Volume I, Issue 18, November 11, 2005
Charter Leader News
This issue of the Charter Leader News features information on . . .
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State ELA and Math Scoring Process
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School Leadership Learning Series
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How Schools Can Support ReadNet Charter School
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Advocacy Events
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Verizon Donates Books
One of the key measures of success within our charter schools are the results
of the New York State Tests. There have been substantial changes to the testing
program during the past year in both content and format. In addition, the Math
and English Language Arts state-wide testing program has been extended to Grades
3 though 8, which means more than 5,000 charter students will be subjected to
testing this year.
The Charter Center is working with the New York City Department of Education's
Office of New Schools to promote best practices in scoring through professional
development and scoring coordination. Training sessions are planned for November 29 and December 7. We urge you to sign up and take advantage of these services. Schools without testing
grades should still consider participating in the trainings to prepare for future
years.
For more information, see the TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES section below.
Thank you.
*At your direction, we can include other leaders from your school or your Education
Management Organization (EMO) on the distribution list. Please let us know.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
State ELA and Math "Coach" Training at Charter Center:
The Charter Center is partnering with the NYC Department of Education to train instructional
personnel from each school (a "Coach") on the State ELA and Math exam. This training
provides an overview of the ELA and Math assessment and the rubrics that will
be used for scoring. The training schedule is as follows: the ELA Coach Training
will occur on Tuesday, November 29, from 8 am to 4 pm; the Math Coach Training
will occur on Wednesday, December 7, from 8 am to 4 pm. All trainings will take
place at the Charter Center, 111 Broadway, Suite 604.
Each participating school will need to send one certified teacher who will in
turn train other members of the school community. During training, your school's
"Coach" will receive a master copy of the materials that will be used to train your staff
in-house. All charter schools are eligible to participate.
To participate in the ELA and Math Coach’s Training, please RSVP to Andrea Zayas
by Tuesday, November 22 via phone (212) 374-6816 or email: azayas2@nycboe.net. Please include name, phone, email and position of individual(s) who will be
representing your school community.
Reminder - School Leadership Learning Series Workshops in December:
There is still time for school leaders and members of their leadership team to
register for professional development workshops being held in December as part
of the School Leadership Learning Series. On December 14, Anita Archer will conduct
a workshop on Effective and Explicit Reading Instruction for Struggling Middle School Readers. And on December 15, series keynote speaker Isabel Beck will train school leaders
on Enhancing Students' Vocabulary.
The workshops are co-sponsored by the NYC Department of Education's Division
of Literacy and the Charter Center. Please submit your workshop requests to Rebecca
Shimshak at
rshimshak@nycboe.net. For more information about the School Leadership Learning Series, presenters
and session content, visit our Web site at:
www.nycchartercenter.org.
OPERATIONS NEWS
Supporting ReadNet Charter School Students and Teachers:
Earlier this month, the Board of Directors of ReadNet Charter School unanimously
voted to withdraw the school's charter renewal application, the first step to
voluntarily close the school at the end of the current school year.
Since that time, the Board has taken several proactive steps to minimize the
impact to students and parents. An information hot line (212-437-8380) has been
established to answer questions from parents, and two parent information sessions
have been held by the school to explain its decision to close and begin outlining school
options for students, including enrollment in other charter schools, traditional
public schools and private schools. A third information session is scheduled for
November 16 at the school, 429 East 148th Street, Bronx, New York.
The Charter Center is assisting the ReadNet Board with school options for students as
well as finding new schools for its teachers at the conclusion of the current
school year. In the meantime, the Center and the school's authorizer, the New
York State Board of Regents, have encouraged parents to keep their students enrolled
at ReadNet for the 2005-06 school year.
As we work with ReadNet throughout the school year on the placement of students
and teachers in new schools, your support and assistance in making parents aware
of the enrollment process at your school will be invaluable. The charter school
movement in New York City will be stronger as a result of the difficult, but prudent,
actions taken by ReadNet. Delivering a high-level of academic achievement is a
responsibility all charter school operators accept when they receive their charter,
and it is the reason the movement has succeeded and garnered the support of so
many parents who want accountability put back in the school system.
State Lawmakers To Host Community Forums on Charter Schools:
On Tuesday, November 15, State Senator David Paterson will discuss efforts to
lift the statewide cap on charter schools at a meeting of Harlem elected officials
and charter school leaders with schools in the Harlem community. The "Harlem Leaders
Forum on Charter Schools" will take place at Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy Charter
School at 35 East 125th Street, from 5 to 7 pm. This is an excellent opportunity
for school leaders to meet state and local elected officials representing their
communities, and participate in a dialogue on strategies for increasing the number
of charter schools in New York.
On Wednesday, November 16, State Assemblyman Michael Benjamin will host a similar
forum at Bronx Preparatory Charter School, 3872 Third Avenue, in the Bronx. The
focus of this meeting will be on raising awareness about charter schools to parents
and community organizations who are interested in starting schools in their neighborhoods.
The Bronx meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 pm, but that time is subject to change.
Those interested in attending should contact the Charter Center for updates.
Verizon Book Donation:
We would like to acknowledge Verizon for their generous donation of "Go Wild in NYC," a book that offers students an inside view of what makes NYC so unique. We
gave copies of this book to school leaders that attended our October 11 "Back
to School Reception." We have 500 additional copies of the book which we will
be sending to schools that serve 4th and 5th grade students. We look forward to
being able to share future donated materials with NYC charter schools.
Mission:
The mission of the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence is to stimulate
the supply of high quality charter schools and support ongoing student excellence
in all NYC charter schools, impacting the effectiveness of public education. As
an independent nonprofit, the Charter Center is an advocate, bridge and catalyst
for the achievement of academic and operational success and sustainability of
all NYC charter schools for each young person.
