DPA_Petitioner's Response to Initial Memo - January 8, 2024 - DCSD Board Meeting Archive

Initial Memorandum To
DeKalb Preparatory Academy
November 3, 2023

The DeKalb County School District’s Initial Memo provides the petitioner with feedback from the DCSD Charter Petition Review
Committee. The Initial Memo includes identified strengths, clarifying questions, and requests for additional information or
documentation.

Directions:
1. Review the Initial Memo.
2. Respond in writing to each item. Written responses should be submitted with the revised petition. Below is an example.

Feedback: Describe the process for collecting data on stakeholder satisfaction. It is unclear as written.
Petitioner’s Response: Process revised in petition. See pages 2-3. Copy of survey included. See exhibit #32.

3. Revise the original petition and save the revised document in Microsoft Word. All changes made to the original petition
should be made using the “track changes” feature in MS Word. No additional changes to the petition will be accepted
unless requested by the DeKalb Board of Education.
How to Submit the Final Revised Petition and Response to the Initial Memo

By November 10, 2023 (12:00 PM), deliver to the School Innovation/Governance Department via DropBox at
charterschools@dekalbschoolsga.org the revised petition (including exhibits) and the Response to the Initial Memo. Use electronic
folders for sections, exhibits, and appendices.

Your Application Package must include the following:

1. Microsoft Word version of your Application Cover Page (page 14)
2. REDLINED Microsoft Word version of your Application and Exhibits
3. PDF version of your Complete Application Packet in the following order: Cover Sheet, Application, signed Assurances Form(s),
Affidavit, and Exhibits
4. PDF version of your Locally-Approved Charter School Partners Roles and Responsibilities Chart
5. Excel version of your completed Budget Templates
6. Microsoft Word version of the Response to the Initial Memo

Faxed or emailed copies will not be accepted. Only complete applications that comply with these guidelines will be evaluated.
SUMMARY

On October 17, 2023, DeKalb Preparatory Academy submitted a DCSD charter renewal application seeking the DeKalb Board of
Education’s approval for a five-year contract term. In evaluating the petition, the Charter Petition Review Committee identified
aspects of the petition, which would affect students attending the charter school.

Commendations from the Petition Review Committee:

● The Head of School and Governing Board collaborate to analyze the root causes of persistent deficiencies in programming.
● DeKalb Preparatory Academy has demonstrated a strong financial performance and has a substantial fund balance.
● The recent change in leadership has fostered communication between the Governing Board and the school.

Process:

Items requiring a response are listed below. If applicable, questions correlate to the page number in the Microsoft Word version of
the petition. Additional areas of concern may be raised by DeKalb Board of Education members during their review of the petition
or by GADOE during its review process.

Community Support
Item Committee’s Feedback Petitioner’s Response
1 Question #2 asks the petitioner to describe why the academic See update on pages 12-13 of the redlined petition.
program is innovative in the school district. Please clarify. – p. 12

2 How did the governing board identify “enrollment fluctuations See update on pages 14-15 of the redlined petition.
caused by the COVID-19 pandemic” as the cause of the decrease in
DPA’s waitlist? – p. 14

School Governance

Item Committee's Feedback Petitioner’s Response
3 What professional expertise does each member bring to the 1. Suzette Arnold- Expertise - Federal grant management,
Governing Board? How many terms has each member served? - organizational management, Terms Served- 2+ (8 years)
Exhibit 2 2. Janelle Wilhite - Expertise - Accounting and finance, Terms
Served - 2+ (8 years)
3. Wanda McKay - Expertise - Community involvement and
parent advocacy, Terms Served - Currently serving 2nd term
(5 years)
4. Roberta Walker - Expertise - Academic and educational
leadership, Terms Served - 2+ (7 years)
5. Bridget Robinson - Expertise - Academic and educational
leadership, Terms Served - 1st term (started in July 2023)
6. Kathy Ann Young - Expertise - Community involvement and
DPA parent, Terms Served - 1st term (started in August 2023)
4 Board members shall serve a term of three (3) years from the Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, board member recruitment slowed
date of their appointments or until their successors are seated. A down making it difficult to replace board members with longer terms.
Director may serve up to two (2) consecutive terms. What has Additionally, with the leadership transitions that occurred during the
been the rationale of the DPA GB to (seemingly) waive this term contract extension, more veteran board members remained in place
limitation? - Exhibit 2 to provide organizational stability.

5 Figure 3 in the petition indicates that DPA met the governance See update on page 18 of the redlined petition.
performance goal regarding GA Open Meetings Compliance.
During SY22-23, DCSD cited DPA for violation of State Board Rule
160-4-9-.06, and the Georgia Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. §50-18-
70. – p. 18

Academic Plan

Item Committee’s Feedback Petitioner’s Response
6 Describe how the needs of students with disabilities are met See update on page 60 of the redlined petition.
through DPA’s Saturday School Program. - p. 59
7 During the contract extension, three Letters of Concerns were issued See updates on pages 61-62.
for Special Education non-compliance. Several of the
recommendations have not been addressed or continue to be
concerns. How does DPA ensure that compliance issues raised to the
school are addressed as new teachers transition into their positions?
a. Special Education Teachers are required to distribute
accommodations to staff members. Documentation of
signatures of review and distribution must be uploaded into
Infinite Campus.
b. DPA will meet regularly with the LTSE to review schedules
and IEPs to ensure adequate services are delivered to
Students with Disabilities.
c. DPA’s Instructional Lead Team will conduct daily spot
checks to ensure all PEC students are following the
designated schedule throughout the school day.
d. Special Education staff will receive staff development as
follows: March- IEP Writing Course and Accommodations in
Testing; April- Co-Teaching Models; May- Progress
Monitoring; July- FAPE and Dyslexia; August- Behavior
Problems.
e. Teachers are collecting Progress Monitoring Data every 4.5
weeks and providing parents with updates on student
progress.

Provide responses to all outstanding letters of concern related to
state- and federally- mandated services to students with disabilities
no later than November 10, 2023. – p. 59

8 The petitioner states that predictive tools have increased DPA’s See update on page 44 of the redlined petition.
educators’ ability to predict student performance on state-
mandated assessments. Please provide examples of how this
increased ability to predict student performance on state-mandated
assessments has led to increased student performance on state-
mandated assessments. – p. 43

9 In the past two years you were cited in a Georgia DOE complaint See update on page 63 of the redlined petition.
and an OCR complaint related to providing FAPE. How does DPA
monitor Exceptional Education Students' progress in the General
Education Setting to ensure that FAPE is provided? - p. 59

10 DPAs charter renewal is based on whether specific goals were met See update on page 20 of the redlined petition.
on the extended contract. One of the goals (Goal 7) on your
extended contract was to have implemented all essential features
as defined in Section 5 of the charter contract in all material
respects. The petitioner reports that with respect to PBL, with an
emphasis on AVC Technology, DPA met its goal in the last three
years of the charter and extension. What data is used to assess
project-based learning at DPA? What has been the impact of
project-based learning on student outcomes? P. 20

11 The petitioner included a sociodemographic comparison in its See update on page 31 of the redlined petition.
analysis of students’ GMAS performance. Please clarify how
subgroup data analysis informs decisions related to instruction and
student support at DPA. – pp. 26-33

12 What has DPA identified as the root cause(s) of challenges with See update on page 69 of the redlined petition.
MTSS progress monitoring during the current charter term? – p. 68

13 The petitioner states that its new leadership structure is “more See update on page 80 of the redlined petition.
streamlined than the previous ‘top heavy’ structure thus allowing
more resources to be allocated at the classroom level; both in
instructional resources, and increased compensation for
instructional staff.” Please clarify how the addition of
administrative staff in the new structure is more streamlined than
the previous “top heavy” structure. – p. 80

14 The petition mentions that DPA can provide more extensive See update on page 13 of the redlined petition.
offerings than traditional public schools given the flexibility
afforded charter schools. What extensive offerings are provided at
DPA that are not provided at other DeKalb County School District
locations? p. 13

15 Does DPA still implement EnVision Math? What metrics were used See update on page 20 of the redlined petition.
to measure the impact of implementation of EnVision Math on
students’ performance? - p. 20

16 Page 28 -30 of the petition shows that DPA consistently did not See update on page 29 of the redlined petition.
outperform their peers at the state and district level. What was
determined to be the root cause of this difference? P. 28-30

17 What other academic performance data does the Governing Board The governing board uses MAP, GMAS, pre/post tests, iReady and
monitor to drive decision making? - Governing Board Capacity common formative assessment data to monitor program quality and
Interview drive decision making.
18 What screener do you use to determine eligibility for ESOL services See updates on the following pages:
and what curriculum is used for ESOL classes? How does DPA ● Page 70 - screener
provide translation and interpretation services for families whose
● Page 70 - translation of materials and interpretation
primary home language is other than English (PHLOTE)? What are
your criteria for exiting students from the ESOL program? - p. 69 ● Page 71 - ESOL curriculum
● Page 72 - exit criteria (this information is not redlined because
it was already included in the petition.
19 No CCRPI scores were included in the School Accountability report. See updated Exhibit 5.
The school entered an N/A for school years 2018-2019 and 2021-
2022, which is inaccurate. - Exhibit 5

Financial Plan

Item Committee’s Feedback Petitioner’s Response
20 During the Superintendent’s site visit to DPA, the Head of School Based on the root cause analysis conducted in spring 2023, the DPA
asserted that DPA cannot offer salaries comparable to the district. board has prioritized allocating additional resources and plans to
Describe the Governing Board’s process for prioritizing areas of update the salary scale, which is critical to increasing academic
need and allocating resources to provide FAPE for students. - Exhibit performance and organizational effectiveness.
23
21 DPA’s five-year budget forecast under facilities allots $100,000 to See the revised budget in Exhibit 23.
building improvement for FY2024, but none for FY2025 through
FY2029. Which building upgrades are scheduled for FY2024, totaling
$100,000? Does DPA anticipate having any building improvements
after FY2024? If not, explain why not. - Exhibit 23
22 During your Governing Board Capacity Interview on Tuesday, See the revised budget in Exhibit 23.
October 31, the board was asked the following question.
Please confirm that DPA has six full-time certified special education
teachers, each responsible for a caseload of between 9-10 students.
(Section Academic | Performance Plan) The board responded that
DPA has six (6) full time special education teachers.

DPA has forecasted a five-year budget prediction of $65,000 for staff
classified as special education teachers for FY2024 – FY2029. Is this
the total budgeted amount for the six (6) full-time special education
instructors listed in the five-year budget projection? If not, then
where? - Exhibit 23

23 For the DeKalb Preparatory Academy, the exhibit is the Premium See proof of insurance in Exhibit 16.
Finance Agreement, Statement of Values, Certificate of Completion
and Commercial Insurance Application. A Certificate of Insurance is
needed; Exhibit 16
24 Provide a copy of the facilities management plan and policy The facility plan is located in Exhibit 30. The policy is in development, but
referenced by the Governing Board Chair during the Governing has not been ratified as of yet.
Board Capacity Interview.

Organizational Plan

Item Committee’s Feedback Petitioner’s Response
25 Describe the organizational challenges that DPA has faced during During the current charter term, DPA faced organizational challenges
the current term with special attention to challenges that directly that directly impacted the climate and culture of the school.
impacted school climate and culture. – Superintendent Site Visit
Changes in leadership (top executive) and staff turnover have been
two of the most impactful challenges as it is very difficult to increase
organizational effectiveness with a high percentage of staff attrition.
26 Provide an update on DPA’s 2023-2024 staff retention results and DPA does not have a retention rate for the current (2023-2024)
initiatives. What supports has DPA put in place for staff members school year as of yet. The governing board and head of school have
in the aftermath of the pandemic? – Superintendent Site Visit
put various incentives and supports in place. DPA is offering signing
bonuses, as well as retention and longevity incentives to increase
retention dramatically in the next charter term. A significant pay
scale increase has already been implemented across the school for
all certificated positions. The DPA board has also added ADP Total
Source for their staff, which provides mental health support, legal
advice and a host of other employee services.
27 Describe the Governing Board’s process for allocating resources to During the budget planning process, the governing board seeks input
maintain the facility. Does DPA have a facility master plan? If so, from the Head of School to determine facility needs and budget
please provide a copy. – Operations Site Visit
resources accordingly.

The facility plan is located in Exhibit 30.
28 Clarify how DPA’s leveraging of the broad flexibility waiver in the See update on page 13 of the redlined petition.
area of teacher certification led to better outcomes for students. -
p. 13

29 Provide examples of the professional development and training Response provided on page 22 of the redlined petition.
opportunities into which DPA has invested in response to
compliance-related concerns related to instruction and special
education services. – p. 21

30 The petition states that “for the past three years, DPA has lost 53% See update on page 40 of the redlined petition.
of its staff each year.” What “strategic steps” is DPA taking to
address this trend? Specifically, what steps is DPA taking to
address high turnover and training/development of special
education staff? – p. 39

31 The petition states that DPA also has a fully certified Special See update on page 67 of the redlined petition.
Education Lead Teacher that provides oversight for the program by
monitoring the identification/evaluation process...etc. How does
the person in this role support the newly hired special education
teachers? – p. 67
32 DPA did not submit an update on the percentage of certified staff See update on page 40 of the redlined petition.
by September 30, 2023, as required by its conditional contract
extension. Provide data on the percentage of certified teachers for
SY22-23 and SY23-24. – p. 40

33 The petitioner states “Teacher retention at DPA has been an See update on page 77 of the redlined petition.
ongoing challenge. This is due to several factors; 1) teacher
salaries are not sufficiently competitive, 2) teachers leave after
they obtain certification, and 3) burnout from the extended day
and year model.” How has DPA addressed factors 2 and 3? – p. 77

34 The following statement in the petition is incomplete: “DPA is See update on page 80 of the redlined petition.
anticipating a retention rate of % for the 2023-2024 school year.”
Please complete this statement. – p. 78

35 The petitioner states that “during the extended contract period, See update on page 83 of the redlined petition.
DPA continued to experience higher than acceptable staff
turnover. Organizational shifts of this magnitude do not allow for
the rapid improvement the school needed to demonstrate during
the two-year window.” What evidence supports that DPA has the
“organizational capacity and board oversight to provide an
innovative and high-quality student experience in the next charter
term?” - pp. 81-82

36 In your renewal petition, you submitted the DCSD Code of The DPA discipline plan addresses the day-to-day protocols, while the DCSD
Conduct, along with your own schoolwide discipline plan. Is it Code of Conduct is used to guide DPA and ensure that due process is
DPA’s plan to implement both for discipline and safety provided for all students in all discipline matters.
procedures?

Has DPA reviewed both documents to determine if there are any
procedural conflicts or concerns?

If you do not plan to utilize the DCSD Code of Student Conduct,
how do you plan to handle legally mandated procedures like
hearings, appeals (local, state, and Superior Court), violations with
state-mandated penalties, etc.? Do you have a school police
contact? If yes, have you discussed procedures for handling
threats, weapons, bomb threats, evacuations, etc.? Has DPA
attended the training sessions on student discipline conducted by
the Department of Student Relations? - Exhibit 12 and 13

Agenda Item