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Nevada Ed-Watch 3/6/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

State Public Charter School Authority (SPCSA)

What is the SPCSA & what are they responsible for? The SPCSA sponsors and oversees public charter schools across the State of Nevada. The Authority consists of nine appointed members responsible for overseeing educational and operational standards, and holding sponsored schools accountable to the academic achievement of students.

How often does the SPCSA Board meet? SPCSA members meet once monthly– on Fridays.

Click here for SPCSA meeting schedule and materials.

Can community members engage at SPCSA Board Meetings? All meetings are held publicly at the Nevada Department of Education building in Carson City and the Nevada Department of Education building in Las Vegas (1st floor boardroom). Members of the public are invited to attend at either location. A time for public comment is provided at the conclusion of each agenda item and at the conclusion of each Board meeting. There is a time limit of three minutes per speaker. Members of the community providing testimony must fill out a visitor card, available on-site the day of the meeting.

Alternatively, public comment may be submitted in writing at publiccomment@spcsa.nv.gov, and any such public comment received prior to the meeting will be provided to the Authority and included in the written minutes of the meeting.

Click here for a list of all SPCSA Members.

Click here for a list of all SPCSA sponsored schools.

Friday, March 6, 2020
State Public Charter School Authority Board Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda 

What happened at this meeting? 

SPCSA Executive Director’s Report: 

Report Highlights: 

  • Introduction of 2 new board members: Tameka Shauntee Rosales and Lee Farris
  • Introduction of 3 new SPCSA staff members: one administrative assistant and two finance employees
  • 1 application was submitted for the Winter Cycle. An SPCSA staff approval recommendation is expected by the April board meeting
  • Former Achievement School District (ASD) schools have been transferred to the SPCSA
  • There are 4 new schools launching in Fall 2020
  • Community stakeholders can provide input on Senate Bill 441 regulations, which will ultimately be submitted to the Department of Education for a final decision
  • SPCSA launched an online platform for community stakeholders to share concerns or feedback 
  • Under the SPCSA Performance Framework, current school year data will be collected to assess  the academic, organizational, and financial performance of each school

Board Heard Mid-Year Updates from Schools that have Received a Notice of Breach

Freedom Classical Academy Elementary School, Legacy North Valley Elementary School, and Somerset North Las Vegas Elementary School provided updates to the board on their mid-year assessment results and progress against performance plans.

Click here to see Freedom Classical Academy’s presentation.

Click here to see Legacy North Valley’s presentation.

Click here to see Somerset’s presentation.

Board Heard Updates on Schools under Receivership or Previously under Receivership

Highlights: 

  • Ardent Prep sold its property to settle final debts. 
  • Discovery Charter School was removed from receivership and had its board reconstituted at the end of the 2018-19 school year. 
  • Quest Academy, which was placed under receivership for financial mismanagement, showed improvements under its receivership. Quest staff shared a plan to remove the school from receivership and reconstitute the school’s board by next school year. 

Board Heard Updates on Beacon Academy’s Performance

The Board heard updates on Beacon Academy’s performance aligned to the Alternative Performance Framework. Beacon Academy shared information on student demographics for Alternative Education and at-risk students, specifically credit deficient students. School staff also shared updates on the school’s academic growth, college and career readiness, credit deficiency rates, graduation rates, and student engagement data. 

Beacon Academy has submitted a letter of intent to open a second campus in Clark County.

Click here to see the presentation.

Board Heard Updates from Pinecrest Academy of Northern Nevada Following its Conditional Approval

SPCSA staff reviewed the completion of the conditions for the Pinecrest Academy of Northern Nevada’s approval. 

The conditions were met related to the National School Lunch program, Weighted Lottery Policy, revised budget, and the waiver of academic fees for students eligible for Free and Reduced-Price Lunch. 

The board approved the school’s targeted student enrollment marketing plan. The school’s draft transportation plan will come back to the board for a vote during the April board meeting– pending zip code data and weighted lottery updates. The board also requested enrollment updates broken down by student demographics. 

Board Reviewed Resubmitted New Charter School Applications

The following schools’ initial applications were denied during the December 17th, 2019 board meeting. SPCSA staff provided applicants with feedback on application deficiencies, and the schools had 30 days to improve and resubmit their application. 

Alaka’i Heritage Academy  – DENIED

  • Meeting the Need: Meets the Standard
  • Academic Plan: Approaches the Standard
  • Operations Plan: Approaches the Standard
  • Financial Plan: Approaches the Standard

Click here to see the SPCSA staff’s recommendation memo.

Nevada Strong Academy – DENIED

  • Meeting the Need: Approaches the Standard
  • Academic Plan: Approaches the Standard
  • Operations Plan: Approaches the Standard
  • Financial Plan: Does not meet the standard

Click here to see the SPCSA staff’s recommendation memo.

Sage Collegiate – DENIED

  • Meeting the Need: Approaches the Standard
  • Academic Plan: Approaches the Standard
  • Operations Plan: Approaches the Standard
  • Financial Plan: Approaches the Standard

Click here to see the SPCSA staff’s recommendation memo.

Pahrump Valley Academy – DENIED

  • Meeting the Need: Meets the Standard
  • Academic Plan: Approaches the Standard
  • Operations Plan: Approaches the Standard
  • Financial Plan: Does not meet the Standard

Click here to see the SPCSA staff’s recommendation memo.

Board Approved Charter School Contract Amendment for Explore Academy

The board approved SPCSA staff’s recommendation regarding Explore Academy’s amendment request for a location change. Explore Academy was initially approved under the Achievement School District for 2019 launch, but delayed opening until 2020 under an SPCSA contract.

Staff presented information on the request to occupy a temporary facility outside of the originally approved  zip codes. The proposed temporary facility will be vacant as of June 2020. School staff and a partner realtor shared obstacles to locating a facility within the approved zip codes. The board shared concerns about increased traffic, enrollment, and lease details. 

Click here to see the amendment application.

Board Received Biennial Review of Statutes and Regulations

SPCSA staff shared information about recommendations to propose to the Legislative Committee on Education on legislation that would assist charter schools in achieving their academic, fiscal and organizational goals.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 4/19/19

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

State Public Charter School Authority (SPCSA)

What is the SPCSA & what are they responsible for? The SPCSA sponsors and oversees public charter schools across the State of Nevada. The Authority consists of seven appointed members responsible for overseeing educational and operational standards, and holding sponsored schools accountable to the academic achievement of students.

How often does the SPCSA Board meet? SPCSA members meet once monthly (three times in June)– on Fridays.

Click here for SPCSA meeting schedule and materials.

Can community members engage at SPCSA Board Meetings? All meetings are held publicly at the Nevada Department of Education building in Carson City and the Nevada Department of Education building in Las Vegas (2nd floor boardroom). Members of the public are invited to attend at either location. A time for public comment is provided at the beginning (for agenda items) and at the conclusion (on any matter) of each Board meeting. There is a time limit of three minutes per speaker. Members of the community providing testimony must fill out a visitor card, available on-site the day of the meeting.

Click here for a list of all SPCSA Members.

Click here for a list of all SPCSA sponsored schools.

Friday, April 19, 2019
State Public Charter School Authority Board Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment
Members of the public provided testimony to Board members regarding:

  • Open meeting law compliance complaints against individual charter schools authorized by the State Public Charter School Authority.  

The Board welcomed the newly-appointed Executive Director of the State Public Charter School Authority

Rebecca Feiden was introduced and welcomed as the new Executive Director.

The Board Heard Staff Reports From Each Team (Authorizing, School Support, Finance & Operations, & Legal)

The Authorizing Team provided the following updates to the Board:

  • Relocation of the Elko Institute For Academic Achievement
  • Progress on SPCSA Performance Frameworks (Academic, Financial, and Organizational)
    • Academic Framework
      • The team has completed two listening sessions with a working group consisting of charter school leaders, Department of Education representatives, and SPCSA staff members. The group discussed the indicators and measures that would make up the Academic Framework. The group’s next meeting is scheduled for May 2nd.
    • Financial Framework
      • The team is working to fully implement the Financial Framework. So far, they have finished building internal measures (logic models), and expanded the ratings process to include all six years of financial performance.
    • Organizational Framework
      • The team has completed listening sessions and two formal working group sessions around the Organizational Framework. They are referencing a framework from the National Association of Charter School Authorizers as a foundation to build upon.
  • New Charter Applicants
    • 20 charters submitted a Notice of Intent to submit an application during the 2019 Summer cycle to launch schools in Clark, Washoe, and Nye counties.
      • Staff has notified school districts of the Notices of Intent that fall within their district boundaries.
      • The staff also provided clarification to districts that Notices of Intent are just a step in the approval process, and that these schools have not yet been approved or denied.
  • Charter Amendment Applications (Notice of Intent to submit a charter amendment application the 2019 summer cycle)
    • In response to concerns about the process being cumbersome, the team has been working with school leaders to streamline charter amendment requests. They have also administered a survey to collect feedback on ways to improve the process. Amendment requests will be presented during the June 28th Board meeting.
  • Charter school contract renewals have are being reviewed for the following:
    • Doral Academy
    • Coral Academy of Science
    • Learning Bridge
    • Nevada Virtual Academy
  • Revolving Loan Application cycle update
    • The SPCSA is an administrator of the state’s revolving loan fund for charter schools, regardless of their sponsor. Funds are provided for schools currently operating or in the start-up phase.
    • The team reported receiving 2 applications. One school has requested $56,000 dollars, and the other has requested $42,000 dollars.
    • Loan repayment occurs over 3 years, at prime rate, and is automatically deducted from the school’s DSA payment.

The School Support Team provided the following updates to the Board:

  • Assessment and accountability
    • The team is providing support to schools in the areas of assessment and accountability, including: assessment administration, testing irregularities, and monitoring civil rights data collection
  • Conferences, meetings, and trainings
    • The team will be attending conferences on emergency management, gifted education, and special education in the near future.
  • School support
    • The team is supporting schools with pre-enrollment audits, Career & Technical Education program guidance, facilitating a charter school safety committee, fielding technical questions, and liaising with the Department of Education for information.

The Operations & Finance Team provided the following updates to the Board:

  • Interim Finance Committee (IFC) meeting on April 4th
    • A semi-annual update was provided to Interim Finance Committee members.
    • The next update is due in October.
  • Executive Budget for the 2019-2021 biennium
    • The team is working with the Governor’s office and Legislative Council Bureau to finalize the agency’s two budget accounts:
    • Budget Account 2708 – Revolving Loan Account: The team has no indication that there are any issues with this budget and anticipate it will be approved.  
    • Budget Account 2711 – Operating Account: This account includes the operating budget of the agency including staff positions, grants, and other agency expenses. Once approved, these budgets will be in place July 1, 2019 through the next biennium.
      • This budget includes two pending items prior to being closed and voted on at the April 30th budget meeting. These include:
        • Four new staff positions – these positions would support site evaluations and a number of other areas within the SPCSA
        • Budget reserve level – concerns were raised about the reserve level during the February 22nd legislative budget hearing. The team has been working with the Governor’s office to reduce the level of reserve.

The Legal Team provided the following updates to the Board:

  • Litigation
    • A lawsuit was filed against the SPCSA by the National Coalition for Public School Options related to a public records request.
    • Two complaints were filed with the Attorney General’s (AG) office regarding a current and a former staff member.  The SPCSA has been working with the AG’s investigation office to provide all information requested, and general counsel expects that the investigation will close fairly soon without any adverse findings.
  • Open Meeting Law compliance
    • The Nevada State Attorney General’s office has received 76 open meeting law complaints this year against charter schools that are authorized by the SPCSA, the Clark County School District, and the Washoe County School District. SPCSA general counsel advised that the majority of complaints seem to be technical in nature, related to language in agendas. Schools will be allowed to contest particular violations. As remedy, schools will need to attend open meeting law training.

Board Approved Nevada Connections Academy’s Dual Enrollment Policy Update

In response to concerns about Connections Academy’s performance, the Board approved dual enrollment, but with the following conditions:

  • Evidence that the State Board of Education has approved the courses
  • Given performance, individual graduation plans for participating students be submitted to SPCSA staff for their records
  • Does not mean that their contract will be renewed in the future

Click here to see the staff recommendations report.

Click here to see the dual credit amendment request.

The Board heard updates on ongoing site evaluations

Staff shared the following site evaluation updates with Board members:

  • 13 school site evaluations have been completed
  • 3 site evaluations are scheduled for next week
  • Added 2 additional schools in the North to be evaluated in May
  • Goal is to complete 18 campus site evaluations by end of the school year

Additionally:

  • 9 final evaluation reports have been submitted to chairs, school leaders, and board chairs, with a 10th submitted by end of day Monday, April 22nd.
  • About 30 schools remain to be evaluated

Staff is seeing two trends during site evaluations:

  • Families report being happy with the school culture, programs offered, and the decision they made to enroll their student in that school.
  • A need for Boards to get more training around best practices to clarify their roles as school Board members and their responsibilities as a governing body.

A draft site evaluation schedule for the 2019-20 school year will be presented at the June Board meeting.

Click here to see the site evaluation updates document.

Click here to see the site evaluation schedule.

Click here to see the site evaluation handbook.

Board heard legislative updates

  • AB78:  SPCSA “omnibus” bill. This bill has passed the Assembly Education Committee and is pending a full Assembly Floor vote.  This bill, in its current form, does the following:
    • Clarifies the SPCSA’s role as a Local Education Agency (LEA)
    • Provides the SPCSA with plenary regulatory authority
    • Clarifies the annual reporting of sponsors to the Department of Education, including the comprehensive review the Department of Education should complete every 3 years, and adding 2 additional members to the SPCSA board, appointed by the State Board of Education.
    • Clarifies the responsibility of SPCSA to serve students with disabilities
    • Addresses the future of Achievement School District (ASD) schools’ sponsorship.
  • SB451: Variable length charter contract renewal. This bill has passed out of the Senate floor and will be heard next in the Assembly Committee on Education. This bill allows for variable length contract renewal at the discretion of the SPCSA, between 3 and 10 years. Under the current statute, only 6 year contract renewals are allowed.
  • SB441: Provides for separate regulation of virtual charter schools. This bill has passed out of the Senate Education Committee and is due next to be heard on the Senate Floor. This bill allows for the following:
    • Allows the authority to pass regulations to have a separate oversight role in regard to virtual schools
    • Allows the authority board to form a subcommittee to oversee virtual schools
    • Provides for drafting of regulations related to admission and enrollment requirements for those schools
    • Allows virtual schools to suspend or expel students who are not participating in the virtual program
    • The originally drafted bill allowed the authority to draft regulations to withhold a portion of DSA funds based on student performance, however this provision has been struck from the bill at present.
  • AB462: Formerly, Charter School Moratorium. This bill has passed out the Assembly Committee on Education and is due next to be heard on the full assembly floor for a vote. This bill originally placed a moratorium on all charter schools opening, however that provision has been struck. This bill now includes the following provisions:
    • Codifies site evaluations, including:
      1. Complete initial site evaluations of all campuses by June 30, 2020
      2. Then, conduct evaluations in first, third, and 5th year of schools’ operation
      3. Ensure that site evaluations are identifying any deficiencies and that corrective action is taken as needed
    • Completion of a statewide Pupil Needs Study by January 1, 2020, to include:
      • Where schools will go, justification, and proof of collaboration with districts and departments.
      • Academic needs study, which includes demographic information, at-risk population information, and proof that a new school serves the best interest of pupils.
    • Requires a growth management plan for success, to include:
      • 5 year projection related to growth, projected number of new schools to open and new campuses, projected increases in enrollment, renewals, academic information, and any other information deemed necessary to show that a new charter school or expansion of a charter school serves the best interest of pupils.

Board heard updates on the SPCSA strategic and growth management plan

SPCSA staff provided the Board information regarding the next iteration of SPCSA’s strategic plan

SPCSA staff stated that the Strategic Plan will largely center around a Growth Management Plan. The plan will provide detail on how the agency will continue to grow to serve students and ensure that the goals and purpose of the agency are being accomplished.

The development of the Growth Management Plan will provide SPCSA the platform to engage other agencies, schools, and community members to ensure that the plan aligns to the current needs of communities.

In May, staff will provide the Board an update on how the plan will be developed– including stakeholders to engage, anticipated timeline, and other inputs that will be incorporated into research and plan development.

SPCSA Board received training in Open Meeting Law Compliance.

Click here to see the full presentation.

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