• • Notes from CEO Bill Sims
• • Last Chance to Register! Workshop 7: Know Your Accountability Data, July 1st
• • Performance Management Focus Group
• • National Call for Practices!
• • 10th Annual National Charter Schools Conference
• • New Brochure on College Jumpstart Programs
• • Information on Investing in Innovation
• • Central State University Institute of Urban Education S.T.E.M Summer Academy
• • New USDOE Grant Competition: Replicating & Expanding High Performing Charter Schools
• • Attention All E-Schools!!! Join the E-School Consortium.
• • KnowledgeWorks to Review K-12 Education System to Find Efficiencies While Maximizing Quality
• • Cornerstone's Award Presentation
• • New Charter School Insurance Website
• • Parent Membership Program - "Be A Brick"

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Funding Opportunity:
The Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination (AEMDD)
For the full article click here

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Funding Opportunity:
Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems program
For the full article click here

Advocacy

Events

Quality Values and Principles

Upgrading Ohio’s Race to the Top

Next steps with Ohio’s Race-to-the-Top application lead down a perilously subjective path. Assuming finalist status, those who will hear Ohio’s oral presentation in August will employ a scoring system that allocates points based largely on personal views about the provisions of Ohio’s application. We saw the effect of this kind of subjective disparity in the evaluators’ separate scores from phase one. Imperfect as the evaluation system is, however, the 34 states and the District of Columbia that have applied in phase two will share equally in the anxiety of such a system.

There are however some encouraging aspects to this new RTTT application that should bode well for Ohio in spite of the subjective scoring. Perhaps because of the tight timeframe and a panic-driven need to control, the phase one application had the hallmarks of a top-down job. There was, at least from this perspective, a disheartening sense that except for a few select stakeholders the phase one application did not benefit from the rich genetic experience and capacity that comes from the input and mix of many organizational stakeholders.

What a difference a couple of months makes. Superintendent Deborah Delisle’s outreach to a vast array of stakeholders this time has resulted in an application that is more specific, more transparent, more forthright and more forceful in tone. As a piece player in the phase two process and an interested reader of the final application I’m left with a much more hopeful sense this time that the plan, by virtue of its collaboration, is genuinely and practically focused on the right stuff- that which will truly make a difference for Ohio’s students.

Is it perfect? No. But this is no time to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.  Now however is the time to be ready for what we’ve ask for. There may be more than a few souls at ODE who are rapidly calculating the prospects of… what if? Should Ohio succeed with its application, the enormity and complexity of orchestrating, educating, and coordinating this plan will require tremendous capacity, resources that will surely test a department of education that has been running lean for many months. 

Managing this plan will require sophisticated project management, coordinating hundreds of pages of projects, timelines, critical paths, deadlines, and budgets to say nothing of the education and diplomacy skills that will be required in a statewide implementation where local educational control has always been a paramount force.

Nevertheless, these challenges should not diminish that fact that this phase two application is an improvement over the first application thanks to Superintendent Delisle’s leadership and the collaborative efforts of a broad spectrum of organizational stakeholders. Our evaluators will have to be impressed with the upgrade.

– Bill Sims

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You have all your test scores, you are working on your Year-End EMIS. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the ODE experts on how all the data creates your Local Report Card. This interactive workshop enables schools to view their submitted data in the Secure Data Center and run preliminary report cards and reports for analysis. The workshop is scheduled to enable you to make any needed changes in your data prior to the final EMIS submission deadline.
 
To register, please go to the OAPCS website at www.oapcs.org, and click on the events link. The cost of the workshop is $100 for members and $200 for nonmembers.

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We will be hosting a Performance Management Focus Group at Nationwide Insurance on July 6th. The purpose of the Focus Group is to solicit input on two Performance Management initiatives we are considering. 
 
The Learning Circle  was created by Nationwide’s Office of Corporate Citizenship. The purpose is to apply business intelligence technologies to the educational context, to improve student learning and school effectiveness. Piloted in 10 Columbus City Schools in 2008, the project now exists is in over 100 schools in the Columbus City Schools district.  The Learning Circle’s record of success is noted in Ohio’s 2nd Race to the Top application as an example of the smart use of data to inform and improve instruction. The Learning Circle team is aware that charters do not often receive data on students from previous districts, and are involved in a solution that will enable “data to follow the child,” so that we can evaluate every student’s longitudinal growth. http://www.informationbuilders.com/solutions/education/pdf/learning_circle_FS.pdf.
 
Spiral Universe is a web based School Management solution containing enrollment, scheduling, attendance, grading, fundraising, alumni, medical and other modules, as well as a parent portal. The system includes the ability to store and analyze formative assessment data, so student progress can be tracked throughout the school year. Several Charter School Organizations across the nation have partnered with Spiral Universe due to the comprehensiveness and affordability of the product. See the attached brochure, and/or website at www.spiraluniverse.com to learn more about this product.
 
If you are interested in attending, please contact Marianne Lombardo, (614) 744-2266 ext. 201, or mlombardo@oapcs.org

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In this time of unprecedented attention to education reform, we invite you to add to the national dialogue.

The Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Ohio Grantmaker’s Forum, KnowledgeWorks, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and KidsOhio, with support from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, are seeking

Best Cooperative Practices between Charter and Traditional Public Schools.

Fifty best practices will be selected for publication and wide dissemination throughout the education community and to national and state opinion leaders and policymakers.  

In order to find these transcendent cooperative practices, we have issued a national Call for Practices. If your organization has a good example of charters and traditional schools working together, please contact Amy Black, National Conference Manager at ablack@oapcs.org or visit www.oapcs.org/call-for-papers, for information on how to submit your best practice by June 30, 2010.

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The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools invites you to attend the 10th Annual National Charter Schools Conference

Innovators in Education: Leading the Race to the Top

June 28 – July 1, 2010
Lakeside Center/McCormick Place Lakeside Convention Center, Chicago, IL.

Each year, the National Charter Schools Conference provides the sole opportunity for the entire movement to gather – leaders, teachers, and board members of charter schools; authorizers and legislators; and supporters in business and philanthropy. The 2010 theme is "Innovators in Education: Leading the Race to the Top" -- chosen because the charter school sector is truly at the cutting edge of education reform. Now serving more than 1.5 million students in 4,900 schools, public charter schools provide outstanding examples of innovation and quality. The National Charter Schools Conference is a time to recognize these achievements while rededicating ourselves to pushing toward even higher goals. With states scrambling to create far-reaching Race to the Top plans, and teams of educators hoping to scale their innovations, we are putting out a big welcome mat so all can see what innovative charter schools can offer.

The conference will be divided into eleven strands including Law and Policy; Finance; the role of Charter Support Organizations; Quality Innovation, Student Achievement; and Governance. We're inviting the industry's most distinguished policy gurus, practitioners, advocates, and school representatives to join us - so stay tuned this site for news of sessions and speakers.

This year, Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will provide keynote remarks at the opening general session on June 29, 2010. On June 30, Reed Hastings, Founder and CEO of Netflix will provide keynote remarks.

Growing from a single school 17 years ago, the public charter school movement is a testament to the dedication and skill of thousands of teachers, leaders, trustees, and those in the wider community who make their work possible. Our national conference is a time to share what we know, learn from one another and celebrate our successes.

Your support of the conference in attendance and participation is integral to the Charter School Movement. Not only is it important in gaining the attention of policy makers and funders but also in drawing attention NATIONWIDE to the amazing advances Charter Schools are making in improving the quality of education in our country.

The annual conference will include Breakfast, General Sessions, Breakout Sessions, Lunch, Snacks, and Happy Hour/Networking Reception.

For more information, please visit the conference website at: www.nationalcharterconference.org

For general conference questions:
Email: nationalconference@publiccharters.org
Call: 1-800-280-6218

Registration Questions?
Email: natlcharterconf@continue.uoregon.edu
Call: 1-800-280-6218 between 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Coast Time

Registration:
Click here to register online

To register by phone: Call 800-280-6218 between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Coast Time

To register by fax: Click here to download a Conference Registration Form to pay by Credit Card or Purchase order. Fill out the form and fax it to 541-346-3545

To register by mail:
Click here  to download a Conference Registration Form.
Make checks payable to: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
Fill out the form and mail registration form with check payment to:
2010 National Charter Schools Conference Registration
There are lower Affiliate Group Discount Rates for groups of 20 or more.

There are a limited number of rooms at low group rates at the official conference hotel Hyatt Regency Chicago (complimentary shuttles will be provided frequently to & from the convention center). Click here to reserve your hotel room now!

Also, on June 28, 2010, the U.S. Department of Education's 2010 Charter School Facilities Institute is a free, full-day event in partnership with the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and is being by conducted the National Charter School Resource Center at Learning Point Associates. This pre-conference session will complement the facilities strand at the 2010 National Charter Schools Conference. It will be held at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile, 540 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL.

Learn from charter school leaders and national experts about the facilities planning process and financing as you engage in interactive conference sessions. Each session will provide meaningful step-by-step assistance in one phase of the planning process. Featured topics include:

• Conceptualizing your school facility needs
• Predevelopment planning: Creating high quality spaces
• Finding short-term leased space
• Construction planning and management
• Politics and fundraising
• Indicators for quality loans

Click here for FREE Registration

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KidsOhio.org, School Choice Ohio, and the Columbus Urban League, are proud to launch a new school choice information tool for Ohio families.

The “Jumpstart on College & Your Career” brochure features information on four college access programs that allow students to receive college credit during high school for free. These programs let high schoolers to save money on college tuition and get their feet wet with professional, technical, and academic college-level work.

The brochure includes information on these four Ohio programs:
• College Tech Prep
• Early College High Schools
• Advanced Placement Courses
• Post-secondary Enrollment

Data show that these tremendous options are often underutilized by low-income students, so we’re pursuing an aggressive distribution campaign to try to get these brochures in the right hands.

Want some brochures of your own? Contact spechan@scohio.org to order your free copies.

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Curious about Investing in Innovation (I3)? The USDOE received 1324 Development, 19 Scale Up, and 355 Validation requests. Check out this interactive site that enables you to view submission by state, absolute priority (Effective Teachers and Principals, Use of Data, High Standards and High Quality Assessments, and Persistently Low-Performing Schools), and by competitive priority (Early Learning, College Access and Success, Unique Learning needs of Disabled/ELL, and Rural LEAs). You can search by Project Title or Application, and you can read project descriptions. Promise Neighborhood grants will be posted at the same http://data.ed.gov site when they are received. http://data.ed.gov/grants/investing-in-innovation.

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Central State University Institute of Urban Education is sponsoring  a two-week summer program for high school students currently in grades 10, 11, and 12, that have an interest in science, technology, engineering, math, finance, and entrepreneurship (S.T.E.M.) and attending Central State University (CSU). Students who have completed the 2008 or 2009 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp at CSU, and will be entering the ninth grade in the fall of 2010 are also eligible.
 
July 5 – July 16, 2010

The program will be held on the campus of Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. Students will be engaged in learning science, technology, engineering, math, finance, and entrepreneurship. An essential portion of the students experience involves meeting and interacting with minority scientists, mathematicians, and entrepreneurs. The students will participate in field excursions, which include a tour of Central State University, where they will be exposed to faculty and staff of the University. Participants will get a first hand look at where their college career can begin.

The registration fee for the 2010 Academy is $150.00. After June 7, there is a $50 late fee. All registrations are on-line only. Once registered, paperwork for the academy will be email address within 3-5 business days.or mailed. Space is limited to 50 students.

The link to register for the W.E.B. DuBois Talented Tenth S.T.E.M. Academy is here.
 
Questions call: (937) 376-6374

For more information contact:
Central State University
Institute of Urban Educaton
1400 Brush Row Road
P.O. Box 1004
Wilberforce, OH 45384
 
Or visit www.centralstate.edu
 

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A new grant competition has just been announced by the U.S. Department of Education’s Charter Schools Program. The CSP grant competition for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools will provide $50,000,000 to assist non-profit charter management organizations, and other entities that are not for-profit entities, in replicating or expanding high-quality charter schools with demonstrated records of success. Applicants must have experience operating more than one high-quality charter school.

Applications are due by July 7, 2010, and must be submitted through the Department’s e-Application system, at http://e-grants.ed.gov. A pre-application meeting will be held on June 8, 2010, in Washington, DC. For those interested in attending, either in person or by phone, please RSVP to charterschools@ed.gov. More information is available at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/charter/applicant.html.

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OAPCS E-School Consortium was created to provide a forum for e-school operators to discuss common advocacy, operational, technical and academic issues. It is also a forum for sharing best practices and virtual school innovation.

OAPCS E-School Consortium is an informal gathering of e-school professionals. Its agenda is the product of its members. The OAPCS provides meeting facilities and a conference bridge for those interested in participating by phone. The OAPCS also provides an e-school community board through its website to enable and encourage ongoing discussion between consortium meetings. 

If you are interested in joining, please email Jennifer Brzoski at jbrzoski@oapcs.org or contact her at (614) 744-2266 ext. 205 

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Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Deborah Delisle announced today that the KnowledgeWorks Foundation will lead a comprehensive review of the state’s K-12 education system this year in an effort to find efficiencies while maintaining focus and investment on activities that improve student achievement.  

This project builds on the state’s new education reform plan, which modernizes our classrooms and strengthens the teaching profession to better prepare students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21st Century economy.

“As a respected national leader that understands the importance of innovation in education, KnowledgeWorks is the best entity to take on this challenge,” Strickland said. “We’ve modernized our education system to improve classroom learning and student success, and now our K-12 system is more aligned with our economy and higher education institutions than ever before. Our new evidence-based funding model makes sure that tax dollars are spent on what research tells us will help every child succeed in the classroom. We must continue to build on these reforms by working with Ohio educators to identify existing and new system-wide efficiencies that will empower our schools to deliver a quality education as cost-effectively as possible.”

This collaborative, non-partisan effort will ensure that Ohio is meeting the student-centered goals of the state’s new education law at a time when every dollar is critically important. The education law also sets a higher level of accountability for schools, requiring for the first time fiscal reports and annual spending plans for each district.

"I look forward to engaging in critical conversations with stakeholders about Ohio's reform agenda and identifying specific strategies that will enable our schools and districts to be efficient in our operations while maintaining the high quality of classroom experiences we provide for our students,” said Superintendent Delisle. KnowledgeWorks has committed significant time and effort to develop research-based approaches on what the future of learning looks like, and is a practitioner on developing the innovations necessary to get there.”

The Governor and Superintendent have asked KnowledgeWorks to apply this way of thinking toward further educational efficiencies in Ohio, as it has done in the past, and to not be afraid to disrupt the status quo in helping state leadership tap new learning technologies and new kinds of collaborations. This effort can help remold our current education system into a world of learning that truly puts the needs of learners first, the governor said.

“We are encouraged that Gov. Strickland is demonstrating forward-thinking leadership on what I believe is our most important public responsibility – ensuring the children of Ohio receive the best education in the nation in spite of the economic challenges we face,” said KnowledgeWorks CEO Chad Wick. “KnowledgeWorks looks forward to working with the Ohio Department of Education, key education stakeholders and listening to the citizens of Ohio as we explore the best ideas and systems available to help seed innovation and re-imagine how to better deliver learning in our state at a time of great financial challenge.”

KnowledgeWorks will work with the Ohio Department of Education, legislators from both parties, and education stakeholders, including administrators, teachers, students, community and business leaders,  and foundations. The collaboration will ensure that a full range of interests are involved to advise the state on achievable goals for modernization and efficiency in our education system in the near- and long-term future.

“Our success at identifying system-wide efficiencies through greater collaboration among University System of Ohio institutions has helped Ohio keep public tuition costs from exploding at a time when other states are increasing tuition by double-digits. Just as important, we did it without sacrificing improvements to the overall quality of our higher education system for students,” Strickland said. “I have no doubt that this work to share and incentivize best practices within our K-12 education system will yield similar results while improving the quality of our student’s education. Many of our districts are already finding efficiencies in their systems that we can build upon in this collaboration with KnowledgeWorks.”

Strickland has asked KnowledgeWorks to report back on its findings by December 2010 for consideration in the next biennial budget and the 2011-2012 school year. The project will be funded by KnowledgeWorks and potentially other private funders.

About KnowledgeWorks:
KnowledgeWorks Foundation (www.kwfdn.org) is a national leader in developing and implementing innovative and effective approaches to high school education. The organization primarily focuses on redesigning urban high schools, developing STEM and Early College high schools, and supporting student-centered approaches to delivering real learning and results in our schools.

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Cornerstone’s last day was not dampened by the rain or storms that ended their field day early. Students were excited to enter the gym and hear who won awards for Field Day, Achievement, Great Improvement, and the Trier’s Award. Award winners won due to their teachers’ votes and the progress they saw in each of the winners. No matter which grade was being announced the gym was filled with cheers and claps that blared throughout the new gym. Parents were present throughout the event and many were taking pictures fully engaged with the excitement. Cornerstone ended their school year on a high note and has much to look forward to when opening their doors for the next school year.

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The O’Neill Group Charter School Division officially announced the launch of their Charter School Insurance website, located at www.charterschoolinsurance.com.

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