Outline for Annual and Mult-year Reports

DOWNLOAD>> Requirements for Annual Self-evaluation and Multi-year Review Reports (outline), CSAO, June 26,2006
DOWNLOAD>> REVISED Charter School Title I Schoolwide Plan (form), August 1, 2006
DOWNLOAD>> Charter School Crosswalk for Title I Schoolwide Components (form), June 15, 2006

The following message was sent via email on August 24, 2006 to charter school directors.

Dear Charters,

Since several schools are still completing their plans, I thought I would take this opportunity to provide feedback, and re-send those forms again, just in case.

First, I'm attaching a few documents we have sent out before.  These include the basic outline for both annual and multi year reports. (This is essentially the same outline as the multi year guidelines passed last year, and this specific document was last circulated on June 26 of this year.)  As you can see, the specific items under section 1 for the academic issues are essentially the same list of questions that Title I requires.  Those doing a Title I plan can thus use that plan for section 1. 

Second is the CSAO Revised Title I school-wide plan, which DOE Title I office created to accommodate their program to our reporting needs.  It is the format that those who submitted their Title I plans have already started to use. 

Third, is a blank "crosswalk" chart that has the questions the feds want answered. The review team suggests you use this as a review of your plan to ensure it is complete, and submit it with page numbers in the "notations" column, so we can see where in the plan you address the questions.  This will help us to review it, and help you to ensure it is complete. 

Feedback: So far we have noted that plans already submitted tend not to expand upon how they might recruit new teachers.  There is a lot of information on professional development of existing faculty.  But we felt it would be important to at least set specific goals or adopt a recruitment strategy for achieving 100% highly qualified.  (See questions #3 and #5 on the chart).  We have also noted that not all have included a section on Transitions (#7) for students entering the school and for students exiting the school. 

Approach:  For those who have already submitted plans, we will be in direct contact if we want more information or clarifications.  In most cases it is just a matter of framing existing data or adding some more information. We suggest this can be done by revising the plan or by submitting a word document addendum that we can just attach to the plan.  The reason for this formality is to ensure that when (not if) the Feds come and audit our charter school Title I programs we have the documentation to show that all plans were complete per fed guidelines. 

Again, if you are doing a Title I plan, this "counts" as the first section of your annual (or multi-year) report.  (You then proceed with the other sections for the annual report.) We suggest that if you have done the Title I part and are still working on the other parts that you submit the Title I section as soon as it is done so we can review it and get your first check out the door. 

$$$$$:  Once your initial Title I plan is approved, DOE can release the first Title I funding, about 40%.  Then they will want a budget. Once that is approved, they make available the final 60%.  They need to get all this done by early next year.  So the earlier you do get your initial plans in the better. 

Mahalo 

Jim