Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 281 - Education Department › Title II - Accredited Schools and School Districts › Chapter 19 - Charter Schools › Rule 281-19.8 - Founding Group-state Board Model

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
A founding group may apply to the state board for approval to
				  establish and operate a charter school within the boundaries of the state that
				  operates as a new attendance center independently from a public school
				  district. The application shall demonstrate the founding group's academic and
				  operational vision and plans for the proposed charter school, demonstrate the
				  founding group's capacity to execute the vision and plans, and provide the
				  state board a clear basis for assessing the founding group's plans and
				  capacity.
(1)
Founding
				group-state board model application.
An application submitted under
				this rule shall include all of the following items related to the proposed
				charter school:
a. An executive
				summary.
b. The mission and vision
				of the proposed charter school, including identification of the targeted
				student population and the community the school intends to serve.
c. The location of the proposed charter
				school or the proposed geographic area within the state where the school is
				proposed to be located.
d.
				Identification of the grades to be served each school year during the duration
				of the charter school contract.
e.
				Minimum, planned, and maximum enrollment per grade for each school year during
				the duration of the charter school contract.
f. Evidence of need and community support for
				the proposed charter school.
g.
				Background information on the members of the founding group and background
				information on the governing board, administration, and management personnel of
				the proposed charter school, if available (if any or all of this information is
				not available, a projected date by which it will be available).
h. The charter school's proposed operations
				calendar and sample daily schedule.
i. A description of the academic program and
				identification of ways the program aligns with state academic
				standards.
j. A description of the
				charter school's instructional model, including the type of learning
				environment, class size and structure, curriculum overview, and teaching
				methods.
k. The charter school's
				plan for using internal and external assessments to measure and report student
				progress on the performance framework in accordance with Iowa Code section
				256E.9.
l. Plans for identifying
				and serving students with disabilities, students who are limited English
				proficient, students who are academically failing or below grade level, and
				gifted students, including but not limited to compliance with applicable laws
				and regulations.
m. A description
				of cocurricular and extracurricular programs and how the programs will be
				funded and delivered.
n. Plans and
				timelines for student recruitment, enrollment, and transfers, including
				enrollment preferences and procedures for conducting transparent admissions
				selections, including admissions lotteries.
o. The proposed code of student conduct,
				including applicable procedures and disciplinary sanctions for both general
				students and special education students.
p. A chart or description of the charter
				school's organizational structure and the duties and powers of each position or
				group, including the delineation of authority and reporting between the
				governing board, staff, and any related bodies or external organizations that
				have a role in managing the charter school.
q. A staffing chart for the charter school's
				first year and a staffing plan for the duration of the charter school
				contract.
r. Plans for recruiting
				and developing school administrators, staff, and governing board members and
				the charter school's employment policies, including performance evaluation
				plans.
s. Proposed governing bylaws
				for the charter school.
t.
				Identification and explanation of any partnerships or contractual relationships
				with an education service provider that are related to the charter school's
				operations or mission.
u. The
				charter school's plans for providing transportation services, food service, and
				all other operational or ancillary services (including compliance with any
				requirement imposed by federal law on public charter schools).
v. Proposed opportunities and expectations
				for parent involvement.
w. A
				detailed school start-up plan and five-year plan, including all relevant
				assumptions used, identifying timelines for charter school finances, budget,
				and insurance coverage; facility construction, preparation, and contingencies;
				and the identification of persons or positions responsible for each such
				item.
x. Evidence of anticipated
				fundraising contributions, if any.
y. If the application includes a proposal
				that the governing board contracts with an education service provider, evidence
				of the education service provider's success in serving student populations
				similar to that which is proposed in the application and if the education
				service provider operates other charter schools, evidence of past performance
				of such other charter schools and evidence of the education service provider's
				capacity for growth.
z. If the
				application includes a proposal that the governing board contracts with an
				education service provider, a description of the education service provider's
				staff performance evaluation measures and compensation structure, methods of
				contract oversight and dispute resolution, investment disclosures, and
				conflicts of interest.
aa. A
				proposed duration and outline of the charter school contract, including
				designation of roles, authority, and duties of the governing board and the
				charter school staff.
ab. The
				specific statutes and administrative rules with which the charter school does
				not intend to comply. The department shall provide technical assistance to the
				applicant concerning statutes and administrative rules that may be waived under
				the charter school contract in order to facilitate the goals of the charter
				school.