Replication Application: Spring 2016
Replication Application*
For replicating district-run and charter schools opening in Fall 2017 and thereafter
*Only schools currently operating in Denver that have two or more years of meeting or exceeding expectations on the Denver School Performance Framework (SPF) and seek to replicate their existing school model and grade configuration may utilize this customized application.Denver Public Schools
School Development Team
Emily Griffith Campus
1860 Lincoln Street, 12th Floor
Denver, CO 80203
Chris DeWitt, Manager of New Schools
Call for New Quality Schools
In the Summer of 2014, the Board of Education passed the Denver Plan 2020, which set a goal that 80% of students will attend green or blue schools by 2020. One way to get there is to “expand high-quality school choices in all communities through differentiated supports for existing schools, new school strategies, turnaround efforts and strong accountability systems.”[1]
The Call for New Quality Schools is one of the major “new school strategies.” It is the process by which Denver Public Schools (DPS) approves and places all new schools, both district-run and charter. The Call identifies the areas in our District that need new schools-- either due to growth in population or a lack of availability of high performing schools. We strive to make this process “governance neutral” and “model agnostic:” if the school is quality based on our metrics, it has an equal opportunity to open in DPS.
The 2016 Call for New Quality Schools will be released on January 22, 2016 and will be posted here: http://goo.gl/g9HmzL
Providers currently operating in DPS and whose school(s) have received a “green” or higher rating for at least two years on the School Performance Framework may use this Replication Application[2]. Rubrics used for the evaluation process, detailed in this document, will be available in January 2016.
We hope this application guides each applicant to thoughtfully design a school able to deeply support student learning and growth. We look forward to working with you.
Sincerely,
The School Development Team: Jennifer Holladay (Director, School Development), Chris Dewitt (Manager, New Schools) and Ashleigh Madonna (School Development Associate)
Application Checklist
The Application Checklist listed below should be used by the applicant to navigate this application and to check off completed sections. A copy of the checklist must be submitted with the completed application. The School Development Team will use the second column of boxes to check for completeness when the application is submitted. NOTE: Click on each application component listed below to be directed to the corresponding application questions.
Application Component / Applicant Check / Reviewer CheckLetter of Intent / ☐ / ☐
Executive Summary / ☐ / ☐
Section I.
CULTURE / A. Vision, Mission Statement, and Core Values / ☐ / ☐
B. Targeted Student Population / ☐ / ☐
C. Student Recruitment & Enrollment / ☐ / ☐
D. Demonstration of Community Support and Demand for the Application (Appx. E) / ☐ / ☐
E. School Culture & Student Engagement / ☐ / ☐
F. Student Discipline Policy (Appx. F) / ☐ / ☐
G. Student Attendance & Satisfaction / ☐ / ☐
H. Parent/Guardian Involvement & Satisfaction / ☐ / ☐
Section II: TEACHING / A. Educational Philosophy / ☐ / ☐
B. Instructional Strategies / ☐ / ☐
C. Teacher Coaching / ☐ / ☐
D. Teacher Professional Development / ☐ / ☐
E. Teacher Evaluation (Appx. G) / ☐ / ☐
F. English Language Learners / ☐ / ☐
G. Students with Disabilities / ☐ / ☐
H. Gifted and Talented Students / ☐ / ☐
I. Multi-Tiered System of Supports / ☐ / ☐
J. School Schedule & Calendar (Appx. H and I) / ☐ / ☐
K. Class Size / ☐ / ☐
Section III:
EDUCATION PROGRAM / A. Curriculum / ☐ / ☐
B. Goals, Objectives & Pupil Performance Standards / ☐ / ☐
C. Progress Monitoring and Assessments / ☐ / ☐
D. Promotion & Retention Policies / ☐ / ☐
E. Supplemental Programming / ☐ / ☐
F. Community Partnerships / ☐ / ☐
Section IV:
LEADERSHIP / A. Leadership Team Personnel (Appx. K, L) / ☐ / ☐
Application Components / Applicant Check / Reviewer Check
B. Shared Personnel or CMO Personnel (Appx. M,N) / ☐ / ☐
C. School Personnel Structure (Appx. O, P) / ☐ / ☐
D. Leadership Team Coaching & Evaluation / ☐ / ☐
E. Teacher Recruitment and Hiring / ☐ / ☐
F. Teacher Retention / ☐ / ☐
G. Collaborative School Committee (CSC) and/or School Accountability Committee (SAC) / ☐ / ☐
Section V:. OPERATIONS, BUDGET, & GOVERNANCE / A. Employment Policies / ☐ / ☐
B. Operations – Transportation / ☐ / ☐
C. Operations – Safety and Security / ☐ / ☐
D. Operations – Food Services
E. Charter Schools Only: Operations - Insurance Coverage / ☐
☐ / ☐
☐
F. Budget Narrative / ☐ / ☐
G. Facility (Appx. D) / ☐ / ☐
H. Charter Schools Only: Governance Philosophy / ☐ / ☐
I. Charter Schools Only: Board Capacity and Structure / ☐ / ☐
J. Charter Schools Only: School Oversight / ☐ / ☐
K. Charter Schools Only: Board Status & Compliance / ☐ / ☐
Section VI: Waivers
(Charter Schools Only) / A. District Waivers and State Statute Waivers / ☐ / ☐
Section VII: ESP/EMO Relationship
(Charters Schools Only) / A. ESP/EMO Selection / ☐ / ☐
B. ESP/EMO Track Record (Appx. W) / ☐ / ☐
C. Legal Relationships (Appx. X) / ☐ / ☐
D. Organizational Structure & (Appx. Y) / ☐ / ☐
Multi-site Organizations
(Charters Schools Only) / A. Multiple School Organization - Human Capital / ☐ / ☐
B. Multiple School Organization - Finance / ☐ / ☐
C. Multiple School Organization - Long-term Planning / ☐ / ☐
D. Multiple School Organization - Governance / ☐ / ☐
Appendices / Appx. A – Letter of Intent (copy of LOI submitted) / ☐ / ☐
Appx. B – Copy of the Completed Applicant Checklist / ☐ / ☐
Appx. C – Charter School Board Member Questionnaire / ☐ / ☐
Appx. D – School Facility Questionnaire / ☐ / ☐
Appx. E – Evidence of Support from Parents/Guardians, Community Groups, Teachers & Pupils / ☐ / ☐
Appx. F – Discipline Policy / ☐ / ☐
Appx. G – Teacher Evaluation Tools / ☐ / ☐
Application Components / Applicant Check / Reviewer Check
Appx. H – School Calendar / ☐ / ☐
Appx. I – Student and Teacher Schedule / ☐ / ☐
Appx. K – Job descriptions for all Leadership Team Positions / ☐ / ☐
Appx. L – Resumes for all Identified Leadership Team Members / ☐ / ☐
Appx. M – CEO/ED Evaluation Tool / ☐ / ☐
Appx. N – Shared Staff Org. Chart and Staff Roster / ☐ / ☐
Appx. O – School Organization Chart / ☐ / ☐
Appx. P – Staff Roster / ☐ / ☐
Appx. Q – Personnel Policies or Employee Manual / ☐ / ☐
Appx. R – Resumes of all Board Members / ☐ / ☐
Appx. S – Articles of Incorporation & Bylaws / ☐ / ☐
Appx. T – Conflict of Interest Policy / ☐ / ☐
Appx. U– Grievance Policy / ☐ / ☐
Appx. V – Parent Complaint Process / ☐ / ☐
Appx. W – Financial Audit of ESP/EMO (if applicable) / ☐ / ☐
Appx. X – License Authorizing Business in Colorado (if applicable) / ☐ / ☐
Appx. Y – Draft of Management Agreement (if applicable) / ☐ / ☐
Appx. Z - Memorandum of Understanding / ☐ / ☐
Electronic copy of entire application / ☐ / ☐
Electronic copy of completed budget templates / ☐ / ☐
General Application Overview
Tentative Timeline of the 2016 Call for New Quality Schools[3]
DPS Responsibilities Applicant Responsibilities Shared Responsibilities
Tuesday, December 22 / ● New School Applications Released
Friday, January 22 / ● Call for New Quality Schools document released
● Placement application & rubrics released
Thursday, February 11 / ● Letters of intent due for new schools & placement applicants
Friday, April 8 / ● Applications due
Week of April 15 / ● Regional Community Meetings
Week of April 18 / ● First Group: Application Review Team convenes
Week of April 25 / ● First Group: Interviews
Weeks of May 2 & May 9 / ● Second Group: Application Review Team convenes
Monday, May 16 / ● Staff Recommendation to DPS Board of Education
● Applicant Presentations to DPS Board of Education
Thursday, May 19 / ● Public Comment
● DPS Board of Education Votes on First Group Quality
May 17-20 / ● Placement Review Team convenes
Friday, May 20 / ● Community matching process launches with quality applicants
Week of May 23 / ● Placement Review Team interviews
Week of May 23 / ● Second Group: Interviews
Week of May 30 / ● Placement Review Team reconvenes
Week of May 30 / ● Second Group: Second Application review team meetings
● (if necessary)
Monday, June 13 / ● Staff Recommendation to BOE
● Applicant Presentations to BOE
● Family and Community Engagement Team (FACE) Report on community matching process
Thursday, June 16 / ● Public Comment
● DPS Board of Education Votes on Second Group Quality & All Placements
● Letter of Intent: FEBRUARY 11TH
○ All applicants are requested to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) prior to submitting a complete application. The LOI template is available in Appendix A. The LOI provides formal notice to DPS regarding applicants’ intentions to submit an application to open a new school in 2017-2018 (or thereafter), allowing sufficient time for the district to coordinate Application Review Teams (ART).
● Complete Application: APRIL 8TH
○ All applicants are required to submit an electronic version and two (2) hard copies of the application by FRIDAY, APRIL 8TH at 5pm MST. See below for details on submission requirements.
● Community Engagement: Ongoing
○ All applicants are responsible for proactively engaging with the intended neighborhood community to develop their applications.
○ DPS will invite applicants to present at Regional Community Meetings in each region for which applications are put forth.
Types of Applicants
● New school applicants fall into one of four categories:
1. new charter school applicant
a. Charter schools are publicly-funded schools overseen directly by a Board of Directors, which holds a contract with the DPS Board of Education.
2. new district-sponsored applicant
a. District-run applicants interested in applying for district sponsorship should contact Joe Amundsen.
3. new district-run applicant
a. District-run applicants who do not receive district-sponsorship may apply as a district-run school using this application
4. Replication applicant
a. Only schools currently operating in Denver that have two or more years of meeting or exceeding expectations on the Denver School Performance Framework (SPF) and seek to replicate their existing school model and grade configuration may utilize this customized application.
Application Process
The goal of the Call for New Quality Schools Process is to identify high quality new schools to meet academic and growth needs in DPS for the Board of Education to approve. This process consists of two parts:
- Quality Review: All district-run and charter school applications must meet the quality bar as measured by the Call for New Quality Schools rubic, which will be available in January 2016. Application Review Teams, described on pg. 8, help the Superintendent form a recommendation to give to the Board of Education based on your application.
- Placement Review: As described in Board Policy AG, district and charter schools that have been approved are then eligible to be considered for placement in available District owned or leased facilities. (Charter schools are able to pursue a private facility and not participate in the placement process.) Placement Review Teams, described on p. 9, help the Superintendent form a placement recommendation to the Board.
- NOTE: Placement decisions are made using information in the Placement Application only, which will be available here on January 22, 2016. It is strongly recommended that all applicants interested in district facilities align their quality application (this document) to the school-specific requirements and Priority Needs outlined in the Call for New Quality Schools
Submission Requirements
1. Proposal Narrative: The narrative section seeks information about all major aspects of the proposed school. A complete application must include each section outlined in this application document (e.g., Executive Summary, Section I Culture, etc.). Within the narrative of each section, please use the outline headings we have provided.
2. Budget Forms: All proposals must be accompanied by completed budget forms using the template created by DPS, which can be found on the DPS website. Submit only electronic copies of the budget in Excel (no paper-based copy is necessary).
3. Appendices (electronic only): Submit only those appendices that are referenced in this application. Additional material beyond the narrative and appendices referenced in the application will not be evaluated. Do not print appendices.
Submit Paper Application:
Deliver proposals by 5:00pm MST on FRIDAY, APRIL 8* to:
Denver Public Schools, School Development Team
Attn: Chris DeWitt, Manager of New Schools
Emily Griffith Campus
1860 Lincoln St.
Denver, CO 80203
*No late submissions will be accepted.
Formatting Requirements
● Font and Page Format
● Use 12-point font and one-inch margins.
● Number every page of the application and observe all page limits.
● Include as text each major section header and each sub-section header, but do not include the question prompt in your typed response.
● Binders