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Replication Application
for schools interested in replicating and opening for the
2017-2018 school year
What We Believe
-and-
What We Offer
We believe that our
singular focus on charter
schools translates into
tailored customer service,
a keen understanding of
the unique needs of
charter schools, a
consistently transparent
and collaborative
approach to all issues,
and the ability to better
advocate for charter
schools’ needs. With CSI,
your school will always be
the “rule” and never the
“exception.”
Our systems and staff are
focused on providing
tiered processes and
actions based on school
performance. Lower
performing schools
receive the additional
assistance they require
while higher performing
schools enjoy increased
autonomy, including a
less burdensome process
around applications for
charter renewal or
For more detailed information about the ser-
vices offered at CSI, please refer to the CSI
Services document located on our website at
www.csi.state.co.us/prospective_schools
Introduction to the Charter School Institute
The mission of the
Charter School
Institute shall be to
foster high-quality
public school choices
offered through
Institute charter
schools that deliver
rigorous academic
content and high
academic
performance in a safe
environment and on
par with the highest
performing schools,
including particularly
schools for at-risk
students.
The Charter Schools
Act was adopted in
Colorado in 1993. The
General Assembly
considered several
alternative authorizer
proposals before
adopting the Charter
School Institute (CSI)
Act in 2004. CSI
authorized two charter
schools in 2005 and
now has a total of 35
schools in its portfolio
throughout Colorado
with more than 15,000
students in
attendance.
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development. All schools
receive CSI’s customized
data analysis services,
which provide
schools with the
in-depth
information they
need to better
allocate attention
and resources and
confidently engage in
meaningful data-driven
decision making. CSI
also offers a Board of
Directors, appointed by
the Governor and
Commissioner of
Education, that reflects
the diversity and strength
needed to ensure long-
term stability for our
portfolio of schools.
Lastly, CSI is designed to
pass through a maximum
level of funding directly to
the schools and is
therefore competitive both
financially and with regard
to the services offered to
our schools when
compared to many
districts statewide.
As a charter school
authorizer,
CSI’s main
responsibility
is to manage
performance
contracts
with autonomous schools
in service of high student
outcomes. Compliance
with state and federal
regulations is also a
critical component of CSI
services. In addition to
providing oversight in
authorization matters, CSI
offers services that
support the effective
operation of schools.
CSI’s experienced team
offers the following
services to its charter
schools:
Customized Analysis
Governance Training
Exceptional Student
Program Oversight
Financial Monitoring
With CSI, charter
schools are the rule
not the exception
Who May Apply
An application may be
submitted by an
existing charter
school. For schools
interested in
replicating in districts
which have retained
exclusive chartering
authority, approval of
the replication school
by the current district
in the form of a board
resolution must be
provided by the
applicant. A list of
districts with their
chartering authority
status can be
accessed via this link:
http://
www.cde.state.co.us/
cdechart/distauthinfo
Private schools and
current non-charter
public schools may not
apply to CSI through
this process.
The fundamental
difference between an
application to open a new
charter school and an
application to replicate an
existing school
(“Replication Application”)
is that the Replication
Application is not about
the idea of creating a new
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Replication or New School?
Replication Readiness
In alignment with national best practice, readiness for replication is defined as an
applicant who provides:
A clear and compelling mission;
A strong educational program with demonstrated effectiveness;
Evidence of community need and support;
A solid business and financial plan;
Effective governance and management structures and systems;
Founding team members demonstrating diverse and necessary capabilities;
Clear evidence of the applicant’s capacity to execute its plan successfully.
Additional information on Charter School Replication may be found on the NACSA website at
http://www.qualitycharters.org/.
charter school; rather, it is
an evaluation of the
existing school’s success
and capacity of the
existing school leadership
to replicate. With this in
mind, many of the
application components
are meant to draw out
information about the
effectiveness of the
existing school, as well as
the leaders’ capacity to
broaden their school’s
scope. This will be
combined with
components that are
specific to the replication.
BEFORE YOU APPLY:
Provide a Letter of Intent and Executive
Summary to CSI. This form can be found
on the CSI website under the Prospective
Schools tab.
Ensure you have obtained a resolution from
your current district authorizing the
replication school (or if the replicating
school will be in a different district, the
resolution from that district). Provide a copy
of this to the Institute with your application.
CSI may assist with this process.
REPLICATION TIMELINE:
• MARCH 17, 2016—APPLICATION DUE
• MAY 10, 2016—PRESENTATION TO CSI BOARD
• JUNE 6 2016—CSI BOARD PERFORMANCE
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING
• JUNE 14 2016—CSI BOARD VOTE
Introduction to the Application WRITING YOUR APPLICATION
The application is divided into six primary
components, plus addenda, if applicable.
To determine whether you need to provide
these addenda, please refer to your Letter
of Intent, the descriptions of the addenda
located on the CSI website, or contact CSI
staff.
Your application must be typed and
supplied in both paper format (two copies in
3-ring binders) and in electronic format to
CSI. Number all pages within each of the
six sections (A-F), and ensure adherence to
the page limits indicated in the content
pages of this application. Failure to do so
may result in the application being deemed
incomplete.
Clearly distinguish and separate each
section in both the paper and electronic
versions of your application. For the paper
version, this should be accomplished
through the use of tabs dividers In the
electronic version, please provide a
separate file for each distinct section (ex: A,
B, etc.), as well as a file that contains the
full application (ex: A-F, addenda,
resolution, etc.).
CSI staff is happy to supply applicants with
additional information, clarification, and
direction toward resources up until the
application is submitted to CSI. Please
contact CSI at 303.866.3299 or
Replication Applications must be submitted no later
than March 17, 2016. Schools must also submit a
signed Board Resolution expressing intent to apply
to CSI for replication. Submit all materials to
THE ITEMS LISTED IN THE SUBSEQUENT PAGES WILL
COMPRISE YOUR PHYSICAL REPLICATION APPLICATION
Replication applications should focus on providing evidence of the
effectiveness of all currently operating schools. The application
should be as concise as possible. All requested documentation
should be provided as attachments to the narrative. This includes
any specific, documented evidence, tables, statistics, and other in-
formation which may require elaboration beyond the scope of the
narrative. Important note: CSI may request additional information
during the review period. The Institute may, but is not required to,
accept any additional information the applicant provides that the
Institute does not request.
EMP Addendum
If you currently are contracting
with an education management
provider (EMP), collaborative, or
charter school incubator or intend
to contract with one for future ser-
vices, you will need to complete
the EMP addendum and include it
with your application.
Transportation Addendum
If you are currently providing
transportation to students, or in-
tend to provide these services in
the future, you will need to com-
plete the Transportation adden-
dum with your application.
Food Services Addendum
If you currently provide a meal
program to students, or intend to
provide these food services in the
future, you will need to complete
the Food Services addendum with
your application.
Online Program Addendum
If your program has an online
learning component, you will need
to complete the Online Program
addendum with your application.
Waiver Addendum
If you will be requesting waivers,
you will need to complete
the Waiver addendum with
your application.
AEC Addendum
If you program is seeking to be
designated as an Alternative Edu-
cation Campus, you will need to
complete the AEC addendum with
your application.
All addenda can be found on
the CSI website at
www.csi.state.co.us/
prospective_schools
ADDENDA REPLICATION EVALUATION
The primary method for evaluation of a school
wishing to replicate with the Institute is through
the CSI Annual Review of Schools (CARS)
system. This system was developed in order to
build upon the evaluation lens utilized by the State
to provide a more comprehensive and robust
evaluation that includes strong indicators of charter
viability and sustainability.
At the foundation of this evaluation are the CSI
Performance Frameworks (available at
www.csi.state.co.us/accountability). These
documents were developed in conjunction with
The National Association of Charter School
Authorizers (NACSA) to evaluate school
performance in the areas of Academics, Finance,
and Organization. The information needed to
engage in this process is detailed in the remaining
pages of this application.
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The CSI Annual Rev iew of Schools
Content of the Replication Application
A. Academic Program (15 pages)
Any student outcomes or academic data from all
schools must be supplied in the format of access to
raw files, or reports printed directly from the testing
interface. In order to help accomplish this, please
provide the following as attachments:
1. A username and password to access flat files
from the Colorado Education Data Analysis and
Reporting system (CEDAR).*
2. A username and password to access interim
assessment files directly from the testing vendor.
3. Your 3 most recent Unified Improvement Plans*
4. All reports/data dashboards provided to the local
board in the last year related to academic
performance.
5. Complete the Assessment Matrix template or
Baseline Targets Template where applicable.
Your narrative should include: 1. A description of major academic trends and key
findings.
2. A list of supplemental programming (summer
school, extracurricular activities, psychosocial
programming, remediation and intervention).
B. Serving Students with Special Needs
(15 pages)
1. Include the comprehensive whole school policy
for a Response to Intervention (RtI) or child
study process that includes a data driven pre-
referral prevention-based framework process
that meets all legal requirements including
identification of special needs students.
2. Detail plans to support and address student
health including the process and procedures
for immunizations, record keeping, vision and
hearing screenings, health care plans,
medication administration, and student
Maximum narrative page numbers are indicated in the parentheses adjacent to each content area. If you are an
existing CSI school, then there is no need to provide the items already on file, indicated with an asterisk below.
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illnesses.
3. Provide plans to support the unique needs of
the following exceptional student populations:
a. Students with Individualized Education
Programs (IEPs)
b. Students with Section 504 plans
c. Students classified as English Learners
d. Students identified as gifted and talented
Each plan should include information related to
student identification, programming, assessment,
progress monitoring, redesignation/exiting,
service model delivery and continuum of
service options.
4. Detail plans to provide adequate and highly
qualified staff to meet the needs of exceptional
students in alignment with state requirements.
Include information about the proposed contract
model to employ staff.
5. Detail how the budget will align with resources
including a student plan management system,
staffing, and training needed to serve special
populations.
C. Finance (10 pages)
Please provide a copy of the most recent version
of the following documents as attachments:
1. Three years of independent financial audits for
all existing non-CSI schools.
2. Quarterly profit and loss statement including
budget to actual data, prior year comparison,
and current-year forecast for all existing non-CSI
schools.
3. Quarterly balance sheet for all existing schools.
4. Three year balanced budget for all current
schools broken out by school.
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5. A six year balanced budget, including the year 0
implementation year and operating years 1
through 5, for the new school using the CSI
Budget Template. Include this template as an
attachment.
6. Financial Policies and Procedures for all existing
schools.
Your narrative should include:
3. Include a budget and finance narrative in
alignment with the 6 year budget that specifies:
a. Alignment with the proposed execution of
the school’s mission and focus including
staffing, curriculum, professional
development, and technology
b. Details regarding staffing and a summary of
financial policies and procedures that will
ensure best practice in budget preparation,
cash receipts, purchasing, accounts
payable, adjusting entries, and contracts
c. Detailed assumptions for all donations,
private grants, student fees, and foundation
revenue
d. Detailed assumptions for professional,
technical, and consulting services
expenditures
e. Detailed assumptions for liability, property
and other insurance coverage including
coverage and rates
f. Explanation of how restricted grant funding
will be spent
g. Detailed revenue and expenditure
assumptions behind facility acquisition,
facility improvements, and ongoing facility
costs, including total square footage and
cost per square foot
h. If planning to secure the Charter School
Program grant or other reimbursable grants
in the implementation year, a plan to
acquire cash in the spring prior to opening
i. A contingency plan to mitigate the impact of
decreased funding or increased
expenditures
D. Governance & Operations (15 pages)
Please provide a copy of the most recent version of
the following documents as attachments:
1. Organizational chart and staff roster,
3. Board membership and resumes or bios,
4. A copy of the current charter contract,*
5. A copy of any contracts or instruments that
describe preexisting obligations or relationships,*
6. Evaluations from the current authorizer,*
7. CSSI site visit reports,*
8. Board policies,*
9. All reports/data dashboards provided to the local
board related to organizational performance,
10. School leader evaluation and succession plan.
11. A copy or draft of any agreements between the
school and the EMP/collaborative/network/
incubator.
Your narrative should include:
1. A description of the management structure of the
existing school(s) and how that will change with
the addition of the new school
2. A description of how the organizational chart
fulfills the needs of the school and plans for
future growth.
3. A description of what types of services and/or
staffing the schools will share.
4. If applicable, a description of which positions are
employees of the EMP/collaborative/network/
charter school incubator or if an employee lease
agreement is in place.
1. Information about the proposed charter school’s student
body, including the intended students’ educational needs
and demographics.
2. A description of the type of broad outreach the founders
conducted to make the student population and their
families aware of the proposed charter school. This
should include future outreach plans if the charter school
is approved.
3. A plan for reaching and accommodating a diverse
student population.
4. Detail around the number of students expressing an
interest in the proposed school. This information should
be disaggregated in a manner showing demographic
information about prospective students.
5. Information on community members and leaders who
publicly support the proposed school and their role in the
development of the school, if the proposed school is not
being developed solely by parents.
6. If there are any partnerships or networking relationships,
provide an explanation of the planned resources or
agreements that have been discussed.
F. Facilities (5 pages)
1. A facility needs assessment including number of
classrooms, bathrooms, and offices needed; minimum
size of each room; library, outdoor, and common space
needed; overall size; cost per square foot; zoning and
occupancy requirements; and how each facility aligns
with the facility needs assessment is included in the
narrative.
2. Proposed locations for school are given based on school
design and intended population with an explanation of
prospective school sites and assistance to find them. If a
primary facility has already been identified or secured,
please include how this aligns to the identified needs,
and what the anticipated timeline and process is for
negotiating the lease and ensuring necessary renovation
or updates.
3. Legal review by an experienced attorney of all contract
negotiations, and terms before final approval by the
governing authority.
1580 Logan St, Suite 210
Denver, Colorado 80203
303.866.3299 ph
C OL O RA D O
C HA R TE R S C H OOL
INS TI T UTE
Th e m i ss io n o f th e Ch a r te r
S ch o o l I ns t i t u te sh a l l b e to
f o s te r h i g h -q u a l i t y p u b l i c
s ch o o l ch o ic es o f fe re d t h roug h
I n s t i tu t e s ch o o l s th a t de l i v e r
r i g o ro us ac a dem ic co n ten t a nd
h i g h a ca d em ic pe r f o rma nc e in
a s a fe e nv i ron me n t an d on pa r
w i t h t he h ig h es t pe r f o rm i n g
s ch o o l s , i nc l ud i ng p a r t i cu l a r l y
s ch o o l s fo r a t - r i sk s tu de n ts
5. A plan for allocating sufficient human resources towards a successful replication without
disadvantaging existing schools.
E. Evidence of Need, Support (15 pages)