Academic Services Division

The Academic Services Division is responsible for the oversight, support, and evaluation of academic compliance and performance, equitable access, and safety for the charter schools authorized by the South Carolina Public Charter School District. Primarily, the division focuses on three areas of a school’s charter: educational program, goals and objectives, and student performance. The division evaluates these three areas using a variety of data sources that include annual reports, summative and interim assessments, compliance reviews, and information gathered from site visits. Through monitoring and technical assistance, the division also holds schools accountable for compliance with Federal and State laws and regulations including the South Carolina Charter Schools Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and other Federal Title Programs.

Robert Compton, Ph.D.Assistant Superintendent

Courtney MillsDirector of Academic Programs

Beckie DavisDirector of Special Education Services

Vamshi RudrapatiDirector of Federal Programs

Jean Epps, Ph.D.Coordinator of Assessment

Academic Services Division

Chapters 4, 5, and 6 of your charter

In other words . . . Your Educational Program

Think of us as . . . .

Academic Performance

District Strategic Goal: The District has implemented an accountability system that includes academic achievement and specific information on curriculum, teaching, and leadership practices.

Objective 1) Identify indicators of student success Objective 2) Identify indicators of adult actions designed to impact

objective 1 Objective 3) Identify relational indicators of Objectives 1 & 2 Objective 4) Increase opportunities to share data

District Strategic Plan

Implement oversight and monitoring activities that evaluates a charter school’s faithfulness to fulfilling the academic expectations of the charter.

Confirm that the Charter School meets the performance expectations set forth in the District’s Academic Performance Framework and, in instances when expectations are not being met, provide an opportunity for the Charter School to demonstrate that it is making sufficient progress towards the District’s expectations.

We’re Charged with the Following

Explore and evaluate ways schools can demonstrate growth as it relates to the Academic Growth Indicator (#2) of the Performance Framework

Only 9 schools within our portfolio meet all of the “academic expectations (15 didn’t ranging from meeting some to none)

With that being said . . ..We want the schools to be able to receive credit for growth. To demonstrate the success of individual student improvement

Academic Services Division Initiative #1

To implement an academic intervention schedule that includes: Clearly established criteria for “meets” Clearly established criteria for “academically deficient”

3-tiered intervention schedule Clearly established goals to allow schools to demonstrate

sufficient progress towards the District’s academic performance expectations

Academic Services Division Initiative #2

1) Growth I will be sending out an email Thursday morning asking schools to

submit student growth data in order for us to analyze and compare to “growth norms” in order to propose a growth expectation for indicator 2.

All submitted data (collected to help set benchmarks) are confidential and will not be used in any sort of evaluative fashion.

2) Academic Intervention Schedule Follow-up with specific schools early next week about the

intervention schedule process.

Academic Services Division Initiatives: Next Steps

Courtney Mills, Director of Academic Programs

Academic Programs

State & Federal Reporting Changing Standards Expanded ADEPT Internal Assessments

Academic Programs - Updates

Special EducationBeckie Davis, Director of Special Education Services

Increased focus on compliance using the Comprehensive Program Review (CPR) CPR aligns with and feeds into the Performance Framework More timely feedback for identification of issues and correction

CPR ratings on 25 items: 2-Plan is 100% in place and meets legal requirements 1-Partial plan in place to meet legal requirements 0-No evidence of any degree of implementation or compliance

SPED Compliance

CPR end of the year results determine whether school has a School Corrective Action Plan (s-cap) or a District Corrective Action Plan (d-cap)

More contact/support through alternative means (telephone, virtual, Go-to-Meeting, Team Viewer, Skype,...); less through on-site

Follow the records request/verification process in your school’s SPED Policies & Procedures

All newly enrolled students will require 2 meetings: 1 within 5 days of enrollment to provide comparable services

and 1 within 30 days of enrollment to accept IEP or make

changes based on data collected

Reminders

Schools must offer a continuum of services Be prepared to serve whoever walks through your door

All changes to IEPs must be made based on data and made by a team

Reminders

Nicole Adams - lead Mary Scott Emily Paul

District SPED Coordinators

Federal Programs: Title I, Title II, Title III, CATE/PerkinsVamshi Rudrapati “Mr. V.”, Director of Federal Programs

Federal Programs Title I – Federal funding for low income families Homeless Title II - Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality

Teachers and Principals Title III - Language Instruction for Limited English

Proficient IDEA Finance – Students with Disabilities CATE/Perkins- Career and Technology Education

Title I The South Carolina Public Charter school District official Title I

allocations are based upon the schools 135th day count obtained by PowerSchool for the existing schools.

Districts 5th day count is used for new schools. Adjustments to allocations will be made after the final allocations

received from the state. Significant increase in student enrollment will be considered based

on the 5th day count. Funds are reimbursed

Reminder: Please collect lunch forms and district of residence for all students. Supplement not Supplant

Homeless

Who is homeless?(McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 2001 – Title X, Part C of the No Child Left Behind Act – Sec 725)The term “homeless children and youth”—means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence…; andincludes — Children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of

housing, economic hardship, or similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement;

Children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings…

Children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and

Migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).

Reminder! Please code all homeless and migrant children as “Free”

in PowerSchool. Contact me anytime you run into a homeless situation.

Title II District works with Leaders to develop the Title II plan. Schools broken into two categories: Title I schools and

Non-Title I schools Title 1 schools will have access to the “district Title II

activities” Non-Title I schools will receive an “activity request form”

to request Title II activities. Once approved by the SCDE (January), schools may begin

seeking reimbursement.

Title III The district gets a very small pot of funds (sprinkles on a cake) Funds are not allocated to schools District uses the funds for two REQUIRED activities

To increase the English proficiency of limited English proficient children

Professional Development State will conduct their triennial Title III audit this year.

Reminder: Collect 15-16 home language survey for all students

IDEA Funding is weighted by school type and weighted by

student. Based on “last official “ child count and 5th day count for

new schools (informal). Funds are reimbursed Congress committed to paying 40 percent of the average

cost to educate a child with disabilities, but we only receive 16%.

IDEA Timelines:

September – SCDE Informs District of the allocation September (shortly after SCDE informs District) - Schools receives

allocation and blank budget form. Schools submit budget request to District (10 days)

October – District submits IDEA application to the SCDE for approval January – SCDE approves IDEA application January (within a few days of SCDE notification) – budgets are loaded March – school gets 1 time amendment opportunity to IDEA funds (funds

203)

CATE/Perkins

Three pots of funds: Perkins Funds (to completers and non-completers) State Equipment (to completers) Work-Based Learning (to completers and non-completers)

Goals for this year

More guidance and resources for effective program operations

Timelines for each program Smoother application process Quicker approval process Efficient amendment process Accountability

Questions?

Questions

AssessmentsJean Epps, Ph.D., Coordinator of Assessment