New School Application: Spring 2016

New School Application

For new district-run and charter schools opening in Fall 2017 and thereafter

Denver Public Schools

School Development Team

Emily Griffith Campus

1860 Lincoln Street, 12th Floor

Denver, CO 80203

Chris DeWitt, Manager of New Schools

Call for New Quality Schools

In the summer of 2014, the Board of Education passed the Denver Plan 2020, which set a goal that 80% of students will attend green or blue schools by 2020. One way to get there is to “expand high-quality school choices in all communities through differentiated supports for existing schools, new school strategies, turnaround efforts and strong accountability systems.”[1]

The Call for New Quality Schools is one of the major “new school strategies.” It is the process by which Denver Public Schools (DPS) approves and places all new schools, both district-run and charter. The Call identifies the areas in our District that need new schools-- either due to growth in population or a lack of availability of high performing schools. We strive to make this process “governance neutral” and “model agnostic:” if the school is quality based on our metrics, it has an equal opportunity to open in DPS.

The 2016 Call for New Quality Schools will be released on January 22, 2016 and will be posted here:

Those wishing to apply to open a new school in 2017 or thereafter should use this New School Application[2]. Schools that are replicating an existing program should complete the Replication Application at Rubrics used for the evaluation process, detailed in this document, will be available in January 2016.

We hope this application guides each applicant to thoughtfully design a school able to deeply support student learning and growth. We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

The School Development Team: Jennifer Holladay (Director, School Development), Chris Dewitt (Manager, New Schools) and Ashleigh Madonna (School Development Associate)

Application Checklist

The Application Checklist listed below should be used by the applicant to navigate this application and to check off completed sections. A copy of the checklist must be submitted with the completed application. The New Schools Team will use the second column of boxes to check for completeness when the application is submitted. NOTE: Click on each application component listed below to be directed to the corresponding application questions.

Application Components / Applicant Check / Reviewer Check
Letter of Intent / ☐ / ☐
Executive Summary / ☐ / ☐
Section I.
CULTURE /
  1. Vision, Mission Statement, and Core Values
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Targeted Student Population
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Student Recruitment & Enrollment
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Demonstration of Community Support and Demand for the Application (Appx. E)
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. School Culture & Student Engagement
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Student Discipline Policy(Appx. F)
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Student Attendance & Satisfaction
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Parent/Guardian Involvement & Satisfaction
/ ☐ / ☐
Section II: TEACHING /
  1. Educational Philosophy
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Instructional Strategies
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Teacher Coaching
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Teacher Professional Development
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Teacher Evaluation(Appx. G)
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. English Language Learners
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Students with Disabilities
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Gifted and Talented Students
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Multi-Tiered System of Supports
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. School Schedule & Calendar(Appx. H and I)
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Class Size
/ ☐ / ☐
Section III:
EDUCATION PROGRAM / A. Curriculum / ☐ / ☐
B. Scope and Sequence / ☐ / ☐
C. Goals, Objectives & Pupil Performance Standards / ☐ / ☐
D. Progress Monitoring and Assessments / ☐ / ☐
E. Promotion & Retention Policies / ☐ / ☐
F. Supplemental Programming / ☐ / ☐
Application Components / Applicant Check / Reviewer Check
G. Community Partnerships / ☐ / ☐
Section IV:
Leadership /
  1. Leadership Team Personnel(Appx. K, L)
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Leadership Team Coaching & Evaluation
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. School Personnel Structure (Appx. M, N)
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Teacher Recruitment and Hiring
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Teacher Retention
/ ☐ / ☐
Section V: Operations, Budget, and Governance /
  1. Employment Policies
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Operations - Transportation
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Operations – Safety and Security
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Operations – Insurance Coverage (charter schools only)
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Operations – Food Services
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Budget Narrative
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Facility(Appx. D)
/ ☐ / ☐
H. Charter Schools only: Governance Philosophy / ☐ / ☐
  1. Charter Schools only: Board Capacity and Structure
/ ☐ / ☐
J. Charter Schools only: School Oversight & Stakeholder Engagement / ☐ / ☐
K. Charter Schools only: Board Status and Compliance / ☐ / ☐
Section VI: Waivers /
  1. District Waivers and State Statute Waivers
/ ☐ / ☐
Section VII: ESP/EMO Relationship
(Charter schools only) /
  1. ESP/EMO Selection
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. ESP/EMO Track Record(Appx. W)
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Legal Relationships (Appx. X)
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Organizational Structure (Appx. Y)
/ ☐ / ☐
Section VIII: Multiple School Organization
(Charter schools only) /
  1. Multiple School Organization - Human Capital
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Multiple School Organization - Finance
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Multiple School Organization - Long Term Planning
/ ☐ / ☐
  1. Multiple School Organization - Governance
/ ☐ / ☐
Appendices
Appendices / Appx. A – Letter of Intent (copy of LOI submitted) / ☐ / ☐
Appx. B – Copy of Application Checklist / ☐ / ☐
Appx. C – School Facility Questionnaire / ☐ / ☐
Appx. D – Charter School Board Member Questionnaire / ☐ / ☐
Appx. E – Evidence of Support from Parents/Guardians, Community Groups, Teachers & Pupils / ☐ / ☐
Appx. F – Discipline Policy / ☐ / ☐
Application Components / Applicant Check / Reviewer Check
Appx. G – Teacher Evaluation Tools / ☐ / ☐
Appx. H – Student Teacher School Day Schedules / ☐ / ☐
Appx. I – School Year Calendar / ☐ / ☐
Appx. J – Scope and Sequence / ☐ / ☐
Appx. K – Job Descriptions for all Leadership Team Positions / ☐ / ☐
Appx. L – Resumes for all Identified Leadership Team Members / ☐ / ☐
Appx. M – School Leader Evaluation Tool / ☐ / ☐
Appx. N – School Organization Chart / ☐ / ☐
Appx. O – Staff Roster / ☐ / ☐
Appx. P – Personnel Policies or Employee Manual / ☐ / ☐
Appx. Q – Resumes of All Board Members / ☐ / ☐
Appx. R – Articles of Incorporation & Bylaws (charter schools only) / ☐ / ☐
Appx. S – Conflict of Interest Policy (charter schools only) / ☐ / ☐
Appx. T – Grievance Policy (charter schools only) / ☐ / ☐
Appx. U– Parent Complaint Process (charter schools only) / ☐ / ☐
Appx. V – Memorandum of Understanding (if applicable) / ☐ / ☐
Appx. W – Financial Audit of ESP/EMO (if applicable) / ☐ / ☐
Appx. X – License Authorizing Business in Colorado (if applicable) / ☐ / ☐
Appx. Y – Draft of Management Agreement (if applicable) / ☐ / ☐
Electronic copy of entire application / ☐ / ☐
Electronic copy of completed budget templates / ☐ / ☐

General Application Overview

Tentative Timeline of the 2016 Call for New Quality Schools[3]

DPS Responsibilities Applicant Responsibilities Shared Responsibilities

DateActivities
Tuesday, December 22 / ●New School Applications Released
Friday, January 22 / ●Call for New Quality Schools document released
●Placement application & rubrics released
Thursday, February 11 / ●Letters of intent due for new schools & placement applicants
Friday, April 8 / ●Applications due by 5pm
Week of April 15 / ●Regional Community Meetings
Week of April 18 / ●First Group: Application Review Team convenes
Week of April 25 / ●First Group: Interviews
Weeks of May 2 & May 9 / ●Second Group: Application Review Team convenes
Monday, May 16 / ●Staff Recommendation to DPS Board of Education
●Applicant Presentations to DPS Board of Education
Thursday, May 19 / ●Public Comment
●DPS Board of Education Votes on First Group Quality
May 17-20 / ●Placement Review Team convenes
Friday, May 20 / ●Community matching process launches with quality applicants
Week of May 23 / ●Placement Review Team interviews
Week of May 23 / ●Second Group: Interviews
Week of May 30 / ●Placement Review Team reconvenes
Week of May 30 / ●Second Group: Second Application review team meetings
●(if necessary)
Monday, June 13 / ●Staff Recommendation to BOE
●Applicant Presentations to BOE
●Family and Community Engagement Team (FACE) Report on community matching process
Thursday, June 16 / ●Public Comment
●DPS Board of Education Votes on Second Group Quality & All Placements

●Letter of Intent: FEBRUARY 11TH

○All applicants are requested to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) prior to submitting a complete application. The LOI template is available in Appendix A. The LOI provides formal notice to DPS regarding applicants’ intentions to submit an application to open a new school in 2017-2018 (or thereafter), allowing sufficient time for the district to coordinate Application Review Teams (ART).

●Complete Application: APRIL 8TH

○All applicants are required to submit an electronic version and two (2) hard copies of the application by FRIDAY, APRIL 8TH at 5pm MST. See below for details on submission requirements.

●Community Engagement: Ongoing

○All applicants are responsible for proactively engaging with the intended neighborhood community to develop their applications.

○DPS will invite applicants to present at Regional Community Meetings in each region for which applications are put forth.

Types of Applicants

●New school applicants fall into one of four categories:

  1. New charter school applicant
  2. Charter schools are publicly-funded schools overseen directly by a Board of Directors, which holds a contract with the DPS Board of Education.
  3. New district-sponsored applicant
  4. District-run applicants interested in applying for district sponsorship should contact Joe Amundsen.
  5. New district-run applicant
  6. District-run applicants who do not receive district-sponsorship may apply as a district-run school using this application
  7. Replication applicant

a. Only schools currently operating in Denver that have two or more years of meeting or exceeding expectations on the Denver School Performance Framework (SPF) and seek to replicate their existing school model and grade configuration may utilize this customized application.

Application Process

The goal of the Call for New Quality Schools Process is to identify high quality new schools to meet academic and growth needs in DPS for the Board of Education to approve. This process consists of two parts:

  1. Quality Review: All district-run and charter school applications must meet the quality bar as measured by the Call for New Quality Schools rubric (see rubrics here, available January 2016). Application Review Teams, described on pg. 8, help the Superintendent form a recommendation to give to the Board of Education based on your application.
  2. Placement Review: As described inBoard Policy AG, district and charter schools that have been approved are then eligible to be considered for placement in available District owned or leased facilities. (Charter schools are able to pursue a private facility and not participate in the placement process.) Placement Review Teams, described on p. 9, help the Superintendent form a placement recommendation to the Board.
  3. NOTE: Placement decisions are made using information in the Placement Application only, which will be available here on January 22, 2016. It is strongly recommended that all applicants interested in district facilities align their quality application (this document) to the school-specific requirements and Priority Needs outlined in the Call for New Quality Schools.

Submission Requirements

  1. Proposal Narrative: The narrative section seeks information about all major aspects of the proposed school. A complete application must include each section outlined in this application document (e.g., Executive Summary, Section I Culture, etc.). Within the narrative of each section, please use the outline headings we have provided.
  2. Budget Forms: All proposals must be accompanied by completed budget forms using the template created by DPS, which can be found on the DPS website. Submit only electronic copies of the budget in Excel (no paper-based copy is necessary).
  3. Appendices (electronic only): Submit only those appendices that are referenced in this application. Additional material beyond the narrative and appendices referenced in the application will not be evaluated. Do not print appendices.

Submit Paper Application:

Deliver proposals by 5:00pm MST on FRIDAY, APRIL 8* to:

Denver Public Schools, School Development Team

Attn: Chris DeWitt, Manager of New Schools

Emily Griffith Campus

1860 Lincoln St.

Denver, CO 80203

*No late submissions will be accepted.

Formatting Requirements

●Font and Page Format

●Use 12-point font and one-inch margins.

●Number every page of the application and observe all page limits.

●Include as text each major section header and each sub-section header, but do not include the question prompt in your typed response.

●Binders

●Compile two (2) copies in 3-ring binders. Include the name of the proposed school on the outside spine of the binders.

●Separate each section with a labeled tab that uses the section name (e.g., “School Culture” or “Education Program”).

●Start each section at the top of a new page.

●Appendices (electronic only)

●Complete all required appendices, and observe appendix page limits.

●Templates and forms for Appendices A-D are provided in the back of this application guide to be filled out and included as part of the application. The applicant shall supply the remaining Appendices E-Y, as instructed throughout this application guide.

●Note: Some appendices are optional.

●When saving appendices, separate each appendix as its own file using that Appendix_Letter_Title naming convention (e.g., Appendix A - Letter of Intent, Appendix C- School Facility Questionnaire, etc.)

●Do not print appendices.

●Electronic submission

●Supply an electronic copy of your entire application

●a Google folder will be set up upon receipt of letter of intent

●Supply three separate files:

1) A PDF of the main body of the application

2) A PDF of the full collection of appendices (using the naming convention described above), and

3) An Excel file of your budget (do not submit a PDF of your budget).

●Upload the electronic files to a Google Drive folder link, to be supplied by the School Development Team, or provide a flash drive with your application that includes the electronic files.

●If a particular question does not apply to your proposal, please respond “Not Applicable” andinclude a statement as to why the question is not applicable to your team or proposal.

●To confirm that you have reviewed your application for completeness, you must complete the Application Checklistthat was provided at the beginning of this application and submit the completed checklist along with your application. On the date of your submission, a member of the School Development Team will page through your application and confirm whether or not you submitted all sections of the application. Please plan to remain in the DPS office for approximately 30 minutes while we conduct this review.

Evaluation Process

●All applications for new schools (regardless of school type) are evaluated by a review team using a publicly available rubric based on DPS’ School Quality Framework. The rubric measures quality in the following areas: School Culture, Leadership, Teaching, Educational Program, and Finance. (See Application Review Team section below).

●The DPS Board of Education has the final vote on any application, and will vote in a public meeting to decide on one of three possible outcomes:

  1. Approve
  2. Approve with conditions
  3. Deny

●The Board’s decision is informed by the following bodies:

○Application Review Team (ART)

■An ART is a team of professionals including staff experts at DPS, external experts and at least one parent/guardian representative (for charter applicants).

■ARTs meet once to review the evidence, discuss the merits of the application, and develop clarifying and probing questions for the applicants. Members of the School Development Team andDistrict Accountability Committee (described below, for charter applicants only) then interview all applicants using a standard set of questions as well as the school-specific questions developed by the ART. If after the first ART meeting and the interview the ART members are unable to reach consensus on the quality of the application, the ART will meet a second time to form a final confidential and deliberative opinion, which will then be shared with Senior Leaders.

■The School Development Team works to ensure that multiple areas of expertise are represented on each Application Review Team (ART):

●School Leadership

●Curriculum

●Special Education

●English Language Acquisition

●Governance

●Financial & Operational

●Parent/Guardian (charter applications only)

●Human Resources (district-run applications only)

■The Applicant Review Team (ART) works collectively to assess the quality of each application, using a standards-based rubric that identifies quality criteria within a variety of domains. Each of these domains is represented in an application section, detailed below. DPS’s quality criteria have been established in partnership with a variety of local and national experts and in consultation with exemplars and best-practice research. Rubric elements also represent state statute. The rubric used to evaluate this application will be available on January 22 on the DPS website at Applicants do not have direct contact with the Application Review Team that evaluates their application. Applicants do meet with a handful of representatives in their in-person interview.

○Placement Review Team (PRT)

■The Placement Review Team evaluates facility placement applications, as well as relevant sections of new school applications, against the criteria established by the Facility Allocation Policy and site-specific criteria. The composition of the Placement Review Team will be specified in the 2016 Call for New Quality Schools, when it is released on January 22, 2016.The PRT forms an opinion to share with the Superintendent, to help inform his/her recommendation to the Board of Education about the strength of candidates seeking placement.

■The PRT also interview all applicants eligible for placement.

○Student Board of Education (SBOE)

●The Student Board of Education is composed of student representatives from DPS high schools. SBOE members read and discuss the Executive Summary of each application and present a list of pros and cons to the Board.

○District Accountability Committee (DAC)

■All charter applicants must meet with the District Accountability Committee (DAC). The DAC is an important advisory body within the District, established in response to the Accountability Act of 1971. Per its bylaws, the DAC exists “to assist in the improvement of Denver Public Schools by advising the Board of Education on the adequacy and cost effectiveness of educational programs and policies.” Learn more about the DAC at

■The School Development Team will deliver your application materials to the DAC, which will independently evaluate your application, meet and interview your application team, and provide an advising report for the DPS Board of Education’s consideration.

■DPS and the DAC will conduct interviews with all charter applicants in April and May

Applicant Support

●General Resources

○On pg. 11-15 of this application, the School Development Team provides links and directions to various informational resources for new school applicants. It is your responsibility to collect all the compliance and regulatory information necessary to open and operate a school in the state of Colorado and in the City and County of Denver. The resource notations are for your assistance, but are not comprehensive.