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August 1, 2014

PROPOSAL
FOR
EXTERNAL PROVIDER OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES





TO:
SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF YORK
(via email: [email protected])








FROM:
EDUCATION REVOLUTION, INC.
And
THE MCKINLEY-GOODE CHARTER SCHOOL, INC.



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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section/Subsection Page
Executive Summary..3
Academic Plan Overview.....7
Mission & Vision.....7
Transformational Change..9
Goals & Student Achievement Expectations17
Curriculum & Instructional Design18
Support for Learning..21
Family & Community Involvement..29
Business Plan31
Appendices (see separate documents/electronic files accompanying this Proposal)
Appendix 1: Curriculum & Instructional Design
Appendix 2: Support for Learning
Appendix 3: Family & Community Involvement
Appendix 4: Performance History
Appendix 5: Budget Workbook
Appendix 6: Financial Policy Documents
Appendix 7: Human Resources Documents











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I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
We are pleased to submit this Proposal in response to the Districts Request for Proposals for External
Providers of Educational Services. Through this Proposal, we request to operate the McKinley K-8 School
beginning with the 2015-2016 school year and the Goode K-8 School beginning with the 2016-2017
school year.
In fashioning our plans, we sought to marry the knowledge, experience, relationships and logistical
support of a local company with the expertise and proven success of national reform specialists. We
further set out to create a structure whereby the interests of the District, families, educators and
community are all aligned toward one overarching goalto transform the McKinley and Goode schools
in ways that produce high academic achievement by their student bodies. A summary of our Proposal is
provided in this Section.
A. Who We Are. We are an affiliated group of organizations consisting of The McKinley-Goode Charter
School, Inc., Education Revolution, Inc., Success For All, and New Tech Network. Each member of the
group plays a specific role and maintains specific responsibilities with respect to the McKinley and
Goode schools. These roles and responsibilities are based on the respective strengths and expertise of
the members. Collectively we are referred to as The M-G Group throughout this Proposal.
1. The McKinley-Goode Charter School, Inc. The McKinley-Goode Charter School (Charter School)
is a newly-formed nonprofit corporation that will be the charter holder and operator of the McKinley
and Goode schools. The Charter School will be governed by its own Board of Trustees and managed by
its own managers. It will employ all of the personnel necessary to operate the schools, including its
leaders, administrators and educators. It will also receive services and support from the other members
of the M-G Group. Through fictitious name registrations with the Pennsylvania Department of State, it
intends to rename the McKinley School as The McKinley Charter School and the Goode School as The
Goode Charter School.
2. Education Revolution, Inc. Education Revolution (ER) is a newly-formed for profit corporation
that provides school administration services to the Charter School. In the initial stage, the school
administration services will include: (a) forming the Charter School, (b) preparing this Proposal, (c)
creating the Charter Schools infrastructure and back office, (d) establishing its partner relationships,
(e) coordinating the Board recruitment and staffing/hiring process, (f) obtaining financing, (g) preparing
suggested policies and procedures, (h) arranging for capital and supplies purchasing, and (i) initiating
family and community involvement. In short, ER builds the Charter School so that its Board of Trustees,
management and educators can devote their time and attention to educating our students from the
outset.
ER will also provide extensive training and professional development to the Charter Schools educators
and, to a lesser extent, its Board of Trustees and management. Unlike the initial administration services
(which will essentially conclude when the Charter School is built), these services will be on-going and
will continue throughout the duration of the charter. Similarly, ER will provide on-going technical
support to the Charter Schools administration. Having ER available for consultation and support should
reduce the potential for significant issues and distractions that take away from the administrators focus
on the daily operations.
It is worth noting that the relationship The McKinley Goode Charter School has with ER is a significant
departure from the traditional charter school-educational management organization (EMO)
relationship. Unlike the traditional relationship, ER will not provide any management services to the
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Charter School. ER will position the Charter School to succeed, but the Charter School will be managed
internally and governed independently.
It is also worth noting that ER is not structured like a traditional EMO. Recognizing that transformation
cannot succeed without motivated, engaged educators, ER introduces a new concept into the charter
school model--an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).
A Word About The Education Revolution ESOP. Education Revolution will adopt an ESOP for the
benefit of the Charter School principal, Dean of Students, Director of Special Education, Reform
Solutions Coordinator and a select group of the most qualified teachers. Through the ESOP, these
educators will have a direct, financial stake in the schools success, access to financial and other
important information, and a meaningful voice in the decisions affecting their responsibilities. In effect,
these individuals will become educational entrepreneurs.
To be eligible to participate in the ESOP, federal law requires that they be employed and compensated
by ER. (ER will compensate them for leading and assisting in many of the training and development
sessions). Consequently, they will be employed both by the Charter School and ER.
Initially, ER will be owned by Isiah Anderson. On or about the time the 2015-2016 school year begins,
Mr. Anderson will sell approximately 40% of his stock to the ESOP. The price will be established by a
qualified independent appraiser according to federal regulations.
Additionally, if and when the District renews the charter at the end of the initial 5-year charter term, his
remaining outstanding stock in ER will be sold to the ESOP (again, at the appraised price). ER will
thereupon be solely owned by educators through the ESOP. We believe this creates additional and
substantial incentive for the educators to excel.
3. Success for All. Leading our drive for transformational change will be the Success for All
Foundation, an affiliate of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Research and Reform in Education.
The Success for All Foundation is a research-based, data-driven national reform specialist. It employs a
whole-school reform strategy that features research-proven tools, cooperative learning to engage
students and collaborative leadership for continuous improvement.
Success for All is the most extensively evaluated of all comprehensive school-reform programs, and
studies have used the most rigorous standards. It is one of only 4 awardees of an Investing in Innovation
$50 million Scale-Up grant through the US Department of Education. Additionally, research on the
Success for All middle school program was reviewed by the federally funded What Works
Clearinghouse. No middle school program was given a higher rating for research quality and
effectiveness. (Chamberlain, Daniels, Madden, and Slavin 2007). Moreover, a meta-analysis of research
on twenty-nine models categorized Success for All as one of only three programs with the Strongest
Evidence of Effectiveness. (Borman, Hewes, Overman, and Brown 2003). Success for All was also
evaluated in a three-year randomized control trial, the gold standard of research, funded by the U.S.
Department of Education between 2002 and 2006. Students in Success for All schools achieved at
significantly higher levels than similar students in control schools. The difference in only three years was
enough to cut the black-white achievement gap in half. (Borman, Slavin, Cheung, Chamberlain, Madden,
and Chambers 2007).
The Success for All Foundation currently partners with schools in 44 states. All serve diverse student
bodies with significant problems of poverty and disadvantage. Central Elementary School in the
Allentown School District is an example of the dramatic impact Success for All can have on an
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underperforming school with demographics similar to the McKinley and Goode schools. Central
Elementary School is an urban school comprised of 700 students, the majority of which being African
Americans and Latinos. Ninety-two (92%) percent come from low-income families. After several years of
failing to make the schools goal for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), the District brought the Success for
All program into Central in the fall of 2010. The results were immediate and impactful.
Central met AYP in its first year, meeting all 25 AYP targets. The percentage of African American
students scoring at or above proficient on the PSSA rose 21 percentage points in math and 10
percentage points in reading. Latino students experienced an 8 percentage point increase in math and
6.8 percent increase in reading. Students from low-income families saw increases of 11 percentage
points in math and 6 percent in reading. Notably, school absences decreased by more than 1,000 from
the previous year and school suspensions dropped by 50%.
4. New Tech Network. Also playing a prominent role in the transformational effort will be New Tech
Network. New Tech, another nationally-recognized innovator, will bring a research-based approach to
curriculum, instruction and professional development. New Tech was selected by the state of Arkansas
as the foundation of its statewide STEM initiative, STEM Works. In addition to its web-based learning
management system, and like Success for All, New Tech provides support, training and coaching to our
principal, educators and staff.
B. Expected Outcomes. We expect to see the McKinley and Goode schools experience rapid
transformation, not only in the area of student achievement, but also in the areas of school culture,
safety, attendance, order and discipline. We believe urgency is needed not only to meet the goal of
significantly improved performance within a year, but also to capitalize on the initial enthusiasm and
support to demonstrate to children, staff and community that successful change is possible. Short-term
success is crucial to building commitments to long-term reform.
C. The Educational Model. Our educational model is based on four principals. First, instruction and
school-wide systems are built around collaboration among students, staff, parents and the community.
A cooperative culture, high expectations, shared celebration, and joint problem solving are key themes
in all aspects of the school life. Second, prevention and early intervention are the keys to success.
Students need to be in school, ready to learn, and provided with high quality, highly engaging instruction
at the appropriate level of challenge. Third, students who struggle to achieve at expected levels in
reading need to be identified early, and provided with additional learning time in a small group or one-
to-one. Finally, all members of the school community are collectively responsible for the success of
every student, for engaging in school-wide goal-setting, and for progress monitoring that tracks
individual and school-wide progress. Our specific model is more fully described in the Transformational
Change Section of the Academic Plan Overview.
D. Values, Approach and Accomplishments. Our values are embodied in our Core Beliefs, which are
enumerated in the Mission and Vision Section of the Academic Plan Overview. They may be
summarized as: (i) every student can succeed, (ii) meaningful connections with students are key, (iii)
deliver with excellence, (iv) build a positive, passionate team, (v) family and community involvement
matter, (vi) embrace and drive change, and (vii) do more with less.
Our approach to education has includes seven components, namely: (i) focus on teaching, (ii) emphasize
cooperative learning, (iii) emphasize appropriate use of technology, (iv) emphasize formative
assessments, (v) engage in collaborative leadership, (vi) provide intensive professional development and
coaching, and (vii) implement transformation strategies rapidly.
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We understand the Districts preference for accomplished operators. The transformation movement
should not be experimental. It should be based on proven solutions by proven organizations. We
created The M-G Group with that in mind. Success for All, which will lead our transformation effort, is
perhaps the most accomplished reform specialist in the country. And it will assist in recruiting, training
and evaluating our internal educational leaders to ensure the Success for All strategies and programs are
properly executed. New Techs accomplishments, among other things, led it to being selected by
Arkansas as the foundation of a statewide education initiative.
Isiah Anderson, the founder of Education Revolution and the architect of The M-G Group, has an
accomplished history of performing the very same functions that ER will perform. It is not coincidental
that ERs role aligns with Mr. Andersons proven strengths. Like ERs role, Mr. Anderson has formed
local schools, such as Challenge Academy, Impact Academy and New Hope Academy Charter School, and
established numerous relationships with the families as well as community partners, including
relationships with YMCA, YWCA, The Strand Capital, Penn State, York College, HAAC, Temple University
and Family First Health.
E. Connection to York. The M-G Group was formed in York by a York company. It is founded by an
owner who lives in York and has a long history of service to the children of York. The board members,
executive managers, educators and staff will be residents of our community. We believe the students of
the District are best served by the stakeholders most invested in the York; that is, the educators,
business leaders, employees and parents in York.
F. Key Supporters, Partners. Success for All, as the leader in the transformation effort, is the primary
partner The M-G Group will leverage to be successful. New Tech will also play an important role. As
strong proponents of the community schools model, we will also seek to maintain and, where
appropriate, expand the Districts existing relationships as well as establish relationships with new
partner agencies and organizations in the community. These plans, as well as our plans for parent
involvement, are described in the Family & Community Involvement Section of this Proposal.












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II. ACADEMIC PLAN OVERVIEW
A. Mission & Vision. The mission of The M-G Group is to operate safe charter schools that enable each
student to attain the highest level of academic excellence through an education model that applies
innovative education approaches, develops committed educators and engages parents and the
community.
Our vision for these schools is that they equip all our students with the knowledge and skills necessary
to become successful, contributing participants in their education and community. This vision is
grounded in our core beliefs, which are:
1. Every Student Can Succeed. All students are different. They learn in different ways and at
different speeds. It is our responsibility to find what works for each of our students and to
personally challenge them every day. With the right educational approaches and strategies, we
believe every student can succeed.

2. Meaningful Connections Are Key. We believe students perform better when their personal
connections with us transcend the classroom. Students are more receptive to instruction when
they feel connected to their school. We establish and deepen these connections by taking
advantage of the numerous opportunities for personal interaction with the students, from the
time they enter the school to the time they leave. We do this with honesty, humility and respect
because they lead to trust.

3. Deliver With Excellence. We believe anything worth doing is worth doing with excellence. We
are not an average organization. Our goals are not average, and we dont want our students to
be average. We expect every employee to help position our schools to deliver an exceptional
educational experience to all students.


4. Building a Positive, Passionate Team. We believe in maintaining a warm, friendly work
environment that encourages diverse ideas, perspectives and opinions. We value passion,
perseverance, and the sense of urgency. We believe in what we are doing and where we are
going. And we dont take thatll never work for an answer; if we did, we never would have
started in the first place.

5. Family and Community Involvement Matter. Our ability to affect meaningful change in the
students lives is strengthened when their families and community are involved. We believe we
have a duty to engage and work with the parents and community to ensure the appropriate
support systems exist to sustain the students outside of school.

6. Embrace and Drive Change. Both the national and local education systems are in a constant
state of change, whether it is in education delivery, education strategy, standards, testing, labor,
or finance. We believe our employees must be trained and prepared to deal with and embrace
change. We further believe we have a responsibility to drive change when it is grounded in
research, studied, tested and supported by data.


7. Do More With Less. While the governments limited resources and challenging funding
allocations may impact our organization, it does not mean we cannot deliver an effective
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education experience to our students. We believe in working hard, putting in the extra effort
and finding creative ways to do more with less.
Our mission, vision and core beliefs are embodied in The M-G Groups slogan- Everything matters in
education.
Our mission statement describes our purpose. It is who we are, what we do and why we are here. Our
vision statement describes our future strategic course. It speaks to where we are headed and what our
focus will be. Together, our mission and vision form the cornerstone of our strategic initiatives. These
initiatives are a product of our five step strategic process.
In the first stage of this process, we developed our strategic vision, mission and core beliefs. In crafting
our mission and vision, we were mindful of the Districts views in these regards. We consulted the
Districts own mission and vision and contemplated the intentions and preferences expressed in the RFP
to ensure the organizations align. We believe they do. In considering Success For All and New Tech as
our principle partners, we also consulted their missions and visions. We believe their missions and
visions align as well.
The second stage involved setting our objectives. These objectives will measure our performance and
track our progress in moving towards our long-term goals. In the third stage, we created strategies to
achieve these objectives and move the organization along our envisioned path. The fourth stage is the
execution phase. It involves implementing and executing our strategies efficiently and effectively. In the
final stage, we evaluate our performance and initiate any adjustments to our long-term goals,
objectives, strategies, or execution.
In this section of the RFP, the District asks how the mission and vision will inform daily activities for
students, teachers, and families. This is part of our execution strategy. Through communication and
through conduct, The M-G Groups mission and vision will inform daily activities for students, teachers,
and families.
Communicating our mission and vision is an important part of the fourth stage of our strategic process,
the execution phase. Effectively communicating mission and vision bolsters our ability to achieve our
goals in several respects, including: (i) it defines managements singular, coherent view of our long-term
direction, (ii) it reduces the risk that decisions will stray from our strategic course, (iii) it is a tool for
enlisting employee support in making our vision a reality, and (iv) it helps us prepare for the future.
Our mission and vision has and will appear in several documents, materials and other items including,
among other things, our organizational documents, website, brochures, handbooks, strategic plans,
policies, emails and partner documents. Internally, the mission/vision communications will begin with
the employee selection process. We will not hire people just to perform a particular function. We
believe employees have a right to be a part of something. Part of the hiring process will involve
communicating our mission, vision and core beliefs so that candidates can understand and decide
whether they buy into our mission, vision and beliefs. From our perspective, we will determine whether
there is a competency, vision and values fit before an employment offer is extended. By hiring
employees who share our vision and values, we believe we are better positioned to meet our goals
while also reducing the likelihood of employee turnover.
Employee training and development are additional ways to communicate our mission and vision to our
personnel. In some cases, mission/vision will be the focus of the training and development session. In
other cases, they may be tangentially related but, in all cases, we will reinforce mission/vision so that
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they are clearly understood and incorporated into our employees daily activities. Other
communications to reinforce our mission/vision will occur through company email and newsletters, and
at departmental meetings, awards ceremonies and other company functions.
Our leadership and senior executives play important roles in these regards. They set and monitor the
vision, beliefs and goals and involve the employees in the process. They also support and energize our
employees by modelling and demonstrating our beliefs properly. Leadership training will help ensure
our operations remain grounded in our mission and vision.
Our students and their families are at the center of our mission and vision. Through the enrollment
process, handbook, policies, website and school posters, we will continue to acquaint them with our
purpose, focus and goals. More importantly, they will see us execute our vision through our employees,
leaders, partners, programs and daily interactions.
B. Transformational Change. Success for All was developed at Johns Hopkins University to serve
underperforming elementary schools in Baltimore at the request of the school board in 1987. It was
built to capture research proven practices in a model that could be replicated broadly, and has
subsequently been evaluated in over 50 studies involving hundreds of schools, primarily urban,
underperforming elementary and middle schools. The Success for All Foundation currently partners
with schools in 44 states. Current urban partners include the 20 schools in Baltimore, 15 schools in
Detroit, and 10 schools in Phoenix. All serve diverse student bodies with significant problems of poverty
and disadvantage.
Central Elementary School in the Allentown School District is an example of the dramatic impact Success
for All can have on an underperforming school with demographics similar to the McKinley and Goode
schools. Central Elementary School is an urban school comprised of 700 students, the majority of which
being African Americans and Latinos. Ninety-two (92%) come from low-income families. After several
years of failing to make the schools goal for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), the District brought the
Success for All program into Central in the fall of 2010. The results were immediate and impactful.
Central met AYP in its first year, meeting all 25 AYP targets. The percentage of African American
students scoring at or above proficient on the PSSA rose 21 percentage points in math and 10
percentage points in reading. Latino students experienced an 8 percentage point increase in math and
6.8 percent increase in reading. Students from low-income families saw increases of 11 percentage
points in math and 6 percent in reading.
Additionally, school absences decreased by more than 1,000 from the previous year. And school
suspensions dropped by 50%. These successes may be attributed to its approach to education, which
includes seven components, namely: (1) focus on teaching, (2) emphasize cooperative learning, (3)
emphasize appropriate use of technology, (4) emphasize formative assessments, (5) engage in
collaborative leadership, (6) provide intensive professional development and coaching, and (7)
implement transformation strategies rapidly.
Focus on Teaching. The core of transformation must involve changing daily instruction to make
instruction interactive, engaging, accessible to all, and appropriate to students needs. This seems
obvious, but many transformation proposals focus primarily on issues such as governance, staffing,
assessment, and standards. These issues are important as well, but if instruction is not of high quality
and does not appeal to students, then reform is both hollow and difficult to maintain.

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In the transformation process, we use media and technology, as well as authentic texts and rigorous
expectations, and utilize proven cooperative learning and classroom management strategies to create
daily classes that are fast-paced and engaging, with high expectations for students.
Emphasize Cooperative Learning. A key reason for low achievement in failing schools is that students
are bored, disengaged, and more interested in social interaction than in content. Appropriate forms of
cooperative learning that provide group goals and individual accountability can solve this problem,
engaging all learners in productive, academically focused interactions and motivate them to help one
another master classroom objectives. The forms of cooperative learning to be used involve students
working in longstanding teams that receive daily feedback focusing them on their responsibility for the
learning of all team members. Team members know that the only way they can succeed as team is to
ensure that their team mates are well prepared for individual assessments.

Emphasize Appropriate Uses of Technology. The promise of technology lies more in class-wide
applications, which facilitate exchange of ideas among class members and create opportunities for all
students to register responses to teachers questions. Integrating visual media, exciting lesson starters
and formative assessment into daily lessons is a more productive use of technology than isolating
students in individualized instruction. The use of classroom technology makes implementation of
cooperative learning strategies easier and more consistently effective for teachers, as well as engaging
students with visual content and frequent opportunities for active participation.

Emphasize Formative Assessments. Formative assessments of student progress are essential at
several levels and for many reasons. Assessment for learning, minute-to-minute classroom strategies in
which teachers constantly give students opportunities to show their level of understanding of lesson
content, gives teachers immediate feedback on what students know so that they can adjust the level
and pace of instruction to accommodate students needs. Such strategies also give useful feedback to
the students themselves on the outcomes of their own study strategies, letting them see and celebrate
their growing mastery of content. An online data management system supports teachers in collecting
classroom observations and daily performance information, and enables them to provide both
immediate feedback and summaries of progress over time to individuals and teams.

In addition, benchmark assessments, given less frequently than curriculum embedded assessments, help
determine whether students are meeting course objectives and predict whether students will pass state
assessments. This information helps teachers and school leaders identify areas of strength and
weakness and target groups of students for additional assistance or accommodation.

Engage in Collaborative Leadership. Success for All Foundation structures a collaborative leadership
process called Leading for Success that involves all staff members. Teams with areas of focus on
instruction, attendance, parent involvement, school climate and culture, and intervention, focus energy
on specific, measureable targets of high priority, create action plans, and measure and report on success
in achieving set targets to the full staff regularly.

Provide Intensive Professional Development and Coaching. Turning around persistently low-
achieving schools requires that the entire staff use effective methods for instruction, classroom
management, and assessment. To use new strategies effectively, teachers will need extensive
professional development, in-class observation and coaching, and opportunities to meet with colleagues
to share progress, review data, and discuss problems. Use of video models and video clips from
teachers classrooms will provide detailed and in-depth discussions of practice to facilitate change in
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instruction and implementation of interactive, engaging lessons. Lessons resources available for daily
instruction will also contain videos to demonstrate both content and instructional processes to students
and teachers. For example, videos will show students and teachers successful cooperative learning and
use of metacognitive strategies, as well as modeling effective presentations of course content. This rich
matrix of consistent scaffolds provides powerful support for high expectations and rigorous instruction.

Implement Transformation Strategies Rapidly. The implementation of school and classroom
strategies for transformation must take place on a rapid schedule. Staffing, training, materials,
organizational arrangements, and other elements must all be ready to go at school opening, and then
must be put in place with high quality as quickly as possible. This is important in meeting the outcome
goal of significantly improved performance within a year, but is also essential in capitalizing on initial
enthusiasm and support to demonstrate to the school staff itself and to community leaders that
successful change is possible in schools that have not succeeded in the past. Refinement of the program
and adaptations to accommodate local realities can be phased in over time, but a workable, effective
form of the model must be in place and producing improved outcomes during the first quarter of the
year to build commitment to longer-term reform.

The Success For All educational model is the outgrowth of its approach to education. This model
includes programs, principles and structures. As to the programs, there are eight, as follows: (1) Leading
for Success, (2) Getting Along Together, (3) KinderCorner, (4) Reading Roots, (5) Reading Wings, (6)
Reading Edge, (7) Computer-Assisted Tutoring Tools, and (8) School-wide Solutions Teams.

Leading for Success is a collaborative leadership process that brings school staff together to focus
everyones efforts on the success for every child. Together, staff members
o assess current status,
o set annual and quarterly goals for growth,
o identify measurable targets for short-term improvement,
o make a detailed action plan to ensure achievement of those targets,
o review progress quarterly, celebrate targets met, and then
The Leading for Success process is built around teams of staff members who take responsibility for
different aspects of building school and student success. Instructional teams examine student progress
and address implementation quality for each of the academic components present; for example,
Reading Wings and/or the Reading Edge, Reading Roots, KinderCorner, and tutoring. Team members
support one another to improve instruction and increase student learning and achievement.
Schoolwide Solutions teams, including Attendance, Intervention Team (which focuses on referrals of
individual students from teachers), Parent and Family Involvement, Cooperative Culture, and
Community Connections, focus on creating systems to support students, parents, and teachers and
problem-solving to meet the needs of individual students.

Every team makes a quarterly plan, meets regularly to put it in place, and reports progress each quarter
to the entire school. Together they build a dynamic school culture that provides powerful instruction in
every classroom and ensures that no child falls between the cracks.
Tracking progress: At the beginning of the year and again at the end of each grading period, the SFA
Snapshot provides a summary of student progress and a picture of implementation quality for the entire
school. The Snapshot includes:
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o a summary of the number of students performing at grade level. The Grade Summary
Form provides an easy-to-grasp visual of student progress in one page. Everyone can see
at a glance whether progress is being made.
o a summary of the research-proven school-wide processes that are in place. This includes
cross-grade grouping for reading instruction, tutoring resources, and Leading for Success
team structures.
o a summary of the research-proven Success for All instructional elements that are used
effectively schoolwide.
The cooperative-learning routines and other basic classroom-management strategies used by the SFAF
are critical elements of a successful school experience. Research based and classroom tested, they form
the foundation of the basic daily lesson structure used by SFAF. They also translate easily into non-SFA
classrooms, allowing for a school-wide approach to cooperative learning even in schools that have
elected to adopt only a single curriculum component.
Getting Along Together. Getting Along Together is Success for Alls school-wide social problem-solving
program for elementary school. Through GAT, students learn to use and master cognitive and
interpersonal skills that create the foundation for academic and lifelong success. GAT teaches students
strategies to focus their thinking, manage their behavior, build positive social relationships, and
understand and deal with their feelingsall in ways that support learning and life success.
KinderCorner. KinderCorner is a comprehensive kindergarten program based on research indicating
that young children learn best when material is delivered holistically rather than in isolation. Using
a thematic approach to learning, KinderCorner addresses all key developmental domains for early
learners. KinderCorner helps children make sense of the world around them, fostering the development
of childrens language, literacy, math, and interpersonal and self-help skills and science and social
studies concepts.

KinderCorner provides kindergartners with an experiential and child-centered curriculum. Ideally suited
for a full-day classroom, KinderCorner provides a balance between child-initiated activities and teacher-
directed instruction, with emphasis given to oral-language and literacy development.
Reading Roots 4th Edition. Reading Roots 4th Edition is a ninety-minute comprehensive program that
targets the needs of beginning readers. Reading Roots is a research-based beginning-reading program
that provides a strong base for successful reading through systematic phonics instruction supported by
decodable stories, along with instruction in fluency and comprehension. Reading Roots also fosters
students love of reading by providing rich literature experiences, extensive oral-language development,
and thematically focused writing instruction. These objectives are embedded in a fast-paced, engaging,
and highly effective instructional process. Students are assessed and regrouped according to their
reading level every quarter to ensure that they receive the most focused instruction.
Reading Wings 4
th
Edition . Reading Wings 4th Edition is a research-based reading curriculum that
provides ninety-minute daily lessons over a period of five days and targets the needs of students reading
on a second- through sixth-grade level who have successfully learned to decode but need to develop
more sophisticated reading skills. To ensure that students become proficient readers, Reading Wings
provides detailed daily lesson guides to target vocabulary development, reading comprehension,
fluency, oral-language development, and written expression by providing students ample opportunities
with both narrative and expository text. Targeted Treasure Hunts, a key component of the Reading
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Wings program, provide instruction focused on targeted reading skills and strategies. All the instruction
accompanying each lesson cycle centers around a narrative or informational trade book, allowing for
background building, specific and technical vocabulary development, utilization of targeted skills, team
discussion, relevant writing activities, and assessment.

Reading Wings further supports reading comprehension through the Savvy Reader, providing intensive,
engaging introductions to each of the four core comprehension strategiesclarifying, questioning,
predicting, and summarizing. Instruction is supported by video introductions to each strategy.
Additional Savvy Reader lessons provide comprehension strategy instruction throughout the year, and
this instruction is reinforced through Targeted Treasure Hunts.
The Reading Edge Middle Grades . The Success for All Reading Edge Middle Grades program targets the
needs of adolescent learners through systematic reading instruction at each students instructional
level. Students develop the skills and strategies necessary to be successful in rigorous subject-area
classes and to transition smoothly into high school courses. Cooperative learning is the core of the
Reading Edge. Students work in four-member teams to help one another advance in reading. Group
goals and individual accountability focus teams on ensuring the success of all. Reading discussions
prepare kids for Common Core assessments and turn your classroom into a book club, where engaged
students read for pleasure and meaning, and videos model effective cooperative-learning strategies.
Students in the Reading Edge are grouped according to reading levels, from basic to honors. They are
evaluated every quarter and rapidly advanced toward or above grade level. This rapid progress excites
students who may not have experienced reading success in the past. Background videos prepare and
motivate students to read. Like movie trailers for books, these videos entice students and provide
historical, scientific, and cultural background information about the books that the students are going to
read.
In the Reading Edge, students and teachers are aware of students reading levels and make ambitious
plans for growth. Quarterly assessments, aligned with the Common Core or other state standards, give
teachers and students opportunities to evaluate progress and give students the opportunity to advance
as rapidly as possible.
Computer-Assisted Tutoring Tools. Tutoring is the most powerful intervention that can be provided for
struggling students. In Success for All, students who demonstrate a need for additional help in reading
receive targeted group or individual tutoring aligned to classroom instructional objectives. Regrouping
for reading instruction meets many individual instructional needs, and often it is enough to support
progress for on-level readers and accelerates below level readers. However, some students need
focused or intense support. Both small group tutoring (tier 2) and individual, intense tutoring (tier 3) are
available with highly engaging computer assisted tools.

Schoolwide Solutions Teams. Schoolwide Solutions teams are created in five critical areas,
attendance, interventions for struggling students, parent and family involvement, cooperative school
culture, and community connections. Teams set measurable targets and develop action plans to address
any issues that can contribute to success or decrease barriers to success. Plans may focus on the whole
school, a specific grade, a sub-group, or an individual child. Teams report on their progress quarterly to
the whole school.
By assessing the scope of the program and focusing intervention at the right level, tough problems
become solvable.
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In addition to the foregoing programs, the educational model features several guiding principles. These
principles may be described as follows:

Both instruction and school-wide systems will be built around collaboration among students,
staff, parents, and community. That includes cooperative learning structures in the classroom,
and collaboration among educators. A cooperative culture, high expectations, shared
celebration, and joint problem solving are key themes in all aspects of the school life.
Prevention and early intervention are the keys to success. Students need to be in school, ready
to learn, and provided with high quality, highly engaging instruction at the appropriate level of
challenge.
Students who struggle to achieve at expected levels in reading need to identified early, and
provided with additional learning time in a small group or one-to-one.
All members of the school community are responsible together for the success of every student,
and responsible for engaging in school-wide goal-setting and progress monitoring that tracks
individual and school-wide progress.
Beyond programs and guiding principles, the educational model features several structures. An
explanation of these structures follows.
Grouping for Rapid Advancement in Reading. In Success for All schools, all teachers teach reading for
ninety minutes at the same time each day. During this time, students move to reading classes in which
every student is reading at one instructional level. Students are grouped across grades and across
classes because increased teacher-led instructional time and reduced seatwork increases students
progress in developing reading skills. Each grading period, students are placed in reading classes at their
instructional levels. Most students move to new reading levels every quarter, and many students who
start at low reading levels catch up to grade-level performance within a year.
o A common ninety-minute reading block (a sixty-minute period in middle school) allows for
effective regrouping and sets a positive tone that emphasizes the importance of reading.
Whole-group instruction is targeted and supports team practice and increased student
engagement.
o After using multiple measures to determine each student's individual reading mastery level,
students in grade one and above are regrouped by reading level.
o Regrouping crosses both homeroom class lines and grade levels. This allows teachers to
address the entire reading class, allowing for targeted instruction and increased student
engagement throughout the reading period.
o These reading groups are homogeneous for reading level, yet heterogeneous in terms of
other factors, such as learning styles and writing levels.
o All teachers participate during the reading block, which results in more instructional levels
and reduces class size. At the elementary level, this may include music, art, physical
education, or other special-area certified teachers. In middle schools, content-area teachers
can teach reading classes.
o Student mastery and reading group levels are reviewed at least once each grading period, at
which time students are regrouped appropriately. Because students learn at different rates,
they are not locked into one reading group for the entire school year (thus issues with ability
grouping and tracking are avoided).
15

Intergrated Online Data Management. Data-management tools that link day-to-day classroom
performance in reading with quarterly benchmarks make data easy to use for real discussion and
decision making throughout the year. A secure, simple online database called Member Center organizes
school and student data so teachers and school leaders can set goals, see progress at a glance, celebrate
frequently, and identify problem areas quickly.
Member Center allows each teacher to have an ongoing record of their students progress to facilitate
differentiated instruction, celebration of students successes, and easy communications with parents.
The tool tracks the quality of students spoken and written responses to questions related to the texts
they read, and their use of key reading-comprehension strategies. The reports address phonics skills,
vocabulary development, and comprehension strategy use, and they are available at the touch of a
button to all staff members. Roll-up reports produce summaries at the classroom, school, and district
levels across grading periods.
Cooperative Learning. Although the language used in each of the programs varies slightly, each SFA
lesson is structured around the same basic framework, designed to support cooperative learning and
make the best use of both teacher time and student learning time.
The Cycle of Effective Instruction. The Cycle of Effective Instruction is based upon STAD (Student Teams
Achievement Divisions), a cooperative-learning process defined by Robert Slavin in his book Using
Student Team Learning. The arrows indicate that this is a cycle; reteaching or extra practice can be
planned to meet student needs. All parts of the cycle may be present during the course of one days
lesson, or the cycle may be developed over the course of several days.

Active Instruction: During the first portion of each lesson, teachers prepare students for learning.
Through questioning and modeling, they lead students through the new content they need to complete
the rest of the days activities, whether reading a novel, conducting research, or working on a team
product.
Partner/Team Practice: During this part of the lesson, students take control of their learning, working
as partners or teams while teachers circulate through the room checking with individuals or small
groups of learners to monitor comprehension and to clarify misunderstandings. This is a teachers
chance to meet with students one-to-one for targeted instruction.
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Assessment: This takes place both formally and informally across the weekly cycle of instruction.
Formal assessments take place at the end of each cycle. Informal assessments occur on a daily basis as
teachers circulate around the classroom, through the daily products that students or teams complete,
and during the wrap-up discussions at the end of a class period.
Celebration: Teams earn daily points throughout the cycle for working well together and meeting
certain behavioral objectives, and they receive formal recognition and rewards at the end of the cycle
based on both the academic improvement of individual team members and the team celebration points
students have earned.
The educational approach, together with the education model, is the result of years of data-driven
research and testing. Success for All is the most extensively evaluated of all comprehensive school-
reform programs, and studies have used the most rigorous standards. Success for All is one of only 4
awardees of an Investing in Innovation $50 million Scale-Up grant through the US Department of
Education. Awardees are required to have evidence of success that meets the highest scientific
standards.
A meta-analysis of research on twenty-nine models categorized Success for All as one of only three
programs with the Strongest Evidence of Effectiveness. (Borman, Hewes, Overman, and Brown 2003)
Success for All was evaluated in a three-year randomized control trial, the gold standard of research,
funded by the U.S. Department of Education between 2002 and 2006. Students in Success for All schools
achieved at significantly higher levels than similar students in control schools. The difference in only
three years was enough to cut the black-white achievement gap in half. (Borman, Slavin, Cheung,
Chamberlain, Madden, and Chambers 2007)
In addition to increasing reading achievement, schools who implement Success for All have fewer
students assigned to special education and fewer students who must repeat grades. (Borman and
Hewes 2002)
Six studies have involved English language learners and have shown that Success for All teachers are
prepared to support their special needs and are successful in increasing their reading levels substantially
more than control schools. (Cheung and Slavin 2005)
In a series of studies involving more than 6,000 students over 10 years, students in Success for All
schools were, on average, a full grade level ahead of students in similar control schools by fifth
grade. This difference was maintained during middle school even though the intervention was
finished. (Borman and Hewes 2002)
Research on the Success for All middle school program was reviewed by the federally funded What
Works Clearinghouse. No middle school program was given a higher rating for research quality and
effectiveness. (Chamberlain, Daniels, Madden, and Slavin 2007)



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III. GOALS & STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT EXPECTATIONS
When it comes to student achievement, our goal is to exceed the targets at 1, 3 and 5 years on
Pennsylvanias School Performance Profile (SPP), as more fully set forth in Appendix B to the RFP. In fact,
it is our goal to increase by ten the percent of student achieving grade level standards of proficiency
each year.
Besides state assessments, we will use three tracking tools to monitor student progress during the
course of the year to provide feedback to students, parents, teachers and School Board. Class
Assessment Summaries gather data from formative assessments conducted during classroom instruction
on a daily basis, and show progress quarterly. Benchmark assessments in reading and math, aligned
with the PA Common Core Standards and administered online quarterly, provide an independent, more
formal assessment of progress designed to be predictive of performance on the annual state
assessments. A variety of reports allow analysis of strengths and weaknesses for individual students and
groups of students on the benchmark.
Data is collected, stored and reported on the online Member Center. An interactive data report in the
Member Center, called the Grade Summary Form, summarizes student progress against grade level
expectations each quarter for each grade and school-wide. The report allows staff members to drill
down to rapidly identify students not performing at expected levels, track their trajectory, identify
issues, and plan solutions.
The results of these assessments will be reported to the School Board, either electronically or by hard
copy, on a quarterly or, at the Boards request, more frequent basis. The results could also be formally
presented at a Board meeting if the Board so requests.













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IV. CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN
Instructional strategy begins with school development. New Tech will be working with our principals,
teachers and staff to provide the support, training and coaching they need to successfully implement
the New Tech model which includes school planning, principal training, personalized coaching for
administrators and staff, national training events, New Tech platform and access to numerous network
benefits.

Project-based learning is at the heart of our instructional approach. In project-based learning, learning is
contextual, creative, and shared. Students collaborate on projects that require critical thinking and
communication. By making learning relevant to them in this way, student engagement reaches new
levels. This higher level of engagement is associated with better educational outcomes.
The smart use of technology supports New Techs innovative approach to instruction and culture. With
access to Web-enabled computers and the latest in collaborative learning technology, every student
becomes a self-directed learner who no longer needs to rely on teachers or textbooks for knowledge
and direction. We use Echo, an online learning management system to create a vibrant network which
helps students, teachers, and parents connect to each other, and to student projects across the country.
Our schools will maintain a culture that promotes trust, respect, and responsibility. Students and
teachers alike will have ownership of the learning experience and their school environment. Working on
projects and in teams, students are accountable to their peers and acquire a level of responsibility
similar to what they would experience in a professional work environment.
We will also use problem-based learning. PrBL is a form of inquiry-based instruction used primarily in
Mathematics that places the students in several smaller Problem scenarios rather than a single, large
Project scenario.
Our schools will utilize the curricular and related resources of New Tech, which include:
Echo, an online learning management system
Training materials for principals, teachers and support staff
Searchable library of standards-based projects developed by teachers in the New Tech Network
Sample rubrics
Digital portfolio guidelines
Staff recruitment and training tools
Master schedule and calendar
Technology infrastructure and support guidelines
Software tutorials
Identifying the needs of all students, including English Language Learners (ELL) and Special Education
(SPED) students will occur through the following process.
During the enrollment process, all students with a disability, regardless of the severity of their disability,
and who are in need of special education and related services are identified, located and evaluated. A
designated team determines which students are receiving needed special education and related services
and which students are not. We will conduct Child Find activities to include planning and conducting
public awareness programs and notifying the public of the availability of special education services. We
will further conduct general screening as part of our Educational Plan for Success (EPSS) to identify student
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needs in all educational and related areas, including potential needs for special education and related
services.
The schools will have a formal, ongoing process for reviewing information related to students who are
suspected of having disabilities and show potential signs of needing special education and related services.
The process includes the evaluation of the students screening information and determines whether or
not to conduct a formal educational assessment. Parents will be informed of the screening process.
Parents can also initiate a referral for a screening. Information reviewed includes:
a. Results of general screening, academic testing and standardized testing
b. Educational history;
c. Information available as a result of any pre-referral intervention;
d. Present academic and/or behavioral performance
e. Academic and/or behavioral interventions,
f. Reports from outside agencies;
g. Language proficiency and dominance;
h. Case history from parents;
i. Vision and hearing screening;
j. Informal observation of the student;
k. Available medical and psychological information, when appropriate.
l. Student interview.
When a student is identified as needing an evaluation, we will consult with a licensed diagnostician. With
parental consent, an evaluation will be done, at no cost to the parent.
Re-evaluations will be conducted in compliance with all applicable requirements. They will be done at
least once every three years or more often if conditions warrant. Parents may also request a re-evaluation
prior to the three-year deadline. A review of existing information determines what further evaluations
and information are needed at the time of the re-evaluation.

Grouping practices, cooperative learning structures, tutoring supports, media resources, and
professional development supports all work together to create an environment where celebration of
success of individual progress is the keystone. Grouping practices for the 90 minute reading block allow
for Special Education students to be provided with instruction at a level that will support success in a
class in the mainstream.
Students with special educational needs or issues related to learning English are provided with supports
that allow them to succeed in a mainstream, diverse environment that in itself increases both the
expectations and resources available to them. Scientifically rigorous studies of the Success for All
strategies have documented the effectiveness of these strategies for both Special Education students
and English learners. Additional information about the effectiveness, and the research supporting it, is
set forth in the Success for All Summary of Research on Achievement Outcomes attached as Appendix
1.
Grouping practices for the 90 minute reading block allow for underperforming students to be provided
with instruction at a level that will support accelerated, step-by-step success in a class that is not
identified as low-performing because it includes students at a variety of age levels. Performance is
reviewed quarterly, and groupings changed. Underperforming students are expected to make more
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than a quarter years gain each quarter. Goals are shared with students, and students are engaged in
the process of achieving accelerated growth.
In addition, underperforming students are offered additional time in small groups or one-to-one in key
instructional areas to accelerate their progress. In reading, a research proven computer-assisted
tutoring model (described above) is used to support small group and one-to-one tutoring in reading.
The grouping for advancement practices allow identification of students performing above age
expectations and insure that they are offered challenges which extend their learning. In appropriate
cases, we may enter into a cooperative agreement with an outside provider like LIU. In doing so, we
would follow Board policy, a sample of which appears in the attached Appendix 1. That policy describes
the identification parameters as well (e.g., IQ of 130 or above, assessment by school psychologist).
Student promotion is another part of our instructional design. Our promotion program is premised on
the notion that all students have diverse capabilities and interests as well as individual patterns of
growth and learning. A student will be promoted when the student has successfully completed the
curriculum requirements and has achieved the academic standards established for the present level,
based on the professional judgment of the teachers and the results of the assessments. The student
earns the right to advance to the next grade by demonstrating mastery of the required skills and
knowledge. Our policy on promotion and retention appears in the attached Appendix 1.
















21

V. SUPPORT FOR LEARNING
A. Planning Year. We have created an implementation plan in order to best use the 2014-2015
school year to plan for operations beginning in the 2015-2016 school year. Attached to this Proposal
in Appendix 2, The M-G Group Implementation Plan identifies the major actions necessary to open
McKinley as a charter school, including: (i) recruiting/electing the Charter School Board of Trustees,
(ii) preparing a plan for compliance with the District charter agreement, (iii) building the HR
functions, (iv) working with Success for All on its program adoption and implementation plans, (v)
working with New Tech on its program adoption and implementation plans, (vi) retaining legal
counsel, accountants and other professional advisors, (vii) recruiting/hiring senior staff, (viii)
building accounting systems, controls and practices, (ix) arranging for financing, (x) identifying and
procuring needed school equipment and materials, (xi) recruiting/hiring educators and remaining
staff, (xii) executing technology plans, (xiii)engaging in family and community outreach, and
(xiv)executing plans for school opening and enrollments. Our budget for this planning year appears
in the attached Appendix 5. It should be noted that the foregoing Implementation Plan is strategic
plan and that a more detailed tactical plan will be prepared at the outset of the planning year.
Listed first in the Plan is the recruitment and election of Board candidates. Board recruitment and
elections will actually occur in August and September, 2014 so that the Board is constituted by the
time the District makes its final decision for the RFP. It is important that the Board be constituted
first so that it may be informed, trained and engaged, because the Board will ultimately drive the
entire process. A necessary part of their initial responsibilities will be to review, revise as
appropriate, finalize and adopt the strategies, policies, procedures discussed herein. Board
recruitment is discussed in greater detail in the Business Plan Section of this Proposal.
Hiring school leaders and staff is also a necessary part of the Plan. Details of the hiring process and
policies are provided in the Business Plan Section of this Proposal as well. In that the Success for
All program requires an internal leadership team consisting of the Principal, a Reform Facilitator and
a Solutions Coordinator, Success for All will help recruit and evaluate candidates to ensure these
roles are filled by the best personnel.
Professional training and development will also be a critical component of the planning year.
Success for All provides intensive training and coaching sessions, including a New Leaders
Conference (school leaders-4 days), program introduction workshops (all staff-3 days), and
Leading for Success workshops. New Techs training and development offerings during this time are
also involved. There will be a tour of and session with another New Tech school, a Leadership
Residency Conference for our leadership team, a Teacher Residency for our principal and 16
educators, and a site visit by New Tech to meet, plan and assess readiness with our School
community, to include facilities, technology, staffing, education administration, organization and
community support. New Techs curriculum will be at the center of these training and development
sessions. We will also conduct Board training and training to HR, the controller and IT personnel
during the planning year.
Finally, our Plan also involves a compliance plan for the charter agreement with the District. It will
be important to analyze each of the responsibilities and duties, and create tactical plans to ensure
the entire organization understands the obligations we undertake and the actions that are expected
to fulfill them.
B. School Culture. We believe relationship building is a key component to building a strong
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academic program. Our goal is to get to know our students and their families and understand what
is happening in their daily lives. By understanding where our students are coming from every day,
we can more effectively teach them and help them to succeed. Its just another way we put kids
first.
Our community partnerships allow our students to be engaged outside of the classroom, while
bringing a high level of access to resources and exposure to opportunities beyond traditional school
environments. This community-inclusive approach builds stronger bonds locally and creates
collaborative thinking.

We further believe that creating a safe physical and emotional environment is essential to creating a
positive school culture. By eliminating fear of violence within our walls, students are able to
concentrate on learning. Our schools will be characterized by cooperation, collaboration, respect
and shared responsibility. In classrooms and hallways, cafeterias and offices, the schools will
consistently operate as positive and inclusive learning communities for all students, including ELL,
SPED, gifted and alt ed kids. Our foundation for bringing about a positive school attitude that
transcends race and street mentality is our daily character building program called Trenches, which
will be performed by all students every morning.

We put kids first with smaller class sizes that offer intimate, individualized attention. Small learning
environments offer a more positive school climate, including safer schools, more active student
engagement, fewer disciplinary infractions and less truancy. In our personalized learning
environment where staff knows students on a first name basis, students have the opportunity to
form meaningful relationships with both adults and peers, and to feel like part of a community.

Our instructional plan is detailed in the Curriculum & Instructional Design Section of this Proposal.
The educational programs provided by Success For All are designed to ensure instruction is
organized, intentional, engaging and challenging. These programs, which are more fully described in
the Transformational Change Section under Academic Plan Overview, include: (1) Leading for
Success, (2)Getting Along Together, (3) KinderCorner, (4) Reading Roots, (5) Reading Wings, (6)
Reading Edge, (7) Computer-Assisted Tutoring Tools, and (8) School-wide Solutions Teams.
We use data to make informed decisions about instruction and organization in several ways. Student
assessments takes place both formally and informally across the weekly cycle of instruction. Formal
assessments take place at the end of each cycle. Informal assessments occur on a daily basis as
teachers circulate around the classroom, through the daily products that students or teams
complete, and during the wrap-up discussions at the end of a class period.
The Leading for Success program is another data driven assessment and decision-making tool.
This program is built around teams of staff members who take responsibility for different aspects of
building school and student success. Instructional teams examine student progress and address
implementation quality for each of the academic components present. Team members support one
another to improve instruction and increase student learning and achievement.
School-wide Solutions teams, including Attendance, Intervention Team (which focuses on referrals
of individual students from teachers), Parent and Family Involvement, Cooperative Culture, and
Community Connections, focus on creating systems to support students, parents, and teachers and
problem-solving to meet the needs of individual students.

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Every team makes a quarterly plan, meets regularly to put it in place, and reports progress each
quarter to the entire school. Together they build a dynamic school culture that provides powerful
instruction in every classroom and ensures that no child falls between the cracks.
We will also use three tracking tools to monitor student progress during the course of the year to
provide feedback to students, parents, teachers and School Board. Class Assessment Summaries
gather data from formative assessments conducted during classroom instruction on a daily basis,
and show progress quarterly. Benchmark assessments in reading and math, administered online
quarterly, provide an independent, more formal assessment of progress designed to be predictive of
performance on the annual state assessments. A variety of reports allow analysis of strengths and
weaknesses for individual students and groups of students on the benchmark.
Data is collected, stored and reported on the online Member Center. An interactive data report in
the Member Center, called the Grade Summary Form, summarizes student progress against grade
level expectations each quarter for each grade and school-wide. The report allows staff members to
drill down to rapidly identify students not performing at expected levels, track their trajectory,
identify issues, and plan solutions.
Leadership planning will be provided through Education Revolution. As discussed in the A Word
About the ER ESOP Section of the Executive Summary, an ultimate goal is for ER to become an
employee owned company. ER will jointly employ the Principal, the Deans of Students, the Director
of Special Education, the Reform Solutions Coordinator and approximately five of the most qualified
teachers. These individuals will be trained not just to grow as educational leaders, but also to
become organizational leaders. They will be trained on the business, governance, management,
finance, human resource, technological, regulatory, compliance and other aspects of leading and
operating a school. Having demonstrated competence and knowledge, they will then train the more
junior members of the staff, thereby establishing a pipeline for leaders. (We also have a succession
plan, as described in the Business Plan section of this Proposal).
Initially, the ESOP will own 40% of ER. If and when the District renews the charter agreement, the
ESOP will acquire the remaining 60% of the ER stock. At that point, ER will become wholly-owned by
these individuals through the ESOP. ER is committed to ensuring these individuals are properly
trained so that, at that time, they are well positioned to operate ER.
Training will go well beyond education. These leaders will have access to ERs actual financial
information and reports, and will be trained on how to interpret them. They will have the
opportunity to serve on committees of ERs Board, including the ESOP committee, and will have a
meaningful voice in the companys affairs. They will learn by being involved. And they will become
educational entrepreneurs in the process.
Success for All and New Tech each provide additional training. Our Principal, Reform Facilitator and
Solutions Coordinator will undergo intensive leadership training in order to guide our instructional
staff. Both Success for All and New Tech will be retained for five years, and their training, coaching,
professional development and support services will continue throughout the term of the
relationship.
The Success for All model is supported by extensive professional development and coaching that
enable teachers and school leaders to make the most of the research-proven SFA approach.
Supported by a network of more than 100 coaches, representing some of the best educators in the
country, the SFAF professional-development model helps schools to reach their student-
24

achievement targets. The SFA coaching design provides ongoing support tailored to teachers
needs, and onsite facilitator training and guidance in establishing component teams that provide
peer-to-peer support.
The GREATER Coaching Process
New Tech works directly with our leaders, administrators, and teachers to ensure they have the
knowledge and skills needed to help students succeed and schools achieve true reform. Teachers
and administrators participate in comprehensive and rigorous professional development and receive
on-site and virtual coaching. It includes a one week in-depth training for new schools and is
designed specifically for school leaders and teachers in targeted content areas. They have 13 years
of experience supporting teachers and over 100,000 professional development hours for school
leaders and teachers.
A primary way in which we will evaluate our organizational effectiveness is through the Snapshot
tracking feature of their programs. At the beginning of the year and again at the end of each
grading period, the SFA Snapshot provides a summary of student progress and a picture of
implementation quality for the entire school. The Snapshot includes:
Goal
A performance goal is something that the teacher wants his or her students to achieve.
A learning goal is something that the teacher needs to learn to achieve the performance
goal. .

Reality
Assess the current reality in the classroom that the teacher identified as a barrier to
accomplish the goal.
Exploration
Brainstorm strategies that can be utilized or strengthened to ensure that the teacher
accomplishes his/her goal.
Actions
Choose a meaningful strategy from those explored. Identify actions of the
facilitator/leadership/teachers and/or SFAF coach to support the implementation of the
adopted strategy.
Timeline
The who, what, when, and where of the action plans should be used to create a focus
and sense of urgency.
Evaluate Utilize data to evaluate the short-term goal set, and celebrate success.
Renegotiation

Re-evaluate current goals or set new short-term goals to continue working toward
meeting annual school-wide goals.
25

a summary of the number of students performing at grade level. The Grade Summary Form
provides an easy-to-grasp visual of student progress in one page. Everyone can see at a glance
whether progress is being made.
a summary of the research-proven school-wide processes that are in place. This includes cross-
grade grouping for reading instruction, tutoring resources, and Leading for Success team
structures.
a summary of the research-proven Success for All instructional elements that are used
effectively school-wide.
The assessments described above will also be relied upon as we scrutinize our effectiveness.
We recognize the importance of having a plan for how to acculturate students that enter school. mid-
year. While we have not yet prepared a formal plan, we intend to do so during the planning year. That
plan will involve the following: (i) a meeting with the family to begin building the foundation for a
successful relationship, (ii) gathering information from prior schools and agencies, (iii) an assessment,
and (iv) a plan for successfully moving forward.
We have a grievance policy for parents and families, including those related to IEPs for SPED students. A
copy of the policy appears in Appendix 2.
C. Safety, Order and Discipline. Safety, discipline and order are a necessary cornerstone of a successful
school. We employ a structured, tiered intervention approach, using the following intervention
strategies:
Early Intervention: Tier I:
3 Please System
Processing
Pull-Out/Trenches Room
Parent Contact
School Counseling Session(s)

Secondary Interventions: Tier II
Progressive Discipline Program
Parent phone call
Parent Meeting
Home Visits
Detention
Internal Suspensions
External Suspension
Meeting with Parent, School, Student, and community resource to establish contracts (behavior, TEP,
academic)
SAP Referral/IST referral
Community Resource Referral(s)

Intensive Interventions: Tier III

Alternative Education Referral
26

Therapeutic placement/services
Special Education Referral and Evaluation

We believe discipline, if done properly, is an act of caring. We believe there should be consequences for
improper behavior, but that the consequences should be administered fairly and uniformly. We also
believe that such behaviors should not be taken personally, as they are likely a symptom of larger issue
in the students life.

Appendix 2 contains our discipline policies. Included in these policies is our Positive Behavior Support
Plan and our discipline policy for special education students. It describes the process for disciplining
SPED students, as well as prohibits a list of aversive techniques.

We will have agreements with our students, parents and teachers regarding academic and behavior
expectations. They will be located in our student handbooks, to be completed during the planning year.

Truancy is dealt with extensively in our attendance policy, a copy of which may be found in Appendix 2.
It provides for excused and unexcused/unlawful absences, escalating consequences for
unexcused/unlawful absences, including suspension, expulsion and the procedures therefor, parental
explanations, tardiness and their consequences, parental fines and penalties, a truancy elimination plan,
and exceptions to compulsory attendance.

D. Structure of School Day/Year. Because Success for All, New Tech and their various programs and
curriculum play such vital roles in the education of our students, they must be consulted before the
structure of our school day and year is finalized. In fact, part of their engagement includes their
consultation services in these regards. These, and other such structures, will be finalized and put in
place during the planning year. We can, however, assure the District that we will meet or exceed the
States minimum requirements relating to the number of instructional days and length of day. An
example of the kind of school calendar we will adopt appears in Appendix 2.
The schedule and time commitments for ongoing professional development will likewise be completed
during the planning year. The scope and intensity of such training and development is discussed
elsewhere in this Proposal, including this Section and the Sections on Transformation, Curriculum &
Instructional Design, Support for Learning.
E. Leveraging Education Technology. We believe the most effective use of educational technology lies
in class-wide applications. They facilitate the exchange of ideas among class members and create
opportunities for all students to register responses to teachers questions. Integrating visual media,
exciting lesson starters and formative assessment into daily lessons is a more productive use of
technology than isolating students in individualized instruction. The use of classroom technology makes
implementation of cooperative learning strategies easier and more consistently effective for teachers,
as well as engaging students with visual content and frequent opportunities for active participation.
Education technology will be leveraged to support the programs of both New Tech and Success for All.
The smart use of technology supports New Techs innovative approach to instruction and culture.
Students become more self-directed and less reliant on teachers or textbooks for knowledge and
direction. New Tech uses Echo, an online learning management system to create a vibrant network
which helps students, teachers, and parents connect to each other, and to student projects across the
country. Echo is New Techs learning management system and is designed to support Project-based
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learning (PBL), facilitate communication and collaboration, and improve teacher practice. Teachers,
students, and parents will use Echo on a daily basis to access course resources, project plans,
assignments, a multi-dimensional gradebook, online groups, and an extensive library of instructional
resources for teachers. Google Apps for Education is seamlessly integrated into the platform, providing
us with a powerful suite of communication and publishing tools including Gmail, Google Docs, and
Google Sites.
Echo is delivered as a web-based service that is accessible 24/7 via any web browser with an Internet
connection. It is built on New Techs deep experience with technology-enhanced, PBL instruction and
assessment practices, and it includes access to hundreds of exemplary projects that can be easily
customized and implemented by teachers. As a result, Echo is an integral component of New Techs
professional development programs.
Success for All programs also leverage educational technology. Among others, educational technology is
integrated into tutoring. Students who demonstrate a need for additional help in reading receive
targeted group or individual tutoring aligned to classroom instructional objectives. Regrouping for
reading instruction meets many individual instructional needs, and often it is enough to support
progress for on-level readers and accelerates below level readers. However, some students need
focused or intense support. Both small group tutoring (tier 2) and individual, intense tutoring (tier 3) are
available with highly engaging computer assisted tools.
In order to implement the curriculum and related programs discussed above, students and educators
will need access to Web-enabled computers. Our Implementation Plan includes plans to assess the
quantity and condition of the computers the District will provide at McKinley, and to procure the
additional computers necessary to implement our educational technology plans. New Tech will assist us
in determining the schools technology needs, as well as provide on-going technical support and
technical training. Our own IT staff will be involved in each step of the procurement, installation,
implementation, and training process.
Because educational technology is so leveraged, it will be important for all our educators to meet
technology competency standards. They will receive professional training to develop their technology
literacy.
We do not expect the students or faculty to supply any equipment. We will supply all equipment not
provided by the District. Technology support will be provided by our IT staff, working with New Techs
technical support resources. Back-up plans to address problems with equipment, software and
connectivity are one of the components of our Implementation Plan. During the planning year, New
Tech will perform a site visit at McKinley to, among other things, assess the technology resources. Part
of their services include assisting us in the creating the back-up plans to handle these issues.

While we fully appreciate and support the use of educational technologies in the classroom, we are also
mindful of the temptations and dangers presented from their inappropriate use. Our policy on the
acceptable use of computers, networks and the internet (appearing in Appendix 2) sets forth our
philosophies and regulations in these regards. Briefly, every effort must be made to ensure these
resources are used responsibly. Administrators, educators and parents should work together to help
students develop the skills necessary to discriminate among information sources, to identify information
appropriate to their age and developmental levels, and to evaluate and use the information to meet
their educational goals. Staff and students must also respect and protect the rights of every other user
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in the school and on the internet. Moreover, safeguards should be in place to restrict access to
inappropriate sites and materials. These and other matters are more fully set forth in the acceptable use
policy.
We understand the necessity for data protection and recovery procedures and will ensure these
protections and procedures are established during the planning year. An initial assessment of the
existing protections and procedures will be made during the New Tech site visit discussed above.
Working with New Tech, our IT personnel will create the redundancies, off-site storage and other
protections to safeguard and recover data in the event of system failures.






















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VI. FAMILY & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
We have a significant following of youth and families in the York community, having served them over
the last eight years through other ventures and programs. These would include Challenge Academy, a
York alternative education program, and New Hope Academy Charter School, having a peak enrollment
of over 800 students.
We retained Polk-Lepson Research Group to conduct a market study of the families living within the
McKinley school boundaries. Questions were asked regarding the perceptions of charter schools and the
conversion of McKinley. The results of the study revealed that a majority of the respondents favored
having a local organization, rather than an outside company, operate McKinley. Sixty (60%) percent gave
it a 4 or 5 rating (out of a 5 maximum). The partnership with national education experts was also
important. Over sixty-seven (67%) percent gave a rating of 4 or 5. Being a local organization in
partnership with Success For All and New Tech, we believe this study reflects strong family support for
us in the McKinley community.
We have also received letters of support from the Mayors Office and members of the community.
These letters and the Polk market study appear in Appendix 3.

We have multiple facilities to host events and avenues to share our new vision for the McKinley/ Goode
community charter school and generate support, engagement and participation. These include
community information sessions, walking tours of our neighborhood to meet residents, block parties,
national night out celebrations and resource fairs in collaboration with our community partners. We will
also establish a presence on social media as well as traditional media outlets and use them to share our
new vision and highlight opportunities for the community to get involved. We will further engage our
community leaders in this process to insure we are utilizing all available resources in achieving our goal
of solvency and reform in our schools.

A critical component of running a community school is parent involvement. We recognize that, in urban
schools, this can be particularly challenging. We will offer our parents a voice by inviting them to sit on
our board and encouraging service on committees. That will send the message that we value their
opinion and want them at the table making vital decisions such as hiring leadership and strategic
planning.
Parent resource meetings are purposely scheduled at report card time. It is a means to get parents in
our buildings to show them we care about and service the entire family. We will also offer job training
assistance as well as GED classes both for English and non-English speaking families. The building will
truly serve as a HUB for families to gain access to services. We want to implement an open door policy
for parents as well as community leaders. We believe it's important to always be inspection ready and
transparent while also being mindful of the safety of our children.

Technology is a great resource to stay connected with and engage the families we serve. Social media, a
user friendly website, teacher web pages and e-newsletters in addition to a high functioning student
information system offer parents a real time view of academic performance and easy access to
educators.

It is important to create a one stop shop atmosphere in a community school. Many of the families we
serve are distrustful of local agencies or simply do not know how to access services. We partner with
agencies that provide counseling and mental health services on site. We work with our area food banks
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to establish food resources for needy families. We partner with the Penn State Talent Search Program to
lay the groundwork for our students at an early age for college readiness.

A long-time supporter of our initiatives, the Mayor's office will work with us to establish and facilitate
opportunities that align with the mission and vison of the school. We plan to continue valued
relationships with partners we have worked with in the past such as York's YMCA, YWCA, Family First
Health and Martin Memorial Library, to name a few.
























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VII. BUSINESS PLAN
A. Founders. Isiah Anderson, the founder of Education Revolution and the architect of The M-G
Group, has an accomplished history of performing the very same functions that ER will perform. It is
not coincidental that ERs role aligns with Mr. Andersons proven strengths. Like ERs role, Mr.
Anderson has formed local schools, such as Challenge Academy, Impact Academy and New Hope
Academy Charter School, and established numerous relationships with the families as well as
community partners, including relationships with YMCA, YWCA, The Strand Capital, Penn State, York
College, HAAC, Temple University and Family First Health. The plans for recruiting Board members
and other leaders and senior executives from our community are detailed in the Sections on
Human Resources and Board Recruitment below.
Neither ER nor the Charter School, as entities, has operated another school so there are no school
closures to report. We do, however, report that New Hope Academy Charter School was closed and
that Mr. Anderson owned the management company (Three Cord) that provided services to that
school.
B. Planned Administrative Structure. Organizational charts for the Charter School and for ER are
provided in Appendix 7 and are discussed in the Human Resources Section below. That Section
also discusses the input teachers will have on decision-making. The input of families and students is
discussed in the Section on Family & Community Involvement.
C. Performance History. As discussed in the Founders Section, neither ER nor the Charter School
has previously managed or operated a school, so there is no information available to share
regarding the performance histories of these organizations. Noted elsewhere are the significant
experiences and results of our partners, Success for All and New Tech. Those organizations,
however, do not manage or operate schools, so there is likewise no information to share regarding
these organizations. In other Sections of this Proposal, we have summarily discussed the results and
successes schools enjoy as a result of the implementation of the SFA and New Tech programs. If the
District would like additional information in those regards, we would be pleased to provide it.
D. Financial Plans. Attached in Appendix 5 are our financial plans. They include our proposed
planning year budget, 2 year operating budget, 5 year operating budget and year 1 monthly cash
flow projection. We are presently working with our lenders to generate interest in financing for the
Charter School. Our budget currently reflects a rather modest credit line to finance capital purchases
during the planning year as well as to fund the first months actual operations should there be
delays in the Districts first payment. Such financing, as identified in the Implementation Plan, will
be finalized during the planning year. Part of that process will involve commitments for financing
any shortfalls created if the per-pupil amounts are less than predicted. The other contingency plan
for addressing the potential shortfalls will be a review and reduction in non-essential elements of
our budget.
The anticipated transfers to affiliates appear in the budgets in three places. Under the category
Purchased Professional & Technology Services, there is a line item for Success for All/Reform. That
line item reflects payments to be made to Success for All. Also under that category appears a line
item for New Tech Network/Curriculum. That line item reflects payments going to New Tech.
Under the category Other, there is a line item for School Administration Fee (to ER). That line item
reflects the payments to be made to ER. Those payments are based on a declining percentage of
revenues formula. More specifically, the fee is 15% of revenues from the District (excludes
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donations and grant monies) during the first two years when McKinley and Goode will open.
Thereafter, the fee is reduced to 12% of such revenues. These will be the only fees ER will charge
the Charter School. There will be no other fees or payments, such as termination fees; except,
however, for the reimbursement of expenses advanced on behalf of the Charter School and the
repayment of any loans made to the Charter School.
Our budgets contemplate modest fundraising for the School (approximately $25,000/year). ERs
founder has experience in fundraising, having raised close to $1M this summer in another venture.
We are mindful of our responsibilities and obligations when it comes to financial management and
accounting systems and procedures, including cash management plans, account/fund segregation
and fiscal controls. Attached in Appendix 6 are samples of our policies and procedures. As part of
the Implementation Plan we will be interviewing and retaining certified public accountants. The
initial part of that engagement will be overseeing the implementation of these policies, plans,
safeguards and controls. It will also involve ensuring the School establishes the necessary systems,
controls and safeguards to pass the yearly audits.
Arranging for liability, property and other insurances and bonding appropriate for schools is also a
part of our Implementation Plan. The ultimate levels and limits of coverage will be determined by
the requirements of the District and the recommendations of our insurance advisors.
Being a new organization, we have no history of audits. Our founder, Isiah Anderson, was connected
with the New Hope Academy Charter School through his wholly-owned management company
(Three Cord, Inc.). We can report that New Hope was audited each year, that there was never any
finding of misappropriation or misuse of funds and that any material deficiencies were corrected.
We can also report that an IRS audit was conducted and no deficiencies, adjustments, or penalties
were found, proposed or levied.
E. Human Resources. Appearing the Appendix 7 is an organization chart for The M-G Charter
School. It identifies the key leadership positions for the Charter School, including the members of
the Board of Trustees and its committees, the principal, and senior staff members like the Deans of
Students, and Director of Special Education. This chart also identifies the key personnel at Education
Revolution who will be providing support to them. Also appearing in Appendix 7 is an organization
chart for Education Revolution. It, too, identifies the key leadership positions, including the
President/CEO, Director of Education Reform, Director of Education Administration and Director of
Community Outreach. The ER Organization Chart likewise identifies the Charter School personnel
each of these individuals will support. Detailed job descriptions for the leadership are also provided
in Appendix 7.
Initially, Isiah Anderson will lead the recruitment process. His focus will be on recruiting members to
serve on the Charter Schools Board of Trustees and filling the Director of Community Outreach
position. Mr. Anderson has successfully recruited in the York community to constitute the boards of
New Hope Academy Charter School, Challenge Academy and Impact Academy. In so doing, he
recruited local business owners, attorneys, accountants, insurance executives and other
professional advisors, community activists, parents and senior members of local social service
organizations. He will use his extensive experience and network of relationships to lead the initial
recruiting effort.
As these positions are filled, the recruitment process will be transitioned to them. Mr. Anderson will
remain involved insofar as he will forward contacts for potential candidates, but the decisions will
33

be made by them. As noted elsewhere in this Proposal, Success for All will be assisting in the
recruitment, evaluation and selection of the principal, senior educational administrators and educators.
Job descriptions for each leadership position have been prepared and included in Appendix 7. They
outline essential duties and responsibilities as well as education, certification and experience
requirements and preferences. A job posting document will be created based on the information
outlined in the job description. The posting will be advertised on several web based recruiting platforms
geared towards careers in education. (Success for All will also be consulted and brought into the
process at this time). The posting will include an overview of the compensation package, contact
information and a deadline to apply. All applicants will be screened and the pool of candidates with
qualifications that best match requirements will be contacted to schedule an interview. We believe the
ESOP, together with the extensive training and professional development, will be powerful recruiting
tools.
All candidates will be asked identical, predetermined questions designed to determine if the candidate
has the skill set and values appropriate to work with the Board of Trustees, The M-G Group,
subordinates and students to promote the mission and vision of the Charter School and achieve
organizational goals. Second round interviews will be conducted by an interview committee will be
responsible to narrow the candidates down to top two.
Following these interviews, the top two candidates as recommended by the committee will be invited to
present to the Board of Trustees. Following the presentations and a brief question and answer session,
the Charter School Board will hold a vote to select a candidate. The candidate receiving the majority of
Board votes will be offered the position.
Our policies and procedures for hiring personnel in accordance with Part A, Section 1119 (Qualifications
for Teachers and Paraprofessionals) of the No Child Left Behind Act 2001 is provided in Appendix 7.
Among other things, it addresses the qualifications, required background checks and clearances of
candidates, the screening and hiring process, the prohibitions on favoritism and nepotism, and
compliance with federal and state law.
The 2015-2016 staffing plan for McKinley is contained in Appendix 7. As indicated in the narrative and
supporting documents in Appendices 1, 2 and 3, the Principal will work with the Success for All and New
Tech Network facilitators to ensure the education reform is begins at the outset. The controller will
work collaboratively with the Board, the administration and ER to ensure necessary financial systems,
controls and safeguards ae in place. In continuing to innovate while we educate, The Schools IT
personnel will work with ER and New Tech to ensure the technology plan is finalized and implemented.
Weaving a web of services for children and families is crucial to building strong communities through
education. The Director of Special Education will lead a team of seven (7) special education teachers as
well as serve as the liaison to the Director of Social Services. Together with the Deans of Students and
the Family Liaison, the team will identify areas of need for students both educationally and from a social
service perspective and ensure that those needs are met in-house or by partnering organizations. The
Director of Community Outreach will be involved in these efforts as well.
Ongoing support will be provided to ensure academic success. We have allotted seven out of 43
teachers spots for special education teachers. For our ESL students, we will hire (3) dedicated ESL
teachers to deliver direct services and support to ESL students. At least one of the administrative
persons in the school office will be bi-lingual. Classroom aides and the family liaison will also be bi-
lingual to create an environment that is conducive to learning for our Latino population.
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The role of the hall monitor is one of support for students and staff. The hall monitor ensures that
transitions during the day are safe and orderly. In processing students during discipline events, they
utilize tools to help students learn behavior management strategies they can incorporate into their daily
lives. Along with the two Deans of Students, they help ensure discipline issues do not disrupt the
learning environment by being available for the removal and processing of students. They also serve as
yet another resource for identifying areas of need so that services can be rendered. The relationships
these paraprofessionals develop with the students and staff are invaluable to ensuring safety and
creating structure in the School. There will be (5) hall monitors on staff.
At the pre-K and kindergarten levels, the student to staff ratio is 1 to 13. In all other grades, the ratio is
1 to 21. Each grade level will be anchored by one or more instructional II teachers with a masters
degree or coursework towards a masters degree. These teachers will serve as mentor teachers through
the induction process and aid the administration in identifying and developing future educational
leaders for the school.
A comprehensive succession plan has been developed to ensure that professionals are offered
opportunities for career planning and development. This will ensure personal growth for employees as
well as continuity in the programs and initiatives in the School. The Human Resources professional is
responsible for communicating the development philosophy to all new hires. Included in the orientation
is a description of the school structure and possible growth tracks for employees at every level. A survey
will be taken to record the employees areas of interest in growth. This information will be compiled in
a leadership potential database maintained by HR. This plan is in addition to the plans for leadership
succession at ER, as discussed previously in this Proposal.
It is our plan to build a culture where employees are encouraged to recognize greatness in their peers
and feel empowered to strive for their own professional goals. As such, every employee with
supervisory responsibilities is required to identify and foster professional growth opportunities for direct
reports and department staff as outlined in their job descriptions. Supervisors will be evaluated on
giving interested employees experiences to test their potential for growth and leadership.
The Principal is responsible for ensuring that the planned succession model is implemented by requiring
that administration and department heads are tracking these growth and leadership experiences and
reporting the outcomes to him or her for feedback. This information will be forwarded to HR
professional to be tracked in the potential leadership database. This data will be compiled and analyzed
quarterly by leadership to determine what leadership opportunities are available and assist in making
recommendations for promotion. The Principal will also report the data to the Board and Controller for
budgeting purposes to be ensure sufficient financial support for leadership development.
For new and novice teachers we understand that it can be a trying time. A thorough inductee
orientation will ensure that new teachers are familiar with all of the building resources available to
provide support. Our induction plan drills down to reveal where mentee teachers are in need of support
through self-evaluation, observation and mentor feedback, allowing us to administer targeted support
and training. Every effort is made to facilitate the best match related to grade and teaching assignment
with respect to mentors and we are certainly flexible if changes need to be made. The mentor-mentee
relationship must be cultivated in order to be an effective support for teachers learning their craft.
Mentor teachers will be selected based on their proven track record providing support, modeling
professional conduct and effectively scheduling time to be available for a mentee(s). Novice teachers
will have extensive support from assisted lesson planning and role playing for classroom management to
familiarizing themselves with school operations, systems and protocol.
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The leadership plan will allow teachers to move into lead roles and pursue administrative certifications.
There will be numerous opportunities to participate in improving their professional knowledge with
stipend positions that include mentoring, school improvement committees, curriculum development
committees and professional learning communities.
Our policies relating to salaries, contracts, hiring, evaluation, conduct and disciplinary procedures
appear in Appendix 7. Benefits are covered in employee contract and compensations policies as well as
in the employee handbook. They are also specifically identified in our budgets. Actions that may result
in dismissal are covered in conduct and disciplinary policies. Conduct is also outlined in the employee
handbook as is our EEO statement.
We will utilize the Educator Effectiveness Administrative Manual and corresponding PDE forms to
evaluate administration and teachers. A similar model will be adopted for nonteaching staff. Leadership
will also utilize the Educator Effectiveness System for Differentiated Supervision.
F. Board Recruitment, Agreements, Conflict of Interest. In the above Section on Human Resources
we revealed our initial plans for Board recruitment. We have also prepared a Charter School
Recruitment Plan which will be implemented in conjunction with and then succeed the initial plan. The
Recruitment Plan, attached in Appendix 7, discusses our intended recruitment efforts, including
convening a publicized town hall meeting wherein interested community members can learn more
about the Board positions and offer their candidacy. Appendix 7 also contains our Board of Trustees
Profile, Conflict of Interest Policy (modelled after the IRS policy), and Board Governance Standards and
Code of Conduct Policy.