executive education schools

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2014Charter Application

Of

Executive Education Schools

Submitted to:York City School District


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Executive Education Schools Page 2

EXECUTIVE EDUCATION SCHOOLSTABLE OF CONTENTS

I. CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATION FACT SHEET ....................................................... 4

II.

SCHOOL DESIGN .................................................................................................................... 51. Our Mission: Resilience, Leadership, Community ............................................................................................. 5

2. Holding Ourselves Accountable: Measurable Goals and Objectives .............................................................. 73. In Depth: The Educational Program ........................................... .................................................. ....................... 94. Curriculum and Instructional Strategies ............................................................................................................ 125. Workforce Readiness: Business / Entrepreneurial Component ....................................................... ............ 18

III. EXCEPTIONALITY AND SUPPORTS........................................................................... 211. FAPE and INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATIONACT, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.(IDEA), its implementing regulations, 34 C.F.R. Part 300 ................................................................................. 21 2. FAPE: Identification and RtII ............................................................................................................................ 223. FAPE, continued: Supports ................................................................................................................................ 244. Section 504 of the REHABILITATIONACT OF 1973, 29 U.S.C. 794, and its implementing regulations,34 C.F.R. Part 104 ......................................................................................................................................................... 27

5.

English Language Learners ................................................................................................................................. 28

IV. ACCOUNTABILITY ............................................................................................................. 341. Accountability and Oversight as a Nonprofit Corporation ....................................................... .................... 342. Accountability and the Executive Administration .............................................. ............................................. 353. Students: An Emphasis on Self-Evaluation and Accountability ................................................................... 364.

Accountability and Instructional Staff ................................................. .................................................. ............ 37

5. Accountability to Parents .............................................. .................................................. ..................................... 396. Financial Oversight ............................................................................................................................................... 397. General Counsel .................................................................................................................................................... 40

V. STUDENT RECORDS AND EVALUATION PROCESSES ....................................... 421. FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACYACT, 20 U.S.C. 1232g, and its implementingregulations, 30 C.F.R. Part 99 ...................................................................................................................................... 42

2.

Evaluating Student Performance ........................................................................................................................ 45

VI. SCHOOL COMMUNITY ..................................................................................................... 491. Generally ................................................................................................................................................................ 492. Parenting Adults: Involvement ........................................................................................................................... 493. Parenting Adults: Grievances .............................................................................................................................. 51

VII. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: EXTRACURRICULAR ....................................... 521.

Survey of Current Planned Activities................................................................................................................. 52

VIII. NEEDS ASSESSMENT ..................................................................................................... 541. Our Vision is to Stand WITH York School District to Raise Graduation Rates, Boost AcademicPerformance and Eliminate Truancy .......................................................................................................................... 542. Our Normative Approach and the Charter Model.......................................................................................... 55

IX.

COMMUNITY OF SUPPORTERS .................................................................................... 56

1. Our Commitment to the York School District ................................................................................................ 56

X. THE FOUNDERS ................................................................................................................... 571. Profile of Founding Coalition: ............................................................................................................................ 572. Their Vision ............................................................................. .................................................. ............................ 593. Our Resource Team ............................................................................................................................................. 60

XI. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ........................................................................................... 621. Governance ............................................................................................................................................................ 62


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2. Selection of Trustees ............................................................................................................................................ 623. Maintaining Continuity ........................................................................................................................................ 634. Board of Trustees: Roles and Responsibilities ................................................................................................. 635. A Collegial Partnership: Steps to Facilitate Productive Relationships between Administrators andTeachers ................................................................................... .................................................. ..................................... 636. Parent and Student Involvement ........................................................................................................................ 647. Our Board of Trustees ......................................................................................................................................... 65

XII. FINANCE AND FACILITY .............................................................................................. 711. Comprehensive Multi-Year Preliminary Startup and Operating Budget ..................................................... 712. Supplementing Capital: Financing Strategies .................................................................................................... 713. Key Financial Oversight of Funds: .................................................................................................................... 714. Insurance Coverage: Liability .............................................................................................................................. 725. Insurance Coverage: Health ................................................................................................................................ 736. Child Accounting .................................................................................................................................................. 73

XIII. IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION .................................................... 761. Marketing and Publicity ....................................................................................................................................... 762. Admissions Methods and Eligibility Criteria ............................................... ................................................. .... 763. Human Resource Information, Generally ........................................................................................................ 77

XIV.

POLICIES GOVERNING SALARIES, CONTRACTS, HIRING ANDDISMISSAL, SICK AND OTHER LEAVE, AND BENEFITS. ............................................ 82

1. Salaries .................................................................................................................................................................... 822. Contracts ................................................................................................................................................................ 853. Additional Health Benefits for Employees .................................................. ................................................. .... 874. Vacation, Personal and Sick Days ................................................ .................................................. .................... 875.

Leave (Other)......................................................................................................................................................... 88

6. Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).................................................................................................................... 887. Military Leave ........................................................................................................................................................ 888. Reasonable Accommodations for Disability: An Obligation, not a Benefit................................................ 88

XV.

STUDENT BEHAVIOR ..................................................................................................... 89

1.

Code of Conduct:.................................................................................................................................................. 89

2. Student Discipline. ................................................................................................................................................ 973.

Mandatory Student Attendance Plan ............................................................................................................... 100

4. Absences ................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .......... 1015. Tardy Policy ............................................................................. .................................................. .......................... 103

XVI. ADDITIONAL SERVICES ............................................................................................ 1031. Transportation: ............................................... .................................................. .................................................. . 1032.

Food Service ........................................................................................................................................................ 104

3. Timetable ................................................ .................................................. .................................................. .......... 1044. Safety: .................................................................................................................................................................... 1055. School Health Services ....................................................................................................................................... 106

EXHIBIT A: DISCIPLINARY CHECKLIST ......................................................................... 111


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I. CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATION FACT SHEET

Proposed Charter School Names

Davis School Powered By Executive Education Schools

Devers School Powered By Executive Education SchoolsFerguson School Powered By Executive Education SchoolsGoode School Powered By Executive Education SchoolsJackson School Powered By Executive Education SchoolsMcKinley School Powered By Executive Education SchoolsHannah Penn School Powered By Executive Education SchoolsWilliam Penn High School Powered By Executive Education Schools

Proposed Charter School Locations

All schools will remain at the current location

County

York

Intermediate Unit

Lincoln Intermediate Unit #12

Proposed Start Date

September 1st2014

Federal Employer Identification Number

46-3958358

Contact Person:

Robert Joseph Lysek, CEO

Organization

Executive Education Schools, a Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation governed by a Board ofTrustees

Contact

Executive Education Schools/ico/ David Annecharico, Esq.113 South 21stStreet


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Philadelphia, PA 19103

t: 215-669-3930f: 215-851-9990e: [email protected], with a copy to [email protected]

II.

SCHOOL DESIGN

1. Our Mission: Resilience, Leadership, Community

A. Our Philosophy is that children rise to meet academic and personal standardsof accountability when every child is treated as a leader.

Executive Education Schoolss mission is to implement a leadership academy and businesseducation model that engages students in the school community, prevents them fromdropping out of school, fosters self resiliency, and prepares them to be contributingmembers in the workplace, college, and the community.

Executive Education Schools, in partnership with parents, districts, and communities, willimplement a sound instructional program that delivers academic results to close theachievement gap.

Executive Education Schools, in partnership with parents, districts, and communities, willimplement a normative culture that gives students the academic skills and resiliency tosucceed in the workplace, in college, and in our communities. This will allow us to addresseducational issues such as, the achievement gap, student dropout rate, and workforce andcollege readiness.

B.

Our Vision: Integrating Business and Leadership Skills in Partnership withYork

One of our main goals is to close the achievement gap for all learners through shareddecision-making, a rigorous curriculum, and student mobility based upon individualachievement, parent involvement, smaller class size, and highly qualified staffing.

It is, therefore, our vision that, with the successful integration of business and leadershipeducation into the instructional program, students at Executive Education Schools will learnfrom and will contribute to the business arena on many levels. Our partnerships withbusinesses and mentorships with community organizations will provide a unique educational

experience for students to be successful in the business world. Our leadership program willdevelop students soft skills, so that they will excel in areas of management, communication,and sustainability.

Moreover, and most importantly our model addresses student resiliency. Students at risk ofacademic failure often face a complexity of problems due to poverty, health, and other socialconditions that have made it difficult for them to succeed in school. The construct ofeducational resilience is not viewed as an attribute but as something that can be promoted


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by focusing on alterable factors that can impact an individuals success in school. Thisapproach does not focus on attributes such as ability, because ability has not necessarily beenfound to be a characteristic of resilient students. There are, several factors that have beenfound to influence resiliency in children Benard (1993). They are:

Social competence Problem-solving skills

Autonomy

A sense of purpose

Our program addresses resiliency and has systems in place to support each factor thatinfluences resiliency. Social Competence is addressed within our Guided GroupInteraction (GGI). It uses the Boys Town Social Skills Curriculum to teach and educatestudents on social skills and prosocial behavior. We address problem-solving skills, byutilizing 10 skills that are embedded into our academic program. These skills are utilized ona daily basis to teach students how to overcome barriers and condition students to become

more resilient. Another factor that we address is autonomy. Our leadership and characterdevelopment component, teaches students to be self reliant, leaders, self-disciplined, and totake ownership on themselves and others. This helps students to create a sense of onesown identity, and an ability to exert some control over ones own environment. Lastly, ourprogram helps create a sense of purpose. Goal setting is discussed on a daily basis in GGIand our assembly process that takes place twice a day. These assemblies motivate studentsto accomplish daily goals. Our rating system gives students the necessary feedback to makechanges and it is oriented around success, aspirations, sense of a compelling future, and abelief in a bright future. There are student systems in place to support the rating system,such as a pledge log, positive log, and executive elections that help students accomplish goal-directedness.

Executive Education Schools utilizes the 10 integrated principals to meet the demands of thecommon core. These were developed by a scan of design principles used by New York CityDepartment of Education. These principles are highly researched by high performingschool networks, and refined with the feedback and contributions of experiencededucators. In addition, the Carnegie Corporation of New York recognizes these designprincipals of high performing Schools. The principals are as follows.

Integrates positive youth development to optimize student engagement and effort.

Prioritizes mastery of rigorous standards aligned to college and career readiness.

Continuously improves its operations and model.

Develops and deploys collective strengths of staff. Manages school operations effectively and efficiently.

Maintains an effective human capital strategy aligned with school model and priorities.

Empowers and supports students through key transitions into and beyond high school.

Remains porous and connected (partnerships, access to community resources,

knowledge sharing with other schools.

Creates a clear mission and coherent culture; and

Personalizes student learning to meet student needs.


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What encapsulates all of these design principals is our signature normative culture. Ournormative culture model uses the intentional manipulation of norms to change anti-socialbehavior into pro-social behavior. According, to Grissom & Dubnov (1989) theimplementation of a normative culture rests on three norms. They are:

Treat others with respect Redirect all negative behavior

Support all redirections

2. Holding Ourselves Accountable: Measurable Goals and Objectives

A. Specific Measurable Academic Goals And Objectives

Academic Goal Academic Measurable Outcome

Executive Education Charter Schoolstudents will read with accuracy,fluency, and comprehension

A minimum of 85% of our students will make atleast one years rate of progress as determined bythe CDT, DRA/QRI, and PVAAS.

Executive Education Charter Schoolstudents will acquire the skillsnecessary for success in the 21stcentury workplace

By the year 2015-2016, a minimum of 80% ofstudents 5-8 will score proficient or advanced onthe 21st Century Skills Assessment.

Executive Education AcademyStudents will successfully apply themathematical practice standards

when solving problems

A minimum of 85% of our students will make atleast one years rate of progress in mathematics asdetermined by the CDT (6-12) and the end of the

year assessment (K-5).

All Executive Education AcademyELL students will make yearlymeasurable progress towardsEnglish Language Proficiency.

A minimum of 80% of our ELL students willincrease their scale score by 10% from their baseline score in the four domains of Listening,Speaking, Reading and Writing as measured bythe ACCESS test.

Executive Education Academystudents will be able to thinkcritically and problem solve

A minimum of 85% of our 8th and 12th gradestudents will receive a proficient score on theirculminating project as determined by the

performance outcome rubric.

Executive Education Schools willexceed the citywide average on thePSSA and Keystone Assessments

Reduce the number of below basic and basicstudents as determined by state assessments by aminimum of 10% per year for the first 5 yearsStudents performing at a below basic and basiclevel will show an overall 10% increase from thefirst to the last Study Island benchmark.


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Executive Education Charter Schoolstudents will be able to apply civicand political participation standards

80% of our students will receive an overall scoreof proficient or advanced on their civicengagement portfolio.

Every Executive Education

classroom will have an effectiveteacher.

By the 2016-2017 school year, 85% of our

teachers, having entered our system at itsinception, will receive a minimum overall score of3.0 on the PA Instructional Rubric.

B.

Specific Measurable Non-Academic Goals And Objectives

Non-Academic Goal Non-Academic Measurable Outcome

Executive Education Schools willmaintain a high rate of parentalinvolvement

Increase parent involvement by 5% each year.

File all sign in sheets for all meetings

Establish a parent organization to providefeedback and direction to the school

Develop a system of parent activities tosolicit parent engagement

Have a parent(s) be an active member ofboard meetings

Provide monthly parentworkshops/trainings

Assist parent volunteers in obtaining andcompleting the necessary clearance checks

Parent attendance at Back to School Night

and semester Report Card Conferences

Executive Education Schools willmaintain and grow partnershipswith the community and nationalorganizations.

To support the mission and vision of ExecutiveAcademy, community relationships will bedeveloped with the following types oforganizations.

Nationally recognized business affiliates

Future Business Leaders of America

(FBLA) Phi Beta Lamda (PBL)

Distributive Education Clubs of America

(DECA)

Enactus Colleges and Universities

Community Business Groups

Community Businesses

Community Business Leaders

Community Organizations


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Executive Education Schools willhire and maintain 100% of highlyqualified staff

Staff hired must meet Highly Qualifiedrequirements set by NCLB

Executive Education Schools will

maintain a high student retentionrate.

90% or higher of students will re-enroll the

following year

The Board of Trustees will providestable, effective stewardship.

Full attendance at each meetingParticipation of board members in special schoolactivitiesFollow-through on decisionsSuccessful completion of agendaMinutes are taken at all meetings, ratified and filed.

Drop Out Reduction Decrease the drop out rate in year 4 and 5 by 10%each year.

Student Leadership 10% of students will be active members of studentgovernment

3. In Depth: The Educational Program

A. Curriculum Overview

Our vision at Executive Academy is to develop an integrated Kindergarten-to-12th-grade("K12") system so that teaching and learning move steadily from early elementary towards

college and career readiness. Our curriculum in alignment with the Common Core StateStandards and Pennsylvanias Standard Aligned System (SAS) will imbed performance basedassessments and activities. These will provide many opportunities for students to show theirunderstanding of the content as well as their ability to apply and transfer the new learning.

In order to prepare our students for success in the global workforce, every classroom mustbe a 21st century learning environment. This means that all content areas must be enhancedthrough the incorporation of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity(The Four Cs).

Throughout all subject areas our students will be encouraged to consider a variety of ideas,

viewpoints and perspectives that may be useful in finding solutions and alternatives to posedproblems. A high priority will be given to teaching students how to reflect on their ownlearning and to recognize and voice when they are not understanding or comprehending thecontent. Not only will they be taught various student centered strategies, but they will beencouraged to choose when to apply certain strategies and to share their rationale for doingso. In the early years and initially in all grades the application of these skills will be monitoredand facilitated by the teacher through the use of modeling, questioning and sentence frames.As students become stronger in the areas of critical thinking, problem solving and


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communication the teacher will act as a facilitator as groups collaborate and participate indiscussions and hands-on activities.

According to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, students must have a range offunctional and critical thinking skills related to information, media and technology to

succeed in a 21st century marketplace. Consequently, our curriculum model highlights theimportance for students to learn and apply critical thinking and problem solving skills acrossthe content areas.

Critical thinking and problem solving skills are learned behaviors and therefore must beexplicitly taught through modeling and the labeling of ones own thinking. Our curriculumwill stress the following types of thinking and problem solving:

B. Implementation of Critical Thinking Skills

Analytical Thinking - students will analyze, compare and contrast, and evaluate andexplain information

Practical Thinking - students will use, apply and implement what they learn in real lifescenarios

Creative Thinking - students will create, design, imagine and suppose

Research-based Thinking - students will explore and review a variety of ideas, modelsand solutions to problems

C. Implementation of Problem Solving Skills

Abstraction - the process of considering in isolation a specific property of complexobject-Students will be taught to identify and use the key ideas across different examplesto solve a problem.

Categorization - students will analyze information, classify it and sort it into meaningful

categories

Drawing Conclusions - students will draw conclusions based on data presented to themin many forms, viewpoints, perspectives and quality

Predicting Outcomes - students will make predictions and will test the validity of thosepredictions

Observing and Experimenting - students will develop hypotheses and will collect andobserve data to draw conclusions

Justifying Solutions - students will analyze several possible solutions, select the bestsolution and justify why this was chosen amongst others


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Improving Solutions - students will analyze a proposed solution to a problem and will beasked to suggest ideas for improving it

Identifying Relevant/Irrelevant Information - when given relevant and irrelevant

information, students will identify what is relevant for solving a specific problem Generating Ideas - students will be taught how to look for analogies and to brainstorm

ideas in order to identify the best possible solution

Creating and Designing - students will be asked to create or design an experiment orproblem for other students to evaluate or solve.

Students who are adept at problem solving are able to complete complex tasks at a higherlevel of learning. Consequently, a teacher must provide many opportunities for students tolearn and practice different problem solving approaches. Again at the onset, a teacher mustboth model the thinking process and also label the types of thinking that are being used

when solving a particular problem. As this skill is strengthened students will be expected toexplain and discuss their methods for problem solving.

D. Project Based Learning

In Project Based Learning (PBL), students participate in an in-depth process of inquiry anddesign in response to a complex question, problem, or challenge. At Executive Academy,project based learning will be used to help students learn key academic content, practice 21stCentury Skills (the 4 Cs), and create high-quality, authentic products & presentations.Projects in the lower grades will be theme based and will be done as a class with small groupactivities, discussions and presentations. The teacher will model and guide students througheach step of the process. In the upper grades 5-12, the teacher will serve as a facilitator, whilethe students collaborate in small groups in the completion of their projects. Students ingrades 8 and 12 will have a culminating individual presentation in which they present theirown project that involves the integration of multiple courses of study. Resources from TheBuck Institute for Education will be used to guide teachers in the development and theimplementation of the projects. Such resources include: The Project Based LearningHandbook for Middle and High School Teachers; the PBL Starter Kit; and PBL in theElementary Grades.

E. Interpersonal Communication

At Executive Academy, we recognize that it is crucial for every student to possess stronginterpersonal skills if they are to be successful in the global workforce. Consequently, these

skills must be taught and practiced throughout all grades and courses of study, as well as inall facets of the school community. Teachers will work with their small learning communitiesin order to develop and plan for the infusion of such skills throughout the curriculum anddaily school activities.

The Student Interpersonal Skills standards contain three standard categories that aredesigned to provide a Pre-Kindergarten 12th grade continuum that will prepare students to


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face the demands of adult life in society. The standard categories are designed to developsimultaneously.

Self-Awareness and Self-Management are skills to understand and manage behavior as afoundation for appropriate social interaction.

Establishing and Maintaining Relationships articulates skill components of healthy

successful interactions with others.

Decision Making and Responsible Behavior addresses the knowledge and skills formaking intelligent decisions, accepting the consequences of the choice, and engaging inpositive social behavior.

Literacy: An Essential Component of all Instructional Activity

At Executive Education Schools, we view reading as an essential activity for students in

every subject area. Consequently, it is critical that teachers from every discipline incorporatecomprehension strategies into their curriculum. Having the opportunity to applycomprehension strategies across disciplines will allow students to access complex texts andwill make the learning meaningful.

In order to facilitate the enhancement of literacy skills our middle and high school contentteachers will focus on the following key areas:

Comprehension Strategies -improving the use of effective reading strategies before,during, and after reading

Discussion-providing opportunities for deeper, more sustained discussion of contentfrom text

High standards setting and maintaining high standards for the level of text, conversation,questions, and vocabulary reflected in discussions and in reading and writingassignments.

Reading-writing connection-strengthening the reading-writing connection to improvestudent opportunities to reflect on the meaning of text and receive feedback on theirreflections

Motivation and engagement- creating more engaging and motivating classrooms, and

interacting with students in a way that promotes internal motivation for reading

Content learning-teaching content knowledge to ensure learning of the most essential

concepts by all students, even those who struggle to read the textbook.

4.

Curriculum and Instructional Strategies

A. Language Arts


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The Daily 5

The Daily 5 is a structure that helps students develop the daily habits of reading, writing, andworking independently that literacy independence. Implementing these elements into a

literacy block will ensure all children are working at their level of challenge while takingresponsibility for their learning and behavior. Grades K- 4 will implement all 5 literacy tasks:reading to self, reading with someone, writing, word work, and listening to reading. Grades5-12 will focus on a Daily 3: reading to self, writing and word work.

Early Balanced Literacy Framework (K-3)

The Balanced Literacy framework is utilized to ensure that all students are providedopportunities to develop reading, writing, speaking, listening and thinking skillssimultaneously. This framework of literacy instruction incorporates a proportional timeframe for each element of literacy instruction including: read aloud, shared reading,independent reading, and interactive writing, word study, vocabulary and grammar. When

implemented with fidelity, the balanced literacy framework equips our young readers withthe skills and strategies needed to become fluent, proficient readers.

Response to Literature Journals

Every student from grades 2-12 will maintain a response to literature journal. The teacherand the student will communicate weekly in this log. As they connect with a variety of texts,students will be able to show their understanding of the focus skill and will haveopportunities to answer questions providing evidence to support their claims. This will serveas a formative assessment tool for teachers.

Readers/Writers Workshop (4-12)

This literacy model exposes students to multiple levels of text in a variety of genres. At thislevel of instruction students are required to apply literacy skills and strategies that will enablethem to comprehend increasingly challenging and more complex texts throughout allcontent areas. Students are introduced to the skill/strategy with a read aloud text. They thenpractice the content with grade level text from a variety of curriculum resources. Finally,they apply the content at their own independent level using leveled classroom libraries. Thisgradual release of responsibility allows them to learn and apply the skills necessary tocomprehend grade appropriate content as defined by the Common Core State Standards.

Journeys Common Core (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) Grades K- 5

Journeys Common Core is a literacy program designed around the Common Core StateStandards. This standards-driven, comprehensive program enables educators to meet theacademic needs of diverse learners.

Holt McDougal Literature (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) Grades 6-8


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The Holt McDougal Literature, Common Core Edition comprehensively addresses theStandards so that all students acquire critical ELA skills and diverse content, preparing themfor college and career success. Selections in this interactive reader have been fully adapted totarget students reading well below grade level by modifying the complexity of content,vocabulary, and syntax.

Holt McDougal Literature (9-12)

Holt McDougal Literature is research-based and provides an engaging learning environmentdesigned to help English Language Arts students successfully meet the Common Core StateStandards for Grades 9 through 12. A variety of support is available to meet the range ofyour students' needs. Holt McDougal Interactive Readers are designed for on level, belowlevel, and English language learners.

Writing (K-12)

Developing Writing and Thinking Skills Across the Curriculum - John J. Collins

The Collins Writing ProgramSMwas designed to simultaneously improve students' thinking andwriting skills through Five Types of WritingSM assignments: Capture Ideas; Respond; Edit;Peer Edit*; Publish. For each writing type the program establishes clear expectations andoutcomes and provides extensive, practical strategies for students.

STEM Overview

The goal of STEM education is to prepare students with the basic building blocks they needto be successful in postsecondary and the 21st century workforce. Consequently we atExecutive Education Schools recognize and value the importance of a rigorous and relevant

STEM program that will increase student attainment and achievement in the areas ofscience, technology, engineering and mathematics. With the assistance of supports andresources from the PA STEM Initiative and The Center for Science and the Schools(CSATS), we will implement a STEM program that will provide our students withopportunities to strengthen their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. By providinginternships, workshops, field trips and mentor programs, our community partners will assistus in our mission of educating and preparing students for future careers in the STEMfields.

Math

Our math curriculum is aligned to the Common Core State Standards. These standards arefocused, coherent, and relevant to the real world, describing the knowledge and skills thatstudents need for success in college and careers. Every math lesson will includeopportunities for whole class, small group and individualized instruction as we strive to buildstudent expertise in both the mathematical content and practice standards.

The key components of our math curriculum are rigor and coherence.


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Coherence helps students to connect the learning in and across grade levels so thatthey can build new understandings onto the foundations previously established

Rigor requires a balance of solid conceptual understanding; procedural skill andfluency; and the application of skills in problem solving situations

Go Math! (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) - K-8 - GO Math! is a focused programdesigned to meet the objectives and intent of the Common Core State Standards for

Mathematics. The GO Math! program introduces the new learning through contextbased situations and progresses toward more abstract problems. The program isdesigned to assist teachers in the implementation of a rigorous, focused curriculum thataligns to the CCSS.

GO Math! Includes activities and materials to engage all levels of RtI learners withfocused hands-on activities, print support, and a comprehensive online interventionsolution. Teachers are able to select instructional strategies and resources that specifically

align with each students level of understanding, specific learning goals and preferredlearning style.

Holt McDougal Larson Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Pre-Algebra - (9-12)Through the use of Holt McDougal Larson Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Pre-Algebra students will develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts to helpstudents extend their math knowledge beyond the classroom. The program supports arigorous high school math curriculum that includes the Common Core Standards andprepares students for STEM careers. Integration of the Standards for MathematicalPractice takes students beyond doing the math to understanding and explaining it.

Science and Social Studies

Discovery Education Streaming Plus - Discovery Education offers a wealth of digital mediacontent that is immersive, engaging and relevant. The content is aligned to state standards,can be aligned to custom curriculum, and supports classroom instruction regardless of thetechnology platform. Discovery Education has been proven to increase student achievementand is in alignment with our goal of providing our students with the 21st century skills andknowledge necessary to become the leaders of tomorrow.

K-12 Science Techbook. Science Techbook is a unique, web-based teaching and learning toolthat offers multi-modal resources through the integration of text, audio, video, images anddigital investigations. Real-time assessments also enhance a teachers ability to individualizeinstruction. Discovery Education also offers STEM Connect, which will be beneficial insupporting our STEM Model. Students can visualize the cause and effect relationshipbetween key variables by manipulating, displaying and analyzing data, enabling them topractice the scientific method and to learn to read, write, and think like scientists.

Quality science education is based on standards that are rich in content and practice, withaligned curricula, pedagogy, assessment, and teacher preparation and development. Ourcurriculum will align with the Next Generation Science Standards that identifies content and


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science and engineering practices that all students should learn from kindergarten to highschool graduation.

Implementing improved K12 science standards will better prepare high school graduatesfor the rigors of college and careers. In turn, employers will be able to hire workers with

strong science-based skillsincluding specific content areas but also skills such as criticalthinking and inquiry-based problem solving.

Every NGSS standard has three prongs: content, scientific and engineering practices andcrosscutting concepts. The integration of rigorous content and application reflects howscience is practiced in the real world.

Our Social Studies curriculum will align with the College, Career and Civic Life (C3)Framework. Students will increase their understanding of core content in the disciplines ofcivics, economics, geography and history as they reflect upon the essential questions, planinvestigations apply learned concepts, gather and evaluate evidence and work collaborativelyin supporting and communicating their conclusions. Social Studies is a core area in the K-12

curriculum that will include the disciplinary literacies and practices that are necessary forsuccess in college level social studies courses, as well as for the development of the criticalthinking, problem solving and collaborative skills needed for the workplace.

Social Studies Techbook Social Studies Techbook links social studies to key historicalresources, features activities that help students to think critically, and encourages students todevelop arguments that are supported by evidence.

Topics Include:

United States History - Prehistory to 1877 and Reconstruction

World History - Prehistory to the 1800s and the European Enlightenment.

World Geography and Cultures - Examine the physical and human geography of regionsin the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

Imagine the great geographic and cultural diversity in our world.

Social Studies (9-12)

World History: Patterns of Interaction 2012 is a highly integrated, high school worldhistory textbook program with enhanced HISTORY curriculum that provides teacherswith a practical and motivational approach to help students think critically and reflectively.

Geography 2012

Geography motivates students to explore current geographic issues to show the relevance ofgeography to current events. It is clearly organized between physical geography, humangeography, and todays issues (current events). It balances a big picture approach to worldregions with attention to individual l countries where appropriate.

The Americans 2012


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The Americans is a high school American history curriculum that supports the intent of theCommon Core State Standards with rigor, skills, and document-based instruction. Thisprogram will help students connect with the past and explore the richness of our nationshistory.

Civics in Practice:

Principles of Government and Economics 2011helps foster student civic responsibilitythrough a balanced course that features the principles of government, active citizenship, andresponsible economic participation. With a standards-based narrative, easy-to-navigatedesign, and instructional visuals, students will be engaged and interested in the study ofcivics. Skills features focus on media investigation, civic participation, application ofcommon law, and making informed economic choices.

Civics Engagement (K-12)

Civic Literacy:The ability to let your life speak by participating thoughtfully, responsibly,and passionately in the life of the community with concern for the common good.

At Executive Education Academy, we believe that it is our responsibility to prepare studentsfor civic and political participation. We will incorporate the Kids Voting USA Curriculum byGeneration Nation to providewhat students need to participate in a democracy, and to teachthe skills and dispositions essential to students social and working lives: team building,working across differences, collaboration, listening, and negotiating.

Within each age grouping, activities are divided into 4 major themes.

Elections and Voting -The intent of this theme is to educate students about elections,from gaining an appreciation of the power of voting including what suffrage is and why

it is an important concept today to understanding the registration process and

participating in an election. The themes activities fall under three concepts: My Vote

Gives Me Power; I Register and Vote; and Suffrage Then and Now.

Democracy and the People -The intent of this theme is to provide an understanding of

and a context for American democracy and citizenship, from the rights and

responsibilities of students in their local, state and national communities to the world

beyond. The themes activities fall under four concepts: What is Democracy;

Democracy in America; A Citizens Rights and Responsibilities; and Democracy in theWorld.

Informed Citizen -The intent of this theme is for students to learn how to evaluateinformation, intelligently form decisions and communicate your positions to others. Thethemes activities fall under three concepts: I Study the Candidates and Issues; Gatheringand Weighing Information; and Technology/Media Literacy.


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Civic Engagement/Service Learning -The intent of this theme is for students to practicethe skills of democratic living as they learn important civic lessons in the classroom andparticipate in activities in their communities. The themes activities fall under threeconcepts: Working Together; I Make A Difference; and Communicating with Others.

After each theme students will participate in a culminating activity, which is a meaningfulsummarization of the themes main learning objectives. Each year students will participate ina service learning project that will benefit the community and will foster links betweenacademic learning and community problem-solving and service-learning opportunities. Highschool students will utilize the Destination Democracy service-learning curriculum, which willguide them as they learn about democracy and their responsibility to better their communitythrough service projects and youth development workshops. Students will maintain aworking portfolio that will document their work throughout their school years.

History ROX Program

The HISTORY ROX program was developed by the Center for Historical Research Studies toallow students from elementary school to high school to develop and pursue their interest inhistory. This program provides students with the opportunity to visually see how history wascreated and the opportunity to create history themselves.

World Languages

Middlebury Interactive Language offers a complete range of K-12 language courses whichintegrate communication, culture, connections, comparisons and communities to immersestudents in their target language and can be used fully online, in a blended learningenvironment or as supplemental material. All courses align with the National Standards

developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).Options include Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Latin.

5.Workforce Readiness: Business / Entrepreneurial Component

Technology and Business Education

Our technology and business education curriculum will be in alignment with the ISTE

standards and the Pennsylvania Business, Computer, and Information TechnologyStandards. The ISTE Standards set a standard of excellence and best practices in learning,teaching and leading with technology in education. The benefits of using the ISTE Standardsinclude:

Improving higher-order thinking skills, such as problem solving, critical thinking andcreativity

Preparing students for their future in a competitive global job market


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Designing student-centered, project-based and online learning environments

Guiding systemic change in our schools to create digital places of learning

Inspiring digital age professional models for working, collaborating and decision making

In addition, the ISTE Standards focus on the development of the digital skills that are a

requirement for success in the workplace. Rather than being a set of content standardsrequiring stand-alone learning activities, the ISTE Standards include knowledge and skillsthat span the curriculum providing a firm foundation for the effective use of technology inany content area and, particularly, in support of the Common Core.

Business Education Electives

At Executive Academy it is our mission to prepare our students for success in the globalworkplace. We have chosen to develop our business education program around thePennsylvania Business, Computer, and Information Technology Standards. These standardsdescribe what students should know and be able to do in the field of business education at

all grade levels. Business education involves teaching students the fundamentals, theories,and processes of business. Since this is at the core of our mission, all teachers in grades K-12will assist their students in learning them through multiple classroom situations integrated inall subject areas.

Students in grades 5-12 will have business education as a specialty class. This curriculum willexpose students to a more in depth understanding of: Accounting, Career Management,Communication, Computer and Information Technologies, Entrepreneurship, Finance andEconomics, Global Business, Management, and Marketing. The goal for grades K-8 is toequip students with information, media and technology skills. These courses are computerbased and will include topics such as keyboarding skills, proper formatting and documentproduction, electronic presentations, Internet research, web page design, creation of basicspreadsheets and databases, and proper use of Web 2.0 tools in a business environment.Knowledge gained from this curriculum will be integrated into the expectations for the 8 thand 12thgrade culminating projects.

Courses for grades 9-12 will prepare students for careers in the business arena. Topicsinclude: Payroll and Income Tax Accounting, Business Management and Procedures,Personal Finance and Consumer Law. All 12th grade students will take an Employabilitycourse. This class provides the training and preparation necessary to succeed in an entry-level job at a business in our community. The students participate in a career exploration andjob project, including completing application forms, writing resumes, and participating inmock interviews. Topics in the areas of human relations, oral and written communications,

computer applications, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and international business aredeveloped and enhanced. An emphasis is also placed on work ethic and attitude.

Students will be exposed to real word situations through internship like activities withprofessional business relationships that Executive Education Charter has solicited.Furthermore, in 8thgrade students will complete work hours in an area of business that theyare interested in. Upon completing the work hours students will make a presentation to the


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Other Related Services

2. FAPE: Identification and RtII

Appropriate Diagnosis and Instructional Plan

We will have a Child Find system in place to locate, identify and evaluate students who arethought to be a student with a disability and in need of specially designed instruction residingwithin the charter schools jurisdiction. Child Find data will include entry assessments as wellas speech and language screenings. In addition, parent meetings will be held prior toenrollment of each child in the school to assist parents in receiving the appropriate supportsfor their children. Our charter school will implement mechanisms to disseminate Child Findinformation to the public, organizations, agencies and individuals.

Executive Academy uses a public outreach awareness system to locate and identify studentsthought to be eligible for special education within the LEAs jurisdiction as demonstrated inthe following ways: the Executive Academy website; during a formal presentation at ourenrollment and orientation, publications distributed during formal enrollment, parentmeetings by the Special Education Coordinator accompanied by printed material, duringBack to School night, at information booths, published in the Parent/Student Handbook,posted on the parent bulletin board, and orientation meetings. All personnel will be familiarwith the available dissemination of materials and responsibility for dissemination of thesematerials during our orientation and enrollment meetings, as well as their availability in themain office upon request.

All students will be assessed and monitored by their respective teachers. When a teacher hasdocumented a students need of challenge or remediation there is a protocol to follow:

RtII

Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtII) is a program to identify the needs of allstudents. Students may require the need for enrichment or challenging work, some studentsneeds are behavioral support, and some students require remediation in their academiclearning.

RtII is a three-tiered system, designed to reach all students. After a specific time period ofstrategizing, monitoring, and assessing students and success is not found the LeadershipTeam will recommend a psychological evaluation to determine if there is a disability. At thistime, a consent form is filled out with the reasons for referral and the parents have the right

to approve or disapprove the evaluation. When a parent gives consent, data is collectedfrom all parties involved taking into consideration when the IEP Team reviews allinformation.

Executive Academy will follow all state and federal guidelines for participation of studentswith disabilities in state and charter school-wide assessments including the determination ofparticipation, the need for accommodations, and the methods of assessing students forwhom regular assessment is not appropriate. We will adopt procedures to identify and serve


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students at risk for educational problems through the Response to Instruction andIntervention (RtII). Teachers refer students to RtII for interventions and evaluation ifindicated through data collection. Parents may also refer their child to the RTII process atany time.

The Response to Instruction and Intervention Program (RtII) is a referral process that isstrictly a confidential process. A referral from the RtII may result in the execution of anevaluation, a written record of the evaluation results are then generated. This evaluationreport includes information regarding the students physical, mental, emotional and healthfunctioning through assessment, observation of the student, as well as review of any recordsmade available to the school through the students physician and/or other outside agencyproviders of services, such as mental health agencies.

Students referred for evaluation will be administered a series of assessments by the SchoolPsychologist to ascertain if the student is eligible for special education services. Teachers,counselors and parent/guardian input are also an important element of this process. If astudent is determined to be eligible for special education services, an Individual Education

Plan (IEP), including a GIEP if called for, will be developed, monitored and reviewed atleast annually. This process will involve a school team including a parent or guardian of thestudent.

Through our systemic screening and referral process Executive Academy identifies andrefers for evaluation students who are thought to be eligible for special education services.These screening and referral processes include: initial benchmark assessments, classroomperformance, standardized reading and math assessments, vision and hearing screening,speech and language screening in Kindergarten and first grade, and the Response toIntervention Program. The school regularly assesses the current achievement andperformance of the child, designs school based interventions, and assesses the effectiveness

of the interventions. Parents have the right to request a multi-disciplinary evaluation at anytime in this process regardless of the step in the screening process.

Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation Process

Whenever a student is referred for a multi-disciplinary evaluation Executive Academy mustobtain written consent from a parent before the evaluation can be conducted. Parentalconsent shall not be construed as consent for their child to receive special education and/orrelated services.

Executive Academy does not use any single measure or assessment as sole criteria in

determining if the child is a child with a disability and for determining an appropriateeducational program for the child. Technically sound instruments are used to assess therelative contribution of cognitive and behavioral factors in addition to physical anddevelopmental factors.

The results of the MDT report are written in an Evaluation Report. This report makesrecommendations about a students eligibility for special education based on the presence ofa disability and the need for specially designed instruction. The Evaluation Report is written


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and sent to the parents. Parents are invited to a meeting to discuss and contribute to theirstudents educational needs.

If the MDT determines that the student is eligible for special education and related services,then a detailed plan for supporting the student in his/her areas of need over the year is

written. This plan is called an Individual Education Plan (IEP). An IEP team consists ofeducators, parents, an LEA and other persons with expertise and familiarity with the child.The required participants in the IEP Team are identified in the IDEA 2004.

The Charter School, in conjunction with the parents, determines the type and intensity ofspecial education and related services that a particular child needs based exclusively on theunique program of special education and related services that the school develops for thatchild. The childs program is described in writing in an individualized education program, orIEP, which is developed by an IEP team consisting of educators, parents, and otherpersons with special expertise or familiarity with the child. The participants in the IEP teamare dictated by IDEA 2004.

The parents of the child have the right to be notified of and to be offered participation in allmeetings of their childs IEP team. The IEP is revised as often as circumstances warrant butreviewed at least annually. The law requires that the program and placement of the child, asdescribed in the IEP, be reasonably calculated to ensure meaningful educational benefit tothe student. In accordance with IDEA 2004, there may be situations in which a CharterSchool may hold an IEP team meeting if the parents refuse or fail to attend the IEP teammeeting. IEPs generally contain: (1) a statement of present levels of academic achievementand functional performance; (2) a statement of measurable annual goals established for thechild; (3) a statement of how the childs progress toward meeting the annual goals will bemeasured and when periodic reports will be provided; (4) a statement of the specialeducation and related services and supplementary aids and services and a statement of the

program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided, if any; (5) anexplanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with nondisabledchildren in the regular class and in activities; (6) a statement of any individual appropriateaccommodations that are necessary to measure the academic achievement and functionalperformance of the child on State and school assessments; and (7) the projected date for thebeginning of the services and modifications and the anticipated frequency, location andduration of those services or modifications.

3.

FAPE, continued: Supports

Executive Education Schools will ensure that children with disabilities are educated to the

maximum extent possible in the regular education environment or least restrictiveenvironment. To the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities are educatedwith students who are not disabled. Special classes separate schooling or other removal ofstudents with disabilities from the general educational environment occurs only when thenature or severity of the disability is such that education in general education classes, evenwith the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. Programsand services available to students with disabilities might include: (1) regular class placementwith supplementary aides and services provided as needed in that environment; (2) regular


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class placement for most of the school day with itinerant service by a special educationteacher either in or out of the regular classroom; (3) regular class placement for most of theschool day with instruction provided by a special education teacher in a resource classroom;(4) part time special education class placement in a regular public school or alternativesetting; and (5) special education class placement or special education services provided

outside the regular class for most or all of the school day, either in a regular public school oralternative setting.

Special education services are provided according to the educational needs of the child, notthe category of disability. Types of service that may be available, depending upon the childsdisability and needs include, but are not limited to: (1) learning support; (2) life skillssupport; (3) emotional support; (4) deaf or hearing impaired support; (5) blind or visuallyimpaired support; (6) physical support; (7) autistic support; and (8) multiple disabilitiessupport.

Related services are designed to enable the child to participate in or access his or herprogram of special education. Examples of related services that a child may require include

but are not limited to: speech and language therapy, transportation, occupational therapy,physical therapy, school nursing services, audiologist services, counseling, or training. Somestudents may also be eligible for extended school year services if determined needed by theirIEP teams in accordance with Chapter 711 regulations.

Our school design and instructional program plan addresses the needs of all students. Ourschool design consists of parents, community residents, educators, and business people whobelieve that every child is gifted and talented. Our school will foster youth to nurture andencourage the development of talents both academically and as resilient self-starting learners.Every child will receive instruction in traditional academic areas as well as in the businessand leadership components of our model.

The data analyzed to monitor the effectiveness of the strategies that support students whoare special needs (i.e. students who have IEPs), students with disabilities (i.e., students whohave Section 504 Accommodation Plans), those at risk of failure, and/or those not makingreasonable progress include the results from the PSSA, Study Island Benchmarks, ClassroomDiagnostic Tools, the DRA and/or the QRI as well as the students Individual EducationPlan. The use of the AIMS Web Progress Monitoring program will facilitate appropriate andrelevant data to help create, guide and monitor Reading instruction with our SpecialEducation population.

During pre-service, teachers will be will be given the IEPs of the students that will be in their

class. This will provide teachers with important background information that they need toset up their classrooms for success. A Special Education Coordinator will provide theteachers with an overview of how to read the IEP and also meet with the teachersindividually to help them better understand the modifications listed on thedocument. Throughout the school year, coordinators provide in-service workshops ontopics such as differentiation and accommodation strategies. During the school year, thePrincipal and the teacher review lesson plans and look for evidence of differentiatedinstruction to support the different needs of the students in the classroom. The Special


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Education Coordinator will also complete walkthroughs and observations to identify areas ofstrength and need so that the necessary trainings and supports can be provided.

Additional Supports include but are not limited to:

Consultative/Collaborative Model (Push-in Support)

Special Education teacher(s) provide services to the student(s) with special needs, within thegeneral education setting. The approach used within the setting is that of the Co-Teachingmodel where there is more collaboration done between the General Education teacher andthe Special Education teacher. The focus is to ensure students are receiving full access tothe general education curriculum while limiting the disruption of their daily schedule (such aspulling students out of a classroom). This also includes the implementation of speciallydesigned modifications within the classroom setting as outlined within their IEPs.

Resource/Small Group Model (Pull-Out Support)

Dependent on students needs, he or she may need to be scheduled to receive small group,or individual instruction, in another setting outside of the general education classroom(Resource Room) with the Special Education Teacher. Instruction will focus either inReading, Language Arts, and/or Mathematics, as according to the students needs. Inaddition, a student may be pulled out of a general education setting for assistance withcompleting an exam, benchmark exams, progress monitoring probes, and other assignments(both long and short-term) as assigned by the General Education teachers and the SpecialEducation teachers, when deemed necessary and appropriate.

Supplemental Programs

Students also have access to all after-school enrichment programs. Instruction is providedusing effective strategies that meet the needs of all students. These afterschool programsprovide tutoring and additional learning experiences in reading and mathematics.

Counseling Services

Dependent on students needs, counselors will provide counseling services to a studenteither on a daily or weekly basis. This may include small group and/or individual setting,outside of the general education classroom setting. If a student is in the middle of crisissituation, the counselors will provide immediate services. In addition, Counselors provideCharacter Education training to students with special needs.

Additional supports will be available as indicated in a students IEP including, speech andlanguage therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, assistive technology, and EnglishLanguage Learner services.


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Occupational Therapy (OT) Services

Dependent on students individual needs, appropriate services and programs are developedand facilitated within individualized and/or small group settings. Services include thefacilitation of handwriting development (written communication), addressing sensory

processing difficulties, addressing psychosocial needs and teaching effective copingstrategies. In addition various accommodations and modifications are developed andimplemented within the general education setting to ensure the student is able to fully accessthe general education curriculum.

Hearing Impairment Services

Various teaching strategies are utilized within the classroom by the teachers so as to allow astudent with hearing impairment develop and utilize skills such as residual hearing andspeech reading. In addition, assistive technology devices are utilized within the classroom toensure the student is able to access the general education curriculum.

Dependent on a students individual hearing needs, audio logical services can be contractedand utilized from an outside agency. This may include audio logical therapy sessions,counseling, and implementation of other equipment/assistive technology devices not listedabove including captioning.

Additional Supports

Additional supports will be available as indicated in a students IEP including, speech andlanguage therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, assistive technology, and EnglishLanguage Learner services.

4. Section 504 of the REHABILITATIONACT OF 1973, 29 U.S.C. 794, and itsimplementing regulations, 34 C.F.R. Part 104

By the same child find identification processes, Executive Education Schools will identifychildren that have been evaluated and have a mental or physical impairment thatsubstantially limits one or more of a student's major life activities.

Major life activities include functions such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks,seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing,learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working. When a condition

does not substantially limit a major life activity, the student does not qualify for protectionunder Section 504.

The determination of what accommodations are needed must be made by a team of personsknowledgeable about the student and also about the disability. The parent shall be includedin the process. The group will review the nature of the disability and how it affects thestudent's education. The decisions about Section 504 identification and servicesshall be documented and reviewed periodically.


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An appropriate education for students identified under Section 504 will consist of leastrestrictive education in general classes with accommodations designed to meet their uniqueneeds.

We acknowledge that some students who have physical or mental conditions that limit theirability to access and participate in the education program are entitled to accommodationsunder Section 504, even though they may not fall into a disabilities category covered underspecial education.

Accommodations are made by the classroom teacher(s) and other school staff to helpstudents access their educational program. In all cases, a written plan will be developedoutlining accommodations.

Examples of accommodations include the following:

Modify assignments and tests.

Provide an extra set of textbooks for home.

Adjust student seating.

Use study guides and organizing tools.

Provide a peer tutor/helper.

Provide counseling.

Have the student use an organizertrain in organizational skills.

Provide preferential seating.

Modify recess/PE/transportation.

Our Charter School and parents will collaborate to help guarantee that the student is

provided with the necessary accommodations.

Additionally, our compliance processes will include the following procedures:

Provide written assurance of nondiscrimination

Designate a 504 Coordinator.

Provide grievance procedures to resolve complaints.

Provide notice of nondiscrimination in admission or access to its programs or activities.Notice shall be included in a student/parent handbook.

Provide parents or guardians with procedural safeguards.

Conduct a self-evaluation of school district policies, programs, and practices to makesure discrimination is not occurring.

5.

English Language Learners

Executive Academy will comply with all ELL requirements and regulations. Our charterschool will provide service to all our students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) andEnglish Language Learners (ELLs) under Pennsylvania Regulations, chapters 4 and 11; and


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on federal Law, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Equal EducationalOpportunity Act (EEOA), the NCLB Act, and the regulations and case law under thosestatutes.

Identification of English Language Learners

Enrollment and Identification:

Based on the responses to the home language survey (HLS) students will be assessed forpotential placement in a program.

Newly enrolling students without academic records will also be assessed for their EnglishLanguage Proficiency

Executive Education Schools will use the WIDA ACCESS PLACEMENT TEST (W-APT), which is aligned to the required annual State ELP assessment, ACCESS for ELLs,to assess students for placement in language instructional programs for ELLs.

The W-APT results are one of the indicators for placement in ESL programs and must

be used in combination with the above multiple criteria to determine placement in theESL program.

Teachers take into consideration the States ELP levels described within the PA ELPSstandards when placing students in an instructional program for ELLs.

Instructional placements of ELLs are age and grade appropriate. Additionally, our ELLsreceive equal access to all educational programs, opportunities, and extracurricularactivities in the same manner as for all students.

Parent permission to assess is not required, but suggested

Parent notification of student assessment results and placement in ESL program isrequired.

ELL Program Goals and Philosophy

Executive Education Academy recognizes the importance of utilizing sound, research-basededucational strategies to assist ELL students in acquiring English language proficiency.The instructional approaches selected by Executive Education Academy are ESL andContent-based ESL.

Pull-out ESL is an English program that serves students identified as students of limitedEnglish proficiency in English only by providing a certified teacher under Section 29.061(c)to provide English language arts instruction, while the student remains in a mainstreaminstructional arrangement in the remaining content areas. Instruction may be provided by the

ESC teacher in a pull-out or inclusionary delivery model.

Content-based ESL is an English program that serves students identified as students of limitedEnglish proficiency in English only by providing a full-time teacher certified under TEC29.061(c) to provide supplementary instruction for all content area instruction.

This model integrates English-as-a-second-language instruction with subject matter instruction,which focuses not only on learning a second language, but using that language as a medium tolearn mathematics, science, social studies, or other academic subjects.


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Exiting to an all-English program of instruction will occur not earlier than the end of first grade,or if the student enrolls in school during or after the first grade, the student will remain in theprogram for a minimum of two to five years before being eligible to exit the ESL program.

These approaches were selected to maximize student learning through exposure to theEnglish language. Instruction in the regular environment will be balanced with individual andsmall group sessions that are focused on the students personalized ELL learning plan.

Guidelines for ELL Instruction

Entering (level 1) / Beginning (level 2) students: 2 hoursDeveloping (level 3): 1-2 hoursExpanding (level 4): 1 hourBridging (level 5): up to 1 hour or support dictated by student need

Executive Education Academy is committed to the goal of continuous program review andimprovement for our ELL programs to give our students meaningful access to our

educational program.

Our goals for students with Limited English Proficiency are aligned with Federal AnnualMeasurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs), as required by NCLB Title III whichmeasure:

Percentage or number increases toward English proficiency;

Percentage or number increases in demonstrated English proficiency; and

Closing the Achievement Gap for historically underperforming students

ELL: Assessment and Instruction

Our ELL staff, counselors and teachers will be responsible to work with students andfamilies to interpret assessment information and develop functional learning objectivesclearly defined in a personalized learning plan for the students. This information will containinformation on learning objectives, test taking, classroom accommodations and gradingaccommodations, as needed.

Executive Education Academy will adopt programs and services consistent with current ESLeducational theory.

A personalized ELL educational plan will be developed for each identified ELL student,

which will include:

A description of the ELL services

Amount, frequency, and location of services

Person responsible for services

Strategies /materials to support students participation in the regular curriculum


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The program will provide instruction by authorized staff trained in instructional strategiesfor English Language Learners, or by qualified tutors/educational assistants supervised bysuch authorized and qualified staff. The following supports will be provided as needed:

Small group and/or 1:1 guidance

Tutors for the students through the use of educational assistants and community volunteersunder the direct supervision of qualified personnel.

Tutoring and mentoring opportunities through secondary students who freely volunteer, arenot missing critical instruction time, are adequately fluent in English (especially in targetedcontent area), and always under the supervision of qualified ELL personnel.

The regular education teacher will work with ELL students in the regular classroom andprovide time for specialized instruction from the ELL personnel. Placement of ELLstudents with staff having some degree of second language fluency in the students primarylanguage is strongly recommended. The licensed teacher will also assist by providingappropriate materials for tutors, mentors and other ELL personnel working with their

students.

Continued professional development for ELL staff to maintain skills and meet qualificationrequirements through access to Title III state and regional training opportunities. Thedistrict will support staff development opportunities for second language learning, such as anon campus Spanish for Educators class and strategies to support English Language Learners.

ELL: Re-assessment and Exiting

All ELL students are re-tested annually using the W-APT. Scores are recorded in individualELL records and maintained in student files. Student data is analyzed according to the

Pennlink Exit Criteria and a determination of reclassification or exiting is made. When astudent is determined to meet the English proficiency requirements, the students parentswill be notified in writing of this progress (see appendix for exit criteria).

Students who meet the exit requirements will be monitored consistently for two and up tofive school years based on program codes.

Annual re-evaluation results are communicated to Principals and Teachers by completing anELL Notification Slip, which summarizes test results and signals any changes of status (i.e.monitoring or exiting). These notification slips will be placed in student cumulative files andELL files.

In addition to testing, ELL staff will check grades and attendance records for students whoare currently in monitoring status. Students experiencing any academic problems will beassessed for re-admittance and/or referred for other building support services.


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ELL: Equal Access to Other District Programs

The district will follow established procedures for identification and referral to RtII and/orSpecial Education programs. Students can be referred to these programs by any staffmember or through a parent request. Additionally, building counselors and the Student

Services coordinator will review test scores and student progress to screen students forreferral to either Special Education or RtII.

Testing for Special Education will only be recommended after careful review of studentrecords to try and rule out lack of instruction and ESL factors.

Results of Special Education testing, along with test planning and IEP planning arecompleted with qualified interpreters.

Parents are notified of extracurricular opportunities available through regular parentnewsletters from each school.

ELL: Parent and Community Involvement

Parent outreach will occur through individual contact by ELL staff, through organizedcommunity meetings. Major school events are translated into Spanish and sent home withstudents.

Parents will have the opportunity to be involved in the annual review of Title programsthrough their response to requests for feedback/suggestions. ELL Report Cards, indicatinglevel of English proficiency, are sent out in Spanish, as needed.

School Report Cards, NCLB information and student report cards will be sent home in the

familys native language. Information to parents regarding their childs placement, progressand services will be provided in the parents native language whenever possible.

ELL: Program Evaluation, Review & Improvement

Monitoring of the program will include evaluation of program effectiveness, studentprogress, staffing, staff development needs, materials and ELL program goals.Monitoring will also include determining program budget, maintaining financial andinstructional records and ELL data collection as per state and federal guidelines.

Subsequent curriculum/materials adoptions will include a review by ELL staff and/or

Student Services Coordinator in order to consider the needs of our ELL students in thatcontent area.

A yearly in-depth program review will be part of the School Improvement Planning processfor the purpose of comprehensive program review, student progress monitoring (programeffectiveness) and to identify needs/set new goals for the ELL program.


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ELL: Additional Information: Methodology and Progress Monitoring

At Executive Education Schools, it is our goal to establish a learning environment thatmaximizes the potential of all students. Consequently, we recognize the benefits ofdifferentiating instruction in accordance with our students varying background knowledge,

readiness levels, language, learning styles and interests. Through the differentiation ofcontent, process and product we will be able to meet students where they are and providethem with the supports needed to achieve.

Explicit Instruction is a structured and systematic approach for teaching academic skills. Itoffers the scaffolds and supports that will directly lead students towards mastery of thelearning goal. Students are provided with a specific learning goal as well as the purpose andreasons for learning this skill. Through clear demonstrations and guided practice withfocused feedback students are better able to achieve mastery. In order to reinforce thelearning and maintain automaticity students will be provided opportunities for bothdistributed and cumulative practice.

Progress monitoring and strategies that will be used to ensure that students with specialneeds are making reasonable progress are:

Use of scientifically based Reading and Math programs for remediation: CorrectiveReading and Corrective Math

Monitoring of lesson plans to ensure that teachers are effectively planning anddifferentiating based on student need

Use of Study Islandpredictive test data to differentiate levels of lessons used to reinforceIEP goals

Use of pre and post tests at the beginning and end of the year (CDTs) to analyze growthand program effectively

Use of AIMS Web Progress Monito

executive education schools

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