Last fall we published a blog highlighting Forward Test Score results for TLA 3rd grade scholars.  As noted, the Forward Exam is a required state exam taken each spring; results are reported each fall.  With shared goals of both transparency and learning, we are following up with an additional blog, this time focused on middle school. TLA Ramp Up TLA opened our doors in fall of 2021 at the tail end of covid, still confronting infections and the inevitable disruption of the virus, but open and in the building nonetheless (at least most kids, most of the time). Our ramp up to a full K12 school has been implemented over the course of four academic years within two grade bands – elementary and middle/high school.  Each year we have added a new class in K4 and grade 6 and existing scholars transitioned into the next grade. In the elementary grades, this strategy allows us to build foundational skills as scholars grow.  Middle school implementation requires something different. The Middle School Experience For a majority of scholars, middle school as an entry point to TLA is about recovery.  While this may be true in part because of the covid conditions of our opening, it is also possible that it is true given middle school proficiency rates in Beloit which currently sit at approximately 14% in ELA and 4% in Math.  Staff, scholars, and families may face the fact that there is serious and significant catch-up work to be done. Our initial baseline for the work was established with our first round of MAP testing in fall of 2021. [i] Across the middle grades projected proficiency rates in our first round of tests were approximately 20% in ELA and 10% in Math.  Rates of growth in year one were significant; more than 200% in math and approximately 115% in ELA.  A new group of scholars joined us in year two.  Excess growth continued in year two though at slightly lower rates in math, leading us to the middle school Forward scores at the end of 2022-23 noted in the chart below. [ii] The bottom line, despite significant rates of growth, the path to proficiency is steep. Interventions Teaching Matters. TLA along with virtually every district in the country will tell you that finding teachers is a struggle and finding exceptional teachers is even harder.  And if we are honest, the data tells us when there is a struggle to get stable and quality teachers in front of children in every classroom, children’s outcomes suffer.  For TLA, adding grades and thus adding teachers every year increased the challenge.  Finding mission aligned teachers and offering high quality coaching is and will remain a fundamental strategy for supporting scholar growth. Curriculum Matters. Math has presented some paradoxical challenges.  We have demonstrated that we can help scholars achieve incredibly high rates of growth in middle school, however, the path to achieving proficiency is a serious challenge.  In the last school year, we saw scholars struggling with and frankly complaining about our math tools.  The Forward scores reinforced what we saw and heard, and we pivoted to an alternative curriculum this school year. Culture Matters. Experts sometimes say that culture eats strategy for lunch and its true.  Acclimating each new group of middle school scholars to the TLA way – from uniforms, cell phone restrictions, homework expectations and behavioral expectations has been bumpy at times.  Honestly, we did not anticipate how hard it would be to bring in a new group of 6th grade scholars each year.  But we are learning, adapting and improving as we go. Individual Interventions Are Critical. Sounds cliché but it really is true that every scholar is different.  They struggle with different foundational skills and must have intervention supports that target what they need specifically.  Continuing to build these interventions will be critical to our long-term success. Parent Partnerships. Forming collaborative relationships with our parents/families is important.  It is our responsibility to ensure that parents are given accurate and detailed information about individual scholar strengths, challenges, and progress.  TLA parents must support scholar learning, ensuring scholars are in school, completing their homework and meeting the expectations we have for our school community.  It has been important for parents to understand their role in ensuring the success of their scholar. A Few Closing Thoughts One observation we wish we were able to evaluate is the impact of hands-on learning, particularly for middle school scholars.  Our model of exploratory classes ranging from applied arts to construction to manufacturing and engineering is both engaging and integrates relevant, real-world math and reading applications.  Can it impact outcomes?  Time will perhaps help us answer that question. Having adequate supports and caring deeply and holistically about the success of every scholar is incredibly important.  Our scholars come through the door each day with their own stories and challenges, and it does appear to be true that mental health challenges are rising.  We must empathize, support, AND teach our scholars so that they build the skills they need for a successful future. These scores help underscore the often-cited importance of ensuring scholars are proficient by third grade. This work is hard.  Incredibly hard. Dr. Kristi Cole is the Chief Education Officer at The Lincoln Academy in Beloit, Wisconsin. ____________________________________ [i] MAP signifies Measures of Academic Progress and is designed to project proficiency rates for spring testing. [ii] Forward Score Data for all schools is publicly available on the DPI website  WISEdash Public Portal - Department of Public Instruction

It’s hard to believe January is here and we’re already working on enrollment for fall 2024!  We are in the midst of re-enrolling current scholars for next school year and preparing for the annual February enrollment period for new scholars. Since this is a time when prospective parents are contemplating enrollment, it is also a good time to review why enrolling a new scholar during the February enrollment period is so important. The Enrollment Process 101 The Lincoln Academy is a 2x independent charter school, which Wisconsin State Statute defines as a public school and Local Education Agency (LEA), legally required to provide a free and appropriate education to all enrolled students, to accept all children (limited only by State of Wisconsin residency and the number of seats available) and required to meet the needs of all students. Each year, there is an enrollment process that takes place at The Lincoln Academy to determine enrollment for the following school year. As indicated earlier, during the month of January we work with families of current scholars to re-enroll for the coming year.  Once a scholar has a seat at TLA, they are guaranteed a seat the following year as long as they complete the re-enrollment process and provide the required proof of residency by January 31st. During February, our annual enrollment period, The Lincoln Academy accepts applications for enrollment of new scholars for the coming school year. Beginning February 1st, the application is available online at Enrollment | The Lincoln Academy in Beloit, Wisconsin (thelincolnacademybeloit.com) or in-person weekdays between 8am and 3:30pm in the school office. The application process for a new scholar involves completing the application and submitting both proof of Wisconsin residency and a copy of the scholar’s birth certificate. There are no additional eligibility requirements and there is no cost to attend. If more applications are received during the enrollment period than there are seats available for a grade-level in the coming year, a public random lottery is held in early March (March 12th this year) to determine enrollment for available seats and the waitlist order for the coming year.  Only completed applications submitted by midnight on the last day of February are eligible for the lottery process. If the lottery process is needed, TLA gives preference in the order as follows: 1.)    Scholars who were enrolled in the charter school in the previous year. 2.)    Siblings of scholars enrolled in the charter school.* 3.)    Children of full-time staff and TLA Board Members. * Siblings are defined as: biological siblings that share parents, siblings that share a single parent, siblings that share a parent through marriage, children who share a parent through adoption or guardianship, siblings who reside in different households or foster children. We are often asked if applications for the next school year are only accepted during the enrollment period. The simple answer is no. Completed applications received after midnight on the last day of February are accepted and processed on a first-come, first-served basis. If a seat is available, the scholar will be enrolled for the new year.  If no seat is available, the scholar is placed on a waitlist in the order the application is received behind lottery waitlisted scholars who applied during the February enrollment period.  If a scholar is placed on a waitlist and does not get in by January of the following year, they must reapply in February as a new waitlist starts in March once the lottery is completed. You can find additional information on the enrollment and lottery process at The Lottery Process | The Lincoln Academy (thelincolnacademybeloit.com). The Importance of Enrolling in February There are a couple of things to note around understanding importance of enrolling in February.  One is specific to this year’s enrollment period and 6th grade.  TLA is entering the final year of our ramp-up to fully serving scholars in grades K4-12.  Over the last three February enrollment periods, we enrolled a full class of new scholars into 6th grade for the coming school year. This will be the last year in which this occurs.  Next year, we anticipate a large percentage of enrolled 5th grade scholars re-enrolling into 6th grade for the 2025-2026 school year, reducing the number of seats available to future new scholars at that grade-level significantly. Second, the TLA enrollment process is structured and provides as much equal access as possible in an environment where there is a finite number of seats available. We encourage everyone interested in enrolling their child to apply during the February enrollment period, as it provides the best opportunity for enrollment when there is high demand for a grade-level.  This does not mean, however, that there may not be less demand for seats or a short waitlist for a certain grade-level when a scholar applies at a different point in time. While enrollment in an environment where there is a finite number of seats available is not guaranteed, the only certainty is that a scholar will not have a chance at enrollment if the application is not completed at all. Dr. Kristi Cole is the Chief Education Officer at The Lincoln Academy, a K4-12 independent 2x charter school in Beloit, Wisconsin.

Fall is here and with that comes the annual release of the results of the Wisconsin Student Assessment System (WSAS) exams administered to scholars during the spring of the 2022-2023 school year. Both last year and this year, we shared our combined exam proficiency data with families, staff and the community as is common for most districts. This year, we’re taking a deeper dive into the data to share what we’re learning about our scholars, our approaches to increasing proficiency, our challenges and the questions we’re asking ourselves. This will be the first of a series of blogs covering our results. Third Grade Scholars Exceed State Proficiency Rates in Reading & Math When we opened the doors to The Lincoln Academy (TLA) we made a number of commitments to the community, to our scholars and to our school families. Perhaps the most important was a commitment to academic rigor and to ensuring scholars are proficient in core subjects, particularly English (ELA) and Math. We are pleased to share, after just two years, we are beginning to see the promise of what is possible. Forward Exam proficiency rates for TLA third grade scholars included ELA 37.3% and Math 51.2%. Wisconsin scholars in the same grades scored proficient at a rate of 37.0% in ELA, 47.9% in Math. These results are especially noteworthy when you consider that our third grade scholars weathered covid during much of their kindergarten and 1st grade years, most at home in a remote learning environment. The recovery work being done is critical for scholars. When you compare 2021-2022 MAP projections of proficiency rates of 15% in ELA and 48.7% in Math for second graders to the 2022-2023 Forward exam proficiency rates of 37.3% in ELA and 51.2% in Math for third graders, you see a dramatic jump. Why It Matters Research tells us third grade reading proficiency is a crucial marker in educational development; it is highly correlated with future school success and high school graduation. These early grades are foundational, and we understand it is essential that we help our young scholars build basic skills in order to pave the way for a choice-filled life. There is a relevant and often noted line, “Scholars in primary grades are learning to read and by middle school are reading to learn.” We understood this when we started TLA which was the rationale for launching with the K4-2 grade band and adding a grade each year thereafter. We knew that ‘growing our own’, in other words, growing proficiency among our early learners was essential for the long-term success of our scholars and our school. These scores reinforce those decisions, and we anticipate seeing increasing proficiency rates as our youngest scholars move toward that grade 3 marker. Assessing What Works Test data is an important tool as we evaluate and adjust our own work at TLA, an ongoing and critical component of our work. After all, charter schools have, since inception, been intended to serve as laboratories of innovation. At TLA, we use scholar-level data to drive academic supports - What I Need (WIN) time, small group work, and Reading Corps participation. We combine this with an environment rich in hands-on exploratory learning designed to integrate academic concepts. Our school leaders and educators are coached using the Skyrocket model which provides direct coaching on classroom management, content mastery and rigorous instruction. And we use data for virtually everything. With these practices as the foundation, the TLA team made a number of adjustments in the 2022-23 school years to address the 2nd grade learning gaps identified through our data assessment. The primary adjustment: continuing to work side-by-side with our dedicated and committed teachers and educational assistants through the coaching process to refine specific strategies. TLA used data to ensure we were supporting small group interventions and providing solid educational instruction. While we still have room to grow and significant hard work ahead the results reinforce our unwavering belief in the capabilities of our scholars. To access comprehensive result data, you may visit the DPI website at WISEdash Public Portal - Department of Public Instruction Next Up: Middle School - Opportunities Ahead While it is important to celebrate the promise of our youngest scholars, it is equally important to help our older scholars who often come to TLA well-below their current grade levels. The next blog will share our results, our learning and the strategies we are deploying to help our scholars succeed. Dr. Kristi Cole is the Chief Education Officer at The Lincoln Academy, a K4-12 independent 2x charter school in Beloit, Wisconsin.

The first day of school has come and gone, with the red carpet we roll-out to welcome scholars to their school returned to storage until the next first day of school. The message of the red carpet, “you, scholars, are important and learning should be celebrated!” is a message we strive to keep alive all schoolyear long. How do we do that? By making sure we are putting children first in all decisions that we make. The 2023-2024 school year brings some new and exciting opportunities and as we made decisions about each of these, scholar needs and impact were firmly at the forefront. New Construction As many of you are aware, we embarked on a major construction project last spring that both finished out some of the empty shell space on the south and east sides of the building that was part of our initial construction and added on to the building to support the creation of a stand-alone cafeteria and other new spaces. The new cafeteria has been very well received by scholars. Filled with plenty of light and a few different seating options, this space provides a much-improved environment for lunch break while also allowing for full use of the gymnasium at the same time. Expanded Learning Equally as exciting as the new cafeteria are the other new spaces that have opened up to scholars and staff. These allow for greater learning opportunities for all age groups and for expanded functionality related to learning, after-school activities and designated staff meeting space as our school population continues to grow. The new spaces include: A new Design lab on the lower level. A new weight room off the gym. A middle school Science lab, a large multipurpose room, an additional special education classroom, and designated meeting/workspace for staff on the second floor; and An expanded Medical Services lab, an Advanced Manufacturing lab, an Esports lab and a designated NJROTC classroom on the third floor. The variety of opportunities each of these spaces will provide to scholars to enrich and expand their learning and development are limitless. We can’t wait to see what scholars can accomplish in these new spaces! More Opportunities to Learn and Grow Each of the last two years we have worked hard to offer and grow opportunities for scholars of all ages be involved in extra-curricular activities and have access to expanded learning opportunities in the community. This year, we are excited to be able to offer more Club opportunities for younger and older scholars (First Lego League, Daisies, Esports, Intramurals) as well as Homecoming and Prom. This will also be our first year offering our high school Juniors the opportunity to participate in youth apprenticeships; school and work-based learning designed to provide career-focused hands-on learning and mentoring at an employer workplace. We are thrilled to be able to offer this next step in supporting our scholars in exploring their career interests and in getting a jump-start in preparation for graduation. 2023-2024 promises to be a busy and exciting year. We appreciate your support as we continue to grow and develop; always putting children first. Dr. Kristi Cole is the Chief Education Officer at The Lincoln Academy, a K4-12 independent 2x charter school in Beloit, Wisconsin.

Welcome back to school! Year 3 is going to be the best year yet! As we wind down the dog days of summer, we are hard at work preparing for the upcoming school year. While we love the joy and energy our scholars, families and staff bring to the school year, summer gives us an opportunity to take a breathe and reflect on the past year’s activities, accomplishments and challenges. Our experiences in Year 2 truly do continue to inform and guide our work for the coming year. Focused on a vision of excellence, like our scholars, we continue to learn and grow. Basics By the Numbers Let’s start with some basic data regarding our growth in Year 2. It included adding over 100 scholars; expanding our school to grades K4-3 and 6-10; hiring over 20 new staff; and enrolling 524 scholars – all with a healthy waitlist of over 150 scholars. Additional scholar demographics included: Accomplishments & Activities Remaining focused on putting children first, The Lincoln Academy Governance Board and our dedicated, mission-driven staff continued the work of bringing our vision for TLA to life. Our three pillars of academic rigor, character development and career exploration continued to evolve and expand. Scholars demonstrated strong academic growth, maintained high character expectations, built a strong community, and learned about career opportunities available to them to help develop lifelong aspirations. During our second year: Scholars achieved strong academic growth, as reflected by: Spring 2023 MAP Assessments; 71% of K5-3 grade scholars demonstrating proficiency in foundational reading skills and 41% of 9-10 grade scholars on the 4th Quarter Honor Roll. 827 Character Awards were received by scholars. 99% of K5-3 and 6-10 grade scholars completed career curriculum lessons. 98% of scholars in grade 8 presented their Individualized Learning Plan (ILP). Six dual enrollment course offerings resulted in 135 credits earned and $17,932 in scholar savings related to obtaining college credits. 160+ business partnerships supported career exploration. 100% of grade 10 scholars and 94% of grade 8 scholars completed Job Shadows 2,000+ Service Learning hours were logged by scholars. Parent and scholar feedback indicated strong satisfaction related to learning, friendships & safety; opportunities for career exploration received high marks from both parents and middle/high school scholars. We have worked on communication and connectivity of staff, families, and scholars and have continued to build out our website, our communication hub for the community. This year, we added monthly blogs on important and timely topics related to TLA and charter schools. We also engaged parents in conversation, through the Parent Leadership Council and newsletters, around our work during the state budget cycle towards equalized funding for all children attending school in Wisconsin. To learn in more about Year 2 at The Lincoln Academy, we encourage you to take a look at the full 2022-2023 Year-In-Review report. New Growth and Opportunities Our vision of ensuring scholars lead happy choice-filled lives remained at the center of all we did in our second year and that will continue to be true as we move into the next school year. We still have work to do in all three pillars and we remain focused on communication and connectivity. We will continue to push ourselves in these areas and to always be our best in serving the Beloit community and making The Lincoln Academy the premier school in the state for our scholars. We look forward to new growth and expanded learning opportunities this coming year that include: the addition of grade 4 and grade 11 to the school community; the completion of construction on our new cafeteria, multi-purpose room, weight room, Advanced Manufacturing lab, Design lab and third floor build-out; a new middle school science lab; the start of the NJROTC program; an Esports lab; Prom and Youth Apprenticeships among other activities. Thank you, to everyone who has supported The Lincoln Academy and those who will join us in supporting scholars during the 2023-2024 school year. We are excited to see the growth and opportunities Year 3 brings. GO LIONS! Dr. Kristi Cole is the Chief Education Officer at The Lincoln Academy, a K4-12 independent, 2x charter school in Beloit, Wisconsin.

With the end of the school year upon us, it seems like just the right time to say THANK YOU to the staff, parents, non-profit and business partners and community members who have supported TLA throughout our second year of operation. Working together, we are creating a community that supports scholars in preparing to achieve their dreams and live a choice-filled life. What Community Support Looks Like There is no one “right” way to support TLA. One of the most beautiful aspects of the support that we receive from individuals, families and organizations is that it comes from different corners of our community and each contribution is uniquely different. In some cases, support for TLA is the gift of time. The sharing of time, skills and experience is an incredibly valuable gift in its impact on scholars and staff. The gift of volunteering can take many different forms: Chaperoning a fieldtrip. Reading in a primary classroom. Mentoring a scholar who may be struggling or who may have specific interests. Participating in a business panel with scholars interested in your career and career path. Hosting a job shadow opportunity for scholars. Providing support during/for school activities and events. In other cases, support for TLA is the gift of material supplies. Whether extra office or classroom supplies, age-appropriate gift cards and merchandise that can be used as incentive rewards or equipment that can be used in one of our labs, we are incredibly appreciative of the community’s generosity. On occasion, we have a scholar or two in need of a uniform item or shoes in order to maintain compliance with the school dress code. We are blessed to have community members who seamlessly provide support to address some of these needs through TLA’s participation in the Purposity app, available through the Apple store or Google Play. And finally, support for TLA can also come in the form of the gift of a financial contribution. Each and every contribution is meaningful and donations can be designated for a specific item/use or donated at the discretion of TLA leadership. We are blessed to have support from a number of generous donors in our community that help us bridge the operations gap between the per pupil payment provided to TLA by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and our approved annual operating budget. We do, however, still have a need to raise funds to support activities like the purchase of equipment and materials used within the school’s specialty labs. Currently, we are seeking contributions toward equipping our new advanced manufacturing lab. The knowledge, skills and experience scholars will gain utilizing industry-standard equipment in this lab will be immediately transferable to employment within the manufacturing sector upon graduation. Thank You We are incredibly grateful for the support TLA receives from the community. Your valuable contributions of time, materials and funds make it possible for scholars to explore and enrich their learning, development and aspirations through fieldtrips, technology, incentives, equipment and participation in school events and extracurricular activities. Your support for these activities - things beyond the basics – enhances the learning and outcomes for TLA scholars. It is an incredible gift that is so very appreciated! Dr. Kristi Cole is the Chief Education Officer at The Lincoln Academy, a K4-12 independent, 2x charter school in Beloit, Wisconsin.

We often speak of our three pillars at The Lincoln Academy: rigorous academics, career exploration and character development. TLA is a school located in the heart of Beloit, a community challenged in the area of academic achievement, yet at the same time experiencing economic development growth that continues to strengthen and diversify the local business community. Given this dynamic, conversations about TLA seem to naturally pivot to academics or career exploration activities. As we head toward our 2nd Annual Service Learning Day on May 4th, it seems like an opportune time to highlight character development - the third, equally important pillar. Creating a Sense of Community Building a school culture with a focus on character and based in joy and a sense of community is central to daily activities at TLA. To be able to feel connected and accountable to expectations, it is critically important scholars both feel trust and respect as individuals as well as build trust and respect with/for others in the school community. Ideally, this allows scholars to be themselves within established expectations and hold themselves accountable to these expectations. Will they make mistakes? Yes. We all do. Our goal, however, is to create a school culture where it is safe to do so while experiencing and working through the repercussions and accountability that can come with making a mistake. Layering in Character Education How do we create this school culture? We layer character education into all aspects of the school. Each school year begins with teachers, parents and scholars reviewing and signing the Commitment to Success, which includes, among other things, fully committing to character virtues like honesty, responsibility, cooperation and respect. We also plan, coordinate and explicitly teach a unique character virtue each month through both direct instruction in the academic curriculum and daily opportunities like the recitation of the TLA Proclamation at morning assembly, homeroom activities, sports team activities and special assemblies. Opportunities and experiences, such as collaborative projects and fundraisers to benefit the community, the service learning hour requirements for both middle and high school graduation (10 hours for middle school and 30 hours for high school) and the school-wide Service Learning Day, allow for further discussion of virtues in context. We consistently focus on citizenship and service. Finally, TLA uses a Restorative Practices approach to building a positive school community. Restorative practices is a philosophy, not a program. Circles are a strategy used by TLA to support a positive environment. Circles are used with respect to character development in the following ways: Community Building Circles – for the purpose of teaching empathy and self-reflection; developing a sense of belonging through sharing stories and active listening. Examples: morning check-in, classroom issue, values and moral dilemma issue circles. Repairing Harm Circles – bring together everyone affected by wrongdoing or conflict to discuss the situation or incident and repair the harm. These interventions can produce meaningful improvement in scholar behavior. When there are regular opportunities for everyone in a school to express emotion and exchange feedback, it builds positive relationships and a strong sense of community. We find this applies even when there are different perspectives, as the activity is still based in many of our core virtues – respect, empathy, responsibility, honesty, cooperation, courage, perseverance, gratitude and sometimes, even creativity. Preparing Scholars for the Future Similar to our academic and career exploration pillars, through character education our goal is to support scholars in learning about and developing key tools that will prepare them for a successful future. A daily focus on making positive choices now firmly establishes the skill set they will need as they grow into adulthood and enter/navigate the workforce. As part of our ongoing work with local partners who engage with TLA scholars through career panels, speaking at special assemblies, job shadows and more, we encourage partners to discuss and share with scholars the importance of character in both their life and career. Interactions where partners share challenges they faced, tough decisions they had to make or some of the most meaningful aspects of their career that relate to character are frequently the ones that resonate with most scholars. We are so grateful for the generosity of our partners in sharing real life examples of character in action, as it provides another layer of opportunity for scholars to learn, grow and integrate their understanding related to the impacts character can have in our lives. Citizenship & Service Our goal is to prepare scholars to lead a happy, choice-filled life by the time they leave TLA. In addition to being well-prepared for meaningful future academic and career success, we believe it is equally important scholars are well-prepared to navigate making daily choices in adulthood and being an engaged member of their community. Our scholars have undertaken a lot of hard work this year related to character. We look forward to our upcoming Service Learning Day and the opportunity it provides scholars of all ages to experience what citizenship and service looks and feels like right here in Beloit. Even now, scholars can and do make a positive difference in their community through the choices they make and the actions they take. Dr. Kristi Cole is Chief Education Officer at The Lincoln Academy, a K4-12 independent, 2x charter school in Beloit, Wisconsin.

School funding has been a frequent topic recently, mostly driven by the proposed local referendum, the state budget process and the Local Government Series sponsored by the Stateline Community Foundation. While I did a blog post a number of months ago as an introductory piece on independent public charter school funding, because The Lincoln Academy (TLA) is the first such school in our area, there are still a great many questions – and at times some misunderstanding. As such, this will be installment #2 of what may be an ongoing conversation as we work to build local understanding. As a reminder, TLA is authorized through a contract with the UW Office of Educational Opportunity and is defined by statute as a 2x charter school. Note: There are also 2r independent charter schools in WI and while the funding amount for those schools is the same, the mechanisms for counting students and funding schools differs. Students enrolled in 2x schools: Are counted by their resident school district when the district calculates their revenue limit and general aid. The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) calculates the charter school aid (number of charter students x per pupil charter aid) and reduces the aid to the resident district in the amount equal to the charter school payment. The resident school district is allowed to retain the difference between the revenue limit and the charter payment for any allowable use. Does TLA receive tuition payments from parents, the Beloit School District (BSD) or any other school district for their students? NO. TLA is a public school and as such it is free for all scholars to attend. We do not charge or receive tuition from any source. What is the impact of charter funding on local traditional districts? Given the majority of the discussion regarding the funding impact of TLA is focused on the Beloit School District, I will use them to illustrate the impact. Step 1. TLA participates in the state required pupil counts in September and in January each year and reports our enrollment data to the DPI. Based on these counts we estimate serving 451 FTE scholars who are residents of the Beloit School District in the 2022-2023 school year. Step 2. DPI reports independent charter school counts to the Beloit School District. The District counts the scholars when calculating their revenue limit. 451 x $10,049 (BSD per pupil revenue limit) = $4,532, 099 Step 3. The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) calculates the charter school per pupil payment for TLA and pays TLA directly (not BSD) an equal amount in quarterly payments. In other words, the DPI payment to BSD is reduced by an amount equal to the charter payment. 451 x $9,264 (Independent Charter School Payment) = $4,178,064 Step 4. The BSD is allowed to retain the difference between the revenue limit calculation and the charter payment made to TLA. This is an annual decision made by the Board of Education as a part of their budget process. This funding is received for children who are not served or supported by the Beloit School District. $4,532, 099 - $4,178,064 = $354,035 Notes: (1) Revenue limits and student counts will vary from one year to the next and data will fluctuate accordingly. (2) Independent charter schools only receive funding for the actual number of scholars served in a given year. This is different than traditional pupil schools. Why does TLA receive less funding per pupil? Charter school students in WI have always been funded at lower levels than traditional public students, regardless of needs or demographics. Does TLA receive less funding because they don’t serve scholars with similar needs? Absolutely not - that is a myth. As a public school, TLA is required to accept all scholars and in fact, our data demonstrates we welcome them. Currently our scholars include 66% low-income, 23% English language learners and 14% students with disabilities. By comparison, the BSD recently released data on similar measures reporting 70.9% students in poverty, 17.7% English language learners and 15.3% students with disabilities. A recent statewide comparison of basic demographic information further challenges these myths. Source: DPI How much of the enrollment related revenue decline at BSD is attributable to TLA? As noted above, in this academic year, funding for TLA will reduce BSD revenue by approximately $4.1 million. According to recently released BSD information, the revenue loss to the district attributable to public school open enrollment in this school year is $10,450,960. The funding loss is directly attributable to enrollment losses; the majority of students are enrolling in other traditional districts. How can citizens learn more about school district revenue and expenses? Interested taxpayers can visit the DPI website for information about district revenues and costs. Unfortunately, the most recently available data is for 2020-21. School Financial Services Data Warehouse (wi.gov). The Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty publishes a school scorecard that includes total and per pupil spending information trends as well as district level proficiency rankings. School Scorecard | Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (will-law.org) Both resources allow users to select statewide or district specific information. A Final Note What is unfortunate about the majority of education discussions today is the focus on money. While funding and fiscal responsibility is important (and it is!), it often distracts us from the other critical conversations we should be having about student achievement and how children are doing. We should be spending at least as much time discussing reading levels or the science of reading, post-pandemic mental health needs and bullying, post-secondary success and the evolving needs of employers, or the needs and interests of parents as they explore their options and try to best meet the needs of their children. Money is important but dollars do not guarantee that the rest of the list will be addressed. Our children are relying on us to help them build their futures. We need to be committed to measures beyond the dollars we attach to each of them. Dr. Kristi Cole is the Chief Education Officer at The Lincoln Academy , a K4-12 independent, 2x charter school in Beloit, Wisconsin.

“Giving feedback means caring enough about someone {or something} to want to see them be successful.” Michael Sonbert, Founder and CEO of Skyrocket Education, TLA Coaching Consultant Twice per year, each school-year, The Lincoln Academy distributes surveys to parents, scholars and staff. With the recent completion of 2022-23 mid-year surveys, this seems like a good time to talk about why we do this, why the feedback we receive through these surveys is so important and to share some of our results. Why We Use Surveys TLA is a feedback rich environment. Feedback is an ingrained part of our culture and coaching is an integral part of what we do every day. When members of our school community share what they see from their unique perspectives, we get invaluable feedback. We use the feedback to hold ourselves accountable and to coach our team. One of the strengths of charter schools is the ability to pivot quickly in order to stay focused on what is important and to ensure we achieve results. Our surveys provide us with a frequent and important touch point. They give us data that can challenge us to pivot where needed and they ensure that we never veer too far off course for too long. Our Results Surveys are distributed to all parents, scholars and staff. They are tailored to each group, and each contain questions that we see as vital to academic achievement and school culture. We work hard to get strong participation and this year 90% of scholars, 83% of staff and 52% of parents completed the survey. Our goal is to achieve a 4.0 on a 5.0 scale. Overall, feedback from parents is strong. My children are safe, I am supported as a parent, I am satisfied with exploratories/electives, and I would recommend TLA to my friends and families all exceed our 4.0 goal. Satisfaction with extracurricular activities was 3.7. As a new school this is indeed still developing, and we appreciate hearing how important it is to our families. Scholars are surveyed by grade bands and feedback from our elementary scholars is overwhelmingly positive. They tell us they enjoy attending school, they are learning, feel safe and feel connected to both teachers and administrators. Last year elementary scholars told us they wanted more career opportunities at school; we heard that feedback, worked on programming and saw the score increase from 3.9 to 4.4. TLA middle and high school scholars offered candid feedback. Their responses tell us they have friends at school, and they are exploring careers. Hovering just below a 4.0 they say they are learning, enjoy the exploratories and extracurricular activities. Safety is close behind. The scholars have also shared that they don’t feel as connected as we would like to teachers and administrators - critical feedback for our team. None of this work is possible without the teachers in the classrooms and the team that works to support them. Our staff tell us they feel safe, and they are growing professionally. They are glad to be a part of the team and would recommend TLA to their family and friends. Their feedback tells us we still have room to grow in our communication. We also saw a slight drop in staff feeling valued thus helping to demonstrate the importance of these touchpoints. How We Use Results This ultimately, is most important. What do we do with the information we receive? First you should know, as the CEO of TLA, I review each and every survey we receive - every score, every comment. We review the aggregated results with our staff team and share with parents. And we use the information to make adjustments in our work. For example, this year, our high school scholar surveys reflected some dissatisfaction regarding an on-line program used to differentiate reading and math support. Our teaching staff echoed the concerns. By the next week, we were able to change the program and utilize an alternative option to support our scholars. Immediately, we noticed a dramatic change in their participation in programming and their engagement in learning. Another example included parents requesting more extracurricular activities for elementary scholars. We already added a soccer camp and literacy camp for the scholars this spring. We hosted a family dance recently for our K4-3rd graders which had a big turnout filled with lots of joy! Why Do the Results Matter? We are committed to achieving our vision of being the premier K-12 school in the state of Wisconsin, providing college and career pathways for scholars to lead happy, choice-filled lives. We are also committed to ensuring we strive for excellence in all that we do. We know parents have a choice in whether they send their scholars to TLA. We know scholars who want to be at school are best positioned to learn and thrive and we know teachers who feel supported, connected and valued are key to helping scholars achieve their dreams. We will continue to ask for feedback, celebrating the positive and working hard to respond proactively to that which is more critical. Feedback from our families, scholars and staff is key to our work together to build a healthy, connected, joyful school community where we are all focused on supporting scholars in achieving their happy, choice-filled lives. Dr. Kristi Cole is the Chief Education Officer at The Lincoln Academy, a K4-12, 2x independent charter school in Beloit, Wisconsin.

January finds us busy re-enrolling current scholars for the next school year and preparing for our annual enrollment period for new scholars, which occurs in February each year. Since this is a time when prospective parents are contemplating enrollment, it is also a time when one of the most prevalent myths about charter schools re-circulates. Myth: Charter Schools “cherry-pick” scholars. Frequently, this myth is layered in with the “charter schools are private schools” argument. Although I have addressed this topic in prior blog posts, it is always worth repeating. The Lincoln Academy is a 2x independent charter school, which Wisconsin State Statute defines as a public school and Local Education Agency (LEA), legally required to provide a free and appropriate education to all enrolled students, to accept all children (limited only by State of Wisconsin residency and the number of seats available) and required to meet the needs of all students. Each year, there is an enrollment process that takes place at The Lincoln Academy to determine enrollment for the following school year. As indicated earlier, during the month of January we work with families of current scholars to re-enroll for the coming year by January 31st. During February, our annual enrollment period, The Lincoln Academy accepts applications for enrollment for new scholars for the coming school year. Beginning February 1st, the application is available online at Enrollment | The Lincoln Academy in Beloit, Wisconsin or in-person weekdays between 8am and 4pm in the school office. The application process for a new scholar involves completing the application and submitting both proof of Wisconsin residency and a copy of the scholar’s birth certificate. There are no additional eligibility requirements and there is no cost to attend. If more applications are received during the enrollment period than there are seats available for a grade-level in the coming year, a public random lottery is held in early March (March 7th this year) to determine enrollment for available seats and the waitlist order for the coming year. Only completed applications submitted by midnight on the last day of February are eligible for the lottery process. If the lottery process is needed, TLA gives preference in the order as follows: 1.) Scholars who were enrolled in the charter school in the previous year. 2.) Siblings of scholars enrolled in the charter school.* 3.) Children of full-time staff and TLA Board Members. * Siblings are defined as: biological siblings that share parents, siblings that share a single parent, siblings that share a parent through marriage, children who share a parent through adoption or guardianship, siblings who reside in different households or foster children. We are often asked if applications for the next school year are only accepted during the enrollment period. The simple answer is no. Completed applications received after midnight on the last day of February are accepted and processed on a first-come, first-served basis. If a seat is available, the scholar will be enrolled for the new year. If no seat is available, the scholar is placed on a waitlist in the order the application is received behind lottery waitlisted scholars. If a scholar is placed on a waitlist and does not get in by January of the following year, they must re-apply in February as a new waitlist starts in March once the lottery is completed. The TLA enrollment process is structured and provides as much equal access as possible in an environment where there is a finite number of seats available. We encourage everyone interested in enrolling their child to apply during the February enrollment period, as it provides the best opportunity for enrollment when there is high demand for a grade-level. This does not mean, however, that there may not be less demand for seats or a short waitlist for a certain grade-level when a scholar applies at a different point in time. The only certainty is that a scholar will not have a chance at enrollment if the application is not completed at all. Dr. Kristi Cole is the Chief Education Officer at The Lincoln Academy, a K4-12, 2x independent charter school in Beloit, Wisconsin.

Charter schools often inspire a plethora of myths. While there are of course myths created by charter school opponents, most often they arise as a result of a lack of understanding. People just are not familiar with public charter schools and how they work. As such, I will occasionally use this blog to tackle the myths that we hear circulating. I am going to start with special education. Myth: Charter Schools do not serve children with special education needs. This myth is a frequent flyer on social media and in charter school debates and is one of the most common conversations I have with parents of potential scholars. Often, they have heard from someone that charter schools expel children after the formal pupil counts and do not serve children with Individual Education Plans (commonly referred to as IEP’s). Let’s set the record straight. The Lincoln Academy is a 2x independent charter school. As defined by Wisconsin Statutes, charter schools are public schools, and an independent charter school is a Local Education Agency (LEA). As an LEA, independent charter schools are legally required to provide a free and appropriate education to all enrolled students. Independent public charter schools are legally required to accept all children (limited only by the number of seats available and state of Wisconsin residency) and are legally required to meet the educational needs of all enrolled children. In other words, independent charter schools are not legally allowed to exit a child based on the need for special education services. At The Lincoln Academy we, in fact, welcome scholars with special needs. I have seen and heard various local rumors and data points. For example, ‘all students who left an independent charter school and returned to the Beloit School District had an IEP’, or ‘the charter school expelled (dozens of) scholars the day after the pupil count (suggesting it was because they had special education needs). Neither of these are true. In fact, the data tells a very different story. The Lincoln Academy enrolled a total of 71 scholars in 2021-22 who had IEP’s. Sixty-three or 89% of those scholars remain at the school. Those who withdrew did so based solely on the expressed interests and needs of the parent, family and scholar. On the 2022-23 Third Friday Count, 61 scholars with an IEP were enrolled representing 12% of all scholars. As of the end of the first quarter of this school year, 66 special education scholars are enrolled representing 13% of all scholars. To date in 2022-23, zero scholars with an IEP have withdrawn. We have a robust and committed team of special education teachers and educational assistants who work closely with our educational team, our scholars and their parents to ensure the needs of all our scholars are met. It is true this is hard work. It is also true that state and federal funding does not cover the full cost of meeting the special education needs of scholars. Nonetheless, we intend to ensure they will be well served. While I cannot speak for the decisions made in every school (or charter school), I can tell you that in my more than 30 years of urban education I have yet to see a child removed or expelled because of their learning needs. Trusting that experience, I would simply ask that when you hear such a statement presented, make sure you have reliable data from reliable sources. This will ultimately ensure we do what is best for our children. Dr. Kristi Cole is the Chief Education Officer at The Lincoln Academy in Beloit, Wisconsin.

School report card season is upon us. As part of the state accountability system, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) produces a report card for every publicly funded school and district in the state. As this is The Lincoln Academy’s first year receiving a report card, I thought it might be helpful to review the state report card process and how TLA fits into it all. School Report Card Basics Report cards are issued annually for the previous school year. They include data on multiple indicators for multiple years across four different priority areas: Achievement Growth Target Group Outcomes On-Track to Graduation Evaluation of the indicator data results in a school or district’s overall accountability score. This score places the school/district into one of five overall accountability rating categories: Alternate Accountability As part of the report card accountability system, DPI has an alternate accountability process for schools that do not have the data necessary to calculate a school report card score. Schools that fall into this process include those that have fewer than 20 full academic year students in tested grades in the current year, schools with no tested grades (K4-2 schools) and NEW schools (first three years). The Lincoln Academy, as a new school/district, is participating in the alternate accountability process for the 2021-2022 school year. As a result, our report card looks a bit different than a report card for a more established school/district. It lists an alternate rating instead of one of the standard rating categories outlined above and contains no prior year data. You can access our report card here by selecting The Lincoln Academy as the District. How Alternate Accountability Works for New Schools Alternate accountability is a DPI prescribed, district-supervised self-evaluation process. The school/district assesses performance in three priority areas that align with both school report cards and accountability requirements from the US Department of Education: Raising Student Achievement in Reading Raising Student Achievement in Mathematics Preparing Students to be On-Track for Success New schools that do not have data from a prior year select an indicator that can gauge student progress from fall to spring. A data indicator related to attendance or graduation may be used to assess preparing students to be on-track for success. Evaluation of the selected data indicators determine an overall alternate rating score of either Satisfactory Progress or Needs Improvement. TLA's Report Card Alternate Accountability Rating TLA utilized data associated with Wisconsin Student Assessment System test results (Forward exam, ACT Aspire) as an indicator of scholar achievement in reading and mathematics for 6-9th grade scholars. TLA also used NWEA MAP data from fall to spring as an indicator of meeting scholar growth goals. For example: Attendance data was the indicator used to assess preparing students to be on-track for success. The TLA scholar attendance average was 94.2% for the 2021-22 school year. TLA’s overall Alternate Accountability Rating for 2021-2022 was determined to be Satisfactory Progress. A Few Notes About the Data Special Education and English Learner counts were measured as a point-in-time in the fall. At year-end, those figures were 11% Special Education and 15% English Learner. This year, fall 2022, they are 12% and 23% respectively. We are particularly pleased with progress with respect to our K5-2 and 6-9 NWEA MAP results. Our goal was to achieve class growth targets of at least 110% and ensure at least 50% of scholars met their individual growth goals. TLA results from fall to spring indicated 146% class growth in math and 116% class growth in reading. Additionally, 73% of scholars met their individual math goals and 58% of scholars met their individual reading goals. Moving Forward While NWEA MAP and Forward data showed progress, in reviewing Forward exam data, we recognize our scholars still have room for growth. There is significant work ahead, however, when comparing these scores to local districts and the state, TLA is showing great promise. As we move into the second quarter of this school year focused on new learning and growth, I remain committed to ensuring the TLA scholar-body continues to be a reflection of the Beloit community and that scholars are achieving at grade-level within three years of enrollment. I stand firm in holding us accountable to those commitments and will continue to work hard to communicate about the work our scholars, families and staff are undertaking in our school community to achieve these goals. Dr. Kristi Cole is the Chief Education Officer at The Lincoln Academy in Beloit, Wisconsin.