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California Department of Education
Charter School Petition Review Form:
Paramount Collegiate Academy
Key Information Regarding Paramount Collegiate Academy (PCA)Proposed Grade Span and Build out Plan / Table 1
Paramount Collegiate Academy
2016–20 Proposed Enrollment
Grade / 2016–17 / 2017–18 / 2018–19 / 2019–20
6 / 15 / 20 / 20 / 20
7 / 22 / 20 / 20 / 20
8 / 22 / 20 / 20 / 20
9 / 15 / 20 / 20 / 20
10 / 8 / 10 / 20 / 20
11 / NA / 10 / 10 / 20
12 / NA / NA / 10 / 20
Total / 82 / 100 / 120 / 140
NA= Grade levels not served
Proposed Location / 4010 El Camino Avenue within the San Juan Unified School District (SJUSD) in Sacramento, California.
Brief History / PCA was approved by the State Board of Education (SBE) on
May 6, 2015, for a five-year term from July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2020. Currently PCA serves 82 pupils in grade six through grade ten. The California Department of Education (CDE) received PCA’s request for a material revision on November 1, 2016, stating the petitioner proposes to reduce projected enrollment from the original proposed enrollment plan of 525 pupils to 100 pupils in grade six through grade eleven in the third year of operation, 2017–18; from 725 pupils to 120 pupils in grade six through grade twelve in 2018–19; and from 800 pupils to 140 pupils in grade six through grade twelve in 2019–20.
Lead Petitioner(s) / Dawn Contreras Douglas, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
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Summary of Required Charter Elements Pursuant toCalifornia Education Code (EC) Section 47605(b) /
/ Charter Requirements Pursuant to EC Section 47605(b) / Meets Requirements /
/ Sound Educational Practice (EC Sections 47605[b] and [b][1]) / Yes /
/ Ability to Successfully Implement the Intended Program (EC Section 47605[b][2]) / Yes /
/ Required Number of Signatures (EC Section 47605[b][3]) / NA /
/ Affirmation of Specified Conditions (EC Sections 47605[b][4] and [d]) / Yes /
/ Exclusive Public School Employer (EC Section 47605[b][6]) / Yes /
1 / Description of Educational Program / Yes /
2 / Measurable Pupil Outcomes / Yes /
3 / Method for Measuring Pupil Progress / Yes /
4 / Governance Structure / *Yes /
5 / Employee Qualifications / Yes /
6 / Health and Safety Procedures / Yes /
7 / Racial and Ethnic Balance / Yes /
8 / Admission Requirements / Yes /
9 / Annual Independent Financial Audits / Yes /
10 / Suspension and Expulsion Procedures / *Yes /
11 / Retirement Coverage / Yes /
12 / Public School Attendance Alternatives / Yes /
13 / Post-employment Rights of Employees / Yes /
14 / Dispute Resolution Procedures / *Yes /
15 / Closure Procedures / Yes /
/ Standards, Assessments, and Parent Consultation (EC Sections 47605[c][1] and [2]) / Yes /
/ Effect on Authorizer and Financial Projections (EC Section 47605[g]) / Yes /
/ Teacher Credentialing (EC Section 47605[l]) / Yes /
/ Transmission of Audit Report (EC Section 47605[m]) / Yes /
/ Goals to Address the Eight State Priorities (EC Section 47605[b][5][A][ii]) / Yes /
*If approved as an SBE-authorized charter school, the petition will require amendments pursuant to California Code of Regulations, Title 5 (5 CCR), Section 11967.5.1. These amendments must be submitted to the CDE by June 15, 2017.
NA = Not Applicable
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Requirements for State Board of Education-Authorized Charter Schools
Sound Educational Practice / EC Sections 47605(b) and (b)(1)5 CCR Sections 11967.5.1(a) and (b) /
Evaluation Criteria
For purposes of EC Section 47605(b), a charter petition shall be “consistent with sound educational practice” if, in the SBE’s judgment, it is likely to be of educational benefit to pupils who attend. A charter school need not be designed or intended to meet the educational needs of every student who might possibly seek to enroll in order for the charter to be granted by the SBE.
For purposes of EC Section 47605(b)(1), a charter petition shall be “an unsound educational program” if it is either of the following:
(1) A program that involves activities that the SBE determines would present the likelihood of physical, educational, or psychological harm to the affected pupils.
(2) A program that the SBE determines not likely to be of educational benefit to the pupils who attend.
Is the charter petition “consistent with sound educational practice?” / Yes
Comments:
The PCA petition is consistent with sound educational practice. PCA is currently serving grade six through grade ten with an enrollment of 82 pupils and is proposing the following build-out plan:
· 2017–18: add grade eleven for a projected enrollment of 100 pupils
· 2018–19: add grade twelve for a projected enrollment of 120 pupils
· 2019–20: serve grade six through grade twelve for a projected enrollment of 140 pupils
The educational model of PCA emphasizes integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) curriculum and project-based learning within interdisciplinary themes of global awareness, financial, economic, business, and entrepreneurial literacy. Additionally, civic, health, and environmental literacy are taught in a collaborative and equitable approach to educating pupils (Attachment 3, p. 32).
PCA proposes to adequately equip pupils for the twenty-first century, to be self-aware, responsible, life-long learners, motivated to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. At the center of PCA’s educational philosophy and program are its core beliefs. PCA’s five core values are innovation, inspiration, service, collaboration, growth, and learning (Attachment 3, pp. 33–35). The PCA petition describes the five core values as follows:
· Innovation: PCA intends to develop pupils who are innovative, creative, and critical problem solvers. PCA will create and nurture an environment that appreciates and thrives on risk taking and experimentation in order to innovatively and creatively problem solve.
· Inspiration: PCA is determined to ignite passion and personal motivation in pupils to succeed at their highest level, as a result of being a significant contribution to a greater group or team. Continual differentiation of teaching and learning through multiple modalities and measures will be utilized through all aspects of the PCA model. PCA will inspire pupils through its Love and Logic implementation, which fosters pupil choices and guides pupils to take ownership of and solve their own social and personal problems.
· Service: PCA will develop pupil leaders who possess a sense of civic and human responsibility, giving back to the community and others. Pupils will develop a sense of empathy and positive relationships through the Love and Logic teachings and strategies utilized by all PCA staff and teachers. PCA pupils will learn to think and act holistically, with the interests of the larger community and/or greater good in mind. Their sense of empathy, compassion, kindness, and humility will be enhanced through the creation and implementation of community service learning projects. These experiential learning opportunities will engage PCA pupils in the discernment of authentic community needs as well as lead to deep reflective assessment and evaluation of their project’s impact on their greater surroundings. Ultimately, PCA pupils will be active responsible citizens, fully participating in their community and the world around them.
· Collaboration: PCA aims to prepare pupils for a global society and labor force, one in which individual gifts, talents, and abilities are fostered and utilized in a collaborative group effort to achieve common goals. PCA’s learning environment, teaching strategies, practices, and curriculum focus on fostering pupils’ abilities to communicate with others in a variety of environments, mediums, and contexts, including multiple media and technologies.
· Growth and Learning: PCA intends to cultivate an environment centered on a love of learning, growth, and continuous personal and professional improvement for pupils and staff. PCA’s objective is to create an ongoing environment that fosters and instills an intrinsic motivation in all pupils and staff members to become lifelong learners.
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Ability to Successfully Implement the Intended Program / EC Section 47605(b)(2)5 CCR Section 11967.5.1(c) /
Evaluation Criteria
For purposes of EC Section 47605(b)(2), the SBE shall take the following factors into consideration in determining whether charter petitioners are "demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the program":
1. If the petitioners have a past history of involvement in charter schools or other education agencies (public or private), the history is one that the SBE regards as unsuccessful, e.g., the petitioners have been associated with a charter school of which the charter has been revoked or a private school that has ceased operation for reasons within the petitioners’ control.
2. The petitioners are unfamiliar in the SBE’s judgment with the content of the petition or the requirements of law that would apply to the proposed charter school.
3. The petitioners have presented an unrealistic financial and operational plan for the proposed charter school (as specified).
4. The petitioners personally lack the necessary background in the following areas critical to the charter school’s success, and the petitioners do not have a plan to secure the services of individuals who have the necessary background in curriculum, instruction, assessment, and finance and business management.
Are the petitioners able to successfully implement the intended program? / Yes
Comments:
The CDE finds that the PCA petitioner is likely to successfully implement the intended program.
PCA ended Fiscal Year (FY) 2015–16 with a negative ending fund balance of $130,895 that was carried forward to FY 2016–17. PCA has revised its current expenditures in response to the decline in revenues due to the lower enrollment. This includes adjustments to salaries, benefits, and professional consulting services. To cover monthly negative cash flow, PCA received a low-interest, five-year loan. Both the loan proceeds and annual repayments have been included in PCA’s revised financial plan.
The multi-year budget submitted by PCA with the material revision includes reduced revenues and expenditures across all years. PCA is projecting a modest growth in enrollment of 20 pupils each year through FY 2019–20, which will increase Local Control Funding Formula revenues accordingly. Projected expenditure reductions include salaries and benefits, books and supplies, and services and other operating expenses.
The CDE reviewed PCA’s multi-year budget and cash flow and, based on alternative assumptions, finds revenues to be overstated and expenditures to be understated across fiscal years resulting in a negative ending fund balance in FY 2016–17 and a lower ending fund balance in FYs 2017–18 through 2019–20. However, the CDE finds the multi-year financial plan to be reasonably sufficient as the charter school begins to rebuild its reserves in FY 2017–18.
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Required Number of Signatures / EC Section 47605(b)(3)5 CCR Section 11967.5.1(d) /
Evaluation Criteria
For purposes of EC Section 47605(b)(3), a charter petition that “does not contain the number of signatures required by [law]” …, shall be a petition that did not contain the requisite number of signatures at the time of its submission …
Does the petition contain the required number of signatures at the time of its submission? / NA
Comments:
The signature requirement set forth in EC Section 47605(b)(3) is not applicable to a petition for material revision.
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Affirmation of Specified Conditions / EC Sections 47605(b)(4) and (d)5 CCR Section 11967.5.1(e) /
Evaluation Criteria
For purposes of EC Section 47605(b)(4), a charter petition that "does not contain an affirmation of each of the conditions described in (EC Section 47605[d])" …, shall be a petition that fails to include a clear, unequivocal affirmation of each such condition. Neither the charter nor any of the supporting documents shall include any evidence that the charter will fail to comply with the conditions described in EC Section 47605(d).
(1) [A] charter school shall be nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations, shall not charge tuition, and shall not discriminate against a pupil on the basis of disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that is contained in the definition of hate crimes set forth in Section 422.55 of the California Penal Code. Except as provided in paragraph (2), admission to a charter school shall not be determined according to the place of residence of the pupil, or of his or her parent or guardian, within this state, except that any existing public school converting partially or entirely to a charter school under this part shall adopt and maintain a policy giving admission preference to pupils who reside within the former attendance area of that public school. / Yes
(2) (A) A charter school shall admit all pupils who wish to attend the school.
(B) However, if the number of pupils who wish to attend the charter school exceeds the school's capacity, attendance, except for existing pupils of the charter school, shall be determined by a public random drawing. Preference shall be extended to pupils currently attending the charter school and pupils who reside in the district except as provided for in EC Section 47614.5. Other preferences may be permitted by the chartering authority on an individual school basis and only if consistent with the law.
(C) In the event of a drawing, the chartering authority shall make reasonable efforts to accommodate the growth of the charter school and, in no event, shall take any action to impede the charter school from expanding enrollment to meet pupil demand. / Yes
(3) If a pupil is expelled or leaves the charter school without graduating or completing the school year for any reason, the charter school shall notify the superintendent of the school district of the pupil’s last known address within 30 days, and shall, upon request, provide that school district with a copy of the cumulative record of the pupil, including a transcript of grades or report card, and health information. This paragraph applies only to pupils subject to compulsory full-time education pursuant to EC Section 48200. / Yes
Does the charter petition contain the required affirmations? / Yes
Comments: