Education Options Request for Proposals...

Proposal to provide:

2014 Education Options Request for Proposals (RFP)

For:

Board of Education of the City of Chicago Chicago, IL

Submitted by:

CATAPULT LEARNING 2 Aquarium Drive, Suite 100 Camden, NJ 08103 856‐831‐7909 (telephone) 856‐831‐7886 (fax)

Contracting Entity:

Catapult Learning West, LLC

April 8, 2015 at 10:00 a.m.

Contact: Eurmon Hervey

Superintendent of Schools 202‐765‐6066 [email protected]

Matt Given Chief Development Officer 404‐398‐3948

[email protected]

Parts of this document contain confidential and proprietary company information that should not be duplicated or shared with individuals other than your employees.

Catapult Learning • Two Aquarium Drive, Suite 100 • Camden, NJ 08103

T 800‐841‐8730 | F 856‐831‐7886 • www.catapultlearning.com

April 7, 2015

Michael Bradley Director, Office of Education Options Chicago Public Schools 4655 S. Dearborn Street Room 309A or 307 Chicago, IL 60609 Dear Mr. Bradley, Like other school districts across the country, Chicago Public Schools faces a critical issue of re-engaging students who have dropped out of high school. Catapult Learning (and its predecessor companies) has been working with school districts for nearly 40 years to improve academic outcomes of its students. Recognizing the dramatic increase of dropout rates, Catapult Learning has committed itself to helping improve graduation rates. As a company, we have increased our efforts to assist school districts in tackling this important issue.

Recognizing that there are young adults who have not graduated and are not engaged in school, but want to earn their diplomas, Catapult Learning is committed to partnering with CPS in specific neighborhoods to identify these over-aged and/or under-credited individuals, recruit them, and provide an engaging, relevant, and personalized blended learning program that will lead to a high school diploma. In this proposal, we outline a plan to place up to three sites in Chicago. After careful research and outreach, we have identified Englewood/West Englewood, Austin, and North Lawndale.

Catapult Academy is designed around the central tenets that we help school districts partner with us to increase student enrollment numbers and graduation counts, while operating the program in a cost-effective manner.

School districts across the country have come to depend on Catapult Learning for the very best in instructional quality, compliance, fiscal responsibility and transparency, and commitment to the youth they serve. Catapult Learning brings a high degree of dependability and integrity to all of our programs. For each district partnership we guarantee: experienced supervision, education-oriented infrastructure, and a history of integrity in all of our programs.

Catapult Learning strives for one thing above all – achieving beyond expectations.

We continually make every effort to achieve beyond expectations by always focusing on flexibility, quality, and comprehensiveness.

Catapult Learning brings a variety of educational experiences and background to our instructional programs. Believing that all students can learn and meet or exceed challenging standards, we have developed proprietary curricula and implementation strategies that are time-tested. In addition to being research-based, we design our

Catapult Learning • Two Aquarium Drive, Suite 100 • Camden, NJ 08103

T 800‐841‐8730 | F 856‐831‐7886 • www.catapultlearning.com

instructional programs to produce measurable gains in student achievement, to motivate learners, and to incorporate best practices.

We look forward to partnering with Chicago Public Schools. If you any questions about this proposal, please feel to contact me.

Best regards,

Eurmon Hervey Catapult Learning Superintendent of Schools

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Catapult Learning Proposal for 2014 Education Options Request for Proposals

PROPRIETARY

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................... 6

ABOUT CATAPULT LEARNING ................................................................................................................................. 8

Experience in Chicago ............................................................................................................................................... 9

SECTION 1: FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT ................................................................... 11

1.1 TARGETED COMMUNITY RESEARCH, FEEDBACK, AND FIT .................................................................................................... 11 a. Background of the Targeted Communit(ies) ....................................................................................................... 11 b. Community Research .......................................................................................................................................... 15 c. Community Fit ..................................................................................................................................................... 17

1.2 NOTIFICATION TO THE COMMUNITY OF PROPOSED NEW SCHOOL OR PROGRAM ..................................................................... 18 a. Elected Officials ................................................................................................................................................... 18 b. Community Organizations and Stakeholders ...................................................................................................... 19

1.3 COMMUNITY SUPPORT ................................................................................................................................................ 23 a. Elected Officials ................................................................................................................................................... 23 b. Community Organizations and Stakeholders ...................................................................................................... 23 c. Partnerships ........................................................................................................................................................ 24 d. Family and Community Members ....................................................................................................................... 24 e. Risk Factors ......................................................................................................................................................... 25

1.4 CONTINUED FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ....................................................................................................... 25 a. Continued Outreach ............................................................................................................................................ 25 b. Community Support ............................................................................................................................................ 26 c. Community Input ................................................................................................................................................. 27

SECTION 2: ACADEMIC CAPACITY ......................................................................................................................... 28

2.1 MISSION, VISION, AND CULTURE ................................................................................................................................... 28 a. Mission and Vision .............................................................................................................................................. 28 b. Educational Philosophy ....................................................................................................................................... 28 c. Description of Culture .......................................................................................................................................... 30 d. Post‐Secondary Opportunity Readiness .............................................................................................................. 31 e. Social, Emotional, and Physical Health ............................................................................................................... 33 f. Behavior Management and Safety ...................................................................................................................... 41 g. Family Involvement ............................................................................................................................................. 47

2.2 DESIGN TEAM EXPERIENCE AND DEMONSTRATED TRACK RECORD IN DRIVING ACADEMIC SUCCESS ............................................ 49 a. Roles and Demonstrated Experience .................................................................................................................. 49 b. Academic Track Record Serving Similar Student Populations ............................................................................. 58 Demographic Data .................................................................................................................................................. 61 c. School Leadership ................................................................................................................................................ 62

2.3 EDUCATIONAL GOALS AND ASSESSMENT PLAN ................................................................................................................. 65 a. Educational Goals and Metrics ........................................................................................................................... 65 b. Student Assessment Plan .................................................................................................................................... 66 c. Data‐Driven Programs and Instruction ............................................................................................................... 69

2.4 CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 71 a. Curriculum ........................................................................................................................................................... 71 b. Instructional Strategies ....................................................................................................................................... 74 c. Specialized Instruction ......................................................................................................................................... 77 d. School Calendar/Schedule ................................................................................................................................... 77

2.5 TALENT MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................................................... 85

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a. Recruitment and Staffing .................................................................................................................................... 85 b. Professional Development .................................................................................................................................. 88 c. Teacher Induction ................................................................................................................................................ 91 d. Professional Culture ............................................................................................................................................ 95 e. Evaluation ........................................................................................................................................................... 96

SECTION 3: OPERATIONAL CAPACITY .................................................................................................................... 98

3.1 GENERAL OPERATIONS ................................................................................................................................................ 98 a. Operational Plan, Goals, and Metrics ................................................................................................................. 98 b. Start‐up Plan ....................................................................................................................................................... 99 c. Transportation ................................................................................................................................................... 103 d. ADA Compliance ................................................................................................................................................ 103

3.2 STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ............................................................................................................................................ 104 a. Recruitment and Retention ............................................................................................................................... 104

STUDENT RETENTION PLAN .............................................................................................................................................. 106 b. Individual Success Plan ...................................................................................................................................... 107 c. Student Intake and Orientation ......................................................................................................................... 107 d. Application, Enrollment, and Registration Policies ........................................................................................... 108 d. Transition Planning ........................................................................................................................................... 109 e. Attendance & Truancy Strategies and Family/Guardian Information .............................................................. 110

3.3 GOVERNANCE MODEL ............................................................................................................................................... 111 a. Governance ....................................................................................................................................................... 111 b. Board Experience .............................................................................................................................................. 113 c. Legal Compliance and Ethics Policies ................................................................................................................ 113 d. Board Development .......................................................................................................................................... 117 e. Accountability ................................................................................................................................................... 118

SECTION 4: ECONOMIC SOUNDNESS ................................................................................................................... 121

4.1. SCHOOL BUDGET ..................................................................................................................................................... 121 a. Financial Forms ................................................................................................................................................. 121 b. Budget Narrative ............................................................................................................................................... 121 c. Development Plan ............................................................................................................................................. 122

4.2. FINANCIAL CONTROLS .............................................................................................................................................. 122 a. Financial Monitoring ......................................................................................................................................... 122

4.3. FACILITIES .............................................................................................................................................................. 125 a. Facility Plan ....................................................................................................................................................... 125 b. Space Requirements .......................................................................................................................................... 128 c. School/Program Site .......................................................................................................................................... 132

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

School districts across the country face a critical issue of re‐engaging adolescent students who have struggled to succeed in the traditionally‐structured high school. While the traditional model successfully meets the needs of a large majority of students, a significant number find themselves isolated academically, socially, or emotionally for a variety of reasons. Research has shown that “dropping out” is not a single event, but a long process that culminates in the abandonment of school—a process that can begin as far back as middle school. Ninth grade may well be the most emotionally, socially, physically, and academically challenging time in a student's life, and more students are in danger of dropping out or beginning a history of academic failure at this grade level than in any other year. Students in danger of falling behind and dropping out need a supportive community that gives them a sense of belonging, a structured program that provides them with the academic support they need, and close mentoring and guidance that motivates them and inspires them to face the challenges of becoming young men and women. If students struggling to get through ninth grade in a traditional program have no alternatives—no other ways in which they can complete high school—they are in serious danger of dropping out. We want Catapult Academy to be a positive, effective, and successful alternative for those students.

Catapult Academy has been designed to attract students who have tried the traditional model and found it wanting—students who are committed to earning a high school diploma, but who seek to do so in their own way and at their own pace. In a unique blended learning environment, Catapult Academy will provide the opportunity for students to learn at their own pace through innovative programming, while being supported by targeted academic intervention and tutoring in reading and math. Catapult Academy also focuses on the study and life skills needed for high school and post‐secondary success. The goal of Catapult Academy is to provide a safe, positive academic and social foundation for students committed to completing high school but needing a different way to pursue their diploma. Catapult Academy will create an individualized path to graduation and post‐secondary life suited for students of all ages and progress, especially youths in the “Young and Far,” “Old and Close,” and “Old and Far” student segments.

Once students enroll in Catapult Academy, students meet with a counselor, review the program, discuss goals, and agree to an “Individual Success Plan” to be reviewed at regular intervals. Immediately following, each student takes an online assessment for placement in online and group instruction. Our experienced site leaders and counselors guide students (and their parents) through an orientation process to ensure that both students and teachers get off to a great start. Each group spends 3‐5 hours per session doing

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online core coursework and one hour per session in teacher‐directed instruction with an onsite teacher, with 1:1 tutoring as needed. Intervention specialists provide small‐group direct instruction in math, reading, and writing, as well as test preparation for end‐of‐course exams and other state tests. One day a week, a session is reserved for rotating seminars on the college application process, life skills such as how to have a successful interview, writing résumés, and/or guest speakers. Each student meets with a Counselor regularly to review academic performance and achievement, referring to the initial success plan as a guide. The Counselor also supports students to stay on track with their college and career goals by helping them take ownership of their learning through achievement of weekly milestones such as attendance and completed lessons.

Our unwavering commitment to educational quality and compliance monitoring enables us to maximize the effectiveness of our instruction so that we are able to attain consistently high student achievement scores. Our Educational Quality team members make unannounced visits to schools, speak to students and teachers, review test results, and survey administrators to discover what is working and where we need to make adjustments.

Catapult Learning strives for one thing above all – achieving beyond expectations. We continually make every effort to achieve beyond expectations by always focusing on flexibility, quality, and comprehensiveness.

We propose to provide up to three schools under this request for proposals. Within the neighborhoods of Englewood/West Englewood, Austin, and North Lawndale, Catapult Academy provides an alternative learning opportunity with high standards, a rigorous curriculum, and powerful instruction that is particularly suited to off‐track and out‐of‐school youths. Students will have the option to learn through interaction with virtual teachers and instructional software, as well as interaction with onsite teachers through one‐on‐one or direct instruction. To raise awareness of Catapult Academy in these communities, we will hold informational meetings at local venues such as coffee shops, the public library, and other community gatherings. Additionally, we will develop a presence in the communities, as Catapult Academy volunteers answer questions and hand out informational flyers at local stores.

School districts across the country have come to depend on Catapult Learning for the very best in instructional quality, strong student outcomes, compliance, fiscal responsibility and transparency, and commitment to the youth they serve. Catapult Learning has been working with school districts for nearly 40 years, and brings a high degree of dependability and integrity to all of our programs.

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ABOUT CATAPULT LEARNING Catapult Learning is a leading provider of contracted educational services and services to schools and districts nationwide. For 39 years, Catapult Learning (and its predecessor companies) has partnered with education institutions, government agencies and community groups to provide outcomes‐based learning programs that are tailored to individual student needs and that produce positive academic results. Catapult Learning operates in 38

states and operates re‐engagement centers in five states.

Throughout the history of our company, we have developed, provided and managed education materials and programs for students. We provide customized educational instruction services to students, bolstered by curricular materials proven to help these students improve their academic performance.

Our programs employ over 4,000 full‐ and part‐time staff members and have served more than 1 million students. Our streamlined administrative structure is designed to ensure that we meet planned, agreed‐upon goals in a highly cost‐efficient manner. Our managerial expertise enables us to integrate our programs seamlessly into schools, thus alleviating and even eliminating complex administrative responsibilities from the districts and schools we serve.

We have earned a reputation for providing highly effective and cost‐efficient educational services and offer the following reasons to support our claim:

Our company has knowledge of education laws around the country. Our customers depend on our expertise regarding the nuances of compliant implementation of services. To ensure that our programs are implemented in full compliance with federal law and guidance, we augment our staff’s knowledge with the consultative services of programmatic and legal experts.

We have a long track record of success with school districts in improving student academic performance. We have been delivering academic services since 1975. We address a diversity of issues that may interfere with a student’s academic success. Our students’ pre‐ and posttest data show impressive average score increases and reflect significant skill acquisition.

A highly experienced and exceptionally knowledgeable team of education professionals is behind every one of our programs. From the CEO to program supervisor to classroom teacher, our staff is committed to improving graduation rates. No other education company can boast the depth and breadth of knowledge of the Catapult Learning leadership when it comes to providing educational programs.

We provide effective communication links to the District, schools and students’ parents. Throughout the academic year, we collaborate with classroom teachers to ensure coordination between our program and the district. We also communicate regularly with parents, principals and District personnel through workshops, conferences, meetings and other events.

Catapult Learning’s managerial expertise enables us to integrate our programs seamlessly. We alleviate and even eliminate complex administrative responsibilities from the districts we serve.

Catapult Learning’s operations are backed by the company’s substantial financial resources and central support departments. Behind every local team of teachers, counselors and

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supervisors are robust central administrative and support departments such as Human Resources, Finance, Information Technology, Education Quality, and Research and Evaluation.

Catapult Learning ensures integrity, business ethics, and compliance with public policy in all of our programs. We have thorough policies to ensure integrity, including an EEO policy, ethics policy and drug‐free workplace policy.

Experience in Chicago Catapult Learning has a proud history of service to the Board of Education of the City of Chicago. We appreciate the opportunity to serve Chicago’s schools and students.

Catapult Learning, and its subsidiary companies, currently has had three major contracts with the Board:

Catapult Learning West ‐ RFP No. 12‐250012,BR12‐0725‐ED3 (Second Renewal Contract No. 11‐0824‐ED5; First Renewal Contract No. 10‐0728‐ED3; Original Contract: 07‐0822‐ED4) Supplemental instructional support services in reading or math to eligible NCLB Title I students; Academic Counseling; Professional Development; Parent Involvement Training.

Catapult Learning (Newton Learning/Newton Alliance) – Supplemental Education Services; high‐quality, research‐based student instructional services in reading and math, in addition to instruction provided during the regular school day and which are designed to increase the academic achievement of eligible children on academic assessments and attain proficiency in meeting Illinois academic achievement standards.

NESI ‐ RFP No. 12‐250012,BR12‐0725‐ED3 ‐ Supplemental instructional support services in reading or math to eligible NCLB Title I students; Academic Counseling; Professional Development; Parent Involvement Training.

Catapult Learning has also been approved to provide Professional Development Services per Specification No.: 14‐250033, but has not yet provided service under this contract.

Catapult Learning has also provided IDEA Tutoring Sessions and professional development in Chicago Public Schools. Literacy First, a division of Catapult Learning, has delivered fully customized Leadership Development and Metacognitive Coaching professional development services to teachers of Robeson High School in Chicago.

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SECTION 1: FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT

Catapult Learning is an established national provider of education services seeking to launch new Catapult Academy schools in Chicago. We have identified three neighborhood areas as potential locations for up to three sites. We have experience launching programs on short timelines and would consider shifting our location focus if CPS identifies needs in other areas of the city. This section reflects our preliminary work to date in Englewood/West Englewood, Austin, and North Lawndale.

1.1 Targeted Community Research, Feedback, and Fit

a. Background of the Targeted Communit(ies)

Profile

Q. What are the targeted communit(ies) within the intended recruitment boundary of the proposed school or program? Provide the following information about the neighborhood(s) within the recruitment boundary: Total number of residents Number of school‐aged children Demographics Average level of educational attainment Median or average family income Median or average housing cost Unemployment rate

The Catapult Academy Design Team has selected three possible locations for schools within Chicago. The targeted areas are the communities of Englewood/West Englewood (Community Areas 68 and 67), North Lawndale (Community Area 29) and Austin (Community Area 25). Following is the more specific student recruitment boundaries for these school locations.

A possible location for Catapult Academy is within the Greater Englewood community (inclusive of Englewood and West Englewood) within the 60621 and 60636 zip codes. Student recruitment efforts will focus on the community’s 6.2 square miles, which include the following street boundaries: South State Street to the East, the CSX and Norfolk Southern RR tracks to the West, West Garfield Boulevard to the North, and West 75th Street (Englewood) and the Belt railway of Chicago (West Englewood) to the South.

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Catapult Academy within a community. Another important factor is community involvement and vibrancy—that is, those communities that may be struggling but have committed and engaged residents.

The communities of Austin, Englewood/West Englewood, and North Lawndale share a similar historical arch from vibrant immigrant neighborhoods through the early part of the 20th century to communities struggling with poverty, high unemployment, and high crime rate today. Despite their current challenges, all communities also boast community organizations and residents who care deeply about improving the quality of life within their communities. Following is a brief historical overview of each neighborhood, with key information that will help our design team to serve the targeted student population and community residents.

Austin

Austin is the largest (by population) of the city of Chicago’s defined community areas. It is also one of the city’s largest communities by land area at approximately six square miles in size.

Originally established as a part of Cicero Township just outside of the Chicago city limits, in 1899, it was annexed into the City of Chicago and became one of the city’s west side neighborhoods. Its residents in the early part of the twentieth century included upwardly mobile German, Scandinavian, Irish, and Italian families, followed by Greek immigrants in the 1930s. These groups built the community's mid‐twentieth‐century landmarks including: half‐dozen sizable Roman Catholic parishes, which annually educated thousands of children and provided the social base for much of the community, and the Greek’s Byzantine‐style Assumption church. Austin had 130,000 residents by 1930.

Austin was a predominantly white neighborhood until the late 1960s (99.83% white in the 1960 census). Beginning in the 1960s, infrastructure problems that the city officials did not actively respond to as well as disinvestment, mortgage redlining, and blockbusting throughout the neighborhoods of Austin impacted the demographics of the neighborhood. Additionally, improved transportation options between Chicago and its suburbs, the movement of jobs to outside the city, and finally, the riots between 1965 and 1968 prompted many white residents to leave the neighborhood. The west side experienced a further declining infrastructure and lack of local jobs after this.

Austin's demographic profile shifted dramatically beginning in the late 1960s. By 1980 Austin's population was predominantly African American, more than 96 percent in south Austin. Like other west‐side communities, Austin experienced housing disinvestment, vacancy, and demolition, as well as loss of jobs and of commerce as its white population moved to the suburbs and to Chicago's Northwest Side. Today, Austin has a population of 98,000 that is predominantly African American (85.1%) and Hispanic (8.85%).

Englewood

The Englewood neighborhood today is often listed as one of Chicago’s poorest—and most dangerous—neighborhoods. This was not always true. Until the mid‐twentieth century, Englewood boasted a vibrant shopping district with a population of nearly 100,000 German, Irish, Scottish, and Eastern European immigrants. During the twentieth century, the demographics shifted, with the African American population rising from 2% in 1940 to 96% by 1970. Real estate values began declining in the 1940s, and later practices of redlining, disinvestment, and a massive loss of housing stock had long‐term negative effects on the neighborhood. Today the neighborhood struggles with a high unemployment rate (approximately 22%), a median household income well below the city average, and a high school dropout rate over 40%.

While its history and its current reputation paint a bleak picture of the Englewood neighborhood, the community that resides within its boundaries voices a more positive view of Englewood—one that shows

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its residents to be active and resilient members of a struggling, but proud community. More information will be provided in section highlighting community partnerships and engagement.

West Englewood

Though West Englewood is a separate community area, much of the history and culture of the neighborhood is linked directly to the Englewood neighborhood bordering the community in the East.

West Englewood was settled largely by immigrants—German, Swedish, Irish, and later, Italian following World War I—and its population increased as African Americans moved into the area from the South. The greatest demographic shift occurred between 1970 and 1980, when the African American population increased from 48 to 98%.

West Englewood's economic prosperity began its decline in the 1970s. The closing of the Chicago Transit Authority bus barn and the loss of stockyard and railroad jobs hit the community hard, and many residents followed jobs to the suburbs. West Englewood population peaking at 62,069 in 1980 and began its decline. In 1990, West Englewood's population was 52,772, 98% African American and only 14 percent of the population had an income of $50,000 or more, and little more than a quarter of the residents had high‐school educations.

Today West Englewood’s population, at approximately 47,000 and 96.3% African American, has 32.2% of households living below the poverty line, 42.1% of residents without a high school diploma, and a 34.7% unemployment rate.

North Lawndale

The once‐home of Sears, Roebuck, and Company as well as several manufacturing companies, North Lawndale is a neighborhood that has seen a shift from vibrant to poor, with some revitalization efforts throughout the past decade.

An area first settled by Russian, Eastern European, and German Jews, North Lawndale housed one quarter of the city’s Jewish population in 1946. In response to African Americans moving into North Lawndale in the early 1950s, white residents moved out to northern neighborhoods. By 1960, 91% of the neighborhood's 124,937 residents were black. Most new black residents could not find work in the neighborhood, as North Lawndale's industries now employed people who commuted to the neighborhood only for work. As a result, the local residents became much poorer and tensions grew between the whites who worked in North Lawndale during the day and the blacks who lived there. Riots following Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination targeted white businesses as well as residential areas, and most of the large plants and small businesses left because they lost their insurance and feared repeated riots.

During the last quarter of the twentieth century, North Lawndale's population dropped from a peak of 124,000 in 1960 to approximately 40,000 today. Today nearly 20% North Lawndale’s residents are unemployed over 40% are without a high school diploma.

There has been some revitalization efforts in North Lawndale during the past two decades, reflecting a community determined to improve life within its neighborhood boundaries. These efforts include: new construction of owned and rental mixed‐income housing; adaptive reuse and restoration of historic properties for use as community center, school, and other facilities; a new community pool and recreation center; and retail.

b. Community Research

Initial Research

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Q. Do any members of the design team have ties to the targeted communit(ies) within the recruitment boundary? When first planning to conduct outreach in the targeted communit(ies), with whom did the design team connect to enhance its understanding of the targeted communit(ies), and develop an outreach plan? What existing community meetings, events, or volunteer opportunities have members of the design team attended to make additional connections and enhance members’ understanding of the targeted communit(ies)?

Dr. Eurmon Hervey, National Vice President and Superintendent of Schools, has visited the communities within the recruitment boundaries to make connections to businesses and individuals who are deeply rooted in the community. Dr. Hervey has reached out to various organizations who share the goal of improving the community, and he will continue to do so to ensure that Catapult Academy has a comprehensive understanding of the communities' needs.

Organization leaders with whom Dr. Hervey has met include Mr. Perry Gunn, Executive Director of Teamwork Englewood, Mr. Reginald Armstrong, Senior Director of the YMCA Southside, Ms. Sonya Harper, Executive Director of Grow Greater Englewood, and Elder Jonathan Banks of Apostolic Faith Church. From these individuals, Dr. Hervey learned that the community is very motivated to build up their neighborhoods and respond to the educational needs of their youth. In speaking with members of the community, he also learned that sports and recreation activities, "edu‐tainment" events focused on topics such as health and the arts, and others similar events are ways in which the community currently engages and enriches its residents.

Follow‐up meetings have been set with these individuals, and Dr. Hervey will have reached out to other community organizations and key leaders to set up meetings in the area as well.

Assets and Needs

Q. What are the assets within the targeted communit(ies)? What do community members identify as educational and support needs in the community? What methods and sources did your design team use to identify existing assets and educational and support needs in the community?

Within Englewood, Austin, and North Lawndale, local organizations are tremendous assets to the communities. Members of the Design Team met with leaders from several organizations to identify existing assets and needs.

After speaking with Jahmal Cole, Community Engagement Manger for INCS Action for Charter Public Schools and founder of My Block My Hood My City, the team developed an understanding of the high level of sensitivity people have concerning the apparent politics of education.

Spending time at the YMCA Southside in Englewood with Reginald Armstrong, Sr. Director, the enormous role that sports and recreation play in communities became evident. For urban communities in particular, the role of sports is critical as it provides a constructive outlet for youth especially. An organization like the YMCA serves as a beacon for its surrounding communities. People from all walks of life (whether dropouts or degreed) appreciate the focus on healthy living.

Two other notable assets within the Greater Englewood community are Grow Greater Englewood, led by Ms. Sonya Harper, with a purpose that benefits the greater community, is noble, and merits the highest level of respect, and Teamwork Englewood, whose efforts are integral to the neighborhood’s renaissance.

Community members in Austin, Englewood, and North Lawndale identify several educational and support needs within their communities. One concern over the past 2‐3 years is the closure of several schools within each community and the continued threat of additional closures in the next few years. Community members also cite youth education and empowerment programs that provide young members of their

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communities with opportunities for learning life skills and the chance to be mentored and supported especially through the young adult years.

c. Community Fit Q. Based on the outreach and research that your design team has conducted, why does your team believe that the proposed school or program is a good fit for the targeted communit(ies)? How will the proposed school or program contribute to the existing assets in the targeted communities and help meet educational and support needs?

Catapult Academy is a good fit for the Englewood/West Englewood, North Lawndale, Austin, and surrounding neighborhoods because it is exactly these types of communities that need our support and consider our centers as community assets. Englewood consists of a 97.4% Black population, a 21.3% unemployment rate, a population of 43% without a high school diploma, and 16,303 residents who are over 18 and have not graduated high school; West Englewood has a 96.3% Black population, a 34.7% unemployment rate, a population of 42.1% without a high school diploma, and 19,843 resident over the age of 18 who have not graduated from high school; North Lawndale has a 91.4% Black population, an 18.5% unemployment rate, a population of 43.3% without a high school diploma, and 17,205 residents who are over 18 and have not graduated high school; and Austin consists of a 85.1% and 8.85% Black and Hispanic populations, respectively, a 21% unemployment rate, a population of 40.5% without a high school diploma, and 39,758 residents who are over 18 and have not graduated high school.

Catapult Academy specializes in serving these populations, creating an inviting, supportive, alternative environment for students aged 16‐21 to earn their high school diploma and pave the way for a better future. We serve communities that have up to 97% African American (in our Georgia schools) and in others, up to 32% Hispanic (in Hillsborough County, Florida). Students who attend Catapult Academy are motivated and driven to succeed. They want to improve the outlook for themselves, their families, and their communities. These are qualities we have heard echoed in the targeted communities we have explored.

Specific to the Hispanic population in the Austin community, Catapult Academy has extensive experience in serving this growing Spanish‐speaking population. In our Hillsborough County, FL, location, we support a 32% Hispanic student population with a combination of services, including the hiring bilingual teachers who are trained to assist with accommodation and modifications (shorter lessons, extended time, extra help, etc.). Additionally, one of our Enrollment Coordinator is bilingual with strong ties to the Hispanic community. We have a keen understanding of and sensitivity to the Hispanic culture and how their needs and background differ from those of other students, and our recruitment and engagement efforts in the Spanish‐speaking market reflect this.

The Catapult Academy Design Team will have taken a multi‐faceted approach to connecting with community members, existing institutions, key advisors, and parents. Collaboration with these organizations will ensure the greatest chance of success for our students, who will be working to build a better future for themselves by earning their high school diploma, and therefore will become positive forces within their communities.

We will have reached out to the following community (North Lawndale, Greater Englewood and Austin) based and city‐wide organizations to arrange a meeting, or to request to attend an event as a guest speaker:

Community Action Councils (Englewood, North Lawndale)

R.A.G.E (Resident Associate of Greater Englewood)

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Teamwork Englewood

Imagine Englewood If…

Sustainable Englewood

Rotary Club of Chicago Southeast (Englewood)

YMCA Southside (Englewood)

Grow Greater Englewood

INCS Action for Charter Public Schools (North Lawndale)

The Firehouse Community Arts Center (North Lawndale)

Apostolic Faith Church, (Englewood, North Lawndale)

LISC Chicago (Englewood, North Lawndale)

Lawndale Christian Development Corporation (North Lawndale)

UCAN (North Lawndale)

Rotary Club of West Chicago (North Lawndale)

Chicago Central Lion's Club (City‐wide)

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (City‐wide)

Odyssey Scholarship Challenge, University of Chicago (City‐wide)

Lawndale Christian Development Corporation (LCDC)

Books Over Balls Mentoring Program (City‐wide)

Chicago LAMP Mentoring Program for Young Women (West Side community)

Community Action Councils (CAC) (City‐wide)

UNCF Women Who Lead (City‐wide)

Boys & Girls Club of Chicago (City‐wide)

My Block My Hood Much City (City‐wide)

Catapult Academy's educational vision is that all students deserve a chance at success, no matter what obstacles may stand in their way. Catapult Academy centers are designed to provide the support and rigor that students need to face the challenges of higher education and the 21st century workplace, the relevance that disengaged youth require to feel connected to their school work, and the relationships with caring adults and fellow students that are so vital for success.

1.2 Notification to the Community of Proposed New School or Program

a. Elected Officials Q. Provide evidence of having conducted (or describe plans to conduct) outreach to all of the aldermen, state representatives, and state senators within the proposed recruitment boundary: � Requesting a meeting (if meeting(s) have already taken place, list the dates, times, and person(s) with whom the design team met) � Attending the elected officials’ Ward or District nights � Sending formal notification of the proposed school or program either by email or letter

Formal letters about the proposed Catapult Academy campuses have been sent to all Aldermen and Alderwomen in the communities in which we are proposing to locate our Catapult Academy campuses, including Austin, Greater Englewood, and North Lawndale. See Appendix 1.2.A. (Please note: Due to the death of Alderwoman JoAnn Thompson on February 10, 2015, and the pending runoff election, a letter was not sent to the 16th Ward office representing West Englewood.)

Due to the unavailability of several Aldermen pending the runoff election on the 7th of April, we have not had the opportunity to meet with these Ward leaders. Following the results of the runoff elections, we will

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With the permission of our community partners, we will place announcements on their websites notifying residents of the proposed Catapult Academies. Please see a complete list of local and city‐wide community organizations in Appendices.

Catapult Academy will hold periodic presentations at community meetings sponsored by community partners and organizations list in appendices. Also, please see the Appendices for an example of the PowerPoint presentation to be presented at community meetings as part of the effort to notify community residents and key stakeholders of our proposed schools.

Catapult Academy will contact leaders of local block clubs in Austin, Englewood, West Englewood, and North Lawndale to request to attend meetings.

For facilities selection for programs in the targeted Chicago neighborhoods, Catapult Learning is working closely with Todd Cabanban, one of the founding principals of Cabanban, Rubin, & Mayberry Commercial Realty, to examine locations that would allow the program to rise to its greatest potential. Throughout his years of servicing companies and organizations in the region, Todd has been dedicated to improving the lives of those in underrepresented communities. Todd has brokered deals in various neighborhoods in Chicago, including Lawndale, Englewood, and Austin.

We have also consulted with Ken Allen, LEED AP BD+C, an Associate with AltusWorks, Inc., a CPS‐approved architecture firm.

c. Community Feedback Q. In your design team’s various interactions with elected officials, community organizations, and stakeholders, what were some of the reactions to the proposed school or program? What suggestions did community members have for the proposed school or program?

The Catapult Academy Design Team will have sought to meet with the community leaders, businesses, and organizations to discuss our educational vision and how we can partner to achieve our common goal of improving the outlook for the city's youth. Via grounded outreach efforts and one‐on‐one meeting with community leaders and stakeholders, the vision “to provide a safe, supportive high school environment where students at any level of learning can earn their diploma” will be presented for feedback.

In conversations so far, community feedback has included dissatisfaction with local school closings and a desire for those now vacant buildings to be used for educational purposes. Dissatisfaction with other local dropout recovery programs was also shared, but not in great detail.

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Signature of support from individuals residing within proximity to the school site will be submitted as part of Tier 2 proposal, once facility location has been finalized.

Key Community Supporters

Q. Who are some of the champions of the proposed school or program in the targeted communit(ies)? Provide any personalized letters of support from families and/or community members, outlining why they believe the proposed school or program will be an asset to the community.

Based on the list provided in Section1.2.b, the Catapult Academy design team will work to get letters of support from these and other key organization and business leaders: Mr. Reginald Armstrong, Senior Director of the YMCA Southside; Ms. Sonya Harper, Executive Director of Grow Greater Englewood; Perry Gunn, Executive Director of Teamwork Englewood; Mr. Jahmal Cole, Community Engagement Manager for INCS Action for Charter Public Schools and Founder of My Block My Hood My City; Phil Jackson, Founder of The Firehouse Community Arts Center; and Elder Jonathan Banks of Apostolic Faith Church have each voiced support of Catapult Academy during meetings with Dr. Eurmon Hervey, Superintendent of Schools.

More specifics feedback includes:

Elder Jonathan Banks of Apostolic Faith Church is impressed by the concept of our model and has agreed to

e. Risk Factors Q. Based on your design team’s interactions with elected officials, community organizations, and stakeholders, families, and community members, who in the community is opposed to the proposed school or program? What is your understanding of why they are opposed to the proposed school or program?

1.4 Continued Family and Community Engagement

a. Continued Outreach Q. What is your design team’s continued community engagement plan from the time of submission of proposal materials leading up to the opening of the school?

To continue community engagement leading up to the opening of the school, the Design Team plans to host forums with parents and community stakeholders on a monthly basis. At these forums, we plan to

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continue to gather evidence of support, including signatures for the petition and letters of intent to enroll in our program.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH & ONGOING SUPPORT

We will announce and build our place in the community through meetings with key advisors, direct mailings, an active social media presence, advertising on billboards and bus shelters, and geographically‐targeted commercials on platforms such as Pandora. These actions will be based on extensive market research into the community as well as collaboration with local community members. We will also host open house events to provide parents, students, and any member of the community with more information about Catapult Academy and how it can help students create brighter futures for themselves.

For the population of students who traditionally enroll in Catapult Academy programs, the student’s parent or guardian is not always the person supporting the student to achieve their academic and career goals. For that reason, teachers and staff work with each student to identify the adults in their lives who positively influence the student’s life and will support the student. To involve those influential adults (whether parents, grandparents, guardians, or others) in the education of students enrolled at Catapult Academy, there will be open houses and regular conferences to familiarize the parents and guardians with the blended learning environment and keep parents and guardians informed of their student’s progress based on the student’s Success Plan.

b. Community Support Q. How will the proposed school or program contribute to the community? What services will it provide to families of students and/or community residents more broadly?

In an effort to best serve our students, we will also work to serve the community in which our school exists. Catapult Academy will offer monthly "days of service," which will be planned and cultivated by our students. They will choose the community service they'd like to perform, work in groups to plan the day of service, and recruit classmates and community members to join the effort. We will encourage Catapult Academy students to give back to their communities and to use their success to create a brighter future for others as well as themselves.

Recognizing the unique barriers to achievement for minority youth and the issues specific to large urban areas, Catapult has piloted an empowerment program in Jacksonville, Florida (America’s 12th largest city) which provides young men with culturally responsive strategies that work to improve academic achievement. In fact, the program is appropriately titled “Mentoring for Academic Achievement (MAP).” We would like to think that we provide a “MAP” for guiding youth toward their goals.

The program was designed based on the body of research focused on urban youth and inspired by the specific work of high school principal and best‐selling author, Baruti Kafele. This program gives young people regular opportunities to meet with successful adults from their community and beyond. Adult participants represent the same culture and community in which our students live, and provide an honest and open forum to discuss how to meet the challenges that face them as young men and, separately, young women.

The program was implemented by Catapult Learning’s Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Eurmon Hervey, who is a seasoned youth development leader. He has done pioneering work in establishing a community college and two not for profit community organizations focused on improving minority student achievement and college access. He is a former university assistant professor of education and a published author of related works. He served on the board of the National Dropout Prevention Center and is the immediate past chairman.

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The following overview provides a general description of the current program:

Opportunities to meet with current college students and recent graduates

Opportunities to meet with men and women in positions of local business and political leadership

Opportunities for students to make presentations to their peers and their community

Individual and school community goal‐setting activities (helping students answer questions like “who am I?” as an individual, as a man or woman, as a student, and as a member of the larger community)

Book‐study or movie‐study discussions focusing on people and issues of importance

Cultural group activity per month (inspirational & non‐punitive)

Facilitated discussions and activities (role‐playing, etc.) on issues such as:

We do recognize that Chicago is unique and we want to ensure successful programming. This, we believe, is best done thorough an analysis of the specific challenges in Chicago and methodical review of best practices and strategies to determine what may be most effective. We will then adjust program features

accordingly.

c. Community Input Q. What formalized mechanism(s) will the proposed school or program have for families/guardians and the community to be involved in the governance of the school and/or to provide regular feedback to the Board of Directors?

To best include parents and community in the operation of the school, Catapult Academy will offer multiple opportunities for feedback. In addition to the monthly meetings, parents and community members will be able to provide feedback via bi‐annual survey, email communications and the school website. When significant feedback has been gathered, key points of interest will be addressed at the monthly meeting, especially following the two parent satisfaction surveys. (See Appendix 1.4.C for survey.)

Whenever we establish a Catapult Academy site in a new community, we also establish an Advisory Council comprised of parents, guardians, and community representatives to promote involvement. The primary purpose of the Advisory Councils will be to provide transparency and facilitate regular communication between Catapult Learning, the district, parents/guardians, and the community. The Advisory Councils will consist of the following individuals: a district designee, the Principal who oversees all of the programs, a member of each Academy’s staff, parents and guardians of enrolled students, and community members. Each Advisory Council will report to the community and the district regarding the status of each Catapult Academy site at least annually and more frequently if requested by the district.

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SECTION 2: ACADEMIC CAPACITY

2.1 Mission, Vision, and Culture

a. Mission and Vision Q. State the mission and vision of the proposed school or program. The mission and vision statements should provide the foundation for the entire proposal and be reflected throughout all sections.

Mission. Catapult Academy will harness the power of a flexible learning environment and modern educational technology to serve learners with diverse backgrounds and goals who seek an education alternative that stimulates and supports independent learning. Through the power and flexibility of its standards‐based online curriculum, combined with superior individualized support, Catapult Academy will create a learning environment that helps a diverse group of students: those who have felt lost or adrift in the traditional high school setting; those who need ongoing, individualized, academic support in order to achieve beyond what the traditional school has expected of them; and those who seek opportunities to expand and accelerate their learning beyond the traditional curriculum or pacing plan. Recognizing the importance of reducing the dropout rate and finding new ways to make high school work for all students, Catapult Academy is committed to providing a flexible, personalized blended learning program that will lead to a high school diploma.

Vision. Catapult Academy will enable a diverse body of students to redefine high school and complete it in their own way, on their own terms, taking real ownership of their learning and, ultimately, their lives. Catapult Academy will provide a setting and a learning program that can fits most any student’s individual schedule, learning needs, learning goals, and life circumstances. It will provide a safe, inviting, and flexible environment for students who have struggled to succeed in traditional school settings for a variety of reasons, but who are committed to earning their diploma and launching their future. Catapult Academy will provide the highest level of instructional support plus the guidance and wraparound services that students need to overcome obstacles, pursue personal interests, finish school, and move successfully to the next stage of life. In every way possible, Catapult Academy will help all students “achieve beyond expectations.”

b. Educational Philosophy Q. Briefly describe the educational philosophy of the proposed school or program. Identify the design team’s core beliefs and values about education, and explain how these priorities inform the school or program’s key program and design components. Provide a clear rationale for these design components, and cite research that demonstrates these components are successful with similar student populations. If proposing a blended learning model: Define blended learning in the proposed school or program’s context, including: Whether it is integral or auxiliary to the core curriculum and what beliefs underpin this decision The proposed scope of blended learning in the school (by cohort, classroom, subject, grade‐level, etc.), and the rationale for the proposed scope The needs of the proposed student population your design team determined could not be met through traditional teaching and learning The blended learning model the school will employ and why (e.g. rotation, flex)

Our approach to blended learning is based, in part, on the work of Michael Horn and Heather Staker in The Rise of K‐12 Blended Learning (2011), which defined six possible models of blended learning. We have adopted what the authors call a “flex” model, in which the online platform delivers most of the curriculum,

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with on‐site teachers providing flexible and adaptive support on an as‐needed basis through in‐person tutoring and small‐group sessions. We have built more structure into this model by creating a clear, daily schedule for what happens in small‐group sessions, from academic support to life and career counseling to standardized test preparation. Our blended learning program offers daily direct instruction from onsite teachers focusing on math, reading, and writing skills and small‐group work sessions focusing on critical thinking and problem‐solving skills – preparation, college and career counseling, and life management skills. Student needs for small‐group instruction will be determined by entrance assessments and ongoing evaluation of performance.

Our design team believes strongly that students benefit most from a thoughtful combination of self‐paced, self‐directed learning, small‐group projects, activities, and conversations, and an environment that provides close guidance, support and high interest in student success. Students who work entirely in isolation can become just as lost and disengaged as students adrift in the crowd of the traditional public school. Students who struggle in the traditional public school may feel isolated from the cliques and clubs that can dominate such schools. They may also feel that the traditional classroom moves too quickly (or too slowly) to hold their interest or fully develop their skills. Students in completely online or home school programs can easily feel physically isolated, and can miss out on the benefits of discussion and debate among a diverse peer‐group with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and ideas. Catapult Academy’s blended model is developed to bring students the best parts of each learning model and mitigate the challenges or drawbacks that each model has in isolation.

Catapult Academy seeks to serve students who are self‐motivated, as well as those who learn to be responsive to coaching, even if they initially lack the skills and focus to be successful at self‐monitoring. We provide a safe, inviting, and flexible environment for students who have struggled to enter or complete high school, but who are committed to earning their diploma and launching their future. Our intensive, small‐group instruction and ongoing coaching support from professional educators and counselors ensure that students become increasingly confident, effective, and independent in their work.

Catapult Academy programs provide the rigor that students need to face the challenges of higher educaiton and the 21st century workplace, the relevance that disengaged students need to feel connected to their school work, and the relationships with caring adults and fellow students that are so vital for all students’ success.

To motivate and retain students, Catapult Academy’s program focuses on three key areas:

Education/Career Goals: Students get access to individualized tutoring, mentoring, academic advising, personal counseling, career counseling, personalized academic success plan, and supplemental instruction.

Learning Environment: The school provides an aesthetically pleasing learning environment, guidance and instruction by caring and committed teachers, and proximity to public transportation.

Family Connections. While Catapult Academy administers the program, we recognize that student success is a shared responsibility. Through periodic phone calls and home visits (when appropriate), school staff will make meaningful connections between parents, teachers, and students to enhance learning and overall student experience. We’ll also schedule Open Houses and family connection programs throughout the year.

Curriculum is delivered through a blended learning model that balances the unique advantages of traditional and virtual classroom approaches. Curriculum is aligned to I l l inois state and Common Core State Standards, and the high school graduation requirements as stipulated by the state of Illinois, and is designed to cover the full content in each core subject by the end of each academic year, working at a rigorous but reasonable schedule. All students do not follow the same schedule, however.


Some may move more quickly through a particular subject; some may move more slowly. Blended learning and flexible pacing enable the student, under the guidance of the educator, to spend more intensive time and effort in areas of need.

Our selection of online courses is guided by criteria and principles delineated by authors such as Richard Clark (What Works in Distance Learning, 2004) and Richard Mayer and Ruth Clark (e‐Learning and the Science of Instruction, (2007). In addition, we employ the evaluation rubric created by the Quality Matters organization (www.qualitymatters.org) to assess courseware and learning management systems.

Individualized and small‐group tutoring in the Catapult Academy program is a research‐based approach designed to provide five days of tutoring services per week, as needed, to students who benefit from structured, intensive and consistent services at a low student‐to‐tutor ratio. The hallmarks of the tutoring sessions include targeted instruction in identified skill gaps, reinforcement of skills taught in the student’s content‐area class, ongoing performance monitoring and formative assessments, and the tutor’s knowledge of how students best learn. Tutors use quality supplementary instructional materials to supplement coursework for a true blended learning model. Tutoring sessions include short assessments to monitor skill acquisition and modify instruction as needed.

This blended learning model allows teachers to better address each student's unique learning and communication style, cultivate independent thought, and offer alternative or supplemental learning options that prepare students for the real‐life complexities of higher education or the job market in the 21st century.

Catapult Academy programs employ several different modalities to engage students in learning and support them both academically and socially. This blended learning model allows students to decide what to work on, how long to work on it, and what pace matches their abilities and needs, but provides students with intensive support (both online and onsite) and coaching to help them work to their potential and achieve their goals.

c. Description of Culture Q. Describe the culture of the proposed school or program. What are the systems, traditions, and policies that the school or program will implement to achieve this culture? Who is responsible for overseeing the implementation of these systems, traditions, and policies? Any responsibilities assigned to staff members with regard to promoting and monitoring positive school culture should be cited in the attached comprehensive organizational chart and job descriptions.

Far too often, students in alternative school settings find themselves in cultures of low academic expectations and high degrees of control and compliance, where they are pushed through to complete a program and move on. Catapult Learning, in all of its programs, promotes a vision of “achieving beyond expectations,” including the expectations that students may have set for themselves.

Catapult Academy will cultivate and support a culture that honors the

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individual student voice and experience, and makes the student the center and the purpose of the school. This begins before the student even enters the Academy, with the analysis of transcripts and assessment data to determine what academic program the student needs in order to graduate, along with individual interviews with students to determine the student’s personal goals and desired timeline for completion.

For all instructional staff connected with the school—those who support the online curriculum remotely and those who work on‐site with students—the individual student is more important than any calendar or pacing plan. Because each student has an education plan crafted to meet his or her individual needs, things like “coverage” and “pacing” become far less important than ensuring that students stay engaged, focused, and optimistic—that they engage in their work with persistence and complete their work with precision. Small group instruction on life and career skills includes discussions and activities that relate directly to the student’s attitudes toward work (academic and career) and the importance of key “habits of mind” that can affect the students’ success in whatever endeavors they engage in, throughout their life.

Catapult Academy also recognizes and honors the student as a social being, and understands that learning is often a collaborative act. While each student does pursue an individual pathway toward graduation, it is important that the school provide multiple opportunities for students to come together in pairs, small groups, and as a whole school community for a variety of formal and informal activities and discussions, from morning school meetings and regular guest speakers to job‐skill projects and activities, from literature circle discussions to Empowerment Group meetings addressing critical issues of social and emotional growth.

The physical structure of the school helps to promote a culture of respect and hard work. Because we design the school to look more like an adult workplace than a traditional school, the signals the environment sends students are very different from those sent by a traditional school building. There is no physical separation between adults and students: staff members do not spend down‐time in some faculty room, away from the students. Teachers do not stand at the head of a class all day, with students seated as audience members. Adults and students work in a variety of different configurations throughout the day, allowing people to interact in different ways based on the task and the need. Students have individual workspaces, as most adults working in office environments do. They have more casual, comfortable areas to work in, as well, in a “coffee‐shop”‐type environment where they can read, converse, or work on projects. Small classroom areas allow teachers and students to convene for tutorial sessions, where more traditional, direct instruction is called for. In these ways, the environment helps to support the culture.

School counselors help create and support a culture of high expectations and post‐graduate success in their discussions with students and parents, helping students stay focused not only on graduation, but on taking the next steps in life, whether those steps are toward college, the military, or a career. The design of the curriculum and the education plan communicates to the student that they are in charge of pursuing and attaining their goals—that simply showing up is not the point of school—that school is what they actively do, not what they passively endure. Counselors, teachers, and other staff encourage talk of goal‐setting and goal‐meeting to help reinforce the idea that students are in the Academy for a reason and a purpose, and that the goal is theirs to own, shape, and achieve.

d. Post-Secondary Opportunity Readiness

Supports for College

Q. Describe the specific programs and supports, beyond academic curricula, that the proposed school or program will provide to expose students to college. Describe how you will ensure students are successful in college, both academically and emotionally. Describe how the school will work with students to apply, enroll, and persist in college after high school graduation. Who is responsible for overseeing the

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implementation of college readiness supports? Which staff members will support these efforts? Any responsibilities assigned to staff members with regard to promoting college readiness should be cited in the attached comprehensive organizational chart and job descriptions.

Catapult Academy will have both a school counselor and a post‐secondary advisor on staff to assist students and their families with post High School planning.

To best support our students on their paths to college, Catapult Academy will work with students to determine their areas of interest, assist students in planning several college visits a year throughout their high school careers, provide support throughout the college application process. Additionally, we will provide workshops for both parents and students to promote the advantages of college, to develop familiarity with the college application process and FAFSA/financial aid application processes. Throughout the school year, we will have alumni return and discuss their college experiences. The post‐secondary advisor will plan speakers and school visits to specifically address the interests of our students.

To assist families in planning for life after high school, Catapult Academy will maintain a College and Career Planning page on its website. On this page, students will find general information about college and career planning, as well as website links for information on what they can do to begin preparing for college and/or a career, from taking the ACT or SAT to applying for financial aid. To receive help with any and all college and career planning, students will work with our Regional Manager of College, Careers and Community Relations.

Supports for Career Readiness

Q. Describe the specific programs and supports, beyond academic curricula, that the proposed school will provide to expose and prepare students for various post‐secondary careers. Describe the process that will be implemented for students to develop a plan to graduation and postsecondary readiness. Who is responsible for overseeing the implementation of post‐secondary career readiness supports? Which staff members will support these efforts? Any responsibilities assigned to staff members with regard to promoting post‐secondary career readiness should be cited in the attached comprehensive organizational chart and job descriptions.

Catapult Academy will have both a school counselor and a post‐secondary advisor on staff to assist students and their families with post high school planning.

To assist families in planning for life after high school, Catapult Academy will maintain a College and Career Planning page on its website. On this page, students will find general information about college and career planning, as well as website links for information on what they can do to begin preparing for college and/or


a career, from taking the ACT or SAT to applying for financial aid. To receive help with any and all college and career planning, students will work with our Regional Manager of College, Careers and Community Relations.

If students decide to go right into a career following graduation, there are many options available once they earn their high school diploma. To help them decide on career options, we will offer the career exploratory (ASVAB) exam each year. This exam can help students determine their strengths, pinpoint a career that matches and aligns their creativity, likes, dislikes, strengths, preferences with their aptitude results, and provide a list of careers to choose from.

Tracking

Q. Specify the methods that the school or program will employ to track student/alumni college acceptance and persistence rates, as well as student/alumni employment post‐graduation from your school or program. Identify who is responsible for monitoring and overseeing tracking efforts.

With the permission of the school district, Catapult Learning will engage the National Student Clearinghouse to report on college enrollment and persistence. The NSC is the best source of college enrollment and degree attainment. Catapult Learning will also survey current and former students to collect self‐reported information including college applications and acceptances and post‐graduation employment. Tracking and reporting these data is the responsibility of Catapult Learning’s Assessment & Technology team. Currently, the person directly responsible will be Theresa Nelson, a reporting manager in that department.

e. Social, Emotional, and Physical Health

Student Profile

Q. Describe the anticipated social, emotional, and physical health needs of the targeted student population. Provide research and/or evidence to support these anticipated needs.

The early adolescent years bring on a number of social fears and anxieties, from a fear of not knowing anyone and being ignored by peers to a fear of being noticed too much and made fun of, a fear of getting lost in the crowd and fear of standing out too obviously

While a key component of the Catapult Academy is the use of

online learning to personalize and individualize learning, to help students move at their own pace and receive the help they need as individuals, it is crucial that the program also provide regular opportunities for peers to work together in engaging and productive ways, to build social skills, create a supportive school community, and learn from each other. Catapult Academy provides a variety of these kinds of opportunities. Within each “house” of the Academy, students meet regularly, not only to work on core academic skills, but also to engage in interesting, lively, relevant activities.

Literature Circles. At least twice during the year, students within each house vote on a book to read, working from a list of

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recommended titles. Using a combination of live discussion and online chat (using a platform such as ThinkQuest), students engage in open discussion about the book while they read it, with minimal guidance from the onsite English teacher. Research has found that incorporating online chat into literature circles can encourage otherwise hesitant students to participate—from students who feel they aren’t fast enough to keep up with classroom discussions to students who feel awkward and anxious about speaking up in class.

Job‐ and Life‐Skills Activities. Instructional staff at Catapult Academy make use of well‐respected and time‐tested curriculum programs focusing on developing life and job skills in young people to lead engaging, thought‐provoking activities on a wide range of issues, from making friends to dating, from money management to applying for jobs.

Project‐Based Learning. The needs of the 21st century workplace have made clear the importance of critical thinking, authentic problem‐solving, and analysis of complex, primary‐source texts across grade levels and academic disciplines. In addition, the increasing importance of technology and engineering to our national economy makes the inclusion of STEM instruction critical. Schools across the country are looking with renewed interest at project‐based learning as a way to address these needs, and, in the process, make learning more exciting and relevant to their students.

Catapult Academy will also provide counselors on staff to help students navigate and deal with a variety of social and emotional issues. Counseling students one on one includes behavior management, personal/family problems, as well as post‐secondary goal‐setting, including either higher education or work/career. Counseling will assist students and their families with personal, family, educational, mental health, and career problems. In addition, the guidance counselor will assist in responsive services, including crisis counseling and system support such as outreach and management services. Additionally, individual counseling as outlined in a student’s IEP and as appropriate will be conducted.

One‐on‐one interaction helps students develop the individual self‐help skills necessary to succeed in school, resolve conflict, make informed choices, and set life goals. Students are repeatedly asked “How are you connecting what you are learning to everyday life?”

Counselors consult and collaborate with teachers, other school staff, parents, and community members as partners in the lives of students. Consultation/Collaboration is a cooperative process that improves the skills and effectiveness of the team working with students individually and in groups, including the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Empowerment Groups as detailed below.

Monitoring

Q. Explain how the school or program will identify and monitor individual students’ social, emotional, and physical health needs on an ongoing basis at the school or program. Describe the management and data collection systems the school or program will implement for the purposes of screening, diagnosing, and progress monitoring students’ non‐academic needs. Describe any non‐academic goals that the school or program may set for students, how they will be measured, and by whom. Who will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of these efforts? Any responsibilities assigned to staff members with regard to identifying, monitoring, and supporting the anticipated social, emotional, and physical health needs of students, should be cited in the attached comprehensive organizational chart and job descriptions.

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A school counselor, post‐secondary school advisor (Regional Manager of College, Careers and Community Relations), and school social worker will be critical, integrated members of our school staff, and will be available as resources to students. In addition to offering scheduled services, each will be available for planned sessions, as well as for walk‐in consultation in pressing situations. By developing on‐going meaningful relationships with students through the curriculum and more individualized contact, each of these professionals will continuously monitor each student's successful progress toward graduation ‐‐ with an eye on both academic and personal growth. All student services will be provided with strict adherence to confidentiality and privacy.

The school counselor will work with students individually and in small groups around course selection and sequence, assuring fit between academic commitments and other life responsibilities, organization and planning, social and emotional well‐being, and reaching toward post‐secondary school aspirations. Presentations made in classroom settings will provide relevant information to all students. Small group presentations will be designed to address specific issues of interest to targeted groups of students. These smaller groups may meet for single sessions on a given topic, or extend over several sessions to address a topic in more depth. The counselor will also meet with each student at least twice each year to assure that planning toward meeting graduation requirements is on track.

The post‐secondary school advisor will schedule regular times for students to meet and learn from workers in a wide variety of job opportunities. Community college, technical school, and four‐year college representatives will also be brought to campus to encourage students to consider continuing their education and to respond to questions regarding admissions and the college experience. This advisor can also help students to pursue full‐year or summer employment opportunities, and will be a liaison between the school and a student's workplace when needed and appropriate.

The school social worker will counsel individual or small groups of students around social and/or emotional issues that interfere with their ability to perform to their full potential academically. Parents/guardians will be included in interventions as needed and appropriate. Students may be referred for counseling by their parent/guardian, school staff, or the student him/herself. Learning coping skills, managing anger/disappointment/resentment, bolstering a positive approach to life circumstances, and healthy decision making are examples of issues that might be addressed.

Should student need, or district preference, suggest that a certified school nurse be added to our staff, we will do so at additional cost. If added, the school nurse would maintain student health records, provide screenings in accordance with Illinois Code requirements, be available for emergencies or illness that occur during the school day, consult with students regarding chronic or other health issues, consult with school administrators regarding student health policies and issues, and help to connect students and their families to community health resources as needed.

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All student support staff (school counselor, post‐secondary school advisor, and social worker) will maintain a list of community resources available to students and their parent/guardians on a wide variety of topics. Each will provide information to make referrals and ease access to needed resources for students and their families.

A Student Support Team will be created ‐‐ composed of the Principal, school counselor, social worker, members of the faculty, and special education staff. This Team will meet regularly to identify students at risk academically, socially, and emotionally and to develop an appropriate plan to support the student's ability to perform to their best ability at school. These meetings will be conducted with the highest attention to confidentiality and respect for student privacy. A Case Manager will be identified from among Team members for each student, as needed, to be the point person for implementing the plan and keeping the Team apprised of student progress. The Plan will be re‐visited and adjusted over time in accordance

with student progress and continuing need.

Both in‐school and community resources will be identified for use by school staff in identifying and addressing social, emotional and health issues that arise within the student population. The school counselor, post‐secondary school advisor, and social worker will develop relationships with community resources to facilitate student and parent referrals, and to maximize the effectiveness of community/school collaboration on behalf of our students.

Supports

Q. Describe the programs, resources, and services (internal and external) that the proposed school or program will provide in order to promote students’ social, emotional, and physical health. Describe how your school or program will help students develop the capacity required to succeed, such as learning to advocate for themselves, taking responsibility for their learning, and developing resilience in the face of challenges. Describe how one‐on‐one counseling will be used to support youth development and students’ social, emotional, and physical health needs. How will this fit into the school day to minimize interference with time in the classroom? Explain how the proposed school or program will meet the needs of students in at‐risk situations, including (but not limited to), homelessness, low achievement, poverty, behavioral issues, truancy, drugs, pregnancy, and emotional issues.

Catapult Academy will employ a social worker who will be directly responsible for meeting the needs of students in at‐risk situations, including but not limited to homelessness, low achievement, poverty, behavioral issues, truancy, drugs, pregnancy, and emotional issues. S/he will participate in training from CPS’ Support for Students in Temporary Living Situations to carry our duties related to the STLS program. Following this training, the social worker will provide workshops to the Academy staff regarding the needs and rights of students in temporary living situations.

In addition to social‐work support, a critical aspect of the Catapult Academy, is the inclusion of a Young Men’s and Young Women’s Empowerment Program. Recognizing the unique barriers to achievement for minority youth and the issues specific to large urban areas, Catapult has piloted an empowerment program in Jacksonville, Florida (America’s 12th largest city) which provides young men with culturally responsive strategies that work to improve academic achievement. In fact, the program is appropriately titled “Mentoring for Academic Achievement (MAP).” We would like to think that we provide a “MAP” for guiding youth toward their goals.

The program was designed based on the body of research focused on urban youth and inspired by the specific work of high school principal and best‐selling author, Baruti Kafele. This program gives young people regular opportunities to meet with successful adults from their community and beyond. Adult participants represent the same culture and community in which our students live, and provide an honest

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and open forum to discuss how to meet the challenges that face them as young men and, separately, young women.

The program was implemented by Catapult Learning’s Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Eurmon Hervey, who is a seasoned youth development leader. He has done pioneering work in establishing a community college and two not for profit community organizations focused on improving minority student achievement and college access. He is a former university assistant professor of education and a published author of related works. He served on the board of the National Dropout Prevention Center and is the immediate past chairman.

The following overview provides a general description of the current program:

Opportunities to meet with current college students and recent graduates

Opportunities to meet with men and women in positions of local business and political leadership

Opportunities for students to make presentations to their peers and their community

Individual and school community goal‐setting activities (helping students answer questions like “who am I?” as an individual, as a man or woman, as a student, and as a member of the larger community)

Book‐study or movie‐study discussions focusing people and issues of importance

Cultural group activity per month (inspirational & non‐punitive)

Facilitated discussions and activities (role‐playing, etc.) on issues such as:

We do recognize that Chicago is unique and we want to ensure successful programming. This, we believe, is best done thorough an analysis of the specific challenges in Chicago and methodical review of best practices and strategies to determine what may be most effective. We will then adjust program features accordingly.

21st Century Skills (Social- Emotional Cognitive Competencies)

Q. Describe the programs, resources, and services (internal and external) that the proposed school or program will provide in order to help students develop 21st century skills. Describe the instructional strategies that will be used and how all classroom instructors will incorporate teaching these skills into their lesson plans. Describe how you will train teachers to incorporate these skills into their instructional strategies, and lesson plans. Indicate how you will hold teachers accountable for addressing these skills. If

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implementing a specific curriculum, describe how students will learn new skill concepts and how to apply them across settings.

Anyone who has spent time in a classroom knows that schooling involves far more than academic lessons. Many things contribute to a student’s success—and just as many things can detract from it. Studies have shown that attention to certain character traits can greatly affect a student’s ability to succeed in school work and later on in life. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has outlined some of these skills, and many of them are embedded within the Common Core State Standards either implicitly, or, in the case of the Standards for Mathematical Practice, quite explicitly. In our choice of curriculum and our training of teachers, we put special emphasis on cultivating and supporting what we call “academic performance character traits.”

When we speak of character development, we often think of traditional moral values. But the high‐yield character traits that researchers are beginning to focus on in school settings speak more to academic behavior than interpersonal issues. The focus is less on how a student interacts with other students, and more on how a student interacts with the work. As research is beginning to show us, teachers can make a profound difference in this area. Explicit teaching and cultivation of these habits of mind can prove to be important keys to student success.

At Catapult Learning, we focus explicitly on six performance‐related character traits:

Persisting towards solutions

Working with precision

Asking questions

Working with others

Making connections

Monitoring progress and embracing learning

Persisting Towards Solutions

It is easy to see persistence as a moral value—a sign of inner strength. But the ability to persist towards a goal can be taught and nourished—and it can just as easily be undermined.

Researcher Carol Dweck talks a “growth mindset” towards intelligence—a belief that a person’s intellectual ability is not fixed nor destined, but is, instead, the result of hard work. Her studies have demonstrated that students who believe their intelligence is flexible and open to improvement do better in school than those who believe their intelligence is fixed and innate—whatever they were born with (even if they believe they were born with a lot of it). Students with a growth mindset understand that a greater challenge simply requires greater work. They understand that failure is just a step on the pathway to success. So when they encounter obstacles or frustrations, they learn how to move through them and keep at the task.

To build up and support student persistence, we provide training to our teachers to help them:

Provide students with multi‐step problems to solve, emphasizing that it is not too hard for anyone in the room but requiring that students think hard and stay with the problem until it is solved.

Provide students step‐by‐step strategies to help them tackle complex or multi‐step problems or assignments, to keep them from becoming overwhelmed. Help them focus on small, achievable goals.

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To build up and support student questioning, we provide training to our teachers to help them:

Model and pose “think‐aloud” questions when considering the problem to be solved or objective to be achieved.

Occasionally mix “big idea” questions with other levels of questioning

Share Bloom’s Taxonomy with students, asking students to pose a question on a specific level and match it with their own sample from the text or problem to be solved.

Working with Others

Collaboration has always been an important element of classroom practice. However, in recent years, the ability to work effectively in groups or teams has received increased attention. The Partnership for 21st Century has identified collaboration as one of the most important skills in the modern workforce, where few jobs are done in isolation. The ability to work well with others, contribute strongly to a team, and take leadership roles when appropriate is vital to the lifelong success of our students.

To build up and support student collaboration, we provide training to our teachers to help them:

Making Connections

One of the greatest challenges we face as educators is helping students connect what they learn in the classroom to what they need to do in the world, whether it be taking a standardized test, filling out a tax return, reading a lease, or writing a report on the job. “Transfer” of skills is always tricky, because when the context changes from the controlled environment of the classroom to the unpredictable and un‐categorized world around us, it is often difficult to know which skills to call upon in a given situation.

To build up and support transfer and connection, we provide training to our teachers to help them:

Monitoring Progress and Embracing Learning

It is easy for students to feel that school is something that happens to them, rather than something they actively do. They do not choose to attend school; they have to attend. They rarely get to select classes, topics, or even assignments. And far too often, they feel that grades and scores are arbitrary—gifts or punishments meted out by the teacher for inscrutable reasons. In intervention settings especially, where students must work hard to fill gaps and catch up with their age cohort, it is vitally important that students feel as though they are responsible for their learning and in control of their destiny.

One aspect of self‐monitoring and self‐correcting is the ability to hear and act on critical feedback. Far too many students receive numerical or letter grades with little or no feedback (positive or negative) on their work. The only thing a single grade can do is reinforce or challenge a student’s preconceptions. To

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encourage the kind of growth mindset spoken of earlier, teachers must provide focused, timely, and understandable feedback on student work—feedback that can help a student analyze the work and make improvements.

To build up and support student ownership of learning, we provide training to our teachers to help them:

f. Behavior Management and Safety

Approach

Q. What is the proposed school or program’s approach to student discipline and classroom management? If an ALOP program or contract school, how will the school or program integrate and implement the CPS Student Code of Conduct into its behavior and discipline plan, including an emphasis on restorative practices? If a charter school, what behavioral system will the school use? Outline the system of incremental consequences for both positive and negative behavior, as well as the school’s plan for supporting positive behavior, and responding to inappropriate behavior when it occurs. Explain how accommodations and modifications to the discipline system will be made to meet the needs of diverse learners.

Include the codes of conduct for online courses, and/or the digital components of coursework that take place within and outside the brick‐and‐mortar building. Explain how these codes of conduct will be enforced.

Catapult Academy will adopt the CPS Student Code of Conduct. A sample Student Code of Conduct drawn from those in use at other campuses owned and run by Catapult Learning can be found in Appendix 2.1.F. Wherever there may appear to be a conflict between the CPS Student Code of Conduct and Catapult's, the CPS Code of Conduct will prevail.

In order to promote a positive learning environment that will allow all students and staff to feel safe, secure and confident in their role as educators and learners, Catapult Learning will adopt some of the tenets of the Handle with Care (HWC) program. Handle with Care is a nationally distinguished approach to creating a school environment that is healthy, positive, consistent, and predictable. Catapult Learning will assure that faculty and school staff are trained in implementing the Handle with Care verbal intervention strategies and techniques. This approach will serve as the foundation context for the learning environment we will create and maintain at Catapult Academy. Faculty, staff, and students will be expected to understand, accept, and promote the principles of this approach.

Handle with Care trains school staff to create a positive emotional climate at school. It also specifically targets learning to identify potentially escalating situations, and provides verbal techniques to address and defuse them. Through the use of HWC strategies, over a period of time students witness and participate in good decision‐making, learn alternative strategies to resolving conflict and overcoming differences ‐‐ while remaining in control emotionally, and to forgo the use of aggressive behavior or otherwise inappropriate conduct.

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Supports

Q. How will the school identify students in need of targeted behavioral supports? Describe the multi‐ tiered system of prevention and intervention for behavioral supports that the school will implement for all students, including students in need of targeted supports.

One of the most significant barriers to personal and academic success for at risk students is behavior. Understanding “Positive Behavior Support” (PBS) methods has been proven to significantly reduce the occurrence of problem behaviors in the school. The result is more positive school climate and an increase in academic performance.

The Positive Behavior Support approach will be utilized as follows:

PBS is based on understanding why problem behaviors occur – the behavior’s function. The approach will be school‐wide, in specific settings, classrooms, and with individual students. PBS is the application of evidence‐based strategies and systems to assist schools to increase academic performance, increase safety, decrease problem behavior, and establish positive school cultures.

Catapult Academy sets a consistent framework in each of its programs. Our commitment starts with a Discipline Leadership Team, establishing school‐wide discipline procedures. We establish clearly stated expectations and rules, established and presented as part of student orientation. These rules are posted and regularly reviewed with students – with clear rewards and recognition.

On an individual level, PBS uses functional behavior assessments to understand the relationships between a student’s behavior and characteristics of his or her environment. The functional behavior assessment identifies multiple strategies to effectively reduce problem behavior including changing systems, altering environments, teaching skills, and focusing on positive behaviors. The PBS process results in the creation of effective intervention plans that will impede problem behaviors, teach new skills, and create support systems for our students.

On a school‐wide level, PBS relies on accurate and reliable discipline referral data to understand the behaviors occurring across campus. An analysis of the data allows a school team to identify the problem areas, brainstorm interventions such as where and what to teach, reward the students exhibiting the expected behavior, and communicate findings to the staff, students, and families. The PBS process is a team‐based approach that relies on a strong collaboration between families and teachers from a variety of disciplines regardless of the level implemented” (Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Project. http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu/whatispubs_def.asp).

Catapult Academy will improve student behavior through the training and implementation of Positive Behavior Support System. First and foremost, utilizing Positive Behavior Support (PBS) will provide a positive and effective alternative to the traditional methods of discipline. PBS methods are research‐based and proven to significantly reduce the occurrence of problem behaviors in the school, resulting in a more positive school climate and increased academic performance. In addition to PBS methods, Catapult Academy will also use the research belief of “School Connectedness.” When students feel connected to their school, they are secure in their knowledge that the adults and peers in their school care about their learning as well as about them as individuals. Feeling this connection produces students who are: less likely to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, or have sexual intercourse; less likely to carry weapons, become involved in violence, or be injured from dangerous activities such as drinking and driving or not wearing seat belts; less likely to have emotional problems, suffer from eating disorders, or experience suicidal thoughts or attempts.

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Strategies that encompass all stake holders will be implemented that increase the extent to which students feel connected to the school. For example, Catapult Academy will provide opportunities for parents to increase their own skills and competence in areas that will help them be more involved in their children’s school life.

The program will strive to be exemplary in their efforts to promote positive and desired behaviors at the middle and secondary levels. Students and staff will be expected to show that school can be a safe and positive place where students can achieve greatness.

The PBS provided at the middle and high school levels will further include provisions that empower each student to be successful, optimistic, ambitious and responsible, as young adults and teens in the

community. An application of a behaviorally‐based systems approach will enhance the capacity of the program as a partner with families, and the community. PBS will be designed within effective surroundings that improve the link between evidence‐based practices and the environments in which teaching and learning occur. This will take a path of positive and effective alternative methods to the traditional approaches of discipline, which are confirmed through research to significantly reduce the occurrence of problem behaviors in the school. This will result in a more positive school climate, as well as increased academic performance. For high school students this will also include integrating aspects of the program as extensions into the community.

Students are grouped for supplemental behavior instruction and intervention based on pre‐assessments. Within the structured small‐group environment, the teacher emphasizes the process as well as the curriculum. Each student within the group has an individualized learning plan based on pre‐assessment. The student plan identifies skill areas that need to be taught or reinforced during instruction. Tutors address specific skills in each session within a carefully scaffolded lesson framework. The low student‐to‐teacher ratio allows the teacher to support and interact with each student and to provide immediate feedback and/or remediation based on each student’s performance on independently completed activities. Student performance on specific Standards objectives is monitored and recorded on a continual basis.

Monitoring

Q. How will the school or program monitor the progress of behavioral interventions and determine whether they are succeeding in promoting positive student behavior? Who will be responsible for overseeing student discipline and behavioral interventions? Any responsibilities assigned to staff members with regard to overseeing student discipline and behavioral interventions should be cited in the attached comprehensive organizational chart and job descriptions.

Misbehavior and response to inappropriate behavior will be documented by teachers using Behavior Tracking Forms. The data from the documentation will be entered into software by the data processor. The core PBS team will analyze data so as to gather and identify location, time, and frequency of student misbehavior, and uncover any patterns. This will enable the PBS team to brainstorm solutions, as well as response to interventions to address and correct recurring misbehaviors.

Student behavior addressed at Student Support Team meetings will be documented in meeting notes, and tracked through implementation of the Team's intervention plan. Subsequent meetings of the Team will monitor the success of the planned intervention, and enhancements will be made as needed.

Infractions of the Student Conduct Code, detention, in‐ and out‐of‐school suspensions, expulsions, and other disciplinary actions will be documented, tabulated, and reviewed regularly by the school administrative team in an effort to identify any patterns that may exist so that changes can be instituted to enhance our efforts to maintain a safe, secure and positive learning environment for everyone on campus at all times.

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Communication

Q. How will the school or program communicate behavior expectations to students and families? How will you communicate the corresponding consequences and rewards that accompany the behavior expectations?

The school’s discipline plan is rooted in equipping students, teachers, and all other members of the school community with the tools needed to secure an optimal teaching and learning environment thus enhances the opportunity.

Copies of the Student Code of Conduct will be distributed and reviewed with staff prior to students’ first day of school, and will also be distributed to and reviewed with each student and shared with parents at the beginning of the school year and any time a new student enrolls. Expectations for student behavior and classroom rules are clear and brief. Catapult Academy staff routinely reinforces expectations for student behavior, recognize when a student may experience difficulty, and are masters at working with students and resolving the situation before there is an issue. Students recognize this skill and learn how to solve problems. Also they know what the consequences will be if their behavior is inappropriate.

Assessment and monitoring are a continual process at Catapult Academy. Documented interventions and measured growth in the Individual Success Plan, the Individualized Education Plan and/or the Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP) will be ongoing. Catapult Academy will review the plans with input from the student, parents, and Catapult Academy staff going over the academic and behavioral information on what the student has done in the past, what his goals are, and how they will be accomplished. Student progress academically and behaviorally will be monitored and evaluated throughout the school year, as delineated in the IEP and/or BIP and students will update their plan as goals are met or revised.

Catapult Academy will work with all students, especially those who have had discipline referrals that are not Serious Level 3 or 4 offenses, to improve student learning and academic achievement in the area of improved behavioral performance through the use of research‐based Positive Behavior Support (PBS) methods. Catapult Academy will improve student behavior through the training and implementation of Positive Behavior Support System. First and foremost, utilizing Positive Behavior Support (PBS) will provide a positive and effective alternative to the traditional methods of discipline. In addition to PBS methods, Catapult Academy will also use the research belief of “School Connectedness”1. When students feel connected to their school, they are secure in the knowledge that the adults and peers in their school care about their learning as well as about them as individuals. PBS and School Connectedness are both research‐based and proven to significantly reduce the occurrence of problem behaviors in the school. School wide behavior expectations are delineated in the Student Code of Conduct. Positive Behavior is encouraged and consequences for negative behavior are included in the Student Code of Conduct. The student Code of Conduct provides a variety of interventions and consequences to address student misconduct that range from the least severe to expulsion. Before any intervention or consequence is issued, Catapult Academy will consider all mitigating circumstances and will ensure that the student receives due process.

Please see our sample Code of Conduct provided in Appendix2.1.F. Expectations and consequences are clearly spelled out. The Code of Conduct will be provided to each family upon enrollment, and will be available in the main school office, as well as in the offices of the principal, school counselor, school social

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth. Atlanta, GA: U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services; 2009. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/adolescenthealth/pdf/connectedness.pdf

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worker, school nurse, and others. Our Code of Conduct will also be available to members of the school community on the school website.

A review of the Code of Conduct will be a prominent item on the agenda for the first Parent Association meeting of each school year. It will be reviewed and addressed with students during the first week of school at an assembly or homeroom meeting. Follow‐up workshops for students on specific areas of the Code may be planned in accordance with events that may occur throughout the year.

Exclusionary Discipline

Q. Please provide a preliminary list and definitions of the offenses for which students in the school may be suspended or expelled. If an ALOP program or contract school, this must comply with CPS policies. What corrective, instructive, and/or restorative responses to misbehavior will the school implement prior to the use of exclusionary discipline?

Please refer to our sample Code of Conduct provided in the Appendix 2.1.F for a list of offenses and increasingly serious consequences, along with a glossary providing definitions to promote clarity of understanding by all parties.

The Catapult Academy program provides a small, safe learning environment where all stakeholders know and respect one another and appreciate individuality. A safe learning environment will be maintained at all times by setting clear expectations for both students and staff that will insure the health, safety and welfare of all students attending Catapult Academy. Expectations for student behavior will be explained to students upon enrollment and staff will be provided criteria for addressing discipline. The School will apply all requirements and utilize the Chicago Public Schools Student Code of Conduct, including District’s rules for suspension and expulsion. Copies of the Student Code of Conduct will be distributed to each student and parent at the beginning of the school year. Additional policies will be published in the Parent Guide.

Catapult Academy will report each month to the district the number of violations of the Code, by offense, to be included in the District’s discipline reporting. Infractions will be divided into two categories – minor infractions and major infractions. Minor infractions would include items such as dress code violations, disruptive horseplay, tardiness, misuse of equipment, failure to complete work, etc. Major infractions would include items such as disrespect, cheating, having a weapon on campus, smoking, having drugs on campus, fighting, skipping school, etc. Consequences for minor infractions may include verbal reprimand, writing assignments, detention, Saturday school, academic probation, assigned tutoring, homework, detention, and community service. Consequences for major infractions may include in‐school suspension, work detail, restitution, community service, expulsion, and such actions deemed appropriate by the School Principal. Student expulsions will be coordinated with the District to ensure proper handling with the Chicago Public School District Policy. No student will be dismissed from Catapult Academy except as permitted by law and pursuant to grounds for dismissal outlined in the contract with the Sponsor. Any student dismissed from Catapult Academy, will be referred to the Sponsor for appropriate placement with the district. Catapult Academy reserves the right to refer students to other community programs, or contracted services programs in lieu of suspension from our school.

To ensure the safety and security of students and staff each student will receive a copy of the Chicago Public Schools Student Code of Conduct, which clearly outlines the behavior expectations of the School. Students who become violent or disruptive shall, when safety permits be removed from other students. If safety does not permit the removal of the student, staff will immediately remove the other students from the area and locate them in a safe area. The student’s parents/guardians will immediately be notified and when possible the student will be counseled by school staff. In the event that a student becomes violent, Law Enforcement will immediately be notified and the appropriate disciplinary action taken.

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Catapult Academy will not engage in the use of corporal punishment as a measure of disciplining our students.

The School’s discipline plan is rooted in equipping students, teachers, and all other members of the school community with the tools needed to secure an optimal teaching and learning environment thus enhances the opportunity for exemplary academic achievement and personal development. Catapult Academy will apply all requirements and utilize the Chicago Public Schools Student Code of Conduct.

The School will adhere to all laws of the Illinois State Board of Education, and the Chicago Public School’s Policies regarding suspension or expulsion of students ensuring that due process is followed. All suspensions and recommendations for expulsion will be reporting in writing to the appropriate district office in accordance with the procedures established by the District. The School will work collaboratively with the District on severe disciplinary matters in order to ensure that the correct discipline process has been followed as well as any referrals to alternative learning environments. All ESE students will be provided procedural protections provided under state and federal law.

In most cases the consequences for first time violators includes:

In most cases the consequences for repeat violators includes:

Active parental participation will be required at the school. Parent participation is key to the success of the overall program, including school discipline, and will be solicited for the development of school goals and objectives.

Due Process

Q. Explain how the school will protect the rights of diverse learners in disciplinary actions and proceedings and afford due process for all students. Describe the appeals process that the school will employ for students facing expulsion. If an ALOP program or contract school, this must comply with CPS policies.

As Catapult Academy will follow the Student Code of Conduct, our policy will be as follows: “school officials may suspend students with disabilities/impairments and cease educational services for a total of up to 10 consecutive or 10 cumulative school days in one school year without providing procedural safeguards. Saturday, and before‐ and after‐school detentions do not count toward the 10‐day limit. Additionally, if students with disabilities continue to participate in the general education curriculum, continue to receive their IEP services, and continue to participate with non‐disabled peers to the same extent as specified in

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the IEPs, in‐school suspensions and lunch detentions do not count toward the 10‐day limit. Administrators are not required to suspend students with disabilities for the recommended periods set forth in this Code for a single incident. Specifically, the Principal or his/her designee has discretion to suspend students with disabilities fewer days than set forth for a single incident. Federal regulations offer some flexibility in suspending students with disabilities in excess of 10 school days in the school year in certain circumstances. In order to determine whether the circumstances permit a suspension in excess of 10 days per school year, consultation by the school with the Department of Procedural Safeguards and Parental Supports (773/553‐1905) is absolutely necessary. Without such consultation and approval from the Department of Procedural Safeguards and Parental Supports, the 10 school day limit on out of school suspensions will continue to apply.”

Catapult Academy will monitor and adjust its processes on an annual basis to match policy changes adopted by CPS.

g. Family Involvement

Communication and Engagement

Q. Discuss strategies to provide clear and consistent communication to families about their students’ progress, including families who do not speak English. How will the school engage families and caretakers in their child(ren)s’ education? Describe the steps the school will take to promote family involvement in the event family engagement is difficult to acquire. Outline any requirements for families’ involvement in their students’ education.

Active parental participation will be required at the school. Parent participation is key to the success of the overall program, including school discipline, and will be solicited for the development of school goals and objectives. Catapult Academy will make every effort to keep in contact with parents or guardians. Parents, guardians, or significant adults can provide valuable information regarding what students' lives are like outside of school. Catapult Academy feels it is important to encourage parental participation. Consistent contact helps students and their families feel more connected to school, which is associated with increased attendance and higher academic achievement. Recognizing the challenges of building parental and community involvement, Catapult Academy will focus on creating active participation opportunities for parents and community members to help students increase their specific talents and their self‐worth. During enrollment and the development of the Individual Success Plan, parental involvement with Catapult Academy staff will establish positive interaction and a relationship upon which stronger parental involvement can be built. Parental involvement is encouraged during all academic and career planning. Parent input into student plan development is helpful and encouraged.

Catapult Academy will incorporate a strong parental and community component with opportunities for all parents and students to be involved in experiences that celebrate diversity and build community within the school setting. Parents are provided opportunities to become actively involved at the school on several levels: membership on Ad Hoc committees, membership on school committees as well as volunteer opportunities at the school. Parents are asked to visit the school during various school functions, including career day, and during before/after school educational enrichment sessions.

A prospective volunteer must complete all volunteer forms, undergo a criminal background check, and complete an interview with the principal, or their designee, in order to be considered for approval. Volunteers who will be in contact with students for more than five (5) hours a week must also submit a certification of freedom from tuberculosis.

Catapult Academy believes the smaller school setting provides the individualization students need to thrive, increase their performance, and successfully complete high school.

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levels: membership on Ad Hoc committees, membership on school committees as well as volunteer opportunities at the school. Parents are asked to visit the school during various school functions, including career day, and during before/after school educational enrichment sessions.

To assist parents and caregivers, Catapult Academy will provide the following:

A prospective volunteer must complete all volunteer forms, undergo a criminal background check, and complete an interview with the principal, or their designee, in order to be considered for approval. Volunteers who will be in contact with students for more than five (5) hours a week must also submit a certification of freedom from tuberculosis.

Catapult Academy believes the smaller school setting provides the individualization students need to thrive, increase their performance, and successfully complete high school.

Strong community support is essential to creating high performing schools. We know communities desire safe neighborhood schools that engage youth and prepare them for the future by meeting student needs with the necessary support and an innovative, challenging curriculum that prepares them for success in post‐secondary education and for the world of work.

Catapult Academy can achieve its goals for this area within the budget model provided with this proposal. Additional partnerships will be sought with community organizations to increase effectiveness.

2.2 Design Team Experience and Demonstrated Track Record in Driving Academic Success

a. Roles and Demonstrated Experience Catapult Learning has a three‐tiered management system to ensure high‐quality operations of its Catapult Academy programs. Consisting of 1) oversight from the Catapult Learning Executive Management Team, 2) program design and strategic guidance from the Design Team and 3) dedicated support for specific areas of expertise, this three‐tier system of support will work to provide the Catapult Academy site staff with the appropriate balance of oversight and support. Partnering with Catapult Learning brings not only the local staff to run the program, but an infrastructure committed to the success of this program.

Executive Leadership

The Catapult Learning Executive Management Team has been heavily involved in the overall program design and vision for Catapult Learning. Catapult Learning CEO Stuart Udell and Dr. Eurmon Hervey, National Vice President and Superintendent of Schools, are both nationally recognized leaders in the field of dropout recovery and serve on the Board of the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (Clemson University).

The executive team meets weekly to review any urgent issues. The Executive Team also participate in monthly Catapult Academy operations review meetings to analyze key indicators related to the academic and operational indicators related to each Catapult Academy site.

Catapult Learning Executive Management Team

Stuart Udell, Chief Executive Officer

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Meg Roe, Vice President of Marketing

Joe McNamara, Director of Accounting / Corporate Controller

The Design Team also includes all, as well as representatives from throughout the Catapult Learning organization. These individuals have contributed to the program design and will work through the incubation year. Their expertise and service will be relied upon on ongoing basis during the program operation, but will not serve as part of the Oversight Committee.

Rohan Wallace, Facilities Project Manager

Diane Rymer, Vice President of Professional Development

Beatrice Blasdel, Ph.D., Director of Clinical Programs,

Beverly Bujanowski, Human Resources Manager

Daniel Piotrowski, Director of New Programs Development

Additional Dedicated Support Staff

In addition to those individuals identified as part of the design team, Catapult Learning

Jeannie Grailey, Director of Education Quality

Kathleen Blessman, Curriculum Manager for English Language Arts & ESOL

Ashley Heath, Curriculum Manager for Mathematics

Christopher Baugh, Director of Information Technology

David Sides, Student Information Systems Manager

Luis Colon, Technology Systems Manager

Gary Valansky, Director of Revenue Accounting

Krystle Lockman, Manager of Accounting

Robin Poole, Curriculum Supervisor, Virtual Programs

John Fergus, Catapult Academy Enrollment and Recruitment Manager

Qualifications

Q. Briefly describe the qualifications and experience of members of the design team in all areas that are key to successfully opening, managing, and sustaining a new school. This includes education, school leadership/administration, operations, finance, development, law, and ties to the proposed community.

Oversight Committee

Julie Greer, Catapult Academy Senior Vice President, works closely with the Education Quality and Research & Evaluation support teams to ensure program quality and effective program evaluation, as well as with Human Resources to ensure that sound recruitment and staff management strategies are implemented for Catapult Academy. In her prior role as National Director, Program Start‐Up, Ms. Greer was responsible for logistics and training for all new large Catapult Learning programs across the country. Ms. Greer received her B.A. in English literature and her master’s degree in English as a second language from the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Eurmon Hervey Jr., Ed.D., National Vice President and Superintendent of Schools, is an accomplished educational executive with a comprehensive blend of non‐profit, government, and academic management experience. He has served in senior leadership positions in colleges and universities in the Mid‐Atlantic and Southern geographical regions. In Washington DC, he served as Assistant State Superintendent and Deputy Chief State School Officer, where he worked directly with District of Columbia Public Schools. Dr. Hervey earned the Doctor of Education from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University and the Master of

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Education from Harvard University. He also earned two degrees in pure mathematics; the Master of Science from Clark Atlanta University and the Bachelor of Science from Edward Waters College.

Virginia Carr, Vice President of Education, has been a supervisor and program coordinator in school programs since 1984. In 1992 she was appointed Director of Educational Services, responsible for overall curricular development and instructional practices performed in a variety of supplemental instruction programs, and in 1994 she became Director of Instructional Support Services. Her promotion to Vice President occurred in 1999. As such, she oversees monitoring and guiding the delivery of educational and clinical services to schools served by Catapult Learning. Prior to taking on supervisory duties, Virginia’s several years in the classroom and as a reading specialist provided her with teaching experiences from Head Start kindergarten through college courses. She earned a liberal arts degree from Saint Joseph's University and a Master of Education in the psychology of reading from Temple University. She has completed postgraduate work at Rider University.

Andrew Ordover, Ed.D., Vice President, Curriculum Development, manages the design and creation of Catapult Learning’s instructional programs. Andrew has worked in curriculum development at public and private schools in Atlanta, New York City and the Slovak Republic. He has created print and online programs for K‐12 students and has developed live and online professional development workshops and courses for teachers. Most recently, he served as director of academic quality at ASCD. Andrew has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Emory University, a Master of Fine Arts in theater from UCLA, and a doctorate in education from Walden University.

Sean McGrew, Ph.D., Vice President of Technology & Assessment, has led Catapult Learning’s assessment and evaluation team for four years and overseen the design of customized Common‐Core interim assessments now in use by approximately 70,000 students annually across the United States. Before working at Catapult Learning, Sean worked as a researcher in the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of Accountability, Assessment and Intervention. He holds a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania.

Kristen E. Campbell, Senior Vice President, Strategy & Product Management, leads product development, assessment and evaluation, and marketing for Catapult Learning. Prior to joining Catapult Learning in 2010, Kristen spent six years working for Kaplan’s Pre‐College/K‐12 group leading strategy and product marketing activities. She began her career in equity research focused on software and Internet infrastructure companies. Kristen holds a B.A. in public policy from The College of William & Mary and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Joe McNamara, Director of Accounting / Corporate Controller, is accountable for the accounting operations of Catapult Learning, to include the production of periodic financial reports, maintenance of an adequate system of accounting records, and a comprehensive set of controls and budgets designed to mitigate risk, enhance the accuracy of the company's reported financial results, and ensure that reported results comply with generally accepted accounting principles or international financial reporting standards. Joe has worked at Catapult Learning since 2009. Prior to joining Catapult Learning, Joe worked at KPMG in the audit practice. Joe graduated from Villanova in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.

Meg Roe, Vice President of Marketing and Student Recruitment, as head of our marketing and student engagement initiatives, Meg develops and implements strategies and specific programs to support Catapult Learning’s efforts to improve awareness increase enrollment. Major responsibilities include stewardship for the corporate brands and delivering consistent and effective product messaging that resonates with our customers. A top priority is the development and delivery of integrated marketing campaigns for charter and dropout recovery academies that drive student enrollment. Key to success involves utilizing direct‐to‐consumer marketing techniques and selecting media that resonates with at‐risk

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youth. Other responsibilities include evaluating industry trends and policy developments, defining the marketing plan for acquisitions and new product launches, managing all PR and media relationships, tracking competitive activities and market developments to ensure the field is equipped with clear messages that differentiate our programs and supporting the identification and analysis of growth opportunities for market expansion. Meg has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Marquette University.

Other Design Team Members

Rohan Wallace, Facilities Project Manager, directs all facility coordination and vendors. Rohan has worked for Catapult Learning for over seven years. Prior to Catapult Learning, Rohan was a Facilities Coordinator at B.J.R. Consulting/Strategic Health Management System. Rohan graduated from the Nova University.

Beverly Bujanowski, SPHR, Human Resources Manager, has worked as Human Resources Manager for Catapult Learning since 2010. Prior to joining Catapult Learning, Beverly worked in Human Resources for the Numoda Corporation and The CBI Group. Beverly received her Master’s in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania and a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) from the HR Certification Institute

Beatrice Blasdel, Ph.D., Director of Clinical Services Support, began her work with Catapult Learning as a school psychologist assigned to nonpublic schools in Philadelphia. Over the course of her 20 years with the company, Dr. Blasdel has had the opportunity to supervise counselors and psychologists and, for the past 13 years, to provide technical assistance to supervisors of all our clinical services programs nationwide. In that capacity, she has overseen the startup of Title I and IDEA programs in many districts in New Jersey, as well as in such major cities as Chicago, Milwaukee, Jersey City, New York and Miami.

Daniel Piotrowski, Director of New Programs Development, is responsible for coordinating new program project plans in coordination with the curriculum, field operations, education quality, finance, legal and sales teams. Since joining Catapult Learning in 2012, Daniel has worked to launch new programs in St. Louis, Richmond, Clark County (Las Vegas), Dayton, Houston, as well as other cities. Prior to joining Catapult Learning, Daniel worked for seven years in the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of Accountability, ultimately serving as Executive Director of Accountability and Assessment. He has a Master’s degree in Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education and a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland.

Dedicated Corporate Support

Ashley Heath (Math Curriculum Manager) manages the design and creation of Catapult learning’s mathematics programs and assessments. Ashley has worked as a middle and high school math teacher and curriculum developer in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. She has created and managed the development of programs for k‐12 students, and has developed professional development for teachers. Ashley has also managed and created assessment for New York, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Virginia, and Catapult Learning. Ms. Heath has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics form Gannon University and a Master of Education from Slippery Rock University.

Kathy Blessman, Curriculum Manager for English Language Arts & ESOL, manages the design and creation of Catapult Learning’s English Language Arts and ESOL programs and assessments. Kathy has previous work experience as a special education and reading teacher. Kathy has a Masters degree in education from Beaver College and Bachelor of Science in Education from Millersville State College.

Jeannie Grailey, Director of Education Quality, manages a team of Regional Education Quality Managers, plans and manages timelines for team projects and development, and executes yearly training for new supervisors. Ms. Grailey also develops and maintains a training schedule and start‐up program for all new

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public and non‐public school programs. She has 17 years of teaching experience, working with elementary reading and math auxiliary students, and students in a self‐contained classroom. Ms. Grailey holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education with a concentration on reading from Beaver College.

Chris Baugh (Director, Research & Evaluation) directs the Office of Assessment and Evaluation at Catapult Learning. In addition to managing the research and program evaluation team, Chris has been responsible for infusing our assessment and evaluation services with enhanced reporting tools for a more focused and streamlined end‐user experience. Prior to his role as Director of Assessment and Evaluation, Chris worked in the administration of several state and local educational agencies, including Suffolk Public Schools, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the School District of Philadelphia. Chris holds master’s degrees in both English/Language Arts and Instructional System Design from Virginia Tech.

Luis Colon, Technology Manager, has worked as a Technology Manager for Catapult Learning since 1996. As a technology manager, Luis communicates regularly with IT vendors and meets with program managers to provide technical recommendations. Luis graduated from the Cittone Institute with computer programming.

Krystle Lockman, Manager of Accounting, is responsible for all areas relating to financial reporting. This position will be responsible for developing and maintaining accounting principles, practices and procedures to ensure accurate and timely financial statements. Krystle received a Master degree in Technology for Educators from the John Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Loyola University Maryland.

Gary Valansky, Manager of Revenue and Compliance, is an experienced, reliable Credit and Collections Manager with expertise in receivables forecasting and management, customer retention and work process improvement. Gary has proven ability to improve bottom line through implementation and management of efficient, effective collection processes. Gary has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Glassboro State College.

John Fergus, Catapult Academy Marketing Enrollment Manager, is responsible for driving recruitment and meeting enrollment goals. John has worked for Catapult Learning since 2010. Prior to Catapult Learning John was an enrollment manager and project supervisor at Nation Labor College, in partnership with Penn Foster Schools and the Mountain State University, in Partnership with Penn Foster Schools. John received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in 2001.

Specify the experience that members of the design team have with blended and/or online learning. At least one member of the design team has a proven track record implementing blended, and/or online learning in a school setting. If not direct experience with a similar program, identify academic experience, and/or experience with similar populations. Identify the training and support the team will receive to implement and evaluate the model with fidelity.

Design Team:

Eurmon Hervey Jr., Ed.D., National Vice President and Superintendent of Schools: Eurmon Hervey joined Catapult Learning in August 2013 and serves as National Vice President and Superintendent of Schools for Catapult Academy. An accomplished educational executive with a comprehensive blend of nonprofit, government, and academic management experience, Dr. Hervey has served in senior leadership positions in colleges and universities throughout the mid‐Atlantic and Southern regions. In Washington DC, Dr. Hervey served as Assistant State Superintendent and Deputy Chief State School Officer, where he worked directly with District of Columbia Public Schools. Dr. Hervey holds a doctorate in education from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, and a master’s degree in education from Harvard University. He also received two degrees in pure mathematics: a

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master’s degree from Clark Atlanta University, and a bachelor’s degree from Edward Waters College. Most recently Dr. Hervey served as the Chairman of the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network.

Julie Greer, Senior Vice President for Catapult Academy Programs: Julie Greer works with Catapult regional and corporate departments to enable the development and execution of plans that result in the timely and effective establishment of new Catapult operating programs. She also serves as a liaison between and among regions and support departments to promulgate best practices to ensure the efficient setup of replicable programs throughout the country.

Virginia Carr, Vice President of Education: While at Catapult Learning, Virginia directed Catapult Learning’s initial development of a blended learning model and subsequent modifications as required, through our experience with this approach and as new research helped us to shape the model as we apply it today in Catapult Academy.

Kristen E. Campbell, Senior Vice President, Strategy & Product Management: Kristen Campbell joined Catapult Learning in February 2011 and currently serves as Senior Vice President for Strategy & Product Management. Kristen is charged with driving the continuous improvement of Catapult Learning programs with the goal of bringing to market innovative products for students and educators with a focus on exceptional user experience. In this role, Kristen oversees Catapult’s product development, marketing, and research & evaluation teams. Prior to joining Catapult Learning, Kristen spent six years with Kaplan, Inc.’s Pre‐College/K‐12 business unit, leading strategy and product marketing efforts. She began her career in equity research at Salomon Smith Barney and SoundView Technology Group, where she focused on software and Internet infrastructure companies. Kristen holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from The College of William & Mary and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Andrew Ordover, Ed.D., Vice President for Curriculum Development: Andrew has worked with Catapult Learning since 2012. Prior to joining Catapult, Andrew worked as Director of Academic Quality for the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development and as Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction and Director of Academics/Director of Sales Support and Training for Kaplan Learning

Sean McGrew, Ph.D., Vice President of Assessment and Evaluation: Sean has worked with Catapult Learning since 2010, as Vice President of Technology and Assessment, and Vice President of Assessment, Research and Evaluation and Director of Research and Evaluation. Prior to joining Catapult, Sean was Director of School Innovation and Best Practices for the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of Accountability.

Meg Roe, Vice President of Marketing: Meg Roe develops and implements marketing strategies and specific programs to support Catapult Learning’s efforts to increase market share in the public school market. Meg is responsible for stewardship for the corporate brands and delivering consistent and effective product messaging that resonates with our customers.

Diane Rymer, Vice President of Professional Development: Diane joined Catapult Learning in 2011 and currently works as Vice President of Professional Development. Prior to joining Catapult Learning, Diane was Supervisor of Professional Development for Baltimore City Schools.

Beverly Bujanowski, Human Resources Manager: Beverly has worked as Human Resources Manager for Catapult Learning since 2010. Prior to joining Catapult Learning, Beverly worked in Human Resources for the Numoda Corporation and The CBI Group.

Joe McNamara, Director of Accounting / Corporate Controller: Joe is responsible for the fiscal controls and financial reporting for existing Catapult Academy sites.

Daniel Piotrowski, Director of New Programs Development: Daniel joined Catapult Learning in 2014. Prior to Catapult Learning, Daniel worked for the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of

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Accountability in several roles, including Director, Performance Targets & Data Analysis, which monitored and evaluated traditional, charter and alternative schools.

Executive Leadership:

Stuart Udell, Chief Executive Officer: Stuart Udell has served as Chief Executive Officer of Catapult Learning since 2010. Stuart has spent the last twelve years as a board member of The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (part of Clemson University), which he formerly chaired. Prior to joining Catapult Learning, Stuart was Chief Executive Officer of online school operator Penn Foster, which he sold to The Princeton Review in what was named by Thomson Reuters as 2009 Private Equity Deal of the Year. He additionally spent eleven years at Kaplan, most recently as President of Kaplan K12 Learning Services. From 1997‐2001, Stuart helped drive Renaissance Learning’s rapid post‐IPO growth as President of its subsidiary School Renaissance Institute. He recently served on the board of directors of Renaissance Learning until the sale of the company this past spring. Stuart served several terms on the board of the Software and Information Industry Association, as well as its education division board. For his significant leadership contributions in education, Stuart was honored by the I Have a Dream Foundation in 2011 and was inducted into his own school district’s Hall of Fame in 2012. Stuart has an MBA from Columbia University and a BS from Bucknell University.

Al De Seta, President: Al De Seta joined Catapult Learning as President in January 2014 and brings more than twenty years of operating and investing experience in education, technology, and information companies. Before joining Catapult Learning, Al served as Dean and Executive Director of the University of Phoenix’s continuing education division. Prior to that role, Al served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Penn Foster. He also held leadership positions at several other companies, including: President of the K‐12 market at ProQuest; Group President of WRC Media; and Chief Executive Officer of Primedia Reference, where he managed well‐known online and print brands including Weekly Reader and World Almanac. Al began his career as an electrical engineer at AT&T Bell Labs. He holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and an MBA from New York University. Al is currently a General Partner in the Mid‐Atlantic Angel Fund and serves on the advisory board for the College of Engineering at NJIT.

Anthony L. Manley, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer: Anthony Manley joined Catapult Learning in January 2011 and currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In this capacity, Anthony is charged with leading Catapult’s field operations team and the non‐public school sales team. Anthony brings extensive experience running diversified educational services businesses, managing sales organizations, and building online products. Prior to joining Catapult, Anthony spent more than eight years with Kaplan, Inc., where he served in numerous senior management roles, including General Manager of its K‐12/Pre‐College business unit. Prior to that role, he worked for Columbia University’s Teachers College, where he helped pioneer web‐based professional development and support for teachers. Anthony holds a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University. Anthony currently serves on the boards of Harlem Prep Elementary and Middle charter schools in New York City.

Nick Bates, Chief Financial Officer: Nick Bates joined Catapult Learning in September 2010 and serves as Chief Financial Officer. In his role, Nick oversees corporate finance, general accounting, budgeting and forecasting, and procurement. Since joining Catapult Learning in 2010, Nick has been instrumental in overseeing the financial diligence and integration of Catapult Learning’s four

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acquisitions over the past three years. He also has been pivotal in driving operational improvements in the business and managing the company’s banking and investor relations. Previously, Nick served as Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at MedQuist, a NASDAQ‐listed medical transcription company. Nick holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Rutgers University.

Matt Given, Chief Development Officer: Matt Given joined Catapult Learning in January 2014 as Chief Development Officer overseeing the company’s public school sales efforts. During his sixteen‐year career in education, Matt has held numerous leadership positions in educational services, including executive positions at Kaplan Test Preparation and Kaplan Virtual Education. Over the past ten years, his work has focused on business and corporate development, as well as marketing and government relations. Prior to joining Catapult Learning, Matt was Chief Development Officer for EdisonLearning, where he directed the company’s sales, marketing, government affairs, and corporate partnership efforts. In this role, he also spoke frequently on educational policy, including Congressional testimony regarding the re‐authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act at a full committee hearing of the House Education and Workforce Committee and lectures on educational policy at Tufts University. He has also co‐authored two scientific publications, focusing on pain management in the field of behavioral therapy. Matt holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Georgia.

Liza Wolf, Esq., General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer: Liza Wolf, Esq., joined Catapult Learning in August 2013 and serves as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. Liza brings to Catapult Learning’s senior management team more than twenty years of experience in both corporations and large law firms. Prior to joining Catapult Learning, she served as Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President for Blue Sky Power, LLC, a clean energy development company based in Haddonfield, New Jersey. In this role, she worked with the CEO and the Chief Development Officer to develop the strategic, legal, and corporate direction for the company and managed its legal and finance issues. Previously, Liza was a Partner in the Business Law Group at Cozen O’Connor, where she counseled and represented underwriters, energy and utility companies, healthcare institutions, higher education facilities, and state and local governments, and an Associate in the corporate department at Wolf, Block, Schorr & Solis‐Cohen of Philadelphia. She was profiled in South Jersey Biz Magazine’s “2013 Women to Watch” issue and featured as one of New Jersey’s “2012 Best 50 Women in Business” by NJBIZ. Admitted to practice law in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, Liza received her Juris Doctor degree from Emory University School of Law and her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Union College.

Role in Proposal Development

Q. Describe how the design team was formed, how frequently the design team meets, and how members collaborate with one another. Detail each design team member’s contributions to the proposal and each member’s proposed role in the school. Cite any advisors or consultants external to the founding group, and define their contributions to the development of the proposal, including their relevant experience and qualifications.

The Design Team was formed in early 2014 under the leadership of Virginia Carr, Vice President of Education, and Kristen Campbell, Senior Vice President for Strategy and Product Development. The initial task of the team was to elaborate and adapt the existing Catapult Academy model to meet the needs of other areas of the country. Ms. Carr and Ms. Campbell soon assembled the current design team, holding bi‐weekly strategy, priorities, and organizational meetings. The group focuses on two main categories: designing solutions for existing issues in Catapult Academy sites and developing protocols and best practices for potential new sites.

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This conference call meeting structure allows for the group to focus on key issues on specific topics such as curriculum, technology, or facilities from meeting to meeting. It also creates a dialog among various departments and stakeholders as well as providing a forum for the Catapult Academy operators to connect with support from our corporate support staff.

Resumes are attached as Appendix 2.2.A for all individuals listed as Oversight Committee, Design Team, or Dedicated Corporate Support.

b. Academic Track Record Serving Similar Student Populations Q. Provide evidence demonstrating that the design team – whether an existing Chicago operator, existing national operator, or a new operator – has a proven track record of success driving academic achievement and growth for students similar to those the school expects to serve. Provide evidence demonstrating that the design team has successful experience meeting the social‐emotional needs of a similar student population. For applicants that have no experience with a similar student population, provide evidence demonstrating success, and academic performance for the student population they currently serve (e.g. student growth on any national normed assessment product, attendance rate, dropout rate, graduation rate).

Existing national operators

Operators who currently manage schools outside of Chicago will be evaluated based on their current and historical performance. Applicants must provide evidence that the proposed model has driven academic achievement and growth among similar student populations.

Catapult Learning operates 22 dropout prevention & recovery centers throughout the country, including:

Catapult Academy Dropout Recovery Programs (FL & GA): 19 sites

Catapult Career Starters Programs (MD & NJ): 3 sites

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Grand Total (1,723 students) 12 962 271 25 451

Percentage 1% 56% 16% 1% 26%

Academic Data

In Table 6 below, CPS has identified two required categories of data that must be submitted for every high school in the network: � Criterion I – Student academic growth � Criterion II – Student behavior metrics Tables 6 outlines options for specific metrics and data sources that meet the data requirements for high schools. Any data submitted by the applicant that is unverifiable (i.e., not from a third‐party source) will not be considered by evaluators.

Data will be made available for the 2014‐15 school year.

Closed Schools

Provide a list of every school that the operator has managed that has closed and/or is in the process of phasing out. For these schools, provide a brief explanation of why the school closed, and include the name and contact information for the authorizer for each closed school. (Note: failure to list schools or campuses that have closed or are phasing out will be taken into account by evaluators in their review of the proposal.)

Gadsden County Public Schools: Catapult Learning acquired the existing contract of Drop Back In Academy in Gadsden County, Florida in January, 2014. At that time, the Gadsden County Board of Education consented to allow Catapult Academy to operate only through the end of the contract which expired on June 30, 2014. The board stated that it did not wish to continue the program into future years. Sites were closed as a result.

Orange County Public Schools: Catapult Learning acquired the existing contract of Drop Back In Academy in Orange County, Florida in January, 2014. Consent was given for Catapult Academy to operate in the existing sites through the end of the contract year which expired on June 30, 2014. Orange County Public Schools has assumed responsibility for running the DBI program and sites were either rebranded or closed as a result.

c. School Leadership

Structure

Q. Briefly describe the proposed instructional leadership structure.

The instructional leadership structure for Catapult Academy is the Principal and the Academic Coordinator. Working closely together, they will monitor the instruction program by reviewing lesson plans, observing classroom instruction on a regular basis, conferencing with staff and carefully analyzing assessment data related to student academic performance. In addition, they will develop and implement appropriate staff development in a timely and effective manner. They will also project a supportive professional image to assist in establishing and maintaining an environment conducive to creating a positive teaching and learning experience for both students and teachers.

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Selecting Instructional Leaders

Q. If school leader(s) have been identified, provide the criteria used to select the proposed leader(s), including skills, qualifications, and characteristics. If school leadership has not been identified, describe the criteria that will be used to select the proposed leader(s), provide a timeline for identifying school leader(s), and specify whether past leadership experience is a requirement. For ALOP programs and contract schools, the school leader(s) must have a Type 75. In addition to holding a Type 75, ALOP and contract school leaders must be certified by ISBE as teacher evaluators in order to comply with PERA.

The Catapult Academy recruitment for school principal focuses on educators with at least a master’s degree who have experience in school leadership and an understanding of the student population we serve. This also includes a strong background in technology based classrooms and a Type 75 certificate as well as being certified by ISBE as a teacher evaluator.

Of the many challenges schools, and especially start up schools, confront, one of the most critical is securing the school leader. Catapult Academy believes identifying the best educational leader for a small alternative high school is essential to the success of the entire school. In the Catapult Academy small school setting the principal must understand and completely support the mission and beliefs shared in this application. The principal must have skill sets that encompass understanding strategies that work with our target population as well as the latest research and implementation of best practices to meet student’s needs.

The principal must possess the ability to communicate effectively with all stakeholders and have an appreciation and respect for the diversity of individuals. Above all the principal must be ethical and exemplify the highest professional standards in all actions. As the educational leader of the school, the principal sets the climate, expectations and morale for the entire school.

The academic coordinator will be working very closely with the principal to ensure implementation of high performance program offerings that maximize student opportunities. Therefore the academic coordinator should be a certified teacher with at least 5 years of direct classroom experience and at least 2 years of educational management in addition to a strong background in using technology in the classroom. The management experience should include direct supervision of teachers and paraprofessionals, organization of staff meeting and professional development, teacher observations and a proven track record of problem solving skills.

Timeline: The principal will be hired 10 weeks prior to the first day of school. The academic coordinator will be hired 7 weeks prior to the first day of school. Recruiting for the positions will begin 8 weeks prior to the hire date.

Experience

Q. If school leadership has been identified, provide evidence of each proposed leader’s success in driving achievement with a similar student population. If any of the proposed school leader(s) do not have leadership experience in a school, cite any school leadership programs or fellowships that they have completed or will complete prior to school opening. Specify the experience and successful student outcomes that instructional leader(s) have had with blended and/or online learning. At least one of the instructional leader(s) has experience implementing with high levels of success blended and/or online learning in a school setting.

Catapult Academy already has a strong background in recruiting school leadership. To date, Catapult Academy has hired 4 school principals. These principals have been with Catapult Academy for an average of 3 years with no turnover. In some of the cases the current school principal started with Catapult

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Academy as a school counselor and has moved through the ranks to school principal. A variety of tools are utilized in our recruitment, including, advertising in local newspapers, contacting local colleges and professional organizations, Internet postings, and recommendations from other educators. Since Catapult Academy is a blending learning school, a strong emphasis is placed on online learning experience for the principal.

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2.3 Educational Goals and Assessment Plan

a. Educational Goals and Metrics Q. Identify academic, non‐academic, and mission‐specific goals and metrics for the proposed school or program. Include a table that details the school’s quantifiable goals, including targeted assessment scores, attendance levels, and additional metrics for each of its first five years of operation. Include goals for graduation rates, leading indicators (e.g., freshman on track), college acceptance and persistence rate, as well as goals related to post‐secondary opportunity readiness. Sample goals and metrics tables are provided in Appendix 2. Describe how your design team determined these goals and why these goalsare appropriate for the school’s intended population. What are the metrics of success for the blended learning components of the educational model?

Metric 2016‐17

2017‐18 2018‐19 2019‐20 2020‐21

Skill Growth (Reading)

Percent of students who meet their individual growth targets (set by student grade and incoming score) on STAR Reading growth assessment during the Fall to Winter and Winter to Spring testing windows.

Skill Growth

(Math)

Percent of students who meet their individual growth targets (set by student grade and incoming score) on STAR Math growth assessment during the Fall to Winter and Winter to Spring testing windows.

One‐Year Graduation

Rate

Percent of stable* graduation‐eligible students who graduate during a given school year

Credit

Attainment

Percent of students who earn the total possible credits at their school of enrollment during a given marking period

Average Daily Attendance

Percent of days attended by students enrolled at the school

Growth in Attendance

Percent of stable* students that show an improvement (growth) in their individual daily attendance rate compared to their individual daily attendance rate in the previous schoolyear or maintain at least a 90% attendance rate

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Annual Stabilization

Rate

Percent of stable* students who are enrolled at the end of the school year

Climate & Culture

Satisfaction survey of students, parents and staff

College/Career Readiness

Percent of eligible students who are employed, have applied for post‐secondary education/training, or have enlisted in the military by graduation

The proposal specifies metrics of success for the blended learning components of the educational model.

The blended model as a whole will be considered successful to the extent that the overall goals are met. Additionally, two streams of data will be analyzed to inform the evaluation of the technology‐enabled portions: student feedback and the correlation between the within‐technology measures of progress (within‐program assessments and course completion) and external measures of success (state and third‐party assessments, persistence, degree attainment, post‐secondary enrollment and employment.) To the extent that indicators of academic success built into the online portions correlate highly with external measures of success, and students report that the technology tools are engaging and helpful, the blended learning components will be considered successful.

b. Student Assessment Plan

Assessment Plan

Q. Explain how the school will assess the progress of individual students, student cohorts, and the school as a whole on the metrics identified in Section 2.3.a. Educational Goals and Metrics, over the course of the five‐year contract. Create a table that details specific diagnostic, benchmark/interim, and summative assessments that will be used for each grade level – including the local and state required assessments – and specify the timing of their administration (See Appendix 3 for sample Assessment Tables).

Student assessment and testing will be administered throughout the academic year in accordance with district and state requirements, to improve the instructional program, assess the progress of individual students in relation to standards, and assess the progress of the students within the online curriculum. Teachers and staff will regularly monitor progress of their students and adjust any expectations or conduct conferences to determine interventions and remediation that may be needed to keep the student on track. Specific details of our assessment program are described in full below.

All students enrolled in the Catapult Academy program will be required to take the same state‐ required or district‐required tests administered in all CPS. All Catapult Academy teachers receive intensive training in test‐taking strategies and supplemental materials to help prepare their students for these exams. Teachers learn how to work within a specific test‐readiness instructional model that helps students learn and practice strategies for mathematics and language arts tests, and guides students through a process of analyzing their own work to understand and correct errors. Students get access to study guides, sample tests, and other print and online materials to practice strategies and gain confidence.

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c. Data-Driven Programs and Instruction Q. Describe how instructional leaders and teachers will collect and analyze the results of diagnostic, formative, benchmark/interim, and summative assessments to inform instruction, curricula, professional development, and other school supports. Explain the roles and responsibilities of the instructional leadership team in overseeing teachers’ analysis of student data. Describe the formalized supports that will enable teachers to reflect on student progress and adjust their instruction accordingly. If proposing a blended learning model, specify within the response how: Student information and assessment results will be shared and compared across different digital learning programs, and learning management systems Teachers will examine assessment results and data from automated and teacher‐led online learning to inform their instructional practices The school will monitor the school’s fidelity in implementing automated digital learning products according to the benchmarks and specifications set by the vendors

Catapult Academy implements a core curriculum for students that is evidence based and which emphasizes Literacy (reading, writing, oral expression), Mathematics (computation and problem solving), and Science (biological and physical sciences). A critical element is the periodic gauging of student academic performance through formative assessments and other measures to adjust instruction to support all learners regardless of their skill levels. In addition, Catapult Academy conducts periodic assessments of teacher performance to insure that the curriculum and content is being taught with fidelity. The results of these assessments are shared among faculty using a process developed at Harvard by Dr. Richard Elmore known as Instructional Rounds. This process involves everyone in the learning community in examining what is happening with instruction in classrooms, how instruction is working, and what is needed to improve.

Recognizing areas of strength and weakness in a timely manner is vital to making sure students have enough instructional time and practice to solidify their understanding before reassessment occurs. If a student should need multiple specialized plans, such as Progress Monitoring Plans, Individual ELL Plans, Educational Plans for Gifted Students, or Individual Education Plans for SPED Students, members of committees will overlap so that communication among members and alignment of plans can be ensured.

Using ongoing assessments, Catapult Academy determines the barriers that prevent learning and modifies instruction accordingly. Student barriers leading to academic failure in Catapult Academy students may include an existing or identified disability, insufficient, or inadequate instruction, poor attendance, limited academic engagement, emotional or behavioral concerns, limited opportunities for developmental enrichment, and/or limited English proficiency.

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The eight components that makeup this framework for providing services and intervention to students are based on:

The Catapult Academy framework provides the essential elements to inform programmatic and instructional decisions and make adjustments to curricula, professional development, and other school components. It is this continuous examination of what is working for students and how to better provide what works that is at the foundation of continuous improvement. Program and instructional decisions cannot be made without understanding student performance and needs, which in turn impacts decisions regarding effective staff development and program implementation.

At Catapult Academy, baseline assessment allows the school to identify a student’s needs. The modifications to the instruction in the classroom to meet the student’s needs are represented through the data‐driven instruction. The innovative instructional methods, utilizing research‐based instructional strategies, enhance the student’s opportunity to learn the specific skills identified. This includes creating a written plan to communicate the goals to the student. The ongoing classroom assessment of specific skills within the curriculum maps reports the progress of the student. The grading and reporting of the student’s progress to the student demonstrates timely and specific feedback that is necessary to positively impact growth. Finally, the decision to remediate, accelerate, and/or continue to the next objective is made based on the student’s performance. Ultimately the result of this process is truly individualized instruction that meets students’ needs.

The student data from formative and summative assessments will be used to examine what is working for individual students, as well as what is working in the classroom, and what is working for the school. Instructors will meet weekly to examine the latest data and determine what adjustments are needed to help individual students succeed. Adjustments may be as simple as re‐teaching a concept or skill; providing professional development; using a different instructional strategy or approach; providing social/emotional support for the student and/or family; changing the student’s schedule; or providing additional tutoring. Having student data to examine is crucial to determining initial class placement and instructional strategies of Catapult students. Each student’s educational plan must reflect his needs…if the plan incorporates elements beyond or below his skill level, the likelihood of success is greatly diminished. Catapult Academy staff understands this reality and focus on ensuring each student is placed based on real needs.

Catapult Academy instructional staff is involved in the process of compiling student information from previous schools as well as administering pre‐ and post‐tests. Our staff routinely meets to review information and plan instruction to meet student needs and cover Illinois State Standards. This constant sharing of information, re‐ assessment of student performance and focus on the instructional calendar allows the staff to plan and make instructional recommendations and decisions based on where the student’s performance is, what the performance goal is, and how we can help the student reach that goal. This sharing of information allows instructors to focus on general needs across the curriculum to reinforce

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concepts or skills that are weak. Consideration and planning will also be done to provide enrichment strategies and learning strategies for students who have already mastered skills.

2.4 Curriculum and Instruction

a. Curriculum In order to receive a full approval to open, applicants must submit a curriculum for all subjects and grade levels served in its first year operation, as well as a complete scope and sequence for all subjects and grade levels served in the five years of the contract. For an approval with conditions, applicants may submit a sample full curriculum for one grade level in all core subject areas, as well as a timeline for developing a complete curriculum in the planning year (with deadlines for curriculum maps and unit plans).

Curricula Selection and Supports

Q. Provide a brief description of the proposed curricula and supporting materials for each subject, and outline the rationale for curriculum development or selection decisions. How will the proposed curricula further the mission of the school? Explain how teachers will know what to teach, and when to teach it. Explain what curricular resources (e.g., curriculum maps, scope and sequences, pacing guides), and dedicated professional development will be provided to help teachers implement the curriculum. If an ALOP program, provide a sample curriculum map that specifically demonstrates how student learnin will be accelerated while still filling learning gaps. Include a description of how your curriculum will accommodate students entering outside of traditional enrollment periods. Discuss whether content for the school’s blended learning program will come from commercial vendors, open sources, and/or developed in‐house. If a particular content provider has been selected, explain the rationale for why that provider was selected, compared to other vendors. Address any due diligence conducted in the selection process.

ONLINE CURRICULUM FOR CORE ACADEMICS

Catapult Learning has engaged in extensive research to select first‐rate, best‐in‐class online curriculum for use in the Catapult Academy—curriculum that is truly aligned to the Illinois state and Common Core State Standards (aligned by topic, but more importantly, written in the spirit of the standards); that provides engaging and meaningful interactivity for the student; that contains clear and helpful pacing, but allows for the flexibility of approach that makes online learning more personalized and differentiated; and that provides for real student‐teacher conversation and collaboration. We have elected to work with Apex Learning for core academic courses because of the quality and rigor of their curriculum, the multi‐modal nature of their instruction, the ease and functionality of their courseware, the levels and types of student‐driven supports built into the system, and the quality of student‐teacher interactivity built into the system.

It is important to us, and critical to our school mission, that all students have access to curriculum and instruction that is rigorous and engaging, whether those students are working fully online, in a blended environment, or in a traditional classroom. The fact that some students have not thrived in a traditional environment does not excuse a school from delivering high‐quality instruction to, or expecting high levels of performance from, those students. Among the providers of online core curriculum, we found Apex’s offerings to be as rigorous, challenging, and engaging as any traditional curriculum we would expect to see in a first‐rate, traditional school, with the added benefits of technology‐enabled differentiation and multi‐modal delivery of information.

Apex’s Illinois state and Common Core‐aligned curriculum satisfies all of the standards for quality online courses identified by iNACOL, the international online learning consortium. We feel that Apex’s curriculum, taught by subject‐area specialists certified by the state of Illinois, combined with the additional academic

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and social supports provided by our on‐site staff, ensure that even our most vulnerable and challenged students can be successful in a rigorous high school program.

SUPPLEMENTAL CURRICULUM RESOURCES

To meet various Illinois state requirements not addressed within the online curriculum, Catapult will select print resources to be used as stand‐alone modules during small‐group instruction sessions at the school site, and will provide training to onsite teachers to ensure they are competent to provide instruction of those materials. Our process for selecting these materials will be discussed below, under “Curriculum Development Plan.”

Students seeking to take Advanced Placement courses or elective courses not offered by Apex Learning will work with school counselors and the leadership team to determine which online courses are available to meet their needs, of high enough quality to be included in our program, and affordable for the school.

PROPRIETARY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS

Because we know that students looking for alternatives to traditional schooling have faced challenges that may have set them behind their age cohorts in acquiring foundational academic skills, Catapult Learning provides its proprietary reading and math intervention curriculum and programs to each Catapult Academy site, including AchieveReading Flex and AchieveMath High School Readiness. These materials will be used during small‐group instruction to provide targeted, effective remediation and re‐teaching to those students who need it.

AchieveReading Flex Overview. Students in the early high school grades who need support on middle‐grade skills (or even more foundational skills) will make use of our AchieveReading Flex program. The AchieveReading Flex program design draws upon current research indicating that instruction that is systematic (progressive in scope and sequence), intensive (providing an instructional sequence that includes direct instruction, guided practice and independent practice) and explicit (carefully articulated instruction in target skills) is highly effective in addressing the needs of at‐risk students who are struggling academically. In AchieveReading Flex, our teachers guide students through carefully scaffolded lessons that include direct instruction, modeling and guided practice, as well as independent practice and application activities. Our model provides a proven solution to address students’ academic needs in a highly effective and efficient manner. Incorporating research‐based strategies to enhance language acquisition and literacy for reading, this program combines personalized instruction, diagnostic/prescriptive learning, student motivation and parent involvement. Each lesson includes direct instruction in the areas identified by the National Reading Panel as critical to effective reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. AchieveReading Flex is also aligned to state and national standards. Working in collaboration with a major publisher of supplemental educational materials, Catapult Learning’s Curriculum Development team created three customized anthologies. Each anthology is aimed at students who are reading at different levels. The text selections are both narrative and expository text, including decodable text and literature‐based selections, and range from selections that are intended to be read in a single session to selections that are to be read over several sessions. These selections represent cultural and economic diversity and vary by topic, focus, genre, style and format.

AchieveReading High School Overview. High school students needing targeted support to successfully complete their grade‐level English courses will make use of our AchieveReading High School program. AchieveReading High School is constructed to provide intensive, skills‐

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focused support to students who are struggling with grade‐level text in their English class and in the other content areas. Using an anthology developed specifically for the program, students will read a variety of informational and literary texts, including five literary selections identified as exemplars of complex, rich texts. The anthology also includes other selections of literature, science, history, and topics of general interest. Each text is selected to emphasize a particular, discrete sub‐skill of reading comprehension, aligned with specific college and career ready standards for Reading Literary (RL) or Reading Informational (RI) texts. Lessons are aligned to both levels of high school standards and include text‐based questions and student activities aimed at both the 9‐10 level and the 11‐12 level, allowing this program to be used effectively with any high school student and even with mixed‐age groups. Reading and writing lessons are provided for each text selection. In each lesson, teachers provide direct instruction including explicit modeling of a skill through demonstrations and Think‐Alouds, gradually leading students into more independent practice. This instruction is accomplished within the instructional framework of a Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA), during which students apply the focus skill as part of textual analysis and discussion. Each text‐based reading lesson is paired with a writing lesson, giving students the opportunity to hone their skills in crafting expository, argumentative, and narrative paragraphs. Each writing response requires detailed evidence from the reading text, as emphasized in the Common Core, and each writing lesson also includes a detailed rubric for evaluating student writing, along with an annotated sample response to assist teachers in providing focused and timely feedback.

AchieveMath High School Readiness Overview. To provide on‐site support to high school students in mathematics, our teachers have access to 100 lessons and instructional materials addressing foundational skills gaps that may reach all the way back into the upper elementary grades. Teachers have access to an additional set of lessons reaching all the way back to Kindergarten, aligned to the Required Fluencies in mathematics as defined by the Common Core State Standards. Students do not work out of workbooks and need not fear using “babyish” materials designed for lower levels; all work is done in small groups, with hands‐on activities using a variety of math manipulatives and making use of dry‐erase boards to perform sums and share work. The program builds both skills and confidence, helping students solidify conceptual understanding and connect foundational knowledge to new material. Teachers provide explicit and systematic instruction, reaching aback as far as necessary, given the needs of each group, and working on the pre‐requisite skills most essential for success in Algebra I, Geometry I, and other early high school math courses

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Mapping for Success. The design team has mapped the core academic curriculum to ensure that all state graduation requirements are met, that students are well prepared for their standardized tests, both those aligned to the Common Core and those required for college entrance, and that ample space in the schedule is included for online or onsite elective courses, health and physical education courses, and Advanced Placement courses, as needed to meet the goals of a diverse student population.

In addition, our mapping of the core academic curriculum takes advantage of the flexible nature of online learning to create larger pacing goals, while still allowing for customization to meet the individual needs of students. Some students may find English courses easier to complete and math courses more challenging—or vice versa. All students will be encouraged to work at a healthy and rigorous pace, but they will not be required to work at the same pace for all courses, as they would be in a traditional high school. As you will see from the curriculum maps provided, subject areas in which the state does not require four years of courses for graduation allow us to build in flexibility around completion. For example, the World History course mapped to grade 9 can be completed over the course of two years if counselors feel that this would

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lighten a student’s load and allow him more time to complete required English and math courses, and so on.

Supplemental Resources. The design team will augment the core curriculum with additional resources to meet the needs of state requirements and individual students. As an example of the former issue, the online course in American History does not include material on the Illinois state constitution or the role of women in Illinois state history, and has only limited coverage of topics such as the Irish famine and the roles of consumers interacting with agriculture. The design team will augment the history curriculum with print resources to ensure that students receive instruction fully in keeping with state requirements. As an example of meeting the needs of individual students, short and longer readings outside of the English curriculum will be provided, to be chosen by students as part of onsite “literature circle” activities, so that students can have opportunities to read materials aligned with their personal and/or career interests.

Research Base

Q. Provide evidence that the proposed curricula are research‐based and have been effective with students similar to those the school expects to serve. Also include a brief description of how these curricula will accelerate student learning to bring and/or keep students on track for college and post‐ secondary career readiness, highlighting any backwards‐planning efforts, if relevant. If proposing an innovative educational model, present evidence, and/or a rationale for why your design team believes the educational model will drive student success with the targeted student population.

For details on the development philosophy and research base behind Apex Learning’s online curriculum, please refer to the white paper entitled, “Research Put into Practice: Apex Learning Curriculum & Pedagogy,” attached here as Appendix 2.4.A for this question.

Curriculum Refinement

Q. Once the school is in operation, what is the process that the school will use to further develop the school’s curriculum? Describe the procedures that school leaders and teachers will use to evaluate, review, and revise the curricula to ensure its continued effectiveness in driving academic achievement and growth for all students, its alignment to state standards, Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core State Standards, and/or College Readiness Standards. Describe how you will ensure alignment across grade levels.

In the late spring of every school year, continuing into the summer months, the Design Team will use the data available in the learning management system and the student information system to review student performance data on each of the core curriculum courses, including: actual vs. planned pacing; student grades on computer‐ and teacher‐scored assignments; communication logs between teachers and students; and teacher and student feedback. The Team will use this data to make any necessary or advisable adjustments to the curriculum, including such things as raising or lowering the overall workload; adjusting the ratio of computer‐ and teacher‐scored assignments; providing supplemental print resources to augment the online course; or providing additional remediation resources to help students who may be struggling with on‐grade‐level or foundational materials.

b. Instructional Strategies

Approach

Q. Describe the instructional strategies that will be implemented at the proposed school to support the education plan. Explain how the proposed instructional strategies support the proposed mission, vision, and educational philosophy of the school. Highlight evidence that the proposed instructional strategies are research‐based and have been effective with students similar to those the school expects to serve.

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c. Specialized Instruction Q. Describe how the curriculum/educational program of the proposed school will meet the needs of all enrolled students, including diverse learners and students who are English Learners (ELs). Describe how the school or program will provide a continuum of services for students with mild, moderate, and severe disabilities, in the least restrictive environment (LRE) possible. Explain what adjustments to curricula, and instructional programs/practices, the school will make to accommodate these students. How will the school monitor and evaluate the progress of diverse learners to ensure the attainment of each student’s goals as set forth in the Individualized Education Program (IEP)? What actions will the faculty take prior to changing a student’s LRE and/or IEP? How will the program identify or discontinue special education supports and services for individual students? If proposing a blended learning model: Describe the capacity of the on‐line courses to implement accommodations and modifications required by students’ IEPs. English Learners (EL): Explain how the proposed school or program, will meet the needs of EL students, including providing curricula and instructional programs/practices to ensure equitable access to the core academic program. How will the school identify students who need EL services? How will school leadership monitor the provision of EL services, and ensure that supports are implemented properly? What are the exit criteria for measuring student progress in EL programs?

All students can benefit from the Catapult Academy educational model, including exceptional students, students who enter the school below grade level, students living in at‐risk situations, ELL students, and students with disabilities.

IDEA will be implemented at Catapult Academy as instruction for students with disabilities that can be successfully achieved and increase educational performance of these students. It calls for our education program to prepare these students to:

Catapult Academy students with disabilities and IEPs, ELLs and homeless students will have access to all necessary coursework with scheduling accommodations to meet individual needs. Catapult Academy staff will assist these students and their families in reaching out to community service agencies and resources that can assist with or provide any particular services the student and family may have. Further Catapult Academy social workers will work with Catapult staff to ensure they understand the needs of Catapult population students and families.

Catapult Academy is committed to serving the needs of all eligible students regardless of their circumstances. We are committed to protecting their rights under Federal and State law.

d. School Calendar/Schedule

Overview

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Student’s Daily Schedule: Describe how a typical student’s day will be structured. In addition to daily classes, reference any time spent in elective courses, advisories, receiving social‐emotional supports, after‐school activities, etc. The proposal specifies the percentage of time students will engage in learning through digital mediums and provides a clear rationale for designating that percentage of time.

The attached Student Calendar provides a look at a week of instruction. The non‐credit courses are scheduled on a rotating basis across the week along with Test Prep, the Transitions Curriculum, and classroom integrated projects. In addition the student schedule also indicates subject rotations during direct instruction classes.

The “Transitions Curriculum” addresses three self‐management areas in a three –volume kit; Personal Management, Career Management and Life Management . This curriculum is currently used by Catapult Academy. Students and teachers alike have expressed high satisfaction with the content. Teacher Guides, Teacher‐developed lessons, Reproducible handouts, CD and Black line masters comprise the Kit.

. With proven test‐taking strategies,

research‐based and specifically designed to help for students, timed‐practice tests, and “Detailed Smart Reports” that track student progress, students gain a thorough understanding and preparation for the test.

Direct instruction for students is provided for 40% of the school day and computer instruction is 60% of the day. A combination of on‐site certified ELA and Math teachers tutor students individually and in small groups, and monitor students during online instruction. This provided students with access to instructional assistance across the entire school day. In addition, appropriately subject certified virtual teachers provide online coursework. Communication between these teachers and students also takes place individually and with entire groups. Virtual teachers also conduct scheduled “office” hours as needed and requested by students.

While students work individually and independently at their core academic courses online, students are also divided into “houses” upon acceptance into the Academy based on their instructional intervention needs. Students are encouraged, early in the program, to give their house a name and an identity to help build community within the school. Each house will have a staff advisor to lead and guide students through their school experience. Students will meet within their houses for academic intervention support, life‐skills activities and discussions, and other collaborative activities. We can structure our open and close time to maximize transportation efficiency.

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The table below represents the minimum staffing for each site. As sites increase enrollment, additional positions in specific line items (those marked with *) will be

added.

Custodians

Security

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IT Support

Custodians

Security

*These full time positions will be determined by enrollment.

For every position, the Principal will attempt to interview at least three candidates. The position will be offered to the individual that best fulfills position requirements with preference for minority candidates. Records check compliance of all staff including substitutes following all policies and procedures of Chicago Public Schools. Copies of complete personnel documentation substantiating employees' qualifications will be obtained prior to the employee's starting date and reviewed by human resource staff.

Compensation

Q. Discuss the proposed salary ranges and benefits (including pensions), listed in the attached budget, and explain any financial incentives or rewards that may be included in the compensation system. Explain how the salary and benefit plans will enable the school to compete with other schools to attract and retain high‐quality staff.

Catapult Learning offers a comprehensive employee benefits package to attract and retain high‐quality employees. Catapult Learning is an organization of dedicated people who know how exciting and rewarding it is to help children achieve. We are eager to have people join us whose training, skills and experience add to our ability to provide successful, research based instructional systems, great teaching, excellent support services, and strong partnerships with the schools we serve across the US. We emphasize flexible work schedules, small group teaching environments and high professional standards and will provide you the opportunity to grow with us and help students achieve beyond expectations.

Catapult Learning is an equal opportunity employer and conducts all business activities, including hiring, without regard to age, color, gender, disability, marital status, national origin, citizenship status, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, genetic information or other legally protected category.

b. Professional Development

Approach

Q. Describe the school’s goals and strategy for ongoing professional development (PD), including whole staff development, grade‐level/department/course teams, and instructional coaching. Explain how you will provide teachers with content‐specific PD, given the small teaching staff in Options schools. Describe whether the PD will be provided in‐house or if the school will engage with outside partners, such as the Office of Education Options at CPS. Identify the ways in which you will allow your teachers and leaders to collaborate within a larger community. What will the areas of emphasis be when developing this Professional Learning Community? Identify which staff members will be responsible for overseeing PD opportunities. If proposing a blended learning model, explain how PD will support teachers: � To effectively use technological instructional materials and resources, including how to blend online/digital teaching with in‐person instruction � To actively examine assessment results and data from digital and online learning, and use that data to inform their blended learning and in‐person instructional practices

Professional development opportunities will be provided each summer and throughout the school year, in live and online settings through the school’s learning management system. Catapult Academy will provide weekly training sessions on a variety of research‐based instructional methods, issues regarding data‐driven

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instruction and the personalization of learning, and updates on any legislative matters that may impact teaching or school leadership.

Initial Training. Annual summer teacher training will include orientation and training for school improvement planning, the student information system, child abuse recognition training, the code of ethics for professional educators, and classroom management.

Teachers of core curriculum courses will receive explicit training in the curriculum, the learning management system, the student information system, the basic principles of online learning, and specific communication and student‐management protocols and expectations as defined by school and Catapult leadership.

Onsite instructional staff will receive explicit training in a variety of techniques to support the work of the online teachers and provide targeted, individualized support to students either individually or in small‐group settings. Initial training and ongoing support will be provided on topics such as:

Ongoing Support. During the school year, staff training needs and opportunities will be identified according to analysis of student performance data, instructional observations as discussed above, and teacher requests. The school will design or select professional development programs based on the school’s needs, with input from administrators, staff, Catapult Learning’s professional development leaders, and the larger school community.

Data-driven planning

Q. Describe how the PD plan (including both internal and external PD opportunities) will be driven by data to improve teaching and learning, as well as school performance.

All Catapult Learning professional development programs, whether provided internally for our own programs and staff, or externally for school and district partners, are built in alignment with the Attributes of Exemplary Schools as defined in our Five‐Strand School Design, encompassing the areas of Leadership, Assessment for Learning, Pedagogy and Curriculum, Learning Environment, and Student and Family Support. Each attribute defining what an exemplary school looks like is broken down into key competencies that detail what school leaders or staff members do in order to bring the exemplary practice into existence. We have developed a detailed rubric showing the continuum of professional practice for each competency, from beginning to exemplary. We have professional development modules to support each of the attributes and competencies, and use a Collaborative Quality Analysis (CQA) process to determine which areas may require support.

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Program evaluation is and has been a hallmark of Catapult Learning’s services. Typically, our approach is to gather as much data as possible in order to obtain an unbiased and accurate picture of program effectiveness.

With regard to all services, it is also necessary to discover attitudes and perceptions about the program from all of the persons connected with the program. This includes feedback from the classroom teachers, principals, and the District.

In addition to an evaluation survey completed by each attendee following each seminar delivered, we survey principals regarding overall satisfaction during the school year. When information from these sources is analyzed, it is used for program enhancements or adjustments wherever necessary, thus furthering our goal of continuous improvement.

c. Teacher Induction Q. Describe the induction program for new and existing teachers. Discuss how this program will prepare teachers to deliver the proposed curriculum, utilize instructional strategies, and differentiate instruction. Include the number of hours/days of PD to be included in the induction program.

Throughout the year, new teachers have access to a network of support through our professional learning communities. A veteran teacher leads the professional learning communities at the school. The new teachers meet at least once a month with this master teacher to receive support and training and share best practices.

The Teacher Induction Program is designed to help first year teachers, educational specialists, newly‐hired experienced teachers, and those returning to the teaching profession after an extended period of absence, experience personal and professional success in working with students.

Catapult Learning has always recognized the need for and value of good orientation and training programs for our employees. Beginning teachers can benefit from the assistance, guidance and support which is available to them through our supervisory staff. Catapult Learning provides a Teacher Induction Program which offers a formalized structure for collegial support.

The Teacher Induction Program helps to identify and strengthen those skills brought to the profession by the teachers while developing those skills not part of their background and/or training. The Teacher Induction Program assists teachers in achieving a practical working command of what is known about how to teach effectively. This program is intended to be a cooperative, professional experience to increase teacher effectiveness and enhance students' learning.

Program Goals and Objectives

The goal of the Catapult Learning Teacher Induction Program is to provide support for the beginning or returning teacher or educational specialist and to enhance professional competence through a positive teaching experience.

The objectives of the Teacher Induction Program are:

to enhance teaching skills

to develop an awareness of the special needs and qualities of the remedial student

to develop group management skills

to become knowledgeable about the programs, services, resources, policies and procedures of the Catapult Learning program and the county intermediate unit

to have access to successful and experienced professionals

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Teacher Induction Program participants will be encouraged to focus on those areas deemed important by the Induction Team for the professional growth and development of the inductee. Areas include:

Training

The goal of inductee training is to provide the inductee with the constant and sensitive attention demanded by on the job teacher development. Mentors are instrumental in providing such, attention. In addition to this personal and individualized support, Catapult Learning will conduct various in‐service programs and induction meetings during the school year, including, but not limited to:

Summer: Training of the mentors

September: New staff orientation to Catapult Learning facilities and policies and procedures

October: Professional responsibilities for personal growth; Review and discussion of the Catapult Learning Code of Conduct; Supervisor and mentor assessment of inductees' needs and creation of a Personal Development Plan for the inductee; Workshop on implementation of Catapult Learning's Dominant Instructional Strategies and effective instructional delivery to meet the needs of the remedial student; Workshops provided on lesson planning and material selection for use with remedial students; administering and interpreting norm‐referenced and criterion‐referenced tests; scheduling students for participation in a pull‐out program; time management

November: Workshops on conferencing with parents and teachers; interpreting and using the student Personal Education Plans; pacing instruction and meeting individual needs

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can affect the students’ success in whatever endeavors they engage in, throughout their life. School counselors help create and support a culture of high expectations and post‐graduate success in their discussions with students and parents, helping students stay focused not only on graduation, but on taking the next steps in life, whether those steps are toward college, the military, or a career. The design of the curriculum and the education plan communicates to the student that they are in charge of pursuing and attaining their goals—that simply showing up is not the point of school—that school is what they actively do, not what they passively endure. Counselors, teachers, and other staff encourage talk of goal‐setting and goal‐meeting to help reinforce the idea that students are in the Academy for a reason and a purpose, and that the goal is theirs to own, shape, and achieve.

e. Evaluation Q. Discuss how school leadership will monitor and evaluate faculty and staff performance. Describe the processes, protocols, framework/criteria, and/or tools that will be used for conducting evaluations, delivering feedback, and coaching teachers. If a contract school or ALOP, indicate how the teacher evaluation system is in compliance with PERA (see http://www.isbe.net/pera/ for more information). Specify who is responsible for overseeing these procedures.

If proposing a blended learning model: Explain how teacher evaluation procedures – including observations, coaching and/or modeling, and analysis of student data (including from blended learning programs) – will be adapted for blended learning and online teachers. If proposing a blended learning model: Specify how evaluation procedures will be adapted for blended learning and online teachers.

All Catapult Learning professional development programs, whether provided internally for our own programs and staff, or externally for school and district partners, are built in alignment with the Attributes of Exemplary Schools as defined in our Five‐Strand School Design, encompassing the areas of Leadership, Assessment for Learning, Pedagogy and Curriculum, Learning Environment, and Student and Family Support. Each attribute defining what an exemplary school looks like is broken down into key competencies that detail what school leaders or staff members do in order to bring the exemplary practice into existence. We have developed a detailed rubric showing the continuum of professional practice for each competency, from beginning to exemplary. We have professional development modules to support each of the attributes and competencies, and use a Collaborative Quality Analysis (CQA) process to determine which areas may require support.

The CQA process looks to collect evidence from multiple sources in order to provide an accurate view of the school. The Quality Analysis seeks to answer the questions relating to our school improvement framework, and seeks to assess how the school’s practices match up to research‐based best practices. This process also identifies short‐ and long‐term growth strategies in an action plan and identifies a school’s strengths, including its’ staff, that can be better leveraged for improvement efforts. The school can use this information to make an informed decision about how to proceed with the school’s improvement process. Additionally, the information gathered throughout the Quality Analysis process will provide a valuable resource for tracking the school’s progress.

The CQA process includes:

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SECTION 3: OPERATIONAL CAPACITY

3.1 General Operations

a. Operational Plan, Goals, and Metrics Q. Explain how non‐academic services will be managed once the proposed school or program is in operation. In a table, identify quantitative operational metrics and goals for the proposed school or program for each of its first five years of operation. Discuss how these metrics will be used to monitor progress. Identify who is responsible for overseeing the school or programs operation. If proposing a blended learning model: � Specify which Learning Management System(s) will be employed and for what purposes. � Discuss how the school leaders will ensure the school’s technology is sufficient for implementing the blended learning model in the following areas: integration of the blended learning initiative with the school’s student information system, ongoing information technology support, and ongoing support for the use of technology for instructional purposes. If proposing a blended learning model: Cite the Learning Management Systems that will be used in the school or program, outline their purpose, and specify who is responsible for ensuring that the technology to support learning is fully operationalized.

Catapult Academy will provide non‐academic services through the corporate staff of Catapult Learning, protocols and procedures, reports, and finances. Goals will be reviewed annually while financial status will be reviewed on a continual basis. Action will be taken to ensure that each goal is addressed and if sufficient progress towards reaching the goal has not been achieved, steps to achieve each goal will be implemented.

The Next Generation blended learning model for Catapult Academies uses traditional brick‐and‐mortar classrooms alongside a unique assemblage of best‐in‐class educational technologies to deliver both academic and non‐academic services to students. Catapult Academy has an integrated student information system (GeniusSIS) that streamlines the student admission and enrollment process that is integrated directly into the learning management system (Apex Learning), which allows for a smooth, easy and immediate entry into their individual course‐work. Additionally, students are given a diagnostic assessment (Renaissance STAR) in Mathematics and English Language Arts which provides instructors with insight into each student’s current achievement levels and can be used to measure academic progress.

The Catapult Academy system (GeniusSIS + Apex LMS + RenSTAR) is managed and monitored by the Catapult Learning Student Information Management team (CSIM) in partnership with the Middleton Academy LMS Support team to provide support across the entire spectrum of services provided. Technology infrastructure for Catapult Academy is designed and managed by the Catapult Learning IT (CIT) team as part of the larger Catapult Learning IT infrastructure and support mission. The entire Catapult Learning Technology Unit (CTU), (CSIM + CIT) is directed and overseen from a single office which ensures coordination and continuity between student information, technology infrastructure and non‐academic services. Program oversight the Catapult Learning Technology Unit is conducted in coordination with a central Catapult Academy program management team, lead by the VP of operations in coordination with regional program directors.

Metrics that Catapult Learning Technology Unit uses to monitor operations and guide corrective action include: weekly student enrollment snapshots, monthly student demographic record audits, course‐progression monitoring (e.g. time‐on‐task, student login frequency, enrollment duration), student admission streamline monitoring (e.g. course‐selection tracking, time‐in‐processing queue, etc.), and documentation compliance monitoring. These metrics work in unison to provide a snapshot into the

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Student Retention Plan

Catapult Academy recognizes the importance of student persistence and that when students drop out of Catapult Academy type programs, no one wins.

Further, because retention and completion rates serve as a measure of program effectiveness and quality, Catapult Academy is committed to providing the necessary academic and social support services to ensure student success.

Volumes of research confirm that students persist when 1) They are making progress towards educational and career goals and 2) They are satisfied with the quality of educational programs, services, and environment. Accordingly, Catapult Academy addresses the issue of retention in the following ways:

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Catapult’s orientation process includes meetings with students, parents and /or guardians to review the school’s program components, including our mission and focus, as well as going over expectations of every aspect of student involvement at the school. During the orientation process, Catapult staff clearly explains to students and their family the options available to succeed at Catapult and what that involves. They also stress the importance of education in the student’s future, providing details about the assistance Catapult staff can provide in the process of preparing for postsecondary education and career programs.

d. Application, Enrollment, and Registration Policies Q. Describe the proposed school or program’s application, enrollment, and registration policies and procedures for all students, recognizing that some of your students will be entering at various times throughout the school year. Your policies and procedures should address admissions, lottery (for charter schools), waiting list, withdrawals, and transfers. Outline the requirements for families and students to apply to the proposed school or program, explain how the proposed school or program will conduct its lottery or manage its waiting list, if over‐subscribed, and specify how students will register once enrolled. Explain how the proposed school or program will ensure that the application, enrollment, and registration policies are in compliance with the Charter School Law and or Illinois School Code.

Catapult Academy has no requirement for admission (other than proof of residency and age) and will admit any student that wishes to attend. We do, however, have parent and student commitment agreements which all parents and students will be asked to sign when a student is enrolled. In no instance will a student be refused admission nor subjected to any form of discipline because of their parents' failure to sign or comply with the parent commitment agreement.

The school will establish an annual recruiting and admissions cycle, which shall include reasonable time for all of the following: (1) outreach and marketing, (2) orientation sessions for students and parents, (3) an admissions application period, (4) an admissions lottery, if necessary, and (5) enrollment. The school may fill vacancies or openings that become available after this process using either a waiting list or any other nondiscriminatory process.

The school will admit students at any time during the school year on an open‐ended basis in order to best serve the needs of students.

If the number of applications does not exceed the capacity of the charter school there will be no lottery, and all students who submitted qualified applications will be enrolled. In the event that the number of students seeking admission to any grade level exceeds capacity, a lottery will be held. It will be completed by pulling slips of paper with applicants' names on them out of a container, and the drawing will be held in a public forum. All eligible names will be drawn from the container and those exceeding the number of available spaces will be placed on a waiting list in the order drawn. The school may also grant admission preference to siblings.

After the lottery, families will receive their official enrollment forms and will be informed of the enrollment process detailed below.

Currently‐enrolled students will not participate in the random drawing, as they are automatically reserved a space for the following year.

Admission will not be based on prior student performance or admission testing.

Catapult Academy will be non‐sectarian in its programs, admissions policies, employment practices, and all other operations, shall not charge tuition, and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or disability.

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Catapult Academy‘s intake process focuses on two primary areas: 1) the delivery of accurate and detailed information about the program and the expectations, and 2) establishing a feeling of a small supportive school culture that believes what has happened in the past is not as important as what will happen in the future.

Catapult’s orientation process includes meetings with students, parents and /or guardians to review the school’s program components, including our mission and focus, as well as going over expectations of every aspect of student involvement at the school. During the orientation process, Catapult staff clearly explains to students and their family the options available to succeed at Catapult and what that involves. They also stress the importance of education in the student’s future, providing details about the assistance Catapult staff can provide in the process of preparing for postsecondary education and career programs.

Catapult Academy staff realizes that the continuous enrollment process characterizes the student population we serve. They prepare for the enrollment of students throughout the school year by developing plans and strategies for integrating new students into the school and into classes with ease. Our small school culture makes the transition for students somewhat easier than previous moves between larger schools. Also all Catapult students are relatively new to the school and therefore understanding of others who enroll during the school year. Catapult staff understands the dynamics involved and work with students to ensure new students are quickly integrated into the class. Catapult’s weekly staff meetings provide the opportunity for staff to discuss new enrollments and share effective strategies to handle the educational and behavioral challenges that might arise.

d. Transition Planning Q. The goal is to support each student through completion/graduation of the program. In the event a student chooses to transition out of the program, identify who will be responsible for oversight, implementation of the transition plan, and reporting of transitional data. With this information, provide your plan on how you will support students who are transitioning from the program. Provide a process map to illustrate all steps, including (but not limited to) the following: When will the transition process begin for a student? Identify what points in a year a student will be eligible to transition out of your program, and how eligibility will be determined. Identify the owner or team members, including stakeholders who may support the process, responsible for facilitating the transition plan. Once students are deemed ready to transition from the program, what services will be provided to parents to assist them in identifying the next best setting/good academic fit?

Our small school culture makes the transition for students somewhat easier than moving from school to school may have been in the past.

If a student determines it will be better for him/her to transfer to another school, , a transition process is undertaken to help the student move comfortably into a new school situation and provide the school with clear and useful information about the student’s progress and performance at the Program.

The Program staff will prepare a portfolio for each student transitioning back to a base school. This portfolio will contain the following items:

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both on the student’s experience in the program and his or her personal goals for success after

The transitioning student will meet with the Principal and the guidance counselor to discuss the transition back to the base school. This will give the student a chance to express whatever fears or concerns he or she might have about the transition and will give school staff the opportunity to provide support and encouragement to the student, along with specific strategies for success based on the student’s experience and performance while at the Catapult Program.

Finally the transition student and Catapult Academy counselor will make an appointment with the base school counselor so the students and two counselors can ensure a successful transition.

e. Attendance & Truancy Strategies and Family/Guardian Information Q. Describe your attendance and truancy strategies, including the school‐wide steps that will be taken to promote attendance. Categorize strategies as prevention, intervention, and recovery of chronic truants. Provide evidence that the proposed strategies have proven effective with your identified target population. Indicate who will be responsible for conducting outreach to students when they do not attend. Describe the method and staff responsible for ensuring that families/guardians are in regular contact with the school for reports on student attendance and performance. Detail the system for communicating student progress to families, including attendance, academic and social.

The Catapult Academy school culture is characterized by a strong sense of belonging, improves student attendance, participation, achievement, and prevents risk‐taking behaviors that have led to unsuccessful experiences in the past. Strong organizational structures, policies, procedures, and values will have a positive effect on the entire community. Our staff will set high standards and challenge students to meet them by continuously teaching, modeling and reinforcing expectations, and then providing positive acknowledgement of improved and good attendance.

To promote this culture, Catapult Academy imposes a school‐wide emphasis on attendance. Catapult Academy will provide a clear attendance policy. Incentives are offered in recognition of good attendance.

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Visual attendance charts will be used to recognize and encourage good attendance. Attendance milestones will be posted to focus on milestones achieved by individual students, classes and the school. Catapult Academy will communicate positive attendance to parents to include them as partners and involve them in efforts to prevent poor attendance.

For all students, Catapult Academy will make efforts to keep in contact with parents or guardians. Parents, guardians, or significant adults can provide valuable information regarding what students' lives are like outside of school. Catapult Academy feels it is important to encourage parental participation. Consistent contact helps students and their parents or guardians feel more connected to school, which is associated with increased attendance and higher academic achievement.

Catapult Academy will have firm and consistent sanctions for truancy. This information will be shared at student orientation, in informational and grade report mailings, and at parent‐teacher conferences. The Catapult Academy social worker will work with students and their families, developing plans for students whose attendance is not on par with Catapult Academy’s expectations. Together, Catapult Academy's staff, the student and their family will first identify the causes of poor attendance/truancy and then take steps to remedy these barriers affecting attendance.

Attendance is taken at the beginning of each session: morning session and afternoon session. If a student is not in their assigned session, s/he is called that day by either a teacher or other school staff member. After 3 days if the student is still absent and/or unreachable, 2 school staff members will do a home visit to see why the student is not attending school. Based on the result of the home visit, every effort will be made to get the student to return to school. Detailed records are kept of all student outreach.

3.3 Governance Model

a. Governance

Structure

Q. Describe the structure of the Governing Board/Body at the proposed school or program. (If an existing Chicago replicator, describe if/how the structure of the Board/Body will adapt to support the additional grade configurations, and/or the new school/campus/program.) Identify any proposed Board/Body officer positions, committees, or advisory councils – including those with family members – and explain their role, planned membership, and reporting structure as they relate to the Governing Board/Body and school leadership.

Catapult Academy's governance responsibilities will primarily be divided between the Oversight Committee and the school Principal. The Principal and teachers will carry out the day‐to‐day operations of the school, with the principal having primary responsibility to conduct and manage the daily operations. The Oversight Committee will set policy, approve the budget, and assure that the school maintains high academic standards. The Catapult Academy Oversight Committee shall have ultimate responsibility to oversee the operation and activities of the school.

The Oversight Committee's major roles and responsibilities will include:

1) Establishing and approving all major educational and operational policies

2) Approving all major contracts

3) Approving the school's annual budget and overseeing the school's fiscal affairs

4) Evaluating the school's Director, who will be responsible for operating the school and implementing the policy direction of the board

5) Developing annual goals for the school and long range plans with input from the

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Director, teachers, and parent advisory committee members

6) Receiving reports from, and providing recommendations to, the Catapult Academy Executive Director and staff, parents and students

7) Assessing Catapult Academy goals, objectives, academic achievements/student progress, financial status, and any need for redirection

8) Evaluating school and student performance

One of the Oversight Committee's primary responsibilities is to ensure that Catapult Academy is meeting annual accountability targets. The Oversight Committee will routinely evaluate the academic, financial, and legal/compliance health of the charter school and will work with school district officials to determine the scope of Catapult Academy's annual academic accountability plan.

The Oversight Committee's objective is to develop an accountability plan that demonstrates measurable annual progress toward meeting the school's high standards for pupil success, and to oversee the implementation of that plan by the school's director. The Oversight Committee will foster a close working relationship with school district officials to help ensure that Catapult Academy is meeting its accountability targets. As a part of this responsibility, the board will prepare a yearly performance report to the school district, including an assessment of the school's educational performance and its administrative and financial fitness. This report will also assess how well the school is fulfilling the programs outlined in this charter, specifically regarding student progress.

Progress Monitoring

Q. Clearly describe the procedures that the Board/Body will use to continually monitor academic, financial, operational, and legal compliance aspects of the school or program. Describe any policies or procedures that will ensure that Board/Body meetings are conducted in an efficient, timely manner.

The Oversight Committee will hold its meetings on a monthly basis. (Expulsion hearings, personnel matters, and other confidential governance matters will be held in closed session, unless open session is requested by the parent of the child in question or faculty/staff member in a matter for which open session is legally appropriate). The committee will appoint a chairperson, a vice chair, a secretary, and a treasurer. The chairperson will be responsible for the functioning of the board and the conduct of board business and meetings. The secretary will take and keep meeting notes and be responsible for distributing the agenda in a timely manner. Two weeks prior to each meeting, the secretary will send out a request for agenda items to board members. The school's Principal and any member of the Oversight Committee may request that an item be placed on the agenda, with ultimate discretion to set the agenda being held by the chairperson. The agenda for meeting will be sent to all Oversight Committee members at least three days prior to the meeting. The agenda will also be posted in hard copy at the school's administrative offices. The treasurer will have primary responsibility to monitor Catapult Academy's fiscal affairs and to oversee and review financial statements created by the school's chief business officer.

Catapult Academy will establish an Advisory Board which will be chaired by the Catapult Learning Superintendent of Schools (Dr. Eurmon Hervey), and will comprise parents, students, certificated and classified staff. The Advisory Board will play an important role in making Catapult Academy a school responsive to staff, student, and parents' needs, and provide for continual improvement. The Advisory Board will meet regularly and function to address and make recommendations to the Oversight Committee regarding specific areas of school operations. Those areas are likely to include, but not limited to, the following:

Curriculum/Instruction/Assessment

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Mentoring/Internship Development

Extracurricular Programs/Activities

School Program Development

Family and Community Involvement

Q. What formalized mechanism(s) will the proposed school or program have for families and the community to be involved in the governance of the school or program, and/or provide regular feedback to the Board/Body of Directors? What policy or procedure will provide guidance for families who have an objection, or concern, regarding a Governing Board/Body policy or decision, administrative procedure, or practice at the school?

The Catapult Academy academic model requires frequent outreach to parents and easy accessibility to faculty. Parents receive various email notifications regarding their child's pace and progress, and all parents/guardians have at least monthly contact with their student's academic team.

Parents will be surveyed at least once a year to determine their satisfaction levels with the school with respect to open governance; curriculum; instructional design and delivery methods; achievement of performance objectives; and other metrics that factor into the school's governance and accountability.

These iterative reporting mechanisms combined with the availability of faculty to parents during and beyond normal business hours are designed to keep parents apprised, informed, and involved. This puts parents in a position to influence school decisions affecting their child, for example a decision to change or add courses.

The forum for major school decisions will be public meetings of at each Catapult Academy site. Parents will be notified of all such meetings and will have the opportunity to share concerns and provide written and oral testimony regarding decisions pending before the Board. Catapult Academy will encourage parents to form an association and if there is sufficient interest, can provide a bulletin board on the school website to accommodate a Parent/Teacher Association‐type entity.

b. Board Experience Q. CPS expects that by the time of Tier 1 proposal submission, design teams will have identified, at a minimum, the proposed Board/Body Chair, Vice Chair, and Treasurer. At least one founding Board/Body member has close ties to the proposed community. CPS highly encourages design teams to have identified at least a sufficient number of Board/Body members to comprise a quorum of the Founding Board/Body by the time of submission. Identify who will fill these roles, as well as any other Founding Board/Body members already identified, and discuss their qualifications to serve on a public school Governing Board/Body.

Catapult Academy schools will not have a formal board. The schools will be managed by the corporate structure of Catapult Learning. A subset of the Design Tem will continue to function as the Oversight Committee. Their experience, prior to joining Catapult Learning, as well as experience running existing is detailed in Section 2.2.

c. Legal Compliance and Ethics Policies

Transparency

Q. Specify where and how frequently the Board/Body plans to meet. Describe the procedures that will be in place to ensure compliance with the Open Meetings Act, and the Freedom of Information Act.

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Oversight Committee will meet monthly. Meetings will be held in compliance with the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act, as directed by CPS.

Ethics Policy

Q. Provide a draft Ethics Policy for the proposed school or program’s Board/Body members, directors, officers, and employees.

Catapult Academy schools will abide by the Catapult Learning standard Ethics Policy, as detailed below.

Ethics Policy

Maintaining ethical standards is the responsibility and obligation of every employee of Catapult Learning. Early identification and resolution of ethical issues and other questionable acts that may arise are critical to maintaining our commitments to our customers, vendors, investors, and to ourselves and our co‐workers. Catapult Learning employees are expected to treat compliance with ethical standards as a critical element of their responsibilities. While the Code of Conduct sets forth a wide range of practices and procedures, it cannot address every issue that may arise. If you are unsure of what to do in a situation, you should seek additional guidance and information before you act. If something seems unethical or improper, or if you have questions regarding the best course of action, you should promptly contact any of the following:

Your Supervisor, Regional Director or any Officer of Catapult Learning

Your Human Resources Representative

Catapult Learning Ethics and Compliance Hotline (888) 420‐7636

Employees are expected to observe the highest standards of business ethics. Accordingly, employees may not accept cash or favors from customers or suppliers, and may not accept gifts over $50.00 without management approval. Employees are to avoid any conduct that gives rise to a conflict of interest or even the appearance of a conflict of interest. Employees may not falsify Company records.

Conflicts of interest include dating someone who reports to you (or is in a department you supervise) and sharing confidential employee, student, or company information. For more information on conflicts of interest, refer to the Confidentiality section in this handbook.

Investigation ‐ Reports of violations will be escalated to the proper authority and investigated under the supervision of that authority. Catapult Learning employees are expected to cooperate in the investigation of reported violations. Each complaint will be assigned a number. Employees filing complaints can follow up with the Ethics and Compliance Hotline as to the progress of the investigation by using the assigned complaint number.

Confidentiality ‐ Except as may be required by law or the requirements of the resulting investigation, Catapult Learning shall not disclose the identity of anyone who reports a suspected violation if anonymity is requested; however, employees should be aware that the members of Catapult Learning responsible for monitoring the Ethics and Compliance Hotline are obligated to act in the best interests of Catapult Learning and do not act as personal representatives or lawyers for employees.

Anonymity ‐ Individuals reporting a complaint are not required to disclose their identity. However, in order to facilitate a thorough investigation, employees are encouraged to provide their contact information with the complaint. This will also allow the Ethics and Compliance team to provide the employee with a complaint number to follow up on the progress of the investigation.

Protection Against Retaliation - Retaliation in any form against an individual who reports an alleged

violation of this Policy, even if the report is mistaken, may itself be a violation of law and is a serious

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violation of this Policy. Any alleged act of retaliation should be reported immediately to the Ethics and Compliance Hotline. If determined to have in fact occurred, any act of retaliation will result in appropriate disciplinary action including termination of employment.

Purpose

To ensure that employees are objective and non‐biased in their judgments. To avoid situations where personal or business interests may conflict with the interests of Catapult

Learning or our customers/students.

Employee responsibilities

Avoid actual or potential conflicts of interest.

Consult with their manager or Human Resources if they have any ethical concerns. (Employees can be assured that there are no penalties for raising ethical concerns.)

Adhere to Catapult Learning’s confidentiality policy and be cautious about information they discuss with anyone outside of Catapult Learning.

Information about known or suspected violations by any employee or agent of Catapult Learning should be reported promptly to the Ethics and Compliance Hotline at (888) 420‐7636.

Conflicts of Interest Policy

Q. Describe how the Board/Body will identify and address conflicts of interest. Identify any existing actual or perceived conflicts of interest among the proposed Founding Board/Body members, and explain how the design team/Founding Board/Body plans to address them. Include a draft Conflict of Interest policy that establishes safeguards to prohibit any of the proposed school or program’s Board/Body members, directors, officers, employees, agents, or family members from having a private interest, direct or indirect, or acquiring any such interest directly or indirectly, which would conflict in any manner with the school’s performance and obligations under the Charter School Agreement, Contract Agreement, or ALOP Agreement. The policy may be separate from, or included in, the Ethics Policy above.

Catapult Academy schools will abide by the Catapult Learning standard Conflict of Interest Policy, as detailed below.

Conflict of Interest Policy

We avoid relationships or conduct that might compromise judgment or create actual or apparent conflicts between our personal interests and our loyalty to Catapult Learning. We do not use our position with Catapult Learning to obtain improper benefits for others or ourselves. We do not compete with Catapult Learning.

A conflict of interest arises when your personal interest or conduct compromises, or appears to compromise, your ability to act in Catapult Learning’s best interests.

Even if a decision you make is fair, people will be unlikely to believe it. It is very important that you avoid situations in which your loyalty may become divided.

Conflicts of interest are not always clear‐cut, and individual situations vary. Here are some common types

of conflicts:

Outside Employment

While it may not create a conflict of interest, any outside work you perform must be strictly separate from your Catapult Learning employment and should not affect your performance on your job. In fact, for most supervisory or professional positions at Catapult Learning, it is understood that our employees will spend

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their full working time on Catapult Learning matters and may not “moonlight” for some other employer. Before you consider a second job, obtain the prior approval of your supervisor.

Family and Friends

A conflict of interest may arise if you, your spouse, a relative or a close personal friend works for, or has a financial interest in a Catapult Learning customer, a potential customer or a competitor. Even the appearance of a conflict of interest must be avoided. If you have a relative or friend working for a customer, potential customer or competitor, tell your supervisor so potential problems can be discussed and avoided.

Board Membership

No employee may serve on the board of directors or similar body for any for‐profit company except Company subsidiaries without the express approval of Catapult Learning’s Chief Executive Officer. Board appointments for the company’s subsidiaries are handled through prescribed channels. The chairman’s approval is not required for employees serving on nonprofit boards or in community organizations.

We must all work to ensure prompt and consistent action against violations of this Code. However, in some situations it is difficult to know right from wrong. Since we cannot anticipate every situation that will arise, it is important that we have a way to approach a new question or problem. These are the steps to keep in mind:

(a) Make sure you have all the facts. In order to reach the right solutions, we must be as fully informed as possible.

(b) Ask yourself: What specifically am I being asked to do? Does it seem unethical or improper? This will enable you to focus on the specific question you are faced with, and the alternatives you have. Use your judgment and common sense; if something seems unethical or improper, it probably is.

(c) Discuss the problem with your supervisor. This is the basic guidance for all situations. In many cases, your supervisor will be more knowledgeable about the question, and will appreciate being brought into the decision‐making process. Remember that it is your supervisor’s responsibility to help solve problems. If you are uncomfortable discussing the problem with your supervisor you can talk to your general manager or human resources manager.

(d) Seek help from Company resources. In a case where it may not be appropriate to discuss an issue with your supervisor, or local management, call 1‐888‐420‐7636 which will put you in direct contact with the Catapult Learning Ethics and Compliance Hotline.

(e) You may report violations in confidence and without fear of retaliation. If your situation requires that your identity be kept secret, your anonymity will be protected. Catapult Learning does not permit retaliation of any kind against employees or officers for good faith reports of suspected violations.

(f) Always ask first, act later: If you are unsure of what to do in any situation, seek guidance before you act.

(g) All employees and officers are subject to the Company’s Code, which describes procedures for the internal reporting of violations of the Code. All employees and officers must comply with those reporting requirements and promote compliance with them by others. Failure to adhere to this Code by any employee or officer will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

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d. Board Development

Composition

Q. Identify the desired composition of the Governing Board/Body, including key skills and constituencies that will be represented. If an existing operator is proposing a new school/campus or additional grade levels, describe any additional skillsets that the Board/Body may try to acquire to support the growth, and/or any professional development that existing Board/Body members may receive. Charter schools are required to describe the nature and extent of parent, professional educator, and community involvement on the Board (105 ILCS 5/27A‐7(10)).

The current Oversight Committee for Catapult Academy is comprised of key personnel responsible for Catapult Academy Operations (Julie Greer, Senior Vice President for Catapult Academy Programs), program design ( Eurmon Hervey, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools), quality control (Virginia Carr, Vice President of Education), company strategy (Kristen Campbell, Senior Vice President for Strategy and Product Development), curriculum (Andrew Ordover, Ed.D., Vice President for Curriculum Development), assessment and analysis (Sean McGrew, Ph.D., Vice President of Assessment and Evaluation), student enrollment and engagement (Meg Roe, Vice President of Marketing), and finance (Joe McNamara, Director of Accounting / Corporate Controller). The current group of eight has a well‐rounded mix of experiences, and qualifications needed to effectively support the school’s mission, vision, and educational philosophy and maintain academic, financial, and operational excellence.

Each professional employee is dedicated to the success of Catapult Academy. All are members of professional organizations and participate in ongoing training and/or professional development specific to their role.

Recruitment

Q. Provide a plan and timeline for recruiting a Governing Board/Body prior to school opening and thereafter that represents the diverse skillsets, experience, and backgrounds required for rigorous school or program oversight. In particular, detail how Board/Body members with skillsets that are not yet represented on the founding Board/Body will be recruited. Identify any existing relationships with individuals or organizations that the design team can leverage as it develops its Founding board/body.

The Catapult Academy Oversight Committee has been in operating in its current form for over one year. The Catapult Learning Executive Team appointed the initial members of the committee (Eurmon Hervey, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools; Virginia Carr, Vice President of Education; Kristen Campbell, Senior Vice President for Strategy and Product Development. Subsequent additions to the committee were recommended either by the Oversight Committee or a member of the Executive Leadership Team and subsequently approved by the Executive Leadership Team

Selection

Q. Specify the process by which Board/Body members have been selected and will be selected in the future.

All members of the committee were recommended either by consensus of the Oversight Committee or a recommendation by a member of the Executive Leadership Team. All appointments are approved subsequently approved by the Executive Leadership Team. If and when a member of the Oversight Committee leaves Catapult Learning or has a change in job duties that requires a replacement as part of the Oversight Committee, the Catapult Learning Executive Leadership Team will select an appropriate replacement for the skills and experience of the departing member. If the Catapult Learning Executive Leadership Team determines that the committee needs to be expanded, any members would be subsequently approved by the Executive Leadership Team.

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Transition

Q. Discuss the design team’s role in interacting with, or participating, in the Founding Board/Body during the start‐up of the school, and after school opening. Describe a transition plan and associated timeline, as the Founding Board/Body becomes the working Board/Body.

A subset of the Design Team is going to continue to serve as the school’s Oversight Committee. As this Oversight Committee is a standing group of high‐level Catapult Learning employees (primarily vice presidents or above), there will not be a transition phase.

Training

Q. Describe any orientation and ongoing training that Board/Body members will receive, including a timeline for training and topics to be addressed.

e. Accountability

Organizational Chart

Q. Provide a narrative description of an attached comprehensive organizational chart, which should clearly describe the lines of authority and reporting structure of the school or program leadership, management organization (if applicable), and any school or program advisory bodies or family/teacher councils (if applicable), to the Governing Board/Body. Explain the rationale for this proposed structure.

While Catapult Academy gets significant oversight and support from the corporate staff of Catapult Learning, the lines of authority are succinct and clear. Teachers report to the Academic Coordinator; the Academic Coordinator reports to the Principal; the Principal reports to an Executive Director (typically assigned to a geographic proximate group of schools); the Executive Director reports to the Senior Vice President for Catapult Academy (Julie Greer); the Senior Vice President reports to the company President (Al DeSeta); the President reports to the Chief Executive Officer (Stuart Udell).

The organizational chart below lays out the direct lines of authority in the Catapult Academy programs.

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SECTION 4: ECONOMIC SOUNDNESS

4.1. School Budget

a. Financial Forms Q. Complete the budget workbook. Instructions are provided on the first tab of the budget workbook. Assumptions should be clearly detailed in the budget workbook. If the space on the Excel worksheet is insufficient for any given budget line, include an explanation in the budget narrative. Financial forms that do not include assumptions will be considered incomplete. If you are an existing national operator, see additional budget requests in Section 5: Existing National Management Organizations.

Catapult Learning has completed the appropriate budget workbook, providing a separate file of each of the three proposed locations. The existing format of the workbook was sufficient; on the personnel tab, we entered job titles that were not part of the template in the provided lines.

If a blended learning applicant: Include costs associated with the implementation of the blended learning model, including device set‐up support, device repair and replacement, infrastructure, Information Technology (IT) support, and home Internet access. All unique costs associated with the implementation of their model are accounted for.

These cost assumptions are included in the budget workbook for our proposed schools.

b. Budget Narrative Q. Include a budget narrative that provides a high‐level summary of the budget, and describes how the budget reflects the mission, vision, education plan, and overall strategic development of the proposed school or program. Discuss how resources will be used to support identified school or program priorities and specific student needs, including any changes in funding over the first five years of the school’s existence.

The school budgeting for Catapult Academy sites in Chicago is focused around the ideal combination of instructors, curriculum and facilities to provide exceptional service to the students.

Catapult Learning has submitted separate budget scenarios for each of three potential facilities. As a result of extensive neighborhood/demographic research, Catapult Learning has identified three potential sites in North Lawndale, Austin and Englewood in an effort to provide sites in areas to serve the most amount of students.

Catapult Academy's blended learning model calls for an instructional budget including on‐site direct instruction (teachers, aids, counselors, clinicians, etc.), virtual instruction from our roster of online virtual teachers, and self‐guided instruction via online curriculum software. In order to provide a successful blended learning model, Catapult invests in a robust technological infrastructure to accompany the virtual instructors and curriculum software.

We will provide an administrative staff trained in Catapult Academy's processes and curriculum to ensure the success of the program and each individual student. To maximize efficiency and quality of services, the school budgets lay out a three‐year plan to build enrollment to maximum headcounts at each facility. Catapult will utilize the Incubation Funds to build out the projected sites to program specifications.

Catapult Learning will use SGSA, Title I, Title II and ELL funding to employ the appropriate staff, contractors, etc to execute the instructional plans for each funding program.

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The Catapult Academy school sites will be supported by the Catapult Learning's corporate office, including its highly qualified national Executive, Curriculum, Education Quality, Information Technology, Assessment, Finance, Accounting, Compliance, Human Resources and other corporate departments. Catapult's corporate Finance and Compliance divisions will work in connection with the local administration and CPS to ensure fiscal and legal compliance.

Catapult's Finance team will work with local administration to build annual budgets and monthly re‐forecasts. The team will monitor program specific Statements of Profit and Loss and Cash Flows on a monthly basis in relation to the budgets and forecasts. The Finance team will provide input to the operations/administration team to ensure measures to keep revenues and expenditures on plan.

c. Development Plan Q. Include a description of additional revenue needed to maintain financial viability, including detailed assumptions behind the calculation of projected need (including the amount). Identify existing relationships with potential funders; indicate current levels of interest, and present contingency plans in the event that development goals are not realized.

4.2. Financial Controls

a. Financial Monitoring Q. Describe plans to ensure fiscal soundness and legal compliance for the proposed school or program. Specifically, address the financial monitoring process that the Board will use to receive updates on the school or program’s financial position. Who is responsible for directly managing and overseeing the school or program’s budget? If applying for a charter, Illinois Charter Schools Law (105 ILCS 5/27A‐5(f)) requires charter schools to submit an annual audit of school finances conducted by an outside, independent contractor.

As a member of the Design Team and the ongoing Oversight Committee, Joe McNamara, the company’s Controller and Director Accounting, will responsible for directly developing and overseeing the school or program’s budget. Assisting him will be Krystle Lockman, Manager of Accounting. The program principal will have limited control and management of the program budget.

Below are the practices adopted by Catapult Learning to ensure fiscal soundness and legal compliance.

Month Close

General Ledger is closed and financial statements are produced on a monthly basis for internal and external financial reporting purposes.

Standard month‐end journal entries are calculated by the Staff Accountant and reviewed by the Senior Accountant for posting to the General Ledger.

AP and Payroll transactions are reviewed for proper classification. Senior Accountant reviews AP by account type to determine that amounts are properly capitalized as fixed assets, recorded to the balance sheet as prepaid expenses, and/or recorded to the correct expense category.

Balance sheet accounts (cash, etc.) are reviewed and reconciled on a monthly basis to determine that balances are reasonable and agree to the general ledger. Reconciliations performed by the Senior and Staff Accountants are reviewed by the Controller on a monthly basis.

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Financial assets (and liabilities) are reviewed by the Controller and CFO monthly to determine proper valuation.

Preliminary income statements by department and income statements summarized by Regional Director are distributed by the 5th day of the month for review. Discrepancies and adjustments are communicated to the finance department for review. Appropriate adjustments are made based on the financial department review.

FINANCIAL REPORTING

Internal

Income Statements by program are distributed to the field operators preliminarily by the 5th day of each month (see Month Close process), and final Income Statements are distributed by the 15th of the month. Income Statements contain detail on a monthly and year‐to‐date basis, compared to budgeted and forecasted results on a monthly and year‐to‐date basis.

Financial Statements (Balance sheet, Income Statement, Statement of Equity, and Statement of Cash Flows) on a company level are prepared on a monthly basis by the Senior Accountant and distributed to the Controller and CFO for review. Senior Accountant, Controller and CFO perform independent analysis of these financial statements for unusual amounts or balances. Analysis includes comparing current month, current quarter and year‐to‐date results to budgeted and prior year monthly, quarterly and year‐to‐date results.

External

Annual Audit

On an annual basis, the company engages an independent accounting firm to perform a financial statement audit for the purposes of obtaining an opinion as to the accuracy, in all material respects, of the financial statements and accompanying footnotes. The audit includes testing the established controls surrounding the various process areas that impact the financial statements (i.e., Accounts Payable/Procurement, Revenue, Treasury, HR and Payroll, Taxes, Financial Reporting). The audit also includes substantive testing of the detail supporting the account balances in the Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Equity Statement and Cash Flows Statement, as well as all information included in the accompanying footnotes.

Audited financial statements are required by the financial institutions holding debt investments in the company, and are also distributed to current and/or potential vendors, customers, clients, etc.

Taxes

On a monthly, quarterly or annual basis, depending on the situation, the Senior Accountant prepares and files various state and local tax returns (i.e. Sales and Use tax). These tax returns are reviewed by the Controller and filed by the 20th day of each month.

Various payroll tax returns (i.e., income tax withholding returns, garnishment filings) are prepared by the company’s third party payroll provider (ADP) and filed on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis as the circumstances dictate.

The income tax provision/position is reviewed at least annually with the help of a third‐party accounting firm (KPMG). Appropriate journal entries are recorded to report the company’s tax position on the financial statements.

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Periodic and estimated tax payments are remitted timely based on the company’s tax position with the help of the third‐party accounting firm.

Annual federal and state income tax returns are prepared and filed by the third‐party accounting firm.

Table of Financial Reports

Report Frequency Review

Company Level Balance Sheet Monthly CFO and Corporate Controller

Company Level Income Statement Monthly CFO and Corporate Controller

Company Level Statement of Cash Flows Monthly CFO and Corporate Controller

Company Level Financial Forecast Monthly Operating, Finance and Executive Teams

Company Level Financial Budget Annually Operating, Finance and Executive Teams, and Board of Directors

Project (Contract/School) Level Income Statement Monthly Operating, Finance and Executive Teams

Project (Contract/School) Level Financial Forecast Monthly Operating, Finance and Executive Teams

Project (Contract/School) Level Financial Budget Annually Operating, Finance and Executive Teams, and Board of Directors

Project (Contract/School) Payroll Files Monthly Operating and Finance Teams

Project (Contract/School) Expenditure Files Monthly Operating and Finance Teams

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4.3. Facilities

a. Facility Plan Q. Describe the plan to secure an appropriate facility for the school or program.

Catapult Academy creates a visual and auditory atmosphere of students "about the business of learning.” Sites feature a common, inviting look and feel tailored for teenagers’ learning needs, a structure that was cultivated through a partnership with a leading educational architecture and design firm. Upgraded furniture and a welcoming color palate are also hallmarks of Catapult Academy sites, allowing students to enjoy a setting that does not feel like a school but instead helps them imagine moving forward. Catapult Academy will provide a small school that will house, at a maximum, 150 students per session. When at full capacity, we anticipate a requirement for a minimum of 4,000 square feet of usable space. The space will be divided by classrooms and computer lab stations, and provide at a minimum: a lunch room, office, private and semi‐private spaces for a principal’s office, counter space, administration, counseling, special education, and secure entry. We anticipate an initial 50% use of capacity and will reserve unused or redundant space for expansion as needed. However, 100% of the space will be in 75% readiness in order to expand as quickly as necessary.

Catapult Learning/Catapult Academy has experience in developing facilities for small schools (up to 300 students) and is ready and able to complete the project within required timelines and in compliance with regulatory guidelines. We are providing appendices as examples of documentation that we have developed or commissioned in the last two years that document the process on a number of locations from Letter of Intent, zoning, leasing, architect drawings, construction, all approvals, and build‐out to school start.

The facilities we are proposing for Catapult Academy schools in Chicago (3), represent our investigation into properties within CPS from recommended neighborhoods and which we feel are suitable, pending district and neighborhood approval and acceptance of our plans. They may not be the actual sites to be used, given the extensive time line. Therefore we have submitted actual reports, plans, approvals that represent our understanding of the requirements and ability to complete the process from facility through school start up. Actual approvals such as zoning, use permit, ADA compliance approvals, etc. are represented in our rehabilitation plan for the site we are submitting.


PROPRIETARY

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Printer

Staff computers

Content Filtering

If proposing a blended learning model: Include technological requirements to implement the model (e.g., broadband, power, networking, hardware, distribution, speed and availability of the Internet connection at the facility).

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE USE OF THE ONLINE CURRICULUM

Network Configuration

Bandwidth

A suitable Internet connection is required. This connection must have appropriate bandwidth taking into account:

∙ The number of concurrent users ∙ Other network applications (e.g. VOIP) § Current bandwidth utilization § Varying usage habits

Access

Firewalls, content filters, and other network infrastructure must allow connections to the following ports and domains:

∙ apexlearning.com ∙ Port TCP/80

∙ apexvs.com ∙ Port TCP/ 443 (HTTPS User

∙

correlation.edgate.com ∙

A defined set of 3rd party URLs

HTTP 1.1 Support

Apex Learning supports HTTP 1.1 (RFC 2616). This protocol is optional, but recommended.

Proxies sending HTTP 1.1 requests must be either compliant or conditionally compliant

with RFC 2616. If a non‐compliant proxy cannot be made compliant, then connections to

Apex Learning courses must either:

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our search for a suitably sized location that will allow us to serve more students in a blended learning environment.

across the street, which is anticipated to entice more traffic.

Current Owner

Previous Use

ADA Compliance Strategy

Inspecting Architect Report by CPS approved Architect

Altus Works, Inc. (773) 545‐1870Joakim Backstrom, Ken Allen

ADA Compliance Report Completed by CPS approved architect

Sample of ADA Compliance Attached. Pro jected for this site

Plan to Bring Building into Compliance

Catapult Academy has a good deal of experience in bringing commercial and other use properties into Compliance to be used as small schools. A timeline specific to the building will be developed with assistance from CPS, Zoning and Department of Buildings to bring about approvals quickly and efficiently

LOI or MOU An LOI is part of every pre‐lease process and is handled by our internal attorneys

Design Team's Plan to meet lease Requirements

Catapult Learning carefully negotiates all leases, working with landlords to create a shared process in readying properties for use for the specified time . We have never defaulted on a lease

Plan Detailing how Rehabilitation Work will Address Issues Raised by Architect, meet codes and support the school's educational program

In the Appendix, please find the projected timeline which addresses meeting codes codes and supporting the school's education purpose; a Blended Learning Program

a. Scope of Work TBD

b. Managing parties responsible and related qualifications

Catapult Academy Director of Project Management (Rohan Wallace), Territory Vice President, (Julie Greer)

c. Project Timeline for necessary revisions

See Appendix for sample timeline.

d. Completed Sources and Uses of Funds Report and funding mechanism to cover projected costs

See Appendix for completed Sources and Uses of Funds Report.

Education Options Request for Proposals...

Documents

Transcript of Education Options Request for Proposals...