Apollo School
A Proposed
Charter School
For Gifted and Talented Students
Submitted October 1, 1999
to Denver Public Schools.
Revised and Amended in Response to the Colorado State Board of Education's Remand Decision of March 1, 2000, and Provided to DPS for Reconsideration on April 10, 2000.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Mission Statement and Overview
Goals, Objectives, Pupil Performance Standards
Educational Program, Pupil Performance Standards and Curriculum
At-Risk, Disabled and English-Language Learners
Plan for Evaluating Pupil Performance
Economic Plan and Proposed Budget
Location, Facilites and Zoning Regulations
Third-Party
Dispute Resolution
" 'Gifted children' means those persons between the ages of five and twenty-one whose abilities, talents, and potential are so outstanding that they require special provisions to meet their educational needs."
Colorado Exceptional Children's Act
"Different pupils learn differently and public school programs should be designed to fit the needs of individual pupils."
Colorado Charter Schools Act
"Equal education is the foundation of the right to be a human being … This does not mean that any gifted child or any child having greater capability to learn may or shall be deprived of his or her opportunity of learning more. It does mean that every child shall have the equal opportunity to learn to the best of his or her ability. That opportunity must be made available to all on equal terms."
Judge Alfred Gitelson, County of Los Angeles, Superior Court Case 822854
Apollo Charter School’s purpose is to serve gifted students from ages 6 to 18 whose academic and/or intellectual abilities require differentiated educational programs and/or services beyond those normally provided by the regular school program. Apollo will place particular emphasis on meeting the academic, intellectual and emotional needs of gifted students whose special needs and abilities place them at risk, specifically including highly gifted and twice-exceptional students.
Overview
Apollo Charter School is a unique charter school program open to gifted students ages 6-18 (traditionally defined as grades 1-12) whose academic and/or intellectual abilities fall within the top 2 percent when tested for achievement or potential using a broad array of assessment methods and instruments and who require differentiated educational programs and/or services beyond those normally provided by regular school programs.
Apollo plans to open in the fall of 2001with 100 students.
These students will be aged 9-14 (the traditional grades 4-8) and also aged 6-8 if at least 20 students in that category (the traditional grades 1-3), apply for admission. Additionally, Apollo will submit a high-school curriculum for gifted students to DPS in or before November of 2000 for DPS' approval. Immediately following such approval, Apollo will open classes to students aged 15 (the traditional grade 9) and add at least one more year to the gifted high school component each year thereafter until students aged 6-18 are served.
Apollo will determine through pre-defined assessment methods, the proper class placement for each student. At capacity, Apollo will have a maximum of 500 students. Students will be grouped by subject matter mastery based on the content standards, rather than by age or grade, with an average ratio of one teacher per 20 students. Every effort will be made to provide each teacher the assistance of either a student teacher or parent volunteer. This low school-wide student teacher ratio and the use of student teachers and parent volunteers will enable Apollo to provide a personalized education.
Apollo’s educational approach is based on the following facts:
For example, any program in which students are taught material that is appropriately challenging for their ability and allows them to move forward in the curriculum as they master content and skills is considered flexible pacing. For able or gifted learners, flexible pacing generally means some form of acceleration, accomplished by moving the student up to advanced content or by moving advanced content down to the student. The rate of progress can be varied in either direction. With flexible pacing all students can progress through school at a pace that provides a steady challenge without crippling frustration or unreasonable pressure.
Methods to Achieve Flexible Pacing
In practice, flexible pacing can be achieved by a variety of methods:
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| Mastering basic facts and concepts in different content areas. | Using content related to broad-based issues, problems, or themes. |
| Transferring learning to new areas. | Integrating content with multiple disciplines. |
| Mastering basic skills in reading, writing and math. | Mastering complex, productive, abstract, higher level thinking skills. |
| Utilizing reference material. | Developing research skills and methods. |
| Developing the ability to communicate ideas. | Expressing learning in creative ways to "new" and different audiences. |
The recently adopted Content Standards provide the perfect framework for utilizing these instructional strategies.
Apollo’s programs will form a unified, coherent and challenging curriculum, which progressively builds each student's foundation of knowledge and mastery of skills. This curriculum will meet or exceed district and/or state standards, and all students will be expected to perform well above the 50th percentile for their associated grade level in DPS. High expectations will be integral to Apollo’s school culture, and students will be encouraged to work hard to achieve their full potential.
Additionally, Apollo is aware of the special needs of twice-exceptional students (i.e., gifted students who have physical, emotional or learning disabilities) and highly gifted students (i.e., identified as falling within the top ½ of 1 percent for either achievement or potential using a broad array of accepted assessment methods and instruments) and will meet those needs through specific dedication of staff resources and ongoing teacher training.
The educational needs of the highly gifted will further be assured by creating a self-contained academic and intellectual peer group that can benefit from the demanding materials and instructional strategies required to meet the special instructional needs and unusual learning styles of highly gifted students. This self-contained academic/intellectual peer group will be composed entirely of gifted students who are identified as falling within or above the 98th percentile for either achievement or potential, using a broad array of accepted assessment methods and instruments, including private testing, pro-bono assessments by qualified educational psychologists, testing and assessment information from other school districts or other credible sources, and, of course, testing and assessment information currently used by DPS’ G/T office.
There is ample precedent for this approach.
For over a decade, DPS has recognized the needs of highly gifted students through its self-contained classrooms for students identified by the Gifted and Talented Office as falling within the top 1% when tested for performance and potential.
Apollo will take this approach several steps further by:
1) Creating a school entirely dedicated to self-contained gifted education, rather than adopting the current "school-within-a school" approach.
2) Aiming the program at gifted students from all over the District, rather than primarily serving students in a particular quadrant.
3) Extending self-contained gifted education through age 18 (the traditional 12th grade).
4) Developing a "High School" program that allows and encourages students to enroll in advanced placement courses and receive college credit for work done at Apollo.
5) Specifically meeting the special needs of at-risk highly gifted students by creating and maintaining an intellectual and academic peer group of gifted students and allocating resources to specialized instructional training.
6) Specifically meeting the special needs of at-risk twice exceptional student by offering a challenging academic and intellectual environment while simultaneously addressing obstacles posed by physical, emotional or behavioral disability.
For those parents who agree with Apollo’s
philosophy and choose to enroll their children, Apollo will provide a small,
close community of administrators, teachers, parents and students who are
dedicated to success and achievement.
GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND PUPIL PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
"It has been documented for 60 years that gifted children are capable of achieving at least two years of advancement for every year of school. Hollingworth (1930) taught gifted students the regular curriculum in half the day (now known as 'compacting' or 'telescoping') and had the rest of the day for enrichment. Martinson (1961) compared gifted students in self-contained classes with their counterparts in the regular classroom and found that the congregated group gained two years in achievement, while others gained only one year… Renzulli and Rice (1991) note that curriculum compacting reduces the amount of time needed by gifted children to master their basic curriculum by 50 percent."
Dr. Linda K. Silverman, "Scapegoating the Gifted," 1991.
Apollo’s goals are based on a number of basic ideas, including the following:
For example, any program in which students are taught material that is appropriately challenging for their ability and allows them to move forward in the curriculum as they master content and skills is considered flexible pacing. For able or gifted learners, flexible pacing generally means some form of acceleration, accomplished by moving the student up to advanced content or by moving advanced content down to the student. The rate of progress can be varied in either direction. With flexible pacing all students can progress through school at a pace that provides a steady challenge without crippling frustration or unreasonable pressure.
Methods to Achieve Flexible Pacing
In practice, flexible pacing can be achieved by a variety of methods:
| Mastering basic facts and concepts in different content areas. | Using content related to broad-based issues, problems, or themes. |
| Transferring learning to new areas. | Integrating content with multiple disciplines. |
| Mastering basic skills in reading, writing and math. | Mastering complex, productive, abstract, higher level thinking skills. |
| Utilizing reference material. | Developing research skills and methods. |
| Developing the ability to communicate ideas. | Expressing learning in creative ways to "new" and different audiences. |
The recently
adopted Content Standards provide the perfect
framework for utilizing these instructional strategies. The following table
lists the Apollo’s goals and objectives, strategies, and measures of accountability.
Goal No. 1: To improve pupil learning by establishing
high, rigorous standards for pupil performance in all content standards.
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Goal No. 2: To increase learning opportunities for
pupils who have been identified as twice exceptional and/or have a history
of achieving below their potential.
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Goal No. 3: To encourage diverse approaches to learning
and education and the use of different, proven, or innovative teaching
methods.
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Goal No. 4: To allow the development of different and
innovative forms of measuring pupil learning and achievement.
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Goal No. 5: To create new professional opportunities
for teachers, including the opportunity to be responsible for the learning
program at the school site.
| OBJECTIVES | STRATEGIES | ASSESSMENT |
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Goal No. 6: To provide parents and pupils with expanded
choices in the types of education opportunities that are available within
DPS system.
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Goal No. 7: To encourage parental and community involvement
with public schools.
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Goal No. 8: To hold charter schools accountable for
meeting state board and school district content standards and to provide
such schools with a method to change accountability systems.
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Reading and Writing:
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Mathematics:
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Science:
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History:
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Geography:
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Parents across the district have typically been supportive of parent-initiated efforts to offer charter schools in Denver, and Apollo is no exception.
As of November 1, 1999, the parents of 46 children who would be eligible for Apollo filled out our non-binding Statement of Interest or otherwise informed us that, if Apollo were to open in September of 2000, they would want their children to enroll. As additional evidence at that time, we included 20 letters of support we received. Additional letters, we are told, were sent directly to the DPS Board of Education.
Considering that this came from approximately 50 families, representing about 60 highly gifted children, on Apollo’s initial contact list, the positive response rate was very high indeed, and certainly high enough for the Colorado State Board of Education to conclude, on March 1, 2000, that sufficient parental support exists.
In October of 2000, we will furnish
DPS with updated numbers on how many students we expect to enroll in school-year
2001-2002, and, by April of 2001, we will furnish DPS with our actual projected
enrollment numbers for 2001.
Educational Programs, Pupil Performance Standards, and Curriculum of the Apollo Charter School
These are the educational programs, pupil performance standards and curriculum thus far developed by Apollo’s group of consultants and experienced educators of gifted children.
While all of these remain under development, we strongly feel that the programs, standards and curriculum already developed are sufficiently well-considered, detailed and specific that they may be successfully implemented as they now stand.
Before examining the specifics, however, it is necessary to understand the five design elements which underlie the implementation of Apollo’s program at all levels; namely:
1) meeting individual needs
2) multi-age learning groups
3) individualized performance assessments
4) no ceilings
5) thematic learning through integrated units
Meeting individual needs:
All gifted students tend to acquire skills and knowledge not only more rapidly than the norm, but also more asynchronously (i.e., they may have highly developed math skills while writing skills may only slightly above, or even below, normal. Or vice versa, with innumerable possible variations). With highly gifted and twice exceptional students, the tendency toward asynchronous development is even more pronounced.
Thus, for Apollo, "meeting individual needs" is more than just a pious expression of good intentions. It is a necessary condition without which gifted education cannot take place, and it is a condition that drives everything else we do.
Multi-aged learning groups:
Given the asynchronous development of gifted children, multi-aged classrooms are an absolute necessity for Apollo, and, indeed, have always been a notable feature of self-contained, highly gifted education in
DPS.
Additionally, multi-aged classrooms provide older or higher achieving students with the opportunity to develop and apply their skills by instructing and mentoring younger and lower achieving students. This has always been an intentional design feature in Montessori classrooms, and we at Apollo strongly suspect that it is closely related to the consistently high performance and test scores achieved by DPS’s Montessori magnet program.
Thus, at Apollo, we will use multi-aged learning groups both out of the necessity driven by the asynchronous development of gifted students and out of a deep philosophical commitment to a proven social dynamic that works well for all children.
Individual performance assessments:
At Apollo, teachers will write detailed individual performance assessments (IPA’s) for each student, evaluating both the student’s mastery of a particular subject or skill and that student’s progress compared to past performance. Although IPA’s are more difficult and time-consuming than giving a normal "letter grade" (A,B,C,D,F) on a "report card" , they are necessary because normal "letter grades" don’t’ work very well in measuring and motivating gifted and, especially, highly gifted, students.
If, for example, Apollo were to give "letter grades", it is entirely possible that a gifted 11-year old "sixth grader" would rather have a "A" for doing "eighth-grade" work than a "C" for doing "college" work. At Apollo, we intend to allow our students to go as far as their abilities will take them, and a grading system which may actually interfere with the learning process of our students is something we want to avoid.
This does not, however, mean that "letter grades" cannot be made available to colleges and/or other schools into which Apollo students may wish to enroll. IPA measurements, particularly those that apply to skill and subject mastery, are precise, quantifiable and readily translatable into letter grades. If requested by another school or by a parent, a letter grade transcript of a student’s performance will be made available.
No Ceilings:
Apollo students will be encouraged and actively assisted in pursuing their passions for learning outside the immediate confines of the school, whether it be through enrollment in college-level courses, independent research projects, expeditionary learning, or after-school activities.
Within its regular educational framework, Apollo will use the entire Denver area as an educational resource, applying expeditionary learning techniques not only to museums, zoos, parks, libraries, the Denver Mint, the Capitol, and City Hall, but also to military bases, dairies, construction sites, cookie factories, farms, mines and bakeries.
Apollo students will learn that education is a life-long adventure that happens everywhere and all the time.
Thematic learning though integrated study units:
All students, gifted or not, learn best when they can relate the things they learn to each other, which is why thematic learning through integrated studies has long been a major feature of both gifted and Montessori education. When combined with a hands-on approach or with expeditionary learning, integrated studies can be particularly effective.
For example, a simple visit to a dairy can provide a theme for learning about the life of Louis Pasteur, microbiology, tuberculosis, business management, the cow’s digestive system, the economics of dairy farming, government regulations, calculating and measuring profit, why milk costs what it does, lactose intolerance, supply and demand, distribution and transportation systems, etc. The list is endless, but it is all related.
When abstract mathematical principals are actively applied by students to real problems like building construction, calculating trajectories, measuring precipitation, calculating the energy generated by a specific water-flow over a dam or how far a rocket will fly, those principles will not be easily forgotten, and the same applies to any scientific principle.
Given its effectiveness, particularly
with gifted students who readily make connections and see associations,
Apollo will use thematic learning and integrated studies throughout its
entire curriculum, teaching process through content and content through
process.
There is substantial support for the idea that the earliest elementary school experiences are fundamental to the ultimate success of students in high school and college. Thus, improving graduation rates, reducing dropout rates, and increasing the rate at which graduates choose to enroll in higher education all rest on the foundation of effective schooling long before those students walk through the doors of the high school program. The opportunity for academic challenge, emotional peer support, and systematic guidance in the pursuit of undergraduate studies is part of the unique mission of this school and the key rationale for proposing an integrated 1-12 solution.
The Apollo 1-12 program offers careful articulation between levels of schooling and increased flexibility to adapt to student needs while still maintaining coherent and challenging curriculum and standards. Apollo elementary, middle and high school programs have been carefully designed to offer students and their families consistent high expectations, challenge, and courses that provide a robust foundation for future learning.
Students at Apollo will be encouraged to challenge themselves by working hard, giving all endeavors their best efforts, and taking courses at appropriately challenging levels. As long as a student and his or her family are committed to the mission, goals and educational program of Apollo, the school will be able to help the student succeed and flourish.
Content Standards, Benchmarks, Curriculum and Assessments
Apollo students will meet or exceed all Denver Public Schools District and State of Colorado model content standards. Content standards, benchmarks, curriculum and assessments for the educational program featured at Apollo will be based on successful and highly regarded programs around the country.
Models used Include the Core Knowledge Sequence, Comprehensive Curriculum for Gifted Learners, Educating for Character (How Our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility), Autonomous Learner Model, the California Mathematics Academic Content Standards, Denver Public School’s draft content standards as detailed in the 1999-2000 Annual Report to the Board of Education, and Advanced Placement (AP) course outlines and content definitions from the College Board. Detailed course offerings and curriculum will be refined annually, as the school evaluates the effectiveness of the program in increasing student academic achievement.
Special Education/Gifted Education
The curricular pretext for Apollo Charter School lies in the special adaptation of the learning environment to satisfy the unique academic needs of a highly gifted population, foster self-confidence, establish a peer environment, and build awareness in the community of the existence of its program. Curriculum development is built upon the premise that a highly gifted learner acquires, synthesizes, and uses knowledge differently from a typical learner in: the capacity to learn at a faster rate; the capacity to find, solve, and act on problems more readily; and, the capacity to manipulate abstract ideas and make connections.
At Apollo, special education services will be available to exceptional children with disabilities in accordance with Colorado state law C.R.S. 22-20-103(3.4). Within the scope of the educational program defined by Apollo, the school does not discriminate based on ability or disability
All students will be expected to master basic skills and content as well as higher-order thinking skills and concepts. Elementary school teachers will be experienced in, and committed to, providing challenging experiences in the classroom; middle and high school program teachers will demonstrate a high level of knowledge in their content areas and teaching strategies. Teachers will use instructional methodologies appropriate for a highly gifted population. They will use performance grouping within the class as appropriate (grades 1-5) and placement in core courses based on present performance level (PPL) and aptitude (grades 6-12) in order to meet the unique needs of each highly gifted student.
Because of the diverse learning styles inherent in the student population, each classroom teacher will employ resources and differentiation strategies to improve learning. A student experiencing difficulty with proficiency learning will address the deficiency in the Individual Education Plan (IEP). All teachers, most notably at the elementary and middle school levels, will teach study skills to increase mastery in a subject and improve efficiency in the completion of homework.
Technology
Apollo will implement a comprehensive 1-12 technology plan across the curriculum. All classroom teachers will be expected to become proficient in the use of technology and will be evaluated on the effectiveness of their integration of technology into their lesson plans. Apollo recognizes the ubiquity of technology; it will ascertain students’ mastery of technology, appropriate to the level of learning, through their use of the Internet for research and communication, mastery of computer software for writing, research, investigative study, programming, and tutorial.
Independent Study
In January, each student will spend a week pursuing a course of independent study off-campus that is approved by an Apollo faculty member and parent(s) or guardian.
High school students may work independently or in collaboration with no more than four other students. The student must submit a detailed Request for Leave that delineates the rubrics, must have a faculty advisor sponsor who approves the Request, take an oath to submit a written summary paper that satisfies the rubrics, draft a concise budget, list other team members (where applicable), and outline practical mechanics that detail the actual execution of the activities during the January week.
Middle school students will follow of preparation similar to that of the high school student, but they will be chaperoned at all times. Groups may exceeding five in number will be permitted but discouraged.
Elementary school students
will submit a Request without a budget requirement and using a simplified
form where applicable.
Apollo will meet or exceed Denver Public Schools and state standards using the Core Knowledge Sequence to deliver content. Nationally and locally, the model has met with success at schools with heterogeneous student populations
Curriculum delivery to a gifted student body has shown success using one or a combination of models.
The content-based model progresses the student through a prescribed content area and domains of inquiry at an accelerated pace, with increased success in mastery occurring as a result of a teacher’s manipulation of organization of material, thus making it more relevant to the learner.
The process-product model directs the student to deliver a highly developed product as a result of using both scientific process and social investigative skills. The triad of teacher, student, and mentor work cooperatively to evolve the product.
The epistemological concept model requires a student to carry ideas, themes, and principles of knowledge across disciplines in order to accommodate and assimilate a new idea as the goal. This model is most effective with a highly gifted population because the student is actively engaged in critical analysis of a conceptual curriculum, exploring the Socratic questions to creatively and intellectually arrive at a higher plane of thought. Integrating cognitive and affective processes enriches the learning and rewards the self-concept of the student.
Language Arts
Key Elements in a Verbal Arts Curriculum
Five key strands compose the verbal arts web for the highly gifted elementary students: literature, writing and composition, language, oral discourse, and foreign language.
Literature
Communications skills reflect perhaps the single most consequential measure of a student’s ability to achieve a desired goal in life. Apollo will put before the student special and intensive reading instruction in order to accelerate learning and avoid frustration, often the outcome for a gifted reader limited to a basal series.
Students will be evaluated with a literacy pre-test to determine a level of placement into a reading group. Students who progress ahead of the group may test into a higher level group as ability permits. Parents will be informed of the reading group into which their child is placed and the progress of the child throughout the year.
Literary selections will span the disciplines, creating a rich and meaningful cross-curricular matrix. Students will discern the interdependence of a topic across a specific subject area, associating it with a vast application to other subject areas. Instead of narrowing the focus, greater breadth and depth of the topic occurs, expanding and leading to discourse at higher cognitive levels.
The literature program will act as a catalyst for development of writing, drawing, and performing activities. It will invigorate dialog in current themes, topics, and issues as well as establish an association to other literature with similar background.
Instructional goals
In order to address a differentiated literature program, goals for a literature program will include: develop and refine reading comprehension; develop critical reading characteristics of analysis, interpretation, and evaluation; expose students to challenging reading material appropriate to their developmental level; allow small group discussion of current literary selections.
instructional goals referenced by:
Roedell, W. & Robinson, H. (1977). Programming for Intellectually Advanced Preschool Children. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 151 094, p. 9, that references Academic Learning Skills, and
Roedell, W. (1985). "Developing social
competencies in gifted preschool children." Remedial and Special Education,
6(4), 6-11, that references Social and Personal Goals.
Curriculum
Core Knowledge Sequence will establish the framework of literature used; additional literature (plays, current publications, poetry, and classical and current literature) will supplement instruction.
A program like Junior Great Books exposes the reader to classical and modern literature presented in an age appropriate format. Students will be introduced to the shared inquiry method that will help them develop their critical reading skills, improve their reading comprehension, and refine small group discussion.
Books selected for reading, both as assignment material and pleasure, should adhere to the criteria put forth by Baskin and Harris’ s Books for the Gifted Child (1980).
Additional resources will include:
The Great Books Foundation, 40 E. Huron Street, Chicago, IL. 60611
Literature: Uses of the Imagination
. Northrop Frye, supervisory editor. William T. Jewkes, general editor.
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1972; 1973.
The active (speaking and writing) and passive (listening and reading) skills of communication are one of the most easily identifiable demonstrations of a gifted child.
Instructional goals
Specific goals for an elementary level writing curriculum would include:
Students at the intermediate grade level need to master writing skills and techniques in order to become independent writers. Collins points out six key components which define an effective writing program:
Students in the intermediate grades will be expected to master research writing and writing a technical paper. In order to write up the procedure and results of research work, new skills must be acquired. An example would be the written framework of laboratory procedure called the scientific method.
Curriculum
The Core Knowledge Sequence will be used as the basis for establishing writing proficiency.
Additional resources will include:
The Elements of Style , 3rd Ed. W. Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White. New York: MacMillan,1979.
Write Source 2000 . P. Sebranek,
V. Meyer, D. Kemper. Burlington, WI: Write Source Educational Publishing
House, 1990.
Highly gifted students possess a capacity to become linguistically competent at an early age. Apollo will instill in the learner the ability to develop a proficient use of the language.
Instructional Goals
A carefully planned language study program will include a study of the English language from several perspectives. Goals for the elementary school student will include:
Vocabulary development will be stressed. Students will study the origins of words, their roots, suffixes and prefixes, both in the context of classroom learning and developmentally appropriate words taken from traditional sources.
The study of Latin through English may lay the framework for further study of the ancient Latin language. In tandem with the vocabulary development, a formal spelling program, which requires students to understand what words mean, will be taught. The range of spelling competencies will require the teacher to work from as many as three different levels of difficulty. Exceptional spellers will pace themselves from books like Peterson’s Success with Words to generate lists that stretch their limits in spelling and etymology.
Another important element which to be formally studied is the use of analogies to increasing the student’s vocabulary and understanding of word and syntax relationships.
Additional resources will include:
Peterson’s Success with Words. Joan Davenport Carris. Princeton, N.J.: Peterson’s Guides, 1987.
Oral Discourse
Although highly gifted student often flourish in this discipline, oral discourse is often overlooked, disregarded, or sadly underutilized in standard curricula. Too often, the closest a student comes to oral discourse is the formal presentation of a paper before the class, or perhaps sitting in on a panel discussion.
Verbally gifted students at Apollo will experience ongoing, "active" discourse in the form of plays, debates, oral exposition, speeches, etc. Visual and auditory senses are activated in a way not offered in a more conventional language arts curriculum. Where appropriate, opportunity to bring oral discourse into subject matter in another discipline will be encouraged.
Foreign Language
Apollo stresses foreign language acquisition, starting at the intermediate elementary level. It is expected that an Apollo student, upon graduation, will have attained proficiency in two languages if he begins taking a foreign language in the third through fifth grades.
Foreign language instruction will be offered, beginning in the third grade. Each student is expected to take a foreign language commensurate with a demonstrated level of proficiency.
Instructional Goals
Goals of a foreign language program for the highly gifted:
Assumption: highly gifted students progress through a math curriculum at a decidedly faster pace than the typical learner does. Therefore, the following components of a math program are being presented as guidelines:
1. Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) at Stanford University
http://www-epgy.stanford.edu/epgy/
Since no student will be synchronous in age, grade, and math level, all students will be permitted to move at their individual rates of standards mastery. Students will be grouped by ability in the math classes, and if they accelerate beyond the speed of their group, they may test out and into a higher math group. Each student’s IEP will reflect an out-of-sequence acceleration, determine assessment tools to move the child forward, and make a special adjustment to reestablish pacing. Each classroom teacher will have resource materials referred to as HOTS (higher order thinking skills) to stretch math students beyond the level of the daily lesson.
A distinction must occur between the emphasis of problem-solving in grades 1-2 and problem –formulation in grades 3-5. The intellect demands more than merely thinking that problem-solving is the end-all when in fact creation of the problem is the greater challenge, and satisfaction.
Continuating fifth grade students who pass a mid-year or summer pre-test will be encouraged to enroll in math at an advanced level as they enter middle school.
History
Apollo will use the Core Knowledge Sequence as the basis for the curriculum in World and American History. The social sciences field is multidisciplinary, spanning the boundaries of mathematics, science, and the arts, and tying human and political acts together. Here, the learner and the teacher will come to realize how intimately all subject areas are connected. The wide variety of source materials, histories, historical fiction, art, architecture, poetry, drama and speeches provide an expansive opportunity for student learning and achievement.
Instructional goals
Field trips are best implemented in the social sciences to reinforce a lesson and make its content more real.
The Apollo curriculum will comply with all provisions of C.R.S. 22-1-104(2). Apollo will also teach Colorado History in fourth grade, consistent with C.R.S. 22-1-1-4(1).
Geography
Apollo will use the Core Knowledge Sequence content along with the Colorado model content standards for geography. Geography will be taught both as a science and as an adjunct to understanding history. This discipline is underutilized in today’s instruction. Map skills, topographic characteristics, political boundaries, oceans and seas, represent a dynamic ingredient to fill out any history reference. Elementary school highly gifted learners are drawn to geography naturally, and it adds the third dimension, the final puzzle piece to an otherwise two dimensional rendering.
Science
Apollo will use the Core Knowledge Science Sequence as a basis for elementary science content. In the elementary school program, much of the science is hands-on. To further enrich and deepen student science understanding, Apollo will make ample use of the many scientific resources in the Denver region.
Instructional Goals
Instruction:
Arts
Apollo values the intellectual and emotional well being of its students. The arts program will have solid underpinnings at the school. A sound arts program at a school today is unusual; however, the highly gifted child both extracts and contributes to the arts measure for measure more than a typical learner. In youth, the bright student is best served by a broad spectrum of the arts: visual arts, dance, vocal and instrumental music, theatre, and creative writing.
The arts at Apollo will have two models, a passive arts model, interdisciplinary in nature and growing forth from the subject matter of the other disciplines, and the active arts model, established to serve the needs of the greatest student population as determined by student talent and interest.
Musical instruments, a division of the arts, will be offered if two conditions are met: there is adequate funding in the budget to hire an instrumental music teacher, and, musical instruments instruction has an uninterrupted continuum through primary and/or intermediate levels.
Technology
Students will be instructed in the use of computers and computer-related technology, all of which will be integrated into the daily academic lives of the Apollo students in order to develop fluency of its application elsewhere.
Physical Education
A child with highly gifted traits is
less likely to participate in an active physical lifestyle than a typical
child. Apollo will strive to establish an active physical lifestyle on
campus by requiring P.E. not less than three times each week and not more
than five times each week. Habits of physical exercise established in childhood
increase the chances that the individual will continue an active physical
lifestyle as an adult.
The Apollo middle school program consists of grades 6, 7, and 8. Apollo will offer a sequence of courses in core academic areas and will group students according to subject mastery rather than grade classifications or age. A rich variety of electives allow students to round out their education and become well prepared for high school programs commensurate with ability and interest.
Both incoming students and Apollo continuating students will select courses in the Apollo middle school program based on their interests, performance on placement exams, and guidance from parents, teachers and counselors. Most courses in the middle school program will have students from several grade levels. Students are encouraged to test into higher course levels, permitting them to achieve challenging and goals and advance to their appropriate level.
Apollo will extend to any student lacking ideal preparation for middle school the thorough preparation needed to succeed in Apollo's high school program, so long as that student are is motivated and willing to do the necessary work.
College Counseling and Course Selection -- The Middle School Connection
Few parents and even fewer middle school students realize the necessary planning steps required for a thorough college preparation. The preliminary steps should be completed before the middle school student moves on into high school. Selected high school courses should align with college level entrance requirements.
At Apollo, all students in the middle and high school programs will participate in comprehensive college planning and counseling. Families will be involved through parent seminars and educational programs on preparing -- academically, socially and financially -- for college.
Placement
Students select courses in the Apollo middle school program based on their interests, performance on placement exams offered well in advance of opening day, and guidance from counselors, teachers and parents.
English
Apollo will offer four sequential English courses which emphasize close reading of select works of literature and a focus on the development of active writing skills. Each course incorporates a grammar and mechanics scope-and-sequence for skill development and a vocabulary development sequence, both in tandem with the selected literature and, separately, in preparation for the college exams. Students will read and analyze plays, both contemporary and classic, and they will present theater, involving the disciplines of art, music, and dance.
A workshop model, similar to and a carryover from the elementary school model, enables a peer review of the written work. The teacher must impart upon the students that the peer critique is a valuable editing and revising tool, if performed in a manner respectful of its intended purpose.
Foreign Language
Becoming fluent in a foreign language and learning about the cultures of countries speaking the language are key goals of Apollo. At Apollo, all students will take a foreign language beginning in third grade.
Apollo will offer Beginning Spanish, Spanish I, and Spanish II. Other languages may be offered, commensurate with student demand, and budgetary constraints. Courses will balance listening, reading, speaking, writing, and exploring the culture of the native people.
Students will be given a foreign language placement test to determine their placement into a high school level foreign language course. Students successfully placing into a level II or III high school course will have and opportunity to master another language before graduation.
Mathematics
Apollo will offer at least four different mathematics courses to students in the middle school program. Courses will include: Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Geometry with formal proofs, Algebra II/Trigonometry. The algebra and geometry courses will be designed to meet the same standards as DPS high school courses to aid articulation regardless of the high school program chosen by the student. Students at all levels will be required to master both calculation (computational mastery) and concepts before advancing to the next course. Students will take a mathematics placement examination and then be advised about appropriate courses to consider. Apollo’s mission is to allow students to progress as far as their abilities and interest permit. Self-pacing is permissible to students who have accelerated beyond the math levels currently being taught in a classroom setting and who have demonstrated mastery of the subject. Both parent(s) and teacher must approve self-pacing, and the revised student’s IEP must detail the source used in instruction, expectant homework load, pacing schedule, evaluative tool(s) to measure mastery, and the definition of mastery.
Science
Apollo will offer a science curriculum that investigates three distinct disciplines: Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences. The instructional approach demonstrated by the students, Discovery Learning, will incorporate the Scientific Method as Inquiry* into the lesson progresses. Science instruction will feature exposition and development of theories and key scientific principles through experimentation and lab analysis, reading, class workshops and lecture. Students will support their in-class scientific studies through field trips.
*Discovery Learning: The learning of scientific principles or concepts that occurs as a generalization of experience by the learner in the absence of direct instruction by the teacher. Some educators believe it is of greater transfer value and retained better than passive or receptive learning.
*Inquiry: The process of investigating a problem. Inquiry differs from problem-solving in that an individual may originate the problem and develop her own strategies for obtaining information. Unlike problem-solving, there is no set pattern to inquiry. An individual may be involved in many methods of obtaining information and may take intuitive approaches to the problem. The end product of inquiry may result in a discovery.
Please reference the elementary school science curriculum section for additional information pertinent to this section.
History and Social Sciences
Apollo will offer a three-year sequence in history and geography that incorporates both world and American history. It will be based on the Core Knowledge content sequence for history. The curriculum will be modified to introduce topics appropriate to the students’ geographical locale (i.e., Colorado state history in the 4th grade) or to expand on an event, which holds regional significance. The 7th grade course will include the Constitution of the United States, in compliance with C.R.S. 22-1-109.
Technology
The use of computers and related technology will be an integral part of classroom instruction. All students will be taught basic computer skills to further their understanding of technology and their academic achievement.
Art
Students are required to take at least one semester of art during their three years of middle school, although additional art courses will be offered. These will include both hands-on studio courses and courses in Art History and Appreciation.
Music
Middle School music classes may include orchestra, band, and choir as well as classes on music theory and appreciation. Students will be required to take at least one semester of music.
Apollo will provide a rigorous academic program for high school students in a classes with a low ratio of students to teacher. The academic program will be structured around a required sequence of courses in mathematics, science, English, history, and foreign language. While there is a specific course sequence in each subject area, students who successfully complete a placement test may move ahead to the next highest course. The Apollo Board will establish prerequisites for advanced courses. AP and honors courses are open to any Apollo student who has completed the prerequisite courses, regardless of acceleration beyond the traditional synchronism of age and grade.
Arts and athletics courses will encourage students to become lifelong participants in these activities. Courses in health, government and logic will help Apollo students develop the knowledge and reasoning skills to make healthy, responsible and informed decisions on personal and civic issues.
Apollo's board will adopt curriculum for each course offered and will establish a process for parents, students and subscribers to review and comment on curriculum, textbooks and instructional effectiveness.
Development
Apollo's High School Program is still under development by parents and staff. Dr. William Patterson, director of the Denver University High School, has graciously agreed to assist us in these development efforts.
A definitive High School program will be submitted to DPS for approval in November of 2000, and contingent upon such approval, we would like to begin the implementation of that program in school year 2001-2002.
Below are some preliminary ideas on what such a program might be:
PRELIMINARY IDEAS FOR APOLLO'S HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
High School Program and Graduation Requirements
To earn a high school diploma, Apollo students will need to successfully complete 220 credits. Each year-long, full-time course earns 10 credits. In addition to the course requirements specified below, each student will take electives to round out the 220 unit requirement. Apollo will encourage high school students to take advantage of opportunities to earn college credit by selecting among a variety of AP courses, offered in the school and at other institutions of higher learning.
Mathematics
Three years of mathematics, selected from Algebra I, Geometry (with formal proofs), Algebra II/Trigonometry, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science, Advanced Mathematics, AP Calculus, Formal Logic, will be required.
English
Four years of English will be required, selected from: English Composition and Rhetoric, World Literature, American Literature, Writers Workshop, AP Language and Composition, AP Literature, AP British Literature. Each literature course will feature a selection of traditional and modern classics, and a balance of critical reading, analysis, writing and oral communication skills instruction and evaluation. English Composition and Rhetoric is a writing and reasoning skills course that will provide an intensive tutorial in the development of robust writing skills and thoughtful public speaking skills.
History/Geography/Government/Economics
Three and one half years of history and geography, selected from the
following courses: World History and Geography: Pre-history - 1650, World
History and Geography: 1600 - 1985, American History, AP American History,
Geography, AP European History, American and International Government,
Economics. All students are required to take at least one year of world
history, one year of American History, and one semester of American and
International Government.
Science and Technology
Science course offerings are designed to weave together with and extend the middle school program. Apollo emphasizes inquiry training in the scientific method. Scientific investigations stress divergent thinking, creativity, inference, and critical evaluation in working toward an outcome to a predetermined problem. Three years of laboratory science, selected from: Chemistry, Biology I, Chemistry I, Physics I, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Computer Science.
Apollo encourages independent work, both during the academic year and during the summer, available to students who have completed the Science prerequisites for graduation. Science curriculum will include a strong component of technology, as the two are intertwined in the 21st century. Students may select two 5-credit adjunct courses from Statistics, Technology, Programming, or Formal Logic in lieu of the third year of laboratory science. Students will have the opportunity to interact with practicing scientists, young mentors, and people who influence the course of science and technology in the region.
Please reference the elementary school science curriculum section for additional information pertinent to this section.
Foreign Language
Students must complete Level 4 in a single foreign language or complete three years in a single foreign language. Language offerings will include: Spanish 1, Spanish 2, Spanish 3, AP Spanish Language, and similar levels for other foreign languages.
All courses will include listening, reading, writing and speaking skills
After-school clubs, lunch tables, and summer intensives will be available for students who wish to further develop their skills. Upon completion of foreign language studies, students should have a level of mastery sufficient to converse with natives of a country in which in which his/her language is spoken, and generally be able to get along in that foreign country using his/her foreign language skills. Those students who wish to study abroad or participate in exchange student program will be actively assisted.
Research and Information Technology
Students must complete a 5-credit course in Research and Information Technology or pass a practical examination in the use of technology and information resources. In addition to the practical elements of how to use technology, the course will offer a specific focus on learning to evaluate the quality and credibility of information resources and the student's own work products.
Arts
Students must complete a minimum of 20 credits in their choice of arts courses. Performance and studio courses may be repeated for credit, provided each repeated class presents new learning experiences. Courses may include: orchestra, band, choir, drama, art history , music history and various studio art classes. Other classes may be offered, depending on demand and budgetary constraints.
Physical Education
Students must complete at least 10 credits of physical education. Students
who participate in extra-curricular or outside sports may receive credit
for 2.5 credits of physical education for each forty hours of training
and competition time supervised by a coach. If the sport is not school-sponsored,
it must be under the sanction of a recognized local, state or national
sports body (such as YMCA, DPS F.C. Soccer, U.S. Swimming, U.S. Figure
Skating Association) in order for the student to gain credit. Appropriate
documentation must be completed by the student, family and coach and approved
by the Head of School each time credit is requested. No more than five
units of P.E. credit may be earned in this manner in any school year. P.E.
is offered on a Pass/Fail basis.
Other Electives
Apollo will survey students to develop other electives, school budget
permitting, that match student interest and demand.
ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF AT-RISK, DISABLED AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
The State of Colorado describes the "at-risk pupil" as follows: "At-risk pupil" means a pupil who, because of physical, emotional, socioeconomic, or cultural factors, is less likely to succeed in a conventional educational environment." C.R.S. 22-30.5.103(a). Apollo will address the needs of at-risk, disabled, and English Language Learners.
Disadvantaged Students At-Risk
A report from the U.S. Department of Education in 1989 revealed that students from low-income backgrounds comprised 20% of the student population. During their school experience they are less than half as likely to qualify for and participate in gifted and talented programs. Much research has been done in the field of gifted education to identify the factors of disadvantaged gifted learners. This research shows that an amalgam of the many factors studied is the best approach to identification: environmental, economic, linguistic, and social status. Identification of this population is complex. Recent work done by the National Research Council on Gifted and Talented, funded by congress, offers promising approaches to identification of this at-risk population. These methods employ the use of non-traditional tests, the use of nontraditional measures, the use of community nominations, the use of tryout approaches, and the use of profile analysis rather than matrix models. Apollo wishes to use the new approaches to identify these at-risk-gifted students.
Disabled Students
Apollo is designed to serve gifted students whose needs are not normally served in regular classrooms. This emphatically included gifted students with disabilities
The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ("IDEA") requires a "free and appropriate public education" to be provided to students with disabilities.
Special education services and programs must be provided to students with disabilities attending a charter school in accordance with recommendation of the committee on school education of the school district of residence. Under the Colorado Charter Schools Act, charter schools may arrange to have such services provided by the school district, by the charter school directly, or through a contracted provider, however specified in the charter. Apollo intends to provide such services directly whenever possible and contract out for other services on an "as needed" basis with whatever provider may best serve the particular need.
A child with a disability is defined as a child who has been evaluated as having a significant discrepancy between ability and performance (as established by federal and state guidelines) in one or more of the following areas:
Mental retardation
Hearing impairment, including deafness
Speech or language impairment
Visual impairment, including blindness
Serious emotional disturbance
Orthopedic impairment
Autism
Traumatic brain injury
Other health impairment
Specific learning disability
Multiple disability
English Language Learners
Apollo will respond to the needs of English language learners by teaching them English a quickly as possible, using a "total immersion" approach. If the needs of Apollo's English language learners cannot be met "in house," Apollo will contract out for necessary services.
Gifted Students At-Risk
"Boredom and frustration in regular classrooms drive gifted students out of school at a rate of three to five times higher than the dropout rate among the rest of the school population."
Teaching Gifted Children, Croft Publications, 1981.
A common myth exists that gifted students will succeed regardless of their educational environment, but in fact, gifted children may also have difficulty achieving their potential.
To teachers, these students may seem lazy, uninterested, bored, rebellious, or bothersome. They are often described on report cards as "capable of doing much better." In fact, most gifted students could be identified as underachievers because they are rarely challenged at a level that matches their achievement potential. These behaviors may have a variety of causes:
Apollo will use a variety of formal and informal measures to gauge performance and evaluate instructional and program effectiveness.
Informal Assessment
The daily, weekly and monthly schoolwork that students bring home provides some of the best informal assessment of pupil performance for students and parents. The regular homework assignments that begin daily in first grade and continue throughout high school provide many opportunities for students to demonstrate good work habits, mastery and improvement over time.
Formal Assessment
Teachers will define and administer periodic tests to evaluate pupil performance in specific subjects on a regular basis. Projects and reports provide additional opportunities for students to demonstrate performance.
Apollo students will take DPS norm-referenced tests such as ITBS and State Standards (CSAP) tests on a schedule established by the District or the State. Additionally, the Apollo’s Board of Directors may establish such other testing measures as it deems helpful for assessment of student achievement and instructional effectiveness. Apollo is strongly committed to using data to continuously improve and enhance instruction and to provide parents with concrete evidence of student accomplishment.
These tests will indicate the educational
achievements and needs of our students, and will be used to construct the
students' Individual Learning Plans as well as to demonstrate their performance.
ECONOMIC PLAN INCLUDING A PROPOSED BUDGET
Administrative Audit
Apollo agrees to keep appropriate financial records in accordance with applicable Federal, State, and local laws, rules and regulations. Those records will be made available to the District, as reasonably requested from time to time.
Apollo agrees to participate in an independent annual financial and administrative operations audit. The information collected during the audit would be included in a financial report that would serve to assure that expenditures of public funds by the school were appropriate and accurately updated. To provide additional fiduciary protection, Apollo's business manager will be bonded.
Displacement of Students and Staff
If a charter applicant proposes to convert an existing school to charter status, then a displacement plan must be developed for those staff and students who do not wish to be a part of the charter school. Displacement may or may not be an issue if an existing school will be shared with the charter school.
Students
Apollo anticipates displacing very few elementary students who are currently enrolled in DPS’s self-contained programs for the highly gifted. Apollo does, however, anticipate displacing approximately 75 identified, highly gifted students currently enrolled in other DPS programs and schools during in our first year of operation. The current population of highly gifted students in DPS that Apollo would draw from is 2 % of the 70,000 students, or approximately 1400 students.
We anticipate that, eventually, the Apollo School will serve only about 250 students from the DPS population. Thus, as a school of choice serving grades 1-12, Apollo will help relieve overcrowding in DPS.
We also anticipate that approximately 250 highly gifted Denver-area students who would otherwise be enrolled at private institutions like the Logan School and DU's Rick's Center, or who are currently served by parochial or home schools, will eventually enroll in the Apollo School.
Staff
DPS's own projections anticipate continued increases in student population for the foreseeable future. At current class sizes, this new enrollment will require additional teaching staff on an annual basis. Retirements and resignations will create still more professional and staff vacancies.
Given the resultant high demand for teachers within DPS, Apollo's enrollment is unlikely to result in significant displacement of staff members from employment within the DPS.
Current DPS staff members who support Apollo's mission, goals, objectives, and ideals are, of course, encouraged to apply for positions at Apollo and will be given full and fair consideration for any position for which they may be qualified.
We do, however, anticipate that teachers currently teaching in DPS's self-contained model for highly gifted students will not be displaced.
Services to Be Purchased From District
Apollo anticipates that approximately
10% of its students will have emotional, behavioral, physical or cognitive
disabilities that will require special attention. We will try do deal with
these issues "in house" whenever possible, but are setting aside enough
revenues to purchase Special Education services from DPS or other sources
for those students. These revenues will be spent on an "as needed" basis.
Capital and Insurance Reserve Fund
If DPS requires it, Apollo will comply with all rules, regulations, and procedures that pertain to the Capital and Insurance Reserve Fund and adjust its Budget accordingly. Because of its anticipated negative financial impact on Apollo’s educationalprogram, we request to be exempted from the Capital and Insurance Reserve Fund.
5-Year Budget
| ASSUMPTIONS |
Year 1
|
Year 2
|
Year 3
|
Year 4
|
Year 5
|
|
|
2001-2002
|
2002-2003
|
2003-2004
|
2004-2005
|
2005-2006
|
||
| # of Students |
100
|
140
|
180
|
200
|
220
|
|
| # of Classrooms |
5
|
7
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
|
| 95 % PPR |
5,002.15
|
5,102.20
|
5,204.24
|
5,308.32
|
5,414.49
|
|
| Revenue Growth |
2%
|
2%
|
2%
|
2%
|
2%
|
|
| COLA (Expense Growth) |
2%
|
2%
|
2%
|
2%
|
2%
|
|
| Students w Special Ed Needs |
10%
|
10%
|
10%
|
10%
|
10%
|
|
| Special Ed Reimbursement |
520.00
|
520.00
|
520.00
|
520.00
|
520.00
|
|
| State GT Allocation |
85.00
|
85.00
|
85.00
|
85.00
|
85.00
|
|
| Benefits/Salary Ratio |
0.2
|
0.2
|
0.2
|
0.2
|
0.2
|
|
| WC /Unemployment Ins |
0.003
|
0.003
|
0.003
|
0.003
|
0.003
|
|
| Students w ESL Needs |
3%
|
3%
|
3%
|
3%
|
3%
|
|
| Amount per ESL student |
1,500.00
|
1,530.00
|
1,560.60
|
1,591.81
|
1,623.65
|
|
| Substitute $ per Teacher |
500.00
|
510.00
|
520.20
|
530.60
|
541.22
|
|
| Miscellaneous Supplies / Student |
250.00
|
255.00
|
260.10
|
265.30
|
270.61
|
|
| Testing per Student |
25.00
|
25.50
|
26.01
|
26.53
|
27.06
|
|
| Instructional Equipment / Classroom |
4,000.00
|
4,080.00
|
4,161.60
|
4,244.83
|
4,329.73
|
|
| Square Footage / Student |
65.00
|
65.00
|
65.00
|
65.00
|
65.00
|
|
| Rent / foot |
9.00
|
9.18
|
9.36
|
9.55
|
9.74
|
|
| Utilities per SqFt |
2.00
|
2.04
|
2.08
|
2.12
|
2.16
|
|
| Water per Student |
20.00
|
20.40
|
20.81
|
21.22
|
21.65
|
|
| Per Student / Contracted Services |
262.00
|
267.24
|
272.58
|
278.04
|
283.60
|
|
| Insurance / Student |
50.00
|
51.00
|
52.02
|
53.06
|
54.12
|
|
| Maintenance / Classroom |
200.00
|
204.00
|
208.08
|
212.24
|
216.49
|
|
| Postage / Mailing |
0.60
|
0.61
|
0.62
|
0.64
|
0.65
|
|
| Printing Costs / Student |
13.00
|
13.26
|
13.53
|
13.80
|
14.07
|
|
| Salary / Teacher |
40,000.00
|
40,800.00
|
41,616.00
|
42,448.32
|
43,297.29
|
|
| REVENUE | ||||||
| 95 % PPR |
500,215.24
|
714,307.37
|
936,763.09
|
1,061,664.83
|
1,191,187.94
|
|
| Special Ed Reimbursement |
5,200.00
|
7,280.00
|
9,360.00
|
10,400.00
|
11,440.00
|
|
| State GT Allocation |
595.00
|
833.00
|
1,071.00
|
1,190.00
|
1,309.00
|
|
| Charter School Grant |
50,000.00
|
50,000.00
|
50,000.00
|
|||
| TOTAL REVENUES |
556,010.24
|
772,420.37
|
997,194.09
|
1,073,254.83
|
1,203,936.94
|
|
| EXPENDITURES | ||||||
| Staff Related | ||||||
| Head of School / Learning Specialist |
61,000.00
|
62,220.00
|
63,464.40
|
64,733.69
|
66,028.36
|
|
| Office Manager |
40,000.00
|
40,800.00
|
41,616.00
|
42,448.32
|
43,297.29
|
|
| Teachers (1st Yr HOS is teaching) |
160,000.00
|
285,600.00
|
374,544.00
|
424,483.20
|
476,270.15
|
|
| Special Education Teacher |
-
|
-
|
20,808.00
|
21,224.16
|
21,648.64
|
|
| Benefits |
52,200.00
|
77,724.00
|
100,086.48
|
110,577.87
|
121,448.89
|
|
| Training, travel & lodging |
2,500.00
|
3,500.00
|
4,500.00
|
5,000.00
|
5,500.00
|
|
| staff training /paid time |
8,840.00
|
13,912.80
|
18,352.66
|
20,417.64
|
22,557.89
|
|
| Substitutes |
2,500.00
|
3,570.00
|
4,681.80
|
5,306.04
|
5,953.38
|
|
| Total Staffing |
327,040.00
|
487,326.80
|
628,053.34
|
694,190.92
|
762,704.59
|
|
| Purchased Services | ||||||
| legal services |
2,000.00
|
2,040.00
|
2,080.80
|
2,122.42
|
2,164.86
|
|
| Printing |
1,300.00
|
1,856.40
|
2,434.54
|
2,759.14
|
3,095.76
|
|
| ESL Services |
3,750.00
|
6,426.00
|
8,427.24
|
9,550.87
|
10,716.08
|
|
| Special Ed Contract Services |
26,200.00
|
37,413.60
|
49,065.26
|
55,607.30
|
62,391.39
|
|
| Telephone / Technology Services |
7,400.00
|
7,548.00
|
7,698.96
|
7,852.94
|
8,010.00
|
|
| Equipment Maintenance / Repair |
1,000.00
|
1,428.00
|
1,872.72
|
2,122.42
|
2,381.35
|
|
| snow removal |
1,000.00
|
1,020.00
|
1,040.40
|
1,061.21
|
1,082.43
|
|
| Postage |
2,160.00
|
3,084.48
|
4,045.08
|
4,584.42
|
5,143.72
|
|
| Insurance (Liability, Content) |
5,000.00
|
7,140.00
|
9,363.60
|
10,612.08
|
11,906.75
|
|
| Insurance (WC, Unemployment) |
783.00
|
1,165.86
|
1,501.30
|
1,658.67
|
1,821.73
|
|
| Total Purchased Services |
50,593.00
|
67,082.34
|
85,449.09
|
95,809.04
|
106,549.21
|
|
| Supplies / Materials | ||||||
| Miscellaneous Supplies |
25,000.00
|
35,700.00
|
46,818.00
|
53,060.40
|
59,533.77
|
|
| Copier Lease & Maintenance |
3,000.00
|
3,060.00
|
3,121.20
|
3,183.62
|
3,247.30
|
|
| Testing (Hardcopy Purchase) |
2,500.00
|
3,570.00
|
4,681.80
|
5,306.04
|
5,953.38
|
|
| Office Supplies |
3,000.00
|
3,060.00
|
3,121.20
|
3,183.62
|
3,247.30
|
|
| Advertising |
2,000.00
|
2,040.00
|
2,080.80
|
2,122.42
|
2,164.86
|
|
| Total Supplies |
30,500.00
|
42,330.00
|
54,621.00
|
61,550.06
|
68,734.44
|
|
| Capital Outlay | ||||||
| Office Equipment / Lease Purchase |
3,000.00
|
3,060.00
|
3,121.20
|
3,183.62
|
3,247.30
|
|
| Software |
5,000.00
|
2,500.00
|
2,500.00
|
2,500.00
|
2,500.00
|
|
| Books, Library |
15,000.00
|
10,000.00
|
10,000.00
|
5,000.00
|
10,000.00
|
|
| Instructional Equipment |
20,000.00
|
18,560.00
|
28,174.40
|
28,361.12
|
33,446.46
|
|
| Total Capital Outlay |
43,000.00
|
34,120.00
|
43,795.60
|
39,044.74
|
49,193.75
|
|
| Facility Costs | ||||||
| Rent |
58,500.00
|
83,538.00
|
109,554.12
|
124,161.34
|
139,309.02
|
|
| Contracted Custodial Services |
9,000.00
|
9,180.00
|
9,363.60
|
9,550.87
|
9,741.89
|
|
| Gas / Electric |
13,000.00
|
18,564.00
|
24,345.36
|
27,591.41
|
30,957.56
|
|
| Water / Sanitation |
2,000.00
|
2,856.00
|
3,745.44
|
4,244.83
|
4,762.70
|
|
| Moving expense |
10,000.00
|
10,200.00
|
10,404.00
|
10,612.08
|
||
| Total Facility Costs |
82,500.00
|
124,138.00
|
157,208.52
|
175,952.45
|
195,383.25
|
|
| TABOR Set Aside |
15,006.46
|
6,422.76
|
6,673.67
|
3,747.05
|
3,885.69
|
|
| TOTAL EXPENDITURES |
548,639.46
|
761,419.90
|
975,801.22
|
1,070,294.27
|
1,186,450.94
|
|
| TOTAL REVENUES |
$ 556,010.24
|
$ 772,420.37
|
$ 997,194.09
|
$ 1,073,254.83
|
$1,203,936.94
|
|
| Set Aside for Capital Expenditure & Emergencies |
$ 7,370.78
|
$ 11,000.46
|
$ 21,392.87
|
$ 2,960.56
|
$ 17,486.00
|
|
| REVENUE OVER EXPENSES |
$ -
|
$ -
|
$ -
|
$ -
|
$ -
|
|
I. Membership
1.2 The role of a member shall include:
b. staying informed on school issues by reading the school's newsletters and communications;
c. electing the members of the Board of Directors;
d. communicating opinions to the Board of Directors; and
e. serving/participating in volunteer roles whenever possible.
2.2 A general meeting shall be held in the spring of each year and shall be known as the Annual Meeting for the purpose of receiving a report from the Board of Directors and committees and other information exchange. Public notification shall be given at least seven days prior to the meeting.
2.3 The Board of Directors may call special meetings, such as a Board of Directors ‘candidates’ forum. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated and at least seven days public notice shall be given.
2.4 Except as provided in Amendments (section VIII) of these Rules of Governance, general membership meetings are primarily informational; business matters requiring a vote are the domain of the Board of Directors' meetings.
2.5 Meetings shall be held at the school or a location specified by the Board of Directors.
2.6 The Secretary shall keep minutes of such meetings.
3.2 The Board of Directors shall consist of the following:
a. Voting Members
3. One of the voting members shall be a teacher with at least three years of classroom experience teaching gifted students. This member may, but need not necessarily, be a member of Apollo’s teaching staff, and shall be chosen by Apollo’s teachers.
4. One voting member shall be chosen by the entire membership from
the community at large. This member shall reside within 25 miles of the
boundaries of the City and County of Denver.
2. The Business/Office Manager of the school or his/her designee
shall serve as a non-voting member of the Board.
b. The terms shall be staggered such that in all of the Board seats are not up for election in any single year.
c. Board members may run for re-election.
b. To set policy, in accordance with the Apollo mission, goals, and educational program, necessary for the orderly day-to-day operation of the school;
c. To set a budget for each school year based on the District funds allocated to the school;
d. To create a Budget Committee, a Hiring Committee, and an Accountability Committee, and other committees as needed;
e. To design personnel selection procedures and job descriptions consistent with legal requirements, to be used by the Hiring Committee;
f. To hire and terminate staff members in accordance with District, State, and Federal guidelines;
g. To promote enrollment in the school;
h. To determine any fees due from students in accordance with District, State and Federal guidelines;
i. To assess performance on standardized tests, and evaluate and select other assessments as required;
j. To select at least one voting Board member, in addition to the Head of School, to serve on the Hiring Committee;
k. To select one Board member to serve on the Accountability Committee;
l. To select one Board member to serve as liaison with the DPS Board of Education and the District administration;
m. To regularly attend Board meetings or be subject to removal from his/her position by a vote of the Board after four consecutive, unexcused absences from such meetings;
n. To fill, by majority vote, any vacancies that may occur on the
Board of Directors until the next regular election.
b. Within 60 days of approval of the Apollo Charter School Application, the Founding Committee of the Apollo Charter School shall by majority vote, appoint a teacher and a community member to serve on Apollo's Initial Board of Directors. The members of said Founding Committee are: Corissa Figaro, Andrea Till, David Segal, Ruth Ann Olson and Anselm Dines.
c. Within 60 days of approval of the Apollo Charter School Application, the Founding Committee of the Apollo Charter School shall conduct an election to select the three parent members of the Initial Board of Directors.
d. Parents who, by the date of such election, shall have expressed,
in written form, their interest in enrolling one or more eligible children
in Apollo shall be eligible to serve as parent members of the Initial Board
of Directors and shall be eligible to elect those parent members.
4.2 The Vice-President shall perform all duties of the President in his/her absence, and assist the President as necessary.
4.3 The Treasurer shall be responsible for all funds and securities of Apollo, receive and give receipts for money due the school; deposit all such money in the name of the school in such banks, trust companies or other depositories; have final responsibility for the financial statements of Apollo; serve as a member of the Budget Committee, and ensure that any grant monies received are expended consistently with the terms of such grants.
4.4 The Secretary shall keep a record of all minutes of the Board
of Directors and general membership meetings, distribute copies of the
minutes to the Board of Directors, and keep and make available to the public
copies of the minutes and all written committee reports.
5.1 Nominations for the Board of Directors
b. The Nominating Committee shall solicit nominations from the membership for candidates for the Board.
c. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a ballot consisting of those nominated to be candidates.
d. A petition for a nominee signed by a minimum of 10% of the members
shall automatically place that nominee on the ballot as a candidate.
b. Members may vote for as many candidates as there are vacancies to be filled.
c. Election of the members of the Board will be determined by a plurality of the votes cast.
d. To provide continuity of leadership, newly elected Board members will attend as non- voting members until they formally assume their duties as Directors.
e. The term of office will be from June 1 to May 31.
f. The Nominating Committee will run all elections for the Board
and tabulate results, which they shall certify to the Board at the first
Board meeting following the conclusion of the election.
6.1 Regular Meetings of the Board of Directors
b. Meetings are open to the public, and notice of all meetings of the Board shall be given by posting in a designated public place at least 24 hours in advance, in accordance with Colorado's Open Meetings Law [C.R.S. 24-6-40].
c. Executive sessions shall be held only at posted regular or special
meetings for the sole purpose of discussing personnel, legal, real estate,
and other limited matters, in accordance with state law [C.R.S. 24-6-402
(4)].
b. When a quorum is present, the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board members present will decide any question, except when a larger vote is required by these Rules of Governance.
c. A tie vote of the Board constitutes a failure of that item to
pass.
6.4 The rules of Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern procedures in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with these Rules of Governance and any Special Rules of Order that the Board of Directors may adopt.
7.2 All committees shall be appointed by the Board and shall consist of parent volunteers and any interested community member or Apollo administrative staff or faculty member.
7.3 Standing Committees requiring a Board Member
b. The Accountability Committee shall be responsible for the following tasks:
2. To make recommendations for establishing goals and a plan for improvement based on the needs assessment and consistent with the mission and goals of the school;
3. To monitor the progress made toward meeting the improvement goals;
4. To solicit input from staff, parents, and students during all phases of assessment, plan development, implementation and evaluation; and
5. To submit an annual report to the Board of Directors and the District,
and make it available to the public.
8.2 The Apollo Board of Directors may pass a resolution proposing an amendment pursuant to 8.1 and shall submit such proposed amendment to a vote of the membership.
8.3 Any member may propose an amendment pursuant to 8.1 by providing the Board with a proposed amendment signed by at least 10% of the membership.
8.4 Voting by the general membership of Apollo pursuant to 8.1 shall be by ballot and returned in person, by mail or electronically, as proscribed by the Board of Directors.
8.5 In order for any amendment pursuant to 8.1 to take effect, at least 66% of those voting must cast ballots in favor of the amendment, and at least 30% of the membership must have cast valid ballots.
8.6 If any section of these Rules of Governance is found to be in
violation of school district, State of Colorado or Federal guidelines or
law, that section shall be rendered invalid, but the remaining Rules of
Governance shall remain in force as though such invalid section were not
part of these Rules of Governance.
Apollo is interested in hiring, retaining and rewarding teachers who are excellent teachers, proficient in their subjects, effective contributors to the overall success and operation of the school, and strongly committed to fully implementing the Apollo mission.
To accomplish this ambitious objective, Apollo will hire teachers and other employees under "at-will" employment terms or terms otherwise determined by the Board, which will be fully disclosed in any offers of employment. Apollo's personnel policies and procedures will be freely available for review by all teachers who apply to teach at Apollo and for all teachers who are hired.
The Board on an individual basis will set initial salaries and benefits.
The Board will conduct salary and benefits negotiations annually with individual
employees who are offered further employment. It is Apollo's intent to
use individual salary negotiations to reward the teachers and staff who
epitomize the ideals the school seeks to achieve.
Apollo may choose to waive requirements for PLACE certification for art, music, drama and technology teachers, and other part-time teachers who have professional experience in their chosen fields. In that event, alternative training and development plans will be established by Apollo for those teachers.
All staff and teachers will comply with the background check provisions
of State law.
Accordingly, Apollo waives the DPS Agreement with the Denver Classroom Teachers’ Association, and any and all other agreements which DPS may have entered into with paraprofessionals, office employees, service employees, etc. Additionally, Apollo waives all related work rules, salary schedules, step increase schedules, cost-of-living increase schedules, and any other compensation related matters for all school employees. As discussed in the Waivers section, Apollo will waive the Personnel Policies and Procedures adopted by DPS.
Instead, Apollo will develop and adopt policies addressing hiring,
compensation, evaluation, discipline, termination, professional development,
licensure, scheduling and preparation time, career track advancement or
promotion, sick leave and other leaves, site governance, and grievance
processing. Adopted polices and procedures will be available for review
by all community members, employees and prospective employees. A copy will
be furnished to the school district.
The Colorado Governmental Immunity Act, C.R.S. 24-10-101 et seq. limits the School District's liability. It is recognized that Apollo's liability will also be limited by that State statute.
Apollo requests insurance through the District's existing policies to cover and protect the charter school's buildings, grounds, Board of Directors and employees. The school agrees to adhere to the procedures needed to be covered by the District's existing workers' compensation and insurance policies.
Apollo understands the importance of risk-management and prevention.
The school will institute policies and directives which address, but are
not limited to, the following types of potential perils and other events:
third-party claims, injury claims, medical treatment and health issues,
employee dishonesty, workers' compensation, personnel issues, Americans
with Disability Act issues, and environmental issues.
If this should change, however, Apollo would like to be able to arrange transportation for its students to and from several major collection points around the District. Collection points would be determined by student interest and demand.
Apollo therefore, requests waivers of State statutes C.R.S. 22-32-113(5)(a) and C.R.S. 22-45-103, and of DPS Policies regarding Student Transportation, Walkers and Riders. Apollo will be unable to provide transportation services in the absence of these waivers.
Meanwhile, to maximize enrollment
opportunities for students whose families may not have the ability to provide
daily transportation, Apollo will furnish information and help families
arrange other modes of transportation are available, including:
Alternative Transportation
In addition, families will be encouraged to utilize alternative transportation when appropriate:
Walking Students living within a reasonable distance of the school will be encouraged to walk or ride their bikes. High School students will be discouraged from driving cars to school.
DRCOG Regional Van Pool Program: DRCOG takes van requests or organizes groups of approximately 10 commuters and provides vans to the groups. Fees vary depending on the number of commuters in the van and distance traveled.
DPS "Petition to Ride" Program:
DPS policy allows students to petition for the use of available seats on
current school bus routes. If Apollo's schedule matches that of the neighborhood
school into which it is sited, some students may be able to use the existing
DPS school bus system.
Applications
Parents or guardians may apply for admission for a child by completing an application. Applications will be available at various sites throughout the community and also from the school's web site. Applications will be accepted until the close of the open enrollment period established by DPS. Applications will be processed only for students eligible to enter school at the requested grade level in the immediately following school year. (E.g., parents may not submit an application for their newborn to enter elementary school in 2006.)
Grade Levels
Parents must submit an application for the regular grade for which the student would ordinarily enroll in the following year. In the event that Apollo and the parents of a child jointly agree that a child would be more appropriately placed in a different grade, Apollo may place that child in the new grade on a trial basis. First grade students must be 6 years old by September 1 of the year in which they start first grade, unless Apollo determines that early promotion to first grade would be in the best interests of the child and the school.
Accuracy of Information Provided on Applications
Parents are responsible for the accuracy of the information provided
on the application. Material misstatements on the application, including
residency, birth date, sibling data, grade previously completed and grade
applied for, are grounds for disqualification of the application and withdrawal
of an offer of admission or place on the waiting list (if either has been
determined). Corrected applications will be accepted, but the application
will then be processed as a new application on the date the corrected application
is received.
Lottery and Waiting List
In the event there are more applications than spaces available, a lottery will be conducted to order the applications and prioritize students for admission. Completed applications received on or before the closing date will be included in the lottery. Preference will be given to in-district students for spaces available at each grade level. Siblings (who are otherwise qualified for admission) of Apollo students will also have priority for admission. The Board will establish the number of openings available at each grade level each year.
Acceptance of Admission
Families will have ten days from the date of the offer of admission to accept or decline the offer. Apollo will notify the sending school and request records once an offer of admission has been accepted. If no response is received by the deadline, Apollo will assume that the offer has been declined and offer the space to the next child on the waiting list.
Apollo will provide DPS with the following information for all students who complete the acceptance of admission process:
Continuing Enrollment
Apollo students are guaranteed enrollment for each succeeding year unless their parents fail to complete and return an enrollment renewal form during each annual open enrollment period. Once enrolled, Apollo students will not need to re-enter the lottery even if their grade level changes through promotion, acceleration, or retention, even as they move from the elementary school program to the middle school program or the middle school program to the high school program.
Subscribers
As is the practice at all charter schools in the state, Apollo will
admit the children of the subscribers who worked to start the school, up
to ten per cent of the new enrollment. Subscribers must enroll their children
during the open enrollment period for the year in which the family desires
admission. Given the diverse ages of those children, very few admissions
at any single grade level will be affected by this criterion in any single
year.
Siblings of Apollo Students
Apollo will offer admission priority to siblings of Apollo students who are otherwise qualified for admission to Apollo.
Children of Teachers and Staff
Apollo will regard any teacher or staff member employed by Apollo as a subscriber. These children of Apollo teachers and staff members will be regarded and prioritized as the children of Apollo subscribers.
Priority for New Enrollments
a. Children of subscribers
b. Siblings of Apollo students
c. Children who live within the DPS boundaries
d. Children who live outside the DPS boundaries
First Year Admissions
During the enrollment period prior to the first year of operation of each level of schooling (elementary, middle and high school) Apollo will admit up to 50% of the students to the new level of schooling on a first-come, first-served basis. This allows for early involvement and participation in critical organizational and planning decisions by families who had not previously been involved in creating the school. This 50% will also include children of subscribers.
For the first year, the first-come, first-served application period will begin on a date specified by the Board that is at least 30-days after the approval of the charter proposal and will end at the conclusion of the District's open enrollment period. This will allow time for significant public notification and outreach efforts to traditionally under-served communities.
A waiting list will be maintained for the first-come, first-served group until the end of the open enrollment period. At that point, Apollo will maintain only one waiting list per grade offered.
In any subsequent year in which a new level of the school is opened, the first-come, first-served application period will begin no sooner than the end of a 30-day public notice period.
All other enrollment slots will be filled through the standard lottery process.
Disputes
The Board of Directors will establish detailed enrollment policies
and procedures consistent with this proposal. The Board or its designees
will make final decisions on any disputes related to enrollment or the
lottery process.
Open Admissions
Apollo is strongly committed to excellence and fairness. The school will not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, or eligibility for services for exceptional children. There are no entrance exams, and academic records will be reviewed solely for indications that a previously untested student should be tested for giftedness. Previous high academic performance is not and will not be a criterion for admission.
The only requirements for admission to Apollo are that students are identified as highly gifted by the DPS Gifted and Talented Office, or are identified by Apollo, other school districts or individual testing as falling within or above the 98th percentile for either achievement or potential, using a broad array of accepted assessment methods and instruments.
Learning Environment
Preparing first through twelfth-grade students with the knowledge and skills necessary to flourish in an increasingly complex and technological world is a challenge that Apollo welcomes and embraces. We believe in the capacity of all motivated students to succeed, and will the help of families, to become thinking, responsible citizens for our nation's future. To that end, Apollo will establish an inclusive learning environment where students from all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds are welcomed, respected and academically challenged.
Public Awareness
Apollo will use a multi-faceted strategy to reach the larger Denver area community, and keep them informed of the school's progress and enrollment opportunities.
In addition to providing announcements of information meetings to the newspapers that serve different communities of Denver area, Apollo will use a web site and community centers to disseminate information.
To reach the broadest population, we request that DPS include Apollo in the district open-enrollment information packet and that it will handle a mailing to students in eighth grade describing the Apollo high school program and to students in fifth grade describing the Apollo middle school program. We also request that DPS provide Apollo with an annual contact list of all students identified as "highly gifted" by the DPS G/T Challenge office, and a current contact list for students ages 6-16 who were so identified but are not enrolled in DPS.
We strongly believe these public awareness measures to be crucial to the success of Apollo.
Outreach Efforts
In addition to the public awareness efforts, Apollo will actively seek out minority students for identification testing and attempt to obtain funding for such testing, so that a greater number of highly gifted minority and economically disadvantaged students may be identified. Apollo will also seek to establish working relationships with groups that have track records of success in encouraging minority and economically disadvantaged students to pursue challenging academic programs, and in providing on-going support for such students.
Using exactly the same criteria we use to identify everyone else, we will initiate intensive outreach through churches and other community organizations. Dr. Lucretia Peebles has agreed to assist us in the development of this outreach program.
Some of our current outreach ideas include setting up a parent-staffed Apollo booth at events such as the People’s Fair, the Black Arts Festival, Cinco de Mayo, Juneteenth, and A Taste of Colorado. Using these booths and other methods, we will distribute literature to parents, teachers and community leaders listing indications of giftedness and showing how gifted kids, particularly gifted Black and Hispanic kids, are often misidentified as learning disabled, emotionally disturbed, ADD, or simply labeled as troublemakers. Information on testing, Apollo, and DPS’s G/T and HG/T programs will be included in the literature.
Support Services
Apollo recognizes that acquisition of efficient work and study habits contributes greatly to students' sense of comfort and their eagerness to take on new challenges. Apollo course instruction will inculcate study skills as an integral part of each discipline. Students will be taught how to organize, plan and track their work so that they can meet their goals. Mid-quarter progress reports will be mailed to parents of any student who is experiencing difficulty in any core course so that the family can become involved in working with the student and the school to resolve the problems.
College Credit Courses
We anticipate that most high school aged and many middle school aged Apollo students will require academic challenges well beyond the scope of standard high school level courses.
Apollo will therefore establish a close working relationship with
institutions of higher learning so that Apollo may offer its students college-level
courses for college credit as part of Apollo's normal instruction. Home
study courses for college credit will also be actively facilitated. Apollo
will also help families that desire to implement other post-secondary school
options long mandated by State law.
District Waivers
Apollo requests that Apollo's Head of School shall be regarded as the "principal" for DPS policy purposes.
Apollo further requests waivers from any Denver Public Schools policy or future policy which is clearly in conflict with the mission, goals, and educational program outlined in this document. The school specifically waives the following DPS policies:
DPS Policy JBB-R, Sexual harassment procedures for investigation of complaints:
Rationale: Apollo's Board of Directors, rather than the DPS administration, must devise and implement procedures for investigation of complaints of sexual harassment at Apollo.
Replacement Plan: The general thrust of DPS Policy JBB-R will be followed, with the Head of School acting as principal and the Board of Directors acting as Superintendent.
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with DPS. Therefore, the waivers are requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waivers will have no financial impact upon DPS.
How the Impact of the Waivers will be Evaluated: The impact of this waiver will be measured by Apollo Board of Directors using the performance criteria and assessments that apply to Apollo.
Expected Outcome: With this waiver, Apollo will be able to adopt policies and prescribe rules and regulations better suited to the operation of the school.
DPS Policy JC, Pupil assignment:
Rationale: Apollo's management, rather than the DPS administration, must assign pupils for placement at Apollo.
Replacement Plan: Students will be admitted to Apollo in accordance with the admissions criteria set forth in this Charter and shall be assigned to classes in accordance with Apollo's educational program.
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with DPS. Therefore, the waivers are requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waivers will have no financial impact upon DPS.
How the Impact of the Waivers will be Evaluated: The impact of this waiver will be measured by Apollo Board of Directors using the performance criteria and assessments that apply to Apollo.
Expected Outcome: With this waiver, Apollo will be able to appropriately admit and assign its own students.
DPS Policy JHD, exclusions and exemptions from school attendance, specifically the section titled DENIAL OF ADMISSION:
Rationale: Apollo's management, rather than the DPS administration, should decide if a pupil is to be denied admission to Apollo for cause.
Replacement Plan: Apollo's Board of Directors shall replace the "Board of Education or the superintendent" in deciding to deny admission for cause to Apollo.
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with DPS. Therefore, the waivers are requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waivers will have no financial impact upon DPS.
How the Impact of the Waivers will be Evaluated: The impact of this waiver will be measured by Apollo Board of Directors using the performance criteria and assessments that apply to Apollo.
Expected Outcome: With this waiver, Apollo will be able to appropriately admit and assign its own students.
DPS Policy JICH-R, drug and alcohol use by students:
Rationale: Apollo's management, rather than the DPS administration, should devise and implement policy and discipline at Apollo.
Replacement Plan: Apollo will adopt the general thrust of DPS Policy JICH-R, with the Head of School functioning as "principal" and Apollo's Board of Directors performing the functions of the "Board of Education or the superintendent".
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with DPS. Therefore, the waivers are requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waivers will have no financial impact upon DPS.
How the Impact of the Waivers will be Evaluated: The impact of this waiver will be measured by Apollo Board of Directors using the performance criteria and assessments that apply to Apollo.
Expected Outcome: With this waiver, Apollo will be responsible for disciplining its own students.
DPS Policy JIH, student interrogations, searches and arrests:
Rationale: Law enforcement agencies sometimes engage in unlawful investigations and searches, and Apollo's management does not wish to be put in a position where adherence to policy may be a violation of law.
Replacement Plan: Apollo will adopt the DPS Policy JIH, with the first sentence changed to read: "The school administration shall cooperate fully with local law enforcement agencies when lawful investigations and searches related to drug offenses are in progress."
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with DPS. Therefore, the waivers are requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waivers will have no financial impact upon DPS.
How the Impact of the Waivers will be Evaluated: The impact of this waiver will be measured by Apollo Board of Directors using the performance criteria and assessments that apply to Apollo.
Expected Outcome: With this waiver, Apollo will not be forced to aid or abet unlawful investigations or searches.
DPS Policy JK, students conduct and discipline:
Rationale: The Apollo administration, rather than DPS, is responsible for the conduct and discipline of Apollo students.
Replacement Plan: Apollo will devise and implement its own policy on student conduct and discipline. Until the adoption of such policy by the Board of Directors, DPS Policy JK shall be followed except where it is deemed inapplicable by the Head of School or the Board.
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with DPS. Therefore, the waivers are requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waivers will have no financial impact upon DPS.
How the Impact of the Waivers will be Evaluated: The impact of this waiver will be measured by Apollo Board of Directors using the performance criteria and assessments that apply to Apollo.
Expected Outcome: With this waiver, Apollo will be able to implement a discipline policy appropriate to its mission and the student population it serves.
DPS Policy JK-R, student conduct and discipline procedures:
Rationale: The Apollo administration should devise and implement its own student conduct and discipline procedures.
Replacement Plan: Apollo will devise and implement its own student conduct and discipline procedures. Until the adoption of such procedures by the Board of Directors, DPS Policy JK-R shall be followed except where it is deemed inapplicable by the Head of School or the Board.
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with DPS. Therefore, the waivers are requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waivers will have no financial impact upon DPS.
How the Impact of the Waivers will be Evaluated: The impact of this waiver will be measured by Apollo Board of Directors using the performance criteria and assessments that apply to Apollo.
Expected Outcome: With this waiver, Apollo will be able to implement discipline policy procedures appropriate to its mission and the student population it serves.
DPS Policy JLC, student health services and requirements:
Rationale: Parents are responsible for the care of their children.
Replacement Plan: Apollo does not intend to provide on-site health care for students.
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with DPS. Therefore, the waivers are requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waivers will have no financial impact upon DPS.
How the Impact of the Waivers will be Evaluated: The impact of this waiver will be measured by Apollo Board of Directors using the performance criteria and assessments that apply to Apollo.
Expected Outcome: With this waiver, Apollo will be able to concentrate its limited resources on education.
DPS Policy JRA/JRC, student records/release of information on students:
Rationale: The Apollo administration should be responsible for maintaining its own student records and devise and implement its own policies and procedures for the release of information on students.
Replacement Plan: Apollo will maintain its own student records and devise and implement its own policies and procedures for the release of information on students. Until the adoption of such policies and procedures by the Board of Directors, DPS Policy JRC shall be followed except where it is deemed inapplicable by the Head of School or the Board.
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with DPS. Therefore, the waivers are requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waivers will have no financial impact upon DPS.
How the Impact of the Waivers will be Evaluated: The impact of this waiver will be measured by Apollo Board of Directors using the performance criteria and assessments that apply to Apollo.
Expected Outcome: With this waiver, Apollo will be able to maintain
its own records and better serve its student population.
Pursuant to the Charter Schools Act, Apollo requests waivers of certain Colorado Revised Statutes listed below. Each statute is identified and the reason for each request given. The waivers will enable the school to better meet its mission, goals and objectives, and implement its educational program. The school anticipates that the requested waivers will have no financial impact upon DPS. The Apollo budget has been developed under the assumption that these waivers will be granted. The duration requested for each of the waivers is the five-year duration of the charter school Contract.
C.R.S. 22-1-110 Effect of use of alcohol and controlled substances to be taught. Specifies how, when, and to what extent the effects of alcohol and controlled substances will be taught in all grade levels.
Rationale: Many contend that programs like D.A.R.E. can actually initiate interest in illegal drug use in students who might otherwise delay considering it. Thus, we feel that valuable academic time will be better utilized by teaching students about the effects of alcohol and controlled substance through normal courses on chemistry, biology, history, etc.
Replacement Plan: Apollo will be responsible for identifying the instructional materials and strategies used to teach these topics and the extent to which these topics will be integrated into the curriculum.
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with DPS. Therefore, the waiver is requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waiver will have no financial impact upon DPS or Apollo.
How the Impact of the Waivers will be Evaluated: A drug and alcohol awareness questionnaire will be filled out and anonymously submitted by all students at ages 12, 15 and 18. The information will then be evaluated by the Board of Directors each year and compared with the previous year's data.
Expected Outcome: Valuable teaching time will be better utilized and information about the effects of alcohol and drugs will be more effectively imparted.
C.R.S. 22-9-106 Certified Personnel Evaluations; Local boards of education - duties. Requires school districts to have a written system and related procedures to evaluate the performance of school district certificated personnel.
Rationale: Apollo will be responsible for its own personnel matters, including the supervision and evaluation of personnel and the method for conducting such evaluations.
Replacement Plan: Apollo will develop its own performance appraisal system. This performance appraisal with be developed by the Board of Directors and the Head of School in the coming months.
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with DPS. Therefore, the waiver is requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waiver will have no financial impact upon DPS or Apollo.
How the Impact of the Waivers will be Evaluated: Since teacher and personnel performance has a critical impact on the performance of the entire school, the impact of this waiver will be measured by the same performance criteria and assessments that apply to the Apollo, as set forth in the Apollo CSA.
Expected Outcome: With this waiver, Apollo will be able to implement its program and evaluate its teachers and personnel in accordance with its Performance Appraisal System, which will be designed to produce greater accountability and be consistent with the goals and objectives of Apollo. Students, staff members, and community members will benefit.
C.R.S. 22-32-109 (1) (b) Board of Education - specific duties. Grants Board of Education authority to adopt policies and prescribe rules and regulations for efficient administration of the district.
C.R.S. 22-32-109 (1) (f) Board of Education - specific duties. Requires Board of Education to employ all personnel and fix their compensation.
C.R.S. 22-32-109 (1) (n) (II) (B) Board of Education - specific duties. Provides for adoption by the Board of Education of a district calendar applicable to all schools or of individual school calendars.
C.R.S. 22-32-109 (1) (t) Board of Education - specific duties. Grants Board of Education authority to determine the educational program to be carried on in schools of the district and to prescribe textbooks. The Board of Directors of Apollo will be responsible for the school's curriculum and the selection of textbooks and other instructional materials, consistent with the school's mission, goals, and educational program.
C.R.S. 22-32-109 (1) (aa) Board of Education - specific duties. Requires districts to adopt content standards and a plan for implementation of such content standards. Apollo will meet or exceed State content standards. In meeting or exceeding State content standards, faculty members in a number of Colorado charter schools are undertaking a curriculum development project in which content standards and benchmarks specific to the school's educational program are written, curriculum aligned, and appropriate assessments developed.
C.R.S. 22-32-110 (h), (i), (j), (k), (ee) Board of Education - specific duties. Grants Board of Education authority to terminate personnel; reimburse employees for expenses; procure group life, health, and accident insurance for employees; adopt policies, rules and regulations relating to efficiency, in-service training, professional growth, safety, conduct and welfare of employees; and employ teacher aides and non-certificated personnel.
C.R.S. 22-32-126 Principals - employment and authority. Authorizes Board of Education to employ principals.
Rationale: Apollo will be responsible for its own personnel matters, including employing its own staff and establishing its own terms and conditions of employment, policies, rules and regulations, and providing its own training. Therefore, Apollo requests that these statutory duties be waived or delegated from DPS to Apollo's Governing Board. Apollo's success will depend in large part upon its ability to select and employ its own staff and to train and direct that staff in accordance with the CSA and the goals and objectives of the school.
Replacement Plan: Apollo will be responsible for these matters rather than DPS. Apollo's Governing Board and staff will have flexibility in structuring professional development and school policies to meet the school's needs.
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with DPS. Therefore, the waivers are requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waivers will have no financial impact upon DPS. The cost of employing staff has been included in Apollo's budget.
How the Impact of the Waivers will be Evaluated: The impact of this waiver will be measured by Apollo Board of Directors using the performance criteria and assessments that apply to Apollo.
Expected Outcome: With these waivers, Apollo will be able to adopt policies and prescribe rules and regulations, and to select, employ and provide professional development for its own teachers and staff.
C.R.S. 22-32-113 (5) (a) Transportation of pupils. Permits Board of Education to submit, at a special election called for such purpose, to voters the question of whether to impose and collect a fee for excess transportation costs.
Rationale: Apollo requires the autonomy and flexibility to devise a transportation plan that meets the needs of its students within the limits of its budget.
Replacement Plan: Apollo would like to offer transportation for students to school and collect a fee from each family to assist in funding such a program without having a district-wide special election. The school would waive the fee for any student who is eligible for a reduced or free meal pursuant to the "National School Lunch Act", 42 U.S.C. sec. 1751 et seq.
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with the DPS School Board. Therefore, the waiver is requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waiver will have no financial impact upon the DPS School Board or Apollo.
How the Impact of the Waivers will be Evaluated: The Board of Directors will evaluate Apollo's transportation plan on an annual basis.
Expected Outcome: With this waiver,
Apollo will be able to implement its own transportation plan and evaluate
it annually to meet the actual transportation needs of its students. Students,
staff member, and community members will benefit.
C.R.S. 22-32-119 Kindergartens. Permits Board of Education to establish and maintain kindergartens and prescribe courses of training, study, and rules and regulations governing the program.
Rationale: As an independent enitity serving an at-risk, special needs population, Apollo should prescribe its own courses of training, study, and rules and regulations governing the program.
Replacement Plan: Apollo may eventually operate its own kindergarten program and should be authorized to develop, adopt, and implement the training, study, and rules and regulations governing its kindergarten program.
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with the DPS. Therefore, the waiver is requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waiver will have no financial impact upon DPS or Apollo.
How the Impact of the Waivers will be Evaluated: The impact and effectiveness of Apollo's Kindergarten program will be annually reviewed by the Board of Directors.
Expected Outcome: Apollo may develop
a Kindergarten program specifically suited to the needs of highly gifted
children.
C.R.S. 22-45-103 (1) (f) Transportation fund. Requires that revenues from a fee imposed for the purpose of paying excess transportation costs be deposited in the transportation fund of the district.
Rationale: Apollo intends to provide its own transportation with its own revenues.
Replacement Plan: Apollo would deposit such monies collected in its own transportation fund pursuant to C.R.S. 22-30.5-112 (e) allowing fees collected from students enrolled in a charter school to be retained by such charter school.
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with the DPS School Board. Therefore, the waiver is requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waiver will have no financial impact upon the DPS School Board or Apollo.
How the Impact of the Waivers will be Evaluated: The impact of this waiver and the resultant transportation program will be annually reviewed by Apollo's board of Directors.
Expected Outcome: With this waiver, Apollo will be able to implement an effective transportation program designed to meet the needs of its students within the constraints of its budget.
C.R.S. 22-63-201 Teacher Employment, Compensation, and Dismissal; Employment - certificate required. Prohibits board from entering into an employment contract with a person who does not hold a teacher's certificate or letter of authorization. Apollo should be granted the authority to hire teachers and a Head of School who will further the mission, goals and objectives of the school. The Head of School will not function as a traditional school district principal but rather will be responsible for a wider range of tasks. Apollo seeks to attract a Head of School and teachers from a wide variety of backgrounds, including, but not limited to:
C.R.S. 22-63-203 Probationary teachers - renewal and non-renewal of employment contract. Provides for contract with probationary teachers. Apollo will be responsible for its own personnel matters, including employment contracts and terms and conditions of employment.
C.R.S. 22-63-206 Teacher Employment; Transfer - compensation. Permits transfer of teachers between schools upon recommendation of district's chief administrative officer. Apollo will select its own teachers.
C.R.S. 22-63-301 Grounds for dismissal and C.R.S. 22-63-302 Procedure for dismissal. Provide grounds and procedures for the dismissal of teachers.
C.R.S. 22-63-401 Salary schedule - adoption - changes. Provides for district Board of Education to adopt a salary schedule and place teachers on the schedule.
C.R.S. 22-63-402 Teacher Employment; Services - disbursements. Prohibits disbursement of district monies to teachers not holding a valid teacher's certificate or written authorization.
C.R.S. 22-63-403 Payment of salaries. Governs payment of salaries upon termination of employment of a teacher.
Rationale: Apollo requests the authority to develop its own employment contracts and terms and conditions of employment. Apollo is dependent primarily upon the talents, skills and personal commitment of its teachers. Apollo must be able to terminate employees who cannot deliver its education program successfully. Apollo must be able to adopt its own salary schedule, and to select its own teachers who will further Apollo's goals and objectives. The District should not have the authority to transfer teachers into the charter school or to transfer teachers from the charter school to other district schools.
Replacement Plan: Apollo will develop its own teacher contract, establish qualifications for Head of School and teacher positions, hire the people most qualified for these positions. Continued employment at Apollo will be subject to an annual performance evaluation. Consistent with the sections in the application discussing teacher evaluation, the Governing Board, with recommendations from the Head of School, will develop policies and procedures for evaluating and dismissing teachers. See section entitled "Governance and Operation" for more information regarding dismissal and the Governing Board's role in the review process.
Duration of the Waivers: Apollo requests that the waiver be for the duration of its contract with DPS. Therefore, the waiver is requested for five academic operating years, through June 30, 2006.
Financial Impact: Apollo anticipates that the requested waiver will have no financial impact upon DPS or Apollo.
How the Impact of the Waivers Will Be Evaluated: The impact of this waiver will be measured by the same performance criteria and assessments that apply to Apollo and annually evaluated by the Apollo Board of Directors.
Expected Outcome: As a result of this waiver, Apollo will be able to manage its own personnel affairs, implement its educational program more efficiently and successfully, attract qualified personnel, and hire the best teachers for the program. Apollo will not require a teacher's certificate upon initial employment. Full-time teachers in core subject areas will be required to obtain certification within a reasonable amount of time. Apollo will develop its own employment contracts and terms and conditions of employment. The success of Apollo in accomplishing its mission is dependent primarily upon the talents, skills and personal commitment of its teachers. The school must be able to terminate employees who cannot deliver its educational program successfully. The concept of tenure does not apply to the charter school. Apollo will provide the opportunity for teachers to transfer back into the District if they so choose.
Apollo reserves the right to identify,
during its implementation period, those Colorado Revised Statutes which
are impediments to effective operation and to request waivers of those
statutes, as specified in C.R.S. 22-2-117 (1) and (2).
LOCATION /LAWS AND ZONING REGULATIONS
The Board of Directors of the Apollo Charter School agrees to:
Use the school premises only as a school and not to use the premises for any purpose prohibited by the laws of the United States, the State of Colorado, or of the ordinances of the City or Town in which the premises are located.
Comply with all relevant building codes, fire codes and zoning regulations, laws, statutes and ordinances that apply to schools of the State of Colorado and of the city and county in which the school may be located.
All locations currently being considered as possible school sites are, to the best of our knowledge, already in full compliance with all building codes, fire codes and zoning regulations, of the City and County of Denver.
We propose to locate Apollo within the following boundaries:
North: 40th Avenue
South: Alameda Avenue
East: Monaco Parkway
West: Federal Boulevard
This is a very large area and we should be able to find several suitable facilities, with advertised commercial rates ranging from $5 per square foot to $10 per square foot. Poucel Commercial Real Estate, Inc. has agreed to help us find a suitable property within those boundaries by the end of April.
North Central Denver
Thus far, the closest we have come to locating a north central Denver site is Park Hill Congregational Church at 2600 Leyden. This site may be available for the 2001-2002 school year, but can only accommodate, at most, 100 students, leaving absolutely no room for expansion. Additionally, the church will require use of two of the classrooms and the multipurpose room on weekends, necessitating a twice-weekly set-up and take-down and giving the whole enterprise an atmosphere of impermanence. The cost of this site, if it were available, would be about $16,500 per year.
Because the 2600 Leyden site is clearly inadequate, we are currently working with a realtor to locate other possible school sites.
Central Denver
The former Logan School at 1836 Logan, has the capacity to serve served over 200 students. While this site, owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Denver, would clearly meet our needs, both immediately and in the near future, it is not currently available. We have been told that if the Archdiocese decides to make the site available to charter schools, we are welcome to apply, but no such decision has been made at this time. The Archdiocese is not willing to discuss possible cost at this time.
Use of DPS Facilities
Apollo would like DPS to make any unutilized or underutilized DPS buildings, which could comfortably absorb our initial projected student population of 100 and allow for expansion to 180 over the following two years, available to our school. We do, however, ask that the DPS administration give us whatever help they can in making existing DPS transportation available to our students.
THIRD PARTY DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Negotiation
Should a dispute arise between Apollo and DPS over the meaning, interpretation or implementation of this Charter, both parties agree to attempt to resolve the dispute through negotiations between the DPS Board and the Apollo Board, and/or their respective representatives.
Arbitration
If the dispute is not resolved through negotiation within 30 days, DPS and Apollo mutually agree to submit the matter in question to the binding arbitration of the Colorado State Board of Education.
Legal Action
Should one of the parties decide to appeal the decision of the Colorado
State Board of Education in a court of law, the State Board's decision
shall remain in effect unless and until it is reversed.