Indiana Aerospace Jr/Sr High School

Located at:

Indianapolis Aviation Technology Center

2175 S Hoffman Rd

Indianapolis, IN 46241

Charter School Application

Full Application

“THE RAPTORS”

Submitted to

Honorable Greg Ballard

Mayor

Indianapolis, IN 46204

May 22, 2009

CHARTER APPLICANT INFORMATION SHEET

This sheet must be attached to the Prospectus and Full Application, and follow the cover page. Please type the information requested.

Name of Proposed Charter School Indiana Aerospace Jr/Sr High School

Proposed School Address (if known) 2175 S Hoffman Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46241

School District in which Proposed School would be located Wayne Township Schools

Legal Name of Group Applying for the Charter Indiana Aviation High School

Applicant's Designated Representative Roger Tomey

Address 11 Nancy Lane

City Greenwood State Indiana Zip Code 46142

Daytime Telephone (317) 889-4756 Fax (__317__)__381-6060______

E-mail address

The proposed school will open in the fall of school year: _ 2008-9 _ 2009-10 _X_ 2010-2011

_Other (please specify year)______

Proposed Grade Levels & Total Student Enrollment

Grade Levels / Total Student Enrollment
First Year / 7 / 140
Second Year / 7,8 / 266
Third Year / 7,8,9 / 378
Fourth Year / 7,8,9,10 / 486
Fifth Year / 7,8,9,10,11 / 590
Sixth Year / 7,8,9,10,11,12 / 690
Seventh Year / 7-12 / 690
Maximum / 7-12 / 690

Are you planning to work with an educational management organization (EMO)?

Yes___ No _X_ If so, please indicate the name of EMO: ______N/A______

Have you submitted this application to another sponsor? Yes _ No X. If so, please indicate:

Name of Other Sponsor:______N/A______Date Submitted:__N/A___

Do you plan to submit this application to another sponsor before the Mayor of Indianapolis makes a final determination on your application? Yes __ No _X_.

If so, please indicate the name of the Sponsor: ______N/A______

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Mission:

The Indiana Aerospace Junior/Senior High School’s mission is to provide students with a unique curriculum that integrates aerospace and aviation into their academic courses. The curriculum will provide students the opportunity to engage in multidisciplinary projects, enroll in dual-credit classes with local universities, and work in internships with local aerospace industry firms. The expectation is for the students to exceed the Indiana state standards in math, science, and technology in order to prepare and inspire them to pursue careers in the aerospace industry. Of equal importance is our mission to develop ethical standards that promote responsibility, good citizenship, respect for authority, and solid core values.

Need:

We believe that our proposed charter school will target students of underserved populations, as well as students who have a desire to pursue aerospace careers but the student’s current school does not tailor their curriculum to meet their educational needs. Based on the need for students to fill these careers, the lack of prepared students to pursue these careers in post-secondary school, and the under-representation of women and minority students in these careers, we believe our school will fill a need in the Indianapolis community as well as nationally.

Using 2008 ACT results for 10,019 Indiana high school graduates with career interest information, and 2004-2014 Indiana state long-term occupational projections (based on job growth and job replacement) here is what we know so far:

There is some interest among Indiana high school students in pursuing these high-growth fields, but not enough to meet the demand.
Of Indiana students expressing interest in many of these high-growth career fields, 2/3 or more are ready for first-year college English courses, while less than 2/3 are prepared for college-level social science courses.
Of Indiana students expressing interest in these high-growth career fields, less than 1/2 are ready for college-level math or science courses.
Students who are interested and college ready are more likely to be successful in the coursework needed to enter these high-growth career fields.

To reverse these inequities and increase female and minority participation, educators point to the need to strengthen the educational pipeline, especially at the pre-college level where interest in mathematics and science develops.

Educational Foundation and Curricular Approach:

The vision of the school is to accentuate aerospace careers to include engineers, pilots, air traffic controllers, managers, logistics personnel, mechanics, and health care workers. As a result, rigor in science, math, and technology will be stressed and implemented in a Block-4 schedule. The curriculum will utilize project-based learning, experiential learning through internships, and contextual problem solving approaches in order to increase the rigor and interest of the curriculum.

Plan for Meeting the School’s Educational Goals:

Our charter school will be structured so that it attains the following three educational goals:

Students engage in activities that build on prior knowledge and allow them to apply that knowledge to new situations.
Students use disciplined inquiry.
School activities have value beyond school.

In order to accomplish these goals the school will be structured as follows:

Utilize a Block-4 schedule that will provide for applications of learning with in-depth discussion, analysis, and debate and promotes an instructional format which encourages the use of a variety of instructional methods.

Engage students in high quality, authentic, multidisciplinary projects.
Utilize current technology to support the project-based learning curriculum.
Incorporate aerospace topics into the course curriculum.

Utilize experiential learning through internships as an avenue of maintaining interest and relevance in the curriculum.
Require that all students complete an Academic Honor’s curriculum that includes taking four years of mathematics.
Incorporate a comprehensive assessment program at the classroom level that balances formative and summative student learning/achievement information.

Business Plan:

We are entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Vincennes University as well as developing a partnership with Purdue and Indiana State University. These partners were chosen because of their long-standing and reputable history in aerospace and aviation education. We believe our partnerships with these institutions will accelerate the enrolled students into an aerospace career and improve their chances of becoming successful employees of the industry.

Our budget is based on data collected from other charter schools as well as experience from the educator advisors and the accountant secured for the school. We are hiring a reputable firm, Bookkeeping Plus, that currently works with over 50% of the Indiana charter schools in regards to accounting and fund management. The School Board and Executive Director will be responsible for overseeing the management of the funds. Additionally, the School Principal, with the guidance of the School Board and Executive Director, will be responsible for ensuring the funds are spent in accordance with state and federal laws to ensure maximum dollars are being used to educate the students directly in the classroom and waste is kept to a minimum.

Additionally, we have multiple aerospace industry firms, like Freedom Helicopters, Greenwood Executive Air, and Republic Airlines that are excited about assisting the school with our goal of educating Indiana’s youth in science, math, engineering, and technology, and exciting them to pursue careers in these areas. Other corporations like AAR Corporation and Rolls Royce are being recruited to join our efforts.

Founding Team’s Capacity to Implement Educational and Business Plan:

A diverse team of individuals has collaborated using their individual expertise to oversee the development of the proposed charter school. The individuals are experts in the fields of educational leadership, finance, management, and aeronautics. Through the collaboration of this team, a comprehensive plan that incorporates both sound educational and business related practices has been developed. The team used their individual talents to question why traditional educational institutions do not fill the needed niche in the Indianapolis community that our proposed school will fill. Additionally, the team then looked at both traditional and non-traditional educational models to compile the best pedagogical practices of each to ensure that our students will receive an education that rivals the best schools in America for both traditional as well as underrepresented groups of students. Finally, our team used their collective talents in order to develop a plan to house and finance the school. Our team has set realistic but high standards and as a result, firmly believes that our school will be the “best of the best.”

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Information Sheet…………………………………………………………………………………………………………ii

Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………………..iii

I. Our Vision

A. Mission…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….1

B. Need…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1

C. Goals…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4

II. Who We Are

A. Description of Founding Group………………………………………………………………….4

B. Community Partnerships..……………………………………………………………………………7

III. Educational Services Provided

A. Educational Philosophy………………………………………………………………………………..8

B. Academic Standards……………………………………………………………………………………12

C. Curriculum………………………………………………………………………………………………………13

D. Assessment……………………………………………………………………………………………………15

E. Support for Learning…………………………………………………………………………………..17

F. Special Student Populations………………………………………………………………………19

G. School Characteristics……………………………………………………………………………….20

IV. Organizational Viability and Effectiveness

A. Enrollment/Demand……………………………………………………………………………………..21

B. Human Resources…………………………………………………………………………………………24

C. Governance & Management…………………………………………………………………………26

D. Financial Management…………………………………………………………………………………32

E. Budget………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………32

F. Facility……………………………………………………………………………………………………………33

G. Transportation………………………………………………………………………………………………33

H. Risk Management…………………………………………………………………………………………34

I. Timeline……………………………………………………………………………………………………………35

V. Summary of Strengths……………………………………………………………………………………………37

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 1: Goal Templates………………………………………………………………………………..…I

Attachment 2: Resumes of Key Leadership Personnel………………………………………….II

Attachment 3: Resumes of School Board Personnel………………………………………………III

Attachment 4: Resumes of Founding Group Personnel…………………………………………IV

Attachment 5: Community Partners…………………………………………………………………………..V

Attachment 6: Exit Standard Rubric……………………………………………………………………….VI

Attachment 7: Curriculum Documents………………….………………………………………………….VII

Attachment 8: Discipline Policy………………………………………………………………………………….VIII

Attachment 9: Teacher Evaluation & Professional Learning Plan………………………..IX

Attachment 10: Memorandum of Understanding……………………………………………………X

Attachment 11: By-Laws………………………………………………………………………………………………XI

Attachment 12: Articles of Incorporation………………………………………………………………XII

Attachment 13: Budget Documents…………………………………………………………………………XIII

Attachment 14: Assurances Form…………………………………………………………………………..…XIV

I. Vision:

A. Mission Statement:

B. Need:

Succeeding in college has never been more important. Too few Indiana students, particularly those who are low income or the first in their families to attend college, earn a postsecondary degree. According to an organization called “Learn More Indiana”, a partnership of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, Department of Education, State Student Assistance Commission, and Indiana’s colleges and universities, Indiana currently ranks 44th among states in the number of adults with college degrees. The state also lags behind the country in individual earnings. This is not surprising given that, according to a 2007 survey, more than 6 out of 10 students are not confident that they are doing what it takes to get to college. In addition, interest among American students of all races and ethnicities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has dissipated over the last several years. According to Diverse Education.com, in 2002, 690,000 minority students graduated from high school, but only about 28,000 had taken the necessary math and science courses to fully qualify for engineering studies. The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) is actively working with K-12 educators in low-income and minority neighborhoods to generate interest in STEM fields among young people. “The key is reaching students early. NACME begins working with students in middle school. Speaking to parents is also important,” said John Lubbe, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at NACME, noting that many minority families are unaware of the benefits that an engineering education can afford. According to the report, only about 1.3 percent of the available pool of minority high school graduates earns engineering degrees from America’s colleges and universities each year. Though Hispanics are expected to account for 25 percent of the U.S. population by the mid-21st century, the gap in educational attainment for Hispanics relative to Caucasians has widened. Data also suggest that Hispanics are losing interest in engineering and are opting to pursue other fields of study such as business and the social sciences.

According to the National Science Board, over the next 10 years, the United States will need to train and educate an additional 1.9 million workers in the sciences. Recent enrollment trends indicate that increased involvement of underrepresented groups is essential in meeting this demand. Currently, all along the educational pipeline, students are being lost in the fields of science, mathematics and engineering. According to a survey of 2,393 Indianapolis 9th grade students conducted by “Learn More Indiana,” the percent of students interested in pursuing a career in science, engineering, and technology is 10.24%, those interested in transportation, distribution, and logistics is 1.3%, and those interested in health science is 15.46%. The emphasis of our proposed charter school will allow an avenue for the estimated 27% total of these students to have an educational option for their interests and the necessary academic rigor at the forefront of their educational experience.

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the job outlook between the years of 2006 – 2016 for aircraft pilots and flight engineers is projected to grow 13% nationally, the number of air traffic controllers is projected to grow 10% nationally, and overall engineering employment is expected to grow by 11% nationally. Also, according to ACT Inc., five of the expected highest growth career fields in Indiana will be in education, management, health care, computer specialties, and engineering. Using 2008 ACT results for 10,019 Indiana high school graduates with career interest information, and 2004-2014 Indiana state long-term occupational projections (based on job growth and job replacement) here is what we know so far:

There is some interest among Indiana high school students in pursuing these high-growth fields, but not enough to meet the demand.
Of Indiana students expressing interest in many of these high-growth career fields, 2/3 or more are ready for first-year college English courses, while less than 2/3 are prepared for college-level social science courses.
Of Indiana students expressing interest in these high-growth career fields, less than 1/2 are ready for college-level math or science courses.
Students who are interested and college ready are more likely to be successful in the coursework needed to enter these high-growth career fields.

In addition to the challenges of recruiting students as science, mathematics, and technology majors, there are also retention issues. These three fields report the lowest retention rates among all academic disciplines. Approximately 50% of students entering college with an intention to major in science, mathematics, or technology change their major within the first two years (Center for Institutional Data Exchange and Analysis, 2000). One reason for this loss of students is that many incoming freshmen lack basic science and mathematics literacy needed for persistence. There is overwhelming evidence that the single most important factor that correlates with success in college is what is done in high school math. The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), released in 2008, compared United States students with other countries and found that although U.S. students are above average in the 4th and 8th grade, they were significantly below average by the 12th grade. TIMSS also found that the U. S. mathematics curriculum is unfocused, contains many more topics than most countries, and relies on more repetition, whereas high achieving countries do not rely on basic or rote methods but rather on contextual problem solving approaches (Van de Walle, 2004). According to Stan Jones, the Indiana commissioner for higher education, “Completing math courses has a greater influence on whether students will graduate from college than any other factor - including family background.” Researchers at Harvard University and the University of Virginia have found that high school coursework in one of the sciences generally does not predict better college performance in other scientific disciplines. But there's one notable exception: Students with the most rigorous high school preparation in mathematics perform significantly better in college courses in biology, chemistry, and physics.

A follow-up to an earlier study by Cliff Adelman, a senior associate at the Institute for Higher Education Policy, examines the predictors of college success. This study follows a nationally representative cohort of students from high school through college to show major predictors for the completion of a bachelor’s degree. Adelman found that academic intensity or rigor was the strongest predictor of college success and completion. Adelman contends that going to college and degree completion could be improved by 30–70 percent for under-represented minority and low-income students by increasing the number of core academic courses and the rigor of these courses, and by ensuring these students move immediately from high school to college. Adelman also states that out of all pre-college curricula, the highest level of mathematics one studies in secondary school has the strongest continuing influence on bachelor's degree completion. Finishing a course beyond the level of Algebra 2 (for example, trigonometry or pre-calculus) more than doubles the odds that a student who enters post-secondary education will complete a bachelor's degree. The impact of a high school curriculum of high academic intensity and quality on degree completion is far more positively pronounced for African-American and Latino students than any other pre-college indicator of academic resources. The impact for African-American and Latino students is also much greater than it is for white students. A major problem among low-income and historically disadvantaged students, suggests Dr. Lisa Frehill, Executive Director of the Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology, is the availability of advanced math and science classes and qualified instructors.