New Hampshire

Center for School Reform

Bi-Weekly Newsletter

July 2, 2004

We are pleased to bring attention to New Hampshire's progress.

Please direct inquiries to Susan Hollins (susan@nhschoolreform.org)

Interview on School Reform with Fred Bramante,

Chairman, State Board of Education:

Recently, Fred Bramante shared his views on school reform in New Hampshire with Susan Hollins, NH Center for School Reform.

Q: What do you feel best about from your work this year on the State Board of Education?

A: Our venture into education reform is the most exciting work so far—into real education reform. The last time New Hampshire embarked on a statewide education reform effort was 1919, and now, 85 years later, I’m happy to be heading up this effort. We’re going to have a different and exciting public education system in New Hampshire over the next few years.

Q: What are the components of the education reform effort you mention? What has been accomplished or is in the works?

We’ve approved 6 charter schools. The legislature gave the State Board authority to approve 20 independent charter schools in 10 years. I predict we are going to have 20 charter schools in 3 years.
In the pipeline are changes in administrative rules that govern state education. The 2 basic goals of our proposed changes are to give more opportunity for students in our public schools and to give districts more flexibility.

Q: What type of administrative rule changes are being advanced?

Removing the 180-day rule for school attendance…changing this to an equivalent amount of hours and letting school districts decide their own calendars.
Changing high school credits based on Carnegie Units (seat time) and putting the emphasis on results—what students have learned and can do.
Opening up pathways to earning high school credits, so that the public school itself doesn’t have to deliver every program. We want students to have expanded opportunities to obtain credits in all the ways that people learn today—through internet courses, self-designed instruction, internships, on-the-job training. Our high schools do this now to a limited degree because our state rules currently limit credits achieved through these “alternatives.” We don’t want real world learning opportunities to be considered “alternatives”—we see these opportunities being part of the fabric of our public education system.

Q: What do you think will happen with school choice in New Hampshire next year?

A: I am hoping that the State Board will work with the legislature to advance statewide public school choice next year--allowing parents to choose from among other public schools. Then, where a student attends isn’t determined by where you live but by where you want to go to school. Choice will help schools think about and develop their strengths. Schools will market themselves and students/parents will have the opportunity to choose to go to a school best suited for their needs and interests as a learner.

For more information on the State Board of Education, go to http://www.ed.state.nh.us/StateBoard/meetings.htm.

For more information on Administrative Rules and rule-making laws and procedures, go to http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rules/whowe.html

For more information on the Department of Education’s school reform effort and ways to become involved, go to http://www.ed.state.nh.us/EdReform/index.htm

For more information on charter schools, how to begin, links to projects taking place, and technical support, go to www.nhschoolreform.org.

SCHOOL CHOICE, CHARTER SCHOOLS, AND FEDERAL LAW

Why should school boards and school districts support charter schools as independent choice schools? What’s in it for them?

Today’s national education laws are focused on the concept of choice—parents having options within each state’s public education system and not being required to attend one school based solely on residence.

The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires that certain public schools provide choice under certain conditions—charter school participation helps a district to meet this obligation. If there is no school choice, the districts must spend more funding and provide SES—Supplemental Educational Services. Charter schools and choice are now essential considerations for all school districts planning ahead.

From the US DOE web site:

This focus on parental choice places significant emphasis on parents' knowledge and understanding of their child's education needs. It also demonstrates a confidence in parents' ability to choose the most appropriate academic intervention for their child from among marketplace competitors. An important tenet of the law is that low-income parents should have the same range of options as available to parents who can afford to scan the marketplace and select an academic intervention service that meets their child's needs. NCLB's Supplemental Educational Services (SES) provision gives parents of eligible children the opportunity and the funding to choose a private tutor or other academic support provider to help their child succeed in school.

To understand your public school’s potential obligations, see Figure 1 from the US DOE web site: http://www.ed.gov/admins/comm/suppsvcs/sesprograms/report_pg4.html#figure1

This shows the choice-in-place timeline for any school not making the state’s annual standard of achievement (AYP):

School Year 1 School does not make AYP

School Year 2 School does not make AYP

School Year 3 Public school choice required

School Year 4 Public school choice required

Supplemental educational services

A school that does not make AYP for two years running is labeled "in need of improvement." The district must offer “choice” to students in that school the next year.

An important consideration for districts is to now assure that they can offer choice by having spaces in a public charter school, particularly if required to offer choice under Federal law. Under NH charter school law, districts and charter schools can have mutually advantageous contracts with each other. And the mutual benefit of contracts is a) a guarantee of choice school placements for the district, and 2) a reasonable per pupil tuition for the children in charter schools (now receive approx. 20-50% of a district’s per pupil cost). In 2004, school districts have good reason to assure NH charter schools are available and thrive.

NEW SCHOOL DESIGN PROJECTS, FUNDS RELEASED:

The No Child Left Behind Act's Charter Schools Grant Program is a competitive three-year grant that supports states' efforts to plan, design, operate and distribute information about charter schools. New Hampshire received a 7.2 million grant last year to support planning & design projects as well as start-up grants.

Four (4) charter school design projects, approved by the Department of Education, just had their planning funds released. Two projects can now begin and 2 projects, already completed and approved to open, can now pay their planning project debts.

Northeast Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Inc., Concord, NH, received $30,000 for their study and design of a charter school serving Deaf students. This project required extensive interpreter services in addition to typical costs. This charter application has been approved as a parent-choice, bilingual public school designed for students who are deaf and hard of hearing, needing a bilingual(ASL-English) environment. The Laurent Clerc Academy will open this September in Concord. Applications are now being accepted.

The Bell Center for Music and the Arts, Dover, NH, received $15,000 for their study and design of a charter high school for arts and arts-related technology. Now approved to open, the Cocheco Arts and Technology Academy (CATA) is accepting student and faculty applications and will open mid-year in 2004-2005.

Hope For Autism, Manchester, NH, received a $20,000 Pre-charter Planning Grant to study and design a charter school for young students with autism. The impressive vision is for intensive early school services so students maintain normal developmental levels and, thus, have more options throughout life. The Department of Education has just released a study of childhood autism in New Hampshire calculating 1987 students ages 3-21 with Autism Sprectrum Disorder of which 626 students are placed out of state. http://www.ed.state.nh.us/SpecialEd/autism.htm

NH Alliance for Advancement of Equine Studies, Wolfeboro, NH, received a $13,000 Pre-Charter Planning Grant to study and design a chartered high school offering all academic subjects plus career coursework related to horse industry careers. This entrepreneurial school vision includes unique revenue streams and will seek a facility with capacity for boarding, supporting, and training horses.

UPDATE: SCHOOLS OPENING NEXT YEAR:

Dover: Cocheco Arts and Technology Academy (CATA)

Official transition to public board was Wednesday, July 1, 2004.

The Bell Center for the Arts Board voted the slate of CATA Trustees. The new board spent its first meeting spending 2 hours reviewing school governance policy. One founder writes:

“I just wanted to say what an honor it was to be on the Board of Directors of the Bell Center last night, so that I could vote the CATA Board of Trustees into office. It will always be something that I will be proud of. Last night we made history in NH, with the official start of a first charter high school and the first high school for the arts in NH. Congratulations to the new Board of Trustees, I know you will work hard, do your best and CATA will be a success. Being a member of the Design Team was a wonderful experience….” For more information, contact Alexis Dascoulias, Chair, Board of Trustees, CATA.

CONCORD: LAURENT CLERC ACADEMY (LCA)

Official transition to public board governance scheduled for Wednesday, July 6^th.

Facility plan finalized. Student and staff recruitment now taking place. Looking very positive for a class of grade 1-4 students for September. Teachers of the Deaf are applying from out-of-state, enthusiastic about bringing an excellent bilingual academy to Concord. For more information, contact Susan Wolf-Downes, Executive Director of Northeast Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Inc.

NORTH COUNTRY ALTERNATIVE CHARTER SCHOOL:

Opening in September. Student applications now being accepted and processed. Facility space has been confirmed for two locations, as planned. For more information, contact Lisa LaVoie, Project Director.

FRANKLIN: FRANKLIN CAREER ACADEMY

Opening in September. Charter revision allows for grades 7-12. Applications strong in grades 7,8, and 9. For more information, contact Carol Sideris, COO & Head of School.

EXETER: SEACOAST CHARTER SCHOOL

Opening in September. Faculty now hired. Approximately 18 applications received to date and still being accepted. First date for student acceptance next week. Open recruitment until full. Facility options still under review. For more information contact Emily Hamilton, Teacher/Director.

QUESTIONS? Please do not hesitate to visit our web site and peruse the world of New Hampshire charter schools. We are updating weekly and responding to your requests and suggestions. Next newsletter…Plans to design a high school for Science, information on NH’s open enrollment/choice legislation, and a new report on the constitutionality of choice published by Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy.