Happy Summer from the SCSC! The 2020-2021 school year may have come to a close, but state charters and the SCSC are still hard at work. We congratulate all the schools, administrators, teachers, students, dedication and perseverance this school year to ensure that learning continued for state charter school students.
The SCSC and SCSF have begun recruitment for the Fall 2021 internship program. The SCSC is looking for interns who are currently enrolled in junior or senior year undergraduate or graduate programs relating to education policy, education law, economics or a related field and are interested in learning more about the charter school authorization process. The SCSF is looking for current graduate or undergraduate students studying nonprofit management, public policy, education, or a related field. Click the link for the SCSC and SCSF to learn more and apply.
Finally, as the fiscal year ends, the SCSC is creating a year-end video to highlight all the important work and achievements from this year. We encourage schools to share content in the form of photos and videos around COVID-related innovation for learning and teaching with us for this exciting project. Please send all content to Erica Acha-Morfaw at erica.achamorfaw@scsc.georgia.gov
Read below for more updates and important information.
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2021-22 School Year: Remote Learning Waiver
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As the state recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and the vaccine becomes more broadly available, the SCSC expects brick and mortar state charter schools to offer full-time in-person learning to all students next year. While flexibility will always be provided in exceptional situations, we believe your students achieve best when your programs are implemented with fidelity and as contemplated in your charter petitions.
We also understand that some students may require accommodations next school year due to medical conditions or other exceptional circumstances. To ensure state charters have the flexibility to accommodate student needs, the SCSC board approved a one-time opt-in charter waiver for the first semester (ending December 31, 2021) of the 2021-22 school year.
The waiver will allow:
- Schools to provide remote learning to 25% or less of the student population through December 31, 2021; and
- Schools to establish parameters for remote learning eligibility (e.g. require a medical note, etc.).
The waiver will NOT allow schools or students to waive accountability or assessment requirements. In other words, the SCSC will continue to hold all state charter schools to the same academic performance expectations, regardless of instructional model. Before the expiration of the waiver, the SCSC will assess the need to provide an extension. Participating schools will be required to share information about the school’s remote learning program, including the number of students participating, eligibility criteria, the instructional delivery model, staffing plans, and student performance.
If your school would like to opt into the waiver, complete this form and return it to Erin Wright, SCSC Associate General Counsel, at erin.wright@scsc.georgia.gov by TODAY June 30, 2021.
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Quality Authorizing Standards
In this webinar, the SCSC and GaDOE staff reviewed the drafted standards, allowed time for questions and provided information for how charter schools can provide feedback. The webinar recording and presentation can be found HERE.
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Assessment Coordinators Training
Target Audience: Testing Coordinators
July 26th from 8:45AM to 11:45AM – Held Virtually
In preparation for Milestones testing, the Assessment and Accountability Division of GaDOE will be holding an Assessment Coordinators training for SCSC schools. The training will address the issues faced by testing coordinators from SCSC schools. Topics to be covered include:
- Completing Irregularity Forms
- Submitting documentation (i.e., superintendent’s certification)
- Creating assessment calendars for the year
- Other Relevant Trainings
- Test security
- Accommodations
- Student Assessment Handbook
- Planning for the upcoming school year
Sign up HERE for this training.
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Scoliosis Screening
The Georgia Department of Public Health is asking that we send the Scoliosis Screening Parent Letter and Form 4400 to all families. Please share this with families and on your school website where appropriate.
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State Charter Schools Foundation
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State Charter Schools Foundation Internship - Immediate Opening
The SCSF is seeking an intern to help serve state charter schools and their students across Georgia! Tasks will include assisting with marketing, fundraising, and other programmatic initiatives, including leading the Donuts for Teachers fundraiser. Qualified candidates are graduate or undergraduate students who are studying nonprofit management, public policy, or a related field. Work can be completed remotely or in the SCSF's Atlanta office, and the intern must be able to commit to at least 12 hours a week, preferably more. This is a paid internship with the opportunity for significant skill development. Please see the SCSF website for more information and instructions for applying.
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State Charter Schools with Enrollment
State charter schools are still accepting applications for the 2021-2022 school year. Many have openings, and others are accepting students for their waiting lists. For a list of state charter schools that are enrolling, see the SCSF's website.
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Considerations for Utilizing Federal Relief Funds (Attachment)
The SCSF has compiled a list of considerations for budgeting and utilizing the federal COVID-19 relief funds you are receiving. This document is a compilation of articles, "playbooks," guides, and resources. There are links to all source documentation and resources for you, as well as information on the tutoring services we have identified. Please let me know if there is anything else you'd like us to include. The previous webinar we provided on Tips & Tricks for Federal Grants can be found on our website.
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Congratulations UAFA Middle School Valedictorian
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Congratulations to Utopian Academy of the Arts (UAFA) Middle School Valedictorian, Kolade Wisdom Agoro! After receiving his award at the school's graduation ceremony, Kolade was interviewed on his UAFA experience and what it feels like to be a valedictorian. "At Utopian Academy, you get to experience the arts and have a lot of interesting opportunities. I studied culinary arts, media arts, and coding along with my other classes." Kolade explained, "The computer and media arts classes taught me more about technology and careers that I could pursue. Being a student here helps you decide what you want to be when you grow up." On being a valedictorian, Kolade stated, "It feels good. It shows that if you work hard and focus, you can achieve great things. You should never ever, ever give up!"
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International Charter Academy of Georgia focuses on Japanese immersion
The Atlanta Journal Constitution featured the International Charter Academy of Georgia (ICAGeorgia) for their unique Japanese language immersion program. The article includes first-hand accounts from parents on the positive impact it has for their children and the community. Read the full article here.
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State Board of Education Affirms SCSC School Approvals
The State Board of Education has affirmed SCSC approvals of seven new state charter schools for the 2022-23 school year. DeKalb Brilliance Academy, Liberation Academy, Miles Ahead Charter School, Peace Academy, and ZEST Preparatory Academy were among a group of petitioners the SBOE approved during its meeting on Thursday, June 17. The SBOE also authorized Destinations Career Academy of Georgia as a start-up charter school and a replication of Resurgence Hall Charter School. The affirmation comes after being authorized by the State Charter Schools Commission in April.
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Innovation Fund Foundation Grant Awardees
Congratulations to Ivy Preparatory Academy and Mountain Education Charter High School for being awarded $10,000 each from the 2021 Innovative Education Fund Grant! Over fourty grant applications were submitted with innovative projects designed to engage students in an inventive way demonstrating the potential for lasting impact on the academic environment. The grant applications were peer reviewed by a board of individuals representing the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement and the Georgia Department of Education and top applications were chosen based on their final rubric of scores.
Ivy Preparatory will use the grant funds to implement Raspberry Pi, a program designed to teach students the fundamentals of Computer Science. Mountain Education will use the grant funds to implement a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Nature Campus to provide students and staff with a natural setting to conduct resiliency and reflection activities.
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The next SCSC monthly board meeting is scheduled for July 28, 2021 at 10 AM. A list of upcoming meetings for 2021 can be found on the meetings page of the SCSC website.
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The State Charter Schools Commission’s (SCSC) FY22 Reporting Deadlines calendar will be available next month on the SCSC website. Please note that most deadlines are established by the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and are subject to change. The SCSC makes every attempt to ensure that it maintains all dates as accurately as possible. However, all schools are encouraged to stay up to date of any changes to the timeline made by GaDOE. Any failure by a state charter school to meet deadlines established and enforced by the SCSC and GaDOE will be reflected in the school’s assessment through the SCSC Comprehensive Performance Framework.
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2021 CCRPI Live Data Verification Tool Available in the Portal
On March 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education approved Georgia’s waiver of several accountability, school identification, and report card requirements. (For more information about the waiver, please review the 2021 Accountability Waiver FAQ 3.29.21.) Though there will be no 2021 CCRPI summary score for the state, school districts, or schools, some CCRPI-related data, such as achievement rates, participation rates, and graduation rates, for example, will still be calculated and publicly reported by Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE).
Due to this, GaDOE is providing schools and districts with a valuable accountability resource – the Live Data Verification tool. The Live Data Verification tool, available now in the CCRPI portal with demographic and attendance data and provides summary data from Student Record that updates nightly as your district updates the data. Additional Student Record data (such as students in the 2021 4-year graduation cohort) and data from Student Class data will populate in the tool in May. This tool will assist district staff and principals in verifying the accuracy of the data submitted in Student Record and Student Class before the data collections close. The accuracy of such data is critical to accurate accountability reporting.
View the user guide at your convenience.The user guide, training webinar, and webinar PPT handout for this tool are also available for download on the MyGaDOE portal.
To access the Live Data Verification tool, log on to the MyGaDOE portal, click on the CCRPI link, and then choose Live Data Verification. For help accessing the portal and with any functionality issues, contact the GaDOE Information Systems Customer Support Center at 1-800-869-1011 or dticket@doe.k12.ga.us. Contact the GaDOE accountability specialist assigned to assist your district with questions regarding the data.
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Funding & Professional Development Opportunities
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GaDOE Professional Learning Catalog
GCSA's GaTAPP Fall 2021 Cohort
GCSA is now accepting applications for the Fall 2021 Cohort. GaTAPP is an alternative certification pathway for individuals who have a current teaching job and hold a bachelor's degree or higher in fields of study other than education. The Fall 2021 Cohort Application is now open. Click here for a GaTAPP checklist. Learn more.
GaTAPP Fall 2021 Cohort
Application Deadline: Friday, Aug. 27, 2021
Registration Deadline: Friday, Sept. 3, 2021
Cohort Start Date: Monday, Sept. 13, 2021
ESSA and IDEA - Summer Professional Learning Series
This series will address ESSA and IDEA grant requirements to assist LEAs with planning and budgeting for FY22. All webinars will be recorded and posted on our website. This is a virtual series that will be hosted July 14-15, 2021.
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FY22 Estimated Formula Allocations - ESSA and IDEA
Preliminary FY22 estimated formula-based allocations under Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; Title III, Part A; Title IV, Part A; Title I, Part C and Title I Part D of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 are posted under the Resources section on the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) Federal Programs webpage.
Estimated allocations for Title V, Part B, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 611 Flowthrough and 619 Preschool grants should be finalized in early July and posted on our website.
These allocations are not final and are provided for planning purposes only. Final grant award notifications (GANs) will be issued after July 1, 2021 pending State Board of Education (SBOE) approval of funding.
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State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia
Georgia Charter Schools Association
GCSA is seeking candidates for a Director of Grassroots Advocacy and
Vice President of New (Charter) School Development
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For real-time updates and announcements:
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The State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia (SCSC) is a state-level, independent charter school authorizing entity. The SCSC has the power to approve or deny petitions for state charter schools and renew, nonrenew, or terminate state charter school contracts in accordance with Georgia law.
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Copyright © 2020 State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia, All rights reserved.
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