New Charter Petition

For

Community Learning Center Schools, Inc.

(CLCS)

(A Non-profit Public Benefit Corporation)

To the

AlamedaUnified School District

For the Operation of the

NeaCommunityLearningCenter(NCLC)

October 3, 2008

Table of ContentsPage

Introduction 4

A Description of the Educational Program11

BMeasurable Learner Outcomes37

CMethod of Measuring Learner Outcomes38

DGovernance Structure41

EEmployment Qualifications50

FProcedures to Ensure the Health and Safety of Pupils and Staff53

GMethod of Achieving Racial and Ethnic Balance56

HAdmission Requirements58

IAnnual, Independent Financial Audits60

JDisciplinary Procedures including Suspension and Expulsion63

KManner of Retirement Coverage for Staff77

LPublic School Alternatives for Pupils Who Do Not Choose the Charter School77

MRights of Return for Charter Employees77

NDispute Resolution Procedures78

OEducation Employment Relations Act79

PSchool Closure Procedures80

QOther Issues83

Petitioners Signatures86

Appendix ANCLC Standards (K-5)88

Appendix BNCLC Graduation Standards (6-12)89

Appendix CAUSD / NCLC Discrimination and Harassment Rights / Uniform

Complaint Policy93

Appendix DSample — ACLC Learner and Facilitator Rulebook

(NCLC version to be developed by new learners and Staff)95

Appendix ENeaCommunityLearningCenter Evaluation Timeline

And Process101

Appendix FSample ACLC Safe School Plan (NCLC will develop its own version)109

Appendix GCore Action Team Biographies116

Appendix HACLC Distinguished School Program Overview124

Appendix ILearning to Learn Rubrics142

Appendix JAUSD Graduate Profile166

Appendix KInstructional Minutes Calculations171

Appendix LSample Parent and Learner Satisfaction Surveys174

Appendix M Sample Board Policies178

Appendix NSample Job Descriptions189

Appendix OSample Bylaws for Governing Board200

Appendix PSample Personnel Handbook209

Appendix QEl DoradoCountyCharterSchool SELPA Procedural Guide234 for Special Education (Chapter #1 Identification)

Appendix RSample NCLC 504 Plan Policies248

Appendix SCLCS Incorporation Papers258

Appendix TCLCS Board of Directors Biographies262

Appendix UEl Dorado SELPA Letter of Confirmation265

Appendix VPCSGP “Planning and Implementation Grant” Award Letter267

Appendix WFinancial Impact Statement, ACLC Board Letter on Cash Loan,

Budget Narrative, and 3 Year Budget with Cash Flow 270

Introduction

This document is a petition for the Alameda Unified School District Board of Education to consider and approve this new charter pursuant to the timelines and processes outlined in the Charter Schools Act.

The document and petition requests that the Alameda Unified School District Board of Education schedule and conduct the required hearings and make a granting or denial decision within the 30- and 60- day timeline allowed by law.

California Charter Schools Act

In accordance with California Charter Schools Act, the Community Learning Center Schools, Inc., (hereafter referred to as “CLCS”), a 501c(3) tax exempt non-profit public benefit corporation, petitions the Alameda Unified School District Board of Education (hereafter referred to as “AUSD ”[1]) to grant a charter for the new Nea Community Learning Center, K-12

The Charter Schools Act of 1992 states that:

It is the intent of the Legislature…to provide opportunities for teachers, parents, pupils, and community members to establish and maintain schools that operate independently from the existing school district structure, as a method to accomplish all of the following:

(a) Improve pupil learning.

(b) Increase learning opportunities for all pupils, with special emphasis on expanded learning experiences for pupils who are identified as academically low achievement.

(c) Encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods.

(d) Create new professional opportunities for teachers, including the opportunity to be responsible for the learning program at the school site.

(e) Provide parents and pupils with expanded choices in the types of educational opportunities that are available within the public school system.

(f) Hold the schools established under this part accountable for meeting measurable pupil outcomes, and provide the schools with a method to change from rule-based to performance-based accountability systems.

(g) Provide vigorous competition within the public school system to stimulate continual improvements in all public schools. Ed. Code §47601(a)-(g).

In considering this petition, AUSDis to be guided by this intent:

In reviewing petitions for the establishment of charter schools pursuant to this section, the chartering authority shall be guided by the intent of the Legislature that charter schools are and should become an integral part of the California educational system and that establishment of charter schools should be encouraged. A school district governing board shall grant a charter for the operation of a school under this part if it is satisfied that granting the charter is consistent with sound educational practice. The governing board of the school district shall not deny a petition for the establishment of a charter school unless it makes written factual findings, specific to the particular petition, setting forth specific facts to support one or more of the following findings:

(1) The charter school presents an unsound educational program for the pupils to be enrolled in the charter school.

(2) The petitioners are demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the program set forth in the petition.

(3) The petition does not contain the number of signatures required by subdivision (a).

(4) The petition does not contain an affirmation of each of the conditions described in subdivision (d).

(5) The petition does not contain reasonably comprehensive descriptions of all of the following:

Ed. Code § 47605(b).

The elements of the charter petition to be reasonably comprehensively described are individually stated and discussed below.

By amendment, the legislature further limited the bases for denial in 2000:

A petition for the establishment of a charter school shall not be denied based on the actual or potential costs of serving individuals with exceptional needs, as that term is defined pursuant to Section 56026. Ed. Code §47605.7(a).

Why does Community Learning Center Schools, Inc, seek to open a new K-12 charter school in Alameda?

CLCS seeks to open a new K-12 charter school in Alameda for all of the reasons outlined in the Charter School Law.

(a) Improve pupil learning.

The new school will use the learning philosophy of the highly successful Alameda Community Learning Center (ACLC) which has a proven track record of 13 years of improving pupil learning. This structure will be adapted for use in the K-5 program (see attached K-5 curriculum) to improve learning and education at the earliest levels.

(b) Increase learning opportunities for all pupils, with special emphasis on expanded learning experiences for pupils who are identified as academically low achieving.

The ACLC educational model that will be adopted and adapted for NCLC has consistently increased learning opportunities for all pupils, with special emphasis on expanded learning experiences for pupils who are identified as academically low achieving. ACLC’s Similar School Ranking (what many consider the gold standard for how schools should be ranked compared to the populations the serve) is consistently high, with one of the best average rankings in AUSD.

AUSD Similar School Rankings Comparison 2002-2007

2002 / 2003 / 2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / Average
AlamedaCommunityLearningCenter / 8 / 10 / 10 / 6 / 8 / 9 / 8.50
Encinal High School / 4 / 6 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 6 / 6.67
ChipmanMiddle School / 6 / 6 / 6 / 8 / 4 / 3 / 5.50
WoodMiddle School / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 2 / 7 / 4.50
LincolnMiddle School / 2 / 3 / 3 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 3.83
AlamedaHigh School / 2 / 2 / 1 / 4 / 8 / 4 / 3.50

The new school is designed to offer learners who come from traditional and historically academically low achieving groups expanded learning experiences as compared to surrounding traditional schools. The new school will actively market in Alameda and neighboring communities to attract a diverse learner population reflective of Alameda’s demographics for African Americans, Filipinos, and Hispanics. The school will attempt to obtain a facility in the geographic West End of Alameda where most of these learners live.

(c) Encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods.

The new school will use the innovative teaching methods that ACLC has developed over the last 13 years, which has earned ACLC accolades including:

  • The coveted “CaliforniaDistinguishedSchool” award, the first such award granted to a charter school in Alameda
  • Named by US News and World Report as one of America’s Best High Schools. (Bronze Award, top 18% in nation).

The innovative and successful teaching methods will be adapted for use in the K-5 part of the program as appropriate (see K-5 curriculum for further details).

(d) Create new professional opportunities for teachers, including the opportunity to be responsible for the learning program at the school site.

The new school will use the “Facilitator Empowerment” model pioneered at ACLC of involving teachers at every level of the decision making and will create opportunities for teachers to be responsible for the learning program at the school site.

(e) Provide parents and pupils with expanded choices in the types of educational opportunities that are available within the public school system.

The new school will create expanded choices in the type of educational opportunities that are available within the AUSD public school system. The new school will create 280 new 6-12 spaces in three years in Alameda and create 128 new opportunities in grades K- 5 for education using the adapted ACLC educational model.

(f) Hold the schools established under this part accountable for meeting measurable pupil outcomes, and provide the schools with a method to change from rule-based to performance-based accountability systems.

Being a charter school, the new school will be held accountable to the public via its chartering agency using a performance-based accountability system.

(g) Provide vigorous competition within the public school system to stimulate continual improvements in all public schools.

The new school will provide vigorous competition within the public school system to stimulate improvements in all public schools.

Why does CLCS specifically seek to add K-5 to its current model?

CLCS seeks to expand into the K-5 grades to provide Alameda families in West End neighborhoods school choice within the public school system. CLCS seeks to use its innovative 21st century educational model to serve learners at a young age so they can be more successful in grades 6-12 and gain acceptance into four year colleges and universities. CLCS’s proven educational model at the ACLC over the last 13 years has produced an impressive educational record where 90% of its graduates gain acceptance into four year colleges and universities.

Why does CLCS seek to create this new K-12 school now?

CLCS has in place all of the necessary components to create a successful new K-12 school. A highly qualified staff is awaiting approval of the charter petition. In our last petition effort, we had 265 applicants interested in attending the new school. NCLC has been pre-approved for a $450,000 Public Charter School Grant Program Planning and Implementation Grant. The NCLC is replicating, expanding and adapting a proven educational programand demand for this model is high and immediate.

Alameda families want additional opportunities to educate their children in the CommunityLearningCenter educational model. Between the ACLC wait list for 6-12 and the NCLC application list for K-12, there are over 375 different families in Alameda seeking to enroll their children in a CLCSCommunityLearningCenter.(Exact details of NCLC applications for the 2009-10 school year will be forthcoming in our Propositioin 39 request to be submitted by November 1st.)

The Public Charter School Grant Program has been funded with $150 million to create new charter schools in California. CLCS has been pre-approved for a $450,000 PCSGP Planning and Implementation Grant to support the initial operations and asset purchases of this new school. (NCLC has been pre-approved for this grant, pending charter approval.)

The “Core Action Team” for this project contains expertise in running charter schools. Paul Bentz, eight years of charter school management;and Lowry Fenton, five years as CFO of ACLC, a new Lead Facilitator (Maafi Gueye) who has 7 years experience in working in the new learning model at the ACLC, and three elementary educators with over 75 years of combined experience in starting, running and teaching in elementary schools (Linda McCluskey, Betsy Weiss, and James Venable). Complete resumes for the people involved with this project are located in Appendix G. CLCS also has available a full staff of ACLC facilitators who will act as mentors and provide staff development opportunities for new educators in the new school as part of the “Planning and Implementation Grant” from the Public Charter Schools Grant Program.

What is the target population to be served by this new school?

NCLC seeks to serve all Alamedans who desire its 21st Century educational model. NCLC seeks to serve an ethnically diverse community that exceeds the AUSD’s ethnicity percentages for African Americans (13%), Filipino’s (9%) and Hispanics (12%). NCLC seeks to serve families on the west end of Alameda who have no choices of where to send their children to school except the local school in their geographic area. NCLC seeks to provide choices for these families and has a strategy and timeline in place to reach these demographic goals (see section G) NCLC seeks to work with west end community organizations to use the school facility not only as a K-12 school but as a community resource. CLCS is seeking funds to provide after school, weekend, and summer use of the facility.

AFFIRMATIONS/ASSURANCES

As the authorized CLCS CEO, I, Paul Bentz, hereby certify that the information submitted in this charter petition for a California public charter school named the Nea Community Learning Center, and located within the boundaries of the Alameda Unified School District is true to the best of my knowledge and belief; I also certify that this petition does not constitute the conversion of a private school to the status of a public charter school; and further, I understand that if awarded a charter renewal, the Charter School:

  • Shall meet all statewide standards and conduct the student assessments required, pursuant to Education Code Section 60605 and 60851, and any other statewide standards authorized in statute, or student assessments applicable to students in non-charter public schools. [Ref. Education Code Section 47605(c)(1)]
  • Shall be deemed the exclusive public school employer of the employees of the Nea Community Learning Center for purposes of the Educational Employment Relations Act. [Ref. Education Code Section 47605 (b)(5)(O)]
  • Shall be non-sectarian in its programs, admissions policies, employment practices, and all other operations. [Ref. Education Code Section 47605(d)(1)]
  • Shall not charge tuition. [Ref. Education Code Section 47605(d)(1)]
  • Shall admit all students who wish to attend the Nea Community Learning Center, and who submit a timely application, unless the Charter School receives a greater number of applications than there are spaces for students, in which case each application will be given equal chance of admission through a public random lottery process.
  • Shall not discriminate on the basis of the characteristics listed in Section 220 (actual or perceived disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that is contained in the definition of hate crimes set forth in Section 422.55 of the Penal Code or association with an individual who has any of the aforementioned characteristics). [Ref. Education Code Section 47605(d)(1)]
  • Shall adhere to all provisions of federal law related to students with disabilities including, but not limited to, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Improvement Act of 2004.
  • Shall meet all requirements for employment set forth in applicable provisions of law, including, but not limited to credentials, as necessary. [Ref. Title 5 California Code of Regulations Section 11967.5.1(f)(5)(C)]
  • Shall ensure that teachers in the Charter School hold a Commission on Teacher Credentialing certificate, permit, or other document equivalent to that which a teacher in other public schools are required to hold. As allowed by statute, flexibility will be given to non-core, non-college preparatory teachers. [Ref. California Education Code Section 47605(l)]
  • Shall at all times maintain all necessary and appropriate insurancecoverage.
  • Shall, for each fiscal year, offer at a minimum, the number of minutes of instruction per grade level as required by Education Code Section 47612.5(a)(1)(A)-(D).
  • If a pupil is expelled or leaves the charter school without graduating or completing the school year for any reason, the charter school shall notify the superintendent of the school district of the pupil’s last known address within 30 days, and shall, upon request, provide that school district with a copy of the cumulative record of the pupil, including a transcript of grades or report card and health information. [Ref. California Education Code Section 47605(d)(3)]
  • Will follow any and all other federal, state, and local laws and regulations that apply to the Nea Community Learning Center including but not limited to:

The Nea Community Learning Center shall maintain accurate and contemporaneous written records that document all pupil attendance and make these records available for audit and inspection.

The Nea Community Learning Center shall on a regular basis consult with its parents and teachers regarding the CharterSchool's education programs.

The Nea Community Learning Center shall comply with any jurisdictional limitations to locations of its facilities.

The Nea Community Learning Center shall comply with all laws establishing the minimum and maximum age for public school enrollment.

The Nea Community Learning Center shall comply with all applicable portions of the No Child Left Behind Act.

The Nea Community Learning Center shall comply with the Public Records Act.

The Nea Community Learning Center shall comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

The Nea Community Learning Center shall meet or exceed the legally required minimum of school days.

______

Paul Bentz, CLCS CEODate

A. Description of the Educational Program

The Community Learning Center Schools, Inc. (CLCS) a Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation, has operated the Alameda Community Learning Center (ACLC), a 6-12 program located on the EncinalHigh School campus in the City of Alameda for six years. For the 2006-07 school year, the current ACLC received a statewide API rating of 10, putting it in the top 10% of all schools in California. ACLC has achieved this rating five years in a row. The ACLC also received a similar schools rating of 9, putting it in the top 20% of all schools in California serving similar socio-economic and ethnic populations. In 2007, ACLC was awarded the “CaliforniaDistinguishedSchool” award. ACLC is the first charter school in AlamedaCountyto earn this award, and one of only four high schools in AUSD to receive this award in 2007. ACLC is WASC accredited through 2010. ACLC has a 96.5% attendance rate and over the last 12 years has produced an impressive educational record where 90% of its graduates gain acceptance into four year colleges and universities.