Announcements

In response to over 70 questions posed at the FNECC community meeting on September 28, 2010, the following Frequently Asked Questions document has been compiled. Please refer to the Appendix to identify the specific questions that were posed and how they align to the FAQ below. 

FNECC AND PROPOSED SCENARIO  

1.      When was the Far Northeast Committee formed and who has participated in the Committee's meetings?

The Far Northeast Community Committee was convened by A+ Denver and Denver Public Schools (DPS) in April 2010. There are over 40 parents, community members, teachers, school leaders and students on the committee. The Committee developed a set of principles to guide its work in the spring and has been providing input on the benefits and challenges of different strategies for improving the lowest performing schools in FNE. All meetings are open to everyone in the community, and the two all-community meetings have been broadly publicized through calls to parents, flyers, posters throughout the community and advertisements in local newspapers and radio shows. In addition to the community meetings, committee members have had opportunities to visit high performing schools (both charter and district-led schools) and facilities where multiple schools are co-located. Also, meetings for parents at impacted schools are being hosted by the district. More information about the committee can be found at: http://fneccschools.org/ where you can also provide either suggestions to improve the process or input on the proposed scenario. 

The work of the FNECC over the past seven months has resulted in the proposed scenario to ensure high performing school options for all students in FNE Denver. This scenario will be considered by the DPS Board of Education (BOE) in November.

Summary of Proposed Scenario for FNE 

School	Strategy	Rationale
Green Valley	Turnaround	Consistent low performance, bottom 10% of all schools in DPS
McGlone	Turnaround	Consistent low performance, bottom 10% of all schools in DPS
Oakland	Replace with SOAR II	Declining performance last 3 years, 2nd lowest rated school in FNE, SOAR research based program with track record of success, demonstrated demand in FNE
Ford	Replace with DCIS	Declining performance last 3 years, lowest rated school in FNE, DCIS research based program with track record of success, demonstrated demand in FNE
Noel Campus	1. Restart and right-size Noel with a 6-12 Arts program with 100 students per grade 2. Continue transformation plan for 7th and 8th grade students for next two years 3. Co-locate KIPP at Noel Campus	Second lowest rated middle school in the city.
Montbello Campus	1. Restart and right-size Montbello with 9-12 Collegiate Prep Academy with 150-200 students per grade 2. Continue transformation plan for 10th-12th graders for next three years 3. Introduce High-Tech Early College 9-12 4. Co-locate DCIS 6-12 at Montbello Campus	Lowest rated comprehensive high school in the city. Graduation rate is only 59% and for every 100 students who enter Montbello as freshmen, only 4 go on to graduate and go to college without requiring remediation. Proposed programs are research based models.
FNE Enrollment Zone and Transportation Shuttle	In grades 6 and 9, all students will choose a school in FNE that they want to attend. There will no longer be schools of assignment. The enrollment zone will be phased in one grade at a time at the secondary level. Elementary schools will continue to serve attendance boundaries.   A transportation shuttle will be created to ensure that all students have access to all school options in FNE. This shuttle will be for elementary students as well	An enrollment zone will ensure all students have access to the various high quality options in FNE. The transportation shuttle will increase transportation services for FNE services, eliminate use of RTD bus service, and reduce transportation costs overall.

 2.      What are the goals of the proposed scenario?

The goals are aligned with the community and parent demand articulated in the FNECC principles to improve the quality of education in FNE.  Additionally, the scenario ensures that families have a rich set of high-quality options to choose from in the Far Northeast region.  This scenario directly responds to parent and community member concerns about quality and choice of school options in FNE.  DPS intends to do everything in its power to support these turnaround efforts; to deliver on its plans and provide the community with the schools it deserves.  DPS seeks the strong partnership of all stakeholders in FNE to help realize the community's aspirations for the children in FNE Denver. 

•3.      How were the six schools in the scenario selected?

While DPS is seeing progress in our system, it's not fast enough. There are still too many students who aren't on track to graduate from high school ready for success in college and careers. The School Performance Framework (SPF) is used to stack rank schools based on their performance on a variety of measures including student growth (how much are students over the course of a year), performance on state assessments, post secondary readiness, school demand, student engagement and parent engagement. The six schools included in the scenario are the lowest performing schools on the SPF in FNE. In addition to the SPF, the district considers results of the intensive diagnostic reviews conducted by the Colorado Department of Education on the district's lowest performing schools. These qualitative diagnostics involve a week-long visit and conversations with school leaders, teachers, staff, students and parents and result in an evaluation of three areas: Academic Performance, Learning Environment, and Organizational Effectiveness. In each of these six schools, the CDE diagnostics emphasized significant shortcomings in each of these three major areas. 

For each of the proposed new schools as well as those in turnaround, DPS will monitor and support the schools as well as hold them accountable for their performance. As with any school, if the new schools are consistently underperforming, the school's data will be reviewed and analyzed and stakeholders will be engaged in determining how to best improve the school. Depending on the proposed strategy, a new school may not be fully phased in for four years (i.e. High Tech Early College). 

4.      What are the various turnaround strategies being proposed and how will this work be funded?

The strategies included in the scenario are turnaround, replacement and restart/right size. 

Turnaround:

• Turnaround is being proposed at both Green Valley and McGlone. Through turnaround, new school leaders and staff are hired to turnaround an existing school. The objective is to identify school leaders and teachers who are the best fit for the school's program model, implementation plan, and the students and community the school serves. At McGlone, where there is a new leader in place, only new staff will be hired. Existing staff will have the opportunity to apply for positions at Green Valley and McGlone as well as any other position for which they are qualified in DPS.

Replacement:

• Replacement is being proposed at both Ford and Oakland. Over the course of two years, DCIS will replace Ford and SOAR will replace Oakland. In both instances, in year 1, the new schools will serve grades ECE-2 and the existing schools will serve grades 3-5. In year 2, the replacement schools will serve the entire school. No students will be displaced through this process, and the new schools will serve all students in the attendance boundary. New leaders and new staff will be hired for the new schools.

Restart/Right Size:

• At both Noel and Montbello, the strategy proposed is to restart with a new, smaller school. Right sizing is a strategy to provide for a higher quality educational environment for students by providing a smaller setting where close relationships and greater accountability between staff and students develop more easily. Most educators agree that it is easier to improve culture, instruction, and outcomes in a smaller setting. Next year at Noel, there will be a new community arts school for 6^th and 9^th grade. These classes will aim for an enrollment of approximately 100 students per grade as compared to 180 students per grade today. Students currently attending Noel will have the opportunity to continue at Noel for the next two years. Likewise at Montbello, there will be a new college prep school for 9^th grade. This school will aim for an enrollment of approximately 150-200 students per grade as compared to 400 students per grade level today. Students currently attending Montbello will have the opportunity to continue at Montbello for the next three years.

The proposed turnaround strategies are research based and the replacement schools are either replications of existing schools or modeled after schools that have demonstrated track records of improving student performance both locally and nationally. The replacement schools, whether charter or district led, will be held to the same accountability standards and evaluated annually on the School Performance Framework. All new schools will serve either an attendance boundary at the elementary level or be part of the FNE Enrollment Zone at the secondary level, and all students will have equal and fair access to these schools.  

The various turnaround strategies will be funded through existing school budgets as well as the Federal School Improvement Grants (SIG) already received by Noel and Montbello. The four elementary schools may be eligible for future school improvement grants as well. The 2008 Bond includes funds to support facility modifications required for co-located schools. Additionally, outside funds will be leveraged through the philanthropic community both locally and nationally. 

5.      How were the replacement schools selected?

Through the Call for Quality Schools process, the district has a rigorous and formal process to review applications submitted for new schools. The proposals are evaluated by a team of district and community experts who analyze each proposal's strengths and weaknesses; the analysis is shared with the public and the Board of Education.  The FNECC principles were considered when recommending new schools to the Board. New school applicants present their proposals publicly to the Board, and there are multiple opportunities for public comment and input to the DPS Board.  Current new schools proposals are available online at http://osri.dpsk12.org/school_creation.  To learn more about the new schools process or to get access to proposals from past applicants, please contact Carol Mehesy at carol_mehesy@dpsk12.org or 720-424-8180. 

6.      Will the new schools proposed in the scenario offer extended day or extended school years?

Extending learning time is a successful strategy for improving low-performing schools. Each school will determine if and how to extend their school day or school year. There are many ways to do this including providing summer sessions between school years, lengthening the school day, or offering Saturday school.  However, this extra learning time has budget implications.  Charter schools and district led schools with innovation status can extend the school day and school year and compensate their teachers accordingly. Efforts to seek innovation status are initiated at the school level when a school community determines that innovation status is an effective strategy for improving student achievement.  There are several schools in the FNE that have already expressed interest in or are in the process of applying to become an innovation school including DCIS, Rachel B. Noel Arts Academy, Collegiate Prep Academy, High Tech Early College and Vista Academy. 

7.      How were the different strategies selected for each school?

Through the FNECC process, the community identified a set of principles for schools in FNE. Then the FNECC and district staff reviewed a variety of data sources for each school including the quality of the school in relationship to student achievement and growth, the demand for the school in terms of choice-in and choice-out data, as well as results from the diagnostic review of each school completed by the Colorado Department of Education. Together the FNECC and district staff discussed various turnaround strategies, staff proposed various options for individual schools, the committee identified benefits and challenges for each of the options, and based on this input alongside the district staff's review of the data on students' needs in the region, a regional scenario was created. 

8.      How does the proposed scenario impact students currently in a school in the Far Northeast?

No students will be displaced by the proposed scenario. Students will have the option to continue attending their existing school or choose a new school. 

9.      What options would be available in FNE for students entering 6^th grade in the fall of 2011?

Currently students have 3 middle school options in FNE. In the proposed scenario, FNE students will have the option to attend one of 5 middle school options in fall of 2011 and 6 options in fall of 2012.

Evie Dennis Campus	1. Denver School of Science and Technology (DSST)
	2. Vista Academy
3. MLK Early College
Montbello Campus	4. Denver Center for International Studies (DCIS)
Noel Campus	5. Rachel B. Noel Community Arts School
	6. KIPP (Opening with grade 5 in 2011. Will offer grade 6 in 2012.)

Through the proposed scenario, there will be an increase of approximately 500 middle years seats over the next five years. 

10.  What options would be available in FNE for students entering 9^th grade in the fall of 2011?

Currently students have 2 high school options in FNE. In the proposed scenario, FNE students will have the option to attend one of 7 high school options. 

Evie Dennis Campus	1. Denver School of Science and Technology (DSST)
	2. Vista Academy
3. MLK Early College
Montbello Campus	4. Collegiate Prep Academy
	5. High Tech High Academy
	6. Denver Center for International Studies (DCIS)
Noel Campus	7. Rachel B. Noel Community Arts School

Through the proposed scenario, there will be an increase of approximately 1500 high school seats over the next five years. 

FNE ENROLLMENT ZONE AND TRANSPORTATION SHUTTLE 

11.  How will students choose one of the new options?

An Enrollment Zone will be created for all students entering grades 6 and 9 in the fall of 2011. There will be no boundary schools of assignment in grades 6 and 9. Families will need to select their preferred school for grades 6 and 9. Families will complete a "Far Northeast 6^th Grade Assignment Form" or "Far Northeast 9^th Grade Assignment Form" in order to enroll for the 2011-2012 school year.  On the form, students will list their top three school preferences. The form must be submitted by January 31, 2011 and can be submitted to the main office at any FNE school.  Students who do not submit an Assignment Form by January 31, 2011 will be assigned to a school based on available space. Families will be notified of their assignment by March. Forms will be available online, at any FNE school, and through Choice Liaisons assigned specifically to support FNE families in selecting schools. 

12.  What if there are more students interested in a program than there are spaces available?

FNE families will have priority in all FNE programs. If we find there is more demand for a program than there are seats available, we will work to expand and replicate the desired programs. Students who cannot be placed at their first preference school will be assigned to their second or third preference school.  

13.  What will happen to students currently attending Noel Middle School or Montbello High School?

No students at Noel or Montbello will be displaced. All current 6^th and 7^th grade students may continue at Noel with additional support to ensure their success.  Current 6^th graders will have the option to continue at Noel through the conclusion of their 8^th grade year (2012-2013).  Noel Middle School will not enroll a 6^th grade class next fall.  Incoming 6^th graders may choose to attend a new school at the Noel Campus through the FNE Enrollment Zone assignment process.  

All current 9^th, 10^th and 11^th grade students may continue at Montbello with additional support to ensure their success.  Current 9^th graders will have the option to continue at Montbello through graduation (2013-2014).  Montbello High School will not enroll a 9^th grade class next fall.  Incoming 9^th graders may choose to attend a new school at the Montbello Campus through the FNE Enrollment Zone assignment process.  

14.  What supports will be available to current 5^th and 8^th grade students and their families as they select a school for next year?

DPS Choice Liaisons will work with all 5th and 8th grade families to assist them in making the school choice that best meets the needs of their student. Choice Liaisons will visit with students and parents at their current schools, call families directly, and also conduct home visits as needed.  Choice Liaisons will be well versed on all school options and the Enrollment Zone process, and will collaborate with parents and students to help them choose a school.

 15.  Will families in the FNE community still use the district's choice process?

In FNE, the choice process is being replaced with an Enrollment Zone and a Far Northeast Assignment Form process for students entering 6^th and 9^th grades in the 2011-2012 school year.  For all other grades, FNE families may continue to participate in the DPS Choice process if they would like to attend a school other than their assigned school.  Students entering grades 6 and 9 can choose an option outside of FNE through the regular Choice process. Families who choice out of the FNE community will, in most cases be responsible for getting their child to and from school, but in some cases may be eligible for transportation according to transportation policy.  Students who do not live in the FNE may apply to attend FNE schools through the choice process and they will be placed in schools after all FNE students have been assigned if space is available.  

16.  How is transportation in FNE improving for students attending school within the community?

All ECE-12 students, regardless of where they live, will be eligible to use a new Transportation Shuttle system. The shuttle will use yellow school busses.  Most of the stops will be located at schools.  The system will serve all schools, including traditional, magnet and charter schools.  The system will run before and after the school day, approximately from 6:30am to 6:30pm, and will service after-school activities and athletics. Additional outreach, including community meetings will be held within the community to discuss the Enrollment Zone and Transportation Shuttle. 

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS 

17.  How will DPS ensure that the programs in FNE are meeting the needs of English Language Learners?

All schools in DPS are subject to federal law, including Title III that applies to English Language Learners.  Additionally, the Chief Academic Officer will review and approve all schools' plans for meeting the needs of English language learners. The CAO's office will review the plan to ensure that English language learners are served appropriately with language development supports that align with recognized research-based practices for English Learners that are in alignment with the requirements of the Office of Civil Rights. At a minimum all schools will offer some level of support in Spanish. 

PROGRAM SPECIFIC QUESTIONS: NOEL CAMPUS 

18.  Why add an arts program at Noel?

Within the Far Northeast area of Denver there is an identified need to offer excellent educational opportunities.  Currently missing in the greater community is the opportunity for students to attend a school that recognizes the benefits of performing arts.  The Community Academy of Arts program will offer students an opportunity for intensive, academically rigorous programming, complimented with a robust performing arts focus purposefully aimed at meeting student's individual intellectual capacity. 

Students will attend a longer school day that deliberately targets the talent, intellectual capacity and creative spirit of all students.  Student performances in the arts will be used to tie units of study into a celebration of learning.  

Artistic expression that is delivered through vocal and instrumental music, theater, drama and dance are avenues that are essential pathways to individual school experience.  Models of success across the country for this type of school include South Carolina's   Arts in Basic Curriculum Project (ABC) and the DaVinci Academy in Colorado Springs.  Both programs address the academic needs of students by providing opportunities to connect academic standards through arts integration. 

19.  What is KIPP?

KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools with a track record of preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and in life. There are currently 99 KIPP schools - including 60 KIPP middle schools (grades 5-8) - in 20 states and the District of Columbia serving more than 26,000 students. KIPP builds a partnership among parents, students, and teachers that puts learning first. By providing outstanding educators, more time in school learning, and a strong culture of achievement, KIPP is helping all students climb the mountain to and through college.  Nationally, more than 90 percent of KIPP middle school students have gone on to college-preparatory high schools, and over 85 percent of KIPP alumni have gone on to college.

 The Board of Education approved a KIPP 5-8 program for FNE in June of 2009. KIPP did not submit a K-12 proposal. Currently, class sizes at KIPP range from 18-27 students.  The KIPP school day lasts until 5:00 pm with electives and enrichment included during the day.  Their competitive sports teams play and practice until 6:00 pm.  KIPP's staff is different at each KIPP school.  They hire the best possible teacher, leveraging the KIPP reputation to recruit both nationally and locally and aspire to have 40-50% teachers of color.  At KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy in Southwest Denver, 39% of their teaching staff is non-white and 43% of their total staff is non-white. 

KIPP is interested in partnering with community agencies to provide enrichment offerings in their Saturday School program and their enrichment blocks. Saturday School is entirely elective-based, so that students can be exposed to everything from photography to cultural storytelling, to indoor rowing.  This takes place approximately five Saturdays each semester and is staffed by community partners, volunteers, and KIPP teachers. 

20.  Does the Noel Campus have sufficient capacity for both the 6-12 Arts school and KIPP at full build out?

When determining how to co-locate schools in a single campus, there are four driving factors that are considered: overall facility capacity and related support spaces, facility layout, ability to differential program spaces, and individual program requirements. There is sufficient capacity for the Community Arts School, KIPP, and the original Noel middle school to operate in the Noel Campus until the 2014-2015 school year. It is anticipated that DPS may pursue a bond in 2012 which would include additional capacity at the secondary level in FNE. Some of this additional capacity would be needed for the Noel Campus in 2014-2015. Elementary schools have not been considered as co-location options for KIPP as all of the existing elementary schools in FNE are operating near full capacity.

PROGRAM SPECIFIC QUESTIONS: MONTBELLO CAMPUS 

21.  What is Collegiate Prep Academy?

Collegiate will employ best practices for both enacting positive school culture and developing an effective college preparation program.  Collegiate Prep Academy will be modeled after successful schools such as Yes Prep Academy Schools in Houston and Withrow University Prep in Cincinnati. Anyone who qualifies to attend a DPS high school is eligible to attend. Collegiate Prep Academy will not be a selective school. Collegiate Prep Academy will be one of the smallest high schools in the district, well within what's usually considered a small high school (schools under 1000 students) and small enough to allow for intentional learning environments with small teams of students.  It will be a new school, not a continuation of the current Montbello High School.  

22.  What is High Tech Early College?

High Tech Early College is modeled after several successful programs including Greenville Technical Charter HS and DPS' Career and Tech program at the Career Education Center (CEC) Middle College located in NW Denver which has attracted many high school students from the Montbello area.  The interest CEC along with the early promise shown by Montbello's current BOLD project partnership with Arapahoe Community College and Comcast demonstrate overwhelming demand for High Tech Early College which will be operated by DPS. DPS is also working with Microsoft and Apple to create exciting partnerships for the school's technology focused instruction program. 

The High Tech Early College will offer Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in technical applications, accounting, marketing, and financial literacy.  These courses will be prerequisites prior to college technical classes and include certificate offerings in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, International Business, Business Technology-Microsoft Office Manager, Office Manager, Computer Technology, Information Technology, and Graphic Design.  Students will receive the support necessary to chose appropriate pathways and academic support to be successful in college classes. In addition, Associates Degrees will be issued through the accredited higher education institutions through a collaborative partnership that prepares students to study these disciplines and successfully pursue these professions in higher education, and to gain very practical skills to help them find quality work when they graduate. 

The leader of this school will have extensive experience in Early/Middle College models, Career and Technical Education, and developing strong partnerships with local colleges. 

23.  What is the Denver Center for International Studies?

The Denver Center for International Studies (DCIS) at the Montbello Campus is modeled off the original  DCIS founded in 1985 near downtown Denver. This world-class program prepares students for college by developing multilingual, interculturally competent citizens who are actively involved in our rapidly changing world.  It offers classes and activities that focus on the world around us: world geography, international politics, six world languages, global issues and more.  DCIS students participate in service activities at the school, local, national, and international levels.  DCIS serves a diverse population of students and offers them a chance to prepare for college and the world beyond.  Ninety five percent of DCIS graduates have gone on to some of the country's best colleges and the school is home to seven Boettcher scholars. 

FNE students who wish to apply to DCIS will do so via the Far NE Assignment Forms. Students who apply to DCIS will be selected, in part, based on their school-specific selection criteria.  This will allow the DCIS model to remain uncompromised. 

24.  What is the plan for athletic programs in FNE?

To offer competitive athletic programs, and comply with Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSSA) rules, a regional athletics approach will be developed to serve all FNE high schools (DSST, MLK, and the three programs at the Montbello Campus).  For example, if a school chooses to support a football team, we want any high school age student in FNE to be able to play football no matter what school they go to during the day.  MLK students who want to play football are currently playing for the Montbello Warriors.  

The Green Valley Ranch Foundation, which is housed within Oakwood Homes, has approved $30,000 as seed money for a FNE Regional Athletics Program (FNERAP).  A FNERAP Advisory Committee - made up of all of the current high school principals, the DPS Athletic Director and several community leaders - is currently identifying other funding opportunities to support the program. 

25.  Could 4 schools be co-located in the Montbello campus?

Although there are a multitude of variables that help determine a specific co-location recommendation, there are 4 driving factors that determine best possible fits within a given facility: overall facility capacity and related support spaces, facility layout, ability to differential program spaces and individual program requirements.  Based on these factors, we believe 3 programs maximize the potential of the current Montbello facility.

IMPACT ON STAFF 

26.  How will staff in FNE schools be impacted?

Our goal is for every school in the FNE community to have school leaders and teachers who are the best fit for their program model, their implementation plan, and the students they serve.  We are confident that a community of educators who have the ability to enact their plans with fidelity and provide excellent services to students and families will produce high achievement and improved outcomes for our children. 

• Where a replacement school is recommended and the school will be phased-in, one grade-level at a time, teaching positions in the grade level being replaced by the new school will be reduced. Those teachers whose positions are reduced are welcome to apply for open positions in the replacement program in that building and eligible to apply for other positions in the district for which they are qualified.  
• Where a turnaround is recommended, school leadership may change and the school leader will have the opportunity to hire the staff that he or she chooses to be the best fit for the school. Teachers in that school currently are welcome to apply for positions in the restructured school and are eligible to apply for other open positions in the district for which they are qualified.

DPS Human resources team members will be working with impacted staff to support them in understanding the impact of the scenario as well as their future options. 

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS 

27. How will community partners be engaged in the regional scenario? 

DPS actively seeks productive partnerships with community-based organizations that can bring value added services to our schools and students.  Schools are encouraged to engage community partners as well. Denver Public schools has Parent-Family Liaisons, Resource Advocates and AmeriCorps volunteers whose primary responsibilities are to connect families with resources needed to be thriving.  Any of these individuals can support families in connecting with both district and community resources (Ex: housing, child care, food, educational services, etc.)  Additionally, The Foundation for Educational Excellence will be opening an early childhood, youth and family support center called The Promise Center in the next 1-2 years.  This will provide an opportunity for even more families to receive services, support and advocacy. The goal is for the Promise Center to provide the types of holistic, wrap-around services that Harlem Children's Zone is famous for providing. 

FNECC PROCESS 

28. How extensive has the FNECC process been? 

The Far Northeast Community Committee was convened by A+ Denver and Denver Public Schools (DPS) in April 2010. There are over 40 parents, community members, teachers, school leaders and students on the committee who have dedicated countless hours to the process over the past seven months. All meeting agendas, presentations and notes can be found at: http://fneccschools.org/ where you can also provide either suggestions to improve the process or input on the proposed scenario.   

Both A+ and DPS welcome feedback on how to improve the process-this feedback will inform future community engagement efforts. Suggestions on engaging more students, ensuring better audio conditions at all meetings, more timely distribution of materials and surveys are all greatly appreciated and will make for better processes in the future.

APPENDIX 

Below is a listing of the questions recorded at the FNECC meeting on September 28, 2010. Questions in the Appendix are mapped to responses in the Frequently Asked Questions Document. 

QUESTIONS		ANSWER FOUND IN FAQ QUESTION #
1	Why just athletics? What about arts, drama, speech, other extracurriculars? Do we lose the "warrior" spirit?	24, 18
2	Will the athletic program be funded by the Oakwood Homes foundation? If so, how?	24
3	How do we get rid of Montbello stigma and (mostly wrong) reputation? Change the name? How do you sell it as a place to belong?	1, 2, 4, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23
4	Why is Montbello Prep so big and not differentiated enough from Montbello?	21, 22, 23
5	Collegiate plan is not detailed enough. Where has this been done successfully in Denver (schedule and classes)?	21
6	Can anyone attend this college prep academy?	1, 4, 10, 11, 13, 15, 21,
7	Where will the teachers for these new programs come from?	25
8	Does the district have enough placements for all displaced teachers?	25
9	What guarantee do we have that we do not provide qualified teachers?	1, 26
10	What is the plan for helping our very high number of foster parents advocate for the multiple children they care for?	14, 15, 27
11	What will be the enrollment levels for each of the 4 elementary schools?	4, 11, 12
12	A lot is made about right-sizing . . . what does this mean? How are the #s determined/recommended?	4
13	What about family supports and wrap around services? Is there money to implement a Harlem Childrens' Zone model with holistic set of services including very strong social work support for children psychologically damaged by their environments?	27
14	How will community partners be involved in timely and meaningful ways?	27
15	Has the BOLD center reached out to small business owners to employ students?	22
16	Where will the extra money come from to support all of these programs?	4
17	Charters have longer days; is this an option for DPS?	19
18	Why is it that a replacement school principal can interview and hire the teachers that they feel would be a good fit for his school and students?	4, 26
19	To have real choices - Why are there no options that prioritize small class size as the most important factor?	4
20	How much rope does a new school get? We know many fail. If it ain't happening after 4-5 yrs, does the school close? What is the achievement bar and timeline?	3
21	Is there a strategic plan to reevaluate/assess the effectiveness of changes and take appropriate actions prior to 5yr term designated by state?	3
22	How are we going to address the ‘summer slide'?	6, 19
23	What are we doing to serve students who aren't special ed but are struggling?	1, 2, 4, 19

 

QUESTIONS		ANSWER FOUND IN THIS FAQ QUESTION #
24	You keep saying the principal will lead the plan - will she lead the school?	4
25	Why do we think a 6-12 arts program will be successful? Kinsmiller (sp?) isn't!!!	18
26	Will the arts school be for people talented in the arts? Or is it open to everyone?	18
27	Why if the school made steady growth under weak leadership can it not stay the way it is under the CDE roll out for one more year under a stronger administration?	1, 2, 3, 4
28	Can GVE be considered for a different type of turnaround where the staff would stay and Green Valley would get a new principal and asst principal?	1, 2, 3, 4
29	Why no replacement option for Green Valley Elementary? No change in process for GVE?	1, 2, 3, 4
30	Why 3 NOT 4 schools (feels too much like Manual)?	25
31	Why co-locate KIPP at Noel and not a feeder elementary?	20
32	Will there be room at Noel for a full size Arts and a full size KIPP? Why not temporarily house KIPP elsewhere to avoid 3 schools in one, which might be a barrier to success?	7, 20
33	Can we set public school boundaries for a charter school?	5
34	Are all ELL - ELA-S/ELA-E - services provided by the charters going to meet the criteria of the ELA court order?	17
35	What DPS schools will become innovation schools in this scenario?	1
36	Why are we not provided with more detail on the specifics of these new schools/programs and an honest assessment of their models? What are their strengths and weaknesses?	1, 2, 3, 4
37	How will DPS address transportation for school students - for inclement weather and long walking distances?	16
38	Will transportation be provided for students who opt out of FNE options?	15, 16
39	What are the demographics of KIPP staff? Of KIPP admin?	19
40	Has DPS approved a KIPP 5-8 for FNE? Why not 5-12?	19
41	How does KIPP's extended day affect the CAPA?	19
42	What will be the average class size at KIPP?	19
43	What happened to business, such as accounting and management?	22
44	Why are technical certifications not an option - not everyone is college ready and there are opportunities in green tech industry?	22
45	We had High Tech Early College before. What guarantee do we have that this will succeed long term?	22
46	Who operates this school? What are the specific plans?	22
47	Through what institution will the associate's degree be issued? What accreditation does it have?	22
48	What is the vetting process for high tech academy? How is it tried and why will it work in Montbello?	22
49	High Tech High is San Diego is more like DSST . . . where else has this proposed program been executed successfully?	22
50	How will poor and homeless kids get help to figure out the options and make a good choice?	11, 14

QUESTIONS		ANSWER FOUND IN THIS FAQ QUESTION #
51	Moving a child from Blair 8th grade to one of the academies - how will that process go and how easy will it be?	10, 11, 12, 14, 15
52	How will choice - in applicants from outside boundary - if there are spaces in an elementary school? In middle schools?	15
53	Are student interests going to be taken into consideration - skills/test scores - at time of student placement? Will students have input into what program they are offered?	10-15
54	Nobody answered question about displaced students: what happens to them	4, 8, 13
55	Is there an alternative pathway for elementary students?	4
56	Why enrollment zones for 6-12 and boundary for ECE-5?	3
57	What happens to students who live out here and don't enroll in the Collegiate or HighTech academy?	10, 23
58	Why will students have to go elsewhere if they want a regular school?	9, 10
59	If a child is in a school building will they be guaranteed they can stay there?	4, 8, 13
60	FNE Enrollment Zone: Does current CHOICE POLICY support this recommendation or should it be revised?	11, 15
61	Who will supervise choice liaisons and how will they be successful?	14
62	What % of Montbello campus enrollment will be reserved for neighborhood families?	11
63	Will DCIS (m-hs) have an application process that is similar to the one in place at the Western facility? If not, how will it affect the Intl. Studies model?	23
64	Is the district proposing an ELA-S/TNLI option for secondary students (currently they are bussed 20 miles across town)?	17
65	The 2014-15 school yr at Montbello will have 300 fewer 9-12 students than the 2010-11 school year. The turnaround changes should increase enrollment but there will be fewer seats. What is the plan?	10, 12, 13
66	How does it benefit the community if we are losing seats at the middle school level?	4, 9, 12
67	Why aren't students participating?	1, 28
68	What was the sample size of the survey that was handed sent out Fri night with a Monday deadline on a no school fri-mon weekend for DPS?	1, 28
69	Why is it so rushed? If you cant attend the meeting you have now way to weigh in?	1, 28
70	A group of over 10 parents left my table because they couldn't hear, so they didn't vote at end. Is there a way to make sure everyone can hear and participate? Is there a way to gather information from parents before the 10/12 meeting?	1, 28
71	Charter schools were promoted . . . what about tours at the DPS schools?	1