTrackC / Yes-PermittedBut NotRequiredfor Track D
SchoolType(s) / NewSchoolModelCreatedbyApplicant / NewSchoolModelorSuccessfulExistingSchoolModelDevelopedby EMO / Replication:SuccessfulExistingSchoolModelWhichApplicant Wantsto“Clone” inNewLocation / SuccessfulSchoolModelDevelopedbyCMO

With the Winter 2016 charter applicationcycle,the State PublicCharter School Authorityhasadopted amultiple trackapplicationformat whichfeaturesquestionsfocusedonthe particularacademic, financial, organizational, and governanceopportunitiesand challengesassociated with avarietyofcommonapplicant profiles,includingthose individualsseekingto start a school ontheirown, those groupswhichhave elected tocontractwith aneducationmanagement organization, andsuccessful governingboards ofcharter schoolswhichare seekingto oversee new schoolsin Nevada.

Successful applicantsforeachtrackwill sharemanyof the samecharacteristics.

SuccessfulApplicants Will Demonstrate…

Track A / Track B / Track C / Track D
Governance / StrongFoundingTeamwithCapacitytoTransparently andAccountably GovernMulti-MillionDollarPublic Entity / StrongFoundingTeamwithCapacitytoTransparently andAccountably GovernMulti-MillionDollarPublic Entity / StrongFoundingTeamwithCapacitytoTransparently andAccountably GovernMulti-MillionDollarPublic Entity / StrongGoverningTeamwithProven TrackRecordof Transparently andAccountably Governing aMulti-MillionDollarPublic Entity
Leadership / SchoolLeader withExemplaryTrackRecordof Academic ResultswithSimilar Model/Population / SchoolandNetworkLeaderswithExemplaryTrackRecordofAcademicandOperatingResultswithSimilarModel/Population / SchoolLeader withExemplaryTrackRecordof Academic ResultswithSimilar Model/Population / SchoolandNetworkLeaderswithExemplaryTrackRecordofAcademicandOperatingResultswithSimilarModel/Population
StrongOperatingTeamwithTrackRecordofTransparently andAccountably Operating aMulti-MillionDollarPublic Entity
AcademicAccountability / PromisingSchoolModelLikelytoProduce4/5StarResultswithTargetPopulation / Proven SchoolModelWithTrackRecordofProducing4/5StarResultswithTargetPopulation / Proven SchoolModelWithTrackRecordofProducing4/5StarResultswithTargetPopulation / Proven SchoolModelWithTrackRecordofProducing4/5StarResultswithTargetPopulation
Fiscal Accountability / StrongSchoolFinancialModelLikelyto Result inIncreasingAnnualFundBalances
StrongBusinessPlanWorthyof PublicInvestment / StrongSchoolFinancialModelWithTrackRecordof IncreasingAnnualFundBalances
TrackRecordofCleanAudits / StrongSchoolFinancialModelWithTrackRecordof IncreasingAnnualFundBalances
StrongBusinessPlanWorthyof PublicInvestment / StrongSchoolandNetworkFinancialModelWithTrackRecordofIncreasingAnnualFundBalances
TrackRecordofCleanAudits
Business Relationships / Transparent andAppropriateClient/VendorRelationshipwithAnyIdentifiedServiceProviders / Transparent andAppropriateClient/VendorRelationshipwithReputable EMOandotherIdentifiedServiceProviders / Transparent andAppropriateClient/VendorRelationshipwithAnyIdentifiedServiceProviders / Transparent andAppropriateClient/VendorRelationshipwithAnyIdentifiedServiceProviders

Prospectiveapplicantswho are unsure of whichapplicationtrackismostsuitable for theirparticular proposal are encouraged to contact the State PublicCharter SchoolAuthoritybyphone at775-687-9174 .

TheState PublicCharter School Authorityviewsthegrantingof the charter as aninvestment ofpublicdollarsand the publictrust inthe service of publicschoolchildren.Theevaluationof eachapplicationand eachapplicant revolvesaround thesame essential question:will thisschool be anacademic, organizational,financial success?

The applicationisevaluated basedonthe strength of the planin each of those domains, whileapplicantsare evaluatedbasedontheir capacity toexecute the programthey’ve proposed bothbasedonthe coherence, thoroughness, and thoughtfulness ofeachelement ofthe applicationandonthe data gathered during boththe capacityinterviewprocessand background researchand duediligence onbothproposed membersof the governing board and proposed staffmembers.

Developinga highqualitycharter school applicationis a challengingand time-consumingendeavorthat requiresextensive collaborationbyall members of the committee to formthecharter school.Readingand makingrecommendations oncharterapplicationsand applicantsisalso a time-consumingactivityforSPCSAboardmembers, staff, and the external evaluatorswhomtheAuthorityworkswithto ensure a diversityof perspectivesand expertise inthe reviewprocess.

Itisimportant to note thatincontrast to other statewide independent charterschoolboardauthorizerswithsimilarlysized portfolios, the SPCSAcurrentlyhasverylimited staff approved tomanage schoolcommunications, thecharter applicationprocess, the amendment request process,the pre-openingprocessfor newcharter schoolsand newcampuses, performance management ofexistingcharter contracts,or the processfor renewingand closingcharter schoolsbased onperformance issues.All State PublicCharter SchoolAuthorityemployeesother thanthe Directorareprimarilyfunded aseither state agencyfiscal support staff orasstaff to the agency’sdistrict-likelocal educationagencyfunction.Consequently, schoolsare cautioned that timelinesfor reviewandfeedback maybe subject to change ormodification.

TheSPCSAplansto openaSummer applicationcycle for the first time inJuly2016.Schoolsapproved inthiscycle would be able to openno earlier thanFall 2017.Due to the short amount oftime betweencharter approval and opening,successful applicantsunder thistimeline likelywill beexperienced applicantsand those replicatinga provenmodel withsignificantexternal support.Dueto the timingofthisapplicationwindow, applicantswho are denied and electto resubmit theirapplicationfor reconsiderationwill beunable to participate inthe Summer 2016 Cycle.Prospectiveapplicantswho are unable to submit anapplicationwhichmeetstheir ownhighstandardsduringthe summer round arestronglyencouraged to beginworkingonanapplicationfor the Summer2016orWinter 2017 cyclesassoonas possible.Developinga highqualitycharter school is achallenging, but rewardingendeavor.The applicationprocess is rigorousbydesign.Manyof thenation’smost successful charterschoolsexperienced setbacksand initial denialsand had to go backand significantlyrevisit their initial plansand assumptionsand expand theircapacityand level ofcommitment.While thereare likelyto be some changesto the timeline, process, and formatinfuture applicationcyclesand eventhe additionofnew applicationmodelsandcycles forspecificapplicant typesandstrategicallyimportant programsasSPCSApolicyandcapacityevolves, theessential questions will remainthe same.

For the Winter 2016 applicationcycle, all applicantsare currentlycontemplated to be onthe samereviewtimeline:

Notice ofIntent / December 1, 2015
FullApplication Submitted / January 15,2016
InitialTechnicalReviewto Confirm EligibilityandCompleteness / January2016
RequestsforClarification (atdiscretion of SPCSA staff) / LateJanuary 2016
Reviewof Applicationsby InternalandExternalReviewers / February--March2016
Capacity Interviews / Mid-February2016
Reviewer Conference andGeneration of StaffRecommendations / Mid-March2016
SPCSA BoardMeeting: Public Hearing: StaffRecommendation, ApplicantPresentation, BoardVote / April2016
DeniedApplicantsReceiveStaffFeedback / April2016
ApplicantsDetermineifTheyWillAmendandResubmit forReconsideration; NotifySPCSAStaffWithin10DaysofReceipt of StaffFeedback; andMake Changesto Application / April-May2016
ResubmittedApplicationsDue / Mid-May 2016
Reviewof Applicationsby InternalandExternalReviewers / Mid-May 2016/Early-June2016
Reviewer Conference andGeneration of StaffRecommendations / EarlyJune 2016
SPCSA BoardMeeting: Public Hearing:StaffRecommendation, ApplicantPresentation, andBoardVote / June2016

.

Section III:RequestforProposals

Application – SCHOOLSOPENING FALL 2017