I. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Titles and Subsection Items / Page Number(s)I. TABLE OF CONTENTS / 1-4
II. Application Cover Sheet - notice of intenT - Abstract / 5-7
III. ASSURANCE THAT ALL GOVERNING BODY MEMBERS HAVE READ THE COMPLETED APPLICATION / 8-12
IV. Charter School Mission and Statement of need / 13-23
V. EDUCATIONAL PLAN / 24-45
A. CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK / 24-30
B. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM / 30-32
C. STUDENT PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS / 32-33
1
Pursuit Academy
D. PLAN FOR EVALUATING STUDENT PERFORMANCE / 33-36E. SPECIAL POPULATIONS / 37-45
VI. FINANCIAL PLAN / 46-67
A. BUDGET / 46-51
B. FISCAL MANAGEMENT / 52-67
VII. GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT PLAN / 68-134
A. GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE / 68-71
B. DESCRIPTION OF THE GOVERNING BODY / 72-95
C. PARTNERSHIPS / 95
D. SCHOOL ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE / 96-106
E. EMPLOYEE RELATIONS / 106-124
F. STUDENT ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES AND DISCIPLINE POLICY / 125-131
G. FACILITIES / 131-133
H. OTHER STUDENT SERVICES / 133-134
VIII. REQUIREMENTS / 135
A. LEGAL LIABILITY AND INSURANCE COVERAGE / 135
B. WAIVERS / 135
IX. APPENDICES (include Table of Contents for Appendices) / 136
A. School’s proposed personnel policieS / 137-154
B. School’s proposed student discipline
procedures / 155-158
C. Completed Form 910B5 / 159-161
D. Completed 5-Year Budget Plan / 162-164
E. Bibliography (if applicable) / 165
F. Acronym List (if applicable) / 166-167
II. APPLICATION COVER SHEET/ NOTICE OF INTENT/ABSTRACT
School Information:
Name of Proposed Charter School: Pursuit Academy
School Address (if known): Unknown
School Location (City/Town): Albuquerque
School District within which the school will be located: Albuquerque Public Schools
Contact Information:
Primary Contact Person: Joni M. Hagemeyer
Address: 6805 Avenida La Costa NE
City: Albuquerque State: New Mexico Zip: 87109
Daytime Tel: 505-821-7796 Fax: 505-881-4247
Alternate Tel: 505-615-5626 E-mail: go4hags @aol.com
Secondary Contact Person: Chris Nelson
Address: 7909 Sierra Azul NE
City: Albuquerque State: New Mexico Zip: 87110
Daytime Tel: 505-293-8261 Fax (______) ______
Alternate Tel: 505-730-0839 E-mail:
Partner Organizations (if applicable): NA
______
Enrollment Information:
Grade span at full enrollment: 6-8 Total number of students at full enrollment: 225
Complete the chart.
School Year / Grade Levels to be Served / Total Projected Student EnrollmentFirst Year 2012-13 / 6-8 / 225
Second Year 2013-14
Third Year 2014-15
Fourth Year 2015-16
Fifth Year 2016-17
Michael C de Baca
Public Education Department
Charter Schools Division
5600 Eagle Rock Avenue
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87111
Dear Sir:
This letter is to notify you of our intent to submit a 2011 Charter School application.
Our Charter School will be located in Albuquerque within the Albuquerque Public School District.
Our contact information is listed below.
Joni M. Hagemeyer
6805 Avenida La Costa NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109
Phone: 505-821-7796 Cell: 505-615-5626
E-Mail:
Chris Nelson
7909 Sierra Azul NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110
Phone: 505-293-8261 Cell: 505-730-0839
E-Mail:
Teri Martinez
14304 Stalgren Court NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87123
Phone: 505-292-4426 Cell: 505-440-1311
E Mail:
Robin Saget
10709 Nelle NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87111
Phone: 505-292-6133 Cell: 505-980-2596
E Mail:
Shanna Palmer
6315 Amberside NW
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87120
Phone: Cell: 505-850-7222
E Mail:
Thank You.
The vision of Pursuit Academy is to be the premier Charter School in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The Pursuit Academy mission is to develop positive contributing members of today’s society. Pursuit Academy will do so by producing healthy, high achieving and engaged citizens. Pursuit Academy will provide a rigorous academic curriculum, a focus on health and wellness through daily healthy athletic/physical fitness activities, as well as, concentrated efforts in civic responsibility.
Pursuit Academy will be located in Northeast Albuquerque. The
Academy proposes to serve students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Pursuit Academy will serve 75 students in each of these grades for a total school population of 225 students.
The educational philosophy of Pursuit Academy is to focus on healthy bodies leading to healthy minds. Through active engagement in academics, athletics/physical fitness, team building and civic responsibility throughout the students’ school day, students will become stronger not only in body, but also in mind. Through the focus on academics, physicality, movement, and community, students will learn to create a healthy lifestyle of well-being and self-satisfaction.
Pursuit Academy will be an intimate, resource rich environment where students receive high levels of attention and support in order to meet individual student needs. The overall size of the school and the individual classrooms will be kept small to maintain the intimate feel of a family/team environment. Students will be engaged in a rigorous curriculum that is aligned to the New Mexico State Standards.
Pursuit Academy will focus on what current data driven research tells us about how to match teaching and learning styles to maximize student potential and success. Additionally, teachers will have access to and use student data in order to closely monitor students’ needs, differentiate and drive instruction and appropriately adjust curricula.
Pursuit Academy will have a strong parent component. Families have to commit to a working partnership with the staff and administrative leadership. The home school partnerships will encompass many areas of Pursuit Academy. From volunteering, working behavioral contracts between the students/parents and the school, aligning home educational practices with the school practices and principles, to building and sustaining trust and long term relationships. All of these components will make Pursuit Academy the school that families choose to attend.
PART IV: CHARTER SCHOOL MISSION AND STATEMENT OF NEED
Mission Statement
Pursuit Academy will provide students a healthy, physically active, movement rich environment and will enable students to have the skills necessary to lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle and successfully contribute to their community.
The Pursuit Academy will provide students in grades 6-8 a rigorous academic program in conjunction with a focus on health, wellness and daily physical movement and activity. In addition to the aforementioned, Pursuit Academy students will also engage in concentrated efforts in civic responsibility.
Organizational Methods
Small Learning Communities
Sixth Grade Team
Multi-Age Classes
Single Gender Math/Literacy Blocks (Optional)
Sixty Minutes of Daily Physical Activity
Service Learning
*Refer to chart on pages 14-16.
Curricular Methods
Multiple Intelligences
Inquiry Based Learning
Continuous Improvement
Differentiated Instruction
Marzano Strategies
Technology
*Refer to chart on pages 26-28.
The Academy will be located in the Northeast Heights of Albuquerque.
Organizational Methods Chart for Pursuit Academy
Methods/Approach / Description / Why This Approach/ Rationale / Documentation/Research
Small Learning Communities / · Total enrollment of 225
· Grade Levels of 75
(6th, 7th, 8th grades)
· Classrooms of 25 / · Small Pupil-Teacher Ratio
· Personalized knowledge of staff, students, families
· Create Culture of Teamwork
· Create Interdependent
Culture / http://www.topschools.com/StartUpFAQ.htm
http://www.edteck.com/slc/
Sixth Grade Team / Sixth grade will be a team directed by a group of teachers that collaborate and teach together. Emphasis will be on teamwork, interdependency, a sense of belonging and academic as well as personal success. / As sixth grade is a transition between elementary school and middle school, it is imperative that these students gain confidence both emotionally and academically. By organizing this grade level as a team they will be better prepared to meet the challenges in the coming years. / www.edutopia.org/cooperative-project-learning-middle-school-video
http://www.nmsa.org/publications/middleground/articles/february2007/article1/tabid/1210/default.aspx
Single Gender
Math & Literacy
(Optional) / Single Gender classes in Math and Literacy will be offered as an option for all students. Parents must agree to placement. / There are differences in best practices for teaching girls and teaching boys. / http://www.singlesexschools.org/
Methods/
Approach / Description / Why This Approach/Rationale / Documentation/Research
Service Learning / Students, teachers and parents will be actively involved in planning and executing service learning projects. Time will be built into the calendar year to insure participation. / Involvement with school and community builds understanding and support for each other. Service learning promotes character, academics, health and integration of the curriculum. / http://www.servicelearning.org/what-service-learning
Daily Physical Activity (Sixty Minutes) / All students and staff will have sixty minutes of daily physical activity embedded in their school day.
Activity examples include but are not limited to: sport specific training, weight training,
cycling and urban gardening. / Physical activity is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle.
Children need 60 minutes of play with moderate to vigorous activity every day to grow up to a healthy weight.
Pursuit Academy believes that healthy bodies help to nourish and create healthy, high achieving minds. / http://www.letsmove.gov/
http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/child_obesity/
Methods/Approach / Description / Why This Approach/Rationale / Documentation/Research
Multi-Age Classes / Social Studies, Science and Technology classes will be offered in multi age classes. The classes will be built around student interests and learning styles,
defined by Multiple Intelligences. / Instruction in these classes will be based on student interests and will therefore increase intrinsic motivation in students. Projects will be student centered. Students will be offered different avenues to demonstrate their understanding of the material. / http://php.scripts.psu.edu/dept/jrre/articles/v3,n3,p111-115,Pratt.pdf
How will the school know if it is achieving its mission?
Organizational Performance SMART Goals
(School Level)
100% of students at Pursuit Academy will participate in sixty minutes of daily physical activity as recorded in student data/goal folders by the end of the fourth year of operation. (2016)
100% of students at Pursuit Academy will participate in
Service Learning projects as recorded on sign in sheets and student progress reports by the end of the fourth year of operation. (2016)
95% of parents at Pursuit Academy will participate in quarterly Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences as recorded on sign in sheets by the
end of the fourth year of operation. (2016)
STATEMENT OF NEED
CHILDHOOD OBESITY
Childhood Obesity is a rapidly growing nationwide epidemic affecting adults and children of all races, ethnicities and socio-economic status.
As reported by the Center for Disease Control “since 1980, the percentage of obese children ages 6 to 11 has doubled, and the percentage of obese adolescents ages 12 to 19 has tripled.[1]”
Percentage of U.S. Children and Adolescents Who Were Overweight,
*1963-2002**
Similar to the demographics of the State of New Mexico, Albuquerque Public Schools is diverse with regards to race and ethnicity. The district student population consists of 55% Hispanic, 33% Anglo/White, 5% Native American, 4% Black, 2% Asian and 1% Other.
In Albuquerque, as in the nation itself, one of every three children is either overweight or obese. “The numbers are even higher in African American and Hispanic communities, where nearly 40% of the children are either overweight or obese.[2]”
These statistics lead us to recognize that this epidemic has a serious impact on both the immediate and long-term healthcare of children and adults as obese children have a 70% chance of becoming obese adults. The nation will face extraordinary high numbers of children and adults with diabetes, heart disease, strokes and cancer amongst other illnesses if this epidemic is not addressed and corrected. The potential economic medical costs associated with these obesity issues is staggering. “In 2002 dollars, U.S. medical expenditures in 1998 may have been as high as $93 Billion.[3]” “In 2001 dollars; obesity-associated annual hospital costs among youth were estimated to have more than tripled from $35 million in 1979-1981 to $127 million in 1997-1999.[4]”
In order to tackle this issue there is work to be done not only in American homes but also in American schools. Children of school age spend the majority of their day in a school setting. The work that can be done throughout their day, in addition to before and after school, will benefit children, families and society as a whole. Through regular daily physical activity progress in defeating childhood obesity can be achieved.
DAILY PHYSICAL FITNESS
Throughout the nation, schools face intense pressure to focus on standardized tests and make adequate yearly progress. Because of these pressures, less emphasis is placed on the connection between a healthy body and mind. As the obesity epidemic continues to rise, the amount of physical fitness time for students has decreased. The Physical Education content area and recess time for students have been decreased and in some cases eliminated.
“In Schools across the United States, physical education has been substantially reduced-and in some cases completely eliminated-in response to budget concerns and pressures to improve academic test scores. Yet the available evidence shows that children who are physically active and fit tend to perform better in the classroom, and that daily physical education does not adversely affect academic performance. Schools can provide outstanding learning environments while improving children’s health through physical education.[5]”
“Physical activity is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. In combination with healthy eating, it can help prevent a range of chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and stroke, which are the three leading causes of death. Physical activity helps control weight, builds lean muscle, reduces fat, promotes strong bone, muscle and joint development, and decreases the risk of obesity. Children need 60 minutes of play with moderate to vigorous activity every day to grow up to a healthy weight.[6]”
Additionally, the influx of entertainment media has led to declining daily physical fitness activities and exacerbated the childhood obesity problem. Children spend more time “playing” in these arenas that are less movement oriented and more sedentary. It has been noted that “Eight to 18-year old adolescents spend an average of 7.5 hours a day using entertainment media, including, TV, computers, video games, cell phones and movies, and only one-third of high school students gets the recommended levels of physical activity.[7]”
Based on these research statements, of which there are many, it becomes imperative that schools begin to get children physically active during the school day. It is no longer acceptable to just allow physical movement to be a “before and after school” activity.
BRAIN RESEARCH AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Pursuit Academy believes that healthy bodies help to nourish and create healthy, high achieving minds. Pursuit Academy’s positions are backed up by the data of many studies, and on the cutting edge of a paradigm shift back to balance in schools. It is imperative that schools address and initiate healthy eating habits, learning lifelong wellness steps and the importance of physicality and movement for children. It is at these early ages that healthy habits and healthy minds begin to form. It is through increasing health and wellness habits, combined with daily physical activity that Pursuit Academy will enrich and cultivate high academic achievement.