Proposal Cover Sheet (New and Existing Operators)

Proposal Cover Sheet (New and Existing Operators)

Applicant Information

COMPLETE THIS PAGE ONLY ONCE REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS PROPOSED.

Name of applicant organization: Shades of Elegance Corporation

Primary contact person:

Dr. T.J. Graham

Mailing address:

Street/PO Box:

27 Forbes Cove

City:

Byram

State: MS

Zip: 39272

Phone Number:

Day: (901) 517-8928

Evening: (901) 517-8928

Email: graham.tj@

Names, roles, and current employment of all persons on applicant team (add lines as needed):

Full Name

Current Job Title and Employer

Position with Proposed School

Math Department Chair - KIPP Memphis

Executive Director

Dr. T.J. Graham

Preparatory Middle School

Ms. Shantal Johnson

Grade 7 Science Teacher - KIPP Memphis

School Leader (Principal)

Preparatory Middle

Do any of the following describe your organization, or the school/campuses proposed here? Seeks approval for multiple campuses under a single charter. Already operates schools elsewhere in the US. Will contract or partner with an education service provider. If yes, include the provider's portfolio in answering the below questions regarding

pending applications and school openings.

If so, identify the provider: This provider already operates schools in this state or elsewhere in the US.

NOTE: If the applicant meets the definition of an existing operator, the applicant must complete the Existing operator application. If the applicant intends to contract with a third-party education service provider (ESP), the applicant must complete Addendum 3 for Education Service Providers. An ESP is any third-party entity that provides comprehensive education management services to a school via contract with the school's governing board.

Does this applicant team have charter school applications under consideration by any other authorizer(s) in the

United States?

Yes

No

If yes, complete the table below, adding lines as needed.

State

Authorizer

Proposed School Name

Application Due Date

Decision Date

Does this applicant team have new schools or campuses scheduled to open in the United States in the next two

school years?

Yes

No

If yes, complete the table below, adding lines as needed.

Planned School Name

City

State

Opening Date

Does this applicant team have new schools or campuses approved but scheduled to open in additional years?

Yes

No

If yes, complete the table below, adding lines as needed.

Authorizer

# of Schools

City(s)

State

School Information

COMPLETE THIS PAGE FOR EACH SCHOOL/CAMPUS INCLUDED IN THIS PROPOSAL. Duplicate as needed.

Proposed School/Campus Name

Grades served: year one

Truth Academy STEAM Charter School

K - 6

Grades served: capacity

K - 8

School District:

Identify the school district where the charter school will be located.

Address of identified facility if applicable:

Proposed Location Sunflower County Consolidated School District 188 Green Avenue - Drew, MS 38737

Projected Demographic Information

%FRL: 100% %SpEd: 12.9% %ELL: 1%

Model/Specialty (check all that apply)

Alternative

Career and Technical Education

Disability (list):

Montessori

Arts

College Prep

Language Immersion

STEM

Blended Learning

Other (list): STEAM (STEM Arts-infused) Military

Proposed Principal/Head of School (if known)

Name of proposed candidate: Ms. Shantal Johnson

Current employment:

KIPP Memphis Preparatory Middle School

Phone Number:

Day: (662) 721-6046

Evening:

Email: shantalk81@

(662) 721-6046

Campus Enrollment Projection:

Academic Year (specify)

Year one Year two Year three Year four Year five At Capacity

Planned # of Students 140 200 260 320 360 360

Maximum # of Students 140 200 260 320 360 360

Grade Levels Served

K - 6 K - 7 K - 8 K - 8 K - 8 K - 8

Truth Academy STEAM Charter School

Executive Summary Narrative Mission The mission of Truth Academy STEAM Charter School is to engage and prepare future-ready students through a rigorous standards-based education that uses an arts integrated STEM framework and to provide the underpinnings for every child to be successful in college, work, and life. Truth Academy STEAM Charter School graduates are expected to immediately take advantage of opportunities through post-secondary institutions and businesses.

Vision Shades of Elegance Corporation envisions that Truth Academy's STEAM graduates will be selfmotivated, creative, and innovative thinkers and problem-solvers that are prepared to be trailblazers and leaders in the 21st century global workforce.

Educational Need and Anticipated Student Population As is the case in most schools, located in the Delta of Northeast Mississippi, the demographics of the two schools located in the city of Drew reflect their community; therefore, they have been identified as school-wide project Title I - eligible schools. One hundred percent of the students in both A.W. James Elementary and Drew Hunter Middle schools are projected to qualify for free or discounted lunch. According to the Mississippi Department of Education, the SCCSD has continued to earn a district grade of "D" over the last five years. In conversations and interviews with citizens of Drew, it was apparent that there is an interest in reviving the pride that once existed in this small town's schools. In their words, "everything centered around the schools in Drew: the schools were our source of community pride."

Education Plan/School Design The proposed charter school hopes to rekindle community interest in is schools and education in general, through the implementation of an innovative educational program that lauds students' talents, challenges their academic abilities technology interests, and enriches their lives through the arts. STEM + Arts or STEAM as its instructional model, Truth Academy STEAM Charter School's (TASCS) instructional focus is centered on a STEAM Pedagogy, framed by STEM education in one or more of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.

Community Engagement We plan to visit local businesses and community organizations to encourage active support for school attendance, achievement and healthy behavior. During the school year, we will host monthly "Monday Family Night" meetings with academic themes which celebrate and recognize students for attendance, academic achievement or improvement. Additionally, we will send flyers home with students, school personnel and parent volunteers will make telephone calls to families to invite them to attend the Monday Night meetings and to offer transportation.

Leadership and Governance (Proposed Leadership Team)

Full Name

Current Job Title and Employer

Dr. T.J. Graham

Grade 8 Pre-Algebra and Algebra I Teacher/Math Department Chair - KIPP Memphis Preparatory Middle School

Position with Proposed School

Executive Director

Truth Academy STEAM Charter School

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Truth Academy STEAM Charter School

Ms. Shantal Johnson Grade 7 Science Teacher/ KIPP Memphis Preparatory Middle School

James Potts Hazel Harris Viscia Pointer

Iraq/Afghanistan War Veteran Vice Mayor, City of Drew Correctional Case Worker

Jennie Lewis, CPA CPA and Entrepreneur

Terry Tyler

Chief of Police (Drew, MS)

School Leader (Principal)

Board Chair Board Vice Chair Secretary Treasurer Sergeant-at-Arms

Enrollment Summary Proposed Growth Plan Table

Number of Students

Grade Level

Year 1 2018-19

Year 2 2019-20

Year 3 2020-21

Year 4 2021-22

Year 5 2022-23

K

20

40

40

40

40

20

40

40

40

40

1

2

20

20

40

40

40

20

20

40

40

40

3

4

20

20

20

40

40

20

20

20

40

40

5

20

20

20

40

40

6

20

20

20

40

7

20

20

40

8

140

200

260

320

360

TOTAL

Capacity 2023-24 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 360

Growth Plan Narrative Truth Academy STEAM Charter School will initially focus on recruitment and the development of a K-6 body of students for Years 1 and 2; then shift its focus to increase retention by Year 3 of operation. The rationale for targeting these grades is to provide a non-traditional alternative educational environment for those elementary and early middle school students, who consistently perform poorly in the traditional school environment. The growth plan anticipates a minimum of capital outlay with a maximum of Truth Academy's personnel participation to achieve the outcome of full attendance as projected.

In the school's first year, the school will admit 20 students per grade (K - 6) for a total enrollment of 140 students. In Year 2 of operation the school will admit 60 additional students (40 kindergarteners and 20 new first graders) for a total of 200 students. In Year 3, TASCS will open a new section of third graders for a total of 260 students. In Year 4, TASCS will admit 40 more students (20 in Grade 5 and 20 in Grade 6) for a total of 320 students. In year 5, the school will enroll 20 additional 8th graders for a total of 360 students. At peak enrollment, Truth Academy STEAM Charter School will enroll 360 students, or as many as are permitted by law.

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Truth Academy STEAM Charter School

Section 1: Educational Program Design & Capacity

Program Overview Truth Academy STEAM Charter School (TASCS) will use the STEM plus Arts (STEAM) approach to educate its students. STEAM is an approach, which uses STEM and the arts to promote learning that is both skill- and process-based. STEM education over the years has been praised for the endemic and enduring connections it brings to teaching and learning. However, STEM is more than just robotics and coding classes. STEM is the deliberate connection between two or more selected content areas to drive instruction through observation, inquiry and problem solving. STEM education provides a teaching and learning environment that not only strengthens the skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, but also the resources to connect these skills through the core processes of interpretation, communication, analysis and synthesis. Our STEAM approach will bring together the critical components of how and what, and blend them together with why. In short, our STEAM model will empower TASCS teachers to teach through integrated targets, where information is curated, shared, explored and molded into alternative ways of seeing and being through collaborative risk taking and creativity. Our students will use the skills and processes learned in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and the arts, to think deeply, make deeply thought-out inquiries and solve complex problems.

Research has shown that arts integration is an instructional approach, which provides students with the opportunity to explore multiple content areas simultaneously. Arts integration engages students in learning any content area in and through the arts. This means that any subject could be taught through the intentional connection to an arts standard that is seamlessly aligned. Therefore, it is conceivable and even likely that a visitor to TASCS would witness students reading about a Renoir or a Picasso painting, using Common Core ELA Standards and visual arts standards. Moreover, we envision that our students would be taught to explore the scientific method through the elements of music. Like STEM, the STEAM approach is not simply "extracurricular" but the authentic connection of standards, which are taught together and assessed equitably. Students will be able to access skills, talents and processes learned in the arts classroom to explore other topics and develop a personal understanding of both content areas.

Curriculum and Instructional Design

Description of the Basic Learning Environment - Each classroom will reflect the technology/arts-based learning model that we have selected. At Truth Academy STEAM Charter Schools founders believe that school should be relevant, fun, and a mechanism by which transferable life skills are built. It is our aim to push beyond the boundaries of the traditional learning environment by developing intriguing curriculum and compelling learning experiences that serve as a bridge between student achievement and engaging relevant instruction. In our relentless pursuit of quality, innovative instruction, the following core elements define Truth Academy STEAM Charter School's educational design:

1. STEAM 2. Rigorous Curriculum Design 3. Integrated Instruction 4. Problem-Based Learning 5. Partnerships

Truth Academy STEAM Charter School

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