Nevada Achievement School District Launch - Charter School Recruiting

1. 1
Request for Qualifications from
Excellent Charter School Organizations
The Nevada Achievement School District

2. 2
Background on the Nevada ASD
General Info on the Request for Qualifications
Components of the Request for Qualifications
Next Steps and Appendix
1
2
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The Nevada Achievement School District – Request for Qualifications

3. 3
The Nevada ASD’s Mission and Strategy
The Nevada ASD exists for one reason: to provide better opportunities for the
57,000 students trapped in Nevada’s 78 persistently failing schools.
 No direct-operated schools, full focus on
creating and overseeing a system of excellent
charter schools
 Charter schools are their own LEAs, have full
autonomy
 Objective, consistent, outcomes-based
accountability for charter schools
 Upfront support for CMO growth plans; this
year’s applicants may be approved to open
multiple schools over multiple years

4. 4
Charter School Opportunities in the Nevada ASD
The Nevada ASD can transform
struggling schools . . .
The Nevada ASD will select up to
six struggling schools per year to
be run by high-quality charter
school organizations.
. . . and launch new schools for
low-income students who
attend struggling schools.
The Nevada ASD may authorize
high-quality charter school
organizations to open new charter
schools in Nevada’s highest-need
neighborhoods.
The Nevada ASD has the ability to authorize two types of schools: turnaround
charter schools and new charter schools dedicated to serving low-income
students.

5. 5
Background on the Nevada ASD
General Info on the Request for Qualifications
Components of the Request for Qualifications
Next Steps and Appendix
1
2
3
4
The Nevada Achievement School District – Request for Qualifications

6. 6
Application
Process
Efficiency
TransparencyRigor
The Nevada ASD Application Process
In our request for qualifications, we offer open communication, ample support,
and an objective evaluation process with the goal of authorizing organizations
that will provide outstanding outcomes for Nevada’s students.

7. 7
Request for Qualifications Timeline
Stage Documentation Deadline
1) Notice of Intent Submit letter of intent and
eligibility documentation via
online Notice of Intent Form
As soon as possible
2) Full Application Submit written application
narrative and upload supporting
documentation
Due September 30, 2015
3) Supplemental Requests
(if applicable)
Submit responses to any
requests for clarification or
additional information
Due November 15, 2015
4) Interviews (if applicable) N/A By December 15, 2015
5) Final Applicant Approval N/A By January 15, 2016
The request for qualifications process will span from this summer through the
start of next year.

8. 8
Eligibility Requirements
Locally
Supported
Nonprofit
Law-
Abiding
Non-
Religious
At least two members of the school’s governing board must
reside in the school’s community.
Applicants must incorporate as Nevada nonprofit corporations.
No one involved with the proposal may have been convicted of or
plead no contest to a felony.
Applicants must be secular, non-religiously affiliated institutions.
To be eligible for authorization, charter applicants must be . . .

9. 9
Background on the Nevada ASD
General Info on the Request for Qualifications
Components of the Request for Qualifications
Next Steps and Appendix
1
2
3
4
The Nevada Achievement School District – Request for Qualifications

10. 10
Your Vision • Executive summary
• Purpose
• School Model & Academic Plan
Your Team
• Founding Team
• Human Capital
Your Plan for Sustainability
• Financial Readiness
• School Sustainability
Our Community
• Student Population
• Parent & Community Support
★
Components of the Request for Qualifications
The request for qualifications addresses nine categories within four topics.

11. 11
Executive Summary
What are you seeking
to accomplish with
your school?
• Provide a rationale
for the creation of the
proposed school
• Include detail
regarding the goals
the school will
achieve and how the
team will achieve
them
• Address potential
risks and mitigation
plans
Purpose
Why are you and your
team interested in
Nevada’s movement?
• Articulate a clear and
specific mission and
vision
• Make a credible for
the importance of the
problem they are
seeking to solve
School Model &
Academic Plan
How will your school
meet the needs of all of
your students?
• Describe components
of the school model
• Justify your school
model with evidence
• Describe a day in the
life of a student
• Present a plan for
using data with
regards to student
achievement
• Write a legally
compliant plan for
serving special
populations
Your Vision ★
We want to know what your vision is for your school and how you will achieve it.

12. 12
Your Team
Founding Leadership Team
How is your founding team capable
of achieving your vision?
• Describe a team of individuals with
capacity and/or records of success
• Present a coherent, delineated
governance structure
• Articulate a plan to evaluate the
school leader against goals for
student achievement and school
sustainability.
• Articulate a plan for recruiting a
leader and other critical staff
Human Capital
How do you plan to hire, develop,
and retain teachers and other staff?
• Identify pipelines for attracting high-
quality teachers
• Describe credible strategies for
retaining teachers
• Articulate expectations for teachers
and a plan for ensuring that
teachers are supported in meeting
expectations
We want to ensure your current and future team can run a high-quality school.
★

13. 13
Your Plan for Sustainability
Financial Readiness
Do you have what it takes to
responsibly manage public funds?
• Create a budget that aligns with the
staffing, programming, and goals of
the proposed school
• Present a set of systems for back-
office operations
• Offer a plan for the division of
financial responsibilities across all
team members, including the board
• Describe plans for addressing
financial shortfalls or other
difficulties
School Sustainability
How will you ensure your school
serves our students for many years?
• Assess short-and long-term risks to
school sustainability and success
• Offer plans to mitigate risks to
sustainability in the short- and long-
term
• Describe an approach to the
development of a school leadership
pipeline
We want to make sure you operate and sustain a solvent, high-performing
school for years to come.

14. 14
Our Community
Student Population
What are your goals for Nevada’s at-
risk students?
• Serve a population that aligns with
Nevada’s low-income communities.
• Include specific, realistic yet
ambitious goals for student
achievement.
Parent & Community Support
How will you engage your school’s
unique community?
• Provide evidence of local support for
the proposed school.
• Offer an approach to building and
maintaining strong relationships with
external stakeholders.
• Include evidence-based parent
involvement programming in the
plan for community engagement
We need to know you will ensure your school meets the needs of students,
families, and other local stakeholders in Nevada.

15. 15
Background on the Nevada ASD
General Info on the Request for Qualifications
Components of the Request for Qualifications
Next Steps and Appendix
1
2
3
4
The Nevada Achievement School District – Request for Qualifications

16. 16
Next Steps
Please visit us online here or send an email to
achievementschools@doe.nv.gov.
Applications and a guidebook are also available online
here.
Finally, don’t forget to submit your Notice of Intent.

17. 17
Appendix
The following slides include additional information that prospective applicants
may find helpful in preparing a charter school proposal.

18. 18
“We have a long way to go in improving Nevada's student achievement and the system of
public education. The results show that the vast majority of our students are not well
prepared for education beyond high school. The real question is, how will our districts and
high schools respond?"
– State Superintendent Dale Erquiaga
0
5
10
15
20
25
English Math Reading Science
ACT Performance 2015
Nevada
National Average 2014
College & Career Ready
With an average ACT composite score of 17.4, most of Nevada’s students are
not graduating from high school ready for college.
Nevada’s Academic Performance

19. 19
Most of Las Vegas and Nevada’s students are minority. Over 53% of students
statewide and 57% in Las Vegas are low-income.
Las Vegas & Nevada’s Demographics
41% 44%
36% 29%
10% 12%
13% 15%
Nevada Clark County
Hispanic
White
Black
Other

20. 20
In Las Vegas’ Clark County School District, white students are much more likely
to graduate than minority students.
Las Vegas’ Opportunity Gap
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Hispanic
White
Black
Clark County Graduation Rates (2013-2014)

21. 21
Charter schools in the Nevada ASD should receive at least $7,300* per pupil in
baseline funding. The Nevada Department of Education will distribute these
funds on a monthly basis and new schools can request an advanced payment.
Baseline Funding in Las Vegas & the ASD
School Percentage of Total Funds Total
Funds
School/School System General
Fund
Title
Funds
IDEA
Funds
Other
Funds
Total
Per Pupil
Average CCSD School FY14 81% 5% 3% 10% $8,051
Las Vegas Charter School FY14 94% 3% 3% 0% $6,957
Estimate for ASD Charter FY16 89% 4% 3% 3% $7,290
*This number does not include funding for many of Nevada’s recently passed categorical initiatives.

22. 22
Nevada’s 2015 legislative session passed extensive education initiatives which
will increase state categorical funding for many schools.
Possibilities for Additional Funding in the ASD
Initiative What does it do? What does this mean for school funding?
Victory Schools
Gives eligible underperforming
schools extra funding to improve
their performance.
ASD charters that turnaround persistently
struggling schools could be eligible for an
additional $1,137.45 per pupil.
Zoom Schools
Provides extra funding for ESL
and ELL students.
ASD charters with high levels of ESL & ELL
enrollment may apply to the state for
categorical funds.
Read By Three
Supports schools to ensure that
their students can read at grade
level by 3rd grade.
ASD charters with young students who
struggle in reading can apply to the state for
categorical funds.
GATE Funding
Increases funding for gifted and
talented students and distributes
that increase on a per pupil basis.
ASD charters may receive extra funding for
their gifted and talented students.
Full-Day
Kindergarten
Provides funding to expand full-
day kindergarten to all schools in
Nevada.
ASD charters educating kindergartners will
receive full funding per pupil, as opposed to
the 60% of funding received in the past.