Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Academy of Dover
Charter School Renewal Report
AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport
Contents
CharterSchoolRenewalReport...................................................................................................................2
RequirementsUndertheLaw...................................................................................................................2
AcademicPerformance................................................................................................................................2
ChangesintheAcademicFramework.......................................................................................................2
DelawareAcademicFrameworkReport...................................................................................................3
DelawareSchoolSuccessFramework.......................................................................................................4
OrganizationalFramework..........................................................................................................................5
NonMaterialViolations............................................................................................................................5
MaterialViolations....................................................................................................................................6
FinancialFramework....................................................................................................................................8
AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport
CharterSchoolRenewalReport
RequirementsUndertheLaw
Thecharterschoollaw(14Del.C.514A)outlinestheprovisionsthattheDelawareDepartment
of Education (DDOE) follows for charter renewal and nonrenewal. The DDOE is required to
reviewthepreliminaryperformanceofthecharterschooltodetermineitscompliancewithits
charteranditssatisfactionofthecriteriasetforthinthistitleforthepurposesofrenewalor
nonrenewal1.14Del.C.514A(c)statesthat,
(c) NolaterthanApril30,theapprovingauthorityshallissueacharterschoolrenewal
reportandcharterrenewalapplicationguidancetoanycharterschoolwhosecharterwill
expire the following year. The renewal report shall summarize the charter school's
performancerecordtodate,basedonthedatarequiredby79Del.Laws,c.51andthe
chartercontract,andshallprovidenoticeofanyweaknessesorconcernsperceivedby
theapprovingauthorityconcerningthecharterschoolthatmayjeopardizeitspositionin
seekingrenewalifnottimelyrectified.Thecharterschoolshallhave10workingdaysto
respondtotherenewalreportandsubmitanycorrectionsorclarificationsforthereport.
AcademicPerformance
ChangesintheAcademicFramework
From School Year (SY) 201011 through SY 201314, the academic performance of all charter
schoolswereevaluatedusingtheDelawareAcademicFrameworkReportsthatwerepublishing
annually.InJulyof2015,theDDOEreceivedapprovalfromtheUnitedStatesDepartmentof
Education to use 201415 as a flexibility year for all schools in order to transition to a new
accountabilityframework2.ThisnewaccountabilityreportisreferredtoastheDelawareSchool
SuccessFramework(DSSF).
Forthepurposesofreportingtheacademicachievementforcharterschoolsduringthistransition
period, academic performance is broken down into reporting categories. These categories
include:
Academic Framework Reporting (201011 through 201314): This report includes
percentages reflecting: Student Progress Over Time (Growth), Student Achievement
Status,StateandFederalAccountability,PostSecondaryReadiness(HighSchoolsOnly),
andMissionSpecificAcademicGoalswhichwereanoptionalmeasure.
Afullcopyof14Del.C.Chapter5canbefoundat:http://delcode.delaware.gov/title14/c005/
USDOEFlexibilityLettercanbefoundat
http://www.doe.k12.de.us/cms/lib09/DE01922744/Centricity/domain/232/esea/DEESEA_Flex_Renewal_Letter_7
915.pdf.
AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport
DSSFReporting(201415):Thisreportincludestwosystemsforratings.Metricratings
representedbyaonetofivestarratingforAcademicAchievement,AcademicGrowth,
OnTrack to Graduation, and College and Career Readiness. This report also includes
AcademicPerformanceratingsinthefourcoresubjectareas(EnglishLanguageArts(ELA),
Math,Science,andSocialStudiesaswellasAcademicGrowth,OnTracktoGraduation,
andCollegeandCareerPreparationthatarerepresentedasapercentage.
Becausethesereportsdifferinhowindividualreportingcategoriesarecalculated,itwouldnot
beappropriatetoincorporatethedatafromtheDSSFintotheAcademicFrameworkutilizedfrom
2010through2014.BecauseSY14/15wasaflexibilityyear,thecharterschooldataisreported
inrelationshiptothestateforcomparisonpurposesonly.
DelawareAcademicFrameworkReport
20132014
D
F
F
Legend
E=Exceeds
Standard
20122013
M
D
F
D
D
D
M
M
D
M=Meets
Standard
D
D
D
M
M
M
M
M
M
D
M
D
M
M
D
M
M
M
D
D
D
D
D
D
M
M
D
M
E
M
M
M
M
Overall
Rating/Scale
5.a.MissionSpe
4.a.SAT
3.AYP
ELA
Math
2.d.Similar
Schools
ELA
Math
2.c.District
ELA
Math
2.b.Overall
Subgroup
ELA
Math
2.a.Prof
ELA
Math
ELA
Math
Year
20112012
1.b.Bottom 1.c.Growthto
25%
Prof
ELA
Math
1.a.Growth
4.b.GradRate
55.6
55.9
39.1
D=DoesNot
F=FallsFar
MeetStandard BelowStandard
*Greyshadingindicatesthatthenumberofstudentstestedwasinsufficienttoincluderesultsintheoverallratings;resultsarepresentedbutnotincludedinoverallschoolrating.
AccordingtotheDelawareAcademicFrameworkReport,AcademyofDoverdidnotmeetState
AcademicStandardsforoneofthethreeyearstheywereassessed.In201314,AcademyofDover
didnotmeetstandardson10outof15measuresandshowedregressiononsixmeasureswhich
hadhigherratingsthepreviousyear.Additionally,theschoolsoverallratingdeclinedbyslightly
over16percentagepointsinthe201314SchoolYear.
AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport
DelawareSchoolSuccessFramework
Track
to
Gradu
ation
Attendance
ELA
Math
Growthto
Proficency
ELA
Academic
Growth
Math
Social
Studies
Science
ELA
DSSF
Year
2014/2015
Math
AcademicPerformance
%Proficency
Academy
ofDover 26.1 38.5 N/A 44.5 29.8 32.6 1.6 10.2 93.3
Delaware 36 50.4 41.6 46.1
23.8 49.9 94.2
*AcademicGrowthhasanormof50%.
AccordingtotheDSSFoverallratingsystem,AcademyofDoverscoredthefollowingratingsfor
overallschoolperformance:
AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport
OrganizationalFramework
Legend
M=MeetsStandards
D=DoesNotMeetStandard
For SY 1112 and 201213, Academy of Dover had overall ratings of Meets Standard for the
organizational framework reporting. For 201314 and 201415, the schools organizational
performance regressed with overall ratings of Does Not Meet Standard for two consecutive
years.In201314,therewere6outof13measureswhereAcademyofDoverreceivedratingsof
DoesNotMeetStandard.For201415,therewere5outof13measureswhereAcademyof
DoverreceivedratingsofDoesNotMeetStandard.
NonMaterialViolations
In201213,AcademyofDoverfailedtomeetstandardsforitsattendancegoalsinMeasure4b.
Thefollowingwasnotedforthe201112and201213reportingyears:
Noncompliantwiththeattendancegoalof95%.
BasedoninformationavailabletotheDOEduringthe201314and201415schoolyears,the
charterschoolmateriallycompliedwithapplicablelaws,rules,regulations,andprovisionsofthe
charterrelatingtoattendancegoals.
In 201314 and 20142015, Academy of Dover failed to meet standards in staff credentialing
requirements.Thefollowingwasnoted.
HighlyQualifiedTeacher(HQT)requirementnotmet(93.5%)
BasedoninformationavailabletotheDOEduringthe201213schoolyear,thecharterschool
materially complied with applicable laws, rules, regulations, and provisions of the charter
(includingthefederalHighlyQualifiedTeacherrequirementswithinTitleIIoftheESEA)relating
tostatecertificationrequirementsandbackgroundchecks.
5
AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport
In 201314, Academy of Dover failed to meet standards in health and safety requirements in
Measure5b.Thefollowingwasnoted.
NoncompliantwiththestatutoryrequirementsoftheComprehensiveSchoolSafetyPlan.
MaterialViolations
In20122015,AcademyofDoverhasstruggledwithmeetingMeasure2byfailingtomaterially
complywithapplicablelaws,rules,regulations,andprovisionsofthecharterrelatingtofinancial
reportingrequirementsin201112,201314and201415.In201415,thefollowingwasnoted.
MisuseoffundsbynowformerSchoolLeaderidentifiedbyDelawareAuditorofAccounts
inJune23,2015report
PoorinternalcontrolsidentifiedbyDelawareAuditorofAccountsinJune23,2015report
DidnotsubmitpayrollinternalcontrolplantoDivisionofAccountinguponrequest
Ongoing Charter School Office monitoring of the charter school's website found that
documentsrelatingtofinancialoversightwerenotpostedasrequiredbycodeatmultiple
pointsduringthereportingperiod.Theseincludedmonthlyfinancialstatements,audited
financial statements, Citizen Budget Oversight Committee (CBOC) agendas, CBOC
minutes,andCBOCmeetingnotice
FY15AuditResults:
o Qualifiedopinion
o 2materialweaknesses(#2014003and#2015001)
o 1instanceofnoncompliance(#2015001)
Forthepasttwoyears,AcademyofDoverhasstruggledwithmeetingMeasure3abyfailingto
materiallycomplywithapplicablelaws,rules,regulationsandprovisionsofthecharterrelating
togovernancebyitsboard.In201415,thefollowingwasnoted.
NoncompliancewithStateEmployees',Officers',andOfficials'CodeofConductbynow
formerSchoolPrincipal
Ongoing Charter School Office monitoring of the charter school's website found that
documentsrelatingtogovernancewerenotpostedasrequiredbycodeatmultiplepoints
duringthereportingperiod.TheseincludedBoardofDirectorsmeetingminutes,Board
ofDirectorsmeetingagendas,andBoardofDirectorsmeetingnotice
In201112and201415,AcademyofDoverhasstruggledwithmeetingMeasure3bbyfailingto
materiallycomplywithapplicablelaws,rules,regulationsandprovisionsofthecharterrelating
tooversightofschoolmanagement.In201415,thefollowingwasnoted.
Asnotedinformalreview,startedyearwithoutaccountabilitysystemsforschoolleader
putinplaceafterschoolleaderdeparted
AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport
In201314,AcademyofDoverreceivedaratingofDoesNotMeetStandardforMeasure3cby
failingtomateriallycomplywithapplicablelaws,rules,regulationsandprovisionsofthecharter
relatingtorelevantreportingrequirementstotheschoolsauthorizer,stateeducationagency,
districteducationdepartment,and/orfederalauthorities.Thefollowingwerenoted.
NoncompliantwiththestatutoryreportingrequirementsofTitleIIA.
NoncompliantwiththefederalandstatutoryreportingrequirementsofTitleI,Raceto
theTopfunding,andtheTechnologyBlockGrant.
Noncompliant with the federal reporting requirements of the Childrens Internet
ProtectionAct.
BasedoninformationavailabletotheDOEduringthe201415schoolyear,thecharterschool
materiallycompliedwithapplicablelaws,rules,regulationsandprovisionsofthecharterrelating
torelevantreportingrequirementstotheschoolsauthorizer,stateeducationagency,district
educationdepartment,and/orfederalauthorities.
In201112and201415,AcademyofDoverreceivedaratingofDoesNotMeetStandardfor
Measure4abyfailingtomateriallycomplywithapplicablelaws,rules,regulations,andprovisions
ofthecharterrelatingtotherightsofstudents.In201415,thefollowingwerenoted.
Substantiatedincidentinvolvingteacherviolenceagainststudent
AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport
FinancialFramework
Year
1112
1213
1314
1415
Legend
1a
1b
1c
1d
2a
2b
2c
2d
OverallRating
NR
NR
NA
DoesNotMeet
Standard
NA
DoesNotMeet
Standard
NA
MeetsStandard
NA
DoesNotMeet
Standard
E=ExceedsStandard
M=MeetsStandard
D=DoesNotMeetStandard F=FallsFarBelowStandard
NR=Notreported
FortheFinancialReportingFramework,AcademyofDoverfailedtomeetstandardsforfourof
thefiveyearsofreview.
In201213, AcademyofDover struggledwith Measure1a(CurrentRatio)becausetheschool
failedtodemonstratethatitcouldpayitsobligationsforeachofthereportingperiods.However,
theschoolwasabletomeetthestandardsforMeasure1ain201112,201314and201415.
In201112,201213and20142015,AcademyofDoverstruggledtowithMeasure1b(DaysCash)
becausetheschoolfailedtomeetthe60daythresholdforcashonhand.However,theschool
wasonlyablemeetstandardsforthemeasurein201314.
In201112 and201213,AcademyofDoverstruggledwithMeasure1c(EnrollmentVariance)
becausetheschoolfailedtomeetitsauthorizedprojectedenrollmenttargets.However,the
schoolwasonlyablemeetprojectedenrolmenttargetsin201314and201415.Theresultsof
thiscomparisoninrelationshiptothedesired95%equatedto:
20111285%Doesnotmeetstandard
20121394%Doesnotmeetstandard
For the past five years, Academy of Dover struggled with Measure 2b (Debt to Asset Ratio)
becausetheschoolsliabilitiesexceededitsassetsbeyondthe.90thresholdforthismeasure.
Thefollowingshowstheschoolsdebttoassetratioforthepastfiveyears.
2011122.49FallsFarBelowStandard
2012132.67FallsFarBelowStandard
2013141.64FallsFarBelowStandard
2014150.95DoesNotMeetStandard
In201213and201415,AcademyofDoverfailedMeasure2c(CashFlow)becausetheschool
failed to demonstrate longterm stability based on both three year cumulative cash flow and
AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport
annualcashflow.AcademyofDoverreceivedaratingofDoesNotMeetStandardin201213
and201415.