Professional Letter .nm.us



TO: Chair of The Governing Council, La Resolana Leadership Academy (LRLA)

FROM: Tony Gerlicz, Director Options for Parents, Charter School Division

RE: Final Recommendation on LRLA Renewal Application

DATE: December 2, 2013

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

FINAL RECOMMENDATION OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL DIVISION

Through guts, perseverance, and passion, La Resolana has survived eight years. In many ways the school has struggled to escape the clutches of the difficult early years of its existence.

Since the overturn of the previous denial three years ago, LRLA has made modest gains. The academic performance of the school has been mixed. The “F” in this past year was a significant tumble from the “C” of the previous year; the school’s score went from 51.9 points to 37.08 points, 0.42 points away from a “D”. Everyone at the school attributes much of this drop in performance to the loss of personnel. A competent and popular math teacher left the school half way through the year, and was difficult to replace. Two other teachers, who were eventually not invited back, had significant personal issues, which caused inconsistencies in instruction.

Currently, the school’s faculty and leadership team has made a concerted effort to use data to chart the effectiveness of their instructional practice. “The Data Wall,” which charts core subjects as well as multiple intelligence data, is used for every student and is a regular part of faculty meetings, both formal and informal. In addition, LRLA is using the Leadership Learning Lab to bolster the academic deficiencies of each student. Finally, CSD saw a determined and committed staff who saw the potential of their small school in providing needed academic and social gains for their disenfranchised students.

In LRLA’s response to CSD’s preliminary analysis, they correct an error made in defining the scope of work of their consultants. We accept LRLA’s correction and apologize for the misunderstanding. LRLA also provided further clarification of the connection between their NWEA-MAP RIT scores and grade level growth equivalencies. However, CSD needs more information regarding how these grade level growth equivalencies were derived and what the “N” or number of student presented includes. Additionally, on the chart the school provides, the averaging of 6th, 7th, and 8th grades was used but that is not necessarily a mathematically correct average and there may be more students in one grade than in another.

CSD believes LRLA has made progress in the past two years, but not enough to warrant a full five year renewal. The new goals were officially approved in February of 2013, not a great deal of time in which to focus on them.

Recommendation: CSD recommends placing La Resolana Leadership Academy on a Correction Action Plan and extending the renewal of the contract by three years. The Corrective Action Plan shall have the following conditions placed on the school:

1. The school shall undergo an Instructional Audit under the guidance of the Priority Schools Bureau. The instructional audit will incorporate the standard turnaround principles as outlined in that process.

2. The Corrective Action plan will reflect additional actions that the school will take to improve the student outcomes for its lowest performing students. Completion of this Corrective Action plan will become one of the negotiated performance indicators in the school’s 2014-2015 Performance Framework. Successful completion of this condition will be monitored by CSD and reported regularly to PEC. PEC will determine if the corrective action plan is completed.

3. LRLA shall present an academic performance indicator for each year of the new charter which lists specific targets for achievement of the lowest quartile of students based upon academic performance data that meets or exceeds PED targets for growth for this quartile of students. The indicators must be one that PEC can agree to through the negotiation process of the contract.

4. LRLA shall present a plan for translating the use of MAP data (RIT scores) into full year / half year / partial year growth and that will become one of the negotiated performance indicators in the school’s 2014-2015 Performance Framework. Successful completion of this condition will be monitored by CSD and reported regularly to PEC.

5. LRLA will ensure that the Governing Council take an active and engaged role in ensuring the academic performance of the school and that GC monitor the status of those goals accordingly. A specific Governing Council measure shall be stated in SMART goal format as part of its Performance Framework indicator.

6. CSD and/or Priority Schools Bureau shall engage in in-depth annual visits to LRLA to both monitor and support to the school in reaching its performance indicators during the term of this contract.

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STATE OF NEW MEXICO

PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

300 DON GASPAR

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO 87501-2786

Telephone (505) 827-5800

ped.state.nm.us

| | Options for Parents |

|HANNA SKANDERA |Charter School Division SUSANA MARTINEZ |

|secretary of education |GOVERNOR |

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