just testing: Today in Trenton: June 11, 2009

New Jersey's charter public schools deliver impressive performance in educating and graduating our public school children. Results from the 2008 state assessment tests and graduation rates highlight the achievements of our schools while addressing very diverse student needs. Click here for charts. Note that NJCPSA does not have access to the 2009 assessment results for all districts in the state; they will be published in January or February 2010.

All NJ charter high school 2008 graduation rates surpassed both the district counterpart average and the state average, which includes urban and suburban districts.
On the 2008 HSPA given to eleventh graders, six out of nine NJ charter high schools outperformed their district counterparts in language arts and five out of eight outperformed their districts in math.
Similarly for NJASK8, which is the state assessment test given to eighth graders, 80% of charter schools had a higher percentage of students scoring proficient and advanced proficient in language arts and 66% had a higher proficiency level in math than the respective district schools.
In Newark, six of the top 12 schools on the NJASK8 were charter schools. Robert Treat Academy Charter School had the highest percentage of students scoring proficient and advanced proficient in language arts and math, and North Star Academy Charter School had the highest average test scores.
In Camden, Camden's Promise Charter School was number one on the NJASK8. All three Camden charter schools outperformed the district schools in percent proficient and advanced proficient in both language arts and math.

NJCPSA Forms Members Council

Thank you to everyone who attended one of the members council organizing meetings held in Newark and Camden on May 27 and June 2. More than 30 school leaders and others participated, including pre-operational founders and charter school applicants. The conversation focused on member services, advocacy, promoting quality and how best to engage the schools in ways that serve their needs. As the association's board of trustees transitions from its founding make up of primarily school representatives to include philanthropic, corporate, political and other community leaders, the members council will serve a critical role in serving as the collective voice of the schools. Any member of the association who is interested in serving on an ad-hoc committee to develop the new council should contact Debra Wachspress. The plan is to hold one full-day meeting in the summer (preferably at a desirable beach location!) to sketch out the broad framework with follow up phone and e-mail communications to finalize the proposal. The ad-hoc committee will work on developing a final proposal for the board of trustees by the fall.

State Budget News & Advocacy Efforts

The Association has continued to push for a restoration of funds to the hardest hit charter schools in the state's FY2010 budget. Though the proposed budget includes $35 million more overall for charter schools, 12 schools face LESS funding at a school level for next year compared to the current year, despite the governor's promise that no school district in the state will receive less money next year. The cost of bringing these 12 schools up to their same funding level as last year is roughly $1 million. Under this budget, 25 charter schools are facing per pupil funding reductions of more than 4 percent -- most of which have increasing student enrollments. The price tag on funding these children so that they are not cut more than 4 percent is estimated at $3.5 million.

Since April, the Association has been meeting with key legislators from both budget committees to raise awareness about the funding scenario. We have also actively engaged individual schools in reaching out to parents to collect signatures for a letter writing campaign, drawing attention to the schools' budget numbers and how they will be impacted by the cuts.

A budget bill is expected to pass in both houses on June 18.

State Cuts Preschool Expansion Funding

The $25 million originally proposed by the governor to allow more school districts and charter schools to begin offering full-day preschool was struck from the budget. The budget still contains an additional $52.3 million to cover enrollment growth in existing preschool programs in the state's 31 former "Abbott" districts and about 100 more districts with high percentages of low-income children. Overall, the state budget proposes $596 million for public preschool. According to an NJDOE spokeswoman, districts can still use their additional Title I money for preschool expansion, but they will not be required to begin in September, and there will be no state matching funds. (Press of Atlantic City, May 21, 2009)

Bill Introduced to Allow Private Schools to Convert to Public Charters

Senator Raymond Lesniak and Assemblywoman Mila Jasey have introduced legislation to allow private and parochial schools to convert to public charter schools. The legislation is an attempt to address the high number of private schools closing around the state, and would give students, particularly in urban areas, more options for their public education. The bill would amend State statute to allow nonpublic schools to apply to the State Commissioner of Education in order to convert to public charter schools. Nonpublic schools would have conform to all requirements of charter schools, including certifying that upon conversion to charter public school status the school would prohibit religious instruction, events and activities that promote one religion's views over any other. (PolitikerNJ.com, June 4, 2009)

NJ Supreme Court Upholds Governor's School Funding Reform Plan

The New Jersey Supreme Court has upheld Governor Corzine's school-aid system, backing his plan to reshape education funding in the state and redirect the flow of billions of dollars in aid. The unanimous decision throws off a series of court mandates that had required enhanced funding to 31 historically poor areas while tight budgets squeezed the state's 585 other school districts. The governor argued that his aid plan, an attempt to tackle one of the most divisive issues in New Jersey, sends support to all needy students, including those living outside districts covered by past court rulings. (Philadelphia Inquirer, May 29, 2009)

How Can Schools Use Their ARRA Title I and IDEA Funds?

There are many questions from the charter school community as to the activities that qualify under ARRA. Following are some links to information on the allowable uses of Title I and IDEA ARRA funds. Watch for upcoming county DOE meetings on ARRA funding and the online ARRA Title 1 and IDEA applications, expected to be available mid-summer on the EWEG system.

Title 1-A and SIA-A
Title I questions: arratitle1@doe.state.nj.us
The use of ARRA Title I funds must be consistent with the allowable uses for Title I, Part A funds.

IDEA, Part B
IDEA questions: arraidea@doe.state.nj.us
Funds can be used to pay for additional costs for special education and related services, including renovations or construction of classroom spaces for special education needs and upgrades to facilities to make classrooms inclusive, such as smart boards in all classrooms (this is what is meant by "school modernization").

Important note on use of IDEA funds:
"An LEA may treat as local funds up to 50% of the amount of funds it is eligible to receive... from that appropriation that exceeds the amount from funds appropriated for the previous fiscal year that the LEA was eligible to receive." This means that schools may use up to 50 percent of the additional IDEA funds beyond the prior year spending on other ESEA activities.

For information and examples on using of your ARRA funds, see http://www.state.nj.us/education/arra/arrabg.pdf and http://www.state.nj.us/education/arra/resources/ (click on "Uses for ARRA Funds).

NJ Charters in the News

Hope Academy Charter School's leader Alexis Harris had an op-ed piece in the Asbury Park Press on May 24 about her anticipated large per pupil funding cut.

An article ran in the Star-Ledger on May 24 about Robert Treat Academy Charter School (Newark) and its middle-schoolers' high scores on the SAT. A Robert Treat student also appeared in a photo in The Week for an article titled "The Charter School Alternative." Ernie Harper, interim school leader at KIPP's Freedom Academy Charter School (Camden) was also quoted.

An article ran in the Princeton Packet about the Princeton Charter School selecting Gail Wilbur as new assistant head of school in charge of leading the kindergarten through fourth grade. Ms. Wilbur is a Governor's Teacher Award recipient who has been the focus of special recognition for her educational research. She is currently working as a third-grade teacher in the East Windsor Regional School District and was selected from a field of around 50 applicants.

NJ DOE News

New Jersey Joins the Common Core State Standards Initiative
Governor Corzine and Commissioner Davy joined the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a state-led process to develop common English-language arts and mathematics standards. The Common Core State Standards Initiative will be jointly led by the National Governors Assoc. Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). By signing onto this initiative, the governor and commissioner join colleagues across the country in committing to joining a state-led process to develop a common core of state standards in English language arts and mathematics for grades K-12. These standards will be research- and evidence-based, internationally benchmarked, aligned with college and work expectations, and include rigorous content and skills. The goal is to have a common core of state standards that states can adopt voluntarily. States can choose to include additional standards beyond the common core as long as the common core represents at least 85 percent of the state's standards in English language arts and mathematics. The second phase of this initiative is to ultimately develop common assessments aligned to the core standards developed through the process.

Clarification of Rules Regarding Placements
In a May 18 memorandum, Commissioner Davy clarified the purpose and role given to the Executive County Superintendents regarding the collection and dissemination of information regarding available in-district programs for students with disabilities. The memo stated that "consistent with federal and state regulations, local school districts must ensure that students with disabilities are educated in the least restrictive environment and that to the maximum extent appropriate, a student with a disability be educated with children who are not disabled. This requires that IEP teams be aware of in-district programs that are available in other districts that may meet the needs of the students." DOE has been working to increase the numbers of students with disabilities educated with their non-disabled peers.

Research

Report Calls on Public Charter Schools to Maintain High Standards for Operations
A new report released by the National Consensus Panel on Charter School Quality calls on public charter schools to maintain high standards for financial performance and sustainability, parent and community involvement, and governing board stewardship. The 16-page report, A Framework for Operational Quality, is designed as a guide for charter school leaders and support organizations as they establish schools that are prepared to achieve and sustain success. It recommends that leaders adopt a specific series of essential indicators, measures, metrics and targets for their operations. The report also serves to advise authorizers, philanthropists and lenders in monitoring the operational practices of high-quality public charter schools.

Associate Member Spotlight

CTB/McGraw-Hill provides assessment solutions for the K-12 and adult markets. For further information, please contact Steve Westfall, Evaluation Consultant, at steve_westfall@ctb.com or 610-676-0747.

NJCPSA's Associate Member program welcomes businesses and organizations who wish to support New Jersey's charter public schools.

Renew Your NJCPSA Membership for 2009-10

It's time for a new membership year! Letters and invoices have been mailed out to charter schools regarding their membership in the Association for 2009-10 year. The Association welcomes the following schools that have joined or renewed already:

Burch Charter School of Excellence
Discovery Charter School
Greater Newark Charter School
Hope Academy Charter School
Learning Community Charter School
Soaring Heights Charter School

As always, dues are calculated on a per-enrolled-pupil count for schools that will open their doors to students this fall. Applicant groups and pre-operating schools pay a flat-rate fee. If you'd like to become a member, please contact Carrie Wetherby or visit the Charter School Leaders --> School Membership page on our website.

Federal Programs and Legislation

Federal "Race to the Top" Funds Fuel Innovations
Emphasizing the need for additional effective education entrepreneurs to join the work of reforming America's lowest performing public schools, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently announced that states must be open to charter schools Too much is at stake for states financially and for students academically to restrict choice and innovation. "States that do not have public charter laws or put artificial caps on the growth of charter schools will jeopardize their applications under the Race to the Top Fund," Secretary Duncan said. "To be clear, this administration is not looking to open unregulated and unaccountable schools. We want real autonomy for charters combined with a rigorous authorization process and high performance standards." This summer, the Department of Education begins accepting state applications for the federal government's largest one-time investment in K-12 public school reform. By the end of the year, the department will be distributing grants from the $4.35 billion Race to the Top Fund. Also, $1.5 billion in Title I School Improvement Program funds is available to improve teaching and learning for all children.

House Education and Labor Committee Hold Charter School Hearing
The House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on "Building What Works at Charter Schools." The hearing explored how accountability, autonomy, and innovation at charter schools are improving academic performance and redefining student expectations, including those in communities where traditional school systems have long been dysfunctional. Congress this year will be considering a number of legislative initiatives around education reform, and charter schools will undoubtedly play a prominent role given the Obama Administration's proposed 25 percent increase in the FY2010 budget for charter schools to $268 million.

Amendment Ensures Charters Will Receive Fair Funding Under School Modernization Legislation
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved H.R. 2187, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act. The legislation authorizes $6.4 billion for school modernization, renovation and repair projects for fiscal year 2010. Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) secured an amendment ensuring that, with respect to funding under the act, all eligible public charter schools are treated on a fair and equal basis with traditional public schools. Funding under the act is allocated based upon the percentage of funds a Local Education Agency (LEA) received under Title I Part A funding in the previous fiscal year, with a minimum district guarantee of $5,000. If eventually enacted, this law would apply to public charter schools that are their own LEA and those that are part of a traditional LEA. Click here to urge Senate action on this important bill.

Join Us for the National Public Charter School Conference in Washington, D.C., June 21-24

The National Charter Schools Conference (NCSC) is your chance to hear from education policy and movement leaders, learn new ways to reach students and improve academic achievement, and network with charter school professionals from across the nation. We hope to see many of our New Jersey supporters enjoying all parts of this annual event, from the Opening Reception at 5:30 p.m. on Sun., June 21, through the two days of breakout sessions on Monday and Tuesday, culminating in Federal Advocacy Day on Wed., June 24.

Following is a quick overview of breakout sessions being led by our friends from New Jersey! For the complete list of breakout sessions, visit http://www.nationalcharterconference.org/themesstrands.php.

"Connecting Reading, Writing, and Test-Prep Instruction"
Presented by Sarah Tantillo (Sarah Tantillo, Ed.D., LLC)
"Transforming Lives and Communities: Successful Planning Strategies for Starting a Charter School"
Presented by Charisse Gulosino (Brown University), Merilee Meacock (KSS Architects LLP), Hannah Richman (Friends of TEAM Charter Schools, a Network of KIPP Schools)
"Supporting Leaders of Color in the Charter School Sector"
Presented by Mashea Ashton (Newark Charter School Fund), Ramona Thomas (Partners for Developing Futures)
"Successfully Managing the Tense Triangle of Facility, Faculty, and Enrollment"
Presented by Doug Hering (The Classical Academy of Colorado), Peter Hilts (The Classical Academy of Colorado), Morton Marks (Hoboken Charter School), Mitchel Mund (Dale Group Insurance & Bonds)
"Put Together a Winning Loan Package at Every Stage of Your Growth"
Presented by Reena Bhatia (Local Initiative Support Corporation), Michelle Liberati (Charter Schools Development Corporation), Hannah Richman (Friends of TEAM Charter Schools, a Network of KIPP Schools), Christine Smiggen (Charter FS, LLC, A Division of the Charter Schools Development Corporation)
"Meet and Mingle for New Jersey State Charter School Supporters" (Tues. June 23, 5-6:30 p.m., Room 203A/B)
Presented by The New Jersey Charter Public Schools Association

Register On-site in D.C.
Pre-conference registration via the internet has ended. Visit the conference website to determine when and where you can register once you arrive onsite.

Pre-conference Workshop on Becoming a Green Charter School
Green charter schools are emerging as national leaders and innovators in the sustainable green education movement. Green charter school experts from across the country will present interactive sessions to help schools develop a template to implement the 4 Design Essentials for turning a school into a green school. The workshop will be presented by the Green Charter Schools Network on Sunday, June 21, from 1 - 4:30 p.m. Registration fee is $175. To sign up, call 800-280-6218. For more information about the Green Charter Schools Network, visit www.greencharterschools.org.

National Charter Schools Teacher Institute
On Sunday, June 21, the National Charter Schools Teacher Institute will offer classroom teachers an opportunity to participate in high-quality professional development designed to provide the classroom support, technical assistance, and increased collaboration needed to assure academic success for all students. Prominent teachers and leaders from around the country will provide training sessions and share research-based practices they have successfully applied in their classrooms and schools. The National Charter Schools Teacher Institute is offered FREE when you register to attend the National Charter Schools Conference. To register, call 800-280-6218.

National Charter Schools Boot Camp for School Board Members
A school board boot camp is being offered through the National Charter Schools Institute on June 21. The session will run from 1 to 4 p.m. and is limited to 150 attendees. The registration fee is $175 and reservations must be made in advance.

Is There Funding to Attend the Conference?
Charter schools with planning and implementation grants may be allowed to use their funding for the conference. To inquire about the possibility, contact Maria Casale, NJDOE, at 609-292-5850.

Grants & Other Opportunities

Charter School Growth Fund
The Charter School Growth Fund is a social venture investment fund founded in 2005 to significantly increase the capacity of proven education entrepreneurs to serve more children. By providing financial resources and strategic expertise, the Charter School Growth Fund enables some of the nation's most innovative entrepreneurs to build scalable, self-sufficient schooling organizations that provide quality educational options to thousands of underserved families in diverse communities. Currently, the Charter School Growth Fund operates with the support of over $150 million and has three pools of capital available to members of its portfolio. Nationally, the Charter School Growth Fund will increase the number and scale of high quality educational options through the development and expansion of charter school management and support organizations. The Charter Growth Fund expects to create 100,000 new, permanent seats for underserved families in high quality charter schools by the year 2015.

Townsend Foundation Offers Free Books to Schools
The mission of the Townsend Foundation is to promote student reading by giving away books students will want to read. The Townsend Foundation believes that: (1) The more students read, the better off they will be; (2) To get students to read, give them books they will want to read; and (3) Every student has the right to experience the pride and pleasure of owning his or her own books. In exchange for receiving multiple copies of The Bully, schools can obtain free boxed sets of eight additional titles for distribution to students. To find out more, visit www.townsendpress.com.

Public Charter Schools Job Boards
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is hosting a national charter schools job board. This free website connects the most highly-skilled administrators, principals, teachers and other professionals with the nation's best public charter school employers. The Public Charter Schools Job Board is free to both employers and job seekers. For jobs specifically in the New Jersey education market, also visit www.NJSchoolJobs.com, an Associate Member of the NJCPSA.

CHARTER CHATTER

A "Just for the Health of It" fair will took place on May 16 in New Brunswick's Buccleuch Park where Greater Brunswick Charter School sponsored a 3K Walk/Run. The fair included a tennis clinic by the United States Tennis Association, a bocce clinic by the New Brunswick Senior Center, a weightlifting exhibition by the New York Sports Club and Workout World, and Little League baseball, softball and soccer tournaments to help promote wellness through physical activity. The fair also included fitness and nutrition clinics, as well as health screenings by St. Peter's University Hospital.

The Heritage and Agriculture Association's Medicine Wheel Garden Community Project took place at Lusscroft Farm in Wantage, where students from Ridge and Valley Charter School (Blairstown) participated along with Montclair State University's School of Conservation to initiate the Medicine Wheel Project.

Academy Charter High School (Asbury Park) senior Johadane Pierre has been selected as a 2009 recipient of the Gates Millennium Scholarship. The program is the nation's largest and most successful minority scholarship program and has this year awarded "good-through-graduation" college scholarships to 1,000 students from low-income families. The scholarships can be used at the colleges or universities of the recipients' choice. Ms. Pierre is one of only 17 recipients from New Jersey. She plans to attend Farleigh Dickinson University to study French and Education.

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
-- William Butler Yeats

"Today in Trenton" is produced and delivered by the New Jersey Charter Public Schools Association, the statewide membership and advocacy association for all New Jersey charter public schools. The newsletter is delivered to NJCPSA members, charter schools and interested friends. We do not share, rent or sell our e-mail list.