State seeks grant applications for new, expanding charter schools

State seeks grant applications for new, expanding charter schools

By Alison May

The Delaware Department of Education is seeking grant applications for new charter schools interested in opening in Delaware or highly effective existing schools looking to add seats or additional locations.

The funds are part of the $10.4 million federal grant Delaware won in October to strengthen the state’s charter school system. Funds from the U.S. Department of Education’s Charter School Program will be distributed over five years to support:

  • Sharing best practices between charter schools and other public schools;
  • Evaluating and enhancing the impact of charter schools on student achievement, families and communities;
  • Strengthening the charter school authorization process; and
  • Providing subgrants for the planning, program design and initial implementation of new charter schools and expansion and replication of highly effective existing charter schools.

The grant also will help the Delaware Department of Education to improve its charter authorization process by enhancing reporting to include additional measures, providing technical assistance to charter school stakeholders and addressing policy to strengthen authorization practices.

Those applying for subgrants from the state must show how they will use the funds to:

  • Increase academic achievement for all students in the school as well as educationally disadvantaged students;
  • Collaborate to share best practices with district and charter schools;
  • Engage the families of educationally disadvantaged children on school choice opportunities with a focus on Delaware’s rural and urban areas;
  • Leverage partnerships with local agencies (i.e. social services, behavioral health, mental health, educational support, job placement, before/after care) to enhance school services and ensure sustainability.

The department released its request for applications (find information online here). Applicants must notify their intent to apply by April 30. Applications are due May 31, and awards will be announced in July.

This article originally appeared in Delaware Department of Education News

State seeks public comment on revised proposed antidiscrimination regulation

State seeks public comment on revised proposed antidiscrimination regulation

Friday, June 1, 2018 – The Delaware Department of Education is seeking public comment on a revised proposed 225 Prohibition of Discrimination Regulation, which will be published in the June Register of Regulations today.

The department received more than 11,000 comments on a previous version of the proposed regulation. After careful review of that feedback, Secretary of Education Susan Bunting made responsive changes. The version to be published today:

  • Removes the provision that allowed students to make changes on how they were identified without parental involvement and adds a requirement of parental notification and permission; and
  • Substitutes the state’s suggested model policy for a guidance document to assist districts and charters in creating local policies.

Because the revised proposed regulation reflects substantive changes from the previous version published, the regulation has been published in the Register again with another month-long public comment period before any decision on a final regulation is made.  Secretary Bunting thanks those who shared their feedback during the first formal comment period and encourages the public to again share comments by July 6. All comments received will be posted online after the public comment period ends.

To be considered as part of the public record, comments must either be submitted via email to DOEregulations.comment@doe.k12.de.us or via mail to the attention of Tina Shockley, Department of Education, 401 Federal St., Suite 2, Dover, Delaware 19901. Comment submitted to other email addresses will not be accepted. Comments must be received by July 6.

DELAWARE: 19 schools recognized for students’ academic achievement

DELAWARE: 19 schools recognized for students’ academic achievement

Schools from all three counties have earned honors for their students’ academic achievements.

The Delaware Department of Education today named 15 schools 2017 Recognition Schools, two of which also were designated as National Title I Distinguished Schools. Each school will receive an $8,000 award. Funding for the awards comes from the state’s School Improvement funds. Additionally, there are four Schools of Continued Excellence that were honored as Recognition Schools last year and had outstanding performance again this year. These schools are not eligible for a financial award again until 2018.

“I congratulate the students, educators and families whose hard work and support led to these achievements,” Secretary of Education Susan Bunting said. “These school communities have provided educational programs and created school cultures that allow students to thrive. We must learn from what is working well in these buildings and replicate these successes across our state.”

National Title I Distinguished School awards are presented by the National Association of State Title I Directors. Recognition School awards were created by legislation passed by the Delaware General Assembly in 2009. The awards are given (a) to schools whose students are performing at an exceptionally high level, particularly those schools with large percentages of students coming from low-income households and (b) to schools that have succeeded in closing the achievement gap for students such as low-income students, students from minority groups and students with disabilities.

The winning schools have discretion in deciding how to spend their award money to benefit their students and school as a whole. As in years past, each school will appoint a committee (with administration, teacher, support staff and parent representation) to determine how the award will be used.

Two of the schools are National Title I Distinguished School awardees chosen for exceptional performance. National Title I Distinguished Schools are Title I schools that met national criteria and have not been Title I Distinguished school awardees in the past two years.

Recognition Schools are chosen for exceptional performance and/or closing the achievement gap.

Schools that have received state awards during 2016 and continue to qualify for Reward or Recognition School distinction in 2017 are named Schools of Continued Excellence to recognize their sustained accomplishments. They will be eligible for funds again next year if they meet the Reward or Recognition School qualifications.

The 2017 winners are below:

National Distinguished Title I Schools and Recognition Schools

  • Allen Frear Elementary School, Caesar Rodney School District
  • South Dover Elementary School, Capital School District

Recognition Schools

  • H. O. Brittingham Elementary School, Cape Henlopen School District
  • Brookside Elementary School, Christina School District
  • Forwood Elementary School, Brandywine School District
  • Georgetown Elementary School, Indian River School District
  • Georgetown Middle School, Indian River School District
  • William B. Keene Elementary School, Christina School District
  • Lake Forest Central Elementary, Lake Forest School District
  • Lake Forest South Elementary, Lake Forest School District
  • Maple Lane Elementary School, Brandywine School District
  • Mispillion Elementary School, Milford School District
  • North Smyrna Elementary School, Smyrna School District
  • Positive Outcomes Charter School, Camden
  • Selbyville Middle School, Indian River School District

Schools of Continued Excellence

  • W. Reily Brown Elementary School, Caesar Rodney School District
  • Lake Forest East Elementary, Lake Forest School District
  • Lake Forest North Elementary, Lake Forest School District
  • Jennie E. Smith Elementary School, Christina School District
DELAWARE: Questions loom ahead of final ESSA draft plan release next week

DELAWARE: Questions loom ahead of final ESSA draft plan release next week

Delaware’s Department of Education is set to release its final Every Student Succeeds Act draft plan next week.

Some parents like Solange Clarke are anxious to discover what it includes for pre-K and kindergarten education.

Listen to this story…

Clarke moved to Delaware from New York a few years ago, and says she had a hard time finding information about daycare and preschool programs for her two young children.

“It’s just a lot of having to ask people and rely on people,” Clarke said. “And my concern there is, I’m an educated person working in the field of education and these are the hoops I have to go through, so I can imagine what it’s like for somebody who doesn’t have this much experience or doesn’t have the right resources.”

She’s now paying for her son to attend preschool at the Goddard School in Wilmington, but says she has just as many unanswered questions about kindergarten options now.

Delaware’s second draft ESSA plan states a commitment to strategies shifting to a pre-K through 12 model – instead of just K-12.

But it’s still unclear how the state plans to incorporate pre-K data into its accountability model.

“When you go into kindergarten, you’re expected to be able to write your letters: A, B, and C,” Clarke said. “But if you went to a daycare where you just sat and watched TV all day, and scribbled on paper, now you’re in kindergarten with 15 other students who do know their A,B,Cs and 5 students don’t – that’s an issue, that’s an issue for the teacher.”

Measuring K-3 literacy academic achievement is a new measure under the First State’s ESSA plans.

Education advocates like Atnre Alleyne are happy the state’s plans are also adding factors like chronic absenteeism, but says the goal of cutting the achievement gap in half by 2030 isn’t ambitious enough.

“But what are the interim benchmarks that will let us know that students are actually getting towards their goals so that we don’t get to 2020, 2025 and 2030 and then once again it’s another reset?” Alleyne said.

The final draft plan will be released next Tuesday. That draft will be provided to the Governor and available for public comment for 30 days.

The Department of Education has said there could still be changes to the plan before it’s submitted to the US Department of Education on April 3rd.

$100,000 LabWare donation supports NextGen Teacher Leader Program

$100,000 LabWare donation supports NextGen Teacher Leader Program

A Delaware business’ $100,000 donation will allow 200 science teachers from across the state to continue in a leadership and professional learning program.

LabWare’s donation will allow the NextGen Teacher Leader project to extend into a third year.

Governor Jack Markell thanked Vance Kershner, president and CEO of LabWare, a Delaware-based  laboratory informatics company, for his company’s continued support.

Under the NextGen Teacher Leader program, educators from across the state have developed and field tested units aligned to the new standards, sharing their knowledge and experiences with their colleagues in their buildings and across the state.

“The NextGen Teacher Leader project is not only an important initiative for supporting quality science education but also an opportunity for science educators to take on leadership responsibilities, one that allows them to do this without leaving the classroom for an administrative position,” Markell said.

This is the second gift LabWare has made to the program. Two years ago, LabWare donated $60,000 to help the state launch the program.

“LabWare is honored to be able to continue to support this very special initiative that will allow Delaware educators to continue their development and will allow students to understand core scientific concepts, to understand the scientific process of developing and testing ideas, and to have a greater ability to evaluate scientific evidence,” Kershner said.

Delaware was among 26 states that participated in the development of the Next Generation Science Standards, which emphasize inquiry, engineering design and understanding the broad concepts common to all scientific disciplines. The State Board of Education unanimously adopted the standards in September 2013, and the state has spent the years since preparing for implementation.

“For more than 200 years, our state has had a tradition of innovation in the sciences and technology, and employers continue to seek employees skilled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. If we are going to ensure that Delaware students can meet that need, Delaware schools need to effectively prepare them for STEM careers,” Markell said. “That is why this investment means so much.”

Michelle Kutch, Brandywine School District’s director of STEM, science and social studies and co-chair of the Delaware Science Coalition, said that with the adoption of new standards comes the need for new curricula materials and a great deal of professional development for teachers.

“This is no easy feat and typically brings a large price tag that not one local education agency can carry on its own. The Science Coalition relies on the collaborative philosophy of sharing resources among member districts and charters, however new initiatives require monies above and beyond our budget.  We are very thankful for the generosity of LabWare’s donation to our teacher leader program.  We will be able to continue building our capacity in teacher leadership by providing quality professional development to our staff in supporting science education throughout the state,” she said.

Shelley Rouser, director of K12 initiatives and educator engagement at the Delaware Department of Education, said investments such as this in our teachers are so valuable.

“When it comes to ensuring the best education for our students – the best science education – we know it’s more about investing in people and less about purchasing programs. That is what is so significant about LabWare’s support,” she said. “Their trust in and support of teacher training and leadership development supported the launch of this teacher leader program two years ago, and we are thankful that they are committed to support sustaining it.”

LabWare

Delaware Foundation for Science and Mathematics Education (DFSME) Executive Director Randy Guschl, Governor Jack Markell and LabWare President and CEO Vance Kershner

Alison May
alison.may@doe.k12.de.us
(302) 735-4006