New Schools of Excellence Process

1
New Schools of Excellence Process

• A step-by-step explanation of the process for
  receiving the Superintendent of Public
  Instructions approval as a new School of
  Excellence

2
Background

• New legislation signed into law in early January
  2010 created an opportunity to create 10 new
  Schools of Excellence.
• These new schools require the approval of the
  Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI).
• These new schools must be patterned after a high
  performing school or model.

3
Guiding Standards

• The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has
  created a set of Guiding Standards to be used for
  this purpose.
• The Guiding Standards are accompanied by a set of
  Expectations and a sample list of Evidence.
• The Guiding Standards include a wide range of
  variables that educators have come to recognize
  as indicators of high performing schools.

4
Process

• In order to facilitate a smooth and orderly
  process, MDE will accept applications for Schools
  of Excellence from non-profit development groups
  that have already made it through to the second
  phase of the application process with an
  authorizer.
• MDE will call for applications annually, normally
  in April, starting in April 2011 and ending in
  2014 until the ten new Schools of Excellence have
  been opened.

5
Process Flow

• Step 1. Nonprofit charter school developer
  applies to authorizer.
• Step 2. Authorizer moves nonprofit charter
  school applicant to Phase II.
• Step 3. Applicant applies to MDE for Schools of
  Excellence status approval.
• Step 4. MDE holds a peer review process to make
  recommendations to SPI.
• Step 5. SPI selects/non-selects applicants.
• Step 6. Notification letters are sent to
  applicants. Those approved for Schools of
  Excellence status may then approach their
  respective authorizer for charter authorization
  as a School of Excellence.
• Step 7. Authorizers may or may not choose to
  authorize those with the Schools of Excellence
  designations.
• Step 8. MDE will accept the first ten Schools of
  Excellence contracts provided they have not
  substantially changed their proposed school from
  the time they were approved by MDE.
• Note The SPI reserves the right to deny any
  Schools of Excellence charter application if he
  determines that the proposed new school is not
  patterned after a high performing school or model
  or that the charter applicant does not
  demonstrate the capacity to replicate the success
  of that high performing school or model in a
  specific environment. The SPIs decision is final
  and is not subject to appeal.