Renewal Recommendation Report Invictus Preparatory … · State University of New York 41 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, New York 12207 (518) 445-4250 (518) 320-1572 (fax) . Renewal

State University of New York 41 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, New York 12207

(518) 445-4250 (518) 320-1572 (fax) www.newyorkcharters.org

Renewal Recommendation Report

Invictus Preparatory Charter School

Report Date: January 14, 2016 Visit Date: October 7-9, 2015

http://www.newyorkcharters.org/

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUNY Charter Schools Institute | 41 State Street, Suite 700 | Albany, New York

INTRODUCTION AND REPORT FORMAT RENEWAL RECOMMENDATION SCHOOL BACKGROUND AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE FISCAL PERFORMANCE FUTURE PLANS APPENDICES

A-SCHOOL OVERVIEW B-SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SUMMARIES C-SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMENTS D-SCHOOL FISCAL DASHBOARD

1 3 6 8

19 25 27

29 37 41 43

INTRODUCTION AND REPORT FORMAT

1 SUNY Charter Schools Institute | 41 State Street, Suite 700 | Albany, New York

INTRODUCTION This report is the primary means by which the SUNY Charter Schools Institute (the “Institute”) transmits to the State University of New York Board of Trustees (the “SUNY Trustees”) its findings and recommendations regarding an education corporation’s Application for Charter Renewal, and more broadly, details the merits of an education corporation’s case for renewal. The Institute has created and issued this report pursuant to the Policies for the Renewal of Not-For-Profit Charter School Education Corporations and Charter Schools Authorized by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (the “SUNY Renewal Policies”) (revised September 4, 2013 and available at: www.newyorkcharters.org/wp-content/uploads/SUNY-Renewal-Policies.pdf).

REPORT FORMAT The Institute makes all renewal recommendations based on a school’s Application for Charter Renewal, evaluation visits conducted and information gathered during the charter term and a renewal evaluation visit conducted near the end of the current charter term. Additionally, the Institute has reviewed the strength and fiscal health of the not-for-profit education corporation with the authority to operate the school. Most importantly, the Institute analyzes the school’s record of academic performance and the extent to which it has met its academic Accountability Plan goals. This renewal recommendation report compiles the evidence below using the State University of New York Charter Renewal Benchmarks (the “SUNY Renewal Benchmarks”),1 which specify in detail what a successful school should be able to demonstrate at the time of the renewal review. The Institute uses the four interconnected renewal questions below for framing benchmark statements to determine if a school has made an adequate case for renewal.

1. Is the school an academic success?

2. Is the school an effective, viable organization?

3. Is the school fiscally sound?

4. If the SUNY Trustees renew the education corporation’s authority to operate the school, are its plans for the school reasonable, feasible and achievable?

This report contains Appendices that provide additional statistical and organizationally related information including a largely statistical school overview, copies of any school district comments on the Application for Charter Renewal, the SUNY Fiscal Dashboard information for the school, and, if applicable, its education corporation, additional information about the education corporation and its schools, and additional evidence on student achievement of those schools.

1 Version 5.0, May 2012, available at: www.newyorkcharters.org/wp-content/uploads/SUNY-Renewal-Benchmarks.pdf.

http://www.newyorkcharters.org/wp-content/uploads/SUNY-Renewal-Policies.pdf

http://www.newyorkchrters.org/wp-content/uploads/SUNY-Renewal-Benchmarks.pdf

INTRODUCTION AND REPORT FORMAT


Additional information about the SUNY renewal process and an overview of the requirements for renewal under the New York Charter Schools Act of 1998 (as amended, the “Act”) are available on the Institute’s website at: www.newyorkcharters.org/operate/existing-schools/renewal/.

http://www.newyorkcharters.org/operate/existing-schools/renewal/

RENEWAL RECOMMENDATION


RECOMMENDATION: SHORT-TERM RENEWAL WITH CONDITIONS The Institute recommends that the SUNY Trustees approve the Application for Charter Renewal of Invictus Preparatory Charter School for a period of three years with authority to provide instruction to students in 5th through 8th grade in such configuration as set forth in its Application for Charter Renewal, with a projected total enrollment of 342 students and with the condition that Invictus implement a legally and educationally sound English language learner program by the commencement of classes in the 2016-17 school year, and have an Institute approved external evaluator report on the soundness of that program no later than October 1, 2016.

To earn an Initial Short-Term Renewal, a school must either:

(a) have compiled a mixed or limited record of educational achievement in meeting its academic Accountability Plan goals, but have in place and in operation at the time of the renewal inspection visit (i) an academic program of sufficient strength and effectiveness, as assessed using the Qualitative Education Benchmarks,2

which will likely result in the school’s being able to meet or come close to meeting those goals with the additional time that renewal would permit, and (ii) a governing board and organizational structures both in the charter school and its education corporation that have demonstrated the capacity to meet the school’s academic Accountability Plan goals and to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound fashion; or

(b) have compiled an overall record of meeting its academic Accountability Plan goals but,

at the time of the renewal inspection visit, has in place an educational program that, as assessed using the Qualitative Education Benchmarks, is inadequate in multiple and material respects.3

REQUIRED FINDINGS

In addition to making a recommendation based on a determination of whether the school has met the SUNY Trustees’ specific renewal criteria, the Institute makes the following findings required by the Act: the school, as described in the Application for Charter Renewal meets the requirements of the

Act and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations;

2 The Qualitative Education Benchmarks are a subset of the SUNY Renewal Benchmarks. 3 SUNY Renewal Policies (pp. 12-13).



the education corporation can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner in the next charter term; and,

given the programs it will offer, its structure and its purpose, approving the school to operate for another three years is likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes of the Act.4

As required by Education Law § 2851(4)(e), a school must include in its renewal application information regarding the efforts it has, and will, put in place to meet or exceed SUNY’s enrollment and retention targets for students with disabilities, English language learners (“ELLs”), and students who are eligible applicants for the federal Free and Reduced Price Lunch (“FRPL”) program. SUNY5 and the New York State Board of Regents (the “Board of Regents”) finalized the methodology for setting targets in October 2012, and the Institute communicated specific targets for each school, where applicable, in July 2013. Since that time, new schools receive targets during their first year of operation. Invictus Preparatory Charter School (“Invictus”) is not yet accountable for enrollment and retention targets6 but plans to use the following strategies to meet future targets: Students with Special Needs: direct mail advertising that mentions special needs; school website will continue to mention special needs; other advertising (e.g., radio, TV, flyer) that mentions special needs; and, all school brochures, mailings and application mention that the school accommodates

students with disabilities. English Language Learners: direct mail advertising in languages other than English; other advertising (e.g., radio, TV, flyer) in languages other than English; outreach by multi-lingual staff; outreach to immigrant communities; advertising and school materials are translated as needed; with notice, translators will be made available for families at school events, such as

parent-teacher conferences; all school brochures, mailings and applications mention that the school accommodates,

ELLs; and, 4 See New York Education Law § 2852(2). 5 SUNY Trustees’ Charter Schools Committee resolution dated October 2, 2012. 6 Enrollment and retention targets apply to all charter schools approved pursuant to any of the Institute’s Request for Proposal (“RFP”) processes (August 2010 – present) and to charter schools that applied for renewal after January 1, 2011. Invictus applied for a charter prior to the Institute’s release of the first RFP.



school website will mention services for ELL students and will provide translation dropdown box.

Students Eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch Program: meal program is covered at school open house, on application and during tours; support is offered to assist families in completing all necessary paperwork to ensure

eligible students participate in the FRPL program; recruitment throughout neighborhoods surrounding the school and in the local district;

and, all school brochures, mailings and applications mention that the school participates in the

FRPL program. Please refer to Appendix A for more details about the school’s future targets including a comparison of how it would have performed if it currently had targets.

CONSIDERATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMENTS In accordance with the Act, the Institute notified the district in which the charter school is located regarding the Application for Charter Renewal. The full text of any written comments received from the district appears in Appendix C, which also includes a summary of any public comments. As of the date of this report, the Institute has received no district comments in response.

SCHOOL BACKGROUND AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


Invictus Preparatory Charter School

BACKGROUND The SUNY Trustees approved the charter for Invictus on May 11, 2010. Invictus opened its doors in the fall of 2011 initially serving 90 students in 5th grade. The school is located at 370 Fountain Avenue, Brooklyn, New York in Community School District (“CSD”) 19. The school is co-located in a New York City Department of Education (“NYCDOE”) building. This is the school’s first renewal. In the current school year, Invictus serves 305 students in grades 5-8. The mission of Invictus is:

To empower scholars with the academic and ethical foundations necessary for excellence in high school, college and life.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Invictus’s performance over the charter term has been uneven with the school struggling to make and sustain significantly strong student performance. After the second year of the charter term, the school lost its founding leader. At the start of the 2014-2015 school year, the school hired a new executive director (“ED”) replacing the interim ED who served for one year. With a new leader, the school underwent changes to both its administrative structure and education program. Recognizing gaps across the program also noted by the Institute in its evaluation report from the third year evaluation visit, the new ED hired a director of curriculum and instruction (“DCI”), a data and assessment coordinator, created and filled a director of culture and community position supported by two behavioral specialists, and created department chair roles for both STEM and humanities subjects to better support teachers and the implementation of the school’s program. The ED also made substantive changes to the school’s curriculum materials as well as assessments administered throughout the year. Despite these changes, Invictus still has not developed a sufficient program to create and solidify a strong English language arts (“ELA”) or ELL program. The ED is aware of the academic and legal requirements to provide these services and conveys a sense of understanding regarding the areas the school must improve to promote consistently high student performance. Members of the Invictus board are dedicated to the school’s success. The Invictus board has only five members. A founding board member lives on the west coast but makes frequent trips to the school for board meetings; a demonstration of commitment to the school. The board is thoughtful but needs to strengthen its capacity to properly govern the school as it seeks to improve performance. Invictus is fiscally sound and has the resources to support the day-to-day operations of the school. Based on the Institute’s review of the school’s performance as posted over the charter term, a review of the Application for Charter Renewal submitted by the school, a review of academic, organizational, governance and financial documentation as well as a visit to the school, the Institute finds that the program in place at the time of the renewal review is of sufficient strength and effectiveness such

SCHOOL BACKGROUND AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


that the school is likely to meet or come close to meeting its Accountability Plan goals with the additional time renewal would permit. Therefore, the Institute recommends the SUNY Trustees grant Invictus a Short-Term Renewal for a period of three years.

NOTEWORTHY In 2014-15, the school administered the Algebra I Common Core and U.S. History and Government Regents exams to a subset of 8th grade students. In History, 94% of tested students scored at or above proficiency. On the Algebra I exam, 100% of tested students scored at level 3 or higher (of five levels), demonstrating that they had achieved partial proficiency or proficiency.

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE


IS THE SCHOOL AN ACADEMIC SUCCESS? With an improved educational program in place at the end of the initial charter term, Invictus is making progress toward strengthening its academic program. The school has posted mixed progress toward meeting its key Accountability Plan goals in ELA and mathematics and has responded with programmatic changes designed to boost student achievement. As assessed using the Qualitative Education Benchmarks, the academic program in place at the time of the renewal review is of sufficient strength and effectiveness that it is likely to improve student learning and result in Invictus being able to meet or come close to meeting its Accountability Plan goals with the additional time that a Short-Term Renewal would permit. At the beginning of the Accountability Period,7 the school developed and adopted an Accountability Plan that set academic goals in the key subjects of ELA and mathematics. For each goal in the Accountability Plan, specific outcome measures define the level of performance necessary to meet that goal. The Institute examines results for five required Accountability Plan measures to determine ELA and mathematics goal attainment. Because the Act requires charters be held “accountable for meeting measurable student achievement results”8 and states the educational programs at a charter school must “meet or exceed the student performance standards adopted by the board of regents”9 for other public schools, SUNY’s required accountability measures rest on performance as measured by state wide assessments. Historically, SUNY’s required measures include measures that present schools’: absolute performance, i.e., what percentage of students score at a certain proficiency on

state exams?; comparative performance, i.e., how did the school do as compared to schools in the

district and schools that serve similar populations of economically disadvantaged students?; and,

growth performance, i.e., how much did the school grow student performance as compared to the growth of similarly situated students?

Every SUNY authorized charter school has the opportunity to propose additional measures of success when crafting its Accountability Plan. Invictus did not propose or include any additional measures of success in the Accountability Plan it adopted. The Institute analyzes every measure included in the school’s Accountability Plan to determine its level of academic success including the extent to which the school has established and maintained a record of high performance, and the extent to which the school has established progress toward meeting its academic Accountability Plan goals, throughout the initial charter term. Since 2009, the Institute has examined but consistently de-emphasized the two absolute measures under each goal in middle schools’ Accountability Plans because of changes to the state’s assessment system.

7 Because the SUNY Trustees make a renewal decision before student achievement results for the final year of a charter term become available, the Accountability Period ends with the school year prior to the final year of the charter term. For a school in an initial charter term, the Accountability Period covers the first four years the school provides instruction to students. 8 Education Law § 2850(2)(f). 9 Education Law § 2854(1)(d).



The analysis of middle school performance continues to focus primarily on the two comparative measures and the growth measure while also considering the two required absolute measures and any additional evidence the school presents using additional measures identified in its Accountability Plan. The Institute identifies the required measures (absolute proficiency, absolute Annual Measurable Objective (“AMO”) attainment,10 comparison to local district, comparison to demographically similar schools, and student growth) in the Performance Summaries appearing in Appendix B. The Accountability Plan also includes science and No Child Left Behind Act (“NCLB”) goals. Please note that for schools located in New York City, the Institute uses the CSD as the local school district. SUNY Renewal Benchmark 1A: Has the school met or come close to meeting its Academic Accountability Plan Goals? With an improved educational program in place at the end of the initial charter term, Invictus is strengthening its ability to provide students the instructional supports they need to meet the school’s goals. The school has posted mixed progress toward meeting its key Accountability Plan goals in ELA and mathematics and has responded with programmatic changes designed to boost student achievement. The Institute analyzes all measures under the school’s ELA and mathematics goals while emphasizing the school’s comparative performance and growth to determine goal attainment. The Institute calculates a comparative effect size to measure the performance of Invictus relative to all public schools statewide that serve the same grade levels and that enroll students who are similarly economically disadvantaged. It is important to note that this measure is a comparison measure and therefore any changes in New York’s assessment system do not compromise its validity or reliability. Further, the school’s performance on the measure is not relative to the test, but relative to the strength of Invictus’ demonstrated student learning compared to other schools’ demonstrated student learning. The Institute uses the state’s mean growth percentiles as a measure of Invictus’ comparative year-to-year growth in student performance on the state’s ELA and mathematics exams. The measure compares a school’s growth in assessment scores to the growth in assessment scores of the subset of students throughout the state who performed identically on previous years’ assessments. According to this measure, median growth statewide is at the 50th percentile. To signal the school’s ability to help students make one year’s worth of growth in one year’s time, the expected percentile performance is 50. To signal a school is increasing students’ performance above the peers of its students (in terms of students statewide who scored previously at the same level), the school must post a percentile performance that exceeds 50. A percentile performance below 50 indicates that students are losing ground relative to their peers who scored similarly during prior years.

10 The state did not calculate an AMO for 2012-13. As such, the Institute will only report on the 2013-14 and 2014-15 results.



Invictus had mixed performance in ELA during its initial charter term and did not meet its ELA goal. In 2012-13, the school’s students enrolled in at least their second year outperformed the district by 7 percentage points. While the gap between the school and the district narrowed in the following years, the school continued to outperform CSD 19 in absolute proficiency. Over the charter term, Invictus did not meet the comparative effect size measure in its Accountability plan but saw a generally upward trend. The school performed higher than expected to a small degree relative to schools with similar proportions of economically disadvantaged students in 2013-14. Invictus came close to meeting its comparative growth measure in 2014-15 when it missed the target by 4 percentile points. In 2012-13 and 2013-14, the school met its comparative growth measure, posting mean growth percentiles above the state median. In mathematics, Invictus also had mixed performance. The school outperformed the comparison district in absolute proficiency over the entire charter term. Laudably, the school exceeded the district by 22 percentage points in 2013-14. Similar to its ELA trend, the school posted comparative effect sizes that generally improved over the charter term. In 2013-14, the school met its math goal and performed higher than expected to large degree compared to demographically similar schools across the state. Notwithstanding the dip in its growth percentile in 2014-15, Invictus posted strong comparative growth over the charter term. In both 2012-13 and 2013-14, the school exceeded the comparative growth measure target by at least 20 percentage points. Commendably, over the same two years the school’s students receiving special education services and ELLs had average growth that also exceeded the state median. The school came very close to meeting its science goal during the first year with available data. Seventy-four percent of Invictus’ 8th graders in at least their second year at the school scored at or above proficiency, missing the absolute target by one percentage point. The school outperformed the comparison district by 39 percentage points. Although not tied to separate goals in the school’s formal Accountability Plan, academic outcome data about the school’s students receiving special education services and ELLs are presented below for informational purposes.

2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Enrollment (N) Receiving Mandated Academic Services (27) (36) (46)

Results

Tested on State Exams (N) (24) (32) (46) School Percent Proficient on ELA Exam 4.2 3.1 0

Percent Proficient Statewide 5.0 5.2 5.8



2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

ELL Enrollment (N) (2) (6) (9)

Results

Tested on NYSESLAT11 Exam (N) (0) (5) (0)

School Percent ‘Commanding’ or Making Progress12 on NYSESLAT N/A s13 N/A

11 New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test, a standardized state exam. 12 Defined as moving up at least one level of proficiency. As of 2014-15, student scores can fall into five categories/proficiency levels: Entering (formerly Beginning); Emerging (formerly Low Intermediate); Transitioning (formerly Intermediate); Expanding (formerly Advanced); and, Commanding (formerly Proficient). 13 In order to comply with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regulations on reporting education outcome data, the Institute does not report assessment results for groups containing five or fewer students.





The SUNY Renewal Benchmarks, grounded in the body of research from the Center for Urban Studies at Harvard University,14 describe the elements in place at schools that are highly effective at providing students from low-income backgrounds the instruction, content, knowledge and skills necessary to produce strong academic performance. The SUNY Renewal Benchmarks describe the elements an effective school must have in place at the time of renewal.15

SUNY Renewal Benchmark 1B: Does the school have an assessment system that improves instructional effectiveness and student learning? Invictus implements an assessment system that provides actionable data for teachers, but leaders have not created systems to leverage this data effectively to improve classroom instruction and student learning. The school administers diagnostic, formative and summative assessments designed to

prepare students for the rigor of state examinations as well as track student progress. At the time of the renewal visit, the school had administered an initial round of i-Ready testing in ELA and mathematics with two more rounds scheduled. The DCI, in collaboration with the data and assessment coordinator (“DAC”), have designed new, quarterly interim assessments for the 2015-16 school year that focus on standards the school identifies as priorities from previous state testing results. These assessments, however, are not externally validated as to alignment and predictive value with the state assessments.

Despite having rubrics for interim assessment grading, including a specific short response rubric developed using sample student work, the school does not yet have the set of protocols and procedures necessary for ensuring that student work products, and teacher assessment of student writing aligns with the grading of non-interim assessments is valid and reliable. It is unclear that school’s leadership understands how working toward reliable ratings of student work from teacher to teacher assists in the school’s work to ensure all students are performing at high academic levels.

Teachers access diagnostic data through i-Ready software and interim assessment data through reports the DAC generates. At the time of the renewal visit, the school was just beginning to support teachers in building their capacity to interpret, analyze and take action on student data through professional development opportunities. The DAC is beginning to deliver professional development and informal support regarding building a classroom culture around data. At the time of the renewal visit, teachers had received introductory training in analyzing i-Ready diagnostic reports and begun Datawise, a series of professional development sessions regarding the use of data to inform instruction. Though the school has devoted substantial resources to building teachers’ facility with data,

14 An extensive body of research identifying and confirming the correlates of effective schools exists dating back four decades. Selected sources include: www.mes.org/correlates.html; www.scholar.harvard.edu/files/fryer/files/dobbie_fryer_revision_final.pdf; and, www.gao.gov/assets/80/77488.pdf. 15 Additional details regarding the SUNY Renewal Benchmarks, including greater specificity as to what the Institute looks for at each school that may demonstrate attainment of the SUNY Renewal Benchmarks, is available at: www.newyorkcharters.org/suny-renewal-benchmarks/.

http://www.mes.org/correlates.html

http://www.scholar.harvard.edu/files/fryer/files/dobbie_fryer_revision_final.pdf

http://www.gao.gov/assets/80/77488.pdf

http://www.newyorkcharters.org/suny-renewal-benchmarks/



the school does not integrate these systems to analyze student performance effectively limiting its ability to lead for, plan and deliver quality instruction in every classroom.

While teachers view data disaggregated by grade and content area, teachers do not use assessment data to implement a number of classroom interventions that include targeted lesson planning towards skills deficits and strategic grouping of students. Also, teachers do not examine results specifically for ELLs or students with disabilities severely limiting the school’s ability to serve those students well. The school will need a strong focus on this in a future charter term.

Instructional leaders do not hold teachers accountable to specific achievement or growth benchmarks. Formal teacher evaluations do not include student assessment data in the evaluation criteria. However, evaluation documents indicate that leaders do expect teachers to use assessment to inform instruction. As such, increasing consistency teachers’ assessments of student work products across and between grade levels should be a focus of the school’s leadership.

Invictus frequently communicates student achievement data to parents and guardians. The school sends progress reports to families every week, interim reports every nine weeks and report cards quarterly. In addition, teachers hold parent conferences after each quarter to inform families about student progress and achievement.

SUNY Renewal Benchmark 1C: Does the school’s curriculum support teachers in their instructional planning? Invictus has a curriculum that aligns to state performance standards and supports teachers in their instructional planning across grades. The school’s curriculum framework includes student performance expectations and

provides a fixed, underlying structure aligned to state standards. Invictus has adopted commercial curricula for core subjects including Expeditionary Learning for ELA, Go Math, Interactive Science and History Alive for social studies.

Teachers have a variety of supporting tools to provide a bridge between the curriculum framework and daily lessons. Prior to the start of the school year, department chairs created instructional binders that include curriculum maps, scope and sequence documents, pacing guides and additional resource lists. With these documents and ongoing feedback from instructional leaders, teachers should know what to teach and when to teach it.

The school uses a standard lesson plan rubric to identify specific elements such as checks for understanding and teacher modeling, which teachers then implement to increase instructional effectiveness. The humanities and STEM chairs review lesson plans for their respective departments weekly and provide feedback with sufficient time for teachers to make adjustments prior to delivering instruction. The DCI and director of special education and student support services also review instructional plans in order to adapt lessons to support struggling students.

Teachers use the school’s lesson plan template to plan daily lessons with specific student learning objectives. Written plans center instruction on one or more essential questions.



However, learning activities, though largely grade appropriate, do not always align to these questions or stated objectives.

All instructional leaders expect lesson plans to include flexible student groupings; content-specific gradual release strategies; supports for auditory, visual and kinesthetic learners; real-time assessments of student learning; and accommodations for students with special learning needs. Despite these expectations, delivered instruction often does not match written plans across classrooms.

SUNY Renewal Benchmark 1D: Is high quality instruction evident throughout the school? Adequate instruction is evident in most Invictus classrooms. While planned lessons tend to be sufficient, teachers fail to convey a sense of urgency for learning and do not maximize instructional time effectively. As shown in the chart below, during the renewal visit, Institute team members conducted 35 classroom observations following a defined protocol used in all renewal visits.

CLASSROOM OBSERVATION: NUMBER OF OBSERVATIONS

A majority of Invictus teachers deliver lessons with objectives aligned to the school’s

curriculum (27 of 35 classrooms observed). Teachers generally communicate learning objectives in student friendly language and post them prominently in classrooms for frequent reference. While lesson activities are purposeful in most classes, assigned work in some classrooms does not consistently align to posted lesson objectives or essential questions. It is not clear that all assignments require students to produce work that meets the demands of state standards. In classrooms with more than one teacher, co-teachers work together to implement lessons.

Most teachers regularly use techniques to check for student understanding (21 of 35 classrooms observed). Teachers use a variety of questioning techniques throughout lessons, such as cold-calling, whole class non-verbal checks and soliciting answers from volunteers. However, some teachers do not make spontaneous adjustments to instruction to address misconceptions based on perceived level of student understanding. In a

GRADE

5 6 7 8 Total

CON

TEN

T A

REA

ELA 3 4 1 3 11 Math 2 3 2 3 10 Writing Science 2 2 1 5 Soc Stu 2 2 1 2 7 Specials 1 1 2 Total 7 12 7 9 35



notable exception, one math teacher adjusted a lesson about positive and negative integers by drawing parallels to real life situations such as depositing and withdrawing money from a bank account in order to increase student understanding.

Few teachers challenge students with questions and activities that develop depth of understanding and higher-order thinking and problem solving skills (9 of 35 classrooms observed). Most teachers do not require students to defend or elaborate on their answers in class, accepting binary yes or no responses. For example, in one ELA class, several students gave incorrect answers to a question the teacher asked about shared text. When a student finally shared the correct answer, the teacher did not probe the class to see if they understood why that student was correct and why the previous students were incorrect.

Most Invictus teachers establish and maintain classroom environments with a consistent focus on academic achievement (25 of 35 classrooms observed). Late in the charter term, the school transitioned from a behavior management system based on merits and demerits to the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (“PBIS”) system, resulting in a more collegial atmosphere across the school. The majority of teachers adequately manage student behavior and students are generally on-task and engaged. However, many teachers fail to convey a sense of urgency for learning due to inconsistent pacing during lessons and inefficient transitional routines that result in an overall reduction in instructional time.

SUNY Renewal Benchmark 1E: Does the school have strong instructional leadership? At the time of the renewal visit, Invictus’ instructional leadership was implementing changes designed to support teachers more fully than in previous years, but the effectiveness of these changes has yet to be determined. The school’s mixed student outcomes indicate supports provided throughout the charter term do not translate into sustained student success. The school has put in place a number of changes to the leadership structure, as well as to instructional components of the school’s program that have resulted in improvements to teacher support and coaching. In a future next charter term, Invictus will need to integrate and continue to strengthen these changes and systems in order to enable more effective delivery of the educational program. Invictus’ school leadership has begun communicating academic goals for students and is

creating systems, such as data meetings, to evaluate teacher effectiveness. The school has filled the DCI position, which was previously vacant for several years during

the charter term. Replacing the two-subject-area coaching positions, Invictus now utilizes a STEM department chair, a humanities department chair and the DAC to develop the pedagogical competencies of teachers. Since these changes, the frequency and quality of teacher support has increased.

Added leadership capacity allows for regular coaching and supervision of teachers, who report these supports as effective in developing their instructional competencies. The DCI and department chairs conduct regular, informal observations of the staff, relaying in-the-moment feedback while in classrooms. They also schedule in-person meetings after



observations to discuss feedback and next steps. The DCI, department chairs and school culture staff meet weekly with the ED to discuss classroom observation data. These discussions and observations are useful in determining which teachers need extra support in instruction or behavior management.

The school now uses several new instructional components and is aligning resources, including professional development and technology, to provide teachers with effective tools in supporting student achievement. Leaders provide opportunities and guidance for teachers to plan collaboratively, including daily preparation blocks in the school’s schedule. Teachers benefit from more consistent support in instructional planning and receive lesson plan feedback weekly from instructional leaders.

Invictus now contracts with external organizations to provide teachers with a month of summer pre-service training and additional professional development during the school year. The school also supplements this with weekly professional development sessions that align to school-wide priorities and teacher needs. For example, one weekly professional development session was based around tailored strategies to support reading comprehension. As recent assessment results show many students struggle with reading comprehension, leaders observe classrooms to determine how teachers are implementing techniques to decrease student misunderstandings.

During the renewal visit, the visit team observed one of the school’s scheduled professional development days facilitated by an external consultant. From this observation, it is clear that professional development is ongoing and aligned to instructional priorities identified by school leaders, as exemplified through discussions and activities concerning instructional techniques such as close monitoring. Teachers referenced reading assignments they completed before the sessions and the session facilitator, as well as instructional leaders, will conduct observations and provide coaching on this specific strategy in the future.

Instructional leaders now use the Danielson Framework to evaluate teachers twice a year. Student performance data does not factor into evaluations.

SUNY Renewal Benchmark 1F: Does the school meet the educational needs of at-risk students? Invictus has systems in place to address the needs of students with disabilities, but they have yet to produce effective supports as indicated by student academic performance. The school has not developed an intervention program to support academically struggling students, who comprise a sizeable majority of the school’s enrollment. Despite notifications earlier in the school’s charter term, Invictus fails to provide a legally compliant English language acquisition program for its 11 ELLs. For this reason, the Institute’s renewal recommendation includes a condition requiring the school to put in place a legally compliant and instructionally strong program for ELLs. Although Invictus has clear procedures for identifying students struggling academically, at

the time of the renewal visit, the school was analyzing baseline assessment scores to identify students in need of targeted academic interventions in ELA and mathematics.



The school administers the Home Language Survey to all new entrants, but reports no one on staff at the time of the renewal visit was qualified to administer the New York State Identification Test for English Language Learners (“NYSITELL”) to determine students’ ELL status accurately.

The school continues to develop its response to intervention (“RtI”) system to meet the needs of its many at-risk students. Invictus serves its 42 students with disabilities through integrated co-teaching (“ICT”) classrooms on each grade level and special education teacher support services (“SETSS”); however, in the 2014-15 school year, not one of those students scored proficient on the New York State ELA exam. Invictus recently embedded intervention blocks into its schedule to provide 70 minutes of academic support for each student four days a week, but school leaders continue to develop curriculum, internal mechanisms to determine student groupings and progress monitoring tools to use this time effectively.

At the time of the renewal visit, Invictus had not established a coordinated program to identify and support ELLs despite school leaders and the board’s continued identification of this need as a high priority for improvement. The school did not deploy appropriate resources to support its 11 identified ELLs in reaching English proficiency and failed to administer the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (“NYSESLAT”) in the 2014-15 school year. The foregoing constitutes a violation of federal law as described under Benchmark 2F. Since the time of the renewal visit, the school informs the Institute it has hired a certified ELL teacher to coordinate and implement an ELL program. The Institute will be following up with the school to ensure this program is legally compliant.

The school provides weekly opportunities for classroom teachers and at-risk program staff to meet to discuss student progress and share instructional strategies, as well as encouraging collaborative lesson planning by making all materials available on a shared drive. Special education teachers track students’ progress towards academic goals on a weekly basis in collaboration with their general education counterparts. Teachers also report meeting informally before and after school to discuss ways to meet student needs.

ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE


IS THE SCHOOL AN EFFECTIVE, VIABLE ORGANIZATION? Invictus is an effective and viable organization that has in place most of the key design elements identified in its charter. The Invictus board of trustees (the “board”) meets regularly. It understands the need to address particular issues of legal compliance, specifically with regard to providing sufficient supports for ELLs the school enrolls. Due to some turnover, the board is continuing adjust its structure and is beginning to develop best practices to effectively oversee the school’s academic program. Additional detail on the school’s organizational effectiveness is outlined below. SUNY Renewal Benchmark 2A: Is the school faithful to its mission and does it implement the key design elements included in its charter? Invictus’ mission and key design elements, identified in the School Background and Executive Summary section and Appendix A, respectively, are partially but not fully in evidence at the time of renewal. As identified under the academic section, and the information that follows in this section, the school is continuing to refine the implementation of the newer pieces of the school’s program. With the additional time a short-term renewal allows, the school will likely be the academic success promised at the time it was chartered by the SUNY Trustees. SUNY Renewal Benchmark 2B: Are parents/guardians and students satisfied with the school? To report on parent satisfaction with the school’s program, the Institute used survey data as well as data gathered from a focus group of parents representing a cross section of students. Parent Survey Data. The 89% participation rate and parent responses to NYCDOE’s 2014-2015 NYC School Survey indicate satisfaction with Invictus. The Institute compiled data from the survey the NYCDOE distributes to families each year to collect data about school culture, instruction, and systems for improvement. The survey response rate is high enough that it is useful in framing the results as representative of the school community. Parent Focus Group. The Institute asks all schools facing renewal to convene a representative set of parents for a focus group discussion. A representative set includes parents of students enrolled at the school for multiple years, parents of students new to the school, parents of students receiving general education services, parents of students with special needs and parents of ELLs. The 15 parents in attendance indicated strong satisfaction with Invictus. Parents are satisfied with how the school keeps them informed about their students’ progress through daily updates using the Jupiter Ed system as well as regular e-mails, phone calls and conferences before the end of each grading period. Many parents spoke of how their children are learning and challenged much more at Invictus than they were at previous schools, both district and private. They also praised the individualized and small group instruction their children receive at the school. Several parents with children who graduated from the 8th grade at Invictus highlighted how the school encouraged their child to take competitive high school exams and expressed pride that their child is now at the



high school of their choice. Many parents expressed that frequent staff turnover was a major source of stress for them and their children, but that communication around turnover has greatly improved after the current ED took on leadership of the school. Persistence in Enrollment. An additional indicator of parent satisfaction is persistence in enrollment. In 2014-15, 86% of Invictus students returned from the previous year. Student persistence data from previous years of the charter term is available in Appendix A. The Institute derived the statistical information on persistence in enrollment from its database. No comparative data from NYCDOE or the New York State Education Department (“NYSED”) is available to the Institute to provide either district wide or by CSD context. As such, the information presented is for information purposes but does not allow for comparative analysis. SUNY Renewal Benchmark 2C: Does the school’s organization work effectively to deliver the educational program? Invictus has been deliberate in making changes to its organizational structure to strengthen the delivery of the educational program. The school’s new organizational structure establishes distinct roles and responsibilities that

leaders communicate clearly. In contrast to the early years of the charter term, teachers know where to direct their questions and express confidence that their concerns will be addressed. Recent changes such as the presence of a single DCI role supported by two department chairs have bolstered the school’s instructional leadership capacity and enabled sustained focus on developing curriculum and teachers’ pedagogical skills.

Students and teachers alike have embraced the school’s transition to a discipline policy grounded in positive reinforcement.

Over the course of the charter term, the school has struggled to retain quality staff, with eight teachers not returning to teach at the end of the 2013-14 school year. Both the board and school leaders recognize this as an area of concern and are reflective about ways, such as increased instructional support and leadership pathways, to increase teacher retention.

In contrast to previous years, the school now allocates sufficient resources to support the achievement of goals. In addition to the creation of several new instructional leadership positions to support the academic program, the school is also increasing its investment in learning tools, such as smartboards and other technology, to enhance student performance.

Invictus maintains an enrollment consistent with its chartered enrollment number, serving 324 students. Despite the school’s overall enrollment, the number of students in Invictus’ 5th grade is smaller than enrollment in grades 6, 7 and 8. The board and school leaders both report around 90 5th grade parents signing their students up to attend Invictus during the summer, but a little over one-third of those students actually showing up on the first day of school. The board and leaders report setting up conferences or phone calls with most parents who did not end up following through with enrolling their student at Invictus, which revealed that many parents were concerned about taking their student out of their



K-5 elementary schools to enter a new 5th grade program. The board is in the process of devising new marketing strategies to address this issue.

The school has procedures in place to monitor its progress toward meeting enrollment and retention targets. However, the school’s lack of sufficient services for ELLs potentially poses risks to its ability to retain these students.

Toward the end of the charter term, Invictus began to conduct internal and external evaluations of the school. The results of these evaluations revealed large academic and operational cracks hindering the implementation academic program. Understanding the critical needs of the school, the board sought and hired an ED it determined had the demonstrated experience necessary to address the school’s most pressing issues. The ED has turn-keyed these external and internal analyses and board directives into several adjustments to the school’s program in the areas of instructional leadership, curriculum, assessment and operations. Although there are areas the school must work to improve, including support for at-risk students, implementation of a legally and educationally sound ELL program and analysis of student assessment data, it is clear that the board is thoughtful and has many areas in which the school needs to grow in a future charter term.

SUNY Renewal Benchmark 2D: Does the school board work effectively to achieve the school’s Accountability Plan goals? With four founding members still remaining, the Invictus board is committed to supporting the school in achieving its mission. The board is thoughtful about the school’s needs and has made strides to increase the quality of its oversight. Despite obvious passions for serving the needs of the school, the board has not previously acted with urgency in improving the academic program. The five current Invictus board members possess several skills relevant to school

governance and the board is developing a process to leverage these skills in supporting the school’s program. The board is also actively looking to recruit additional members, particularly with education backgrounds, to support the school in meeting its Accountability Plan goals.

The board now requires and receives regular assessment and culture metrics through a dashboard it created with the ED. This dashboard is sufficient to keep the board up-to-date with the school’s program and enables it to provide appropriate resources to improve the program when necessary.

After conducting an assessment of the school’s leadership needs, the Invictus board hired a new ED with skills the board identified as most critical. The board selected a leader who has school turn-around experience and in whose performance the board has confidence. The board was deliberate in providing her with specific directives, including addressing teacher turnover and school culture, during the hiring and on-boarding process.

The board has developed a leader evaluation process with performance goals. However, despite awarding a salary increase, the board did not fully carry out the ED’s evaluation with fidelity following the 2014-15 school year. The board is continuing to develop a process to evaluate its own performance and in the past has brought in a consultant to assist with board effectiveness. This consultation notwithstanding, board turnover during



the charter term has hindered its ability to follow through with defined priorities, objectives and long-range goals.

The board continues to increase its communication with the school community including parents and guardians. The board plans to utilize the school’s new parent association to receive regular feedback from parents about the school and to potentially identify a parent representative to serve as a board member.

SUNY Renewal Benchmark 2E: Does the board implement, maintain and abide by appropriate policies, systems and processes? With one exception noted below, the education corporation board materially and substantially implements, maintains and abides by adequate and appropriate policies, systems and processes and procedures to ensure the effective governance and oversight of the school. The board generally demonstrates an understanding of its role in holding the school leadership accountable for both academic results and fiscal soundness. The board does not have a functioning committee structure due to its current small size.

The board has a thoughtful plan in place to recruit additional members in identified areas of skill sets.

Once at capacity, the board plans to begin strategic planning to define goals for the future. The board has been thoughtful to refrain from seeking to grow the program until the current program is well functioning.

The board receives reports on fiscal and academic performance at each meeting. The board has materially complied with the terms of its by-laws and code of ethics.

SUNY Renewal Benchmark 2F: Has the school substantially complied with applicable laws, rules and regulations, and provisions of its charter? With one notable exception, the education corporation generally and substantially complies with applicable laws, rules and regulations and the provisions of its charter. The education corporation did not implement an effective, functioning and legally compliant program to serve ELLs in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and federal regulations. For those reasons, the Institute conditions its short-term renewal recommendation on the implementation and evaluation of a legally and educationally sound ELL program. Specifically, during the first year of the renewal charter term, the education corporation must implement an educationally and legally sound program for ELLs including identification of such students, a research based program to serve such students based on a sound educational theory, provision of services and instruction that is adequately supported by qualified personnel and resources such that the program has a realistic chance of success and evaluation of the program at least annually. As previously stated, the school informs the Institute that it has hired a certified ELL teacher and has started to implement an ELL program. The Institute will follow-up and work with the school to



ensure the ELL program is legally compliant for the remainder of this school year and any future term. The Institute noted other compliance exceptions in the following areas. By-laws. The education corporation board is currently not in compliance with

its requirement to have seven board members. The board has developed a plan with the assistance of an outside organization to help find additional, qualified board members.

Code of Conduct. As applied, the school’s code of conduct does not provide the process for discipline of a student with a disability in violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The Institute will ensure this is updated prior to the start of a new charter term.

Code of Ethics. The education corporation’s code of ethics needs to be updated to comply with provisions of the New York General Municipal Law and New York Not-For-Profit Corporation Law. The Institute will ensure this is updated prior to the start of a new charter term.

Complaints. The school has generated several informal complaints regarding student discipline. In following up on an informal allegation of rough handling of a student by a staff member, the Institute found the school had investigated the matter but the student, from a neighboring school, was unable to identify the staff member. No formal complaints required review by the Institute, and initial inquiries found no violations. The school’s complaint policy needs to be updated to include the appropriate appeal procedure and it needs to be readily available to all families as well as the community at large. The Institute will ensure this is updated prior to the start of a new charter term.

FERPA. The school was unable to provide its Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) notice upon request. The Institute will ensure it is updated and available prior to the start of a new charter term.

Freedom of Information Law. The school was unable to provide its FOIL notice upon request. The Institute will ensure this is posted prior to the start of a new charter term.

Violations. In June of 2012, the Institute issued a violation letter for the school’s failure to submit an Accountability Plan in accordance with the charter. The letter specified a date by which the school had to comply, and it did. In October of 2015, the Institute issued a violation letter with respect to the school’s single-sex classrooms in the 7th grade in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”), 20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq. Title IX generally prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. Specifically, Title IX regulations prohibit a school receiving federal funds from providing any course or otherwise carrying out any of its education program separately on the basis of sex.16 34 C.F.R. § 106.34. The only exceptions to this are: (1) physical education classes during participation in activities that

16 This does not apply to fully single-sex schools but does apply to parts of a co-educational program offering certain parts of the program based on gender/sex.



involve bodily contact; and, (2) portions of classes that deal exclusively with human sexuality. 34 C.F.R. §§ 106.34(c) and (e). Upon notification of the Institute, the school discontinued the practice immediately.

FISCAL PERFORMANCE


IS THE EDUCATION CORPORATION FISCALLY SOUND? Based on a review of the fiscal evidence collected through the renewal review, Invictus is fiscally sound. The SUNY Fiscal Dashboard for Invictus is included in Appendix D and presents color coded tables and charts indicating that the education corporation has demonstrated fiscal soundness over the course of the charter term.17 SUNY Renewal Benchmark 3A: Does the school operate pursuant to a fiscal plan in which it creates realistic budgets that it monitors and adjusts when appropriate? Invictus has adequate financial resources to ensure stable operations and maintains fiscal soundness through conservative budgeting practices and routine monitoring of revenues and expenses. The annual budget process is led by the ED and requires input from the director of

operations and the external financial consultant. The ED presents the budget to the board finance committee for review and once the

committee is satisfied, the committee presents the budget to the full board for approval. Implementation of the budget is the responsibility of the ED.

The school analyzes actual to budget comparisons for variances of $5,000 or 15%, whichever is less, and variances are described in the notes section. The school develops a contingency budget if needed.

The next charter term projection reflects steady enrollment and stable budgets. SUNY Renewal Benchmark 3B: Does the school maintain appropriate internal controls and procedures? The education corporation generally establishes and maintains appropriate fiscal policies, procedures and internal controls. Written policies address key issues including financial reporting, cash disbursements and

receipts, payroll, bank reconciliations, credit card usage, fixed assets, grants/contributions, capitalization and accounting, procurement and investments.

The education corporation accurately records and appropriately documents transactions in accordance with established policies.

The outside financial consultant works with the ED, key staff and the board to help ensure that the school follows established policies and procedures.

17 The U.S. Department of Education has established fiscal criteria for certain ratios or information with high – medium – low categories, represented in the table as green – gray – red. The categories generally correspond to levels of fiscal risk, but must be viewed in the context of each education corporation and the general type or category of school.

FISCAL PERFORMANCE


The education corporation’s most recent audit report of internal control over financial reporting related to financial reporting and on compliance and other matters discloses no material weaknesses, or instances of non-compliance that must be reported.

The independent auditor did identify the inherent risks of not having a lease for its NYCDOE facility co-location, which is a risk faced by all schools in such space.

SUNY Renewal Benchmark 3C: Does the school comply with financial reporting requirements? Invictus complies with reporting requirements. The education corporation presents annual financial statements in accordance with

generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and the independent audits of those statements receive unqualified opinions.

The education corporation’s independent auditor meets with the board to discuss the annual financial statements and answer any questions about the process and results.

SUNY Renewal Benchmark 3D: Does the school maintain adequate financial resources to ensure stable operations? The education corporation maintains adequate financial resources to ensure stable operations. Invictus posts a fiscally strong composite score rating on the Institute’s financial dashboard

indicating a consistent level of fiscal stability over the charter term. Invictus relies primarily on recurring operating revenues and accumulated surpluses to

cover any operating deficits and is not dependent upon variable income for its financial needs.

Invictus prepares and monitors cash flow projections and maintains sufficient cash on hand to pay current bills and those that are due shortly and retains approximately two months of cash on hand.

As a new requirement of charter agreements, Invictus utilizes a separate bank account for the dissolution fund reserve of $75,000.

FUTURE PLANS


IF THE SUNY TRUSTEES RENEW THE EDUCATION CORPORATION’S AUTHORITY TO OPERATE THE SCHOOL, ARE ITS PLANS FOR THE SCHOOL REASONABLE, FEASIBLE AND ACHIEVABLE? Invictus has posted mixed results with regard to meetings its Accountability Plan goals, although its program has improved toward the end of the charter term. The education corporation, however, operates as an effective and viable organization, and is fiscally sound. Thus, the plans to implement the educational program as proposed during the next charter term, once the school meets the condition of implementing an ELL program, are reasonable, feasible and achievable. Invictus plans to operate in its current configuration in the next charter term. The Institute finds the plans for Invictus reasonable, feasible and achievable based on its renewal review. Plans for the School’s Structure. The education corporation has provided all of the key structural elements for a charter renewal and those elements are reasonable, feasible and achievable. Plans for the Educational Program. In concert with changes the school has made in the final years of its first charter term, Invictus plans to continue refining systems for data analysis, curriculum development and teacher coaching that aim to enhance student performance. Continued improvement in these core elements is likely to enable the school to meets its goals in the future.

Current Charter Term End of Next Charter Term

Enrollment 342 342

Grade Span 5-8 5-8

Teaching Staff 24 24

Days of Instruction 173 173 Plans for Board Oversight & Governance. Board members express an interest in continuing to serve Invictus in the next charter term and are in the process of recruiting additional members to fill vacancies. Fiscal & Facility Plans. Based on evidence collected through the renewal review, including a review of the 5-year financial plan, Invictus presents a reasonable and appropriate fiscal plan for the next charter term including education corporation budgets that are feasible and achievable. The school intends to continue to provide instruction for 5th through 8th grade students in its current location, a co-located facility in Brooklyn. The school’s Application for Charter Renewal contains all necessary elements as required by the Act. The proposed school calendar allots an appropriate amount of instructional time to meet or exceed instructional time requirements, and taken together with other academic and key design

FUTURE PLANS


elements, should be sufficient to allow the school to meet its proposed Accountability Plan goals. The education corporation has amended or will amend other key aspects of the renewal application -- including by-laws and code of ethics -- to comply with various provisions of the New York Education Law, Not-for-Profit Corporation Law, Public Officers Law and the General Municipal Law, as appropriate.


Appendix A

School Overview

APPENDIX A: SCHOOL OVERVIEW


Board of Trustees18 Board Member Name Position Board Member Name Position Charles Guerrero Member Renee Chung Chair Stefan Atkinson Member Kevin Brown Member Luke Justice Treasurer

18 Source: The Institute’s board records at the time of the renewal review.









School Characteristics

School Year Chartered Enrollment

Actual Enrollment19

Actual as a Percentage of Chartered Enrollment

Proposed Grades

Actual Grades

2011-12 90 98 109% 5 5 2012-13 180 175 97% 5-6 5-6 2013-14 270 240 89% 5-7 5-7 2014-15 360 301 83% 5-8 5-8 2015-16 342 305 89% 5-9 5-8

Key Design Elements Element Evident?

• High expectations; - • Structured learning environment; - • A curriculum focused on academic achievement; + • Increased instructional time; + • Frequent assessment of student progress and multiple opportunities for

improvement; +

• Explicit focus on literacy; + • Character education; + • Hard working, committed, and able teachers; and, + • Families as partners in learning. +

School Leaders

School Year(s) Name(s) and Title(s)

2011-12 to 2013-14 Clifford Thomas, Executive Director

2013-14 to 2013-14 Alex Marchuk, Interim Executive Director

2014-15 to Present Dr. Camille Bell, Executive Director

19 Source: Institute’s Official Enrollment Binder. (Figures may differ slightly from New York State Report Cards, depending on date of data collection.)



Parent Satisfaction: Survey Results

Response Rate: 89%

Rigorous Instruction: 78%

Effective School Leadership: 65%

Supportive Environment: 80%

School Visit History

School Year Visit Type Date

2011-12 First Year Visit May 3, 2012 2012-13 Informal Visit January 29, 2013 2012-13 Evaluation Visit May 1-2, 2013 2013-14 Evaluation Visit May 15, 2014 2015-16 Initial Renewal Visit October 7-9, 2015

Conduct of the Renewal Visit

Date(s) of Visit Evaluation Team Members Title

October 7th – 9th, 2015

Aaron Campbell Senior Analyst Sinnjinn Bucknell Performance and Systems Analyst

Natasha Howard, PhD Managing Director of Program Heather Wendling Director for New Charters


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Appendix B

School Performance Summaries

APPENDIX B: SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SUMMARIES


APPENDIX B: SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SUMMARIES



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Appendix C

District Comments

APPENDIX C: DISTRICT COMMENTS


The Institute has received no distr ict or public comments.


Appendix D

School Fiscal Dashboard

APPENDIX D: SCHOOL FISCAL DASHBOARD








Documents

Renewal Recommendation Report Invictus Preparatory … · State University of New York 41 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, New York 12207 (518) 445-4250 (518) 320-1572 (fax) . Renewal