Reply to BASIS: PCSB staff recommends conditional continuance due to SWD

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

And what ELSE did the report say? Come on. [/quote]

It concluded that there simply aren't enough SPED kids at the school. That is the sole issue and the only reason for the conditional approval. [/quote]

Don't forget the lack of at-risk kids, and the SPED compliance violations.[/quote]

Nope, that wasn't part of the conclusion.

Pursuant to the School Reform Act (SRA), the DC Public Charter School Board (DC PCSB)
“shall review [a school’s] charter at least once every [five] years.”8 As such, DC PCSB staff
conducted a 10-year review of BASIS DC PCS, evaluating the school’s progress toward
meeting its goals and academic achievement expectations (charter goals). BASIS DC PCS
adopted the Performance Management Framework (PMF) as its charter goals, in
accordance with DC PCSB’s Elect to Adopt the PMF as Charter Goals Policy (PMF as Goals
Policy).9 In doing so, BASIS DC PCS committed to earning at least 50.0% of the possible
PMF points in two of the most recent three years and earning at least 45.0% in four of the
previous five years. As the chart above shows, the school met its charter goals, earning well
above the targeted PMF points throughout the review period.

DC PCSB staff also evaluated the school’s compliance with applicable federal and local
laws, compliance with its charter, and fiscal management. DC PCSB staff determined the
school has not committed a violation of law or a material violation of its charter, has
adhered to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), has not engaged in a pattern
of fiscal mismanagement, and is economically viable.

However, as discussed in Section Two of this report, while BASIS DC PCS has met the
standards for charter continuance, DC PCSB staff is concerned the school is not accessible
to students with disabilities (SWD).

10 [b]The school has persistently low special education
enrollment rates. Throughout the review period, BASIS DC PCS largely only served SWD
who required level 1 or level 2 special education services.11 Moreover, the percentage of
SWD enrolled at BASIS DC PCS ranged between 3.5% and 4.4%.12 These rates have been the
lowest among all DC public charter middle and high schools for the past four years.
Further, BASIS DC PCS’s special education enrollment rates are significantly lower than the
District’s 8.5% benchmark.13 While the school’s special education enrollment rates are
comparatively low, BASIS DC PCS’s SWD outperform their peers across the charter sector
in academic growth and proficiency, as shown in Section One of this report. The school’s
effectiveness in educating students with disabilities provides a compelling case for
increasing special education enrollment rates at BASIS DC PCS.[/b]

Based on these findings, DC PCSB staff recommends the Board continue the school’s
charter with the following condition.

By February 15, 2022, BASIS DC PCS shall:
a. Submit for DC PCSB’s review a draft recruitment and retention plan targeted
toward SWD. At a minimum, the plan must include specific strategies the
school will use to 1) publicize its program to the community as inclusive for all
learners, and 2) target recruitment efforts for families of SWD.
b. Submit for DC PCSB’s review a draft special education plan in support of an
increased volume of SWD in the school that describes the academic 
programming and personnel required to support special education students
across a wide range of needs. At a minimum, the plan must include strategies
to ensure the school's capacity to offer special education across all settings
and needs.
By March 29, 2022, the school shall submit final versions of each plan that
incorporate and address, to DC PCSB’s satisfaction, any feedback DC PCSB provides.
The school must reflect on its progress in implementing the plan and enrolling and
retaining SWD in its annual report every year leading up to its 15-year charter
renewal.
The following report includes a school background section followed by analyses of the
school’s academic performance, charter and legal compliance, and fiscal management.[/quote]

It's true, though.[/quote]

If so, you'll need to find something else to back it up. This report concludes the outstanding issue is SPED enrollment numbers.[/quote]

Yes, it's not (yet) a problem for charter review that BASIS serves so few at-risk kids or has poor compliance.  But it's still true.  And if the PCSB goes forward with their revision of the PMF and other renewal criteria, it may be a problem for BASIS in the future.[/quote]

Ok. [/quote]

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