Hamilton County Department of Education

3074 Hickory Valley Road

Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421

MEMORANDUM

To: Hamilton County Board of Education

Dr. Bryan Johnson, Superintendent

From: Jill Levine, Chief of Innovation and Choice

Date: April 15, 2021

Subject: Approval for Ivy Academy’s Skillern Elementary Charter Application

Please consider approving the application of Ivy Academy’s Skillern Elementary School. This
application was submitted on January 28, 2021. According to state law, the board is required
to take action on this application by April 28, 2021 by voting to approve or reject the application
for the 2022-2023 school year.

The proposed school will serve students in grades K through 5 which, when at full capacity, is
planned to serve 408 students.

The Hamilton County Schools review team includes the following members: Jill Levine, Justin
Robertson, Jennifer Bronson, Penny Murray, Marsha Drake, Mary Ellen Heuton, Blake
Freeman, Barbara Jordan, Lindy Matthews, Wendy Jung, and Carol Swann.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

 Charter School Recommendation Report

Ivy Skillern Academy

Submitted By: Tennessee Charters and Ivy Academy Chattanooga

Evaluation Team
Dr. Jill Levine, HCS Chief of Innovation and School Choice
Dr. Justin Robertson, HCS Chief Operations Officer
Dr. Marsha Drake, HCS Chief Equity Officer
Jennifer Bronson, HCS Chief of Staff
Mary Ellen Heuton, HCS Chief Financial Officer
Blake Freeman, HCS K-12 Director of Academics
Lindy Mathews, HCS School Choice Facilitator
Barbara Jordan, HCS Title I Coordinator
Wendy Jung, Principal
Carol Swann, President and CEO Swann Educational Solutions
Introduction

Charter schools are public schools operated by independent, non-profit governing

bodies that are granted greater autonomy in the areas of curriculum, calendar, staffing,
methodology, and pedagogy in return for greater accountability in achieving high
quality academic results with their students. In Tennessee, students who attend charter
schools are measured against the same academic standards as students in other public
schools and are required to use the same state-approved assessments as all other public
schools. Charter schools are required to serve all eligible students, with the education
of at-risk students being of utmost importance.

Based on a study by the Thomas Fordham Institute and Basis Policy Research, charter
schools that exhibit low performance in their first year of operation are less than 1%
likely to improve after five (5) years. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the authorizer
to create and apply a rigorous, fair and thorough authorization process in order to
ensure only those charter schools who can offer and sustain high quality educational
options for all students are recommended and approved to open. Authorizers also
must create a fair and thorough monitoring and oversight process that recognizes and
respects the autonomy of the charter school but holds it accountable for student
outcomes.

Charter schools are required to provide appropriate curriculum, aligned professional

standards, engaging models of parental and partnership programs, and strategic
planning to leverage and grow resources for the school. Schools are held accountable
for academic results, responsible school leadership, sound fiscal and operational
management and adherence to the laws and rules that govern education in their state of
residence.

Evaluation Process

Swann Educational Solutions works closely with the National Association of Charter
School Authorizers (NACSA) to create an evaluation process that embodies best
practices from authorizers throughout the country and is rigorous and thorough.

School evaluations are done by a review team of internal and external reviewers who
are competent to assess the quality and sustainability of a charter school application.
Evaluators look at specific areas within the application, including special education,
English Language learners, business and finance, curriculum, teaching, facilities,
transportation, governing board and strategic planning, as well as assessing the
application as a whole.
Evaluation Process

This recommendation report is the culmination the three stages of review:

• Application review – The evaluation team analyzes the application submitted by

a proposed sponsor from many different perspectives, including but not limited
to: academic strength, strategic planning, discipline policies, special education,
enrollment, curriculum, instructional pedagogy, facilities, budgets, salaries,
operational capacity and financial stability.
• Capacity Interview – The evaluation team invites the applicant, governing board
members and key designers of the application for an in-person interview. These
interviews give a clear, compelling picture of the school and how it might
operate from several different perspectives and allows the team to form a
comprehensive appraisal of the sustainability and stability of the proposed
school. The evaluation team also invites applicants to submit an addendum to
their application for items for which there are questions after the first review.
• Consensus Conclusion – The evaluation team will meet and arrive at a
consensus regarding a recommendation to approve or deny the application to
the local school board. Consensus is defined as the majority of the review team
being in agreement with the final decision.

Rating Characteristics

Meets the Standard – The response reflects a thorough understanding of key issues and
alignment within all areas of the proposal – academic, operational, and financial. It
shows thorough preparation; presents a clear and realistic picture of how the school
expects to operate at a high level; and inspires confidence in the applicant’s ability to
carry out their plan effectively.

Partially Meets Standard – The response meets the criteria in some respects, but lacks
detail and/or requires additional information in one or more areas.
Does Not Meet Standard – The response has substantial gaps in a number of areas and
the review team has no confidence the applicant can deliver a high-quality educational
option to the students in Davidson County.

Evaluation Contents

This evaluation report includes the following:

• Proposal Overview – Basic summary of the proposed school as presented in the

application
 • Recommendation – an overall judgment, based on extensive analysis of all
evidence presented by the applicants, regarding whether the proposal meets the
criteria for approval
• Evaluation: Analysis of the proposal is based on four primary areas of plan
development:
› Executive Summary – Provides a comprehensive review of all three major
areas of the application with emphasis on the reasons for the
recommendation from the review team.
› Academic Plan – Describes the applicant’s model in regards to curriculum
and instruction, assessment, working with at-risk and special populations,
goals, discipline and logistics (school calendar, daily schedule, etc.).
› Operations Plan – Outlines operational support for the academic
program, including staffing and human resources, recruitment and
marketing, professional development for teachers, community
involvement, and governing board structure and membership.
› Financial/Business Plan – Provides budgeting and financial plans to
ensure both initial and on-going fiscal compliance, including budget
assumptions, transportation, fundraising, payroll and insurance functions.

Opening and sustaining a successful, high-performing charter school depends on

having a complete, coherent plan. It is not an endeavor for which strength in one area
can compensate for weakness in another. Therefore, in order to receive Swann
Educational Solutions highest recommendation, the school must meet or exceed the
standard in all three major areas of the capacity review.
School Overview

Operator/Applicant – Tennessee Charters and Ivy Academy’s Skillern Elementary

School Name – Ivy Skillern Elementary

Mission and Vision – To develop students’ minds and civic virtues through a Classical,
content-rich curriculum that emphasizes principles of service an takes place in an
inclusive, immersive outdoor environment producing lifelong, successful citizens.

Location – Main Campus in Soddy Daisy, Booker T. Washington State Park

Enrollment Plan
Academic Year Grades Served Number of Students
Year 1 2022 K 64
Year 2 2023 K-1 128
Year 3 2024 K-3 192
Year 4 2025 K-4 264
Year 5 2026 K-5 336
Year 6 2027 K-5 354
Year 7 2028 K-5 372
Year 8 2029 K-5 390
Year 9 2030 K-5 408
Year 10 2031 K-5 408
At Capacity K-5 408
Executive Summary

Ivy Academy is an already successful school serving grades 6-12 in the Chattanooga
area, and has submitted an application for a K-5 elementary school with an innovative
and unique approach to instruction and education. Ivy Academy's pillars are:
Scholarship, Environmental Stewardship, Volunteerism, and Student Health. Their
stated core values are: Integrity, respect, diligence, and social and personal
responsibility.

Ivy has studied the Classical model from numerous successful school and has
concluded their upper elementary and high school students would benefit from
Classical training and engagement through outdoor learning. The applicants presented
research and also site visits for the review team to support the basis for their proposed
school. The Classical model teaches that all knowledge is interrelated, connected and
relevant and gives students the tools needed to answer the question “when am I ever
going to use this”?

The academic curriculum uses balanced literacy with access to Great Books, includes
blended learning, and provides both rigor and instructional practice that is targeted to
the population the applicant has chosen to serve. The students have the added benefit
of an outdoor experience, which has been proven to be especially effective with
students who require differentiated learning strategies.

Operationally and financially, the applicant has been able to satisfy the review team
that they have adequately planned for transportation, food service, safety and security,
budget, and the additional requirements that an outdoor classroom will bring.
Enrollment numbers are conservative and there was evidence presented that showed
community support for the proposed school.

The review team also conducted a site visit to Booker T. Washington state park and
were impressed by the involvement and enthusiasm of the parks team – the rangers,
park staff and administration are all excited that the school has chosen to locate there
and an MOU is forthcoming. The applicant has worked closely with park staff and the
state to ensure they are compliant with all requirements.

The school expects to receive a substantial land donation upon approval, and the
review team was able to satisfy itself that the donation will go through. The applicant
also has made contingency plans in the unlikely event the donation is not given.

The school budget is sound and both revenues and expenses are attainable and
sustainable. The review team believes that the school has budgeted conservatively, yet
adequately for contingencies and/or unforeseen emergencies.
In considering the review of the proposed application for a new school, the site visit, the
additional information requested by the review team, and the capacity interview with
the applicant and their board, the review team is recommending that the Hamilton
County Board of Education approve Ivy Skillern Elementary.
Section Summaries

Only applicants who score “Meets Standard” in all three major areas on the
evaluation rubric will be recommended for authorization.

Academic Plan X□ Meets Standard

□ Partially Meets Standard
□ Does Not Meet Standard
Operations Plan X□ Meets Standard
□ Partially Meets Standard
□ Does Not Meet Standard
Financial Plan X□ Meets Standard
□ Partially Meets Standard
□ Does Not Meet Standard
Academic Plan Detail

Rating: Meets Standard

Review Team Analysis: The Ivy Skillern Elementary School charter application meets
standard because the application presented a comprehensive, well thought out learning
plan that is innovative and combines the Classical model with outdoor experiential
learning.

The Classical model, which emphasizes literature and reading, is a research-based

model that has been utilized successfully throughout the nation and is aligned with
Tennessee State Standards. Ivy Skillern intends to employ project based learning, along
with the Socratic method while combining outdoor experiential learning.

Ivy expects to serve 408 students in grades K-5 at capacity, estimating that 60% of their
students will be economically disadvantaged, 20% will be students with special needs,
and 5% will be English language learners. Class sizes will be small, with only 16
students in each class in grades K-2, and 18 students per class in grades 3-5.

With the Classical model, Ivy will schedule 120 minutes daily for reading and ELA
instruction, 90 minutes daily for math instruction, and 45 minutes daily for
science/social studies instruction. According to the outdoor experiential model, much
of the instruction will be interconnected so students will see how all learning aligns
together and has practical meaning (i.e. integration of ecology, biology, forestry, and
STEM with literacy, math, and social studies, etc.).

Curriculum includes Core Knowledge in Language Arts and Literacy Essentials; Riggs
Institute’s Writing and Spelling Road to Reading and Thinking. Singapore Math will
provide scaffolded learning and build skills, while ensuring students are practicing
prior knowledge.

Ivy has built in time and attention to Response To Intervention and has outlined a full
program to ensure students with disabilities and at-risk students are afforded many
opportunities for additional instruction and will comply fully with IEP’s.

Assessments are aligned with instruction and are a part of the data-driven instructional
plans for the school. Ivy will administer the state accountability tests yearly as is
required by Tennessee Charter Law. Teachers will meet regularly and track data for
each student in order to assess progress.

Ivy will use the same calendar as the district uses and will have a variety of
extracurricular activities for students.
Operations Plan Detail

Rating: Meets Standard

Review Team Analysis: The Ivy Academy Skillern Elementary School meets
operational standard because the operational plan is well-thought out and supports the
academic plans.

The governing board is adequate and is the same governing board in existence
currently with Ivy’s other schools. The governing board is responsible for the financial
health, operational integrity, and academic progress of the school and appears to have
adequate policies in place to do so. The board participates in yearly training as required
by law and is comprised of members with necessary skillsets to assist the school. There
are policies in place concerning open meetings and conflicts of interest.

The school has thoroughly thought through facilities acquisition and has made plans for
adequate facility space for students, even when in Booker T. Washington state park.
There is indoor space for inclement weather days, wi-fi, and more than adequate
security in the form of park rangers. The facility plans include renovations, leases, and
donated land. The school has been working with the state parks, and plans to construct
a brand new building on the donated land. All facilities are ADA compliant and safe
for students.

The start-up plan is ambitious but attainable and the school has reserved the right to
delay its start by one year if there are any unavoidable circumstances, such as the
pandemic we have been experiencing since 2020. This is allowable under current
charter law.

Ivy utilizes the state approved Project Coach for teacher evaluations, and has
appropriate recruiting and retention plans in place for the teachers. The salary scale
used by Ivy is the same as Hamilton County.

Professional development is adequate, including outdoor training and student safety.

The proposed school has sufficient insurance and offers transportation for students.
Food service is outsourced and is bid out appropriately. At its current school, students
and parents are surveyed regularly to ensure that the meal choices are not only
nutritious but are meals that students will actually eat.

Technology is one to one with laptops and the devices are in compliance with FERPA.
A school nurse, while not full time, is utilized as needed, and there is a safety plan for
all students.
Financial/Business Plan Detail

Rating: Meets Standard

Review Team Analysis: The Ivy Academy Skillern Elementary School meets financial
standards because the finances as described will support the academic and operational
plans as outlined by the application. The current school’s fiscal health is robust and
there are no questions surrounding the audits.

Budget assumptions are aligned and realistic, and there are contingency plans in the
event unforeseen expenses are incurred. Revenues and expenses are realistic and there
is not an overreliance on fundraising. Cash flow is reasonable, and there are plans in
place to react quickly if there are any issues.

Teacher compensation is aligned with the district and accounted for in the budget
document and aligns with the staffing model in the application.

The school intends to pursue any grants for which they are eligible, and will apply for
e-rate funding to ensure adequate technology for the school (which includes
infrastructure).

The budget is built conservatively, with revenue sources including the current BEP
allotment per student, Title funding, IDEA, and reimbursements for student meals.

With the budget as it is written, the school intends to begin with no debt.

The school will contract for an annual audit as required by Tennessee charter law and
will turn in an annual report to the authorizer as well as the Tennessee Department of
Education.