Funding your Charter School - �Colorado Charter Schools Program Grant (CCSP)�

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THURSDAY MAY 12, 2022

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Schools of Choice Unit

Welcome & Introductions

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Please introduce yourself to the group by sharing the following information:

• Name and Title/Role
• Agency or Charter School Name
• Charter School Type/Model
• Area Served and/or District
• Anticipated application/opening date, if applicable.

Objectives

• Understanding Colorado’s Charter Schools Program grant
• Knowledge of federal and state grant objectives and priorities
• Knowledge of available grant funds, use and programmatic requirements
• Knowledge of eligibility and enrollment requirements
• Awareness of challenges and barriers
• Awareness of technical assistance opportunities and requirement
• Knowledge of general timeline

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Purpose of the Grant

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• Authorization - Title IV, Part C of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) (20 U.S.C. 7221‐7221j).
• Part C – expanding opportunity through quality charter schools
• Supports the startup of new, replicating and expanding high‐quality charter schools.

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Purpose of the Grant

• To improve the United States education system and education opportunities for all by supporting innovation in public education in public school settings that prepare students to compete and contribute to the global economy and a stronger nation.
• To provide financial assistance for the planning, program design, and initial implementation of charter schools.
• To increase the number of high‐quality charter schools across the United States.
• To evaluate the impact of charter schools on student achievement, families, and communities, and share best practices between charter schools and other public schools.

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Purpose of the Grant (continued)

• To encourage states to provide support to charter schools for facility financing.
• To expand opportunities for children with disabilities, English learners, and other traditionally underserved students.
• To support the efforts to strengthen the charter school authorizing process to improve performance management.
• To support quality, accountability, and transparency in the operational performance of all authorizers.

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Colorado’s Program Objectives

Objective 1

• Increase the number of high-quality charter school options and the number of students who attend them.

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Objective 2

• Raise educational outcomes for all charter school students by increasing capacity among authorizers and charter school leaders to increase quality charter school programs and to successfully address access and equity gaps among educationally disadvantaged students.

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Program Emphasis

• The CCSP grant places high emphasis on developing charter schools that meet:
• Access and equity challenges through
• model
• enrollment policy
• focus
• High quality goals
• Sustainability efforts
• Technical Assistance and professional development requirements
• Monitoring expectations

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Colorado Charter School Program Grant

• Colorado awarded a $55,171,335 five-year grant; 2018-23
• Approximately 10 sub-grant awards per year
• Currently only one grant cycle per year in the fall
• Funding amount up to $1,250,000 over four years
• 90% of CDE’s CSP funds are distributed to new charter schools
• 7% Technical Assistance; 3% Administration
• Reimbursement after expense grant program
• School/Authorizer requests of CDE and then CDE requests of U.S. Department of Education
• Authorizer serves as the fiscal agent for sub-grantee

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Funding

Sub-grants are awarded to schools that meet eligibility requirements and meet a minimum standard of quality-based criteria.

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• Base award of $100,000
• $900/student up to 200 (max $280,000/year of 3)
• 2–3-year initial award
• 3^rd/4^th year incentive award* of $200,000
• High score awards of + $20,000/year
• Focused program award of + $50,000/year

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Funding (continued)

4^th year incentive awarded to requesting schools demonstrating:

• Significant progress toward grant objectives and programmatic expectations;
• Regular and timely draw-down of grant funds;
• Strong enrollment that meets projected targets;
• Completion of Technical Assistance requirements;
• Timely reporting;
• Approved annual financial reports; and
• Evidence of academic success.
• Strong and timely communication with SOC and the authorizer.

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Funding (continued)

CCSP emphasizes underserved, expansion and replication through:

1. Prioritization of three (3) expansion applications in scoring
2. A focus programming sub-competition in the following areas:
• Special Education
• English Language Learners
• Foster and homeless
• Alternative Education Campus
• Rural schools
• High schools
3. Eligibility criteria assuring access and equity of underserved student populations

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Size and Duration of Grant Awards

Three-Year Funding Level, New Schools Applying During Planning Year

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Two-Year Funding Level, New Schools in Operation at the Time of Application

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Allowable Use of Funds

CCSP Grant funds must be used for one or more of the following activities:

1. Costs associated with professional development for teachers and other specialized and support staff, as well as, hiring and compensating teachers, school leaders, and/or specialized instructional support personnel (during the eligible applicant’s planning period specified in the application for funds).*
2. Supplies, training, equipment (including technology), and educational materials (including instructional materials or aligning curriculum).
3. One-time startup costs associated with providing transportation to students to and from the charter school.*
4. Community engagement activities, which may include paying the cost of student and staff recruitment and informing the community about the school.
5. Under ESEA § 4303(h)(3), “necessary renovations to ensure that a new school building complies with applicable statutes and regulations, and minor facilities repairs (excluding construction).”*
6. Other appropriate, non-sustained costs related to opening, replicating, or expanding high-quality charter schools when such costs cannot be met from other sources, providing support requests are reasonable and appropriate.

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Grant Use Emphasis

Grant funded purchases should be:

• Necessary, reasonable and allocable
• Materials and services are needed to plan, design, and implement the school’s mission and vision
• Developing the school’s sustainability by gradually shifting recurring costs to the PPR operating budget

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CCSP Grant Application Timeline

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Eligibility: New Charter Schools

Eligibility for New Charter Schools:

• Meets the definition of a charter school
• Brand new start-up
• Conversion school (mandated or voluntary substantial change)
• Opening or planned opening for following year
• A signed, executed charter contract is required before a successful CCSP Grant application can receive “final approval.”

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Eligibility: Significant Expansion

Eligibility for Significant Expansion:

• Significant increase in enrollment or addition of one or more grade levels served beyond the levels supported by a previous CSP grant, if applicable.
• No grant funds can be used to benefit previous grade levels or project goals.
• Meets “high quality” through a “Performance” rating on the three-year School Performance Framework (SPF) or additional means and strong operational history.*
• No separate lottery is needed.
• Must have been in good standing and completed all the requirements of any previous CCSP grant.

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Eligibility: Replication

Eligibility for Replication Schools:

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• A new charter school campus based on the educational model of an existing high-quality charter school with:
• Separate staff
• Different administrator
• Separate facility
• Separate business operations
• Separate lottery (may allow matriculation from sister school(s))
• Separate school code

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• An amended or additional charter contract
• Meets “high quality” through a “Performance” rating on the three-year School Performance Framework (SPF) or additional means and strong operational history of the replicated school.*
• Replicated school or network must have been in good standing and completed all the requirements of any previous CCSP grant.

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Eligibility: Previously-Funded Applicants

• A charter school may not receive a CSP grant to carry out the same or substantially similar activities as a previous CSP grant.
• Applicants that have previously received CSP funding within the last five (5) years are required to demonstrate a positive academic performance trend over at least the past three (3) years using state recognized measures, such as those included on the school’s School Performance Framework.

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Eligibility: Educational Service Providers

A for-profit or not-for-profit ESP or EMO does not qualify as an eligible applicant, nor can it hold or manage the grant award to the school.

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Eligibility for this type of applicant involves special attention and examination to meet the following terms:

• Must demonstrate independent governing board(s)
• Demonstration of “fair and reasonable fees”
• Contracts between schools and ESPs are subject to review as part of eligibility screening (Appendix M)
• Increased scrutiny of ESP history in application process

Schools choosing to engage an ESP should demonstrate a thoughtful selection process and ensure they maintain all facets of decision-making and autonomies.

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Enrollment Policy Requirements

A charter school’s admissions practices must comply with applicable Federal and State laws.

• Applicants must have a policy or plan targeting all segments of the parent/guardian community when recruiting students
• Applicants must recruit in a manner that does not discriminate against students of a particular race, color, national origin (including English learners), religion, or sex, or against students with disabilities.

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Enrollment Policy Requirements

• Emphasis on access and equity
• Annual lottery date
• Notification to prospective parents/guardians and surrounding community
• Some preference allowed for siblings and children of founders & staff
• ESSA Flexibility for automatic matriculation in Network school
• No enrollment criteria permissible, other than an approved weighted lottery
• Enrollment criteria applied to traditional public school student attendance. Separate onsite programs may be excluded.
• Does not include pre-school or pre-school matriculation
• Families may never be charged to apply

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Weighted Lottery

Weighted Lottery

• Weighted lotteries are allowed for approved “educationally disadvantaged” student groups.
• Weights can be used to pursue a student body with more similar characteristics to the local district/region.
• Proposed weight must include a rationale/justification.
• Proposed policies must be pre-approved by the CDE Schools of Choice Office.
• Weights cannot not be applied for other targeted student population school models.

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Common Considerations

Common challenges and hurdles:

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Authorizer relations and timelines –

• Certifications and assurances as fiscal agent
• Contracts
• Conditions and milestones
• School budget

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Enrollment policy, lottery & students served/programs offered –

• Eligibility factors – COI, ESP, etc.
• Enrollment numbers
• Facility plans
• Community support

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A word on grant writers and other supports

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This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Training and Technical Assistance Overview

• The Colorado Department of Education places great value on providing high-quality support and training to CCSP grant recipients based on research-proven best practices as a means of ensuring high-quality school programs.
• The Colorado Department of Education offers a variety of technical assistance options over the grant period that are intentionally designed to promote sustainability and improve each schools’ chance for success.
• CCSP grant recipients are expected to participate in technical assistance and training offerings as part of federal and state requirements.

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Technical Assistance

TA supports and programming:

• Application and sub-grantee support and monitoring
• Governing Board Support
• Administrator mentoring and induction
• Business Operations networking and mentoring
• Authorizer support and collaboration
• Equity research and topical resources
• New school developer mentoring
• Budget alignment to scope of approved grant

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Resources

CCSP Specific Resources

• 2021-22 CCSP Grant website

https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdechart/grantprograms

• 2021-22 CCSP Grant Request for Application (RFA) & application materials including
• Intent to Submit form (on CDE website)
• Eligibility Form (on CDE website)
• 2017-18 CCSP Guidebook [To be updated to support ESSA soon]

http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdechart/ccspguidebook

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General Federal Resources

• Charter Schools Program Nonregulatory Guidance (updated January 2014) http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdechart/cspfederalnonregulatoryguidancejan2014
• 2 CFR 200 (replaces EDGAR Parts 74 & 80 and OMB circulars)

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl

• Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR)

34 CFR 75, 76, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99

• Colorado School Laws http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/colorado/

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Important Websites

CDE Chart of Accounts

https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdefinance/sfcoa

CDE Charter School Legislation

http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdechart/csact_part1

ESSA, Public Law 114-95

https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/charter-schools/charter-schools-program-grants-for-replications-and-expansion-of-high-quality-charter-schools/funding-and-legislation/

Uniform Grant Guidance

https://www.grants.gov/learn-grants/grant-policies/omb-uniform-guidance-2014.html

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Contacts

Schools of Choice Unit

• Bill Kottenstette, Executive Director

kottenstette_b@cde.state.co.us | (303) 866-6365

• Peg McMillen, Program Manager

mcmillen_p@cde.state.co.us | (303) 866-6790

• Tanesha Bell, Sub-Grant Monitor & Charter School Support bell_t@cde.state.co.us | (303) 866-3295
• Katy Goebel, Sub-Grant Monitor Support

goebel_k@cde.state.co.us

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Questions?

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