New Jersey Charter School

NEW JERSEY CHARTER SCHOOL

ANNUAL REPORT TEMPLATE2013

Revised June 2013

NJ Department of Education

Office of Charter Schools

P.O. Box 500, Trenton, NJ 08625-0500

Phone: (609) 292-5850

Fax: (609) 633-9825

I. INTRODUCTION

Each year, the board of trustees of a charter school must submit an annual reporton August 1 following each full school year in which the charter school is in operation. The board of trustees of a charter school shall make the annual report available to the parents or guardians of the students enrolled in the charter school. The annual report includes information regarding the school’s achievement of its mission, goals and objectives and is aligned to the New Jersey Department of Education’s Office of Charter School’s Performance Framework.

The aim of the revised annual report is to solicit responses that focus on outcomes and that are aligned with the expectations of the Performance Framework, rather than receive subjective narrative responses. This provides for consistent evaluation of charter schools using high-quality performance standards.

II. ANNUAL REPORT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Annual Report Submission:Per N.J.A.C.6A:11-2.2, the board of trustees of a charter school must submit an annual report to the local board(s) of education, the executive county superintendent, and the Commissioner. The board of trustees of a charter school shall make the annual report available to the parents or guardians of the students enrolled in the charter school.

Submission Requirements:One hard copy of the annual report is due in the Office of Charter Schools no later than 4:15PM onThursday, August 1, 2013.The hard copy must include all charts. Please mail or hand deliver to the N.J. Department of Education, Office of Charter Schools, P.O. Box 500, Trenton, NJ 08625-0500.

Additionally, you must submit an electronic version of the report in PDF format on a labeled flash drive to the NJDOEthat includes all charts. As a separate attachment to the PDF, submit the excel spreadsheet with all chartsin excel format.Make sure thatboth sheets 1 and 2 have been completed.

A hard copy of the report must also be submitted to the respective executive county superintendent of schools and the district board(s) of education or State district superintendent(s) of the district of residence of the charter school by Thursday, August 1, 2013. Please provide receipts from the county and district. Receipts are provided on the last page of this template.

Document Length: Each questionin the application provides instructions for maximum length. Answers must stay within those guidelines.

Format: All pages should use standard one-inch margins, be paginated, with all text easily readable in font no smaller than type size 11 point.

Cover Page: Provide a cover page that includes the school’s name and the date of the report. The bottom of the cover page should also note that the report was transmitted to the Commissioner of Education, respective executive county superintendent of schools, and the district board(s) of education or State district superintendent(s) of the district of residence of the charter school.

Table of Contents: Provide a clearly labeled Table of Contents naming all major sections and appendices.

Written Comment Period:The district board(s) of education or State district superintendent(s) of the district of residence of a charter school may submit comments regarding the annual report of the charter school to the Commissioner by October 1, 2013.

III. ANNUAL REPORT QUESTIONS

1. BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

a) Fill in the requested information below about the basic information of the school:

1.a. Basic Information
Name of School
Year School Opened
Grade Level(s)
October 15th Enrollment Count
Final Enrollment Count
School Address(es)
District(s) / Region of Residence
Website Address
Name of Board President
Board President email address
Board President phone number
Name of School Leader
School Leader email address
School Leader phone number
Name of SBA
SBA email address
SBA phone number

2. Enrollment and Equity

2.1. School Enrollment

a) Fill in the requested information below regarding school enrollment:

2.1.a. School Enrollment in 2012-2013
Maximum Enrollment allowed per school's charter / October 15th Enrollment / Final Enrollment Count / Student Attrition Rate / Current Waitlist
K
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Grade 9
Grade 10
Grade 11
Grade 12
Total

Note: Student attrition rate is calculated by dividing total # of students in each grade at the start of the school year by the number of students who leftthe school (for any reason) prior to the end of the school year.

2.2 School Demographics

a) Fill in the requested information below regarding school demographics:

2.2.a. School Demographics in 2012-2013 (*Based on October 15th ENROLLMENT COUNT)
Total # Students Enrolled
# Free or Reduced Price Lunch Students
%Free or Reduced Price Lunch Students
# Special Ed Students
% Special Ed Students
# LEP Students
% LEP Students
# White Students
% White Students
# African American Students
% African American Students
# Hispanic Students
% Hispanic Students
# Asian Students
% Asian Students
# Students in other ethnic groups
% Students in other ethnic groups

2.3 School Recruitment, Admissionsand Enrollment

a) Describe the school’s recruitment policies and practices and how they align to the Performance Frameworkstandards. (Limit your response to a 1 page maximum.)

b) Provide information regarding the school’s admissions lottery:

2.3.b. Admissions lottery
Date(s) and location(s) of admissions lottery for enrollment in 2012-2013 school year
Date(s) and location(s) of admissions lottery for enrollment in 2013-2014 school year

c) Describe the school’s admissions and enrollment practices and the actions the school has taken to ensure compliance with N.J.S.A. 18A:36A-7 and 18A:36A-8. (Limit your response to a 1 page maximum.)

d) As an appendix, provide a copy of the school’s current admissions application in as many languages as currently available.

e) Provide evidence that the school has made a commitment to serving all students, especially highest needs students such as special education students, English Language Learners, students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and other underserved or at-risk populations. (Limit your response to a 2 page maximum.)

2.4 School Suspension /Expulsion Rate

a) Provide information regarding the school’s suspension and expulsion numbers:

2.4.a. School Suspensions / Expulsions
Total # Students Enrolled / Total # of Students (Unique Count) Suspended / Total # of Students Expelled
K
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Grade 9
Grade 10
Grade 11
Grade 12
Total

3. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

3.1. Academic Performance

a) Based upon the standards within the Performance Framework, describe the school’s statewide assessment results with regards to absolute, comparative and growth measures and whether or not the school has met those standards. Explain how the school will close gaps and/or maintain and improve results. (Limit your response to a 2 page maximum.)

3.2 Mission-Specific Academic Goals

Note: Within the Performance Framework, mission-specific goals are optional, rather than mandatory, and dependent on each individual school. Schools that do not have mission-specific academic goals may leave this section blank in the annual report.

Someschools have a specialized concentration or theme for their educational program which cannot be fully assessed by the common measures within the Academic Performance Framework.There may be schools that focus on engineering and technology, the performing arts or second language immersion. High schools may also have additional academic goalsas the HSPA is only administered in grades 11 and 12.

a) Provide information regarding 2OR3school-specificacademic goals related to the school’s mission using the guidelines and format below.Include the goal, measure/metric, target, and outcome. These academic goals may have changed from the school’s original charter application.

All goals must be (SMART) specific, measurable, ambitious and attainable, relevant and time-bound.
All measurements must be valid and reliable, and must demonstrate rigor.
Without exception, academic goals must be outcome-driven.
If possible, provide an explanation of whether or not the school has met these goalsand how the school is progressing towards the goal attainment.

Goal / Ex: As a college-preparatory academy, our goal is to prepare students for the rigor of college-level coursework.
Measure/Metric / Ex: Growth in percentage of students passing AP tests annually
Target / Ex: Increase percentage of students passing AP tests by 10% from 11-12 to 12-13
Actual Outcome / Ex: in 11-12, 50 students took at least 1 AP exam and 30 passed.
In 12-13, 54 students took at least 1 AP exam, and 40 passed, a 14% increase. GOAL HAS BEEN MET.

3.3. Curriculum

All charter schools are required to adapt and implement their curriculum to align with the Common Core State Standards. The revised timeline can be found at the following link:

a)Provide a signed assurance that the school’s curriculum is aligned to Common Core State Standards. If the curriculum is not aligned, provide an explanation and timeline for the completion and implementation of the revised curriculum.

4. LEARNING ENVIRONMENT / PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT

a) Fill in the requested information below regarding the school learning environment including methodology used.

4.a. Learning Environment / Professional Environment
Learning Environment / Number or Ratio / Methodology used
Attendance rate:
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
Student - teacher ratio
Professional Environment / Number or Ratio / Methodology used
Teacher retention rate (year to year)
Total staff retention rate (year to year)
Frequency of teacher surveys and date of last survey conducted
% of survey participation
% of teacher satisfaction
Main positive aspects identified in the survey
Main school challenges identified in the survey

5. PARENTAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

a) Fill in the requested information below regarding parent satisfaction and involvement.

5.a. Parent Satisfaction
Frequency of parents surveys and date of last survey conducted
% of survey participation (considering 1 survey per family)
% of parent satisfaction
Main positive aspects identified in the survey
Main school challenges identified in the survey
Parent Involvement at the School
# Parents currently on Board of Trustees over total Board Members
Major activities/events offered to parents during 12-13 school year (list in bullets). Please, include # hours or frequency of the activity and % participation.
Major activities/events conducted by the parents to further the school’s mission and goals, such as fundraising, volunteering, etc. (list them in, bullets). Please include # hours or frequency, and % participation.

b) Provide a list of the partnerships with other educational or community institutions.

5.b. Community Involvement
Partnering organization / Description of the partnership / Level of involvement: # students or/and staff involved, approx. # hours per month, resources involved etc.
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS:
COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS:

6. SCHOOL GOVERNANCE / LEADERSHIP

6.1. Board of Trustees

a) Fill in the requested information below regarding the Board of Trustees:

6.1.a. Governance
# of Board Members required in charter
# and Names of Current Board Members (including official roles within the Board). List the board members by name, role, organizational affiliation (parent, community member, lead person, etc.) and their voting status on the board.
Board Meeting Dates from September 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013 and # of Board Members who Attended Meetings
# and Name of New Board members in 2012-2013 and information on the dates and type of training they received.
# and Name of Active Committees
Qualified/ experienced person responsible for (name and capacity):
K-12 Education
Legal issues
Fiscal oversight
General management
Real Estate/ Facilities
Communications/ Outreach/ Negotiations
Date of Board Self-Evaluation (if available, include a copy of the board self-evaluation as an appendix)
Date of School Leader Evaluation (if available, include a copy of the school leader evaluation as an appendix)
Number of Board Complaints in 12-13
Main achievements and critical policies adopted by the Board during 12-13 academic year (list in bullets)
Issues that are likely to require the board’s attention in the near future. (List in bullets)
Date of adoption of streamline tenure policy
Date of adoption of educator evaluation system

b) As an appendix, provide a copy of the school’s bylaws adopted by the Board of Trustees.

c) As an appendix, provide a copy of the school calendar for the 2013-2014 school year.

6.2. School Leadership/Administration

a) Fill in the requested information below regarding school leadership:

6.2.a. School Leadership/Administration
Names and emergency contact information, specific position, # years in current position

b)As an appendix, provide resumes for the school leadership / administration.

c)As an appendix, provide an organizational chart.

7. FACILITIES

7.1. Documentation

a) If the school has moved into a new facility in the 2012-2013 school year, the school must provide copies of the following:

A lease, mortgage or title to its new facility
A valid certificate of occupancy for "E" (education) use issued by the local municipal enforcing official at N.J.A.C. 5:32-2 if the charter school has changed facilities;
An annual sanitary inspection report with satisfactory rating;
An annual fire inspection certificate with "Ae" (education) code life hazard use at

N.J.A.C. 5:70-4;

The documentation should be submitted in the appendices.