kornerstone charter application

8/9/2019 Kornerstone Charter Application

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/kornerstone-charter-application 1/33

Intellectual Property of Michael McCabewith collaborative efforts & input by Tom Krause, Brad Klitzke, Emily McCabe, Mike Rietveld,

Bob Mayfield, Mike McDermot, Katie Heling, Phil Yunk, Marcia Van Hout, Judy Brown

A big thanks to Tom Krause for his work on creating the year round schedule and school day.

Note to grant writers: Never write anything of length in a Google Doc which needs to betransferred into a Microsoft Word Doc or Vise Versa. It's a major formatting pain that leads toseveral hours of tedious corrections. A humble suggestion for DPI: The time has come to liftthe 20 page limit and allow for formats other than Microsoft Word (a little innovation will makethe grant writing process smoother).

I The Charter School Vision for InnovationDescribe the educational vision and philosophy which will drive your charter schoolplanning effort including the underlying theories and research which support thatvision. Include the following:

a. Describe the community in which the charter school will be located, its students andthe needs and interests to be served by the charter school.

Kornerstone Charter School (KCS) is a publicly chartered school in the Kimberly Area SchoolDistrict in the state of Wisconsin. KCS will serve up to 75 students in grades 8-12. Kimberly,Wisconsin is a community of 6,400 people within the Fox Valley region of Wisconsin, whichcollectively has a population of around 200,000 people. 19,260 people live in the Kimberly

Area School District.

b. Describe how the concept of a “charter school” was introduced? Who initiated theconcept and why?

Kimberly Area School District (KASD) has one existing chartered school called CORE Charter School, with an enrollment of 16-24 students. Most of the students entering CORE Charter School are credit deficient and in need of credit recovery. Michael McCabe is currently theLead Teacher in CORE Charter. After attempting multiple innovations within CORE Charter,Michael McCabe approached Mike Rietveld, the administrator of CORE Charter School,about a vision for a new charter school. Mike Rietveld told Michael McCabe to proceed withplanning and gather other people to assist in planning the new charter school. In August of 2009, a formal planning team was formed. The planning team consisted of one high schoolEnglish teacher, two high school Social Studies teachers, one high school art teacher, onehigh school science teacher, and the Lead Teacher from CORE Charter School. Three other staff members were invited to participate on the planning team, but declined. On November 23rd, 2009, the Kornerstone Planning Committee presented "Kornerstone Charter SchoolPlan" to the school board of the School District of Kimberly. The half hour informationalpresentation included a question and answer session in which the KASD Board of Educationprovided consent for further investigation. On January 11, 2010, a community forum was heldand over a dozen community members provided feedback to the planning team. On March 8,2010, the Board of Education authorized the Kornerstone Planning Team to submit theplanning grant to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The planning team ischaired by Michael McCabe and Tom Krause.



c. Include a Vision or Mission StatementMission Statement - Learn, Create...Inspire.

Our Vision – “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be aliving thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our sons and grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us. Let your watchword be order and your beacon beauty. Think big.”—Daniel Burnham, Chicago architect. (1846-1912)

Kornerstone’s “Big Plan”:

· All students in Kornerstone Charter School will achieve mastery in all five major employability areas: Work Ethic, Communication, Collaboration, Social Responsibility,and Problem Solving & Critical Thinking. These 21st Century skills are the 5 mostsought after applied skills by employers hiring high school graduates.

· On a daily basis, students will experience Project Based Learning or ServiceLearning curriculum. Project Based Learning focuses on individual projects, andService Learning focuses on student driven group projects.

· Each student will develop an expertise area, which is known as a ‘major’ at theuniversity level.

o All students will work in an internship for at least 1 semester during their fifthyear.

o All students will lead at least 3 seminars for the Kimberly community to sharetheir knowledge in their expertise area.

o Each student will have a community mentor & Kornerstone staff member who provide upward progression in student's expertise area.

· All students will have access to emerging technologies and will have theopportunity to develop technology literacy talents.

· Kornerstone will strive for Excellence in Autonomy. The chartered school willserve as a model which other communities can adopt.

· The cornerstones are: Learning, Design, System, and Community. Throughinteracting with theses different modes of thinking, students will develop into competentcitizens and confident creators.

1.d Describe why a charter is needed to achieve the vision. How is the school innovative or unique and how will it differ from the schools now currently available to



students in the district? Why can't the vision be accomplished by merely adding a program to existing offerings?

Currently, the Kimberly Area School District does not have a school like Kornerstone. ProjectBased Learning and Service Learning will have an interdisciplinary focus unique to thischarter school. A charter school is needed to achieve this vision because the innovations are

not possible in the existing traditional school setting. KCS will achieve the following:personalized learning plan for every student, year round school, unique technology plan for each students learning needs, high school credit for 8th graders, innovative graduationrequirements, grading based on demonstration of relevant 21st Century employability skillsrather than academic work samples. Student's are responsible for their learning and havechoices regarding curriculum.

Kornerstone must be a chartered school and not a program because an entire school cultureneeds to be created from the ground up. Rather than having an administrator, Kornerstonewill be teacher led; thus, students will develop a five year relationship with teachers. This willallow the staff to layer educational learning opportunities upon one another in a way thatcannot exist in any other school setting. Even if curriculum were flawlessly streamlined withina K-12 district; students continue to travel from course to course every 45-90 minutes, andfrom teacher to teacher every 9-18 weeks. The small school setting will provide students withunheralded continuity which cannot exist in a traditional education setting with 1200 students. Kornerstone stands alone from all other schools in the Kimberly Area School District in thefollowing ways:

• Year round school • High School credit for 8th Graders

• 15:1 student to staff ratio

•

Complete access to emerging technology

• Multiple grading scales

• Modified/flexible schedule (compressed courses, classes meet on alternative days,extended school day, etc)

• Internship opportunities exceeding 18 weeks

• Community Mentorship Program

• Students will work with their parents and Kornerstone staff to create Personal

Learning Plan (PLP) • Technology Transparency - Each student will have access to emerging technologies

needed to reach their academic potential. These tools are crucial in the creation anddisplay of student learning.

•

Same teacher for 5 years • Project Foundry Student Management Systems, SalesForce.com, and other systems

to track student progress, create Personal Learning Plans, and run a small school.• Small school setting

Upon graduation from Kornerstone, students will be well rounded young adults who possessskills needed to succeed in life, whether they pursue higher education or full-timeemployment.



Peer reviewed literature and other successful charter schools[1] clearly demonstrate that acharter school allows for a new model of governance, a degree of pedagogical flexibility inreturn for accountability, and the capacity to innovate because of a new vigorous vision. TheWisconsin charter school laws allow for sustainable innovation to occur from the ground upand last for generations. Kornerstone must be a charter school and not a program so that

sustainability can be built into the school.

2. Describe how your charter school addresses one or more of the following educational priorities:a.Serves children at risk as described in s.118.153 (1) (a), Wis. Stats.;b.Supports the development of a charter school in a geographic area where one or more schools are identified for improvement that requires corrective action, or restructuring under Title I, Part A of the ESEA;c. Closes the achievement gap;d. Places an emphasis on building reading skills;e. Promotes early learning opportunities;f. Promotes educator quality;g. Promotes career or technology education;h. Encourages parent and community involvement;i. Provides effective pupil services, special education and prevention programs tosupport learning.

j. Promotes and develops 21st Century Skills.

Kornerstone Charter School will address all of the above areas except for subsection b and c.KCS will serve at-risk youth by providing an alternative learning environment, developinglong-term student to staff relationships, and building in a structure that fosters communityinvolvement. Kornerstone places an emphasis on reading skills by empowering students to engage in their curriculum through student choice in literature selection. Reading skills are ingrained intoProject Based Learning. Students must layer their reading with their thinking and writing.Reading will take place every day and it is directly tied into student projects; therefore,reading will not occur in isolated courses or assignments and the reading will have greater significance to the student because they select their text. KCS promotes early learning opportunities by melding 8th graders in with traditional highschoolers. Through Service Learning, students will delve into the Kimberly community. Thus,relationships and networks will be created. Systems and design learning are two instructionalareas that are not always taught in high schools. By placing an emphasis on community,learning, design, and systems, students in KCS will approach projects through a mature lens.Empowering students to take an active role in their educational experience promotes earlylearning opportunities. Although early learning is commonly associated with primary gradelevels, KCS is teaching high school students to manage their time and talents in a manner more closely resembling higher education than traditional high school. Educator quality is imperative in order for a successful launch of Kornerstone and then tosustain innovative educational practices. Because teacher preparatory programs that prepareprofessionals to act as instructional leaders in a project/service based environment do not yet



exist, the Kimberly Area School District and Kornerstone Charter School Governance Boardare going to have to 'grow' their own teachers. It will be up to all stakeholders to invest their time and energy to get the necessary training required to run a school. Fortunately, other great innovative schools have already blazed a trail and laid the foundation for KCS staff tofollow. If we are fortunate enough to receive the planning grant, we will investigate realisticways to dedicate a portion of the annual budget for professional development of each staff

member. Educator quality will be promoted in KCS through collaboration with other PBL/SBLschools, constant training and refining of pedagogical techniques, and an open dialogbetween community members and KCS staff. Finally, if educator quality can be defined asfostering inquiry learning in a student centered environment, then Kornerstone Charter Schoolwill strive to establish such practices. Career education will be promoted through service learning opportunities and the CommunityMentorship Program. The planning team envisions an educational schedule that includeshaving one day per week set aside for service projects in the community. Students in KCS willhave to complete at least one major service project per year. Students in KCS will have toembed some type of community aspect into most of their projects. In Year 4 (11th grade),students will have to work or volunteer in the community. In Year 5 (12th grade), students willhave an internship with a business of interest in the Fox Valley. Upon entering KCS, studentswill increase their understanding and application of technology and digital learning devices. Astudent enrolled in KCS will know how to utilize the tools that are commonly used in theworkplace. For example, if a student has an interest in graphic design, during Years 1, 2, and3, they will learn and master Adobe Creative Suite and other relevant software applications.When they need to be placed at an internship, they will already possess skills which mostother 16 and 17 years olds have not acquired. The same example holds true for any number of trades and professions. Career education will be a staple of Kornerstone Charter School.During the planning year of the grant, the planning team wants to investigate the idea of having two annual school wide projects. These projects will allow the students of KCS toexplore the globalized world. The concept behind the MacroProject and MicroProject isexplained in greater detail in Section I.3.b. Parent and community involvement in KCS is highlighted throughout this document. Parentsare involved in creating their daughter or son's Personalized Learning Plan. Parents areinvolved in signing off on student projects. Parents and community members will come intothe school regularly to share their talents and lend their expertise. All students with disabilities in KCS will receive their special education services by trainedprofessionals. Students in KCS will have the same teacher for up to five years; therefore,meaningful relationships will be established and students with disabilities will have anopportunity to develop a long term relationship with an educational mentor who can mosteffectively leverage their strengths.

j. Promotes and develops 21st Century Skills.See below, Section I.3b3a. The grade levels of children to be servedIn 2011-12 Kornerstone will serve students in grades, 8,9, and 10. Grades 11, and 12 will beadded in subsequent years to achieve an 8-12th secondary school.b. The unique curriculum and instructional model(s)/practices to be usedStudent centered learning in Kornerstone Charter School will emphasize five Employabilityareas: Work Ethic, Good Communication, Collaboration, Problem Solving & Critical Thinking,

http://wicharterschools.ning.com/group/pblnetwork

http://wicharterschools.ning.com/group/pblnetwork



and Social Responsibility[2].Rather than earning a letter grade based on academic merit,students are assessed on their level of mastery according to the five KornerstoneEmployability Areas. These five specific employability traits have been targeted becauseemployers look for these areas when hiring high school graduates. Instructional models inKornerstone will focus on fusing Project Based Learning, and Service Learning. All staff members will go through extensive training in each of the previously mentioned instructional

models. Throughout our initial planning year with our planning grant, staff of KCS will alsoinvestigate the following instructional models: Brain Based Learning, Global Studies(especially the open classroom model), Environmental Studies, Technology Education, andOnline Virtual. We will extrapolate practices from the aforementioned scientific models, andincorporate them into Kornerstone's educational paradigm.

Supplying students with necessary emerging technologies is imperative. Throughout our planning year, the planning team & KCS Governance Board will work to implement theemerging technologies which are outlined in the 2009 & 2010 Horizon Reports. The HorizonReport is an annual publication outlining technologies forthcoming to students in the K-12sector over the next five years. According to the 2009 Horizon Report, the Personal Web isgoing to be difficult to implement in a large school setting due to restrictions placed onstudents by filters and other monitoring issues. The Personal Web is the idea that eachindividual can have an online experience which is unique to themselves. Twitter, Facebook,MySpace, Pandora, YouTube, Flickr, Google Reader, PublicEarth, and Nings all make theInternet a highly participatory and personal environment. Rather than filtering, what if a schoolembraced all of the sites listed above? The social learning environments online have beenlargely untapped. A Kornerstone student will have access to sites, and actively contribute tomaking the web personal. Each student will have whatever devices they need to maximizetheir learning experience and grow as a student. KCS will not be limited by a 1:1 student tolaptop ratio; rather, each student and parent will make formal technology request at the initialEntrance Meeting when their Personalized Learning Plan (PLP) is crafted. A student inKornerstone will utilize mobile learning devices and other smart objects to actively integrateinto their educational experience.

The applied curriculum of KCS will have a focus on four main cornerstones. They are:Learning, Design, Systems, and Community[3]. Student projects will focus on one of thecornerstone areas. Projects associated with Learning will deal with traditional liberal artsareas (math, science Social Studies, and English). Systems projects deal with studyingcomplex structures existing in society, science, or thought; while, in Design projects, studentswork to create their own system. In Community projects, students will explore an area of theKimberly community, Fox Valley, or the world.

There are a few courses that each student will have to take every year. The majority of students time will be spent working on projects; however, it is imperative that student'sacademic skills continue to layer and grow. Year round school is necessary for students tostay plugged into PBL & SL, while also increasing their math and reading levels. SinceKornerstone will be starting with 8th-10th graders, all students will take the 8th grade coursesduring 2011-12. A foundation of fundamentals will be established. Below is a list of possiblecoursework for Kornerstone students:Year 1 (8th graders): Acceptable and Appropriate Usage of Web and Devices, Introduction toProject Based Learning, Introduction to Service Based Learning, Utilizing the Employability

http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2009-Horizon-Report.pdf

http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2009-Horizon-Report.pdf



Traits,Year 2 (9th graders): 21st Century Schooling, Social Networks, Systems Learning, Intro toDesignYear 3 (10th graders): Leadership, Community Mentorship Training,Year 4 (11th graders): Senior Project I, Community Experience I, Advanced Web ToolsYear 5 (12th graders): Senior Project II, Community Experience II

Here is a brief description of a few unique courses we plan to design if our planning grant isapproved:Acceptable and Appropriate Usage of Web and Devices - Students will learn to usedevices such as laptops, netbooks, and smartphones. Students will learn to use KornerstoneCharter School technology vernacular and create an Acceptable Use Policy which will guidelearning and technology. In this course, students will go beyond creating usernames andpasswords by becoming active members in learning communities. Facebook, Flickr,YouTube, Nings, PublicEarth, Amazon, Google, and Salesforce.com are just some of thesites students will be introduced to.Introduction to Project Based Learning - Students will be introduced to the elements andprocedures of PBL. Students will develop big ideas for projects.Introduction to Service Learning - Students will be introduced to SL. Students will examineleadership through service and get introduced to several community members, businessleaders, and volunteers who are a part of the Kornerstone learning community.Utilizing the Employability Traits/Processes of Learning - Students will examine the 5main employability traits and create assessments for which their learning will be gauged.Intro to Design - What does it mean to create? What new innovative thoughts, products, or processes can students display or create? This course will explore annual MacroProjects andMicroProjects. Every student in KCS will actively participate on at least one annual project. Anexample of a MacroProject is students creating a high speed transportation system to connectmajor cities in the Midwest. Course work traditionally designated for collegial learningenvironments such as Political Science, Sociology, Urban/Regional Planning, and Physics,will fuse with Math, science, Social Studies. An example of a MicroProject is designing adaycare center for all employees within the Kimberly Area School District. MicroProjectshappen at the school, local community level; whereas, MacroProjects impact the citizens onthe entire globe.Systems Learning - When a young man turns 18, he has to register for Selective Service.Working adults must file taxes every year by April 15. Students seeking financial aid from thegovernment must fill out a FAFSA annually. In order to make a successful dentistappointment, an individual needs to make sure their insurance, or lack of, covers a particular dentist. Systems have rules. Systems have deadlines. Systems have clearly defined policiesand paperwork. Each of the previously mentioned tasks involves an individual makingconscious decisions within a system that has specific rules. Traditional schooling does notexplicitly teach young adults to successfully operate in any system except for the traditionalschool from which they come. Does a high school diploma mean an 18 year old is ready toface the adult world and the multitude of systems? In Systems Learning students will gobeyond existing systems and study areas such as Game Theory, Economics, Programming,Statistics, and Social Justice. Students' preparation for higher learning or the workforce will beaccelerated through a deep understanding of systems learning. Systems learning is theinvestigation of a set of existing procedures or operations, whereas, design will focus oncreating a new system.



During the planning year Kornerstone staff and governance will investigate what other schools are doing to service their students given a 12 month format rather than a 9 monthschedule. At the Community Forum on January 11th, 2009, the Planning Team presented astructure for school day and yearly calendar.

School Day

8:00am - 8:20am Community Building8:20am - 8:45am or 9:00am Advisement/ Mini Lessons (Kornerstone Specific Curriculum)8:45am or 9:00am - 10:00am Math OR Reading10:00am - 11:30am Project Based Learning11:30am - 12:00pm Lunch12:00pm - 12:15pm Duties/ Journaling12:15pm - 1:45pm Project Based Learning1:45pm - 2:45pm Reading OR Math2:45pm - 3:05pm Advisory Group Meeting/ Analysis3:05pm - 3:10pm Clean up

Monday mornings will begin with whole group meetings, announcements, issues/concerns,and celebrations. Kornerstone teachers reserve the right to deviate from the schedule if certain learning opportunities arise, or educational immersion days are planned.

School Calendar

There is a two week school immersion session in July. All new students must attend bothweeks. The first week is community building with all the new members. All Kornerstonestudents attend the second week in the morning for team building andeducational/technology setup. The afternoons are reserved for Personalized Learning Planmeetings with parents, students and advisors. PLP meetings will run in blocks of time. Thereis one week off (last week of July) for each student to set up their individualized technologyplan (briefcase). For 2011-2012, the two week boot camp begins on July 11, and concludeson July 22. The first day of the first term will be August 1st.

There are four nine week terms during the school year. The first term begins the first week of August and goes until October. The second term is from October until December. The thirdterm lasts from January until March. The fourth term is from March until May. In betweenterms there will be a two week deviation from classes. During the fall and spring term breaks,the first week has a teacher work day on Monday. Tuesday through Thursday are set asidefor parent, student, and advisor conferences. The second week of fall and spring breaks will

be off, unless an interim class is being taught. An interim class is a four to five day course.The students or teacher propose the interim. There would need to be a minimum number of students enrolled to offer the proposed course.

During each term there will be two tentative due dates for projects. One due date occurs four and a half weeks into the term (on the Wednesday), and the second will be at the end of term. The Friday after the four and a half week due date will be a half day for students with



staff collaboration in the afternoon. Kornerstone will be shutdown for two weeks duringholiday break. There will be three "Nights of Celebration" which will take place on the lastFriday of the first three terms. Teachers will have a collaboration day the Monday after the"Night of Celebration." Senior Projects, testimonials, and celebrations from the year occur atthe end of term four. A collaborative Service Learning Project will culminate during this term.Students will also continue to work on Project Based Learning at this time. There will be

between 43 and 48 days per term, depending on holidays and calendar breaks.Thanksgiving, the Friday before and Monday after Easter, Labor Day, Memorial Day, and theWisconsin Charter School Convention will be mandatory days off.

Summer School is the first three full weeks of June. This time will be used for Summer Projects (Transfer Hours), remedial work, or class proposals for half or full days.

At the community forum held on January 11th, 2010, the Kimberly community provided inputregarding the school day and structure of the school year. 100% of the attendants at themeeting indicated they would like to see year round school. Community members also wantthe planning team to investigate 'peak performance' within the school day.

Upon successfully completing Year 5, an internship, and a cumulative senior project, a KCSstudent will graduate with a Kornerstone Diploma. In order to earn a diploma, students mustattend KCS for a minimum of three years.

c. The measurable goals of the charter school for each of the first 3 years (this doesnot include student achievement goals—these are addressed in question e. below),e.g. improving attendance, reducing special education referrals, providing high quality

professional/curriculum development, provide specific training for charter schoolgovernance board etc.

Year 1

1. By the end of their first year of service, all governance board members will have formaltraining in one of the following areas: Project Based Learning, Service- Learning, or school finance.

2. KCS Governance & staff will establish meaningful relationships with businesses andcommunity leaders in the Fox Valley.

3. Planning Team will transform into 'Implementation Team" and disseminate information

regarding Kornerstone to parents, students, and community members. 4. Highly qualified staff hired, and trained on all necessary instructional practices utilized

in Kornerstone.5. KCS governance board will find an educational leader (see 'guru' in Governance

Section II.4) to provide a stream of innovative ideas and focus professionaldevelopment opportunities.

Year 2



1. KCS Staff will create an innovative learning environment, in which customizableeducational experiences are delivered to each student.

2. KCS Staff will continue to receive professional development in SL & PBL.3. Day to day operations will be teacher led. This will be the first teacher led school in the

KASD. 4. Governance Board members & KCS staff will continue to receive side by side training.

Year 3

1. KCS students and staff will work together to deepen school culture. The staff willinvolve the students in relationships with peers around the world.

2. KCS Staff will continue to strive towards being highly qualified teachers and begin toshare the Kornerstone message with other schools in the district, other charter schoolsin Wisconsin, and other schools in the world.

3. KCS governance board and staff will seek out their second 'guru' and clarify their emphasis/focus for the next two school years.

4. KCS will have its first graduates, bringing to fruition the concept of the senior project.

d. The means of measuring the charter school goals in each of the first three yearsYear One (2010-2011)

• Setup Non-Profit/Non-Stock corporation to house monetary transactions and establisha protocol for financial operations

• Establish autonomous Governance Board, and begin holding monthly meetings by10/1/10 (as defined in Governance Section II.4)

• Hold at least ten different community forums to inform the Kimberly community aboutKornerstone

• Hire KCS Staff (1 full-time staff member for every 15 students)

• Attend training and professional development in the following areas: Project BasedLearning (PBL), Service-Learning, mobile learning, multiple intelligences, employabilitytraits, fostering community & school relationships, and school finance. All staff willengage in a PBL Immersion week during the summer

• Set up Community Mentorship Program

• Complete all necessary forms, policies, and admissions paperwork necessary to createKornerstone

• Complete necessary steps required to enroll 45 students

Year Two (2011-2012)

• Have students participating in Service-Learning Projects

• Successful operation of the Community Mentorship Program

• Personalized Learning Plan's utilized and carried out on a daily basis

• Continued professional development and teacher competence in PBL & SL

• Place Year 4 students into community internships/apprenticeships

Year Three (2012-2013)



• Be fully engaged in the 'open classroom'. Have meaningful relationships establishedwith peers around the world

• Begin discussions about applying for dissemination grant (can only be carried out if Kornerstone is successful)

• Establish Senior Projects, and provide forum for seniors to share projects withcommunity & world.

•

New 'guru' and other governance board members begin term and training

3e. The measurable student achievement goals for each of the first 3 years

• Students will successfully demonstrate the Kornerstone Employability Areas (GoodCommunication, Work Ethic, Collaboration, Social Responsibility, and Problem Solving& Critical Thinking).

• At least three times per year, students will display their work to the entire Kimberlycommunity.

• Students will demonstrate competency with technology and mobile learning devices.Using these tools students will produce authentic original work pieces publishable to

the entire world.• Students will participate in one MacroProject or MicroProject per year.

Year One (2011-2012)1. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a Personalized Learning Plan.

2. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a Technology Transparency (technologyplan outlining what tools students require to maximize learning potential).

3. At least 60% of students at Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in math by the endof the first school year, as demonstrated by MAP testing.

4. At least 60% of students at Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in reading by theend of the first school year, as demonstrated by MAP testing.

5. By Thanksgiving, 80% of all students will complete a 30 hour project.6. By February 1st, 80% of all students will complete a 60 hour project.7. By June 1st, 80% of all students will participate in a MicroProject or MacroProject.

Year Two (2012-2013)1. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a Personalized Learning Plan.

2. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a briefcase (technology plan outlining whattools students require to maximize learning potential).

3. At least 75% of students at Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in math, asdemonstrated by MAP testing.

4. At least 75% of students at Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in reading, asdemonstrated by MAP testing.



5. By the end of Year 4 (11th grade), at least 90% of all students attending Kornerstone willhave a community mentor.

6. By Thanksgiving, 90% of all students will complete a 30 hour project.7. By February 1st, 90% of all students will complete a 60 hour project.8. By June 1st, 90% of all students will participate in a MicroProject or MacroProject.

Year Three (2013-2014)1. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a Personalized Learning Plan.

2. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a briefcase (technology plan outlining whattools students require to maximize learning potential).

3. At least 90% of Year 5 (12th grade) students at Kornerstone will complete acomprehensive field research project and present the findings to a relevant communitygroup.

4. At least 90% of students in Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in math, asdemonstrated by MAP testing.

5. At least 90% of students in Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in reading, asdemonstrated by MAP testing.

6. By the end of Year 4 (11th grade), in least 90% of all students attending Kornerstonewill have a community mentor.

7. Upon completion of their Year 5 (12th grade), at least 95% of all Kornerstone students

will be accepted to a college or gain full-time employment.8. By Thanksgiving, 95% of all students will complete a 60 hour project.9. By February 1st, 95% of all students will complete a 100 hour project.10. By June 1st, 95% of all students will participate in a MicroProject or MacroProject.

3f. The means of measuring the student achievement goals each of the first 3 yearsincluding:Indicate agreement to administer reading and math assessment instrument(s) to beadministered fall (September) and spring (March) for each of the first two years of operation, (e.g. Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Metropolitan, NWEA Measure of AcademicProgress, Stanford Achievement Test, etc.) and how the instruments will be used toimprove instruction and track achievement over time. (Year one operational results willbe reported on the Implementation Renewal application and year two operationalresults will be summarized on a final grant report due October 1, following the finalyear of the grant).

Every student in Kornerstone will participate in MAP testing at least twice per year (testing willbe offered in Fall, Winter, and Spring windows). Students will participate in district wideassessments if they're in a demographic the KASD requires testing. Students will also



participate in the HOPE Study annually. The HOPE Study measures students attitudestoward learning, school, and their future. Students will be strongly encouraged to take theACT's and complete a project to prepare them for the exam. At least three times per year,students in Kornerstone will display and present their work for the Kimberly community.

Students will log all project hours worked and track their progress. During the planning year,

the planning team will perform a comprehensive search to implement a system to trackstudent progress and streamline Personalized Learning Plan's with completed studentprojects. Project Foundry and Salesforce.com are examples of two protocols or systems theplanning team will investigate for use in Kornerstone. Ease of toggling access to open andrestrict use of documents/permissions is essential if parents, staff, and students are all goingto collaborate on a consistent basis. Since Kornerstone will utilize smart devices and providestudents with laptops or phones, the methodology for tracking student hours could potentiallybe paperless.

4. Describe the charter school’s four-year professional development plan by answeringthe following questions:a. What specific competencies, skills and knowledge do teachers and administratorsneed in order to successfully implement the proposed curriculum and instruction atthe charter school?Teachers must place students at the center of the school. Kornerstone is not about a teachersclassroom. Students in Kornerstone will select projects based on interests and passions.Teachers in Kornerstone will use their knowledge, experience, and expertise to preparestudents to meet their objectives, not the teachers. Although Kornerstone is teacher led, thestudents must be the center of the school. Service to students and community is thefoundation upon which Kornerstone teachers build their professional lives. Teachers need training in Project Based Learning, Service Learning, mobile learning, utilizing& assessing multiple intelligences, and incorporating the five Kornerstone Employability Areasinto the school's culture. Due to working with community members and business leaders,teachers will need to posses excellent public relations skills. Teachers must be open toworking year round. A three month summer vacation will not exist at Kornerstone Charter School. Teachers must chair at least one subcommittee as designated by the KornerstoneGovernance Board. Leadership skills are a necessity. Teachers need to have experiencebeing a 'team member' of some sort. Teachers must strive towards proficiency in all ten of theWisconsin Standards for Teachers.

b. Provide a five-year professional/curriculum development plan on how you intendto develop the required competencies, skills and knowledge for teachers andadministrators to achieve the innovations envisioned for the charter school.

2008-2009In October 2008, the Planning Team Chair attended the National Division of Career Development conference; after which, he led a book study on Clayton Christensen'sDisrupting Class. In October 2009, the same group of people studied Curtis Bonk's The World is Open. In April 2009, the planning team chair attended the WCSA conference. Uponreturning from the conference, the planning team chair informed KHS building principal abouta vision for a new charter school. KASD committed to sending the planning team chair toadditional conferences on Web 2.0 tools (CESA 6), and multiple school tours/PBL immersion



days at Valley New School. In June, 2010, the planning team chair will attend the Games,Learning, and Society Conference in Madison, Wisconsin. At the expense of the school district, the entire planning team was permitted to attend the2009-10 WCSA Conference. Before knowing the status of our planning grant, the planningteam has enrolled in a summer immersion week at Valley New School (VNS). VNS will be

working with EdVisions to provide comprehensive training on Project Based Learning.

2010-2011 (Year 1)

• Explore various leadership models, e.g.; servant leadership, collaborative leadership,etc

o Book studies comparing leadership styles

• Begin training on PBL & SL

o KCS Staff & Governance Board will attend PBL Summer Immersion, attendMinnesota New Country School, attend DCDT National Conference, attendWCSA Conference, attend National Charter School Conference, establish

relationship with charter consultants who specialize in PBL, establishrelationship with service learning experts from DPI. • Attend Harvard University's Charter Schools: Practices for High Performance.

o KCS Staff & at least one governance board member will attend a four dayconference from November 11th-14th.

o Leadership model will be shaped. • Work with charter consultant to develop Community Mentorship Program

o Host Discovery Days, and recruit business/community leaders intoKornerstone.

• Begin training on mobile learning

o explore conferences dedicated to mobile learning

o explore embedded journalism to market Kornerstone o Kornerstone will host a 2 day in-service with Judy Brown and experts from UW-

Madison's Games, Learning, & Society (GLS) department. • Begin training of multiple intelligence theories

o 2 day in-service hosted by Barney Slowey and Jim Adams

• Begin training on incorporating Employability Traits into project assessments.

o Attempt to engage in a webinar with Dr. David Brewer, a professor at CornellUniversity and expert in the field of creating authentic assessments for adultsthrough measuring 21st century skills.

• Develop professional resources and on-site library of above mentioned educationalpractices/philosophies.

o acquire literature & peer reviewed studies

o Create a section on Kornerstone's website for the purpose of informing parents

and connecting Kimberly to the global community to further dialog andeducational practices

2011-2012 (Year 2)



• Further training on leadership model of choice, e.g.; servant leadership, collaborativeleadership, etc

o Attend leadership seminar • Further training on PBL & SBL

o Parents, Students, KCS Staff & Governance will attend PBL Summer Immersion, attend an innovative charter school, and attend the WCSA

Conference. • Deepen relationship with charter consultant

o Open Kornerstone for charter consultant to freely assess educational practices,

rigor of instruction, and staff competence.• Finalize Community Mentorship Program Training Protocol

o Host Discovery Days, and recruit business/community leaders intoKornerstone.

o Invite community mentor's to 'Boot Camp', conferences, governance boardmeetings.

o Initiate community mentors by leading formalized training and laying out clear expectations for conduct.

• Continue training on mobile learningo explore conferences dedicated to mobile learning

o Participate in case study with GLS, PublicEarth, or another reputableinstitution/company.

o Kornerstone will host a 2 day in-service with Judy Brown and experts from UW-Madison's Games, Learning, & Society (GLS) department.

o Students, parents, KCS staff & governance board members will participate inside-by-side training for utilizing 'smart phones' in the educational setting.

• Develop Kornerstone vernacular for incorporating multiple intelligence theories into theclassroom

• Further training on incorporating Employability Traits into project assessments.

o Host a town hall meeting and invite experts in the field of business andeducation to analyze assessment methods

• Develop professional resources and on-site library of above mentioned educationalpractices/philosophies.

o Acquire more literature & peer reviewed studies

o Continue to add to section on Kornerstone's website which will inform parents

and connect Kimberly to the global community in the purpose of furtheringeducational practices and dialog

2012-2013 (Year 3)

• Establish leadership model o Make parents and students aware of leadership style

o Document rationale behind leadership philosophies on Kornerstone website

• Continue training on PBL & SL

o Parents, students, KCS Staff & Governance will attend host Summer Immersion, attend an innovative charter school, and attend the WCSAConference.

• Continue relationship with charter consultant



o Open Kornerstone for charter consultant to freely assess educational practices,rigor of instruction, and staff competence

• Establish Kornerstone as a presence in PBL & SL networks

o Collaborate with other PBL/SL schools

o Lead dialog on issues, concerns, and observations in innovative learningenvironments

• Analyze Community Mentorship Program Training Protocol o Host Discovery Days, and recruit business/community leaders into

Kornerstone.o Invite community mentors to 'Boot Camp', conferences, governance board

meetings

o Initiate community mentors by leading formalized training and laying out clear expectations for conduct

o Provide community mentor's with a method for analyzing training and overallimpressions of Community Mentorship Program

• Continue training on mobile learningo Explore conferences dedicated to mobile learning. Arrange for parents,

students, and KCS Staff to share at a mobile learning conference o Continue participation in case study with GLS, PublicEarth, or another reputable

institution/company

o Kornerstone will host a 2 day in-service with Google or other major mobilelearning device company

o Students, parents, KCS staff & governance board members will participate inside-by-side training for utilizing 'smart phones' in the educational setting

• Further training on incorporating Employability Traits into project assessments

o Host a town hall meeting and invite experts in the field of business andeducation to discuss role of 21st century skills

• Continue development of professional resources and on-site library of abovementioned educational practices/philosophies


o Continue adding to Kornerstone website and connect Kimberly to the global

community for the purpose of furthering educational practices and dialog

2013-2014 (Year 4)

• Go through substantial training to prepare staff to lead senior projects

o Visit Valley New School and other PBL schools to see how they formulate

senior projects

o Meet with charter school consultant to determine how to interweave servicelearning and internship experiences into senior projects

• Implement student leadership model of choice -patterned after staff leadership

o Students and staff will attend leadership seminar • Continue training on developments in PBL & SL

o Parents, Students, KCS Staff & Governance will attend Service LearningSummer Immersion, attend an innovative charter school, and attend the WCSAConference.

o Host an innovation summit with other area charter schools



o Senior Project Fair

• Deepen relationship with charter consultant

o Open Kornerstone for charter consultant to freely assess educational practices,rigor of instruction, and staff competence

• Tweak Community Mentorship Program Training Protocol o Host Discovery Days, and recruit business/community leaders into Kornerstone

o Invite community mentors to 'Boot Camp', conferences, governance boardmeetings

o Initiate community mentors by leading formalized training and laying out clear expectations for conduct

o Provide literature to attract business leaders to become Community Mentors

• Begin training on emerging technology focus area (Guru driven)

• Develop Kornerstone vernacular for incorporating multiple intelligence theories into theclassroom

• Further training on incorporating Employability Traits into project assessmentso Host a town hall meeting. Invite experts in the field of business and education to

analyze assessment methods

• Develop professional resources and on-site library of above mentioned educationalpractices/philosophies


o Continue to add to section on Kornerstone's website which will inform parentsand connect Kimberly to the global community in the purpose of furtheringeducational practices and dialog

• Continue to innovate school day and school calendar

2014-2015 (Year 5)

• Spend 1 week at a charter school that utilizes service learning

• Spend 8-10 days throughout the year focusing on emerging technologies and placingnew tools into the hands of KCS students

• Attend national charter school conference for 1 week

• Continue training on incorporating Employability Traits into project assessments

o Host a summit. Invite experts in the field of business and education to analyzeassessment methods & engage in a discourse surrounding 21st Century skills.

c. Describe how the necessary training will be provided in each year for newemployees or employee transfers. It is essential that investments made in trainingcharter school staff to achieve innovation be maintained.

All new staff members will have to undergo an immersion week with a PBL institute such asEdVisions. All new staff will also have to undergo service learning training with the ServiceLearning Coordinator at DPI. With year round school leaving fewer days for professionaldevelopment in the summer, new employees shall be compensated for any professionaldevelopment occurring outside of the 198 contracted school days. The Governance Boardshall determine the level of compensation. During their first six months of employment, allnew staff members are expected to participate in at least five webinars on their own time.They will report out their experience to other staff members in KCS. All new employees areexpected to find up to three conferences of choice to attend during their first two years of



teaching at KCS.

II Governance & Autonomy1. Charter schools are exempt from state requirements regarding public educationunless specifically referred to in state statute. Identify which of these state exemptionsthe school will take advantage of in order to maximize the flexibility afforded to charter

schools by state law. Please refer to the link to s. 115-121, Wis. Stats., in the resourcesection of this application for specific statutory language.

Topic Statute Rationale / Comment

180 Day School Year S 121.02(1)(f)2

Year round school & provideflexibility to meet PersonalizedLearning Plans

Hours of Instruction S 121.02(1)(f)2 Student-directed ProjectBased Learning & Service

Based Learning are not basedon seat-hours of instruction

State GraduationRequirements

S 118.33(1)(a) School will accommodate for students’ specific learningneeds

Length of School Day S 121.12(15)

KCS staff in conjunction withGovernance Board willdetermine length of schoolday

2. Local school board policies may be waived for charter schools to provide maximumautonomy and flexibility. Please identify school board policies that may be waived for this charter school. This question does not apply to independent (2r) charter schools.Whereas 'Principal', or 'appropriate administrators' appears in KASD Board Policies, 'KCSTeachers' shall be substituted (Policies: 3120.09 - Volunteers; 3142 - Non-Renewal of Probationary Teachers; 3213 - Student Supervision and Welfare; 3217 - DangerousWeapons; 3242 - Professional Growth Requirements; 5330 - Use of Medications)

Topic Policy #Board - District Administrator Relationship 1210Independent Study 2370.01Human Growth & Development 2414

Summer School 2440Authorizing and Filling Positions; Employment of Prof. Staff, Selecting StudentTeachers, Employment of Casual Resource Personnel, Vacancies, Employment of Support Staff

3111, 3120, 3120.06,3120.07, 3132, 4120

Assignment and Transfer 3130Reduction in Staff 3131Staff Evaluation 3220Creating a Position 4111

http://www.neola.com/kimberly-wi/

http://www.neola.com/kimberly-wi/



Assignment and Transfer 4130Reporting of Progress 5421

Class Rank 5430District Graduation Requirements 5460Student Use of Electronic Devices 5512Student Fundraising 5830Purchasing 6320

Payment of Claims 6470Gifts, Grants, and Bequests 7230Community Use of School Facilities 7510Use of Cell Phones and Other Data Devices by District Employees 7520

District Web Page 7540.02Software Policy 7540.03School Day 8220Transportation 8600Vending Machines 8540Transportation by Private Vehicle 8660

3. Charter schools have a separate governance board that is legally able to contractwith the authorizer; has autonomy and control over charter school policies,procedures, personnel, instructional programs and budget.a. Describe your plans to establish an independent charter school governing board if you have not done so.

KCS will have an operational Governance Board consisting of the following voting members:KCS Staff, community members, parents, and a guru. Two non voting groups will also be apart of the Governance Board, a student advisory council and a concigliere. Mike Rietveld hasa lifetime appointment as the KCS concigliere. His unique life experience as a life long

Kimberly resident and educator; as well as, his hand in the creation of Kornerstone, makeshim an invaluable resource to the formation and sustainability of a Governance Board. Due tohis position as Kimberly High School Principal, he shall not have a vote in any of thegovernance matters. However, his council will be sought, and he shall always have a seat atthe Governance Board as an advisor. The concigliere shall also take back successfulinnovations and classroom practices from Kornerstone to other schools in the Kimberly AreaSchool District. The student advisory council will be made up of three KCS students. Eachstudent will be in a different grade level. The student advisory group shall be responsible for raising funds that may be allocated to other students in KCS through the Student ActivityFund. The student advisory group will work in conjunction with the Governance Board Chair to approve fund requests made by KCS students. The students will also work closely with theGuru and be responsible for implementing curriculum focus initiatives brought forth by theGuru.

For each voting KCS Staff member, there shall be one community member elected to theGovernance Board. A 1:1 KCS staff to community member ratio must remain constant. TheGovernance Board shall consist of at least 5 voting members but no more than 9. If a KCSstaff member or community member leaves the Governance Board, a replacement member shall be appointed within 90 days of the vacancy. When replacing a community member, thereplacement member shall fulfill the remaining term. If replacing a staff member, thereplacement board member shall serve until a new KCS staff member is hired. Quorums, in



which KCS staff is the majority, shall not exist. A quorum may only occur if 51% of the votingmembers are not KCS staff. The Governance Board Chair will always be a communitymember.

One parent of a past or present Kornerstone student shall also be elected to the Governance

Board, and serve a term not to exceed three years. Community members and parents shallserve a term of no longer than three years. Community members may serve up to threeconsecutive terms. Community members are elected by other governance board members.Community members and parents interested in serving on the KCS Governance Board needto complete the necessary form no later than April 1. Elections to the Governance Boardcoincide with the student lottery. Both of these events are held on the Tuesday before May30. New governance board members shall assume duties on July 1.

The role of Guru is filled by a specialist in the field of education. This position shall beappointed by KCS staff and have a term of 2 years. A Guru can serve up to three terms intheir lifetime; however, consecutive terms served by the Guru are not encouraged. TheGuru's duty is to bring constant innovation to Kornerstone and challenge the practices of KCSStaff. Examples of Gurus include university professors, experts in incorporating emergingtechnology, and governmental department chairs. The Guru will have a vote in allGovernance affairs. If the Guru does not reside in the Fox Valley and is unable to physicallyor virtually attend the Governance Meetings, they are able to cast their votes within 48 hoursof the meeting (either before or after). If the Guru lives out of the area, they will receive themeeting minutes within 3 hours of the end of the meeting. In this digital age, geographicboundaries no longer prevent schools from having the guidance of experts. b. Describe the authority this governing board will have to make decisions regardingbudgets, personnel, curriculum, charter school policies and the overall operation of the charter school.The Governance Board shall make budgetary decisions for all requested purchases. Theyshall approve purchases on a monthly basis in a manner similar to the Board of Education for the Kimberly Area School District. The Governance Board shall select personnel and staff torun Kornerstone Charter School through the following procedure:

• All open full-time positions, stating required competencies, shall be posted to KimberlyArea School District employees 72 hours before being posted to the general public. AllKASD employees will go through the process listed below.

• All completed applications will be turned in through WECAN,

www.kornerstonecharterschool.com, or can be turned in to theKimberly Area School

District Administration Building.

• The Governance Board will select at least three candidates to interview. TheGovernance Board will recommend two potential candidates to the Hiring Committee.

• The Hiring Committee will make the final decision for hiring staff members. The HiringCommittee shall be made up of the School Board President, Governance BoardPresident, Superintendent or person designated by the Superintendent, andKornerstone Teacher.



The Governance Board shall approve the curricular approaches used at Kornerstone. TheGovernance Board will not make day-to-day decisions regarding curriculum. That duty fallsupon KCS staff. The Governance Board will employ an independent evaluator to monitor thestudent to staff relationships, rigor, and relevance of the curriculum taught in KCS. TheGovernance Board will search for professional development opportunities for KCS. TheGovernance Board will have responsibilities for fundraising. The funds secured by the

Governance Board will fund professional development, provide technology to students, andassist in providing salary to KCS staff members for their work through the extended schoolyear. The Governance Board will create, implement, and amend all policies not laid forth inthe charter relating to running the school. The KASD Board of Education will approve anypolicies relating to the physical school building.

The Governance Board shall exist as a Non-Profit/Non-Stock Corporation. The goal is toeventually have 501 3c status in which Kornerstone can accept donations contributors canwrite off of their taxes. With a super-majority vote of 80%, the Governance Board can update,alter, and re-create any part of the master charter agreement.

c. Include a description of the administrative relationship between the charter schooland the authorizer and describe how the charter school will be managed.

Kornerstone will update the KASD Board of Education annually. As an instrument of theKimberly Area School District, Kornerstone has an obligation to increase students academicabilities. Kornerstone students will participate in MAP testing at least twice per year. Studentsin Kornerstone are subjected to all district wide and state mandated testing. The results of these tests are annually reported to the KASD Board of Education. Any KASD administrator or school board member is always welcomed to come and see the learning taking place atKornerstone.

Kornerstone Charter School's Governance Board or its designee will be in charge of andgovern the school. Kornerstone's teachers are employees of the authorizer and responsiblefor leading and directing the day-to-day operations of the charter school in accordance withthe policies and procedures set forth by the Governance Board. The Governance Board shallset policy and procedures aligned with the vision and mission of Kornerstone Charter Schooland will determine its own budget, staffing, and program evaluation. Kornerstone will follow allKASD financial and accounting policies and procedures. An annual report including financialand program aspects of the charter school will be submitted to the school board and availableto the public each year.

d. Describe the specific training that will be provided to the charter board and when itwill be delivered, e.g. governing authority, Roberts Rules, finances/budgets, fundraising, parent involvement etcAt least two of the initial Governance members will attend the Summer Immersion for ProjectBased Learning at Valley New School. The entire Governance Board will go throughextensive training in order to become knowledgeable in Robert's Rules of Order, SchoolFinance, Project Based Learning, Service Learning, and school culture. At least once per year, the Governance Board will attend a retreat. The retreat will consist of a two dayconference in which the Governance Board will explore pertinent issues to Kornerstone andbecome more knowledgeable regarding governance. An example of an appropriate retreatwould be attending the annual WCSA Conference.



III The Planning Process1.Provide a chronological description of all charter planning activities completed prior to the submission of this application.April 2008-April 2009: Michael McCabe, Tom Krause, and Brad Klitzke attemptedtechnology innovations and inquiry learning in Kimberly High School and CORE Charter

School.April 2009 - Michael McCabe attended the WCSA Conference, and participated in theTechnology strand. Marcia Van Hout attended the Project Based Learning strand. MichaelMcCabe begins discussions about a new charter school. He creates a working blueprint of anew charter school.May 2009 - Kimberly High School teachers Emily McCabe, Brad Klitzke, Tom Krause, andPhil Yunk provide insights into the development of the new school.-Mr. Rietveld, KHS Principal, was approached about the concept of a new charter school. Hewas supportive, and urged Michael McCabe to move forward with the planning.June & July 2009 - Michael McCabe came up with name Quo Vadis (Latin for: 'where areyou going' or 'rise, and let us be on our way'. Brad Klitzke comes up with the nameKornerstone.-Planning Team formed.-The Charter Planning Grant was started as a Google Doc and opened up to the entireplanning team.August 2009 --Brad Klitzke and Michael McCabe attended an information session in Mid-August inOshkosh. They made contact with Barry Golden of DPI, and Steve DeMay from Valley NewSchool. They were told what to expect with the grant and creation of an innovative school.Barry placed a huge emphasis on being innovative.-Additional people invited to planning team, active members include: Mike Rietveld, TomKrause, Katie Heling, Brad Klitzke, Emily McCabe, and Michael McCabe.-Planning team met every other week.September & October 2009 --Michael McCabe spoke with Barry Golden and was told to get in touch with a charter consultant from EdVisions.-Michael McCabe contacted Aaron Grimm, a consultant from EdVisions.-Mobile Learning expert Judy Brown attends Planning Team meeting.-Meeting to inform the school board is set for November 23rd. Presentation for the board iscreated.-Michael McCabe attends an immersion day at Valley New School on October 28th. Receivedgreat information from staff and students. Michael McCabe met Aaron Grimm and spokeabout an alliance between Kornerstone and EdVisions.November 23rd - Informing the school board- Michael McCabe and Brad Klitzke informed theschool board about plans for completing the Planning Grant. They told the school boardthey'd return in March, seeking authorization. The school board was also invited to participateon the Kornerstone Ning, which was set up in August 2009, to elicit feedback and facilitatediscussions. A Ning is an online social community. In this instance, the Ning is set up toencourage a dialog for a new charter school.December 2009- Four members of the planning team toured Valley New School.-Heated discussions in planning team meetings lead to debates over structure of school day,implementation of curriculum, open learning versus structured learning, degree of studentchoice in curriculum, what is a credit and why do we need them if we're assessing

http://kornerstonecharterschool.ning.com/

http://www.edvisionsschools.org/








employability and processes.January 11th - Community Forum- A community forum was held at Kimberly High School.Over a dozen community members attended. Barry Golden from DPI explained the basics of charter schools and project based learning. Tom Krause and Michael McCabe led the forumwith Barry Golden. The event lasted for over three and half hours and several parents voicedtheir enthusiasm for the new school. An email list of event participants was drafted and all

attendees were invited to join the planning team’s website. The planning team incorporatedcommunity feedback into ongoing dialog.February & March -Planning team meetings continue on a bi-weekly basis-Tom Krause and Michael McCabe attend Service Learning conference at DPI in Madison(March 3).-Tom Krause and Michael McCabe go before the school board and gain authorization (March8).-Entire Planning Team attends WCSA Conference (March 22-23).-Marcia Van Hout and Michael McCabe traveled to Minnesota New Country School inHenderson, MinnesotaApril – Brad Klitzke, Tom Krause, and Michael McCabe participated in a webinar called,Using Facebook in the Classroom, Connecting Students and Maintaining Boundaries

2. Provide a list of the names of the people involved in the planning process and their role(s).Michael McCabe - Lead Teacher CORE Charter School, Founder of Kornerstone & PlanningTeam Chair; Tom Krause - KHS Social Studies Teacher, Co-Founder of Kornerstone; BradKlitzke - KHS Social Studies Teacher, major contributor to Kornerstone Planning Team; MikeRietveld - KHS Principal, Planning Team Member; Emily McCabe - KHS Art Teacher,Planning Team Member; Marcia Van Hout - CORE Charter School Credit RecoveryCoordinator, Planning Team Member; Phil Yunk, KHS English Teacher, Planning TeamMember; Katie Heling - KHS Science Teacher, Planning Team Member; Billie Braeger - KHSSpecial Educator, Planning Team Member.

3.Provide a description of how parents and other members of the community havebeen involved in the planning and design of the charter school. On January 11th, 2010, over a dozen community members participated in a CommunityForum. Tom Krause, Michael McCabe, and Barry Golden presented an hour long synopsis of Kornerstone Charter School. Mr. Golden informed the public about charter schools, validity of Project Based Learning, and the relationship between KASD and the state of Wisconsin.Following the presentations by Tom Krause, Michael McCabe, and Barry Golden, the peopleat the forum walked around the room and posted their thoughts. Here is a list of the topicsand questions presented to the people of Kimberly. Their written feedback/comments followbelow:Community Involvement/ BusinessesQuestion: How do you see outside resources and members being a key part of the school?(Examples, mentoring ideas, etc…)i. Although I was a college-bound H.S. Senior, I did a co-op at a business that led to a joboffer. Now I am in medicine and job shadowing is essential to students exploring differentfields.ii. Community involvement is the key for those non traditional learning students. Helps explorewhat they are curious about.iii. Use existing organizations such as the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, etc…





School Building/ Set up (physical make-up)Question: What would you like to see in a school for student first learning? (Do not worryabout cost. Brainstorm).i. Non-traditional – take them where the learning can happen- outside the building.ii. Ensure transportation to and from is covered.iii. School with multiple settings within the building; kitchen, gym, lab, shop, etc…

Student skill sets/ needsQuestion: What do you believe are key components which students should come out of school with?i. Absolutely, they need critical thinking skills. To question and challenge best practices in aconstructive and cooperative way. Listening skills are essential to understanding problemsand the ability to provide feedback, both positive and negative. Arbitration and clear communication too.ii. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses. How they learn best, since you never stoplearning. They can set goals and know how to achieve them.iii. Accountability, good will, positive interpersonal skills.Technology Integration/ ideasQuestion: How should schools use 21st technologies to enhance student first learning?i. Integrate technology into projects, present projects with technology of today, requiretechnology to be used in project work.ii. My 5th grader is already using current technology in his traditional school; internet, PPT,keyboarding skills. They need to understand limits, boundaries, inaccurate info, plagiarism,fraud, etc…iii. Work with FVTC to keep technology on the leading edge where business is and mostschools and 4-year colleges are behind.iv. Stress to students that technology should not replace traditional reading.School schedule/ dayQuestion: What are your thoughts on year-round schooling or a modified schedule? Whatbenefits and downfalls do you see to unique schedules?i. Year round good with breaks. Daily schedule.ii. Should recognize peak performance hours for teens.iii. How would modified schedules affect co-curricular participation?iv. Do all kids follow the same schedule?v. Also affect summer only opportunities (for example Y Camp?)vi. Year round is beneficial.Catch AllQuestion: Other questions and concerns you may have? Ideas you would like to seeinvestigated during this process.i. What about appreciation for the Arts and Literature? This will fit directly into the ProjectBased Learning.ii. A charter school also needs to emphasize health, happiness and positive interpersonalskills.

4. Provided a description of how parents and other members of the community will beinvolved in the implementation of the charter school.Parents and community members are an integral part of Kornerstone Charter School. Parentsare involved in creating their son or daughters Personalized Learning Plan (PLP). At least oneparent will serve on the Kornerstone Governance Board. There is a 1:1 community member tostaff member ratio on the Kornerstone Governance Board. Tom Krause and Michael McCabe



will host over ten discussions at various community settings in order to continue informing thecommunity and gather feedback. As our planning team expands, we will seek parents to helpus set up the physical structure of the school and participate in committees overseen by theGovernance Board.

A key component of Kornerstone Charter School is the Community Mentorship Program. The

Community Mentorship Program works as such:-At the beginning of Year 3 at Kornerstone (traditionally 10th grade), students will begin aquasi-professional relationship with a community member who works in a field of interest tothe student. This community member will be known as the students 'Community Mentor'. TheCommunity Mentor is subject to a background check. They will have to undergo training.-The Community Mentor will come into KCS regularly throughout the school year.-The student will job shadow the community mentor during Year 3.-During Year 4 (11th grade), the student will work with their Community Mentor on a project.The Community Mentor will assume the advisory role for the student on the project.-By the end of Year 4, the Community Mentor will assist in placing the student at aninternship. The internship will take place during the end of Year 4 or during Year 5.-The Community Mentor will participate in the students Personalized Learning Plan duringYear 4 & 5.

5. Describe how the district school board or chartering authority and the local teachers association have been involved in the planning process.In November, 2009, two members from the planning team (Michael McCabe & Brad Klitzke)informed the KASD Board of Education. The school board received a packet of informationdescribing the vision of Kornerstone. The school board provided informal unanimous consentto proceed with the completion of the planning grant. The school board asked severalquestions. During the first informational meeting, the Board of Education was informed of two'must have' issues with the new charter school. In order to succeed, Kornerstone needs to bea stand alone school and not reside within any currently existing schools. Secondly, in order to ensure sustainability, Kornerstone needs to get the per pupil funding of its students. Themoney that would be funneled to Kimberly High School or JR Gerritts Middle School for thestudent needs to flow towards Kornerstone Charter School. To ensure an open dialog, theschool board was invited to join the website that was set up by Michael McCabe. Thesuperintendent and high school principal are both members of the aforementioned website.The Board of Education was invited to take part in the Community Forum on January 11th;however, the night coincided with a board meeting. The school board was updated about theCommunity Forum and charter planning progress in February, 2010. In March 2010, MichaelMcCabe and Tom Krause went to the school board seeking authorization of the KornerstoneCharter School. In a 6-0 vote, the school board unanimously voted to approve the submissionof the planning grant for Kornerstone Charter School.

Brad Klitzke is a member of the planning team and he is the Vice-President of the KimberlyEducation Association. He's working with the teachers union to create a Memorandum of Understanding that will protect teachers in charter school from standard seniority language tobetter ensure continuity of professional staff.

6. Outline the remaining planning work that needs to be accomplished to open your school and to begin serving children by fall 2011. Please address facility and staffingissues to the degree possible. Include a timeline for activity and planning processes.





Goal/Outcome Timeline Activity People Involved &Responsible

FinalizeKornerstone Vision& Mission

May 2010 – August2010

Bi-weekly planning teammeetings

Planning Team Chairs

10/1/10 Draft charter school

contract; have contractapproved by School Board;Operational GovernanceBoard

Planning Team, School

Board, legal consul; KCSGovernance Board

10/1/10 Establish Non-Profitcorporation as fiscal agentof Kornerstone

Planning Team Chairs;School Board

By 6/1/10 Draft & finalize policies andprocedures; parent andstudent handbooks

KCS Governance Board

Provide highlyqualified teachersand other supportpersonnel

3/1/11 Hire teachers (3), 2 by11/1/10

KCS Governance Board;KCS Hiring Committee

Develop curriculumand defineinstructionalmethodology

6/1/11 All planning year (2010-2011) professionaldevelopment activities

KCS Governance Board;Planning Team Chairs

6/1/11 Visit other PBL & SLschools

KCS Governance Board;Planning Team Chairs

6/1/11 Identify instructional

resources

KCS Governance Board;

Director of Instruction;KCS Staff

7/1/11 Develop Employabilitybenchmarks &Assessments


7/1/11 Develop CommunityMentorship Program

KCS Governance Board;superintendent

Increasecommunityawareness andparental support for Kornerstone

8/1/10 –7/15/11

Organize communityinformational meetings;provide information indistrict publications

KCS Staff & GovernanceBoard

12/1/10 Develop Website KCS Governance Board;Planning Team Chair

1/10/11 Send out brochure to all 6-9th grade parents in KASD


Ongoing Organize parent & studentinformational meetings

KCS Staff; KCSGovernance Board

Ongoing Disseminate informational KCS Staff; KCS



pamphlet at Parent Teacher Conferences in October &February

Governance Board

Develop charter school facility

10/1/10 Secure space for charter school

KASD School Board;KCS Governance Board

7/1/11 Identify and procureneeded equipment &resources


Enroll Students 11/1/10 Admission forms,procedures, andapplications finalized


1/1/11 –7/30/11

Accepted applications willbe notified


5/1/11 –8/1/11

Student Orientation KCS Staff

7/11/11 –8/1/11 Student PLP’s drafted KCS Staff, parents, andstudents

Conferences &ProfessionalDevelopment

Ongoing Gain competence in PBL,SL, employability traits,Multiple Intelligences,Mobile Learning, schoolfinance, school culture,charter school setup &sustainability, governance,transition services, andcommunity involvement

KCS Staff; KCSGovernance Board;Community Mentors;School Board Members,District Administrators

Budget Training Ongoing Gain an understanding of operating costs andfinancial management of acharter school

KCS Staff, KCSGovernance Board;KASD BusinessManager

7. When school districts authorize charter schools and receive federal funding,significant resources are invested in professional development during the initial threeyears. Please describe efforts that will be undertaken to retain these teachers in thecharter school.Kornerstone Charter School is teacher led. The creators of the charter school are the same

people charged with the task of educating the students, running the school, and sustaining aninnovative learning environment. The creators of the charter school understand their responsibilities associated with beginning a new school. As long as the staff and governanceof KCS operate a high quality school and produces results, little cause for non-retentionexists. During the planning year, the KCS planning team will thoroughly investigate budgetarychallenges. However, two large uncontrollables exacerbate the situation surrounding thecreation and formations of a new charter school. The first is building cost. KCS will be in astand alone site, and our largest budgetary expense outside of salary cost will be buildingcost. The planning team is unable to secure a building until approval of the grant occurs.



Thus, current budget analysis are speculative. The second element associated with teacher retention is the current budgetary crises faced all over the State of Wisconsin. The KimberlyArea School District is demonstrating extraordinary leadership in these trying times byestablishing an innovative learning environment run by teachers. The fact that KornerstoneCharter School has gone from a vision and is heading towards a reality is proof of effortundertaken to retain teachers. The planning team has been provided with an opportunity to

create a new school and see that school flourish from the ground up. The MOU previouslymentioned establishes KCS staff will not be bumped out of their teaching positions. IV Equal Access1. Provide a description of how your plan will assure equal access for all studentsregardless of gender, race, national origin, color, disability or age factors.Kornerstone Charter School is a tuition free public school in the Kimberly Area School District.The Kornerstone Governance Board and Kimberly Area School District Board of Educationwill collaboratively develop a recruitment plan consistent with the goal of achieving equalaccess for all students in grades 8-12, regardless of gender, race, national origin, color, or disability. All students in grades 8-12 in the Kimberly Area School District are eligible to attendKornerstone Charter School. All students and their families will be notified of the charter school application process and timeline through the district newsletter that is mailed monthly,through the school district website, and through mailings when funding permits.

2. Provide a description of how students with disabilities will be servedKornerstone Charter School is open to all students. If the person attending KCS is a studentwith a disability, she or he will receive their appropriate services identified in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Before beginning the first day of classes at KCS, astudent with disabilities will have an IEP meeting in which the IEP team will discuss anddetermine the appropriateness of placement and services in KCS. The IEP team will identifythe supports needed to ensure student success. Every effort will be made to involve thefollowing participants at the IEP meeting preceding the students entrance into KCS: Student,parent, special educator and regular education teacher from JR Gerritts Middle School or Kimberly High School, KCS staff member, KCS Governance Board member. All students withdisabilities will undergo the same application and admission process as other students.

The planning team wants to investigate the possibility of a KCS Governance Board Member serving in the role of the Local Education Agency (LEA) representative. The GovernanceBoard makes financial decisions for KCS. A relationship between a student with disabilitiesand a member of the governance board is vital to establishing need and cause for anyexpenses accrued per disability (examples include assistive technology,transportation/building accommodations, etc). Service Learning (SL) requires students in KCSto actively participate in the community. During the Planning Grant year, the Planning Teamwill thoroughly investigate any barriers, restrictions, or expenses that could possibly arise dueto the student disability level and SL. As permitted by state and federal laws, specialeducation services taking place in KCS will be charged to federal or state governmentalagencies.

By Year 3 (10th grade) every effort will be made to have the student with disabilities completethe majority of the Annual IEP. The student with disabilities shall be in charge of advocatingfor their transition services (I-8), and completing the Present Level of Academic Achievementand Functional Performance (I-4). By Year 4 (11th grade), the student with disabilities will set



up their Annual IEP meeting and participate in completing the formal invitations (I-1, I-1T, I-3,EE-1, & P-2). By Year 5 (12th Grade), the student with disabilities shall complete their entireIEP. A KCS staff member or KASD Special Education teacher will assist with the completionof the IEP as a part of a project. During Year 4 & Year 5, the Annual IEP meeting will coincidewith the students PLP creation meeting. This will ensure inclusionary principles and allowstudents with disabilities to be a part of a common planning time as their regular education

peers. Innovation in the Individualized Education Plan could lead to creating an inclusivecommunity. Based on the demographics of other PBL schools in the Fox Valley (Valley NewSchool), the planning team of Kornerstone is anticipating at least 20% of the student body willbe made up of students with disabilities.

Upon entering Kornerstone, a KCS staff member will become the case manager of thestudent with disabilities. With parental permission, the case manager will not have to possesany special education licensure. Parents of the students with disabilities will determine if theyare comfortable with attempting innovative strategies seeking to improve studentperformance.

3. Provide a description of how students in the community will be informed about thecharter school and given an equal opportunity to attendPrior to January 1st of each year, all parents of sixth through eighth graders in the KASD shallreceive literature regarding Kornerstone. Kornerstone representatives will hold informationsessions at least three times per year.

Informational meetings for parents and their children will be held in January or February. Inaddition, school counselors will provide information on Kornerstone to students and their parents as applicable. JR Gerritts Middle School, Kimberly High School, and theAdministration Building will all have applications for Kornerstone. No student will be denied anopportunity to complete an application. When fair and appropriate, Kornerstone Charter School staff will assist students in completion of their application. In order to keep clear communication and avoid perceived favoritism, any application completed with KCS staff assistance will be sent to the superintendant of schools, and the Governance Board.

4. Describe the admissions policy and any qualifications for admission that will beestablished5. Provide a description of a random lottery process to be implemented if morestudents apply for admission than can be accommodated in the charter schoolKornerstone Charter School shall have an enrollment of no more than 45 students in grades8,9, and 10 for the 2011-2012 school year. The enrollment period for the 2011-2012 schoolyear will begin December 1, 2010, and extend through June 30,2011. In successive years theenrollment period will be from January 1 - June 1.

In year 2 (2012-2013), KCS will expand its enrollment to 60 students and serve students ingrades 8-11. In year 3 (2013-2014), KCS will expand its enrollment by an additional 15students and reach capacity with 75 students in grades 8-12. In conjunction with the schoolboard, the KCS governance board will determine if the grade level or enrollment numbersrequire alterations. KCS Governance Board may adjust enrollment slots per grade level asnecessary.

If the number of prospective student applicants exceeds the number of available enrollment

http://valleynewschool.com/






slots, an annual lottery shall ensue. The annual lottery will be held on the Tuesday precedingMay 30th (if May 30th is a Tuesday, the lottery will be held on May 23rd). Completedapplications must be turned in 72 hours before the lottery is held. Applicants exempt from thelottery process include siblings of KCS students and children of KCS teachers (provided thenumber of children does not exceed 5% of the total school enrollment). Exempt applicants willbe granted 'prospective student' status and fill available enrollment slots. The lottery is open

to the public and facilitated by a KCS staff member and governance board member. Names of applicants are blindly selected at random by a human. After all of the available enrollmentslots are filled, random selection proceeds until all names are selected to fill the waiting list.Parents and students will receive notification of the results within 72 hours of lotterycompletion. Upon parental notification, students are officially 'prospective students' inKornerstone Charter School.

Before gaining enrollment into KCS, all prospective students must complete an interest andaptitude assessment (located on the Kornerstone website and available at KornerstoneCharter School). The assessment measures the students strengths and weaknesses in their multiple intelligence area. The assessment will also measure a students coachability. In order for a student to experience success in a project/service based learning environment, they willhave to be self reflective, able to handle critical analysis, and be a team player. The student, aparent, and a former teacher will all complete the assessment. Before successful enrollmentinto KCS, the student and parent will sit down with KCS staff and go over the results of theassessment. Sticking to the spirit of a free, fair, and public school, KCS staff will takemeasures to ensure the parent and student make the decision regarding entrance intoKornerstone. If a parent feels they are being unjustly turned away from KCS, they mayrequest a grievance hearing with the KCS Governance Board. The District Administrator or representative of KASD administration shall be invited to the meeting. A prospective studentmust complete the interest and aptitude assessment within ten days of notification, or their enrollment slot shall be offered to the next student on the waiting list.

After soliciting applications from students in the Kimberly Area School District, openenrollment students per the Wisconsin Open Enrollment law will be considered if there arevacancies. If a vacant enrollment slot does not exist, the student can participate in the Maylottery and accept a place on the waiting list.

V. The Budget1. Describe the methods by which controls over expenditures and records of expenditures will be maintained.

As an instrumentality of Kimberly Area School District, the charter school will follow all districtfinancial, accounting, auditing, and purchasing policies and procedures. The charter schoolwill be allocated funds, including federal discretionary funds and grants, in a manner consistent with other district schools. Separate accounts will be set up for the KornerstoneCharter School under the control of the charter governance or designee. An annual reportincluding financial and program aspects of the charter school will be submitted to the schoolboard and available to the public each year.

Kornerstone Charter School will actively pursue applicable grants, donations, and fund-raisingactivities. School district policies and accounting procedures will be followed for each of theseactivities to assure appropriate monitoring and reporting.



As an instrument of the school district, Kornerstone Charter School and Kimberly Area SchoolDistrict agree that all business functions, accounting, payroll, maintenance, and similar functions shall be assumed by the district except the budgeted allocations shall be dispersedaccording to the charter school governance board. Any grants or donations applied for andreceived by Kornerstone Charter School shall be disbursed through the grant guidelines

under the direction of the charter school governance board.

As an instrumentality of the Kimberly Area School District, Kornerstone Charter School will fallunder the umbrella of the District’s liability insurance. The charter school will carry the typesand limits of liability insurance as is currently carried by the school district for all of itsfacilities. Upon the establishment of KCS, there will be no change in the liability of KASD.The charter school will be an instrumentality of the District. As such, it will be provided thesame services as all other Kimberly Area School District schools in regard to teacher salaries,facilities, and maintenance. Federal funds will be allocated to the charter school at the sameproportion as all other Kimberly Area School District schools.

2. Provide a list of itemized expenditures and a budget narrative which provides arationale for why the expenses are necessary. This list should be consistent with theLocal Plan For Use of Discretionary Funds, but should offer greater detail includingspecific items and the cost of items that will be purchased.

Activity BudgetedAmount

Rational/Explanation

Draft charter schoolcontract, andhave school boardapprove master

contract

$5000 Legal Fees

Set up wireless internetsignal and point to pointlink for new schoolbuilding

$25,000 Connectivity in KCS is a necessity

EdVisions technicalassistance package

$30,000

Provide assistance with set up and running PBL school,facilitate on-site visits to EdVisions Schools (Minnesota NewCountry School in Henderson, MN, Northwoods CommunitySchool in Rhinnelander, WI, & VNS in Appleton, WI).

Project Foundry $3,500 Necessary to maintain records in a PBL schoolConferences, In-

service, ProfessionalDevelopment $30,000

Price includes cost of conferences detailed in section H

above, travel expenses, cost of substitute teachers, andbringing specialist to KCS for In-service.Publications &brochures for communityinformational meetings

$2,000 10 meetings, $200 in cost per meeting (Handbook,application, school calendar, brochures, food)

Extended Time $6,000 Create policies, admission forms, finalize master charter, holdinformational meetings, and attend conferences outside of regular school year (300 hours at $20 and hour).



Netbooks, Laptops, andPrinting Station

$41,000

50 netbooks (w/extra battery, 2 year warranty, & virusprotection) at $600 each; 10 laptops at $1000 each; 1 mobileprinting stations at $1000.

Work Spaces $22,500 8 ‘dogbone’ desks & chairs at $2500 per set; 1 conferencetables at $500 each, 4 teacher stations at $500 each

Professional Resource

Library

$5,000 Necessary to accumulate information regarding PBL & SBL

Traveling expenses $3,000 Gas, lodging, and food, for visits to charter schoolsmentioned above

Consultant Fees $2,000 Build a website for Kornerstone, 100 hours at $20 an hour;Create a video for attracting parents & students, $2,500

3. Provide a plan on how the school’s innovative offerings including professionaldevelopment will be sustained and continued after the charter school grant expires.

Per Pupil allocations for expenses consistent with other schools in the district will enable

Kornerstone Charter School to continually offer a strong innovative instructional program after the school grant expires. The Kimberly Area School District has made a commitment to allowper pupil monies to flow to the charter school at a corresponding ratio to the number of students enrolled in KCS. As long as the State of Wisconsin continues to provide adequatemoney to KASD, Kornerstone will be sustainable.

As an instrumentality of KASD, salary and building expenses shall be subtracted from the per pupil money. The remaining funds shall be allocated to the Kornerstone Governance Board.The governance board will have control and discretion regarding purchases and expendituresfor KCS. When the initial grant funds run out after the 2013-2014 school year, KCS isanticipating an enrollment of 75 students in grades 8-12. Subtracting salary and building

costs, the planning team has deduced the remaining budget will range from $120,000 -$155,000 a year. This number is calculated by multiplying the per pupil money by the number of students ($645,000; 65 KASD students & 10 open enrollment students), and subtractingthe salary of five full-time teachers, and a support staff ($340,000). Further, the estimatedannual building cost ($150,000) also needs to be subtracted from the per pupil money. It isestimated that staff raises in salary will erode the annual budget by $10,000 annually. TheKornerstone Governance Board shall be responsible for reporting out all financialexpenditures quarterly.

In order to pay for professional development and update technology long term, the planningteam will investigate the possibility of establishing an endowment fund. Kornerstone

Governance Board will establish itself as a non-profit/non-stock corporation. The planningteam will investigate the possibility of setting up an endowment fund as an arm of the non-profit corporation. The goal of the endowment fund will be to receive donations andaccumulate up to $500,000-$1,000,000 in donations. The interest drawn off of the moneyaccumulated in the endowment fund will finance professional development and technology.This practice has been adopted by the Appleton Area School District and yielded positiveresults.



[1] http://www.valleynewschool.comhttp://www.newcountryschool.com/http://www.instituteofplay.com/node/103

[2] Dr. David Brewer - Program Lead, Employment and Disability Institute; Cornell University.

[3] Adapted from: http://situativity.org (Rovy Branon)

http://situativity.org/



kornerstone charter application

Documents