EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Provide an Executive Summary (in three to five pages) for the proposed school that describes the following:
a.
A clear statement of the mission, academic philosophy and values;
Mission
Students at Crescent City Schools build the academic skills, personal values, and intellectual habits of mind to succeed in
high school, college, and beyond. With integrity and pride, students and teachers focus on results and develop personal and
social responsibility to build a better New Orleans for themselves and us all.
Crescent City Schools believes, in the broadest sense, that the school is the location where the transformation of society takes
place. We take this societal role seriously, endeavoring to create life-changing educational experiences for students and,
through this work, transform a city. To this end, we believe it is each school’s responsibility to provide an outstanding, highquality education for every child who walks through its door.
It is our responsibility to make the difference despite all the challenges that a child presents. Poor preparation, family
struggles, societal need, and conditions of poverty are not excuses we use to account for lower performance. Instead, we will
build a school around our students, knowing they may come to us with these factors. Our approach is to structure a school
that will take all students to the highest academic levels.
This means that teachers will write detailed lesson plans for each objective they teach and then use assessments to help
measure whether or not students have mastered the objective. It means that when students require more time to master
material, staff will provide them with that time through tutoring and re-teaching. It means that staff will be available to
students and parents at night and that the school will welcome parents and other care-givers as active members who enhance
the school community. But it also means that teachers will not take excuses from students and instead work to develop each
student’s internal drive, so every child knows that he or she can achieve regardless of circumstance.
Crescent City Schools is a part of the movement that believes all students can and will learn, and that it is the responsibility
of the adults in the building to meet the needs of each student. The most significant school-based factor that has an impact on
student achievement is the quality of the teacher1, and we believe that transformative schools increase the quality of teaching
so that every child has a great teacher and thus can achieve at the highest level.
Values
The Crescent City Schools community will uphold its commitment to the values of the organization and will create a culture
that reflects these values.
Unity
Approaching conflict from a position of unity requires that our students envision themselves as central to, and a part of, every
arena in which they find themselves. Whether in their family, in their neighborhood, in their new high school, or in another
city, Crescent City Schools’ students will actively work to resolve conflict and bring people together. The experience of
being on the team will foster a sense of teamwork; applying that team approach to other aspects of their life will be the mark
of a successful student.
Responsibility
Students will leave our school able to take responsibility for their own actions and accept responsibility for the betterment of
society. They will pursue interests and careers that allow them to express their creativity and passion while making their city
a better place. Students will leave Crescent City Schools with community building experiences that will infuse them with a
sense of responsibility to and for their city.
Pride
Students will take pride in their work and in their school. Approaching every task with a sense of “pride of ownership”
translates to higher quality and more opportunities for learning. Teachers will expect all students to produce work at the
highest levels, reflecting students’ own pride in themselves. Teachers will work to bolster students’ confidence and highlight
1
Brewer, Dominic, Eric Eide and Dan Goldhaber, “The Teacher Labour Market and Teacher Quality.” Oxford Review of Economic Policy 20 (Summer
2004): 230. Ferguson, Ronald F, “Paying for Public Education: New Evidence on How and Why Money Matters.” Harvard Journal on Legislation 28
(1991): 465-498. Hanushek, Eric A, “The Failure of Input-Based Schooling Policies.” The Economic Journal 113 (February, 2003): F64-F98.
their progress so they are comfortable taking responsible risks. Finally, taking pride in their school means that each student
has a vested interest in the school and supports each of their peers to succeed.
Courage
In everything they do, students at Crescent City Schools will show courage. At first, it may be difficult for students to attempt
challenging work, show they care, or reach out for help. However, showing heart, or displaying sincerity and fortitude, will
be encouraged, modeled, and rewarded. Giving their all, trying their best, and courageously taking risks helps students grow
and develop. Students will help create a community of respectful learners, allowing them to show their vulnerabilities
without fear of being teased or ridiculed. Students will be assured in the knowledge that they have a supportive community at
the school to assist and push them until they are to and through college.
b.
An overview of the school structure, leadership team and governance;
Board Governance
The Board of Crescent City Schools is responsible for governing the school. The Board is responsible for setting
organizational policies, positioning the general strategic direction of the school, and properly governing the school’s ongoing
operations to ensure that they are conducted in a manner consistent with the mission of the school and the law. In addition to
its school oversight responsibilities, the Board is also responsible for governing Crescent City Schools Charter Management
Organization (CMO). The staff of the CMO includes the Chief Executive Office (CEO), the Chief Operations Officer
(COO), and the Chief Academic Officer (CAO). The CMO will create systems and structures that will be utilized in the
school and provide support such as help with financial management, fundraising, strategic planning, academic support, and
data analysis. During the first year, the CAO and the Principal positions will be held by one person, Julie Lause. (For more
on Ms. Lause’s qualifications, please see the Governance section.) The CEO manages the Principal of Crescent City Schools
and works closely with the Principal to set the strategic vision for the school.
The Crescent City Schools board will delegate authority and decision making responsibility for day-to-day operations of the
school to the CEO and the School Principal, including but not limited to: hiring and firing school staff, designing the school’s
curriculum, and creating the school’s annual budget (subject to Board approval). The Board shall be notified of progress in
the areas of academics, finance and parental involvement via monthly meetings with the CEO. All information provided by
the CEO will be verified by random, spot checks by a designated member of the Board of Directors. Academic reports will
include results from the most recent state, city or teacher-generated tests and must benchmark these results to the school’s
prior results. The Board Treasurer will prepare financial reports for each Board meeting. The Crescent City Schools Board of
Directors’ responsibilities include but are not limited to:
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Evaluate the performance of the CEO and the School Principal;
Approve the school’s annual budget;
Approve employment and termination of all personnel – instructional as well as non-instructional;
Establish and maintain all policies governing the operation of the charter school (by-laws);
Ensure that the school adheres to the mission and goals outlined in this charter, as well as Louisiana State and
federal guidelines;
Hold the CEO accountable for the academic success and fiscal responsibility of the school;
Provide support to the school for additional fund-raising, marketing and other services as needs arise;
Hear and render decisions on issues brought to the Board’s attention;
Participate in disputes that are brought to the Board’s attention as they relate to the school’s discipline policy,
especially disputes arising in the areas of expulsion and long-term suspension;
Advocate on behalf of the school by working to establish partnerships with community organizations, institutions of
higher learning, nonprofit foundations and corporate entities that support education through noncommercial
relationships; and
School Structure and Leadership Team
The Principal hires and manages the rest of the staff of the school. In order to increase efficiency and take advantage of the
financial expertise of the COO, the COO and the Principal will co-manager the Director of Finance and Operations. The
COO and the Principal will meet weekly together to ensure that they are effectively managing the work streams of the
Director of Finance and Operations. The Principal manages all instructional and non-instructional staff in the school. There
are five members of the leadership team that will be support the teaching staff in the building. The K-4 Assistant Principal
and K-4 Director of Curriculum and Instruction manage the K-4 regular education teachers. The 5-8 Assistant Principal and
the 5-8 Director of Curriculum and Instruction manage the 5-8 regular education teachers. The Special Education
Coordinator manages the special education teachers who teach across the K-8 grades. Please see the diagram below for an
organizational chart.
c.
A description of the school’s short- and long-term goals (academic and operational);
The goals identified will drive the instruction, professional development, planning, and decision-making. Our long-term goal
is to meet the state’s 2014 SPS goal of 120 in the specified timeframe. To accomplish this goal, we will incrementally raise
our SPS by 20 points every year. We will use the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, constant data analysis, and specific
remediation curriculum to facilitate student achievement growth reflected in gains in the LEAP achievement index and the
average iLEAP national percentile ranking.
PERFORMANC
E OUTCOME
Daily Attendance
State Tests
Diagnostic Tests
Matriculation
Graduation/
Promotion
Teacher
Retention
College
Placement
SCHOOL INTERNAL GOAL (for 1st Charter term: Grades K – 8)
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Average daily attendance rate will be 95% or higher.
Annual attendance rate will exceed the state average.
Continuously enrolled students at Crescent City Schools in each grade level will perform at basic
or above on all state criterion-referenced tests (LEAP, iLEAP, GEE) at a higher rate than similar
schools2.
At the end of each school year, 75% of students will pass interim assessments in Reading, Writing,
Math, Science, and Social Studies.
Enrollment will be at least 90% of the projected enrollment during each year.
Annual student dropout rate will be below the state average.
8th grade students must score at basic or above on both the LEAP ELA and Mathematics tests in
order to be promoted to ninth grade.3
The annual rate of voluntary teacher attrition, excluding teachers who leave to attend graduate
school, will be less than 10%.
100% of continuously enrolled Crescent City Schools’ students will be accepted into a college
preparatory high school.
“Similar Schools” will include open admissions public schools within Recovery School District serving the same grade levels and similar student
demographics."
# Exceptions to high stakes promotion/graduation requirements for all students will be honored in accordance with SBESE policies. In addition, Crescent
City Schools will uphold internal student promotion standards that require students to maintain an average grade of at least 70% in every core academic
course by the end of the final quarter. Students who do not meet the school’s attendance requirements will also face retention."
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Other –
Organizational
Viability
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Other – SBESE
Evaluation
Framework
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d.
Crescent City Schools will maintain a positive cumulative fund balance each fiscal year.
Crescent City Schools will receive unqualified audit opinions each fiscal year.
Crescent City Schools will submit financial reports as required on time.
Each year, 75% of families will report being Satisfied or Highly Satisfied with the overall quality
of Crescent City Schools' academic program.
Each year, 75% of families will report being Satisfied or Highly Satisfied with the overall quality
of Crescent City Schools' community culture.
Crescent City Schools will achieve a SPS Assessment Index baseline of 80.0 or above by its first
year of operation (2012).
Crescent City Schools will meet or exceed its annual SPS Assessment Index growth targets, as
established by SBESE.
Crescent City Schools will achieve Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) for all subgroups in every year
of operation.
The percentage of students scoring at basic or above on state criterion-referenced tests (LEAP,
iLEAP and GEE) will grow by 10% or more per year.
(attendance and dropout targets described above)
An explanation of the research-base that demonstrates the school model will be effective in improving
student achievement;
The Crescent City Schools’ educational program is built upon the best practices of the highest performing college preparatory
charter schools serving similar low income, minority, and at-risk student populations in various urban cities across the
country. All of our supplemental curricula have proven results from their implementation at Achievement First, KIPP, and
Mastery Charter Schools– all successful charter management organizations with dramatic performance results as their low
income and minority student populations outperform relevant district and state-wide benchmarks on rigorous, state and
national standardized exams.
e.
An explanation of how this model is appropriate for all students and will lead to higher levels of academic
achievement for the target population; and
As an RSD charter school, and given our open admissions policy, Crescent City Schools expects to serve a student
population that is reflective of the RSD as a whole. Consequently, we anticipate that between 90-100% of our students will
qualify for the state’s “At-Risk” designation. Additionally, as part of its mission and charter, Crescent City Schools explicitly
seeks to educate the most underserved students in Orleans Parish, and will conduct recruitment, admissions, and marketing
activities accordingly. We do not shy away from enrolling low income or special education students – we consider “at-risk”
students to be our target student population and at the core of the design of our educational program. Moreover, given that
we will be a takeover school, we expect to inherit many of the at-risk children already attending RSD schools.
Crescent City Schools is designed to effectively educate children who are considered “at-risk.” We will implement many of
the same strategies that have been effective in other urban school settings. We supplement the comprehensive curriculum
with research-based programs and curriculum materials designed to meet the needs of students who are academically behind.
In addition, our daily schedule includes time to focus on foundation math and reading skills as well as classes that focus on
GLE mastery. These options allow academically “at-risk” students to make multiple grade-levels of progress in one year,
mastering foundational skills while also progressing through Louisiana’s Comprehensive Curriculum. Additionally, our
extended day allows for daily one-on-one tutoring and remediation designed to meet the needs of each individual child.
Crescent City Schools’ entire approach to education is one that addresses meeting the needs of students at-risk of academic
failure. The school’s philosophy of helping students achieve academic success through hard work and a longer school day
and year is specifically tailored to students who are struggling academically or behaviorally when they arrive at the school.
f.
An explanation of the school’s core values about teaching and learning.
Crescent City Schools Theory of Transformation
Crescent City Schools believes that transformation of failing schools is a unique opportunity to quickly turn around the
education of many students at once. School transformation is also incredibly challenging, and to that end Crescent City
Schools has developed a deliberate set of strategies that we believe contribute to the success of a K-8 transformation project.
Based on our own prior experiences in transformation environments as well as research from the transformation movement,
we have developed a set of strategies that we believe focus school leadership on the behaviors and activities that will lead to
success. Instead of thinking of the project as “school improvement,” turning around a school requires bold action and clear
strategy. Crescent City Schools’ transformation strategies are:
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Set Priorities and Minimize Distractions
Set the School Culture as a First Priority
Build Unity through a Team Approach
Invest in Adults
Provide a Structured Management System
Drive Student Achievement Through Personal Leadership
Crescent City Schools Core Program
Crescent City Schools is focused on preparing our students for high school, college, and beyond. Our unwavering faith in our
students’ potential, as well as our commitment to developing effective and inspiring educators builds the fundamental basis
for our instructional model. The Crescent City Schools Core Program includes educational elements we believe will
dramatically raise student achievement, create a culture of respect and joy, and maximize the efforts of school-based
leadership. These elements are based on practices in urban, high-performing public schools whose students are achieving at
the highest levels.4 These Core Program Elements are:
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High Expectations for Academics and Behavior
Instructional Models That Have Proven Results
A Structured and Orderly Learning Environment
Healthy Environment, Healthy Relationships for Learning and Teaching
Outstanding Teachers and Outstanding Support
Common Values for Character, Leadership, and Responsibility
Rigorous Goals that Motivate
College Focus From the Start
Partnership With Parents
Enrichment With a Purpose
Instructional Methods
In addition, our instructional methods are all based on well-established best practices in high-performing schools across the
country. These include whole-school instructional methods adopted for use as an entire school, as well as classroom best
practices that will be used by all teaching staff. These include:
Whole-School Instructional Methods
• Standards-Based, Aligned Curriculum
• Focus on Planning
• Data-Driven Instruction
• Explicitly Teach Habits of Mind
• Tiered-Based Grouping and Instructional Organization
• Multi-Layered System of Intervention
Classroom Instructional Methods
• Instructional Consistency
• Lesson Cycle with Guided and Independent Practice
• Spiraling Every Day
• Daily Use of Data
Our instructional model and academic philosophy are based on the best practices from the following high-performing urban charter schools: KIPP schools
(NYC, DC, and New Orleans), North Star Academy (Newark, NJ), Roxbury Prep (Boston, MA), Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School (Boston, MA), and
Mastery Charter Schools (Philadelphia, PA). All of these schools have outperformed their district and comparable public school benchmarks."
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