User manual | Our Children's Prep School

Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc.
(OCPS)
Florida Charter School Application
Table of Contents
I.
COVER SHEET
II.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
III.
EDUCATIONAL PLAN
Section 1: Mission, Guiding Principles and Purpose
Section 2: Target Population and Student Body
Section 3: Educational Program Design
Section 4: Curriculum Plan
Section 5: Student Performance, Assessment
and Evaluation
Section 6: Exceptional Students
Section 7: English Language Learners
Section 8: School Climate and Discipline
IV.
ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN
Section 9: Governance
Section 10: Management
Section 11: Educational Service Providers
Section 12: Human Resources and Employment
Section 13: Student Recruitment and Enrollment
V.
BUSINESS PLAN
Section 14: Facilities
Section 15: Transportation Service
Section 16: Food Service
Section 17: Budget
Section 18: Financial Management and Oversight
Section 19: Action Plan
ASSURANCES
Appendices
A – Organizational Chart
2012-13; Applicant history worksheet
2011-2012; Applicant history worksheet
2010-2011; Applicant history worksheet
B – Start Up Budget
C – Staff Roll Our
D – Revenue Estimate Worksheets 305 FTE
E – Revenue Estimate Worksheets – 320 FTE
F – Revenue Estimate Worksheets – 335 FTE
G – Revenue Estimate Worksheets – 351 FTE
H – Five – 5 Year Budget using Red Line to show Revenue and Expenses
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Mission
To provide a comprehensive, individualized, and naturally evolving educational
program for children and adolescents with a wide variety of disabilities where the goal
is to deliver the appropriate intensity of education and related services to prepare
students for gainful employment or post secondary education and fulfilling life in
accordance with the desires of the students themselves and their families.
program
targets
student
outcomes
in
academic
achievement,
The
interpersonal
communication, socialization, self-regulation, mobility and independent functioning in a
comprehensive system in which all components of the program are integrated.
Children We Serve
All students and adolescents attending Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. have an
Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). Students’ baseline level of performance is
determined and educators collaboratively plan individualized lessons that consider the
various handicapping conditions. Academic programs taught are research based,
align with the Fl. State Standards, and educator’s use teaching strategies deemed
highly effective per the Marzano framework of learning. Through early and intensive
intervention with young children significant gains can be made in critical foundations
for academic learning. Therefore our school serves Pre-Kindergarten Children
starting at 12 months of age up to and including 5/6 years of age in addition to
school-age student
We serve school-age students from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Because we
serve a full range of students at different severity levels we group students into Low
Incidence (disabilities where fewer students are identified) and High Incidence
(disabilities where larger numbers of Students are identified) who typically are more
independent. The following chart provides a general list of disabilities; however, it
should be noted that this is not an exhaustive list.
Individualized therapy services are available with a physician’s signed order and plan
of care and approval from Medicaid or private insurance.
HIGH INCIDENCE
LOW INCIDENCE
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Developmental Delay (Preschool)
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) High Level
Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD) mild
Asperger’s Syndrome
ADHD and ADD
Bi-Polar, Anxiety & other Behav /Mental Health Disorders
Spina Bifida High Level
Traumatic Brain Injury – mild to moderate
Learning Disabilities
Orthopedic Conditions – mild to moderate
Re Oral, Written, Language Impairment
Dyslexia
Cerebral Palsy: mild/mod cognitively impaired
Deaf with Cochlear Implant: good prognosis
Pervasive Developmental Disorder PDD (PreK)
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) less verbal
Sensory Processing Disorder (ASD) severe
Complex Communication Need (Augmentative)
Prader Willi
Neuromuscular, Neurological, & Congenital Conditions
Spina Bifida Supportive/Participatory
Traumatic Brain Injury - severe
Intellectually Impaired
Orthopedic Conditions - severe
Other Physical and Developmental Difficulties
Down’s Syndrome
Cerebral Palsy: severe w/intellectual disability
Swallowing and Feeding Disorders
“You Belong”
Is the motto of the Our Children’s Prep School. We strive for all involved with our
school to feel a sense of belonging…. especially our children and adolescents.
Multi Tiered System of Support
All of the children and adolescents served at Our Children’s Prep School have
disabilities.
We have designed a program structure that facilitates meeting their
individual needs. All teachers are certified and many are highly qualified. Many of our
staff are bilingual in Spanish thus provide a warm and welcoming experience for the
high number of Latino families we serve. Evaluations are available in both Spanish
and English to determine the degree of language deficiency in both Spanish and
English. Other second language acquisition challenges are addressed by our ELL
certified professionals.
Our Children’s Prep School employs a special kind of Multi Tiered System of
Supports (MTSS), with the ultimate goal of reaching the highest academic and career
goals.
Tier One in this context involves a significantly differentiated core curriculum, likely
more individualized than would be expected in a typical public school. However, even
with that type of Tier One, students with the range of disabilities we serve will typically
need Tier Two (60%)services with a limited number receiving Tier 3 services (20%)
All children and adolescents receive an Individualized Education Program (IEP), which
drives the level of service, they need, documented on an IEP. The MTSS system is
guided and supported by an Intensive Intervention Assistance Team that monitors
progress and directs intervention.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
The Intensive Intervention Assistance Team (IIAT) is comprised of the Director of
Curriculum and Instruction; Director of Admissions/IEP Specialist; Director of Positive
Behavior Support (PBS); Behavior Specialists, ESE teacher, ELL designated
specialist; speech and language therapist; occupational therapist; and physical
therapist; art therapist; licensed mental health counselor; social worker and data entry
clerk. The child’s Pediatrician, Psychiatrist, counselors, etc. may also be a part of the
IIAT.
A Team Approach through a Partnership with Our Children’s Rehab Center, Inc.,
(OCRC) a 501 c 3 exists where specialists work together to meet the needs of
children and adolescents within their daily routines. Through this partnership there is a
powerful synergy of rehab services where there is never a cross over of Board
members. Both 501 c 3 non-profit corporations have separate governance, separate
authority, and separate decision making. This Sole Source provision of services is
mutually beneficial to both non-profits as the children receive intensive high quality
services. OCRC does all the billing to Medicaid and other third party payors and then
gives 100% of the collectibles to the school. The school then pays a prevailing hourly
rate fee for service for the time the therapist spends at the school providing both direct
and indirect services to children and their families. The benefit to OCPS is that the net
cost of contracting therapy services results in a 50% discount given the rebate OCRC
gives to the school.
Common employees adhere to the Sole Source policy so
decision-making is separate in both organizations. Conflict of interest is avoided with
both the CEO and the Director of Curriculum and Instruction reporting to the Board of
OCPS. The Executive Director of OCRC, a PT, is a member of the leadership team
along with the Director of OT and Speech Language.
When children are experiencing a difficulty, a support professional delivers
intervention in the context of the situation, when and where it has occurred. For
example, if a student throws himself to the floor and begins yelling "no", the
professional will intervene and use learned behavioral strategies to gain compliance
and reintegrate him back into the ongoing activity. Professionals from all disciplines
benefit
from
cross
training
with
our
unique
research
based design
and
instruction/intervention model.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
By having the Sole Source specially designed support personnel contracted from Our
Children’s Rehab Center, Inc. who provide intervention in the classroom and address
the child’s needs that are presented naturally, students show faster improvement while
anxiety is reduced. When anxiety is reduced, more learning occurs (Willis, 2008).
Learning time for all integrated goals (academic, communication, motor, etc.) is
maximized since there is a reduced need for “pull out” therapy services.
Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) are a major component and a primary reason for
our program success. Emphasis is placed on these positive supports and supplying
what is needed in this behavior department to meet the many component parts
necessary for its success. Knowing your child’s preferable reinforcement is one of the
keys. Having those reinforcers available to entice and reward is a must yet expensive.
We look to grants and donations for support.
Behavior challenges are reduced thanks to the implementation of our school-wide
PBS program. If a child needs more intensive supports a cadre of professionally
trained crisis management (PCM) staff step in and “manage” the situation to return the
student to class thus minimizing the chance of a suspension or expulsion, something
many of our students have faced in previous schools. Alternative after school and
weekend work programs are available as consequences in lieu of suspension.
Data collection is everyday event thus providing track and trend information. Discrete
trial intervention is available for our most severe Tier III students.
Management Team
Due to the complexity of our students, the variety of diagnoses, disabilities, levels of
intellectual ability, medical stability, academic readiness, behavior and mental health
challenges, representation from a cadre’ of professionals is necessary to meet the
needs of our complex students. Day to day issues can be managed by any one of the
leadership team members. . OCPS utilizes a "team" of professionals with expertise in
the core program areas, stated in the list of Directors below. When calling the school,
the individual will be directed to the professional that oversees that area. This
Management Model provides back up and redundancy for managing administrative
functions more so that those seen in the traditional public schools.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Two leaders report directly to the Board: the CEO who manages business operations,
admissions, behavior, continuous quality improvement, facilitates, safety, finance,
transportation, food service, custodial, and maintenance; and the Director of
Curriculum and Instruction who is responsible for supervision, hiring, firing, evaluation,
and professional development of the teachers, paraprofessionals, and the contracted
services provided by Our Children’s Rehab Center, Inc.
Our Management Model is unique and far more effective than the traditional
Principal/AP paradigm for our complex population. A well-represented Leadership
Team of Professionals, each having their area of specialty, conducts administrative
oversight. We call this a
“Collaborative Leadership Team” (CLT) where like our
students; the leadership must work together and cross-train for optimal management
of all operational aspects for the betterment of the organization.
Comprising the
Leadership Team is:

Director
of
Curriculum/Instruction,
Marzano,
and
Student
Formative
Evaluations

Director of Positive Behavioral Support (PBS), Mental Health and Social
Services

Consultant of Physical Rehab Services

Consultant of Low Incidence Populations

Consultant of Speech, Language to Literacy, Augmentative Communication
(PECS)

Director of Continuous Quality Monitoring and Improvement (CQMI), PD and
Testing

Director of Admissions and IEP Compliance

Director
of
HR,
Marzano,
Student
Admissions,
Marketing,
Internal
Audit/Student Finance

Manager of Facilities, Buses, Safety Drills, and Food Service
Parents, Community, and Staff needs are met timely with this management design as
each leadership member is empowered to meet the needs of the stakeholders.
This highly skilled management team is lead by the Chief Executive Officer.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Educational Highlights

Teach to the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards transitioning to
Florida Standards

Determine academic functioning level:
Evaluate students at the beginning,
middle and end of the school year, determine their performance level and other
learning needs

Provide core subjects of reading and math in small group instruction.

The classroom teachers will work collaboratively with the SLP to unpack the
reading, science, and social studies curriculum to review and enhance the
language loaded aspects of the curriculum to enhance comprehension.

Provide Science Technology Education and Math (STEM) in a co-educator
model with the STEM lab teacher, STEM lab SLP, classroom teachers and
classroom SLPs to enhance the underpinnings of language for science through
hands on learning. The classroom SLP and teacher team will “preview” the
STEM lessons while “spot-lighting the meaningful language” and systematically
teaching those language concepts in varied contexts to fully prepare the
students for the STEM lesson in the lab.

Art and Music are integrated with an emphasis on right hemisphere stimulation

Positive behavior reinforcement is used by staff and trained with the
understanding that the brain and neuro-system are regulated by those
educators (teachers, paraprofessionals, therapists) working with the children.
Therapeutic

Speech and Language, Occupational, and Physical Therapy Services available
daily if needed.

Sensory stimulation and sensory diets are prescribed following assessments

Sensory Processing Deficit (SPD) Intervention

Direct and indirect language intervention with play therapy.
Heavily
emphasized in PreK through the High Scope Model.

Picture Exchange Communication (PECS) for non-verbal, limited verbal and
cochlear implant students. Electronic versions of PECs and other augmentative
systems
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL

Fine and gross motor programs including handwriting and keyboarding
programs.

Self care/ADL/IADL

Therapeutic exercise to improve posture, balance, strength gross and fine
motor skills.

Individual and group treatment.

Pre-vocational and vocational rehab programs

Interface with Prosthetics/orthotics specialists for braces, splints, chairs, etc.

Incorporation of The Rhythm Arts Project (TRAP), which melds rhythm and
teaching for low incidence kids.

Matching rhythm patterns and engaging higher incidence students in activities
involving repetitive patterns to facilitate dendrite production, dopamine release,
and healthy neuro-development to facilitate learning.
Behavior

Provide a program-wide positive behavior management system that rewards
children for following rules, achieving at school, and making gains.

Conduct Functional Behavior Evaluations/Analysis on children who present
with more difficult and challenging issues thus needing a more customized
plan.

Certified Professional Crisis Management (PCM) Training Staff

A cadre of 20+ (PCM) staff trained to manage students who may injure
themselves or others. The children are managed immediately, using PCM,
with skill & dignity and returned to class. Parents are notified.

Alternatives to suspension: Prevention is the best: by training staff not be
coercive; designing the school day, through scheduling and selected activities
that will enhance the release of dopamine and keep the kids engaged;
knowledge of each student’s sensory needs and limits and to meet those
needs; provide reinforcers specific to the child; a school-wide positive behavior
system that is tiered with loaded perks as the students reach and maintain
higher levels; written contracts with older students. When prevention does
not work: PCM, Re-teaching after an incident occurs but after the adrenalin
stops, conferencing and planning with family; after school and weekend work
duty; get them back on track into the PBS system as fast as possible.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Counseling

Students receive mental health support from community mental health centers
as well as within the organization on an as needed basis.
o
Group and individual therapy services are provided
o
Parent training and interface with the Department of Juvenile Law
Enforcement and other agencies to provide community service are
available.
Ancillary

Care Conferences

Limited Case Management with physicians and mental health/behavior
specialists.

Parent Training

Bilingual (Spanish) translation services and evaluations in Spanish
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
I. EDUCATIONAL PLAN
1. Mission, Guiding Principles, and Purpose
The Mission, Guiding Principals and Purposes section should indicate what the school
intends to do, for whom and to what degree
A. Provide the mission statement for the proposed charter.
Mission
To provide a comprehensive, individualized, and naturally evolving educational
program for children and adolescents with a wide variety of disabilities where the goal
is to deliver the appropriate intensity of education and related services to prepare
students for gainful employment or post secondary education and fulfilling life in
accordance with the desires of the students themselves and their families.
program
targets
student
outcomes
in
academic
achievement,
The
interpersonal
communication, socialization, self-regulation, mobility and independent functioning in a
comprehensive system in which all components of the program are integrated.
Vision
To be the top producer of successful students with special needs in the nation.
B.
Describe how the school will utilize the guiding principles found in
section 1002.33(2)(a), F.S.
Priorities and Purposes of the School
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. is a school specially designed to create a
learning environment where children with special needs have the resources and
expertise they need to meet the high standards of student achievement set forth
by the State of Florida and provide parents with the option to CHOOSE this
research based model, unlike any other in the state for their child.
HIGH AND LOW INCIDENCE STUDENTS: OUR STUDENTS’ CHANGING BRAIN &
BEHAVIOR
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Our school was developed to meet a unique need within the public school system.
Every public school system across the country is challenged with serving the growing
complex population of children with special needs whose conditions present with what
appears on the surface to be severe and challenging behavior problems but what
scientists, researchers, educators, neuropsychological specialists are describing is
alterations in brain function and brain chemistry that is exacerbated by many of the
coercive techniques and approaches used to attempt to manage the behaviors that
can be highly violent, aggressive, seemingly without warning and to untrained or
limited trained staff, behaviors that “need punishment”.
The effects of the
“punishment” inflicted on our children across the country shows up on the news and
front pages of the paper. Children with special needs, who’s brains are damaged and
not healing properly, are being further damaged and physically abused by those who
are defending themselves and justifying their aggressive behavior management
techniques with the philosophy of “force needs to be managed with more force”.
Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Program, where school discipline is the responsibility
of a behavior analyst who specializes in the complexity of the brain, brain chemistry
and the serious consequences and price we as a society will pay for managing our
more aggressive children in coercive an punitive ways is highly unique.
This is
another reason for using a Collaborative Leadership Team approach to management
rather than a Principal or AP.
Our public school system, as it attempts to meet the needs of the wide variety of
children with special needs, is limited in resources and due to the many types of
children the public schools must be responsible for educating (high performing,
average, low socioeconomic) and the demands of Annual Measureable Outcomes
(AMOs) the schools are finding it extremely difficult if not impossible to give our
complex children the attention and resources they need to adequately address all their
individualized needs. The ESE departments, alternative education departments, and
regular education departments are in a crisis as they try to effectively address the
neuropsychological needs of our growing ADHD, ADD, Autism Spectrum: high and
low population, Dual Diagnosis disorders such as Bipolar, Personality Disorders,
Schizophrenia, not to mention the volatile family environments. Our school provides
parents with a clear choice on how they wish their child’s behavior to be managed.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Children are not removed from the classroom and brought to the office to sit for long
periods of time while they miss important education time. The problem is addressed
immediately by using a series of de-escalation techniques as the staff is trained to
anticipate when a student is becoming agitated. Students have many reasons to stay
engaged as “good things will come their way” given all the strong reinforcers provided
to them, if they remain focused on their academics. If a child is unable to refocus and
maintain control, highly trained and certified staff are prepared and ready to quickly
and with dignity, manage a students’ behavior and return them to class as once the
student demonstrates their ability to control. Children are rarely suspended and the
data shows that incidents of aggression decline given our PBS program.
LOW INCIDENCE STUDENTS: THE NEED FOR A HIGHLY TRAINED TEAM
The special population of children present with kids having complex physical and
medical diagnoses where classroom teachers need the expertise and consultation of
physical and occupational therapists especially with the low incidence population.
These teachers will tell you that “flash in the pan” consultation is only minimally
helpful. Our School provides intensive intervention where all staff our cross-trained on
techniques that help better position the children for learning, provide postural support
and standing balance/tolerance, and train educators on sensory stimulation
techniques that reduce the child’s disregulation and prepare them for learning.
Progressive schools train their staff on Picture Exchange Communication System
(PECS) but without the intensive presence of a highly trained SLP for low incidence
children, the PECS system is limited to meal time use and not incorporated into the
child’s communication world across the day, thus limiting the child’s language
development and limiting their hopes of career employment later in life. Again, the
intensity is present to work with the educators to meet the Mission of OCPS, which is
to bring all children to their highest level of independence and ultimately selfsufficiency. Achieving this goal for our students would have a significantly positive
economic effect in this country since the public schools spend billions of dollars
educating children with special needs to later place them in nursing homes and
institutions for the rest of their lives thus costing the tax payer rather than our students
becoming a tax payer themselves.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
HIGH INCIDENCE CO-TEACHING MODEL: ESE TEACHER WITH SPEECH
LANGUAGE THERAPIST
High incidence elementary and middle school children’s biggest academic deficit is
reading.
The federal and state legislatures have expressed their concern for the
public schools need to focus on outcomes, annual improvement of student learning
with specific rigor on reading. State standards are established to ensure that the
classroom teachers will teach what is necessary to insure that rigor. The legislature
has implemented statewide assessments, that level the playing field, to ensure that all
children, even those with disabilities, be held to the same goal of making AMO as they
are taught to the established standards. Unfortunately, what every classroom teacher
and administrator will say is that children with disabilities are all very different, they
learn differently, and they really don’t even fit into a traditional MTSS (Multi Tiered
System of Supports) design because each child is at their own unique level.
Classroom teachers simply cannot teach to that level of individualization without the
human resources, planning resources, alternatively structured daily schedule,
consultants, and evaluation tools/curriculum that allow for individualization and
scaffolding. The traditional classroom teacher with ESE kids mainstreamed teach the
rigor to the mean of his/her students, as that is the best he/she can do given the
resources. It’s a physics thing. Parents know this and recognize that their children
are left behind even with the best teachers. Our School works to implement a proven
research model of pairing a speech and language therapist with a classroom teacher
to partner on teaching language arts with a particular emphasis on boosting reading
comprehension. This model is discussed at conventions and published in journals but
very difficult to implement given the cost and logistics of finding a school system that
has the interest, expertise, staff willingness, and commitment to restructure the entire
school design to provide daily small group language to literacy/reading comprehension
teaching where learning strategies and meta-linguistic research proven techniques are
used to facilitate students comprehension of the written and oral word. Our School
has expanded this concept from language arts curriculum where narrative reading is
the focus of remediation to STEM/science where hands on learning and informative
reading with higher order problem solving literacy skills are addressed through this
difficult to implement but research proven teaching partnership between the ESE
teacher and the speech and language therapist.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
EARLY INTERVENTION
Our School leaders recognize the power of early intervention where dollar for dollar
the payback investment to the community is exponential.
Our early intervention
program begins as young as age 12 months. This is when parents learn early the
wonders of Positive Behavior Management and as a society we save the brain of a
young child from being damaged due to excessive yelling, and highly coercive
punishment that is pervasive in todays society. We educate the parents on how to
more effectively stimulate language development and ready our children for reading
while encouraging daily reading to their children as the paybacks are 100 fold for
literacy acquisition. Finally, as an educational institution, our School takes advantage
of the youthful plasticity of the young brain to begin the process of building dendrites,
stimulating dopamine, and helping little ones learn more appropriate social and
interpersonal interactions while keeping the adrenalin flow reduced.
Using the
research based High Scope curriculum, we would expect higher increases in language
competency, intellectual development, and later in life, less incarceration and more
higher education achievement from our High Scope PreK graduates.
CHARTER LAW WAS WRITTEN FOR SCHOOLS LIKE OURS
Within the special needs population there is an Our Children’s Prep School, Inc.
(OCPS). This school is stepping up and using the opportunity provided by Charter
School legislation, F.S.1002.33 to offer parents an educational option for their special
needs child (ren) to be educated in an environment of highly trained professionals,
spanning across many disciplines, where special needs are our only focus, to meet
the complex needs of our ESE children today. If any applicant meets a charter school
purpose, Our Children’s Prep School does.
Our School promotes academic success with an emphasis on reading. How
success is achieved in reading requires many well-constructed supports to
undergird the child and adolescent’s journey to successful reading. Emphasis
has been placed on what we believe to be the most important components to
achieving academic success while staying within the budgetary guidelines for
FEFP funding.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Academic success requires teachers and educators that are knowledgeable in what
makes a highly effective teacher and what are highly effective techniques that are
proven that work to teach students to learn. Then when working with ESE children,
educators need to know specifics on how to adapt and support the special needs of
our ESE children ideally with the help of consultants and specialists in their field who
can lend support to the classroom immediately when situations occur.
Efficiency
occurs by minimizing costs where possible and this is best accomplished when the
classroom educators are equipped with the knowledge and skills to manage most of
the situations that might occur. Having staff, which are also trained and available to
assist but are at a lesser cost (paraprofessionals) also enhance the program
efficiency.
Efficiency is driven when educators are planning lessons to meet the
needs of their students rather than planning activities that have no relevance to the
student’s needs. Educators will participate in “data chats” on a bi-weekly or monthly
basis to analyze formative assessments as well as summative assessments when
planning for their students.
Therefore teachers must be aware of their student’s
present levels of performance in reading and math and adjust or scaffold their lessons
to meet each student’s individual needs. That is a tough task and requires that time is
available to obtain baseline measures, where the testing must be given individually
(time consuming), teachers must analyze the test data and plan lessons according to
where the student is performing. Further challenges are with adolescent students who
read significantly below grade level (3 years or more) yet the reading material content
is not of interest to the adolescent. Teachers, who are in tune with these nuances and
provide highly motivational material with hands on activities that reinforce the
redundancy of the language, see greater gains in reading comprehension and higher
motivational levels for their students. These are teachers who are knowledgeable of
Marzano teaching frameworks and score high on iObservation walk throughs and
continue their learning path to becoming a more highly competent teacher.
All of the specifics of how, when, who is responsible, and how the student outcomes
are reported to parents is delineated in detail in the School Improvement Plan-Draft
(SIP) in section 5 of this charter application. The goals for the plan are:
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
G1. Student achievement will increase with the implementation of researchbased instructional best practices identified by the OCPS Board adopted
Marzano Framework.
G2. Student achievement will increase when MTSS is implemented with fidelity.
G3. Student achievement will increase when teachers apply rigorous standardsbased, data driven instruction.
G4.
Student achievement will increase when educators implement the PBS
(Positive Behavior Support) Program with fidelity.
Evidence of financial efficiency can be seen by reviewing the proposed 5 year budget
with attached back-up documentation showing a balanced budget containing the costs
of the resources needed to implement the program as designed and outlined.
Outlined in the SIP, parents will receive quarterly report cards, engage in
parent/educator conferences twice a year, participate in at a minimum an IEP annual
review meeting, receive their child’s summative scores from the Brigance, COR (preK
developmental assessment linked to the High Scope Curriculum), or FAIR and review
their child’s progress in reading and math where the parent may request a parent
conference to further explain those testing results. Finally, parents will receive their
child’s statewide assessment results. At our school, the parent will be given ongoing
progress data obtained by means of the various assessment opportunities and not just
the single “snapshot” of testing results obtained on the statewide assessment.
C. Describe how the school will meet the prescribed purpose for charter
schools found in section 1002.33(2)(b), F.S.
Our school, as stated above, provides an intensive academic rigor where student
learning is measured in all subject areas through formative assessments and that
information is used to plan future lessons, reading and math achievement is heavily
emphasized with the 3 times a year summative assessment where baseline measures
are obtained within the first 30 days of school, and annual statewide assessments are
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
given to measure the student’s annual measureable outcomes from year to year. The
teachers for use when discussing promotion and retention decisions from year to year
retain portfolio documentation of student learning to the standards. The goal of high
expectations for student achievement is further evidenced by the commitment of
highly specialized consultants who are available to the educators to lend their
expertise thus making adaptations and customizing environments for children easy
and timely. Speech and language experts and paired with ESE teachers to address
the underpinnings of language thus focusing on comprehension enhancement for
improved outcomes in reading since our school has 98-99% low performing students,
the entire school design centers around providing unique and individually planned
opportunities for students to improve their reading.
Innovative learning methods, research based interventions (Marzano) and Strategies
(University of Kansas) abound. Early childhood classrooms stimulate development by
embracing the research-based philosophy of High Scope, University of N. Carolina,
Chapel Hill. The reading curriculum varies based on the needs of the child and may
consist of those developed out of the learning strategies research from the University
of Kansas SIM™(Strategic Instructional Model) and those reading programs are:
Read Well for K and 1, Voyager Passport for Elementary Level, Voyager Journeys for
Middle school level. The Language to Literacy team teaching model between speech
and language therapy and the ESE teacher is unique and will be further explained in
the application, and finally an exciting outgrowth of the Kansas research for
adolescents that we will use is an approach called Structure Your Reading ™ (SYR,
B. Ehern) an instructional procedure that provides an explicit, interactive way to teach
students a systematic method to approach reading, so that students know how to
employ strategies before, during, and after reading. It provides a context within which
to teach specific reading comprehension strategies so that students can understand
the role that individual strategies play in the total reading comprehension process.
Learning outcome measurements are required for completion of the School
Improvement Plan (SIP) and inherently are required for our innovative programs such
as SYR™.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Section 2: Target Population and Student Body
A. Describe the anticipated target population to be served.
Children We Serve
All students and adolescents attending Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. have an
Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) or a Family Support Plan (FSP). Through early
and intensive intervention with young children significant gains can be made in critical
foundations for academic learning. Therefore our school serves Pre-Kindergarten
Children starting at 12 months of age up to and including 5/6 years of age in
addition to school-age students.
We serve school-age students from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Because we
serve a full range of students at different severity levels we group students into Low
Incidence (disabilities where fewer students are identified) and High Incidence
(disabilities where larger numbers of Students are identified) who typically are more
independent. The following chart provides a general list of disabilities; however, it
should be noted that this is not an exhaustive list.
Individualized therapy services are available with a physician’s signed order and plan
of care and approval from Medicaid or private insurance. All students receive group
therapy services as outlined on their IEP or FSP.
HIGH INCIDENCE
Developmental Delay (Preschool)
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) High Level
Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD) mild
Asperger’s Syndrome
ADHD and ADD
Bi-Polar, Anxiety & other Behavior and Mental Health Disorders
Spina Bifida High Level
Traumatic Brain Injury – mild to moderate
Learning Disabilities
Orthopedic Conditions – mild to moderate
Re Oral, Written, Language Impairment
Dyslexia
Cerebral Palsy: mild/mod cognitively impaired
Deaf with Cochlear Implant: good prognosis
LOW INCIDENCE
Pervasive Developmental Disorder PDD (PreK)
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) less verbal
Sensory Processing Disorder (ASD) severe
Complex Communication Need (Augmentative)
Neuromuscular, Neurological, and Congenital Conditions
Spina Bifida Supportive/Participatory
Traumatic Brain Injury - severe
Intellectually Impaired
Orthopedic Conditions - severe
Other Physical and Developmental Difficulties
Down’s Syndrome
Cerebral Palsy: severe w/intellectual disability
Swallowing and Feeding Disorders
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Other considerations for the target population in accordance 1002.33(10) F.S.
Our school shall be open to any student covered in an interdistrict agreement or
residing in the school district; or any eligible student shall be allowed interdistrict
transfer to attend a charter school when based on good cause.
Our school shall enroll an eligible student who submits a timely application, unless the
number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or
building. In such case, all applicants shall have an equal chance of being admitted
through a random selection process.
Enrollment preferences will be given to students of staff, governing board members,
siblings of students, children of active military, or students from a VPK operated at the
school during the summer.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
B. Provide the following projection for each year of proposed operation: the grades that the school will serve, the
projected number of students to be served in each grade, the number of students expected in each class, and the
total number of students enrolled
PreK1/2
PreK2/3
PreK3/4
K
1
2
FAA3/5
FSA3/4
FSA4/5/6
El/Low I
Mid/Low
Mid/FAA
6 low.mid
LA
6med.hi
math
7/8low.mid
science
7/8mid.hi
SS/civic
Art
6.7.8 new
6.7.8 new
Total
2016-2017
15
20
20
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
2017-2018
15
20
20
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
2018-2019
15
20
20
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
2019-2020
15
20
20
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
2020-2021
15
20
20
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
16
18
18
16
19
20
16
19
20
16
19
20
16
19
20
18
21
21
21
21
18
20
20
20
20
18
22
22
22
22
18
21
21
15
305
320
335
21
15
16
351
21
15
16
351
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
How the student population projections were developed.
The need for this type of school is huge. Apart from the demographic details
specific to Polk, the research is documenting increasing numbers in both high
and low incidence in diagnosis within the Autism Spectrum Disorders, which are
reaching levels of 1 in 68. The situation is becoming epidemic and the need for
innovative programs to attempt to implement research proven interventions
within an environment that will support and allow innovation (Charter
environments) are imperative. Education in Florida and across the country is
reaching a crisis challenge of how to effectively manage the severe aggressive
behavior difficulties the schools are encountering with children who are unable to
manage rapid flows of adrenalin that put themselves and others at risk of injury
that are seen within children having a diagnosis of ADHD, ADD, Bipolar Disorder
and others.
The further challenge is how to create a program designed to
remediate the brains dysfunctional neuro-physiology to retrain the neurophysiological system to better manage the adrenalin/behavior and thus be ready
to learn.
Other considerations given to the allocation of students by class was the size of
the facility, square footage recommendations in the literature of 45 to 50 net sq.
feet per student, and class size amendment. Multi-grade classes are common
when working with ESE students as children are grouped according to abilities.
Based on the Florida Department of Education Information and Accountability
Services Report entitled Membership in Exceptional Student Educational
Services for 2012 – 2013, Polk County School District’s total ESE disabled
population was 10,262. A break out of Polk County School District’s numbers of
the student populations’ primary exceptionality, who would benefit from both a
therapeutic and academic model of education, is found below.
Table 3.
SLD
OI
SI
LI
DEAF
VE
EBD
4308
107
1039
929
85
35
411
AS
D
513
HH
TBI
DD
OHI
ID
92
12
638
1072
1385
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/eias/eiaspubs/pubstudent.asp.
Table 4. ESE Acronym Key
SLD: Specific Learning
Disabled
LI: Language Impaired
OI: Orthopedically Impaired
SI: Speech Impaired
VE: Varying Exceptionalities
EBD: Emotional or
Behavioral Disorder
To further solidify the availability of students the following market analysis of
elementary and middle school ESE students only further substantiates the
clientele availability in the surrounding areas.
Table 5 - Number of ESE Children by Geographic Area.
Lakeland
Mulberry
Bartow
Ft. Meade
Eagle Lake/
Wahneta
Auburndale
Winter Haven
Lake Wales
Frostproof
Lake Alfred
Haines City
Misc
HH/ Home Ed
Out of State
3002
237
440
118
305
409
863
707
122
266
779
52
71
91
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Section 3: Educational Program Design
A. Describe the school’s daily schedule and annual calendar, including the
number of days and hours of instructional time.
The school plans to basically follow the annual calendar of the District however;
the educational staff will work more days due to additional training and strategic
planning days.
The educators and paraprofessionals will return one (1) week before the District
for an additional 5 training days and the students will start school 3 days after the
Districts students begin thus providing 8 days of PD training and preparation time
for the exempt staff. Nonexempt employees will work an additional 5 days.
Para educators’ annual workdays are 191 days
Educators’ annual workdays are 202 days
The annual number of days of instructional time is 180.
The workday for non-exempt paraprofessionals will be 7.5 hours unless
specifically designated due to special assignments. The exempt teacher staff will
work 8 hours per day.
School begins at 8:15 am for the elementary and middle school students. PreK
students begin at 8:30am. Staff’s arrival time is 7:30 am and children may be
dropped off at 7:45 am.
PreK student dismissal is at 2:30 pm. Their total time in the school day is 6
hours on M, T, W, and F. On Thursday, PreK children are dismissed at 1:45.
The weekly minutes in school are 1755 minutes.
Elementary and middle school students are dismissed at 3:15 pm. Their total
time in school is 7 hours on M, T, W, and F. On Thursdays, the students are
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
dismissed at 2:00 making their total school time 5 hours 45 mins. The weekly
minutes in school are 2025 minutes.
The daily schedule varies by the age and type of children served. PreK children
follow the High Scope model, which organizes the day around small group and
large group learning activities. Instruction begins at 8:30am. Breakfast is served
from 8:10am to 8:30am. If a child arrives late and has not had breakfast, there
will be some grab and go snack type breakfast food but instruction will begin at
8:30. Children may choose to engage in different play areas with the time in each
area limited. The play areas reflect research based developmental areas.
B. Describe the proposed charter school’s educational program.
A Comprehensive Curriculum
In the High Scope Preschool Curriculum, learning is focused on the following
eight content areas, which are based on the dimensions of school readiness
identified by the National Education Goals Panel. High Scope’s curriculum
content areas are
• Approaches to learning
• Social and emotional development
• Physical development and health
• Language, literacy, and communication
• Mathematics
• Creative arts
• Science and technology
• Social studies
While learning in these content areas prepares children for later schooling,
HighScope takes the learning process beyond traditional academic subjects by
applying methods that promote independence, curiosity, decision-making,
cooperation, persistence, creativity, and problem solving in young children.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
The educators, therapists and paraeducators in the classroom spend the
morning exploring these areas in small groups, large groups with engaged
facilitation of play and learning.
Lunch is served at 11:45 followed by toileting and a nap.
Children are then prepared for dismissal and culminate with wrap up play
activities.
Elementary and Middle School Schedules
Both the elementary and middle school will begin their official day at 8:15am with
the middle school’s first 30 minutes know as “Advisory”.
Reflecting the
philosophy of the school and contributing to the overall need to regulate students,
each day will begin with a strict routine designed to set the stage for the day.

Breakfast will be served from 8:00-8:15.

Each classroom will have a variety of bell-ringer activities the students will
begin if they are not eating breakfast or have finished and the Flag
ceremony has not begun one of which will be the “I like” activity.

At 8:15am a simple color guard ceremony to erect the American Flag, will
be carried out by representatives of the middle school student
government who have maintained their behavior on gold for the week
prior.
The ceremony will be video fed to each classroom where the
students will watch and once completed will say the Pledge of Allegiance.

Following the Flag Ceremony, each child will complete the “I like” activity
in their personal journal they have made their own. This written or picture
activity engages the cerebral cortex to relax the child and facilitate the
chemical release of dopamine in the brain.

Each child will then get their carpet square, sit or lay on the floor, close
their eyes, breath in and out using taught relaxation techniques while
listening to meditation music for 3-5 minutes daily before classes begin at
8:45am.
Elementary Schedule
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
The elementary schedule is purposefully designed such that morning reading
blocks are 60 minutes long. The class is split into two 30 minutes blocks where
½ the class leaves for an “extra” or elective subject such as art or PEmusic/movement. The remaining students are split again in ½, thus providing
small groups consisting of ¼ of the classroom to receive intensive reading
instruction by the teacher and two-2 days per week the Speech Language
Therapist (SLT) who works on comprehension skills. The other two days, the
small group is facilitated by the para. After 45 minutes, the groups switch so all
students have intensive small group reading 5 days per week and elective
courses 5 days per week.
In the afternoon, 2-3 times per week the elementary classes enjoy STEM lab with
the Science Lab Instructor who prepares exciting experiments centered on the
science standards being taught. The classroom teacher teaches the science
standards as well during the afternoons when they do not have STEM and
augments the STEM lessons with fictional literacy written about the science
subjects being taught, thus adding an additional 30 minutes of scientific reading
to the day.
Examples of the Elementary Schedules are provided.
Middle School Schedule
The middle school schedule encompasses many factors.
First, the middle
student’s day begins with an advisory ½ hour where they engage in a purposeful
cerebral activity designed to release dopamine followed by learned relaxation
techniques. Their first period is an elective designed to ready the adolescent for
learning throughout the day.
These electives are designed to ease the
adolescent into the academic rigor. This is also the time when remedial math
and reading is taught. Many of our adolescents arrive to school agitated and
troubled. The “I like” activity, followed by meditation and then an elective helps
the brain calm and relax, calm the adrenaline, and help the student’s reduce their
anxiety. The next periods are Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Art. The last period is also an elective and it may be a wheel course where
health, government, and more recreational, music, or high personal interest
subjects are taught.
As mentioned in Sect. 8, the adolescent students work towards privileges they
may earn and exercise during the last 30-45 minutes of the day. This time also
acts as a calming period before leaving on the bus. Some students may earn to
help other office staff or custodian staff around the school during this time period.
Social club, electronic games, TV shows such as Discovery, Animal Planet etc.
are provided for their enjoyment and reinforcement as they have earned the
rewards.
The staff to student ratio ranges from 3 to 1 for our lower incidence students to 69 to 1 for our higher incidence elementary students and 8-11 to one for our
higher incidence middle school students.
C. Describe the research base for the educational program.
Much of the research that has lead to the program design is in the world of
Applied Behavior Analysis, Language to Literacy, Early Childhood Development,
and the new cutting edge research on investigations of brain functioning in our
children. (Cameron and Pierce 1994) (Chugani, 1998) (Cooper, Bloom, Roth,
1996), Dupue and Collins, 1999), Kato and McEwin, 2003).
Extensive research completed by the Marzano Institute is incorporated into the
Art and Science of Teaching. Marzano’s Evaluation Model is currently being
used by the Florida Department of Education (DOE) as a model that districts can
use or adapt as their evaluation model. It is based on a number of previous,
related works that include: What Works in Schools (Marzano, 2003), Classroom
Instruction that Works (Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001), Classroom
Management that Works (Marzano, Pickering, & Marzano, 2003), Classroom
Assessment and Grading that Work (Marzano, 2006), The Art and Science of
Teaching (Marzano, 2007), Effective Supervision:
Supporting the Art and
Science of Teaching (Marzano, Frontier, & Livingston, 2011).
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Based on the results of years of research, those elements that have traditionally
been shown to correlate with student academic achievement are contained in the
following four -4 elements:
1.
Domain 1: Classroom Strategies and Behaviors
2.
Domain 2: Preparing and Planning
3.
Domain 3: Reflecting on Teaching
4.
Domain 4: Collegiality and Professionalism
The four domains include 60 elements: 41 in Domain 1, 8 elements in Domain 2;
5 elements in Domain 3, and 6 elements in Domain 4.
Because of the serious nature of behavior involvement of our students, OCPS
has an entire department devoted to Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) with a
Director of Behavior Supports and Management. The school-wide PBS program
was developed with the many decades of Applied Behavior Analysis, which
originated in the field of psychology. As part of our evaluation model, PBS is
designated at “Deliberate Practice” for every staff member at OCPS. Biweekly,
Leadership Staff visit the classrooms and collect data on the staff’s effectiveness
in the implementation of the Marzano Effective Teaching Model as well as the
school-wide PBS program. Educators and paras are celebrated for successful
implementation of the PBS program and those who do not seem to understand
the concept of the program are pulled for more individualized and direct training
on Positive Behavior Management.
The amount of commitment OCPS has to the quality management of it’s students
can be found in the extensive expense of training two trainers on staff in
Professional Crisis Management and then to have a cadre’ of 45-50 staff
certified annually in professional crisis management. Having such a strong
team of qualified professionals allows the staff to effectively manage almost all
violent or potentially violent occurrences on campus, regulate and calm the child,
and return them to class. This avoids suspensions, expulsions, and allows OCPS
staff the opportunity to reteach and “heal” the brain by training the students
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
different means to manage their behavior. The credentials of OCPS staff also
minimizes unnecessary escalation of negative student behavior by faculty who
exacerbate the situation when calling students out, encouraging aggression, and
by not recognizing antecedent behaviors and de-escalating emotionally charged
situations before they turn violent.
D. Explain how the educational program aligns with the school’s mission.
The mission and vision are to provide an individualized research based program
for children with special needs that help them to achieve their highest level of
independence and success with success being employment and happiness in
life. To achieve the highest level of independence and employability, literacy is a
key component yet the complexity of children with special needs makes
achieving a functional competency with literacy is a significant challenge. The
approach to education must be focused, systematic, reinforcing, relevant,
engaging, motivating, self-actuating, and build in the student a personal sense of
accomplishment and security.
E. Explain how the services the school will provide to the target population
will help them attain the NG SSS and Florida Standards, as required by
section 1002.33.F.S.
It is important at every grade level that the educator be aware of their students
present level of performance and have a clear sense of the child’s reading, prereading, or language development level. At the start of the school year students
will be group, as best as possible, into classes in accordance to their reading and
math levels. Within the first month, all students will be given a standardized,
criterion referenced, or developmental assessment (depending upon their age
and functioning level). OCPS is the ultimate MTSS hybrid since each child’s
academic reading and math plan is customized to the child’s learning needs. If
the child’s performance indicates a need to re-assign that child to a different
classroom, those adjustments will be made by the beginning of October. It is
typical for OCPS to have multi-grade classrooms with a varied age range as the
students would be grouped more in line with their abilities.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
The educator(s) then further analyze the student’s assessments to determine
which of four-4 groups within that classroom the student would best be placed.
The groups are not necessarily grouped according to ability with a given
classroom. Many other considerations are made such as behavior, compatibility,
placing some higher students with some lower students for enhanced group
learning partnerships, etc. Further integration of children is accomplished by
merging 2 or more classrooms biweekly/monthly to enjoy community outings or
to plan and experience, for example, school-wide cultural learning projects.
OCPS has a unique but effective method of scheduling students which allows
each student to receive 2 ½ hours of direct small group reading instruction
weekly (30 minutes/day); which is further augmented by 60 min. weekly of
scientific group reading; 1 hour of team project collaborative reading weekly
(STEM Lab); 20-30 min. quiet reading; 20-30 min. classic literature reading daily;
and 20-30 min. history/geography/social studies reading daily for a total slightly
less then 2 hours of reading daily with 65-75 min. of direct reading instruction
daily.
When planning for each subject, the educator must consult the Next Generation
Sunshine State Standards with consideration being given to bringing students to
a higher level of thinking where they use prior knowledge and multiple sources to
enhance their learning and bring their learning to a more functional or “real” level
(preparation for Florida Standards). At OCPS, the educators select the standards
that are at the academic level where the child is performing, not their
chronological age level and corresponding grade level. Planning will center on
those selected NGSSS and the Fl. Standards. Assessing the child’s learning will
be
accomplished
using
formative
assessments
and
documenting
the
achievement of the standard in an individual portfolio as well as with a state-wide
assessment. Research says that an exemplary instructor can make 1-2 years of
educational gains in 6 months (for typically developing students) if the students
are engaged and motivated to learn while the student is taking accountability for
their learning through self evaluation. At OCPS, we believe that Our Children
need to taught differently than in a traditional school by highly qualified teachers
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
that use highly motivational and scientifically based interventions that will move
Our Children to improvement in their AMOs in the aggregate but where we
expect to see solid individual student growth.
Now the child’s academic baseline is established and the Florida Standards and
/or NGSSS are identified for that academic level, and subject being taught, it’s
important to make the lesson “relevant” to the student by identifying the essential
question. The Essential Question, Learning Goals, Identifying NGSSS/Fl.
Standards are the planning components of Marzano’s Design Question 1. The
essential question is typically open-ended and would lead the child to an
internal debate or debate with fellow students about the country, person, thing
being taught. The Essential question(s) ask the “why” and “how” as to the
relevance of or usefulness of what is being taught. The Essential Question is
related to the Big Picture of the lesson you have planned.
Once the Essential Question is identified and will be written for students to see,
ponder, and discuss, the educators will then have to establish Learning Goal(s),
with a learning goal being a statement of what students will know or be able to
do. This goal should be written as a goal or objective as to what students should
learn over the course of a unit (or a lesson or an entire semester). All planning
must tie back to the academic rigor of the Fla. Standards and the NGSSS.
Once the Big Idea(s) or Themes, Essential Question, NGSSS, and Learning
Goal (s) are chosen, its time for the unit purpose & theme details to be planned
with weekly instructional content and activities.
The educator must then ask if the lesson will center onMarzano’s Design Question 2: Helping Students Interact with New Knowledge

Identifying Critical Information; Organizing Students to Interact with New
Knowledge; Previewing New Content; Chunking Content into “Digestible
Bites”; Processing of New Information; Elaborating on New Information;
Recording and Representing Knowledge, Reflecting on Learning, or
Marzano’s Design Question 3:
Actively Engaging Students in Reviewing
Content, Part I
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL

Reviewing Content; Organizing Students to Practice and Deepen
Knowledge; Using Homework; Examining Similarities and Differences;
Examining Errors in Reasoning; Practicing Skills, Strategies, and
Processes; Revising Knowledge
Although there are many, many strategies and interventions educators may use
to effectively move their students to literacy growth and learning success, the
OCPS staff are encouraged to use, when appropriate, the nine-9 essential
instructional interventions that have proven effectiveness at the 20-45% levels or
higher with the special needs population. They are:

Identifying Similarities and Differences: The use of visual supports like
Venn Diagrams is highly encouraged and engaging students in
comparing, classifying, and creating metaphors and analogies. This is
where the speech and language therapist (SLT) works on the
underpinnings to help students with comparing and classifying.

Summarizing and Note-taking:
Improves comprehension because
students must identify what is important and what is not and put in their
own words. This is where the speech and language therapist works with
the students on the underpinnings of language to help them be successful
with note taking (identifying what is important, and putting in own words)

Reinforcing Effort and providing Recognition:
show the connection
between effort and achievement and that effort allows them to change
their beliefs. The teacher must plan for rewarding student success, and
to use the effective intervention of “Pause, Prompt, and Praise”.

Homework and Practice:
This is an opportunity to extend classroom
learning BUT must be appropriate for the grade and ability of the child
and MUST be purposeful.
The educators must establish specific
homework policies and schedules with time parameters to match student
abilities.

Nonlinguistic Representation:
This has been proven to stimulate and
increase brain activity and highly effective.
The educator should use
visual supports that incorporate words and images using symbols to
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
represent relationships.
Also use physical models and physical
movement to represent information.

Cooperative Learning: This technique is not used enough and has been
proven to have a positive effect provided the groups are small and the
strategy used in a systematic and consistent manner. Students need to
be carefully grouped according to common interests and experiences,
and the focus to be on positive interdependence, social skills, face to face
interaction, and individual and group accountability.

Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback:
This sounds simple and
straightforward but we are talking about objectives in a different way from
the way it was taught in school.
Not too specific, and adaptable to
students’ individual objectives. Positive feedback should flow BUT the
method of giving feedback should be varied.
o
The goal or objective for the unit is set by the educator and posted
in the class but then students can personalize it by identifying their
areas of interest or what THEY wish to know. Have students ask,
“I want to know..” Now they are engaged and wanting to learn.
o
Educators will use contracts that outline the specific grad the
student will receive if they meet those goals.
o
Feedback must be corrective not generalized. There should be no
confusion for the student when specific corrective and positive
feedback are given.

Generating and Testing Hypotheses: Essential Questions are posed for
the Big Picture planning of an overall lesson that may last 1-2 weeks.
Here students predict what would happen if an aspect of a familiar
system, such as the government, transportation, law enforcement, were
changed.
o
Students are asked to build something using limited resources.
This can be done collaboratively using a previously stated strategy
and this task generates questions and hypotheses about what
may or may not work.

Cues, Questions, and Advanced Organizers: Educators help students
use what they already know to enhance what they are about to learn
(Design Question 3). These are usually used before a specific lesson
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
and the educator must design the lesson plan differently than when
teaching knew knowledge (Design Question 2).
o
Pause briefly after asking a question to give students time to
answer with more depth.
Process time is highly effective and
many educators don’t allow enough time to process especially for
our language impaired children and then the educator must just in
and “scaffold” for the student who has difficulty to build success
thus providing opportunities for positive reinforcement.
o
The educator will vary the style of advance organizer used: Tell a
story, skim a text, or create a graphic image. There are many
ways to expose students to information before they “learn” it.
Educators, when planning their lessons, must identify the Fla Standards, and
NGSSS they are addressing in their lesson plans.
Please see the attached
lesson plan template that shows where on the plan the standards are listed.
Following each critical learning segment of the lesson, the educator must
determine how the student is doing by means of a formative assessment, which
varies widely but will also be identified on the lesson plan.
Another highly
effective strategy is to build into the lesson probes where the student must self
assess and communicate their level of understanding or confusion with the
material being presented thus showing the students “by in” and self reflection of
their learning. Finally, the educator will document the student’s achievement of
the standard in a portfolio that can be shared at the end of the year and be a
form of accountability for the student and educator(s).
Please refer to the School Improvement Plan (SIP) in Sect. 5 for the detail on
how to measure the efficacy of OCPS’s implementation of the educator delivery
of the Marzano Model and the Leadership’s Mentoring of the full staff’s
implementation of the Model. The SIP then outlines how the student’s learning is
measured and documented.
The following are sample schedules for various grade levels by teacher, an
example of how the elementary grades split their classrooms in half for small
34
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
group instruction for reading while the other half enjoy PE/Movement/Music or
ART.
There are further examples of the afternoon STEM schedule for
elementary and a middle school schedule including electives.
35
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
SCHEDULE -K (1/26/15)
M
T
W
Th
F
8:158:45
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
8:459:15
Reading Comp
GpA:Ms.S/MsG
------------------Art
Grp B: Patty
Reading Comp
GpB:Ms.S/MsG
------------------Art
Grp A: Patty
Reading Comp
GpA:Ms.S/MsG
------------------Art
GrpB: Patty
Reading Comp
GpB:Ms.S/MsG
------------------Art
GrpA: Patty
Art- All
Grace/Patty
--------------(*Sheena Plan)
9:159:45
Science
Ms. S/Ms. G
& Patty
Science
Ms. S/Ms. G
& Patty
Science
Ms. S/Ms. G
& Patty
Science
Ms. S/Ms. G
& Patty
Science
Patty/Ms. G
--------------(*Sheena Plan)
9:4510:00
Morning Meeting
Morning Meeting
Morning Meeting
Morning Meeting
Morning Meeting
10:0010:15
Recess
Recess
Recess
Recess
Recess
10:1510:30
Snack/Bathroom
Snack/Bathroom
Snack/Bathroom
Snack/Bathroom
10:3011
Phonics
Phonics
Phonics
Phonics
Phonics
11:0011:30
Movement
Movement
Movement
Movement
Movement
11:1512:45
Math
Math
Math
Math
Math
11:4512:15
Lunch
Grace/Patty
(Sheena Lunch)
Lunch
Grace/Patty
(Sheena Lunch)
Lunch
Grace/Patty
(Sheena Lunch)
Lunch
Grace/Patty
(Sheena Lunch)
Lunch
Grace/Patty
(Sheena Lunch)
12:1512:30
Bathroom
Bathroom
Bathroom
Bathroom
Bathroom
12:301:00
Rest/Quiet Cntrs
Sheena/Megan
(Patty Lunch)
Rest/Quiet Cntrs
Sheena/Megan
(Patty Lunch)
Rest/Quiet Cntrs
Sheena/Megan
(Patty Lunch)
Rest/Quiet Cntrs
Sheena/Megan
(Patty Lunch)
Rest/Quiet Cntrs
Sheena/Megan
(Patty Lunch)
1:001:45
Manipulatives
/Class Art
Sheena/Patty
Manipulatives
/Class Art
Sheena/Patty
Manipulatives
/Class Art
Sheena/Patty
Music
(Joel/Patty)
(*Sheena Plan)
Manipulatives
/Class Art
Sheena/Patty
1:45-2
*Social Studies
*Social Studies
*Social Studies
*Social Studies
*Social Studies
2:002:15
Recess
Recess
Recess
Recess
Recess
2:152:45
STEM
Self-Help Cntrs
STEM
Self-Help Cntrs
Self-Help Cntrs
2:453:00
Bathroom
Bathroom
Bathroom
Bathroom
Bathroom
Snack/Bathroom
*Social Studies- My neighborhood, community helpers, street signs, celebrations/holidays…
36
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
SCHEDULE – 1st (7/20/15)
M
T
W
Th
F
8:158:45
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
8:459:10
Phonics/
Centers
Phonics/
Centers
Phonics/
Centers
Phonics/
Centers
Phonics/
Centers
9:109:45
Math
Math
Math
Math
Math
9:4510
Recess
Recess
Recess
Recess
Recess
10:0010:15
Snack/Bathrm
Snack/Bathrm
Snack/Bathrm
Snack/Bathrm
Snack/Bathrm
10:1510:45
Reading
GrpA: Ms.E & K
--------------------Art
GrpB: Megan
Reading Comp
GrpA: Ms.E&Whit
--------------------Movement
GrpB: Kristen
Reading
GrpA: Ms.E & K
--------------------Art
GrpB: Megan
Reading Comp
GrpA: Ms.E&Whit
--------------------Movement
GrpB: Kristen
10:4511:15
Reading
GrpB: Ms.E & K
--------------------Art
GrpA: Megan
Reading Comp
GrpB: Ms.E&Whit
--------------------Movement
GrpA: Kristen
Reading
GrpB: Ms.E & K
--------------------Art
GrpA: Megan
Reading Comp
GrpB: Ms.E&Whit
--------------------Movement
GrpA: Kristen
Reading Comp
Kristen/Whitney
------------------Emily Planning
11:1512:00
Social Studies/
Math Centers
Social Studies/
Math Centers
Social Studies/
Math Centers
Social Studies/
Math Centers
Social Studies/
Math Centers
1212:45
Lunch
Sheila/Kristen
(Emily to Lunch
12:15-12:45)
Science
Emily/Sheila
(Lunch Kristen)
*Music/learning
Phonics/Math
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
Science
Emily/Sheila
(Lunch Kristen)
*Music/learning
Phonics/Math
Science
Emily/Sheila
(Lunch Kristen)
*Music/learning
Phonics/Math
Science
Emily/Sheila
(Lunch Kristen)
*Music/learning
Phonics/Math
Science
Emily/Sheila
(Lunch Kristen)
1-1:45- Music
Joel/Sheila
12:451:15
1:151:45
Art- all
Kristen/Whit
------------------(*Emily Plan)
1:452:15
STEM lab
Fine Motor/
Manipulative
Centers
STEM lab
Fine Motor/
Manipulative
Centers
Fine Motor/
Manipulative
Centers
2:152:45
Quiet Reading or
Classroom Art
Quiet Reading or
Classroom Art
Quiet Reading or
Classroom Art
EARLY
RELEASE
Quiet Reading or
Classroom Art
2:453:00
Clean up
Clean up
Clean up
Clean up
Clean up
37
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
SCHEDULE – 2nd (7/20/15)
M
T
W
Th
F
8:158:45
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
8:459:15
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
9:159:30
Recess
Recess
Recess
Recess
Recess
9:3010:00
*Decoding/
Spelling
*Decoding/
Spelling
*Decoding/
Spelling
*Decoding/
Spelling
*Decoding/
Spelling
10:0010:15
Snack
Snack
Snack
Snack
Snack
10:1510:45
Reading Comp
GrpA:
Shanna/Grace
--------------------Movement
GrpB: Sheila
Reading
GrpA:
Shanna/Megan
--------------------Art
GrpB: Sheila
Reading Comp
GrpA:
Shanna/Grace
--------------------Movement
GrpB: Sheila
Reading
GrpA:
Shanna/Megan
--------------------Art
GrpB: Sheila
Reading Comp
Megan/Sheila
----------------Fri: Planning:
Shanna
10:4511:15
Reading Comp
GrpB:
Shanna/Grace
--------------------Movement
GrpA: Sheila
Reading Comp
GrpB:
Shanna/Grace
--------------------Art
GrpA: Sheila
Reading Comp
GrpB:
Shanna/Grace
--------------------Movement
GrpA: Sheila
Reading Comp
GrpB:
Shanna/Grace
--------------------Art
GrpA: Sheila
Art- all
Megan/Sheila
----------------Fri Planning:
Shanna
11:1511:45
Science
Grace/Shanna
(Sheila/Megan to
Lunch)
Science
Grace/Shanna
(Sheila/Megan to
Lunch)
Science
Grace/Shanna
(Sheila/Megan to
Lunch)
Science
Grace/Shanna
(Sheila/Megan to
Lunch)
Science
Grace/Shanna
(Sheila/Megan to
Lunch)
11:4512:15
Lunch
Sheila/Megan
(Shanna toLunch)
Lunch
Sheila/Megan
(Shanna toLunch)
Lunch
Sheila/Megan
(Shanna toLunch)
Lunch
Sheila/Megan
(Shanna toLunch)
Lunch
Sheila/Megan
(Shanna toLunch)
12:1512:30
Clean up/
Silent Reading
Clean up/
Silent Reading
Clean up/
Silent Reading
Clean up/
Silent Reading
Clean up/
Silent Reading
12:301:00
Social Studies
Grace/Shanna
Social Studies
Grace/Shanna
Social Studies
Grace/Shanna
Social Studies
Grace/Shanna
Social Studies
Grace/Shanna
1:001:45
Music
Joel/Megan
-----------------Mon:Shanna Plan
Math Centers
Math Centers
Math Centers
Math Centers
1:452:15
Math Centers
STEM
STEM
STEM
STEM
2:152:30
Recess
Recess
Recess
Recess
Recess
2:30-3
Fine Motor
Centers
Fine Motor
Centers
Fine Motor
Centers
Fine Motor
Centers
Fine Motor
Centers
*Phonics, decoding, sight words, spelling, prefix/suffix, roots… based on student level
38
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
SCHEDULE3-5 FSA – (1/26/15)
M
T
W
Th
F
8:158:45
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
8:459:15
*Decoding/
Spelling Centers
*Decoding/
Spelling Centers
*Decoding/
Spelling Centers
*Decoding/
Spelling Centers
*Decoding/
Spelling Centers
9:159:45
Reading
GrpA:Bri/Cheryl
--------------------Art
GrpB: Joel
Reading Comp
Grp A:Bri/Itzel
----------------------Movement
GrpB: Cheryl
Reading
GrpA:Bri/Cheryl
---------------------Art
GrpB: Joel
Reading Comp
GrpA:Bri/Itzel
--------------------Movement
GrpB: Cheryl
Reading Centers
Joel/Cheryl
-------------------Bri
Planning
9:4510:15
Reading
GrpB:Bri/Cheryl
------------------- -Art
GrpA: Joel
Reading Comp
GrpB:Bri/Itzel
--------------------Movement
GrpA: Cheryl
Reading
GrpB:Bri/Cheryl
--------------------Art
GrpA: Joel
Reading Comp
GrpB:Bri/Itzel
--------------------Movement
GrpA: Cheryl
Art- All Students
Cheryl/Joel
--------------------Bri
Planning
10:1510:45
10:4511:15
Math
Math
Math
Math
Math
Recess/Bathrm
Bri/Joel
--------------------Lunch:Cheryl
Recess/Bathrm
Bri/Joel
--------------------Lunch:Cheryl
Recess/Bathrm
Bri/Joel
--------------------Lunch:Cheryl
Recess/Bathrm
Bri/Joel
--------------------Lunch:Cheryl
Recess/Bathrm
Bri/Joel
--------------------Lunch:Cheryl
Science
Science
Science
Science
Science
Lunch
-------------------Eat Lunch:Bri
Lunch
----------------- --Eat Lunch:Bri
Lunch
-------------------Eat Lunch:Bri
Lunch
-------------------Eat Lunch:Bri
Lunch
-------------------Eat Lunch:Bri
12:1512:45
Social Studies/
Language Arts
-----------------Eat Lunch: Joel
Social Studies/
Language Arts
-----------------Eat Lunch: Joel
Social Studies/
Language Arts
-----------------Eat Lunch: Joel
Social Studies/
Language Arts
-----------------Eat Lunch: Joel
Social Studies/
Language Arts
-----------------Eat Lunch: Joel
12:451:00
1:001:45
Recess
Recess
Recess
Recess
Recess
Reading Centers
STEM LAB
All Students,
Teacher/Para Go
Music
Joel / Cheryl
--------------------Bri Planning
STEM LAB
All Students,
Teacher/Para Go
STEM LAB
All Students,
Teacher/Para Go
1:452:15
Math Centers
Math Centers
Math Centers
Math Centers
Math Centers
2:152:30
Silent Reading
-Targeted
Silent Reading
-Targeted
Silent Reading
-Targeted
EARLY
RELEASE
Silent Reading
-Targeted
2:302:45
2:45-3
Journaling*
Journaling*
Journaling*
Journaling*
Journaling*
11:1511:45
11:4512:15
Clean up
Clean up
Clean Up
Clean up
Clean up
* Journal about target (chapter book) silent reading- written thoughts about what they read with drawing
*Decoding, spelling, prefixes,suffixes,roots…
39
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
SCHEDULE – 3-5 FAA (1/26/15)
M
T
W
Th
F
8:158:45
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
Breakfast/
Organization
8:459:15
*Phonic/Decoding
Centers
*Phonic/Decoding
Centers
*Phonic/Decoding
Centers
*Phonic/Decoding
Centers
*Phonic/Decoding
Centers
9:159:45
Reading Comp
GrpA: Mr.T/Itzel
--------------------Movement
GrpB: Denesha
Reading
Grp A:MrT/Ms.D
----------------------Art
GrpB: Joel
Reading Comp
GrpA:Mr.T/Itzel
---------------------Movement
GrpB: Denesha
Reading
GrpA:MrT/Ms.D
--------------------Art
GrpB: Joel
Art-all students
Ms.D / Itzel
-------------------Mr. T
Planning
9:4510:15
Reading Comp
GrpB: Mr.T/Itzel
--------------------Movement
GrpA: Denesha
Reading
GrpB: Mr.T/Ms.D
--------------------Art
Grp A: Joel
Reading Comp
GrpB: Mr.T/Itzel
--------------------Movement
GrpA: Denesha
Reading
GrpB:Mr.T/Ms.D
--------------------Art
GrpA: Joel
Reading Comp
Ms. D/Itzel
--------------------Mr. T
Planning
10:1510:45
10:4511:15
11:1511:45
Math
Math
Math
Math
Math
Science
Science
Science
Science
Science
Recess/Bathrm
Mr. T/Joel
--------------------Eat Lunch:Ms.D
Recess/ Bathrm
Mr. T/Joel
--------------------Eat Lunch:Ms.D
Recess/ Bathrm
Mr. T/Joel
--------------------Eat Lunch:Ms.D
Recess/ Bathrm
Mr. T/Joel
--------------------Eat Lunch:Ms.D
Recess/ Bathrm
Mr. T/Joel
--------------------Eat Lunch:Ms.D
11:4512:15
Lunch
-------------------Eat Lunch:Mr.T
Lunch
-------------------Eat Lunch:Mr.T
Lunch
-------------------Eat Lunch:Mr.T
Lunch
-------------------Eat Lunch:Mr.T
Lunch
-------------------Eat Lunch:Mr.T
12:1512:45
Social Studies/
Language Arts
Social Studies/
Language Arts
Social Studies/
Language Arts
Social Studies/
Language Arts
Social Studies/
Language Arts
12:451
1:001:45
Recess
Recess
Recess
Recess
Recess
STEM LAB
All Students,
Teacher/Para Go
Music
Joel / Denesha
---------------------Mr. T Planning
STEM LAB
All Students,
Teacher/Para Go
Reading
Centers
Reading Centers
1:452:15
Math
Math
Math
Math
STEM LAB
All Go
2:153:00
Reading Centers
Reading Centers
Reading Centers
EARLY
RELEASE
*Phonics, decoding, sight words, spelling, prefix/suffix, roots… based on student level
Math
40
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
th
th
th
OCWH MIDDLE SCHOOL SCHEDULE 2015 (Thursday is Early Release: 5 12:15-12:55; 6 12:55-1:35; 7 1:35-2:15)
ART, TAP, MATH, LA/READING/LITERACY/WRITING, STEM; SOCIAL STUDIES: ELECTIVES: See separate schedule
STUDENT GROUPS-GRADES 6-8: Paras:-(A) Alexis; (B) Michele; (C-6) Christine; (C/K) Jonathan; (K) Courtney
ART
TIME
8:15-8:45
st
1 8:459:30 or
8:45-9:15
nd
2 9:3010:15 or
9:15-9:45
rd
3 10:1511:00 or
9:45-10:15
MH.twr
OT mf
Rm. 4
LA & SS
Rm. 8
Plan &
Organ
TAP –
Girls
Math-Sci
Rms. 10 & 6
Art/MH
Rm. 4
TAP-B
Rm 10
TAP-C6
DonnaJen
nifer
Rm.4
Joel A
Music 8:459:15
Rm.11
Digital
Photograp
Courtney
B.C6.C.K
Rm. 9
Health Ed:B
Rm. 10
Planning
3/5
Tashawn: ½
class & A
ART
LA.
Read
C&K
STEM
R. 6
C-6
Alexis A
R.9
9:15-9:30
3/5
Tashawn: ½
class
LA
Read
B
STEM/ R. 6
C&K
Grp A: R, 9
TRAP Math
OT/PT
Recess
A
LA
Read
C-6
10:45 –
11:15
11:1511:45
11:45-12:15
11:45
10:15-10:45
TAP–
C &K
STEM
STEM B
Rm. 6
Michelle
ART grp C
Grade1
½ class
Grade 1
½ class
Cheri/Angi
A
4 11:00
Pre
Algebra:K
Rm. 10
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
Cheri/ Ang
C-6 &K
SS
B
Math C
Rm. 6
SS/A
Rm.9
th
Cheri/Ang
B
SS
C&K
Math C6
Rm.6
LA/A
Rm. 9
Courtney
Yr Book
Digit Media
SS
C-6
Planning
Math/A
Rm. 9
6 1:001:45
th
7 1:452:30
Para
C/K
OT/PT: Nora,
Jess, Maggie
Lunch
Lunch
Meghan
11:00am
4:00pm
Health
Elective
Summer
.Angie
Plan
Cooking
Class w
Kathy &
Cathy
Elective
Para
C6
Law,
Gov,
Civics
C6.C.K
Rm. 8
ART A
Rm. 4
Therapy
Movement/
Dance
A Grp
Recess
A
Game Rm
Rm.11
C6
Planning
Math
B
Rm. 6
Lunch
Lunch
TRAP
A
Lunch/Rm.9
Lunch:
Rm.10
Lunch
Lunch: Rm.7
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch:
Rm. 8
Lunch
Elem3-5
STEM
YrBook
Digit Med
Art w.
Summer
Guitar
Joel w.
Jonathan
Elem 1-2
STEM
Data
record
Physical
Condition
Tashawn
Oral
Interp/
acting
Christine
Study Hall
Electroni or
Game Rm
Music
Eric &
TV/Movies/
Elem K
M,T,W,F w.
Jam w.
Courtney
Rm. 8
STEM
Jonathan
???
Rm.10
Christine
School Store: Tues-Elem Store; Wed.-Middle School Store (Michelle/Jennifer) Game Room/Study Hall: Mon., Tues. Friday (Participation based on behavior)
2:30-3:15
Para
B
Health Ed
Boys v.
girls
Rm. 10
Para Pre
Algebra
K
th
5 12:151:00
Beh Spec
para.teach
TAP-A
Terry: Rm.
Rm.7
Science
K: All
student w.
staff
11:0011:15
th
Supp/Part
A
Facilitate
last 45
min.
School
Store
School
Store
41
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
OCWH LA SCHEDULE 2015-2016
ELEMENTARY ART AND MOVEMENT/PE/DANCE (JOEL WOODSIDE) AND SCIENCE
CLASSES: Reading/LA; Art; STEM
TIME
8:158:45
8:459:15
9:159:45
9:4510:15
10:1510:45
10:4511:15
11:1511:45
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Welcome, organize,
Welcome, organize,
breakfast, meditation breakfast, meditation
MONDAY
Welcome, organize,
breakfast, meditation
Welcome, organize,
breakfast, meditation
Welcome, organize,
breakfast, meditation
ART
1ST
Grade
ART
1ST
Grade
Half 4/6
Bri &
Cecile
(Precious
para to
danc/PE)
Half 4/6
Bri &
Cecile
(Precious
para to
danc/PE)
Half 2/3
Josie &
Shunna
(Shanteri
a to PE)
Half 2/3
Josie &
Shunna
(Shanteri
a to PE )
Half 4/6
FAA and
half 7-10
FAA
(Michelle
to PE)
Half 4/6
FAA and
half 7-10
FAA
(Michelle
to PE)
11:4512:15
Lunch: Middle
High
12:1512:45
Lunch: Elem
TUESDAY
Half 4/6
Bri &
Cecile
(Precious
para to
danc/PE)
Half 4/6
Bri &
Cecile
(Precious
para to
danc/PE)
Half 2/3
Josie &
Shunna
(Maria to
PE)
Half 2/3
Josie &
Shunna
(Maria to
PE)
Half 4/6
FAA and
half 7-10
FAA
(Michelle
to PE)
Half 4/6
FAA and
half 7-10
FAA
(Michelle
to PE)
Lunch: 2/3 and
Middle/High
Half 4/6
Bri &
Cecile
(Precious
para to
danc/PE)
Half 4/6
Bri &
Cecile
(Precious
para to
danc/PE)
Half 2/3
Josie &
Shunna
(Shanteri
a to PE)
Half 2/3
Josie &
Shunna
(Shanteri
a to PE)
Half 4/6
FAA and
half 7-10
FAA
(Michelle
to PE)
Half 4/6
FAA and
half 7-10
FAA
(Michelle
to PE)
Lunch: Middle
High
Half 4/6
Bri &
Cecile
(Preciou
para to
danc/PE
Half 4/6
Bri &
Cecile
(Preciou
s para to
danc/PE
Half 2/3
Josie &
Shunna
(Maria
to PE)
Half 2/3
Josie &
Shunna
(Maria
to PE)
Half 4/6
FAA and
half 7-10
FAA
(Michell
e to PE)
Half 4/6
FAA and
half 7-10
FAA
(Michell
e to PE)
Lunch: 2/3 and
Middle/High
Lunch: Elem
2-3 High
ART
1ST
Grade
Half 4/6
Bri &
Cecile
(Precious
para to
danc/PE)
Half 4/6
Bri &
Cecile
(Precious
para to
danc/PE)
Half 2/3
Josie &
Shunna
(Shanteria
to PE)
Half 2/3
Josie &
Shunna
(Shanteria
to PE)
Half 4/6
FAA and
half 7-10
FAA
(Michelle
to PE)
Half 4/6
FAA and
half 7-10
FAA
(Michelle
to PE)
Lunch: Middle/
High
Lunch: Elem
2-3 High
1:00
1:30-
4-6 High
1:452:00
4-6 High
2-3 Low
4-6 Low
4/6 FAA
2-3 Low
4-6 Low
Kindergarten
2;15
2:30
1st
1st
3:00
42
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
SCHEDULE - Art
M
8:158:45
8:459:15
9:159:45
9:4510:15
10:1510:45
10:4511:15
11:1511:45
11:4512:15
12:151:00
1:001:45
1:452:15
2:153:00
K- ½
Patty
3-5 Bri ½
Joel
3-5 Bri ½
Joel
1st gr. – ½
Megan
1st gr. – ½
Megan
T
K- ½
Patty
3-5 Tashawn ½
Joel
3-5 Tashawn ½
Joel
2nd gr – ½
Sheila
2nd gr – ½
Sheila
W
K- ½
Patty
3-5 Bri ½
Joel
3-5 Bri ½
Joel
1st gr. – ½
Megan
1st gr. – ½
Megan
Th
K- ½
Patty
3-5 Tashawn ½
Joel
3-5 Tashawn ½
Joel
2nd gr – ½
Sheila
2nd gr – ½
Sheila
F
K- All
Patty/Grace
3-5 Mr.T All
Denesha/Itzel
3-5 Bri All
Joel / Cheryl
1st gr. – All
Kristen/Sheila
2nd gr- All
Megan/Sheila
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Section 4: Curriculum Plan
A.
Describe the school’s curriculum in the core academic areas,
illustrating how it will prepare students to achieve the Next
Generation Sunshine State-Florida Standards.
PreK students will use the HighScope® curriculum and the coresponding Key
Developmental Indicator’s (KDIs) or standards, which include research-based
strategies for learning, and is aligned with both the Florida’s Early learning and
Developmental Standards for birth through five years of age for infants and
toddlers in preschool, and the Florida Standards (FS). This program has a
corresponding evaluation tool, the COR: Child Observation Record, that allows
for data to be collected, stored and aggregated electronically to measure a
student’s development over time.
HighScope® is centered around the concept of engaging students in “active
participatory learning” and has been proven to help young children excel in
language and cognitive skills acquisition. This is achieved by a carefully designed
learning environment, increased opportunities for adult-child interaction and a
“plan-do-review” process making teachers and students active partners in
shaping the educational experience.
HighScope® also promotes the fundamental skills of independence, curiosity,
decision-making, cooperation, persistence, creativity and problem solving
needed to help our students succeed later in life. The hands-on approach to
learning provided in this curriculum is essential for many of our students in order
to peek their interest and keep them engaged.
This particular program
emphasizes building social skills, functional problem solving and fostering
independence, which are very important areas of development for the students of
OCPS and make this curriculum a great fit for our preschool population.
HighScope® also allows for differentiated learning by providing flexible lessons,
easily adapted to the specific individual needs of our students.
Educational
opportunities follow the HighScope® model of using learning centers to facilitate
the acquisition of target skills, for example: math (blocks,building), imagination
44
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
(dress up, housekeeping), music (singing, dancing, instruments), fine motor
(crafts, coloring, painting) , socialization (group playing, turn-taking) and gross
motor (outdoor play).
HighScope® curriculum uses research-validated standards entitled: Key
Developmental Indicators (KDI) to monitor and track student growth. Their
curriculum approach to learning encompassess social/emotional development,
physical development, health, language, literacy, communication, mathematics,
creative arts, science, technology and social studies.
The following eight (8) areas of KDIs included in the HighScope Curriculum meet
national and Florida State Standards for school readiness of OCPS PRE-K
students:
 Language, Literacy (Reading/Writing) and Communication: Includes activities
for improving comprehension, speaking, vOCPSbulary, phonological
awareness, alphabetic knowledge, reading, concepts about print, and book
knowledge and writing. This will be learned by surrounding the students with
letters, words, books, writing materials/activities, increased child/adult
interaction, labeling/describing activities, answering and asking questions
about activities/books throughout the entire school day. This langauge-rich
environment also allows English Language Learning students many
opportunities to learn the language.
 Mathematics:
Includes
activities
for
improving
recognition
of
numbers/symbols, counting, part-whole relationships, shapes, spatial
awareness, measuring, patterns and data analysis. This will be learned
through counting, combining/sorting separate quantities of objects,
describing, comparing, sequencing, creating patterns and using information
about quantity to draw conclusions and make decisions.
 Creative Arts: Includes activities for improving skills in art, music, movement,
pretend play and an overall appreciation for the arts. This will be learned
through expressing what they observe, think, imagine, feel through music,
pretend play and 2-3 demensional art.
 Science and Technology: Includes activities for improving skills in observing,
classifying, experimenting, predicting, drawing conclusions, communicating
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
ideas, understanding natural/physical world and using tools/technology. This
will be learned through observing the materials and procceses in their
environment, classifying materials/ actions/people, experimenting to test their
ideas, predicting what they expect will happen, talking about their
observations, discussing the characteristics of things, learning how things
work, gathering knowledge about their world and exploring technology in the
classroom.
 Social Studies: Includes activities for improving understaning of diversity,
community roles, decision making, geography, history and ecology. This will
be learned through understanding that people are different with different
interests/abilities, recognizing that people have different roles/functions in the
community,
participating
in
making
classroom
decisions,
recognizing/interpreting features and lOCPStions in their environment,
understanding past/present/future and understanding the importance of
taking care of the environment.
 Social and Emotional Development: Includes activities for improving positive
self-identity, sense of competence, emotions, empathy, community, building
relationships, cooperative play, moral development and conflict resolution.
This will be learned through lessons about self and what makes them
special, emphasis on personal achievement- little and big steps,
recognizing/labeling/regulating their feelings, demonstrating empathy toward
others, participating in the community of the classroom, building relationships
with other children/adults, developing sense of right/wrong and learning how
to resolve conflict with others.
 Physical Development and Health: Includes activities for improving gross
motor skills, fine motor skills, body awareness, personal care and healthy
behavior. This will be learned through participation in activities promoting
strength, flexibility, timing in using muscles, dexterity, hand-eye coordination,
learning about how to navigate their bodies in space, carrying out personal
routines more independently and learning healthy hygiene and eating habits.
 Approaches to learning: Includes activities for improving initiative, planning,
engagement, problem solving, use of resources and reflection. This will be
learned through exploring their world, planning/carrying out activities,
engaging in activities that incorporate their interests, solving problems
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
encountered in play, gathering information/formulating ideas about their
world and learning from their experiences.
Differentiated Curriculum:For PRE-K students who are significantly below level, the
HighScope® infant/toddler curriculum may also be used. The curricula used for K-5, as
detailed in the next section, may be utilized for higher level PRE-K.
K-5
For K-5 students, core subject matter will follow the county school curriculum;
however, the method of presentation and level of material will be adjusted to
meet the cognitive and functioning levels of the students.
In all cases, the
concepts and language will be taught in context with a more student directed
approach utilizing high extrinsic motivators unique to each individual student.
The curriculum chosen for each subject area is research-based and aligns with
Next Generation Sunshine State and/ Florida State Standards. The supplemental
programs listed also correlate with the standards and may be used in order to
tailor the curriculum to each individual student’s unique learning style.
Language Arts/Reading:
Language Arts/Reading is incorporated into every aspect of curriculum, as
language is present in every context.
The details of the language rich
environment that will be provided to our students is included in section B below.
Students at all levels of functioning will be assessed for preliteracy, reading,
writing skills and the program will be adjusted to meet the level of competency.
Voyager Passport/Journeys®, Read Well®, Caught Reading©, Earobics®,
Structure Your Reading SYR, ReadWorks.org, www.Commoncoresheets.com,,
Quick-Write®, Spelling Power® and Handwriting Without Tears® are research
and standard based curriculum/programs (each to be further elaborated on in
section B below) that may be used with the students and include, but are not
limited to, the following components:
 Pre-Literacy concepts of phonemic awareness (blending sounds, rhyming,
segmenting, phoneme identification, phoneme manipulation)
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
 Concepts of print-understand symbolic representation, alphabet identification,
understanding words have meaning, left to right, book orientation, letter
identification, letter writing
 Decoding- improving reading fluency (speed/accuracy), phonics, sight words,
 Reading Comprehension-understanding OCPS vocabulary, story re-telling,
sequencing parts of story, dictionary skills, using context clues to determine
meaning, memory/recall strategies, predicting outcome, determining main
idea, understanding figurative language, inferencing, exposure to a variety of
literary works (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, narrative, descriptive, persuasive,
expository, short stories, book reports)
 Composition/Writing/Spelling-expressing their thoughts/ideas through drawing
pictures
and
verbal
descriptions,
handwriting,
forming
written
words/sentences, spelling rules, composing various types of written works
(poems, semantic mapping, creating webb charts/graphic writing illustrations
to organize written product, using thesaurus to improve composition quality
 Grammar using correct grammar and word choice when speaking and writing,
understanding parts of speech, punctuation, proofreading and correcting
writing errors.
Differentiated Curriculum:
Reference section C below, for a more detailed
description of the school’s Reading Plan which includes specific programs and a
variety of strategies to be used to meet all levels of learners.
Mathematics:
Students will be assessed to determine their skills in mathematics and the
program will be adjusted to meet the level of competency. Hands on
activities incorporating manipulative objects that interest and motivate
students, while reinforcing curriculum outcomes, will be used.
Math!®
and
Touch
Math®
are
research
and
standard
GO
based
curriculum/programs (each to be further elaborated on in section B below)
that may be used with the students and include, but are not limited to, the
following components:
 Spatial and Proportional Concepts
 Counting and Cardinality
48
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
 Number Identification and Writing
 Shape Identification
 Telling Time
 Counting Money
 Word Problems
 Number and Operations in Base Ten
 Addition and Subtraction
 Multiplication and Division
 Calculator Computations
 Place Value
 Number and Operations- Fractions
 The Number System
 Operations and Algebraic Thinking
 Expressions and Equations
 Measurement and Data
Differentiated Curriculum: For K-5 students who are significantly below level,
Touch Math® and the High Scope® Pre-K Math program section may also be
used. The GO Math!® curriculum may be utilized for students above level. For
students above level of Grade 5 curriculum targeting advanced math may be
used.
49
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Science:
The Science curriculum will be adjusted to meet the student’s level of
competency and adapted to increase interest and allow for interactive learning.
Exploration, labs and experiments will be included requiring students to inquire,
discover, think, predict reason, analyze and apply what they have learned.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) activities can also be
incorporated and encourage students to find a problem, plan and build, test and
improve, redesign and communicate their findings. HMH Science-Fusion® and
Glencoe Physical/Earth/Life Science® are research and standard based
curriculum/programs (each to be further elaborated on in section B below) that
may be used with OCPS students and include, but are not limited to, the
following components:
 Animals, Habitats
 Ecosystems and
 Weather, Seasons
Interactions
 Ocean and Sky
 Simple and Compound
 Earth,Planets, Environments
Machines
 Matter
 Electricity
 Forces of Energy, Motion
 Cells, Body Systems
 Technology
 Growth and Reproduction
 Environmental Resources
 Rock Cycle, Fossils
 Engineering
 Light and Sound
 Earth/Physical/Life Sciences
Differentiated Curriculum: For K-5 students who are significantly below
level,
the
HighScope®
PreK
Science
program
and
the
HMH
Science/Fusion® may also be used. The Glencoe Science® curriculum
may be utilized for students above level.
For students above level of
Grade 8 curriculum targeting Physics, Chemistry and Biology may be
used.
50
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Social Studies:
The Social Studies curriculum will be modified to correlate with the student’s
level of understanding and adapted to increase interest and incorporate
functional and dramatic activities to help them relate to the material covered.
(For example, the students may act out events in history and participate in
acts of citizenship.)
These curricula include many visual aids which are
essential for the students, charts, graphs, photos, illustrations and graphic
organizers are some of the visuals that will be used to improve mastery of
lesson content and heighten student attention to task.
Time Links® and
Exploring Our World® are research and standard based curricula (each to be
further elaborated on in section B below) that may be used with students and
include, but are not limited to, the following components:
 History
 Economics
 Citizenship
 The World
 Culture
 Communities
 Geography Skills
 Earth’s Physical Geography
 Cultural Geography
 The United States
 People, Population
 Foreign Countries (Physical Geography, History, Cultures,
Lifestyles, Governments)
 Civics(Citizenship and Government)
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
B. Description of the Research Base and Foundation Materials for
Development of Curriculum
The research-based curriculum and program foundation materials are aligned
with Next Generation Sunshine State and Florida Standards and include the
following:
 HighScope® development
Infant to Pre-K curriculum targeting all areas of
and
school
readiness
skills
by
addressing
movement/music, social/emotional development, physical development,
health, language, literacy, mathematics, science, technology and
creative arts
 Voyager Passport® - (Cambium) K to 5th Grade reading curriculum
including instruction in word study, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary,
listening, speaking, differentiation for diverse student populations,
adventure centers to build on specific skills, online reading component
which allows for self-paced learning and a motivating reward system to
promote more time on task
 Voyager Journeys® - (Cambium) 6th Grade reading curriculum using
high-interest, action-packed literature, video segments that build
background knowledge and recap lesson, advance word study,
comprehension, vocabulary, writing, personalized learning, real world
topics appropriate for adolescents, new online resources, built in
strategies for special populations (including ELLs) and is endorsed by
the Council of Administrators of Special Education, as it is especially
designed for students reading one to three years below grade level
 Voyager Read Well® - (Cambium) K to 2nd Grade Core, K to 3rd Grade
Intervention language arts program uses a mastery-based approach and
includes content-based thematic stories, supplemental spelling/writing/
composition/gramar program with differentiated instruction and is
endorsed by the Council of Administrators of Special Education as it is
especially designed for struggling readers
 Caught Reading© - (Pearson) Pre-Literacy to 4th Grade reading level and
age-appropriate for up to adult, consisting of 8 levels, including pre-
52
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
literacy lessons (phonemic awareness, phonics) and skills-based lessons
targeting decoding, word recognition, vocabulary development, word
attack, spelling, reading comprehension, literary response/analysis,
writing, listening and speaking through literature-based instruction
 HMH - Earobics®- (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) Pre-K to 3rd Grade
multisensory, individualized reading intervention program providing
targeted instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension,
vOCPSbulary, fluency and writing through technology and multimedia
materials
 CARS & STARS® - (Curriculum Associates) K to 8th Grade reading
curriculum includes Comprehensive Assessment of Reading Strategies
(CARS) and Strategies to Achieve Reading Success (STARS), with
highly scaffolded, five-part reading lessons including supports for ELL
students
 Spelling Power® - (Curriculum Associates) 1st to 8th Grade spelling
program including practice and application activities using highfrequency words, writing prompts, words in context and differentiated
instruction with focus on understanding meaning of spelling words and
functional writing activities
 Quick-Write® - (Curriculumm Associates) K-8th Grade writing/grammar
program guiding students step-by- step with checklists, writing ideas,
lists of essential words and proofreading tricks of the trade
 Handwriting Without Tears® - K to 5th Grade teaches handwriting to
students through playing, singing, building letters, letter/number
recognition, capital/lowercase letter formation, number formation and
hands-on materials for print and cursive
 GO Math!® - (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) K to 8 th Grade math curriculum
includes print and online activities, differentiated instruction with
additional reading strategies, ELL support, leveled practice and point of
use support to assist struggling students
 Touch Math® - Pre-K to 2nd Grade math program includes helpful visual
cues and one-step-at-a-time presentation as it moves from concrete to
pictoral to abstract concepts with “see it, say it, hear it, touch it and learn
it” philosophy, calssroom aids and technology to differentiate instruction
53
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
 HMH Science®-Fusion - (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) K to 6th Grade
science curriculum with an integration of reading, vocabulary, witing, 3step inquiry strategy, differentiated instruction, available online virtual
labs and hands-on activities
 Glencoe Physical/Earth/Life Science®- (McGraw Hill) 6th to 8th Grade
science curriculum incorporating hands-on exploration of concepts,
thought-provoking questions, interactive digital e-books, scaffolded
guiding questions and visual literacy strategies
 Time Links® - (McGraw Hill) K to 6th Grade social studies curriculum
designed to help students link content to their lives, encourage them to
explore and think critically through the use of a variety of visual
illustrations, kinesthetic learning and writing activities with readers
presented in three differentiated levels
 Exploring Our World® - (McGraw Hill) 6th to 8th Grade social studies
curriculum
introducing
students
to
an
enriched
view
of
the
interrelationships of geography, history, economics, government,
citizenship and current events in the United States and worldwide
As new research-based curriculum programs aligned with with Next Generation Sunshine
State and Florida Standards are discovered and will better meet the learning needs of the
students, they may be used in lieu of, or in addition to, those listed.
Direct Instruction
Anderson, K., & May, F. A. (2010). Does the Method of Instruction Matter? An
Experimental Examination of Information Literacy Instruction in the Online,
Blended, and Face-to- Face Classrooms. Journal Of Academic Librarianship,
36(6), 495-500.
Cothran, D. J., & Kulinna, P. H. (2008). Teachers' Knowledge About and Use of
Teaching Models. Physical Educator, 65(3), 122-133
Gersten, R., Woodward, J., & Darch, C. (1986). Direct Instruction: A ResearchBased Approach to Curriculum Design and Teaching. Exceptional Children,
53(1), 17-31.
Joseph, L. M., Kastein, L. A., Konrad, M., Chan, P. E., Peters, M. T., & Ressa, V.
A. (2014). Collecting and Documenting Evidence: Methods for Helping Teachers
54
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Improve Instruction and Promote Academic Success. Intervention In School &
Clinic, 50(2), 86- 95.
Lazonder, A., & Wiskerke-Drost, S. (2015). Advancing Scientific Reasoning in
Upper Elementary Classrooms: Direct Instruction Versus Task Structuring.
Journal Of Science Education & Technology, 24(1), 69-77.
Ledford, J. R., & Wolery, M. (2015). Observational Learning of Academic and
Social Behaviors During Small-Group Direct Instruction. Exceptional Children,
81(3), 272-291.
Magliaro, S. G., Lockee, B. B., & Burton, J. K. (2005). Direct Instruction
Revisited: A Key Model for Instructional Technology. Educational Technology
Research & Development, 53(4), 41-55.
Mcnaughton, S. (2014). Classroom Instruction. Reading Teacher, 68(2), 88-92.
Nakano, Y., & Kageyama, M. (1993). Using direct instruction to improve teacher
performance, academic achievement, and classroom.. Education & Treatment Of
Children, 16(3), 326.
Ryder, R. J., Burton, J. L., & Silberg, A. (2006). Longitudinal Study of Direct
Instruction Effects
From First Through Third Grades. Journal Of Educational
Research, 99(3), 180-191.
Stein, M., Carnine, D., & Dixon, R. (1998). Direct instruction: Integrating
curriculum design and.. Intervention In School & Clinic, 33(4), 227.
Scaffolding
Ankrum, J., Genest, M., & Belcastro, E. (2014). The Power of Verbal
Scaffolding: 'Showing' Beginning Readers How to Use Reading Strategies. Early
Childhood Education Journal, 42(1), 39-47.
Axford, B. (2007). Parents and their children working together: A Scaffolding
Literacy case study. Australian Journal Of Language & Literacy, 30(1), 21-39.
Benko, S. L. (2012). Scaffolding: An Ongoing Process to Support Adolescent
Writing Development. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult
Boche, B., & Henning, M. (2015). Multimodal Scaffolding in the Secondary
English Classroom Curriculum. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 58(7),
579-590.
Dabarera, C., Renandya, W. A., & Zhang, L. J. (2014). The impact of
metacognitive scaffolding and monitoring on reading comprehension. System,
42462-473. Literacy, 56(4), 291-300.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2014). Scaffolded Reading Instruction of Content-Area
Texts. Reading Teacher, 67(5), 347- 351.
Holton, D., & Clarke, D. (2006). Scaffolding and metacognition. International
Journal Of Mathematical Education In Science & Technology, 37(2), 127-143.
Longkai, W., & Looi, C. (2012). Agent Prompts: Scaffolding for Productive
Reflection in an Intelligent Learning Environment. Journal Of Educational
Technology & Society, 15(1), 339-353.
Lutz, S. L., Guthrie, J. T., & Davis, M. H. (2006). Scaffolding for Engagement in
Elementary School Reading Instruction. Journal Of Educational Research, 100(1),
3-20.
Pentimonti, J., & Justice, L. (2010). Teachers’ Use of Scaffolding Strategies
During Read Alouds in the Preschool Classroom. Early Childhood Education
Journal, 37(4), 241-248.
Radford, J., Bosanquet, P., Webster, R., & Blatchford, P. (2015). Scaffolding
learning for independence: Clarifying teacher and teaching assistant roles for
children with special educational needs. Learning & Instruction, 361-10.
Read, S. (2010). A Model for Scaffolding Writing Instruction: IMSCI. Reading
Teacher, 64(1), 47-52.
Smit, J., A. A. van Eerde, H., & Bakker, A. (2013). A conceptualisation of wholeclass scaffolding. British Educational Research Journal, 39(5), 817-834.
Ukrainetz, T. A. (2015). Improving Text Comprehension: Scaffolding
Adolescents into Strategic Reading. Seminars In Speech & Language, 36(1), 1730
C. Description of the Reading Curriculum and Evidence Reading is
a Primary Focus of Curriculum and Strategies for Students Reading
at all Levels is Availalble
As previously stated, reading is incorporated into every aspect of curriculum, as
language is present in every context. Students at all levels of functioning will be
assessed for preliteracy and reading skills and the program will be adjusted to
meet the level of competency. Curriculum and programs used will be Voyager
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Passport/Journeys®, Read Well®, Caught Reading©, Structure Your Readiing
SYR and Earobics.
The following chart depicts the reading curriculum/programs (described in the previous
section B) that can be used for students at, above and below grade level.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Table 9
READING LEVEL
&
Developing
Developing
Low Incidence
Low
Incidence
CURRICULUM/
High
Scope®
High
Scope®
VB-MAPP
Murdoch
PROGRAM
Inf-Todlr
PreK
Elm / Middle
Elm / Middle
K-5th
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
6th below level
●
●
7th at level &
above
●
●
7th below level
●
●
at level &
above
●
●
8th below level
●
●
PreK at level
& above
PreK below level
K at level
& above
K below level
●
●
1 at level
& above
1st below level
2nd at level
& above
2nd below level
3rd at level
& above
3rd below level
4th at level
& above
4th below level
5 at level
& above
5th below level
6 at level
& above
8th
●
●
High
Incidence
Voyager
Passport®
●
●
●
●
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Table 9 (Continued)
READING
LEVEL &
High
Incidence
High
Incidence
High
Incidence
Low /
High
Incidence
Low
Incidence
High
Incidence
CURRICULUM/
Voyager
Journeys®
Structure
Your
Reading
Read
Well®
Caught
Reading©
Elm
Earobics®
Core
(Trophies)
PROGRAM
6th - 8th
SYR
K-2nd
3rd-8th
PreK-3rd
1st - 5th
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
PreK at level
●
& above
PreK below
level
K at level
●
& above
K below level
1 at level
●
& above
●
1st below level
2nd at level
●
& above
2nd below
level
3rd at level
& above
3rd below
level
4th at level
●
& above
4th below
level
5 at level
& above
●
●
5th below
level
6 at level
& above
6th below
level
7th at level &
above
●
●
●
at level &
above
8th below level
●
●
7th below level
8th
●
●
●
●
●
●
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Students functioning above grade level in reading will be challenged with higher level
curriculum, as depicted above and described in section B. They can also take part in
additional school literacy projects such as school newspaper, website news, email pen
pals and mentor other students at OCPS who are struggling readers through shared
reading.
In addition to supplemental curriculum programs, (shown above and described in
section B) specific strategies used with students below grade level may include,
but are not limited to, the following:
 Adapting Reading Materials- adding manipulatives, picture cards with
words, picture sentences for non-readers
 Rhyme, Song, Melodic Intonation- choosing books that will engage and
tap into right brain learning
 Repetition- learning through repetion of stories, songs and poems
 Technology- keeping interest and using research-based reading
programs and narrated books through use of smartboard, computer,
tablet, audio books
 Art- portraying thoughts and feelings, scenes from story through art
 Partner Reading- reading first silently, then take turns reading orally with
a partner
 Intensive Reading Groups- students are grouped to learn specified
reading skills/techniques
 Context clues- learning how to use context clues within sentences to
infer meaning
 Drama- acting out parts of story to improve comprehension
 Story Re-telling- summarizing stories in their own words
 Story-Related Writing- writing in response to prompts about their reading
 Extension Activities-completing cross-curricular research, fine, arts,
dramatics, and media activities as they explore themes in books
 Scaffolding toward success for all children below level or children
learning new material.
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 Rewards/ Incentives- receiving incentives through a system rewarding
effort and achievement toward reading goals
 Visual supports and visual organizers
D.
Explanation of
Student
Engagement
and
Benefits
for
Students Functioning Below Grade Level and Benefits from
Curriculum:
The curriculum and programming, as described in sections B, C and E,
were selected particullarly because they provide for a differentiated
curriculum in order to meet the needs of students functioning below grade
level, or could be adapted to a lower level and allow for incorporation of
multi-modality teaching to benefit individuals with different learning styles.
To improve functioning in students who are difficult to engage the school
will incorporate more hands-on activities, based on student interest, in
addition to the implementation of a specific individualized behavior plan
and motivational rewards system to encourage participation and retention
of target subject matter.
Strategies used to engage students below grade and help them benefit
from the curriculum may include, but are not limited to, the following: (in
addition to the reading strategies listed in section C):
 Multimodality Learning- using manipulatives, a variety of visuals,
stimulating sense of smell and taste, along with hearing
 Visual Aids- maximizing use of visual schedules, tangible objects,
illustrations, graphic organizers, highlighting and other visual aids
 Technology- utilizing calculators, computers, tablets, whiteboards,
audio books
 Song and Rhyme- improving learning through patterns, melody
and music
 Art- learning through 2-D and 3-D art activities related to target
concept/theme
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 Behavior Plan- increasing attention to task, and therefore learning,
through positive reinforcers
 Incorporate Interests- identifying student interests and tying them
into the curriculum
 One-to- One Instruction- individualizing teaching
 Group Learning- grouping with peers of same level, or different
levels
 Repetition- increasing repetition of concept throughout the
modalities over a significant period of time
 Movement- engaging in physical motor movement
 Adapting Reading Materials- adding manipulatives, picture cards
with words, picture sentences for non-readers
E. Description of Proposed Curriculum Areas Other than Core
Academics:
Some of the additional educational and medical research-based
programs materials that may be used with the students may include, but
are not limited to:
 PECS
-
Picture
Exchange Communication System:
An
augmentative/alternative picture communication program for
children with Autism and related disorders focusing on the
initiation component to increase independent communication,
based on B.F. Skinner’s book- Verbal Behavior, teaching through
specific prompting and reinforcement strategies, with some
learners using PECS to develop speech and others transitioning
to a voice output system
 Assistive Technology: High and low- tech devices to improve
functional capabilities such as switches for environmental control
and computer access, computers, specialized keyboards, touch
screens, eye scanners, speech generated devices, software and
low-tech devices such as communication books and pencil grips
 Technology – Smartboard/Computers/Tablets
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 ABA - Applied Behavior Analysis:
Scientifically validated
approach to achieving a positive change in behavior by analyzing
environmental
and
social
influence
and
using
positive
reinforcement which incorporates tehniques to build useful skills in
learners with autism, such as looking, listening, imitating, reading,
conversing and understanding another person’s perspective.
 Montessori:
Scientifically-based educational model centered
around using hands-on materials, active child participation,
multisensory tasks based on individual learning patterns/needs
and an environment encouraging self-discipline/responsibility
through individual, self-directed and mixed-age group structured
acitivities
that
accommodate
diverse
learning
styles
and
capabilities.
 SI-
Sensory
Integration:
Interweaving
sensory
activities
throughout the day with more sedentary educational activities to
increase functional attending skills and on task time
 Hippotherapy/Therapeutic Riding
 Therapeutic
Art
-
Encompassing
understanding
and
self-
expression of student’s visual world via simple 2-D and 3-D art
projects with collaboration from Speech, Occupational, and
Physical therapists to address students’ individual needs in a
creative context
 STEM:
Program
combining
Science,
Technology,
Arts,
Engineering and Math, (areas identified as needing significant
improvement in children across the US, as compared to other
countries) in order to benefit them when they enter the jobs
market, and in turn benefit the greater economy
 SWIMS:
Strategies
to
improve
comprehension,
Writing,
Inferencing Skills and Music to assist with the students’
understanding of social studies curriculum
 Physical Ed (Yoga, Boxing, Dance):
 TRAP- The Rhythmic Arts Program: Designed to help children
with developmental disabilities learn basic life skills, reading,
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writing, arithmetic and build self-esteem through music and rhythm
using drums
 Elementary Career Awareness Through Children’s Literature:
Incorporating popular children’s fiction and non-fiction books
throughout language, social studies, science, math and the arts
curriculum to promote career awareness in the classroom
 CERES- Career Ed Responsive to Every Student: Carreer
education program for grades K to 6 infusing career education into
basic skills instruction integrating nine competencies (CERES
Guidance Goals) throughout the curriculum
 Kuder Galaxy: Fun and educational career awareness system for
students in PreK to Grade 5 including activities involving them to
play, watch, do and explore to acquire an understanding of the
world of work
F. Description of Evaluation Process to Determine Curriculum Effectiveness
Reading/Literacy: Initially, students will be administered the new Florida
Assessments for Instruction in Reading, which was developed by the Florida
Center for Reading Research in collaboration with Just Read, Florida. The
Florida Center for Reading Research’s extent of studies is so vast it is beyond
any specific documentation but is more of a myriad of “Best Practices.” For a list
of researchers and their specific works, see FCRR Research.
 The FAIR assessment system provides a screening instrument to initially
gain insight into a reading deficit, and a specific diagnostic instrument,
which targets the deficient area in more detail, and finally progress
monitoring to ascertain students gains and that is essential to guiding
instruction.
 In order to capture a baseline on each student the Fair assessments will
be used depending on the students’ cognitive ability, as to the appropriate
or assessed grade level.
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 Students will be administered the FAIR for Progress Monitoring three
times a year in balanced intervals based on the calendar year of one
hundred and eighty (180) days.
 Data Chats with teachers, therapists, and paraprofessionals will be
conducted after every Progress Monitoring assessment in order to
establish a school wide Continuous Improvement Model.
 FAIR accommodations for ESE students are noted in the K-2 and 3-8
FAIR Administration Manuals. Accommodations are provided to students
with disabilities and/or English Language Learners to assure that valid
results are obtained and an accurate estimate of their skill level is
determined. These accommodations are specific to this set of
assessments and are aligned with accommodations provided on the
Florida Standards Assessment (FSA).
 For some students with disabilities, the Florida Assessments for
Instruction in Reading are not an appropriate instrument. For these
students, the Curriculum Associates, standardized assessment, Form A
will be administered.
 In addition to the FAIR, classroom-based formative assessments
(CBFAs) will also be created and administered as noted in section I. C.:
Optional Purposes of Charter Schools: (Section 1002.33(2) (c), F.S.):
Create Innovative Measurement Tools.

Use of the Florida Interim Assessment Bank and Test Platform (IBTP) is
intended during the development of the classroom based formative
assessments. and the

Administration of the (CBFAs) will follow the continuous improvement
model as it is applied within the classroom setting by the teacher to
individual student progress.
 CBFAs will be constructed based on Florida Department of Education’s
three levels of ESE students; Participatory, Supported and Independent.

Administration and item construction will mirror the current Florida
Alternate Assessment (FAA), including the one (1) to nine (9) point
spread intending to offer students a growth potential to the next ESE
level.
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 For our Low Incidence Students at the Supportive and Participatory
levels, the VB-MAPP and Murdoch provide highly functional assessments
tied to their highly functional curriculum.
Note: As the new Florida Standards and AIR assessments evolve, The
school reserves the right to manifest appropriate assessments to mirror the
new standards and assessments to further our curriculum alignment and
foster our students’ growth potential.
Math: Go Math will be implemented as detailed above in section C. The new
CPalms Mathematics Formative Assessment System (MFAS) that includes tasks
or problems and rubrics for interpreting students' responses will be used in
addition to the FAIR. The fact that this assessment is comprised of tasks and is
supplied with rubrics makes it very conducive to ascertain ESE populations’
growth or setbacks if applicable. The major features of the MFAS are as follows:
 MFAS has students perform mathematical tasks, explain their reasoning,
and justify their solutions.
 Rubrics for interpreting and evaluating student responses are included,
allowing differentiated instruction based on students' individual needs is
available.
 The objective is to understand student thinking so that teaching can be
adapted to improve student achievement of mathematical goals related to the
standards.
 MFAS is a formative assessment, and is a process rather than a test.
 Research suggests that well-designed and implemented formative
assessment is an effective strategy for enhancing student learning.
 CPalms was created by the Florida Center for Research in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics at Florida State University.
 In addition to the MFAS, classroom-based formative assessments will
also be created and administered as noted in section I. C.: Optional Purposes
of Charter Schools: (Section 1002.33(2) (c), F.S.): Create Innovative
Measurement Tools.
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 Use of the Florida Interim Assessment Bank and Test Platform (IBTP) is
intended during the development of the classroom based formative
assessments.
 Administration of the (CBFAs) will follow the continuous improvement
model as it is applied within the classroom setting by the teacher to individual
student progress.
 CBFAs will be constructed based on Florida Department of Education’s
three levels of ESE students; Participatory, Supported and Independent.

Administration and item construction will mirror the current Florida
Alternate Assessment (FAA), including the one (1) to nine (9) point spread
intending to offer students a growth potential to the next ESE level.
Note: As the new Florida Standards and AIR Assessments evolve, the school
reserves the right to manifest appropriate assessments to mirror the new
standards and assessments to further our students’ growth potential.
Science:
HMH’s Science Fusion, and Glencoe’s Physical, Earth and Life
Science, curriculum will be implemented through a STEAM approach as detailed
in section C. The STEAM curriculum will be evaluated on concepts presented
through performance tasks performed daily for student growth and based on
individual students’ variability within ESE levels.
Social Studies: Timelink and Exploring Our World by McGraw/Hill will also be
implemented as detailed above in section C. The curriculum will be evaluated on
concepts presented through performance tasks performed for student growth and
based on individual students’ variability within ESE levels and in an accumulated
or final culminated observation based on a predetermined rubric.
Report Cards: The school will implement a Quarterly Communication progress
summary reporting method customized, but yet open to allow growth between
levels, to the students’ functional level: i.e.; participatory, supportive, or
independent.
For children functioning at the participatory or supportive level, report cards will
have a descriptive format, outlining the developmental level of the student and
identifying the Access Points for the NGSSS or the same for the new Florida
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Standards. If the student has emerged (mastered) or not mastered a standard, a
definitive outline of the standards for each subject area will be demonstrated,
combined with their Cumulative Curriculum Classroom- Based Formative
Assessments
(CBFAs)
results.
The
Quarterly
Communication
progress
summaries will also incorporate: Developmental checklists obtained while
monitoring students’ behaviors, and a quarterly update of their IEP goal
attainment. If and Independent student is receiving a letter grade, additional
narrative explanations will be included with their more traditional report card.
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Section 5: Student Performance, Assessment and Evaluation
A. State school’s educational goals and objectives for improving
student achievement indicate how much academic improvement
students are expected to show each year how student progress and
performance will be evaluated in the specific results to be attained.
The school’s educational goals for improving student achievement indicating how
much academic improvement students are expected to show each year and how
the student progress and performance will be evaluated can be found in the
detailed school improvement plan included in this section. Our Children’s Prep
School, being 100% ESE, will elect NOT to receive a grade but rather will
document student achievement and academic growth by measuring increases in
Annual Measureable Outcomes (AMOs). Student growth is identified for each
goal listed.
B. Describe the school’s student placement procedures and promotion
standards.
This school requires that all students have an individual educational plan, IEP.
The IEP identifies the child’s present level of performance, previous assessment
information, previous grade assignment and intervention services. If the child is
younger than three years of age, they must have a Family Support Plan, FSP,
provided by the Early Steps Program. This FSP identifies the child’s
chronological age and developmental functioning level based on Battelle
Assessment results where the developmental levels are in accordance with
widely
acceptable
areas
of
development
(gross
motor,
fine
motor,
communication, social/emotional). Significant deficit(s) in one or more areas
qualify a child for admission into the ESE PreK program.
The director of admissions will gather all pertinent information regarding the
student, will review the information, and assemble an Admissions Review Team
composed of the staff professionals with the expertise the student appears to
need. These professionals review all academic, behavior, mental health, and
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therapeutic information to determine the best placement for the child upon
admission.
Parents are advised that their child’s placement is based upon the “snapshot” of
information provided at the time of admission but that baseline behavior,
academic achievement, and therapy performance information would be gathered
within the first month of attendance and based upon the student’s most recently
determined present levels, the child may be reassigned to a more appropriate
placement.
The Preschool curriculum chosen will be the High Scope. High Scope has been
researched for effectiveness and efficiency over the last 40 years and has a
proven model documented by longitudinal studies as well as short term studies.
The curriculum and COR ™ assessments, birth through age 5, are fully aligned
with the Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards.
Preschool setting: Children with significant developmental delays, and as young
as 12 months of age, are eligible for admission to the school provided they have
a Family Support Plan. The preschool classrooms are organized by
developmental levels: one and two-year-old developmental levels, three and four
year old developmental levels, and four and five-year-old developmental levels
comprise three preschool classrooms. Chronological age is one determining
factor for placement but not the sole factor. Developmental age, behavior control,
communication skills, toileting ability, and physical disabilities may dictate an
adjustment in placement as determined by the Early Childhood Specialist on the
Admissions Team.
Periodic developmental assessments using High Scopes’ COR ™ assessment,
throughout the year, will monitor the child’s Annual Measurable Outcomes and
this information will help determine placement for the following year.
Recommendation for placement will be solicited from the classroom teacher,
therapist, behavior analyst, and the parents. The preschool 4 to 5 classroom will
be designed with prekindergarten activities thus providing children needing an
additional year in preschool an appropriate developmental opportunity before
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entering Kindergarten.
All curriculum chosen for core subjects in grades K-8 in reading/language arts,
math, science civics, and social studies are research based and align with the
Florida State Standards and some speak to a “walk over” to common core even
though common core has been rejected by the State of Florida at this time.
Kindergarten, 1st and Second Grade: Students being admitted to the school for
the first time, who are age-appropriate for kindergarten first and second grade,
will have their records reviewed by the admissions team to determine first if they
are a high incidence or low incidence student. Factors to consider would be
developmental history, psychological evaluations, intensity of services needed,
whether the child has verbal communication skills, and the severity of their
behavioral needs. If the admissions team deems the student to be low incidence,
the student will be placed in the supportive or participatory class for elementary
age students.
If the admissions team deems a student to be high incidence, their chronological
age associated with their grade as well as the academic grade they were in the
previous year will be heavily considered when placing the student in kindergarten
first or second grade. These may not be the only determining factors. The
admissions team, after reviewing the students academic, medical, therapeutic,
behavior, and mental health reports, may determine that a child is high incidence
but may need an adjustment in their grade placement to a grade level below,
above, or to a different program based on the needs presented.
The parents are advised that all students will be given a formative baseline
assessment within the first 30 to 45 days to determine their most recent present
level of performance based upon the results of the assessment. After the first 30
to 45 days a child may be reassigned to a more appropriate placement based on
the input of the classroom teacher and other professionals working with that
student.
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Third through Fifth Grade students being admitted to the school for the first time,
who are age-appropriate for third through fifth grade, will have their records
reviewed by the admissions team to determine first if they are a higher incidence
or low incidence student. Factors to consider would be developmental history,
psychological evaluations, intensity of services needed, whether the child has
verbal communication skills, and the severity of their behavioral needs. If the
admissions team deems the student to be low incidence, the student will be
placed in the supportive or participatory class for intermediate elementary age
students. If the admissions team deems a student to be high incidence, the
admissions team will further analyze the individual student’s information to make
the best classroom placement decision and scheduling of needed support
services including the frequency and intensity.
The next determination will be if the student, according to their IEP, is designated
as a student who will take the Florida Alternate Assessment (FAA), yet he/she
demonstrates functional communication skills, more independent abilities of daily
living such as toileting, dressing, managing schedules and time, and according to
the admission records (academic, psychological, social, parent reports, medical,
therapeutic) it is determined that this child has the long term potential for
independent living and eventual employment. They will be initially placed in the
multi-grade 3-5 independent FAA classrooms.
The final determination with the 3-5 graders (sometimes 6th graders as well if
deemed the better placement due to social/emotional level), the admission’s
team, after reviewing the admission’s records, determines if the student is
designated to take the Florida State Assessment (FSA). If so, they are placed in
the multi-grade classroom 3-5th grade for students taking the FSA.
The parents are advised that all students will be given a formative baseline
assessment within the first 30 to 45 days to determine their most recent present
level of performance. Based on the results of the assessment, after the first 30
to 45 days, a child may be reassigned to a more appropriate placement based on
the input of the classroom teacher and other professionals working with that
student.
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Sixth through Eighth grade
students being admitted to the school for the first
time, who are age-appropriate for sixth through eighth grade, will have their
records reviewed by the admissions team to determine first if they are a high
incidence or low incidence student. Factors to consider would be developmental
history, psychological evaluations, intensity of services needed, whether the child
has verbal communication skills, and the severity of their behavioral needs. If the
admissions team deems the student to be low incidence, the student will be
placed in the multi grade supportive or participatory class for intermediate
elementary age students. If the admissions team deems a student to be high
incidence, the admissions team will further analyze the individual student’s
information to make the best classroom placement decision and scheduling of
needed support services including the frequency and intensity.
The next determination will be if the student, according to their IEP is designated
as a student who will take the Florida Alternate Assessment (FAA), yet he/she
demonstrates functional communication skills, more independent abilities of daily
living such as toileting, dressing, managing schedules and time, and according to
the admission records (academic, psychological, social, parent reports, medical,
therapeutic) it is determined that this child has the long term potential for
independent living and eventual employment. They will be initially placed in the
multi-grade 6-8 independent FAA class.
The final determination with the 6-8th graders, the admission’s team, after
reviewing the admission’s records determines if the student is designated to take
the Florida State Assessment (FSA). If so, they are placed in the multi-grade
class for 6-8th grade for students taking the FSA. Further refinement occurs within
this population. There are advantages to grouping sixth graders together initially
since developmentally they have adjustment and behavior issues unique to that
age adolescent. Adjustments in core subjects or electives may be made at a
later date.
Seventh and eighth graders will be grouped, depending on the number of
students, into a higher or lower level based on the admission reports reviewed by
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the Admissions team. Consideration will be given to regrouping by the core
subject needs of the students in math, science, civics and language arts. More
advanced sections of math, science, civics, and language arts will be offered by
the OCPS staff and consideration will be given to offering Virtual School classes
if deemed appropriate and helpful for some high academically functioning
(Asperger’s, ADHD, Dyslexic, High Level Autism, ADD, or other diagnoses and
dual diagnoses). All subjects offered to the OCPS students will align with the
Florida State Standards. The final determination on course offerings will depend
on enrollment numbers, student needs, and student/parent interests.
Middle school students taking high school level courses such as Algebra will
have the opportunity to take EOC exam.
The parents are advised that all students will be given a formative baseline
assessment within the first 30 to 45 days to determine their most recent present
level of performance. Based on the results of the assessment, after the first 30
to 45 days, a child may be reassigned to a more appropriate placement based on
the input of the classroom teacher and other professionals working with that
student.
Portfolio documentation of student’s achievement of the Florida State
Assessment occurs through out the year and is an important piece of information
when considering promotion at the end of the school year. Many of our students
may meet the FSA standard in the classroom while engage in a hands on fun
activity that is in a natural context but not correctly answer a question testing that
standard on a statewide assessment test.
At the end of the year an interdisciplinary team, including the classroom teacher
and other professionals who have worked with the child throughout the school
year, will give recommendations as to a child’s retention or promotion. Serious
discussions occur as to whether it is felt that a child really will benefit by retention
or would it be better for them to move through the academic portion of their
education and advance them to pre-vocational and vocational training in an effort
to get them ready for independent living and employment later in life. Parents
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are actively involved in these decisions as young as Kindergarten and Preschool.
The parents’ goals for their child and later the child’s goals are documented
annually on the annual review by the Staffing Coordinator or their designee. If a
child is significantly (3 or more years below level in reading) retention typically
will not result in reading improvement by retention but rather by a change in the
methods of teaching reading and shifting to more functional reading material and
reading material of high interest to the student. Efforts to enhance language
development are the biggest priority for our students so auditory books, videos,
hands on experiences, collaborative projects and some of the ways our students
learn material that traditional students may “read” about and our students learn
using alternative methods
C. No high school students served.
D. Describe how baseline achievement data will be established,
collected and used.
The included School Improvement Plan (SIP) provides a detailed description of
when assessments are done and how they are used.
In summary:
the
educators will use the formative assessments contained within the chosen
curriculum to assess their student’s degree of understanding the information
taught and to what degree the student has met the Sunshine State Standard NG
or FSS. These formative results will be reviewed in bi-weekly or monthly data
chats and utilized in future lesson planning, planning learning centers, or
designing new experiences that will reinforce or build off of the newly acquired
knowledge.
Within the first 30-45 days, all students will be given an assessment to obtain
baseline measures and help to confirm placement or help determine a more
appropriate placement for the student. Two more times a year, all students will
be retested on the standardized or criterion referenced assessment that looks at
the child’s overall competency in the areas of math and language arts in grades
K-8 and developmental levels in grades 12 months to 5 years in PreK. The COR
™ will be used in PreK and the Brigance will be used in K-8th grade for children
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ages 5 through 12. Students older than 12 who are functioning below grade level
may also be given the Brigance with notations made on the assessment or the
FAIR assessment will be used if available. The Wide Range Achievement Test
(WRAT) is also a consideration for our older students. Following these more
intensive assessments, data chats are scheduled with the educators and
intensive support team members. During these data chats, the Director of PBS
will present information about the child’s progress with managing their behavior.
Adjustments in the child’s placement or program design may be recommended.
These assessments give the opportunity for a review with the parents that would
be scheduled through the Admissions/Staffing Department. Evaluation results
are shared with parents during the first quarter, second/third quarter and last
quarter progress report.
Speech Language, OT and PT service results are also shared during these
conferences.
E. Identify the types and frequency of assessments that the school will
use to measure and monitor student performance.
The school plans four types of assessments:
1. Weekly/biweekly formative (F) assessments in K-8 in the subject
areas of reading/language arts, math, science, social studies and
civics in middle school. Formative assessments in PreK will either be
a developmental checklist, PECS tracking data, behavior data, or data
set forth by the therapists.
2. Baseline (BL) assessment within the first 20-30 school days to
determine the child’s present level in reading and math.
(English
Language Proficiency ELP Assessment given also) where the
assessment tool is criterion referenced and standardized.
The
assessment will be the Brigance unless the student is deemed too old
and has the potential to ceil out. Then the FAIR or the WRAT may be
used.
PreK students will be given the COR ™ developmental assessment.
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3. Progress Monitoring (PM) assessment will follow two more times
during the year and they will be a retest using either the COR,
Brigance, Fair, or WRAT depending on what was used for the
baseline.
4. Statewide Achievement Tests (FSA and FAA) for children in the
normal IQ range and those in the intellectually impaired range.
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Formative
1-Aug F
15-Aug F
1-Sep F
15-Sep F
1-Oct F
15-Oct F
1-Nov F
15-Nov F
1-Dec F
15-Dec F
1-Jan F
15-Jan F
1-Feb F
15-Feb F
1-Mar F
15-Mar F
1-Apr F
15-Apr F
1-May F
15-May F
PreK
Progress
Monitoring
Elm/ Middle
Base Line/
Progress
Monitoring
FL Alt
Assessment
FL State
Assessment
PreK BL
BL
PM
PM
FAA
FAA
FAA
FAA
FSA
FSA
PM
PM
F. Describe how student assessment and performance data will be
used to evaluate and inform instruction.
Baseline data will help with proper placement of students in the program and to
assist teachers with planning lessons. The SIP describes in detail how this data
will be used to plan lessons, tie those lessons to the state standards and
document the student’s progress through formative assessments, which will
continue the Continuous Quality Management Improvement (CQMI) process.
(SEE SIP)
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G. Describe how student assessment and performance information will
be shared with students and parents.
Student progress will be shared quarterly on the progress reports, in the parent
conferences scheduled following the Progress monitoring assessments, parent
conferences with the teachers, open house, parent communication folder and/or
agendas.
2016-2017 SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
OUR CHILDRENS PREP SCHOOL
330 AVE B SE
Winter Haven, Fl. 33880
863-268-2903
School Improvement Plan Authority and Template
Section 1001.42(18), Florida Statutes (F.S.), requires district school boards to
annually approve and require implementation of a school improvement plan (SIP)
for each school in the district.
The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) SIP template meets all statutory
and rule requirements for traditional public schools and incorporates all
components required for schools receiving Title I funds, as marked by citations to
the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. State Board of Education Rule 6A-
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
1.099811, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), requires this template for all noncharter schools with a current grade of D or F, or with a grade of F within the
prior two years. For all other schools, the district may use a template of its
choosing. All districts must submit annual assurances that their plans meet
statutory requirements.
As a Charter School Applicant, Our Children’s Prep School has selected this
template.
School Demographics
School Type:
Elementary/Middle
Title I
Yes
Free and Reduced Lunch
90% (estimate)
ESE
No
Charter School
Yes
Minority
70% (estimate)
CURRENT SCHOOL STATUS
Supportive Environment
School Mission and Vision
Mission
To provide a comprehensive, individualized educational program for
children and adolescents with a variety of disabilities where the goal is to
deliver the appropriate intensity of education and related services to
prepare students for gainful employment or post secondary education and
fulfilling life in accordance with the desires of the students themselves
and their families. The program targets student outcomes in academic
achievement, interpersonal communication, socialization, self-regulation,
mobility and independent functioning in a seamless system in which all
components of the program are integrated.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Vision
To be the top producer of successful students with special needs in the
nation.
School Environment
Describe the process by which the school learns about students’
cultures and builds relationships between teachers and students.
Our Positive Behavior Support (PBS) program inherently provides frequent
opportunities to communicate with parents as to how their children are doing at
school with managing their behavior. Parental supports are offered an available
to the parents for home behavior management plans, working with the
parents on increasing the enticement to the student
for
complying
with
the
school rules, and many celebratory opportunities for the students and parents to
acknowledge when their child has successfully reached the highest level of
privileges at the school with additional rewards for maintaining that level.
Our monthly parental involvement events and trainings will build positive
relationships, communicate the school’s
mission
and
values,
and
keep
parents informed of their child’s progress. These events include, but are not
limited to:
Open House, Fall Parent Conference Night, Semi-annual Awards
Banquets, Christmas Parade, Science Fair, Art
Fair,
Talent
Showcase:
Dance-Music-Acting Production, Annual Spaghetti Dinner, and the Parent
Education Series consisting of 7 trainings. Examples are:
Literacy:
1. Language and
the advantages of reading to your child; 2. The power of avoiding
yelling and giving praise to your child – giving choices will help keep your child
calm; 3. Sensory Stimulation: Understanding how your child’s body and brain
work; 4. PECS opportunities for your child at home; 5. What career options are
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
available for my child as an adult; 6? Art, Music, and Croquet: What do they
have in common and how can they help heal the brain? 7. The magic of visual
schedules, visual organizers, visual planners to reduce meltdowns at home.
Our motto is “You Belong”. That says it all for how OCPS wishes to create the
school climate.
Describe how the school creates an environment where
students feel safe and respected before, during and after school.
We have clear systems implemented for arrival and dismissal with adult
supervision at all times.
Safety procedures are in place for all
circumstances i.e.: code red (fire), code blue (medical), severe weather,
and intruders, code ruby (student elopement), and code diamond for
managing aggressively violent behavior (PCM). The safety manager also
conducts monthly drills in addition to those listed that include: Disaster
preparedness, bomb scare, power outage, and tornado. Staff members
use radios for continuous communication and the school has a camera
surveillance system throughout the hallways and in most of the
classrooms and offices. The school has an above average number of
paraprofessional staff thus providing many “hands on deck”. The campus
is fully fenced thus protecting children from immediate elopement and
deters intruders. All ingress and egress doorways are locked with the
exception of the front door, which is monitored, directly by the front office
staff and a security camera.
Students use hall passes and a buddy
system for the younger children when leaving the classroom.
Describe the school wide behavioral system (PBS) in place that aids in
minimizing distractions to keep students engaged during instructional
time. This may include, but is not limited to, established protocols for
disciplinary incidents, clear behavioral expectations, and training for
school personnel to ensure the system is fairly and consistently
enforced.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
We are proud of our comprehensive system-wide behavior management
system that is based on the compendium of research available within the
profession of Applied Behavioral Analysis. Although this profession is
one of the oldest with the most complex volumes of research, the OCPS
Positive Behavior has been adapted to a public school environment to
ensure a consistent, quality, and attainable implementation.
Some
systems are too simple and do not accommodate an MTSS environment
and other programs are so complicated as they were designed in a
research environment and do not transfer to an educational setting. Our
program is called WORK which stands for “Watch and pay attention/stay
engaged/follow directions”, “On task, do what you were told, complete the
task timely, without eloping or fooling around with others”, Respect the
school books, facility, furniture, fellow students’ property (electronics) the
Teachers and fellow students, by Kind to everyone. Every 30 (middle
school is every 45) minutes, the child receives 5 points on their point
sheet if they have followed the WORK program. All staff reinforce that
school is their job and if they do their job properly, they will be “paid” and
receive good things for conforming to the program. If they do not follow
the WORK rules, they would receive a 0 for that 30 minutes and then they
can start again the next 30.
If they have major problems such as
physically acting out, verbal aggression, destruction of property, they
would receive a -10 for that time period.
The student is given an
opportunity to relearn after the -10 and earn half their points back. Each
week the points are tallied and converted into a paycheck to be spent at
the school store. As points build, the student has an opportunity to move
up from Bronze level, to Silver level and ultimately to Gold. At the Gold
level, they are eligible for many privileges and rewards. Data is collected
daily on each child’s performance. Tier 2 and 3 students are tracked and
trended.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Describe how the school ensures the social-emotional needs of
all students are being met, which may include providing
counseling, mentoring and other pupil services.
A licensed mental health counselor is available to all students if
counseling is needed both in a group or individual. The mental health
counselor is a member of the IIAT and interfaces daily with the Behavior
Analyst and other members of the team to prioritize students who are at
the Tier 3 level or approaching that level. Many of our students also
receive mental health services from community service providers (HEAD,
Behavior Health) and the school provides them space to meet with the
student during school time thus providing an opportunity to communicate
what is going on at school and obtain information about what is going on
at home. Middle school students have an advisory period at the start of
the day where social skills and group counseling opportunities are
available. Teachers, paraprofessionals, and other staff are available to
assist students as mentors if the need arises.
Early Warning Systems
Describe the school’s early warning system and provide a list of
the early warning indicators used the system.
The dominant early warning indicators at OCPS are when a student falls
in the Tier 3 level for behavior and is unable to move up from Bronze level
and may even drop to a Red level, attendance below 85%, one or more
suspensions from either the bus or school, for independent students,
receiving a score of 1 on the statewide Florida State Assessment in
English, Language Arts, or Math, receiving a 2 or below on the FAA for
independent intellectually impaired students.
PreK children scoring
significantly below their chronological age on the COR Advantage: Infant
Toddler Alignment and the Preschool Alignment (Aligns to the NAEYCNational Association for the Education of Young Children standards) and
Kindergarten children scoring significantly below on the COR for
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Kindergarten assessment.
Children in grades 1 and 2 who score
significantly below level on the FAIR would be identified in the warning
system.
Provide the data related to the school’s early warning system.
The number of students by category: PreK, Kindergarten, grades 1-2,
grades 3-5 Florida State Assessment, grades 3-5 FAA, grades 6-8 Florida
State Assessment, grades 6-8 FAA, and low incidence children grades 3-
Describe intervention strategies employed by the school to
improve the academic performance of students identified by the
early warning system (i.e., those exhibiting two or more early
warning indicators
8 on the FAA.
This section will be provided once the school is
operational.
A variety of intervention strategies will be used to improve the academic
performance of students identified by the early warning system.
Our Positive Behavior Support System (PBS) is a proven system that
reduces suspensions and expulsions.
The system has had dramatic
effects with Tier 3 students who have been expelled from the traditional
public schools, have been referred for the Department of Juvenile Justice
(DJJ), have come from the public schools alternative education programs
after being turned away from their home schools and have come to our
program where they have completed a year without suspension or
expulsion. We have remediated students who have been Baker Acted
multiple (up to 85 times) or have been placed in residential treatment
programs and have successfully completed a full year of school without
residential placement and where being Baker Acted was reduced 80%.
We offer free breakfast, lunch and snacks to our students and each
teacher begins their day by making a loaf of home made bread to share
with those who have increased hunger or who may need to take food
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
home. Healthy snacks such as fruit and vegetables are provided multiple
times per week.
Bus transportation is provided on handicapped buses from distances as
far away as 30 miles.
Specially designed schedules are a key strategy to improve performance.
Middle school students all have 2 electives not including art, which is
deemed therapeutic. The adolescent’s day begins with an elective for the
purpose of calming the adrenalin, and enhances the dopamine to prepare
the brain for learning in core subjects. Students are engaged early in the
day in fun, stimulating and active learning where adolescent moods, seen
early in the day area minimized or eliminated. The adolescent’s final
class is always an elective to again attempt to stimulate dopamine prior to
the travel on the bus home. The last 30-45 minutes of the middle school
student's day is loaded with reinforcers they can select from, if they have
earned their daily points. This too helps them to feel good about their
success. The end of the day reinforcement is powerful as it helps the
adolescent learn how to self regulate and learn how to manage self
control so they can earn fun and enjoyable time with their peers.
Elementary K-5 students have a unique schedule in the mornings where
each grade is divided in half during their reading language arts time. Half
the class is then divided in half again into small reading groups where the
teacher and either the SLT or a Para works with a group of 5 or less for
45 min. The half that is not in reading is in Art or movement. After 45
minutes the groups swap.
In the afternoon, the 1-5 graders are
scheduled for STEM 2-3 times per week. The teacher must attend the
STEM room where the Labist functions like a Mr. Wizard and culminates
the science lessons in an entertaining and experience where predicting,
group learning, problem solving and reasoning occurs with laughs,
surprises and gotchas.
The days the students are not in STEM, the
classroom teacher is working with the SLT to teach vocabulary using
context based learning, compare and contrast, chunking into digestible
units, reflecting on learning, practice and deepening knowledge, revising
knowledge, and using homework.
The classroom teacher may also
address the new knowledge in fictional reading activities thus providing
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
numerous contexts to learn the new material and work on literacy skills.
(Design Questions 2 and 3 Marzano) Once the students go to STEM, the
curriculum has been unpacked, taught, reviewed and the student if
prepared for more cognitively complex tasks, hypothesis generating and
testing (Design question 4 Marzano). The Voyager Passport-Houghton
Mifflin (Elementary) and the Voyager Journeys-Houghton Mifflin (Middle)
will be used as a COR reading program as it was developed as a MTSS
option for intervention with children reading below grade level. Thus being
a good fit for our students. Caught Reading (Pearson) is used for the
adolescents at the high intellectual impaired range since this program has
reading for very low level readers but content that is appropriate to their
age level.
We will be exploring the I-Ready computer program as a
supplement for our core reading and math instruction. Structure your
Reading (Ehren) will be used as a systematic rubric for teaching reading
Describe how the school works at building positive relationships
with families to increase involvement, including efforts to
communicate the school’s mission and vision, and keep parents
informed of their child’s progress
and writing to assist our adolescents in improving and developing
strategies that will aid them in advancing on the statewide assessments.
Family and Community Involvement
Title I schools use the Parent Involvement Plan (PIP) to meet the
requirements of 20 U.S.C. 6314(b)(1)(F)
Will the school use its PIP to satisfy this question?
Yes.
All students who are served are disabled and have an IEP. Federal Law
requires that the IEP be visited a minimum of once per year to review the
students present level of performance which includes all testing and
evaluation data, review the previous years goals and set new goals.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Therefore at a minimum of once per year, all children will have a sit down
conference with their child’s team of teachers, therapists, counselors, and
Describe the process by which the school builds and sustains
partnerships with the local community for the purpose of
securing and utilizing resources to support the school and
student achievement.
behavior analysts and receive a comprehensive update. At that meeting,
the parents should provide input as to their goals for their child and any
other issues they might like to discuss.
All members of the Collaborative Leadership Team (CLT) will participate in
community outreach. Board members and PTO members will also be active
participants in forging relationships with community businesses and civic
organizations. Local restaurants, department stores, car dealers, sport teams,
community theaters, museums, amusement parks, attorneys, and physicians, will
be contacted and cultivated to be supporters of the school.
The lOCPS, will link with local churches to be included in an effort to support the
efforts to help keep hunger from having an impact on learning at OCPS. The
coordination this linkage with the churches will be coordinated by the Dir. Of
Marketing and Grants but everyone is a member of this committee.
Effective Leadership
COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM
TITLE
CONTACT
Director of Curriculum/Instruction, Educator
Evaluation Systems, and Student Formative
Evaluations
Director of Positive Behavioral Support (PBS),
Mental Health and Social Services
NAME
OPEN
OPEN
Resource for Physical Rehab-Consultant
Heike Reeves
Resource for Low Incidence Populations
Consultant
Resource for Speech Language, Early
Childhood, Augmentative Communication
(PECS) Consultant
Geni Cablish
Cheryl Miller
[email protected]
org
[email protected]
s.org
[email protected]
org
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Director of PD, Assessment, and Continuous
Quality Monitoring & Improvement (CQMI)
OPEN
Director of Admissions & IEP Compliance
OPEN
Director of HR, Student Admissions, Marketing,
Grants, Internal Audit/Student Finance,
OPEN
Manager of Facilities, Buses, Safety Drills, and
Food Service
OPEN
Chief Executive Officer
Sharon
Comkowycz
[email protected]
ens.org
DUTIES
The Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Educator Evaluator, and
Student Formative Evaluation Coordinator is an instructional leader who
trains, coaches, and assists the educator staff.
This leader oversees the
synergy between OCRC and OCPS. Duties of this position are to ensure the
fidelity of the use of our research-based curriculum, timely and quality formative
assessments of our students to measure periodic progress, educate the teachers
and staff on domain two planning of the Marzano System, and document the use
of highly effective Marzano strategies used in the classroom. All lesson plans will
be submitted to this Leader and reviewed weekly with special attention given to
addressing the Next-Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) and
evidence of transition to Florida Standards (FS). This leader will conduct weekly
classroom walk-throughs and document educator’s teaching performance and
provide immediate feedback, in writing, as to their effectiveness. This Director
reports directly to the Board and is evaluated by the Board.
The Director of Positive Behavioral Support (PBS), mental health, and
social services is a collaborative leader who trains the entire staff on positive
behavioral supports. This leader is responsible for the implementation of a school
wide talk to behavioral support behavioral management system that is threetiered. This Leader must monitor the fidelity of positive reinforcement, points
awarded, reinforcements given, behavior management techniques, facilitating
students to move up the multi tiered reinforcement levels, establishment of highly
motivating reinforcement opportunities, and coordinating the I could get of weekly
data to show individual students progress. For students with severe behavioral
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
issues, this leader will conduct functional behavioral assessments and or discrete
trial behavior measurements to determine the most effective way to manage
these difficult behaviors. More skilled behavioral specialist, Supervised by this
leader, will implement specifically designed behavior management plans. Finally
his leader is responsible for ensuring certification of all professional crisis
management staff and ensuring the fidelity of the implementation of PCM
procedures at the school. For students meeting mental health services this
leader I’ll we will I’ll coordinate mental health services provided by our children’s
prep school or bye A contract service within the community. If a family or student
is in need of social services, this leader will be responsible for coordinating those
services as well.
Consultant for physical rehabilitation services. Many of our low incidence
students require intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy services.
Specialized programs such at hypnotherapy, sensory integration, the need for
prosthetics and orthotics, wheelchair and brace assessments, communication
with other medical professionals, this highly trained leader will manage these
programs and services and act as a consultant to the educational team and
provide input on the students’ IEP.
Consultant for low incidence population. Multi handicapped children with
disabilities require coronation of numerous services. They’re functional and
academic needs Center on activities of daily living, prevocational and vocational
career paths, and social and interpersonal communication. Many of the students
exhibit very mean types of sensory disorders requiring specialized diagnostic
evaluations and individually up individualized program development. Fine motor
skills,
Body
positioning,
Visual
tracking,
I
hand
coronation,
behavior
management, are important factors to consider when designing an educational
plan. Many educators our unfamiliar with the complex needs of the students the
bus benefit greatly from having these specialists readily available in the
classroom to help adapt and prepare the environment for optimum education.
This leader will work to coordinate the intensive interventionists with the ESE
teachers to develop individualized educational plans with in the classroom
environment. The effectiveness of these plans will be documented with the help
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
of this consultant and recorded for communication with the parents and other
medical and educational professionals.
Consultant
for
Speech,
Language
to
Literacy,
Augmentative
Communication (PECS). This leader is unique in that they must be versed in
both high and low incidence children.
High Incidence:
They must possess the knowledge of reading, receptive
language, expressive language, receptive reading, and written language, so they
may consult with the ESE teachers who
teach reading, language arts, social studies, and science to our most
independent children. This consultant works with the Director of Curriculum and
Instruction on helping the ESE teachers and SLPS jointly plan to address the
underpinnings of language and how language will affect the child’s success in
their classroom. The key to our unique model is the collaboration between the
ESE classroom teacher and the speech and language therapist working in a coteaching model where the teacher plans the lessons and the speech and
language therapist unpacks the curriculum and prepares it for preview. This
leader is responsible for facilitating our reading to literacy and science to literacy
collaboration and measuring the efficacy by looking at the children’s increases in
their reading writing, skills both receptively and expressively as measured on
formative and summative evaluation tools.
Low Incidence: This leader must also possess knowledge of research based
Communication systems such as the picture exchange communication system
(PECS) and current electronic resources that open Communication avenues for
these severely communicatively challenged children. Professional development
trainings for parents teachers and school staff Will be court needed by this leader
to help advance the understanding and benefit of augmentative communication
systems for these nonverbal and limited verbal children.
Director of Professional Development, Assessment, and Continuous
Quality Monitoring & Improvement (CQMI): This Leader is responsible for
designing measurement systems to look at the efficacy of our unique programs
and our student’s academic outcomes. Each year, our goal is for our students to
make progress. The amount of progress will vary based on the severity of the
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
child’s disability, the complexity of their disability, and the amount of educational
time the child has been present at school. This Leader will be responsible for
documenting our students aggregate performance in the various academic areas
based on the goals set and the gain from the baseline measures. Rather than
looking at an individual student’s progress, this Leader will be looking at overall
program effectiveness and maintaining the ongoing quality of our programs.
Following each assessment or data collection period, this leader will analyze the
information and determine the overall program success or decline. Action plans
will be developed with the input of the entire Leadership Collaborative where
changes and adjustments in program design or teaching and intensive
intervention methods may be adjusted. The quality of the identified programs
(i.e.: reading, math, STEM to Literacy, reading to Literacy, PBS, PECs,) will be
continuously measured and revised to ensure program improvement. Based on
the action plans and the needs of the staff, Professional Development (PD)
modules will be planned or arranged by this Leader. The PD attendance, goals,
and training outcomes will be documented and stored by this Leader with
submission to the PCSD for CEUs for teacher certification renewal as well as
training hours and certificates for professional license renewal of the therapists.
Test securing, training, managing the test materials and being accountable for
fidelity and security will be the responsibility of this Leader.
Director of Admissions & IEP Compliance: This Leader must have extensive
knowledge of the IEP and staffing process including all Federal Regulations as it
relates to parent and student rights, conformance requirements to keep the IEP
compliant, notification rules, security and safety of the IEP records, legal
knowledge of release of information, HIPPA regulations, and excellent
communication skills to keep the IEP conferences on target, timely, and meeting
the IEP committees needs. This Leader must coordinate all ESE teachers and
therapists prior to the IEP meeting to be sure they have their students present
levels of performance and coach those teachers and therapists to have some
tentative goals ready for the IEP with the knowledge that the goals may be
changed at the conference table. This Leader is responsible for loading IEP data
and demographic data into the counties data system and is knowledgeable of the
counties electronic IEP system. This Leader will coordinate with the Districts
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
LEA representative and schedule IEP initial staffings and 3 years annual reviews.
During the Admissions Process, this Leader will ensure all necessary information
is secured, IEP, academic, medical, mental health, attendance, family history,
parent goals, previous school attendance and outcomes, family dynamics and be
a key member of the student placement committee to provide input as to the best
program placement with our school.
Director
of
HR,
Student
Admissions,
Marketing,
Grants,
Internal
Audit/Student Finance: This leader is responsible for the HR functions of writing
job descriptions with the input of the other Leaders, posting the positions,
working with Career Source on any available grants, checking references for new
hires, reviewing and updating the policy and procedure employee handbook with
the help of the other Leaders, reviewing the policies with all new hires and
conducting quarterly meetings for anyone hired after the first of the year to review
policies, planning PD on mandatory reporting of child
inappropriate actions of
abuse, reporting of
employees in the work environment, dangers and
consequences of abusing Face Book or other social media, training on sexual
harassment in the workplace, assisting the Manager of Safety with planning PD
for fire and other drills, assisting the Director of Admissions with processing
student admissions into the school, maintaining the employee files, ensuring
compliance with the Jessica Lunsford act, facilitating disgruntled parents up the
chain of command and then onto the designated Board liaison should resolution
not occur, ensuring the posting and noticing of all board meetings, ensuring the
sharing with the board financials on a monthly basis along with the annual 990
and audit, writing and monitoring grant opportunities with the help of the entire
Leadership Team, works with the Office Manager on ensuring the Internal
Accounts and audited and properly accounted for when reviewed by the external
auditor, assist the CEO in the selection of the external auditor and help to
prepare for the annual audit. This Leader will work with the CEO to directly
supervise the custodian and maintenance staff, bus drivers, and cafeteria staff (if
any) or any contracted services. This Leader will also work with the CEO and
administrative clerical staff on marketing and helping to make the public aware of
the services and programs of Our Children’s Prep School.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Manager of Facilities, Buses, Safety Drills, and Food Service: This Leader is
the chief Custodian and Maintenance person of the facility and is responsible for
maintaining the property including utilities.
This means this Leader will not
evaluate or directly supervise the custodians but rather will provide input to the
Director of HR and the CEO who will evaluate and directly supervise the facilities
staff, bus drivers, and food service contractors or staff. This Leader will Chair the
Safety committee and conduct monthly drills with fire being conducted twice per
year. Professional development will precede each drill and a written evaluation
and action plan will follow each drill and be stored both electronically and hard
copy. The office secretary at the school will assist this leader in managing those
files.
Other drills are:
intruder X 2 with lockdown, tornado, disaster
preparedness, bomb threat, medical code blue, and power outage. This Leader
will ensure evacuation to an off-site location is feasible over time and this leader
will alert authorities that this is a school for children with special needs and must
be put on the school notification list for emergency preparedness warnings. This
Leader will work with the school nurse, and consultant for physical rehabilitation
on infection control measures and ensure regular cleaning of the floors, carpets,
buses and disinfect the surfaces on a regular basis.
This leader will be
responsible for and work with the CEO on having adequate bus coverage for
drivers and attendants.
This leader will work with the designated bus
maintenance coordinator to ensure all buses are inspected every 30 days,
inspection reports are sent to Bartow, repairs are made in a timely manner,
routine preventative maintenance of the buses occurs according to schedules,
and that the drivers are current with their physicals, driving record checks,
continuing ed., and dexterity tests.
CEO: This leader shares the reporting responsibility to the Board with the
Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Primary duties lie in the administrative
functions related to operations with specific responsibility to finance/budget,
admissions, continuous quality improvement, behavior, safety, transportation,
food service, custodial/maintenance,
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GOALS
Goals Summary
G1.
Student achievement will increase with the implementation of
research-based instructional best practices identified by the Our Children’s
Prep School Board adopted Marzano Framework.
G2. Student achievement will increase when MTSS is implemented with
fidelity.
G3. Student achievement will increase when teachers apply rigorous
standards-based, data driven instruction.
G4. Student achievement will increase when educators implement the PBS
Program with fidelity.
Goals Detail
G1. Student achievement will increase with the implementation of researchbased
Instructional best practices identified by the OCPS Board Marzano
Framework.
Targets Supported
Indicator
Annual Target
% Effective or Highly Effective Teachers/Educators
70%
Resources available to Support the Goal
 Marzano Instructional Framework, Becoming a Reflective Teacher,
iObservation, and Instructional Management System.
Targeted Barriers to Achieving the Goal
 Teachers lack the understanding of how to strategically plan and
implement research-based instructional strategies from Marzano’s
Domain 1 in the Instructional Framework.
G2. Student achievement will increase when MTSS is implemented with
Classroom walk-throughs, informal and formal observations using the
Marzano’s protocols will provide data for progress monitoring each
teacher’s performance in relation to attaining the desired effect of strategies
used and if they are increasing student achievement. Teacher’s Deliberate
Practice Plan will show growth on the use of specific elements in relation to
reaching the desired effect of the element to increase student achievement.
(Initial Deliberate Practice Plan to include PBS Questions 5, 7, & 8 to
address Behavior and Questions 2 and 3 to address acquiring new
knowledge and practice and deepen understanding of new knowledge).
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
fidelity.
Targets Supported
Indicators
Annual Target
AMO Targets Reading – All Students
40%
Resources Available to Support the Goal
 PreK: High Scope, COR Advantage Assessment and (new) COR
Kindergarten Assessment, Progress Monitoring Graphs, Collaborative
Leadership Team (CLT for Intensive Intervention)
 K-2: Formative Assessments available within the Core Curriculum of:
Read Well (Ambien), Voyager Passport (Houghton Mifflin), Touch Math,
Go Math, iReady (Curriculum Associates), digital data notebooks, MTSS
individualized planning, CLT, Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic
Skills (both criterion and standardized assessment), Degrees of Reading
Power (DRP) test, to ID a students strengths and weaknesses
administered in a classroom setting in group or individual, to assess
reading
decoding,
reading
comprehension,
writing,
listening
comprehension and math and the Florida Assessments for Instruction in
Reading (FAIR) assessment as an annual monitoring tool for reading.
 3-5: Formative Assessments available within the Core Curriculum of:
Voyager Passport, Go Math, Brigance, DRP, and FAIR, iReady, digital
data notebooks, MTSS individualized planning, Collaborative Leadership
Team.
 6-8” Formative Assessments available within the Core Curriculum of:
Voyager Passport and Journey’s, Structure Your Reading, Go Math,
Degrees of Reading Power, Brisance, and FAIR and middle school math
curriculum for pre-algebra, algebra, ready, digital data notebooks, MTSS
individualized planning, Collaborative Leadership Team,
Targeted Barriers to Achieving the Goal
 There is a need for a school-wide understanding of progress monitoring,
analyzing, and disaggregating data to drive instruction.
Analyze progress monitoring data at bi-weekly or monthly data chat meetings
and through the digital data notebooks using Google to determine if teacher
implementation of formative assessments of reading gains using developmental
checklists that align with the High Scope Curriculum, or formative assessments
contained in the core curriculum of Read Well, Voyager Passport, Touch Math,
Go Math and Voyager Journeys as these curriculum have research to show
increased Tier II and Tier III student achievement, and other criterion based
assesments such as DRP, FAIR, and Brigance.
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G3. Student achievement will increase when teachers apply rigorous standardsbased, data-driven instruction.
Targets Supported
Indicator
Annual Target
AMO Targets Reading or Language Development (pre-read) – All Students
40%
Resources Available to Support the Goal

Language Development (NAEYC Standards), Language Arts Florida
Standards, Mathematics Florida Standards, Next Generation Sunshine
State Science Standards, Next Generation Sunshine State Social Studies
Standards, FSA Test Items Specifications, Florida Alternate Achievement,
Marzano Instructional Framework, Progress Monitoring Assessments,
MTSS, and IEP.
Targeted Barriers to Achieving the Goal

Teachers’ lack of understanding on how to effectively applies relevant
student data to their instruction.
Observation Data, lesson plans, digital data notebooks, and progress
reports/report cards.
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G4. Student achievement will increase when educators implement the PBS
Program with fidelity.
Targets Supported
Indicator
Annual Target
AMO Targets Reading and Language Development (pre-read) – All students
40%
Resources Available to Support the Goal

Our Children’s School-wide Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) WORKER program, Marzano Instructional Framework, PBS data collection and
aggregate data, Language Development (NAEYC Standards), Language
Arts Florida Standards, Mathematics Florida Standards, Next Generation
Sunshine State Science Standards, Next Generation Sunshine State
Social Studies Standards, FSA Test Items Specifications, Florida
Alternate Achievement, Functional Behavior Assessment, Functional
Behavior Plan, Progress Monitoring Assessments, MTSS, and IEP.
Targeted Barriers to Achieving the Goal

Teachers and Educators lack of understanding on how to effectively
implement positive behavior intervention strategies and properly
implement the school-wide PBS program and apply relevant behavior
strategies to regulate and “ready” students for learning.
Behavior outcome data,
reports/report cards.
educator
implementation
data,
and
progress
Action Plan for Improvement of School Improvement Goals
Problem Solving Key
G = Goal
B = Barrier
S = Strategy
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G1. Student achievement will increase with the implementation of researchbased instructional best practices identified by the OCPS Board adopted
Marzano Framework.
G1.B1 Teachers lack the understanding of how to strategically plan and
implement research- based instruction strategies from Marzano’s Domain 1 in
the instructional framework.
G1.B1.S1. Professional Development will be provided on Domain 1 of the
Marzano Framework.
Strategy Rationale
Educators will understand each element and how to use strategies
to teach the desired effect of each element to increase student
achievement. Special emphasis will be placed on Lesson
Segment Addressing Content (Design Questions 2 & 3)
The Collaborative Leadership Team (CLT) will coordinate a professional
development calendar to include professional development on implementation for
Domain 1 of the Marzano Instructional Framework and Deliberate Practice.
The Collaborative Leadership Team (CLT) will provide opportunities to coach,
model, and give feedback to all instructional staff using the Marzano Framework
of research-based best instructional practices.
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Bi-weekly walk through observations, informal observations, and formal
observations using the protocols from Marzano’s Instructional Framework
will be scheduled.
The Collaborative Leadership Team (CLT) will use classroom observation
data to determine which elements from Design Questions 2 and 3 need
the most support for additional professional development. Deliberate
Practice plans will provide a focus for professional development (PD) on
particular elements for the High Incidence student population and PD on
the Deliberate Practice for the Low Incidence student population of PECs.
G1.B1.S1. Leadership Team members will provide grade level support for high
incidence and low incidence level support during PLC and common planning for
teachers to strategically plan for using the research-based instructional
strategies.
Strategy Rationale
Educators will understand the importance and process of planning to use
research-based instructional strategies to increase student achievement.
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The Collaborative Leadership Team (CLT) will attend PLC and common planning
meetings to ensure educators are strategically and appropriately planning
strategies from the Marzano Instructional Framework.
CLT members will attend PLC and common planning meetings to ensure teacher
are planning with the Marzano strategies. The CLT will schedule meetings to
discuss the fidelity of implementation on each grade level for High Incidence and
functioning level for Low Incidence Students. CLT members will rotate biweekly
walk-throughs to monitor instruction and lesson plans.
Walk through observations, informal observations, and formal observations will
be scheduled.
G2. Student achievement will increase when MTSS is implemented with fidelity.
G2.B2.S1. There is need for a school-wide understanding of progress
monitoring, analyzing and disaggregating data to drive instruction.
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G2.B1.S1. Professional development on progress monitoring, analyzing,
and disaggregating data to drive instruction.
Strategic Rationale
When educators have the knowledge on how to use data for instructional
decisions, their students’ instruction will be centered on database needs.
The Collaborative Leadership Team (CLT) will attend PLC and common
planning meetings to ensure educators are strategically and appropriately
planning strategies from the Marzano Instructional Framework.
Monthly data chat meetings, discussions, and databased decisions will be
observed for Educators ability to analyze data.
Walk through observations, informal observations, and formal observations will
be scheduled.
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G3. Student achievement will increase when teachers apply rigorous standardsbased, data driven instruction.
G3.B1. Educator’s lack of understanding on how to effectively apply relevant
student data to their instruction.
G3.B1.S1. The CLT representative and coaches will meet weekly with
PLC/common planning teams to support the teams in developing rigorous
instructional plans based on standards and current student data.
Strategy Rationale
With the guidance and support of the coaches and administration, teams
will learn how to develop rigorous standards-based and data –driven
instruction.
PLC/common planning meetings will be held weekly, on Tuesdays, with
an assigned leadership team representative.
Data chat meetings will be held bi-weekly/monthly, on Thursdays, with the
leadership team to review student data.
Plan to Monitor Fidelity of Implementation of G3.B1.S1
iObservation data, lesson plans, digital data notebooks, and progress
reports/report cards
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iObservation data, lesson plans, digital data notebooks, and progress
reports/report cards
G4. Student achievement will increase when educators implement the Positive
Behavior Support (PBS) Program with fidelity.
G4.B1. Educator’s lack of understanding on how to implement Applied
Behavioral Analysis strategies effectively and to collect and analyze student
behavioral data to improve their classroom climate and improve student
instructional learning.
G4.B1.S1. The Director of Positive Behavior Supports will provide PD on
the school-wide PBS WORK-ER program, the importance of powerful
reinforcers, how to progress monitor by analyzing and disaggregating
data to drive behavior management in the classroom.
G4.B1.S2.The Director of PBS and other certified Professional Crisis
Management trainers, will ensure that all PCM certified staff with have the
required PD to re-certify and all new staff identified as being a good
candidate for PCM training will receive the required PD to become PCM
certified.
Strategy Rationale
When educators and school-wide staff have the knowledge of how to
implement the PBS program, provide intrinsic
and
extrinsic
motivators that are individualized for the student, create a classroom
climate that is safe, fun, and respectful, while setting clearly defined
limits thus giving the student clear direction on how to move up within the
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PBS program so “good things come their way”, students are regulated
and ready to learn.
The Positive Behavior Support Team will coordinate professional
development on the school-wide PBS WORK-ER program. The
importance of powerful reinforcers, how to progress monitor by analyzing
and disaggregating data to drive behavior management in the classroom
will be the focus.
Collect daily WORK behavior sheets and aggregate the data to track and trend
students behavior with special attention on Tier III and some Tier II students or
students who have shown recent movement downward on their Levels.
The Professional Behavior Support (PBS) program will use classroom
observation data to determine which elements from Design Questions 5,
6, and 7 at what elements need the most support for additional
professional development. Deliberate Practice will be centered on PBS
and Marzano. Plans will provide a focus for professional development on
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particular elements for the High Incidence student population and PD on
the Deliberate Practice for the Low Incidence student population where
visual supports such as PECs, visual schedules, etc., become priority
with those children.
The PBS team will conduct quality control observations of the implementation of
Professional Crisis Management (PCM) is necessary to maintain the safety and
protection of the student and other staff while ensuring the effectiveness of the
PCM program.
The Professional Behavior Support (PBS) program will use classroom
observation data to determine which elements from Design Questions 5,
6, and 7 at what elements need the most support for additional
professional development. Deliberate Practice will be centered on PBS
and Marzano. Plans will provide a focus for professional development on
particular elements for the High Incidence student population and PD on
the Deliberate Practice for the Low Incidence student population where
visual supports such as PECs, visual schedules, and other visual
supports become priority with children.
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Professional Development
Professional Development activities identified in the strategy sections to reduce
barriers to a goal will be provided.
Professional Development Table will be outlined in the future.
Technical Assistance
For each technical assistance activity identified in Part II as a strategy to
eliminate or reduce a barrier to a goal provide the following information:
Technical Assistance Table coming after Strategic Planning.
Budget Rollup
Budget summary data is evident in the presented 5-year projection budget.
Specific Budget Rollup Table will follow Strategic planning.
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Section 6: Exceptional Students
A. Please indicate the level of service that the school will provide to
students with disabilities by selecting from the list below.
The list from which we are to select the level of service we plan to provide is NA.
This entire document speaks to the fact that our School will provide services to
all levels of ESE students as young as 12 months of age and as old as 8th grade.
All children must have an IEP or FSP (younger than 3 years of age). PreK
students will typically have a diagnosis of developmentally delayed. There is no
minimum matrix level that would exclude a child from admission to the school as
this is a school of choice. Frequently a child may have a low matrix but have
severe problems that were not identified due to bogged down RTI processes or
because the children are so withdrawn of overly verbose thus giving teachers a
misconception of their abilities.
B. Describe how the school will ensure that students with disabilities
will have an equal opportunity of being selected for enrollment in the
charter school.
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc., will serve 100% children and adolescents with
disabilities.
C. Describe how the school will work with the sponsor to ensure the
charter school is the appropriate placement for each student with a
disability, based on the student’s needs.
The School will conduct all transitional/transfer with a staffing specialist employed
by and trained by the District. This staffing specialist will ensure that not only are
our students properly placed, that person will ensure that we conform to all the
rules and regulations set forth by the federal government and state of Florida as
it relates to assigning the proper matrix, conducting timely annual reviews, and
re-evaluations while conforming to the parent/guardian and child rights. Since
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OCPS will not be involved in the initial placement which requires following the
sometimes arduous RTI process, staff at OCPS will be involved in re-evaluations,
and addition of programs such as speech or occupational therapy for children
who needed those services but they were not available at their home school.
OCPS would lend their expertise and availability to the sponsor should they with
to utilize their skills with any students within the school district.
D. Describe how the school will utilize the regular school facilities and
adapt them to the needs of the exceptional students to the maximum
extent appropriate, including the use of supplementary aids and
services.
The actual facility we plan to use is ADA accessible and needs no adaptation.
Classroom sizes are large and hallways wide to allow for specialized equipment
to be used. Our staffing of paraprofessionals is comprehensive with a 3 to 1 ratio
for our 254 and 255 students. At OCPS, we do not typically staff for one-on-one
paras. At times a child may need one-on-one supervision or attention but we
quickly fade that amount of dependence to avoid the child being reinforced and
becoming prompt dependent. Adaptive equipment is used on a regular basis to
assist our students when needed.
E. Describe how the school’s effectiveness in serving exceptional
education students will be evaluated.
Detail plan in Section 5: School Improvement Plan
F. Explain how exceptional students who enter the school below grade
level will be engaged in and benefit from the curriculum.
All students who enter the school will be exceptional students and because of
that fact, the curriculum selected for PreK, Elementary, Middle, high incidence
and low incidence students was selected based on what was designed for
children with special needs. Baseline assessments will determine their initial
level of performance with quarterly developmental (low incidence) criterion
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referenced and standardized (high incidence) assessments administered to track
progress on individual students and in the aggregate.
Frequent Formative
Assessments will be administered to determine achievement of the Florida State
Standards (FSS).
G. Provide the school’s projected population of students with
disabilities and describe how the projection was made.
Since the entire school is 100% ESE, the answer to this query can be found in
Section 2 and throughout this application. OCPS serves a broad and wide range
of disabilities stretching from low incidence to high incidence students, thus the
reason for the highly trained staff. We have students taking the FSA and the
FAA. We have ambulatory and non-ambulatory students.
H. Identify the staffing plan, based on the above projection, for the
school’s special education program, including the number and
qualifications of staff.
See section 10: Management for the staffing plan. See the budget and staff
rollout for the number of teachers and paraprofessionals planned to work with the
children enrolled. Low incidence students staffed at a ratio of 3 students to 1
adult and high incidence students at 6-7 students to 1 adult in the Elementary
and 8-10 students to 1 adult for the middle and high school students.
I.
Describe how the school will serve gifted and talented students.
The school does not intend to work with any gifted or talented students.
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Section 7: English Language Learners
A. Describe how the school will comply with state and federal
requirements for serving English language learners, including the
procedures that will be utilized for identifying such students and
providing support services.
All students who attend the school for the first time will be given a home
language survey at the time of registration and assisted with completing that
survey by school personnel.
As part of the initial registration packet, each
student receives a Home Language Survey form. This form is written in three
languages (English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole) and is available in 8 languages
through on line translation software.
The survey is collected by the Admissions Department at the school and
reviewed. Any student with a “yes” response to one or more questions on the
HLS will be assessed for ESOL program eligibility within 20 school days or 30
calendar days. Since our school will be a school for children with special needs
and 98 % of our students are expected to have language deficits related to a
disability in their native language as well as English, they will need to be
assessed in Spanish (or their native language using a translator) as well to
determine their degree of language competency in their native language. Once a
parent/guardian answers “yes” to any of the survey questions, the ESOL contact
at the school site is responsible to provide the parents with information regarding
the ESOL program as well as the language impaired program and the parent will
be asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their child’s communication skills
in their native language. If the parent documents that the child’s communication
skills are significantly delayed in their native language and they have significant
difficulty understanding, speaking, and writing in their native language, the PCSB
district will be notified that our school has a child whose parents completed the
HLS with an answer of a “yes” but that the child has significant disabilities that
have resulted in language deficits in both his native language and English.
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Rather than test the child in English where his competency would be such that
we would get little information, we would work with the District to plan an
individualized approach for determining the child’s eligibility for ESOL or
Language Impaired program.
The intervention for the Language Impaired
program could be similar to ESOL but with more in-depth attention given to
language and communication skills needed to rehabilitate the disability and thus
enhance the child’s comprehension of English in the process.
If the District decides that the child’s disability is not served enough to warrant a
language assessment in the child’s native language only and wishes to have the
child assessed in English, the ESOL protocol would be to administer the IDEA
Oral Language Proficiency (IPT) Oral Test. If a child in grades 3-12 tests fluent
on this test, they must be given the IPT Reading/Writing Test within the next 20
school days.
Students with “No” answers to ALL questions on the HLS are immediately not
admitted into the ESOL program and the HLS is filed in the student’s cumulative
record file.
When information has been collected, the school terminal operator enters all
information into the student information services database.
Because of the complexity of our students and the interplay between a child’s
English as a Second Language issues vs. Language Impaired or Language
Disabled status, the school would call the ESOL District experts to work with our
speech and language professionals to collaborate and engage in a differential
diagnosis on a case by case basis when the presence or not of ESOL eligibility
exists.
To ensure conformance with the implementation of the federal and state law as it
relates to the ESOL program, the school will administer the HLS for all students
enrolled if they have not previously completed the survey at a previous school
and we do not have a copy. Once the survey is complete, that information will be
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entered into the District’s database so tracking of the next phase of assessment
can be done by the ESOL department at the District.
Our school’s English Language Learner (ELL) Committee will be the IEP staffing
committee through the Admissions and IEP compliance Director’s office.
An
ESOL speech and language therapist, and an ESOL paraprofessional will be
standing members of this committee along with the child’s teacher and other
professionals serving the child.
Parents will receive all program forms in their native language when feasible.
B. Identify the staffing plan for the school’s English language learner
program, including the number and qualifications of staff.
OCPS would be a separate Day School where the students are served in the
same manner throughout the day. They receive their language arts curriculum
specially designed very much like an ESOL child’s program design because 98
% of our students are language impaired in English, their native language.
Therefore all the strategies teachers learn to use with non English learners are
incorporated already into the school’s curriculum such as cooperative learning,
flexible scheduling, cross-age tutoring, interest centers, use of manipulatives and
visual
supports,
direct
instruction
in
reading,
small
group
instruction,
developmental writing, gesturing, additional non verbal cues, talking in shorter
sentences and at a slower more deliberate pace, over articulating to be sure the
clarity of the sounds can be discriminated for the child, and other research based
best practices. Both ELL and non-ELL students would be served together. All
instruction is aligned to the NG Florida SSS, Course Descriptions, Curriculum
Framework, and Core Curriculum.
Teachers are required to obtain the ESOL endorsement, and are considered out
of field if they are working with an ELL student. The fact is that the ELL children
will receive the services and accommodations they need from their IEP. The
funding from the FEFP for their program needs will come from their IEP. If they
are a child who is raised in a home where English is not the primary language,
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and they have a disability thus warranting their attendance at Our Children’s,
their ESOL needs will be met and if they need to be labeled ELL for federal
compliance, we will do so and have people on staff with the ESOL certification to
meet the federal ESOL requirements. The school will also adopt and follow the
District’s ELL Plan to ensure compliance with Federal and State ELL laws.
C. Explain how ELL who enters the school below grade level will be
engaged in and benefit from the curriculum.
The ELL child who would be an ESE child will be evaluated to determine their
academic level of functioning in reading an math in their native language, if
Spanish by a Spanish evaluator, and if in another language through an
interpreter. These assessments, (SEE OUR SIP PLAN) are conducted three
times per year beginning with baseline assessments. The educators will plan
lessons based on the students’ level of performance and learning styles, and
consideration is given to their other interfering behaviors. Student progress is
monitored, documented, reported, celebrated, and shared with the parent(s).
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Section 8: School Climate and Discipline
Our Children’s Prep School
Positive Behavior Support Program (PBS)
The aim of Our Children’s is to build therapeutic environments in which positive
behavior is recognized, encouraged, and attended to far more frequently than
unwanted behavior is provided attention. The Leadership team recognizes that
research based forms of positive reinforcement supports learning and builds
stronger, positive relationships between staff and students. This ultimately leads
to greater potential for learning and greater academic and therapeutic progress.
The complex nature and diverse exceptionalities that our students present
require that they be provided with an individual track upon which that student’s
goals should be developed and assessed. Students are typically grouped
together with others that demonstrate similar developmental levels, similar
abilities, and are within an acceptable social range of chronological age.
However, the complex inter-dynamics between social relationships and our
students’ exceptionalities create a relationship that significantly affects the
working attitude of the student. Thus, it is important to invest a holistic and
therapeutic approach to the behavior of the student in order to maximize learning
opportunities while minimizing attention to unwanted behavior and reducing
utilization of traditional punitive measures typically employed by school systems.
The Director of Positive Behavior Supports (PBS), typically served by a Board
Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) or Behavior Specialist, will lead the Behavior
Department at Our Children’s. The Director of PBS oversees all programming,
supervises all department members, and handles the administrative functions of
the legal, ethical, and fiscal responsibilities of the behavior analyst according to
the Behavior Analysis Certification Board and the mission of Our Children’s Prep
School. The Director is assisted by the Board Certified assistant Behavior
Analyst (BCaBA), who is responsible for program writing, implementation, and
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evaluation of staff with respect to student behavior. In addition, Registered
Behavior Technicians (RBT) will be responsible for overseeing daily data
collection in the classrooms. RBT(s) will also be responsible for program
implementation, assessment and evaluation of program data, communication
and collaboration between classroom staff and behavior staff, and for ongoing
modeling and evaluation of the proactive strategies used to prevent problem
behavior in the classroom.
Our Children’s Classroom model of Behavior management has been developed
to include: motivational strategies providing differential reinforcement of desired
replacement skills, including academic, social, interpersonal, and stress
management coping skills; crisis prevention strategies, crisis intervention
strategies, crisis de-escalation strategies and post crises strategies. These
components, in addition to the extensive staff training that is provided to
employees, together form a comprehensive, well-rounded approach towards
management of classroom behavior.
A.
Desscribe
the
school’s
planned
approach
to
classroom
management and student discipline.
There are many tiers of the school-wide behavior program. The components are
listed as follows:
1. Positive Reinforcement systems (point system, School Store, Level
system, classroom systems, middle school social rewards)
2. Staff Training (PCM, Mini Behavior Training)
3. Professional Crisis Management
4. Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy
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Positive Reinforcement Systems
Point System
In order to foster positive behavior change, Our Children’s will use a point system
to provide differential reinforcement of desired behavior. This point system is
based on a fixed-interval schedule of 30-minute segments. At the start of the
school day, students are each provided with a data sheet that contains a grid
with spaces where students can score their own progress using either a (+5), (0),
or (-10). Students who remain on task and meet the expectations earn (+5)
points, students who do not perform the required expectation are awarded no (0)
points, and students who have engaged in dangerous or significant behavioral
issues earn (-10) points for each instance. Each column represents a 30-minute
segment, and in each column the four areas of the “W.O.R.K” acronym are
evaluated to decide which of the above scores the student has earned. Students
have the opportunity to earn up to 20 points total per 30-minute segment. The
Acronym “W.O.R.K.” is used to help students remember what the expectations of
their behavior are. “W” stands for “Watch”, which denotes that a student has
been observing the instruction being provided in the classroom; “On-Task” (O)
indicates that a student has remained in the classroom and has completed the
assignment, “Respect” (R) which requires that a student refrains from dangerous
behavior and maintains respectful behavior towards equipment and materials
within the classroom, and “Kind Words” (K), which indicates that a student used
kind words and appropriate language to communicate with staff and peers.
Scores are provided solely on the observable performance of the student.
Elementary school students can earn up to 260 pts. daily. Middle and High
school students can earn up to 220 pts. daily.
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Types of Reinforcement Available
MONTHLY
Once a month, students who demonstrate positive behavior are invited to
participate in a field trip. Field trips may include educational activities, occupation
activities, and recreational activities. Students are invited to participate heavily on
their behavior. If a student is able to demonstrate safe behavior, there is a much
greater opportunity for participation.
WEEKLY
School Store
At the end of the week, students’ daily point sheets are entered into the
computer. The total amount is computed weekly and students can then be used
to purchase items of choice at the school store. Items such as snacks, toys,
school supplies, gift cards, and electronic accessories are available at the school
store. Store items are priced based so that there is a greater effort and amount of
points required for the most highly preferred items and most expensive items.
Each student leaves the store with some type of reward.
Special Activities
On Wednesdays or Thursdays, students are invited to participate in special
activities, often sponsored by organizations within the community. Youth groups,
the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, as well as local businesses are contacted to
arrange activities on the school campus. Students are permitted to participate
based upon behavior and ability to refrain from dangerous behavior.
DAILY
In addition to weekly events and school store events, teachers are still required
to have a proactive behavior management system within the classroom. Some of
the expectations of staff members involve the following concepts of intervention:
1. Visual supports: calendars, rules, picture schedules, posted expectations,
token boards
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2. Point sheets
3. Setting consequential expectations for students
4. Positive interactions: praise statements and ignoring “inconsequential
assault”
5. Promoting coping skills
GRADES PK-2
Student data that is collected entails semi-hourly assessment of behavior through
the W.O.R.K. pneumonic, which is then totaled and compared to the required
percentage in order to achieve the opportunity to select a social outing of their
choice.
In the young elementary classrooms, a daily treasure box is used to motivate the
students to achieve success. Students are provided with a “token” that serves as
a visual display for their daily progress. As students move closer to their goal,
their visual token moves toward the prize. At the end of the school day, students
who have reached the overall goal of 80% of the total points earn the opportunity
to select a prize from the treasure box. The treasure box contains toys, edible
snacks, and school supplies.
GRADES 3-5
In the middle and upper elementary classes, students are permitted to earn
special rewards during an allotted free period at the end of the school day. Based
upon the number of points students’ have earned throughout the day, students
who have earned the greatest number of points are given priority selection. At
the end of the day, students’ points are totaled and these points can then be
used for access to clubs and special activities. Students must achieve a
minimum of 180 points in order to earn the selection of their choice. Students that
earn less than 180 pts. are required to attend a study hall.
GRADES 6-8
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Middle school students are required to earn a minimum of 180 pts. before they
can earn access to a reward activity. Events and social clubs are available to
students during the last 45 minutes of the school day, in order to provide
additional sources for motivation to middle and high school students. Research
supports that the social reinforcement tends to become more effective as a
reinforcer as age increases with respect to motivational supports for adolescents.
Thus, the material and edibles of the school store may not be sufficient to sustain
the motivation and participation of adolescent students, but with the addition of
social activities, there is a maximized potential for success. Examples of rewards
activities include social clubs such as football club, the dance club, the choir, and
the art club. These activities are led by staff members and include less structured
activities that promote social involvement between students. In this way, student
rewards become opportunities to practice interpersonal social skills, including
social pragmatics, coping skills, and cooperative group play.
Staff Training
The inverse relationship between academics and behavior requires that the staff
of Our Children’s be extensively trained with therapeutic methods and terms to
manage
unwanted
behavior
in
order
to
optimize
students’
academic
achievement. In addition to the behavior department, all staff members are
offered the opportunity to obtain several different types of training. All employees
are recommended to pursue certification as a Practitioner in Professional Crisis
Management training. Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) training
is offered to help manage effective communication with students that have limited
verbal abilities. Basic behavior trainings are also provided to staff and include,
but are not limited to some of the following basic behavior concepts within the
classroom such as: arrangement of physical setting, utilization of supports (i.e.
token boards, classroom rules, picture schedules) and clear division of classroom
areas; using positive interaction between staff and student by utilizing positive,
descriptive praise statements, minimizing attention to insignificant, unwanted
behavior, and keeping activities, short, simple, and interactive; using engaging
materials and curriculum, setting expectations and providing consequential
rewards of such behavior; redirection of problem behavior, and positive
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reinforcement of replacement skills. These skills also fall in line with the
guidelines of the Marzano methodology of curriculum, instruction, and classroom
behavior management.
With proper training and support from the behavior analyst, teachers are required
to implement and monitor classroom behavior management systems, develop
intensive plans of action, plan and organize activities, and collect data regarding
student’s behavioral progress. The role of the paraprofessional is to provide
reinforcement during large group academic and therapeutic activities, assist with
data collection, facilitate small group activities, and assist with planning special
rewards and events for students who have demonstrated positive behavior. The
roles of both the classroom teacher and the paraprofessional serve as a unit.
Together with the co-instruction of the speech therapist, the likelihood for crisis
behavior is minimized, and the potential for success maximized.
Professional Crisis Management
When students engage in dangerous behavior in the classroom, such as physical
aggression, property destruction, elopement, verbal assault, and other
aggressive activity, staff members first indicate that there is an issue by restating
an expectation to the student via verbal prompting. Next, if the student continues
to persist with unwanted behavior, the infraction should be indicated on the point
sheet. If the behavior continues to escalate, the paraprofessional in the
classroom should then consult with the behavior specialist to determine if
different crises prevention measures should be employed. If all efforts to deescalate the potential crisis have been attempted with no success, then crisis
management procedures should be utilized. Restraint should only follow
instances of continuous aggression, high magnitude disruption, continuous
destruction of property, and continuous self-injurious behavior. If restraint is
unsuccessful and the behavior is unable to be managed within the crisis
management system, then law enforcement must be notified. In essence,
significant and challenging behavior is managed within the school day and the
student is the permitted to return to class without punitive consequences, unless
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the behavior is intense, deemed as an infraction according to the PCSB policies
and procedures, since it is related to illegal activity.
Applied Behavior Analysis Therapies
Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support
The school wide behavior system is built into each classroom environment. All
staff is trained to implement basic behavior tools. In addition, 80% of the staff
obtain and maintain certification as a Level 2 Practitioner of Professional Crisis
Management. Training is completed with the passing of a written and practical
exam.
The school-wide behavior point system training is conducted in the start of the
school year. Staff is required to learn the tiers of the point system, and to provide
students with points based upon their performance. Upon completion of this
training, teachers and paraprofessionals are expected to administer, monitor, and
record behavioral progress. Data collection will occur in 30-minute intervals.
Several types of data will be recorded. First, the point sheet will contain numerals
representing the student’s behavioral progress throughout the day. The number
of (-10) indications represents the number of major violations that have occurred
within the school day. The total number of points reflects the amount of work that
is being completed by students, and whether or not they have been meeting the
requirements of the W.O.R.K. acronym. Next, the number of point earned over a
week’s time is entered into a spreadsheet, which develops a graphical display of
major behavior violations vs. date and number of points earned vs. date. Other
data measures include the number of physical restraints provided to students
over time, as measured by the number of manual restraint forms that have been
completed.
For students that do not respond consistently towards the school wide positive
behavior system, a more intensive intervention may be needed. Students who
have engaged in intense, repetitive, or aggressive and “at risk” behavior, the
leadership team may require that a conference be scheduled and a plan of action
be established. The Behavior Analyst will then develop a behavior contract
between students’ and their parents, therapists, teachers, support staff, and any
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other individuals that contribute to the student’s learning environment. In the
event that this occurs, specific guidelines must be developed related to the
student’s behavior, as well as consequences for each of the potential options.
If the behavior continues to persist, over time, and the student is still not making
progress towards the desired outcomes, as stated by the behavior contract, the
PCSB website should be referenced to determine if suspension or expulsion may
be deemed necessary.
If the Collaborative Leadership Partnership, the
administrative decision maker at the school decide that a student should be
expelled, the Director of PBS will contact the PCSB and parents to discuss the
case, determine an action plan to best manage the student and their behavior
demands.
Discrete Trial Teaching
For students that require a more intensive academic intervention related to
behavior, discrete trial teaching is a type of behavior intervention. It is the method
by which skills are taught to an individual using a very consistent, systematic
sequence of events in order to enhance the likelihood that the learner will be
successful in responding. Discrete trial teaching, or DTT, can be useful when
teaching academic skills, daily living skills, social skills, and many other
concepts. The consistency, the sequence, and the simplicity all facilitate for great
success in the learner. Students that have limited verbal abilities often benefit
from DTT in order to gain the prerequisite skills necessary to be successful in the
group setting.
The discrete trial is made up of four basic components, as listed:
1.) The instruction
2.) The child’s response
3.) The consequence
4.) The reinforcer
Our Children’s Prep School
Classroom Behavior Management
Ecological Pre-Assessment
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Conducted By: _______________________________________
Classroom Name: _____________________________________
Physical Setting
_____ 1. Arrangement of classroom promotes easy movement
_____ 2. Clear separation of areas and centers
_____ 3. Designated break or “cool down” area
_____ 4. Classroom facilitates support
____A. Visual Schedule Posted
____B. Expectations Posted
____C. PECS or Visual Supports
____D. Timer or clock present
_____ 5. Classroom is visually stimulating and pleasant
Social Setting
_____ 1. Teacher and Paraprofessional move about the classroom
_____ 2. Staff works to develop & maintain a positive relationship with
students
_____ A. Utilizes positive, descriptive praise statements
_____ B. Enthusiastic and genuine about students’ achievements
_____ C. Avoids coercion
______i. Arguing
______ii. Bargaining
______iii. Logic
______iv. Criticism
_____ 3. Staff minimizes attention to “junk” behavior
_____ 4. Number of students in this setting appropriate for its physical size
Curriculum Instruction and Activities
_____ 1. There are appropriate materials and books for the students
_____ 2. Instruction is provided in small group and individual setting
_____ 3. Social skills and daily living skills are incorporated into teaching
Routine and Schedule
_____ 1. Classroom routines, schedules, and behavioral expectations posted
in an area that can be accessible and easily manipulated by students
_____ 2. Students are provided with expectations prior to transitions between
tasks and places
_____ 3. Behavioral expectations and simple and clear
_____ 4. Staff provides appropriate consequences following student behavior
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Our Children’s Prep School
Student Personal Electronic Device Policy
Disclaimer: Our Children’s, its staff members or other representatives will
not be held responsible for the loss, damage, or theft of a student’s
personal electronic device. Our Children’s will not be held responsible for
determining the ownership of an electronic device that is on loan from
student to student. The leadership team reserves the right to alter this
policy to accommodate a student’s specific disability.
Dear Parents and Teachers,
Students may earn the privilege to keep electronic devices in their possession
during the regular school day. In order to earn access to electronics, students
must maintain the behavioral expectations and refrain from dangerous behavior.
Electronic devices include phones, iPads, iPods, blackberries, music players and
other similar equipment. The student behavioral expectations of students for Our
Children’s Prep School are as follows:
1. My job is to learn. I will be on time for class and complete all assignments.
2. I will remain safe to others and myself. I will refrain from aggression and
dangerous behavior.
3. I will respectfully seek adult assistance when I need help.
4. If I am upset, I will use my coping skills. Staff will remind me what I should do if
I need help.
Major Violations:
Physical Aggression: behavior that is intended to cause injury or harm to another
individual
Property Destruction: damage to the physical environment (Over $50)
Self-Injurious Behavior: behavior that may cause injury to self, including misuse
of substances and objects
High-Magnitude Continuous Disruption: behavior that is disruptive to the learning
environment of the student himself and others
Elopement from the School Building
Theft
***Law enforcement will be notified if the following events occur: student brings a
weapon, uses an item as a weapon or illegal drugs to school.
Minor Violations:
Verbal Aggression (2 warnings given): Making threats to staff or peers to do
harm or threaten a person’s safety. This also includes but is not limited to
excessive profanity and “ripping” other students self esteem down.
Elopement from Classroom (right outside classroom): student must be within
eyesight of the front door
Sleeping in Class
Refusing to Complete Assignments
Property destruction: damage to the environment that is less than $50 in value
(i.e., swiping desks and chairs, kicking furniture)
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Disrespectful to Staff (2 warnings given): talking back and arguing with staff after
being redirected
Electronics Use:
1. Students must earn access to electronic privileges by maintaining positive
behavior and refraining from dangerous behavior. Please refer to the above listed
expectations. Students must achieve level Silver in order to access electronics at
2:30 p.m. and on Level Gold have earned the privilege to keep electronics on
them throughout the day
2. The devices must remain out of sight during instructional time AND be turned
off OR on a silent mode. Students may NOT access the device through the use
of earphones during instructional time.
3. Students may use personal electronic devices during free time as specifically
identified by the teacher (i.e. lunch, after work is satisfactorily completed, during
earned breaks) or for educational purposes specified by the teacher (i.e. to
complete educational research or activities). Students may not determine on
their own if it is an appropriate time to use their devices. Students found to
be in violation of appropriate use of electronic device as defined below will be
sent to the office to turn their device in for the day.
4. Inappropriate use of the electronic device includes but is not limited to:
accessing inappropriate websites as determined by school staff, playing music or
sounds loud enough to disturb others, failure to comply to requests concerning
the device, taking pictures of other students, video recording during the school
day without express staff permission, playing games that are deemed
inappropriate by school staff, and causing a disruption to the education process
with the device.
Consequences:
Our Children’s Prep School will institute the following discipline schedule for
violation of the electronics policy:
1st Offense: The student will receive a verbal warning to put the
electronic device away
2nd Offense: If the student fails to respond to the verbal warning or uses
the electronic device again during the class period, the student will be
given a (-10) designation on their point card under the “On Task” area (In
addition to the major violation) and a note will be made on the point card.
3rd Offense: The third time during the class period that the student
violates the electronic policy; the student will be sent to the front office to
turn in the device. An incident report will be completed to document the
failure to comply with policy. The student’s parent/guardian will be notified
of the student’s failure to comply with the electronic policy. The device will
need to be picked up by the child’s parent/guardian. The leadership staff
can make the decision to return the device at the end of the day when
special safety circumstances exist. The device will be placed in a locked
cabinet, labeled with the student’s name.
Students who DO NOT comply with the request to turn in their electronic device
to the office will lose their privilege of having an electronic device on campus for
30 calendar days and will need to be picked up by parent/guardian. The second
time a student is requested to turn in an electronic device for misuse, a
parent/teacher/administrator conference will be scheduled to discuss the
student’s non-compliance with this policy.
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Student who receives a (-10) designation on their point card (PA, PD, E, or PA)
will lose the opportunity to access their personal device for the remainder of the
school day. Students who engage in multiple events will lose access for longer
periods of time.
Students who are under 30-day-privilege revocation who bring an electronic
device to school will have their privilege of electronics revoked for the remainder
of the school year.
EXCEPTIONS to this electronic policy include those students who rely on
personal electronic devices for communication or for instructional/therapeutic use
throughout the school day. These student’s devices should not be shared or
loaned to others.
Our Children’s Prep School requests that parent/guardians work together with
the staff in implementing this policy so that the students will not be distracted
from learning and engaging in the classroom. Parent/guardians are encouraged
to have students leave expensive, fragile, and important electronic devices at
home for safekeeping.
I understand this policy and agree to follow it
_____________________________________________________________
Student signature
_____________________________________________________________
Date
I understand this policy and will partner with the school in helping my student
follow it.
______________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature
_____________________________________________________________
Date
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Our Children’s Prep School
School Store List
General Items & Prices
Students may earn up to 220 pts. daily.
Students may earn up to 1100 pts. weekly.
500 pts.
Chips, Candy bars, Gummies
800 pts.
Big bag chips, snack cakes
2000 pts.
Small ($1) toys, art supplies, toiletries
5000 pts.
Small Fast food meal (McDonald’s, BK, Wendy’s)
Big Toys, Dolls, Monster Trucks
Field Trip Assistant for one day
9000 pts.
Medium Pizza or fast food lunch with a friend
Movie theatre tickets
Bowling tickets
Visit to arcade with a friend
15000 pts.
Pizza party for the classroom
(Students must bank points together)
B.
Describe the school’s Code of Conduct, including the school’s
policies for discipline, suspension, and dismissal.
The school will follow the basic Polk County Code of Conduct and the
student’s IEP.
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II. ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN
Section 9: Governance
A. Describe how the school will organize as or be operated by a nonprofit organization.
The school will be operated by a Florida nonprofit corporation (Our
Children’s Prep School, Inc.), which has already been incorporated. It will
apply for Federal tax exemption pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code upon approval of its Charter Application.
The School will be governed by a Board of Trustees or Governing Board
(“Board”). The Board shall ensure that the school adheres to Florida
charter school law and other applicable legislation. The Board shall
adhere to Florida’s Sunshine, Open Records and Ethics laws applicable
to charter schools in the State of Florida. The Board shall be responsible
for the hiring/firing of the CEO of the school (who will serve as the primary
School leader) and shall set policy for the School. The Board’s bylaws
define Board responsibilities and delineate policies and procedures for
the School All financial transactions and expenditures will be subject to
board scrutiny and large expenditures will require board approval.
Procurement policies shall be set by the Board, which shall be no less,
stringent than as set forth in Chapter 287, Florida Statutes.
The daily operations of the School will be the responsibility of the CEO,
who shall report directly to the Board.
B. Provide an organizational chart for the school and a narrative
description of the chart. Clearly describe the proposed reporting
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structure to the governing board and the relationship of the board to
the school’s leader and administration.
See Appendix A for the Organizational Chart at the end of the document
The Board is the ultimate authority in decision-making for the School. The
CEO is accountable to the Board. The CEO will be the primary School
leader, shall attend all board meetings and shall take part in discussions
and make recommendations to the Board.
The CEO will not be a
member of the Board and will not vote. The CEO shall keep the Board
apprised of issues affecting the School and shall be charged with carrying
out policies set by the Board. The Board will oversee the CEO and the
major expenditures of the School. The CEO will be in charge of the dayto-day operations of the School and will oversee teachers and curriculum.
The Board shall be accessible to parents and community members to
consider matters involving the School.
See Organizational Chart in Appendix A
C. Provide a description of how the governing board will fulfill its
responsibilities and obligations, including but not limited to:
The Board shall have jurisdiction over the affairs of the corporation,
subject to its Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. The Board may appoint
officers and create committees in accordance with the Bylaws. Such
officers and
committees shall be responsible for such tasks as
determined by the Board from time to time. The Board will annually
perform an evaluation of the job performance of the CEO using Florida’s
approved Marzano’s Leadership Evaluation tool.
The Board will select a parent representative as required by Section
1002.33(7)(d), Florida Statutes, who will be required to attend all Board
meetings in person along with the CEO. The Board will hold the number
of meetings each year required by law and its Charter Contract. Board
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meetings and Board committees, as applicable, will comply with Florida’s
Sunshine Law.
The Board shall be an active, policy-making body, which is responsible
for financial oversight as well as managing the CEO. Board members will
receive no compensation. The Board will have the following primary
responsibilities and obligations:
Governing Board Responsibilities and Obligations:
 Employ and evaluate the CEO
 Set operational policies for the school.
 Oversee the use of funds, including establishing procurement policies
and annual budget
 Ensure the mission and guiding principles of the School are upheld
 Safeguard the integrity of the school therapeutic - academic model
 Ensure assessment standards are being met
 Form committees to address concerns or problems
 Fill Board vacancies as needed
 Attend all Board meetings
 Attend governing board training as required by law
 Submit to background check and screening as required by law
 Perform all other duties required by law to be performed by charter
school governing boards
 Oversee compliance with laws pertaining to Florida charter schools
D. Proposed Policies and Procedures of the Governing Board:
Proposed Bylaws
 Bylaws
 Code of Ethics for
Board
 Confidentiality
Agreement
 Conflict of Interest
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E. Explain how the Founding Board for the School intends to transition
upon Charter approval
The Founding Board is the initial Board of Our Children’s Prep School,
Inc. It is comprised of three members who are uniquely talented and
capable of accomplishing the important task of serving as the School’s
governing Board. The Founding Board is comprised of a CPA, a
corporate business president, and a community activist/leader from
Winter Haven Florida. The Founding Board is in the process of vetting
and recruiting additional Board members so that the Board will be 5-7
members by the time the Charter School is operational. The Founding
Board is committed to making Board selections that will preserve the
integrity of the School’s academic and intensive services model.
Transition/Staggering of Initial Terms:
The Board will establish
staggered terms once the Charter is approved to provide for long-term
Board leadership continuity. The Board shall consist of no fewer than 5
and no more than 7 members. If the Board is 7 members, Board seats
shall be numbered 1 through 7. Upon Charter approval, Seats 1, 4, and
7 shall serve an initial term of 1 year; Seats 2 and 5 shall serve an initial
term of 2 years; Seats 3 and 6 shall serve an initial term of 3 years.
Thereafter, Board members shall serve 3-year terms. Upon expiration
of a member(s) term, or vacancy for any other reason, the remaining
Board shall appoint a qualified member fill the vacant seat for a new
term or for the remainder of a term, as the case may be.
F. Describe the plans for board member recruitment and development,
including the orientation process for new members and ongoing
professional development.
Board members will be recruited based upon the current experiential
needs of the Board in conjunction with the desire to maintain an effective
and balanced Board that is reflective of the community. The School
requires a Board diverse in background and talent and representative of
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the needs of the School. Potential board members may be recruited
through the Chamber of Commerce and other professional or community
networks and will be invited to tour the school, meet with the CEO,
Leadership Team, and meet with Founding Board members for an
explanation of the program, philosophy, mission, vision, board member
expectations and Board member requirements.
Board members may
also be recruited from parents of students. Board members will be
oriented to the School by being invited to attend and participate in any
events held by the School.
All Board members will comply with the requirements for board training
pursuant to Florida Statute 1002.33 and FAC Rule 6A-6.0784 and for
background screening. All Board members will complete an in person, indepth, state-approved charter school governing board training within 30
days of being selected and approved as a Board member. The CEO,
organizational leadership team, school staff and other members of the
Board will conduct a new member’s orientation. Board members will also
complete refresher governance training courses as required by law.
Board members may continue their training throughout their term(s) in a
variety of ways. Free resources include the online webinars through the
Florida Charter Support Unit. Board members may also volunteer and
fund themselves to attend the Florida Charter School Conference,
sponsored annually by the Florida Department of Education.
G. List each of the proposed members of the school’s Founding Board,
indicating any ex-officio members and vacant seats to be filled. For
each proposed member, provide a brief description of the person’s
background that highlights the contribution he/she intends to make
through service as a governing board member and any office of the board
that individual holds.
Dominic Nicosia: Contractor and President of NCI, LLC. Mr. Nicosia has
a child with ADHD and he has been a community supporter of OCPS as
he has helped the organization by pledging an interest free loan for start
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up funds, and has attended fundraisers for OCRC. Mr. Nicosia is an
expert in the construction business and will be helpful with his extensive
knowledge of construction, commercial realestate, business, and finance.
Brian Sherwin: Certified Public Accountant and Principal Owner of Fox
Sherwin and Company PA. Mr. Sherwin has experience working with
non-profit corporations and has been appointed by the Courts to
investigate potential fraud and abuse situations within national and
international non profit organizations. Mr. Sherwin will play a role in the
initial establishment of the organization and plans to transition off once
the charter application has been accepted as he will then become the
accountant for the organization.
Marcia Strang: Community Leader and Vocational Evaluator at Winter
Haven Hospitals’ out patient Brain Injury Program ESTEEM. Marcia and
her husband Shorter have been long time residents of Winter Haven and
represent the community.
Marcia, as an employee of Winter Haven
Hospital works with adults with disabilities and has a “heart” for the types
of children we serve.
The Founding Board is beginning the process to recruit an additional 2-4
Board members in accordance with the procedure outlined in 9(E) and
9(F). New Board member information will be provided when appointed
and upon request. Recruitment efforts will consider individuals who have
a genuine interest in supporting the Our Children’s Prep School’s Mission
and Vision while reflecting a representation of professions within the
community such as but not limited to:
public relations, media and
marketing; government leaders, legal experts (attorneys), finance
consultants, bankers, insurance agents, education, and other community
leaders.
H. Outline the methods to be used for resolving disputes between a
parent and the school.
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The Board will appoint a parent representative, in compliance with
Section 1002.33(7)(d), Florida Statutes.
The parent representative will
be a Board member, with assistance from a department head, or a
member of the organizational leadership team. The name and contact
information for the parent representative shall be posted on the school’s
website and provided annually to parents, and the parent representative
will address parents during the School’s parent orientation.
The Due Process method for resolving a conflict with a parent will be for
the parent to attempt to work out the conflict with the particular staff
member at the School. If not resolved, a member of the leadership team
will be contacted to mediate a resolution with the parent/guardian. If the
problem persists, the complaint will be brought to the Director of
Curriculum and Instruction for a conference to resolve the complainant’s
issue. If the parent/guardian remains dissatisfied, they will be directed to
the parent representative, who will work with all parties to come to terms.
If the problem is not resolved, the issue will be brought to the Board for
discussion and final decision as to how the issue will be resolved. The
Board of Trustees decision will be final. The complainant would then
have a choice to continue the process outside the Our Children’s Prep
School organization, if applicable, or withdraw their child from the School.
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OUR CHILDREN’S PREP SCHOOL, INC.
DRAFT BYLAWS
ARTICLE 1 – DEFINITIONS
When used in these Bylaws the terms set forth in this Article shall have the
following meaning:
1. Corporation shall mean Our Children’s Prep School, Inc., a Florida
corporation not for profit.
2. Board shall mean the Board of Directors of the Corporation.
3. Chairperson shall mean the Chairperson of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE II – CORPORATION
Section A – Purpose
This corporation is organized and is to operate exclusively not for profit
as a start up
Charter School to provide an education to individuals without regard to
sex, race, color, creed or ethnic and national origin and such other
purposes as the Directors shall deem appropriate and which is lawful
under the Florida Not for Profit Corporation Act.
Section B – Membership in Corporation
1. Members: Membership in the Corporation shall consist solely of members
of the Corporation Board of Directors. Members of the Board of Directors
shall not have an ownership interest in the corporation.
2. Procedure of Membership: Election of any person to the Corporation
Board at any regular or special meeting of the Corporation Board shall
automatically qualify such person to membership in the Corporation.
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3. Termination of Membership: Termination of membership on the
Corporation Board either through resignation or by action of the
Corporation Board will terminate membership in the Corporation.
Section C – Rights and Duties of Membership
1. Voting: Each Member will be entitled to one vote on all matters brought
before any meeting of the members of the Corporation. Such votes shall
be given in person only.
2. Information: All members of the Corporation shall have the right to obtain
information concerning the Corporation’s operations upon request to the
Corporation Board at regularly convened meeting or upon request to an
executive of the Corporation.
ARTICLE III – BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section A – Composition
The Governing Board of the Corporation shall be known as the
Corporation Board of Directors and shall consist of seven (7) voting
Directors
The Board shall consist of not less than five (5) and no more than seven
(7) Directors. The number of Directors may be increased from time to
time by amendment to the Bylaws of the Corporation. No member of the
Board of Directors may be an employee of Our Children’s Prep School,
Inc., or receive direct or indirect compensation from the Corporation.
Board seats shall be numbered 1 through 7. Upon Charter approval,
Seats 1, 4, and 7 shall serve an initial term of 1 year; Seats 2 and 5 shall
serve an initial term of 2 years; Seats 3 and 6 shall serve an initial term
of 3 years. Thereafter, Board members shall serve 3-year terms.
Upon expiration of a member(s) term, or vacancy for any other reason,
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the remaining Board shall appoint a qualified member to fill the vacant
seat until such time as the procedures in in number (1) above are
implemented for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days.
Section B – Membership
1. Selection/Election of Board: As Board members leave their position on
the Organization Board of Directors; representatives of the key
stakeholders in the Organization will submit names to the CEO. The
CEO will select up to three (3) names, but not less than two (2), for each
vacancy, which they will recommend to the remaining Board of Directors
for approval. The Board of Directors will, by majority vote, select the new
Board member(s).
2. The nomination and election of officers shall be at the last scheduled
meeting in June and officers shall assume such responsibilities at the first
schedule meeting in August of each year and shall serve in such capacity
for a one year term.
3. Vacancy/Appointment: Upon expiration of a member(s) term, or vacancy
for any other reason, the remaining Board shall appoint a qualified
member to fill the vacant seat until such time as the procedures in in
number (1) above are implemented for a period not to exceed ninety (90)
days.
Section C – Meetings
1. Place of Meetings: Meetings of the members of the Corporation shall be
held at the School Office Conference Room or other publicized location.
1. Time of Meeting: Meetings will be as scheduled and publicized to be held
in the following months: August, October, January April and June.
2. Agenda: A formal agenda shall be mailed/e-mailed to all Members at
least five (5) days prior to meeting.
3. Quorum: The quorum necessary for the legal transaction of business at
any meeting of the Corporation shall consist of a majority (1 more than
1/2) of the duly constituted voting members.
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4. Special Meetings: Special Meetings of the Corporation Board may be
called at any time by:
a. The Chairperson or CEO.
b. The Secretary (elected board or staff appointed) shall give Seven
(7) days written notice in advance of any Special Meeting to all
members.
5. Attendance: Attendance at Board of Directors’ meetings is extremely
important for the success of the Organization. While understanding that
emergencies and job responsibilities may interfere with attendance, each
Director should evaluate his/her commitment to his/her role at the
Organization.
With this in mind, the Board of Directors may vote to
replace any Board member who misses three (3) meetings during the
school year. The procedure for replacing a Board member under this
provision will follow the vacancy policy.
Section D – Finances
1. The Corporation Board shall keep an accurate and careful account of all
investments.
2. The Board shall approve and monitor the annual budget, which includes
the Operating Budget, Federal Funds, and Unencumbered Funds.
3. The CEO will submit for approval the annual budget. Subsequent budget
reports will be submitted at the next scheduled Board meeting.
4. The CEO must approve all purchase expenditures. The CEO will develop
procedures for the ordering of materials and supplies.
5. The CEO must submit for Board approval any single item that exceeds
$10,000.00.
6. The CEO may adjust the Operating Budget accounts without Board
approval.
However, the Board must approve any adjustment to the
unencumbered funds.
7. The CEO shall not approve any expenditure that places an account in a
deficit balance.
8. All Federal Accounts must follow Federal Guidelines for expenditures.
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9. All Internal Account expenditures must be approved by the CEO and
follow the same procedures as the Operating Budget account.
10. The Corporation Board shall participate in the raising of new or additional
funds as may be necessary.
11. The
Corporation
Board
shall
determine
fiscal
policy,
including
depreciation and other reserves.
12. The Corporation Board shall determine investment of funds received by
bequest or gift.
13. The Corporation Board shall review the insurance portfolio pertaining to
insurance of any type.
14. The Corporation Boards shall review the financial statements monthly.
The financial statements shall be prepared by a CPA and submitted to the
Sponsor monthly.
15. An external Audit shall be conducted annually. The results of the Audit
and 990 Federal tax return will be shared with the Corporation Board.
16. The Annual Audit and 990 Federal Tax Return shall be posted annually
on the website for public access and review.
ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS
Section A – Officers
1. The officers of the Corporation shall be a Chair, CEO (not a voting
officer), and Secretary.
2. Any member of the Corporation Board shall be eligible for an office;
however, the Secretary need not be a Corporation/Board member. The
CEO will not be a member of the Board or have any voting rights.
3. The Board may elect other officers as necessary and as required by law.
Section B – Nomination and Election Procedure
1. The nomination of officers shall be the second to the last meeting in April
and the election of officers shall be at the last scheduled meeting in June
and officers shall assume such responsibilities at the first scheduled
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meeting in August of each year and shall serve in such capacity for a one
year term.
2. The Secretary shall conduct the election and each voting Corporation
Board member shall be entitled to one vote, but a nominee must get a
majority of the total votes cast to be elected.
Section C – Chair
The Chair of the Corporation Board shall preside at meetings of the Corporation
Board and shall consult with the CEO concerning the operations, business and
affairs of the Corporation.
Section D – CEO
1. The CEO shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation and shall
serve as the primary charter school leader.
2. The CEO shall attend all Corporation Board meetings as required by law
for Florida charter school leaders.
Section E – Secretary
1. The Secretary shall act as Secretary of the Corporation Board. He/ She
shall keep minutes of all meetings of the Corporation Board, and shall act
as custodian of all records and reports of the Corporation Board.
2. The Secretary shall attend to the giving and serving of all notices in
accordance with the Bylaws and Florida law and shall keep a register
showing the names and addresses of the members of the Corporation
Board.
ARTICLE V – INDEMNIFICATION
1. The members of the Board and officers of the Corporation shall be
indemnified by the Corporation against all liability and expenses not
otherwise compensable by the insurance maintained by such person of
the Corporation relating to an action if (a) there is a final judgment in the
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action that there was no negligence or misconduct on his/her part (b) the
Corporation received a written opinion of independent counsel that (1) the
conduct of the person was in good faith for a purpose which he/she
reasonably believed to be in the best interest of the Corporation and, in
any criminal action, that the person has no reasonable cause to believe
that his/her conduct was unlawful and (2) indemnification hereunder may
be legally and validly made.
2. The termination of an action by judgment, settlement (with or without
court approval), or conviction upon a plea of guilty or of nolo contendere
or its equivalent shall not be deemed a determination that a person has
not met the standards of conduct stated in (b)(1) of this section.
3. The Corporation before final disposition may advance expenses incurred
by a person in any action thereof if the person agrees in writing to repay
such amount unless he/she is entitled to indemnification under this
section. The Corporation shall pay the fees and expenses.
4. The rights of indemnification in this section shall be in addition to any
rights to which a person may otherwise be entitles by contract or law.
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ARTICLE VI – FISCAL YEAR
The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be from the first day of July of each year
and shall close with the last day of June of each year.
ARTICLE VII – AUDIT
The Corporation shall select an independent firm of certified public accountants
to audit the books and accounts of the Corporation for each fiscal year in
accordance with the procedures and requirements set forth in Florida law.
ARTICLE VIII – AMENDMENTS
Except as otherwise provided herein, power to amend the Bylaws shall be vested
in the Corporation Board by a majority (1 more than 1/2) of the voting members
thereof at a regular or special meeting called for that purpose providing notice be
given at least two (2) weeks in advance and said notice shall contain a copy of
the proposed amendments
ARTICLE IX – ADOPTION
These Bylaws shall be adopted at a regular meeting of the Corporation Board
and shall become effective upon adoption.
DATED: ___________________________
________________________________________
Secretary
________________________________________
Chair
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DRAFT
OUR CHILDREN’S PREP SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE MANUAL
POLICY: Conflict of Interest
INITIAL DATE:
REVISED:
PAGE 1 OF 1
PURPOSE:
To avoid a voting conflict of interest with any Director, Officer, or Key Employee.
To ensure compliance by Directors with Florida’s Ethics laws pertaining to
charter school governing boards.
PROCEDURE:
Any Director, Officer, Trustee, or Key Employee who has an interest in a contract
or other transaction presented the Board or a committee thereof for authorization,
approval, or ratification shall make a prompt and full disclosure of his/her interest
to the Board of committee prior to its acting on such contract or transaction.
Annually, any Director, Officer, Trustee, or Key Employee must restate, in writing,
for the purpose of full and documented disclosure of his/her interest to the Board
of any conflict or potential conflict, even if advantageous to the organization.
Such disclosure shall include any relevant and material facts known to such
person about the contract or transaction, which might reasonably be construed to
be adverse or advantageous to the corporation’s interest.
The body to which such disclosure is made shall thereupon determine by a vote
of seventy-five (75%) of the votes entitled to vote, whether the disclosure shows
that a conflict of interest exists or can reasonably be construed to exist pursuant
to applicable Florida law. If a conflict is deemed to exist, such person shall not
vote on, nor use his/her personal influence on, nor participate (other than to
present factual information or to respond to questions) in the discussions or
deliberations with respect to such contract or transaction. Such person may be
counted in determining whether a quorum is present but may not be counted
when the Board of Trustees or committee of the Board takes action on the
transaction. The minutes or the meeting shall reflect the disclosure made, the
vote thereon, the abstention from voting and participation, and whether a quorum
is present.
In addition to the foregoing pertaining to voting conflicts of interest, all Directors
must comply with ethics laws pertaining to governing board members of charter
schools.
REFERENCE STANDARD:
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OCPS Administrative Procedure Manual
OCPS Employee Handbook
Sections 112.313(2), (3), (7) and (12) and 112.3143(3), 1002.33(24) & (26)
Florida Statutes.
ACCOUNTABILITY:
Our Children’s Prep School Board of Trustees and Key Employees
DRAFT
OUR CHILDREN’S PREP SCHOOL, INC
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE MANUAL
POLICY: Code of Ethics
INITIAL DATE:
REVISED:
PAGE 1 OF 1
PROCEDURE:
Board members of Our Children’s Prep School will at all times conduct
themselves in a manner that:












Supports the objectives of the Corporation
Serves the overall best interests of the Corporation rather than any
particular constituency
Brings credibility and good will to the Corporation
Respects principles of fair play and due process
Demonstrates respect for individuals in all manifestations of their cultural
and linguistic diversity and life circumstance
Respects and gives fair consideration to diverse and opposing viewpoints
Demonstrates due diligence and dedication in preparations for and
attendance at meetings, special events and all other activities on behalf of
the Corporation
Demonstrates good faith, prudent judgment, honesty, transparency and
openness in their activities on behalf of the Corporation
Ensures that the financial affairs of the Corporation are conducted in a
responsible and transparent manner with due regard for their fiduciary
responsibilities and public trusteeship
Avoids real or perceived conflicts of interest
Conforms with the Bylaws and policies approved by the Board, in
particular this Code of Ethics, the Confidentiality Agreement, Conflict of
Interest policies and conflict of interest laws pertaining to charter school
governing boards
Publicly demonstrates acceptance, respect and support for decisions
legitimately taken in transaction of the Corporation’s business
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
DRAFT
OUR CHILDREN’S PREP SCHOOL, INC
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE MANUAL
POLICY: Board Confidentiality Agreement
INITIAL DATE:
REVISED:
PAGE 1 OF 1
PROCEDURE:
I, _______________________________________________, a director of Our
Children’s Prep School, Inc., declare that, in carrying out my duties as a director,
I will:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Exercise the powers of my office and fulfill my responsibilities in good
faith and in the best interests of the Corporation.
Exercise these responsibilities, at all times, with due diligence, care
and skill in a reasonable and prudent manner.
Respect and support the Corporation’s Bylaws, policies, Code of
Ethics, and decisions of the Board.
Keep confidential all information that I learn about clients, personnel,
and any other matters specifically determined by board motion to all
matters of confidence, as allowed and/or required by Florida law.
Conduct myself in a spirit of collegiality and respect for the collective
decisions of the Board and subordinate my personal interests to the
best interests of the Corporation.
Immediately declare any personal conflict of interest that may come to
my attention.
Immediately resign my position as a director of the Corporation in the
event that I, or my colleagues on the Board, have concluded that I
have breached my “Oath of Office”.
________________________________________________________________
Signature
Date
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Section 10: Management
A.
Describe the management structure of the school. Include job
descriptions for teachers and each administrative position that
identify key roles, responsibilities and accountability.
Management Team
Due to the complexity of our students, the variety of diagnoses, disabilities, levels
of intellectual ability, medical stability, academic readiness, behavior and mental
health challenges, no "one person" who can handle day to day issues at the
school. Instead, we utilize a "team" of professionals with expertise in the core
program areas, stated in the list of Directors below. When calling the school, the
individual will be directed to the professional that oversees that area. This
Management
Model provides back up and redundancy for managing
administrative functions more so that those seen in the traditional public schools.
There are two management positions that report directly to the Board: The CEO
and the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. The CEO reports on the business
functions such as finance, safety, facilities, budgets, transportation, food service,
community outreach, and other administrative functions where the Director of
Curriculum and Instruction reports on program quality, the interface of therapy
services with the educational process, HR, teacher certification, hiring and
releasing of teacher, para, and non instructional staff, school improvement, Title I
and II, professional development and any other responsibilities associated with
instruction and collaborating with the therapy service provider.
Our Management Model is unique and far more effective than the traditional
Principal/AP paradigm for our complex population.
A well-represented
Leadership Team of Professionals each conducts administrative oversight in their
area of specialty. We call this a “Collaborative Leadership Team” (CLT) where
like our students; the leadership must work together and cross-train for optimal
management of all operational aspects for the betterment of the organization.
Comprising the Leadership Team is:
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
CEO responsible for administrative functions

Director
of
Curriculum/Instruction,
Marzano,
Educator
quality
Development and Student Formative Evaluations

Director of Positive Behavioral Support (PBS), Mental Health and Social
Services

Consultant of Physical Rehab Services

Consultant of Low Incidence Populations

Consultant
of
Speech,
Language
to
Literacy,
Augmentative
Communication (PECS)

Director of Continuous Quality Monitoring and Improvement (CQMI), PD
and Testing

Director of Admissions and IEP Compliance

Director of HR, Marzano scheduling and implementation, Student
Admissions, Marketing, Internal Audit/Student Finance

Manager of Facilities, Buses, Safety Drills, and Food Service
Parents, Community, and Staff needs are met timely with this management
design as each leadership member is empowered to meet the needs of the
stakeholders.
This highly skilled management team is lead by the Chief Executive Officer and
the Director of Curriculum and Instruction.
See Appendix A for the Organizational Chart
The following are descriptions and general duties of each of the nine
(9)Leadership positions.
DUTIES
The Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Educator Quality Development,
and Student Formative Evaluation Coordinator is an instructional leader who
trains, coaches, and assists the educator staff.
Duties of this position are to
ensure the fidelity of the use of our research-based curriculum, to administer
timely and quality formative assessments of our students to measure periodic
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progress, educate the teachers and staff on domain two planning of the Marzano
System, and document the use of highly effective Marzano strategies used in the
classroom. All lesson plans will be submitted to this Leader and reviewed weekly
with special attention given to addressing the Next-Generation Sunshine State
Standards (NGSSS) and evidence of transition to Florida Standards (FS). This
leader will conduct weekly classroom walk-throughs and document educator’s
teaching performance and provide immediate feedback, in writing, as to their
effectiveness.
The Director of Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) mental health, and
Social Services is a collaborative leader who trains the entire staff on positive
behavioral supports. This leader is responsible for the implementation of a school
wide behavioral management system that is three-tiered. This Leader must
monitor the fidelity of positive reinforcement, points awarded, reinforcements
given, behavior management techniques, facilitating students to move up the
multi
tiered
reinforcement
levels,
establishment
of
highly
motivating
reinforcement opportunities, and coordinating weekly data to show individual
students progress. For students with severe behavioral issues, this leader will
conduct functional behavioral assessments and/or discrete trial behavior
measurements to determine the most effective way to manage these difficult
behaviors.
Skilled behavioral specialists, supervised by this leader, will
implement specifically designed behavior management plans. Finally his leader
is responsible for ensuring certification of all professional crisis management staff
and ensuring the fidelity of the implementation of Professional Crisis
Management procedures at the school. For students needing mental health
services this Leader will coordinate these services provided by Our Children’s
Prep School or by a contract service within the community. If a family or student
is in need of social services, this leader will be responsible for coordinating those
services as well.
Consultant for Physical Rehabilitation Services. Many of our low incidence
students require intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy services.
This highly trained Leader will manage the specialized programs and services
such at Hippotherapy and Sensory Integration, the need for prosthetics and
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orthotics, and wheelchair and brace assessments, as well as communication with
other medical professionals. They will also act as a consultant to the educational
team and provide input on the students’ IEP.
Consultant for Low Incidence Population. Multi handicapped children with
disabilities require coordination of numerous services. Their functional and
academic needs center on activities of daily living, pre-vocational and vocational
career paths, and social and interpersonal communication. Many of the students
exhibit varying types of sensory disorders requiring specialized diagnostic
evaluations and individually up individualized program development. Fine motor
skills, body positioning, visual tracking, eye-hand coordination, and behavior
management, are important factors to consider when designing an educational
plan. Many educators are unfamiliar with the complex needs of this population.
These students benefit greatly from having these specialists readily available in
the classroom to help adapt and prepare the environment for optimum education.
This leader will work to coordinate the intensive interventionists with the ESE
teachers to develop individualized educational plans within the classroom
environment. The effectiveness of these plans will be documented with the help
of this consultant and recorded for communication with the parents and other
medical and educational professionals.
Consultant
for
Speech,
Language
to
Literacy,
Augmentative
Communication (PECS). This leader is unique in that they must be versed in
both high and low incidence children.
High Incidence:
They must possess the knowledge of reading, receptive
language, expressive language, receptive reading, and written language, so they
may consult with the ESE teachers who teach reading, language arts, social
studies, and science to our most independent children. This consultant works
with the Director of Curriculum and Instruction on helping the ESE teachers and
speech service providers jointly plan to address the underpinnings of language
and how language will affect the child’s success in their classroom. The key to
our unique model is the collaboration between the ESE classroom teacher and
the speech and language therapist working in a co-teaching model where the
teacher plans the lessons and the speech and language therapist unpacks the
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curriculum and prepares it for preview. This leader is responsible for facilitating
our reading to literacy and science to literacy collaboration and measuring the
efficacy by looking at the children’s increases in their reading and writing, skills,
both receptively and expressively, as measured on formative and summative
evaluation tools.
Low Incidence: This leader must also possess knowledge of research-based
Communication Systems such as the Picture Exchange Communication System
(PECS) and current electronic resources that open communication avenues for
these severely communicatively challenged children. This leader to help advance
the understanding and benefit of augmentative communication systems will
coordinate professional development trainings for parents, teachers, and school
staff for these nonverbal and limited verbal children.
Director of Professional Development, Assessment, and Continuous
Quality Monitoring & Improvement (CQMI): This Leader is responsible for
designing measurement systems to look at the efficacy of our unique programs
and our student’s academic outcomes. Each year, our goal is for our students to
make progress. The amount of progress will vary based on the severity of the
child’s disability, the complexity of their disability, and the amount of educational
time the child has been present at school. This Leader will be responsible for
documenting our students aggregate performance in the various academic areas
based on the goals set and the gain from the baseline measures. Rather than
looking at an individual student’s progress, this Leader will be looking at overall
program effectiveness and maintaining the ongoing quality of our programs.
Following each assessment or data collection period, this leader will analyze the
information and determine the overall program success or decline. Action plans
will be developed with the input of the entire Leadership collaborative, where
changes and adjustments in program design or teaching and intensive
intervention methods may be adjusted. The quality of the identified programs
(i.e.: reading, math, STEM to Literacy, reading to Literacy, PBS, PECs,) will be
continuously measured and revised to ensure program improvement. Based on
the action plans and the needs of the staff, Professional Development (PD)
modules will be planned or arranged by this Leader. The PD attendance, goals,
and training outcomes will be documented and stored by this Leader with
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submission to the PCSD for CEUs for teacher certification renewal as well as
training hours and certificates for professional license renewal of the therapists.
Test securing, training, managing the test materials and being accountable for
fidelity and security will be the responsibility of this Leader.
Director of Admissions & IEP Compliance: This Leader must have extensive
knowledge of the IEP and staffing process including all Federal Regulations as it
relates to parent and student rights, conformance requirements to keep the IEP
compliant, notification rules, security and safety of the IEP records, legal
knowledge of release of information, HIPPA regulations, and excellent
communication skills to keep the IEP conferences on target, timely, and meeting
the IEP committees needs. This Leader must coordinate all ESE teachers and
therapists prior to the IEP meeting to be sure they have their students present
levels of performance and coach those teachers and therapists to have some
tentative goals ready for the IEP with the knowledge that the goals may be
changed at the conference table. This Leader is responsible for loading IEP data
and demographic data into the counties data system and is knowledgeable of the
counties electronic IEP system. This Leader will coordinate with the Districts
LEA representative and schedule IEP meetings and 3 years annual reviews.
During the Admissions Process, this Leader will ensure all necessary information
is secured, IEP, academic, medical, mental health, attendance, family history,
parent goals, previous school attendance and outcomes, family dynamics and be
a key member of the student placement committee to provide input as to the best
program placement with our school.
Director
of
HR,
Marzano
Scheduling
&
Implementation,
Student
Admissions, Marketing, Grants, Internal Audit/Student Finance: This Leader
is responsible for the HR functions of writing job descriptions with the input of the
other Leaders, posting the positions, working with Career Source on any
available grants, checking references for new hires, reviewing and updating the
policy and procedure employee handbook with the help of the other Leaders,
reviewing the policies with all new hires and conducting quarterly meetings for
anyone hired after the first of the year to review policies, planning PD on
mandatory reporting of child abuse, reporting of inappropriate actions of
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employees in the work environment, dangers and consequences of abusing
Facebook or other social media, training on sexual harassment in the workplace,
assisting the Manager of Safety with planning PD for fire and other drills,
assisting the Director of Admissions with processing student admissions into the
school, maintaining the employee files, ensuring compliance with the Jessica
Lunsford act, facilitating disgruntled parents up the chain of command and then
onto the designated Board liaison should resolution not occur, ensuring the
posting and noticing of all board meetings, ensuring the sharing with the board
financials on a monthly basis along with the annual 990 and audit, writing and
monitoring grant opportunities with the help of the entire Leadership Team, works
with the Office Manager on ensuring the Internal Accounts and audited and
properly accounted for when reviewed by the external auditor, assist the CEO in
the selection of the external auditor and help to prepare for the annual audit.
This Leader will work with the CEO to directly supervise the custodian and
maintenance staff, bus drivers, and cafeteria staff (if any) or any contracted
services. This Leader will also work with the CEO and administrative clerical staff
on marketing and helping to make the public aware of the services and programs
of Our Children’s Prep School.
Manager of Facilities, Buses, Safety Drills, and Food Service: This Leader is
the chief Custodian and Maintenance person of the facility and is responsible for
maintaining the property including utilities.
This means this Leader will not
evaluate or directly supervise the custodians but rather will provide input to the
Director of HR and the CEO who will evaluate and directly supervise the facilities
staff, bus drivers, and food service contractors or staff. This Leader will Chair the
Safety committee and conduct monthly drills with fire being conducted twice per
year. Professional development will precede each drill and a written evaluation
and action plan will follow each drill and be stored both electronically and hard
copy. The office secretary at the school will assist this leader in managing those
files.
Other drills are:
intruder X 2 with lockdown, tornado, disaster
preparedness, bomb threat, medical code blue, and power outage. This Leader
will ensure evacuation to an off-site location is feasible over time and this leader
will alert authorities that this is a school for children with special needs and must
be put on the school notification list for emergency preparedness warnings. This
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Leader will work with the school nurse, and consultant for physical rehabilitation
on infection control measures and ensure regular cleaning of the floors, carpets,
buses and disinfect the surfaces on a regular basis.
This leader will be
responsible for and work with the CEO on having adequate bus coverage for
drivers and attendants.
This leader will work with the designated bus
maintenance coordinator to ensure all buses are inspected every 30 days,
inspection reports are sent to Bartow, repairs are made in a timely manner,
routine preventative maintenance of the buses occurs according to schedules,
and that the drivers are current with their physicals, driving record checks,
continuing ed., and dexterity tests.
Accountability: Each member of the Collaborative Leadership Team reports to
the CEO who reports to the Board. The Director of Curriculum and Instruction
also reports directly to the Board and the Board has full authority to hire and fire
for these two positions. Specific routine accountability assignments are clearly
and definitively outlined in the School Improvement Program (SIP) located in
Section 5.
The organizational chart outlines the reporting relationship of staff to supervisors
with the Director of Curriculum and Instruction being responsible for the
supervision of all teachers and paraprofessionals. Supervisory responsibility for
teachers in the PreK program coached and supported by the Consultant for Early
Childhood will provide input from iObservations to the Director of C & I for the
official final evaluation.
This same supervisor process will occur with the
teachers for the supportive and participatory children, as the Consultant for Low
Incidence will complete their iObservations.
All teachers must be certified and in compliance with Florida Statute as it relates
to Florida teaching certificate. Additionally, all teachers must be ESE certified
and working to acquire the ESOL endorsement. Having a reading endorsement
on their certificate will be highly encouraged.
Teachers will gain knowledge of the Structure Your Reading Program, (Ehren
2010) and the SIM ™ research documented Learning Strategies Training.
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Teachers must be knowledgeable of the Marzano Framework Model ™. They
must be aware of Domain 1 and recognize that if they work towards developing
competency in a selection of the research validated 41 elements they will
achieve the level of being an efficient to an exemplary educator. They must
know how to plan and teach new material by identifying the key Essential Design
question and prepare the lesson in accordance with the research based Marzano
Design Question.
The teachers must prepare rigorous lessons that teach to the Florida Sunshine
State Standards and Next Generation SSS. Although Common Core Standards
were not adopted by Florida at this time, having knowledge of Common Core and
when appropriate, teaching higher order thinking skills. The teacher must know
the importance of determining and then utilizing each student’s baseline data
obtained from a standardized assessment and to report those results in a format
to allow tracking and trending. Teachers must also look to regular formative
assessments to determine a child’s understanding of knowledge taught.
An important skill educators at OCPS must have is the ability to work in a team
and plan collaboratively. The school model is based on teachers planning with
the speech language therapists (SLTs) for reading.
Speech and language
therapists will also provide support in the planning of all other core subjects of
math, science. Teacher’s plans, SLTs recognize the language underpinnings to
amplify or “zoom in” to enhance comprehension.
The SLT will enhance the
lesson by addressing syntax, morphemes, compare and contrasts, inferences,
and “wh” questions. SLTs do not act as the teachers but rather the language
experts who add an enhanced dimension to the classroom and a valuable
resource to the teachers and students.
The teachers must also direct the
paraprofessionals and take responsibility for their behavior, as the paras are
extenders of the teachers at OCPS.
Early childhood teachers have the challenge of learning about the importance of
language development and why research has identified that you cannot skip
language development and just begin teaching formal academics. There is no
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foundation to build academics.
After extensive review of compendiums of
research, the High Scope Curriculum, documented efficacy with 40 years of
undisputable research, was chosen as the curriculum of choice for PreK. The
difficulty for trained teachers is that they are programmed to “teach” in a formal
way, at a desk or table with a structured activity.
High Scope learning is
embedded in play. Play is the vehicle for developing pre-literacy. The key is that
the educator (notice I’ve changed the semantics to “educator”) must know the
language stimulation techniques of self talk, parallel talk, expansion, extension
and must recognize that their job is to be engaged with the children during
developmental play activities outlined in High Scope and direct the paras to do
the same. Time must not be idol but rather completely engaged, interactive, and
reinforcing.
Supportive and Participatory student’s curriculum must be individually designed
and have functional relevance. For every child, the goals of communication and
social interaction are a priority. Therefore activities that facilitate communication
(verbal or nonverbal) that have social relevance (this is key) are academically
strong goals.
Planning must address the Florida NG SSS but the activities
planned to teach and address learning related to those standards must always
ask the question:
“what is the ultimate goal for these children?
Are these
activities moving this student towards independence and potential career
preparation that meets their highest potential? Are these activities motivating
and consider the students interests and motivators thus reducing behavior
disregulation?” Teachers who ask these questions, plan to address NG SSS
while considering those questions, and make the activities fun and reinforcing is
a teacher who possesses the skills needed to teach at OCPS.
Retention is important for a school like OCPS. Given the complex needs of its
students, extensive PD is necessary and costly.
Providing quality staff with
incentives such as merit pay, bonuses, earned special privileges, and frequent
positive reinforcement (like that given to children) become a part of the school
culture. Opportunities to advance are also motivating for staff. Paraprofessional
“ladder” will be considered in the future to provide incentive for higher trained and
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higher performing paras as the paras are a significantly large part of our
education team.
Planning time to implement data chats, collaborative lesson planning, formative
analysis, is helpful for the teachers and educators. Having “early release” every
week to allow for these necessary activities to ensure quality intervention helps
keep staff on target, happy, and feeling a sense of accomplishment. This time
also allows for group PD.
Providing a schedule that allows for small group teaching for reading in
collaboration with SLT allows for the optimum teaching model be a reality without
frustration as the unique and quality model also provides a structure to
implement without impacting the teacher and other educators to design the
structure. Staff feel triumphant with their success, thus retention is enhanced.
B.
Outline the criteria and process that will be used to select the
school’s leader.
The members of the leadership team will be advertised on the school website
and through Career Source. Interviews with the CEO and other CLT members
will be scheduled with questions prepared in advance and questions asked on
site.
Each interviewee will be scored, references checked, possible writing
activity requested, and a decision made. The Board would be notified of the
decision.
School leadership at OCPS for day-to-day operation, student learning, safety and
security, is provided by the CLT. These CLTs are specially designed and trained
to best meet the needs of the students, adolescents, and parents.
The CEO is
not the immediate “go to person” for regular or traditional school issues. The
Director of Curriculum and Instruction and the CEO divide the school
responsibility based upon their job descriptions as stated above.
The CLTs
function as a Principal and Assistant Principal and are far more efficient given the
complex needs of the children and adolescents at our school. This management
design is similar to the management design found in hospitals. The Board is
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
responsible for evaluating the CEO and the Director of Curriculum and
Instruction.
In the event that the CEO or Director of Curriculum and Instruction position is
open, the Board would create a committee to recruit for these positions. The job
description and minimum requirements would be established and the position
would be advertised through Career Source, on the website, through the National
and State Charter School Organizations, and through professional organizations
of school administrators and other appropriate trade journals. The CEO and
Director of Curriculum and Instruction function as an extensions of the Board
whose jobs are analogous to the organization’s leadership position. The Board
would designate a “search committee” consisting of Board member (s), school
staff, parents, and other community leaders, who would interview, check
references, score each from a pre-established rubric, and collaboratively rank
their recommendations for hire to the OCPS Board of Trustees.
The final
decision for the selection of the new leader will be the Board.
The Board may decide to purchase “key person” insurance plan with the
beneficiary being the OCPS organization.
Should the Organizational Leader
pass away, the money from the life insurance policy would be used to pay for an
interim replacement as well as pay for the cost for the “search process”.
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C.
Provide a staffing plan for each year of the charter term aligned
with the school’s projected enrollment as detailed on the cover
page of this application.
2016-2017
Students: 305
2017-2018
Students 320
2018-2019
Students 335
2019-2020
Students 351
2020-2021
Students 351
PreK teachers: 3
Elem teachers: 8
Middle teacher: 6
Resource teach: 1
Paras: 27
Behavior Assist: 1
Behavior Specl: 2
LPN: 1
PreK teachers: 3
Elem teachers: 8
Middle teacher: 6
Resource teach: 1
Paras: 30
Behavior Assist: 1
Behavior Specl: 2
LPN: 1
PreK teachers: 3
Elem teacher: 8
Middle teacher: 7
Resource teach: 1
Paras: 35
Behavior Assist: 1
Behavior Specl: 3
LPN: 1
PreK teachers: 3
Elem teacher: 8.5
Middle teacher: 7.5
Resource teach: 1
Paras: 36
Behavior Assist: 1
Behavior Specl: 3
LPN: 1
PreK teachers: 3
Elem teacher: 8.5
Middle teacher: 7.5
Resource teach: 1
Paras: 36
Behavior Assist: 1
Behavior Specl: 3
LPN: 1
D.
Explain the school’s plan for recruitment, selection, and
development.
The school plans to recruit teachers from the fine universities in the area:
University of South Florida, University of Central Florida, Florida Southern
College, Southeastern University, Warner University, as well as other fine
education and special education programs in the State of Florida. We plan to
attend the Florida Teach In, and advertise on Career Source website. Teaching
positions will also be posted on our website and linked to the Polk County’s
website. Educators must meet the requirements as documented in a letter of
eligibility, to acquire a temporary teaching certificate, or permanent professional
teaching certificate. They must conform to the teacher certification requirements
set forth by the State of Florida.
Paraprofessionals with post secondary education are the most desirable, as it is
advantageous to mentor paraprofessionals into becoming teachers, therapists, or
behavior analysts. Advertising for paraprofessionals at the community colleges
in Polk, Orange, and Hillsborough counties will hopefully bring a higher level of
paraprofessional applicant. Our standard is to have all paras be highly qualified
and receive extensive training to be best prepared to give the highest quality of
service to our children and adolescents.
Professional staff such as Behavior Analysts or therapists if hiring from within will
be recruited from professional trade journals and professional associations. All
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positions will be advertised through Career Source. Behavior technicians must
complete the required 300-hour on line courses.
Once resumes are received, they will be date stamped by the HR department
and disseminated to the respective Leadership Team member(s). Resumes will
be reviewed and those who the Leadership Team selects will be scheduled for
interview. Once interviewed, a potential employee will be selected. They are
told their hire is contingent upon a clear background check and reference check.
The school does not require a drug screen for hire at this time but reserves the
right to random screen for drugs at any time for any reason.
The candidate is also asked to make a commitment to stay the entire year, as
much effort will go into training them. They will also be informed that they are on
a 90-day probationary status and should they not be a “right fit” for this
organization, they will be notified within the first 90 working days.
Working at OCPS is hard work but highly rewarding. The setting is unique with
the design being a cadre’ of professionals immediately at hand to meet the needs
of the students. For many educators, this environment is something they have
been looking for and not able to find. The program design is an immediate draw
for many to work at OCPS. Further enticements are the fact that the positions
are public and OCPS pays into the FSRS.
guidelines as well.
OCPS follows the PCSB hiring
The staff are provided extensive ongoing training and
professional development, which many find highly attractive. This training serves
to retain many employees because they feel highly competent in their jobs. The
fact that there are so many specialized professionals available for advising them
on students, increases the quality of the educational environment thus promoting
a higher degree of retention.
Therapists (speech language, occupational, and physical therapists), whether
contracted of directly hired, must meet all requirements for the Florida State
Licensure through the Department of Health and maintain their license by
completing the required continuing education credits
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Section
11: Education Service Providers
This section does not apply, as Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. will not be
using an Education Service Provider (ESP)
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Section 12: Human Resources and Employment
A. Explain the school’s compensation plan, including whether staff will
be publicly or privately employed.
All employees will be Public Employees and eligible to participate in the Florida
State Retirement System. Additionally, Employees will be offered the services of
a financial planner from Morgan Stanley to help them plan for their retirement,
children’s college fund, or other personal financial matters.
When hired, the employee’s starting salary will be determined in accordance to
the District’s salary schedule. The number of days worked per year will be 201
and the workday for teachers will be 8 hours and paraprofessionals will be 7.5
hours/day.
Pay increases will then be determined on a merit basis rather than following the
District’s salary schedule and will be awarded in accordance with the
requirements of the Florida Student Success Act. Teacher’s merit pay will be
based on their student’s outcome, their teaching competency as measured by
the iObservation using the Marzano Framework, and their implementation of
selected Deliberate Practice program components. At our school, all educators’
Deliberate Practice will be the school-wide Positive Behavior Support (PBS)
program. Each educator will have two Deliberate Practice items with one being
the PBS. For the educators working with the Low Incidence students, theirs will
be the Picture Exchange Communication System. The educators working with
the High Incidence students, theirs will be the Design Questions from Marzano,
Questions 2 and 3.
Paraprofessionals’ performance appraisal will be formulated from their job
description. Each job function will have performance items that are broken down
into a percent of the job function. A score from 0 to 3 will be given and that score
will be indexed based on the items weight. The total % of the weighting will total
100. The maximum merit increase will be 3% with the lowest being 0.
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All employees will be given an annual improvement plan where they will have
input into the skills and areas they would like to improve. The supervisor will also
provide input and work with the employee on establishing the annual goals and
objectives for improvement.
B. Describe the proposed personnel policies and procedures to which
staff will be required to adhere, including expectations for
participation in the school’s professional development program. If
personnel policies and procedures have not been developed,
provide a clear plan, including timeline, for the development and
approval by the governing board.
Professional Development
Every employee will be asked to complete a PD survey to determine what areas
they feel they need additional training. The Collaborative Leadership Team will
review the survey results and prioritize the top three areas that staff has
expressed the need for training. Leadership will also list the PD needs based on
the program design, the results of the iObservations, data collection information,
student outcomes, and behavior data reports. An annual PD calendar and plan
will be created during strategic planning with the majority of PD done at the
beginning of the year, on staff training days, and short refreshers during the year
on Thursday early release.
Personnel Policy and Procedures
See attached the School’s draft of employee policy and procedures. These will
be reviewed and revised prior to the opening of the charter school and approved
by the Board. If needed, additional policies will be developed.
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PREP SCHOOL
Employee Handbook
&
Benefit Information
2016 – 2017
The information provided in this handbook is intended to advise employees of Our Children’s of the
various policies, procedures, benefits, and services available to them. It is not an employment
contract. This handbook will be revised as needed.
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Our Children’s Prep School
Employee Handbook & Benefit Information
2014-2015
Table of Contents
Section 1
Opening
Welcome
1.1
Central Office
1.2
Education Standards
1.3
Discrimination Policy Statement
1.4
Unlawful Employment Practices
1.5
Prohibition of Sexual / Racial Harassment
1.6
Drug Free Workplace
1.7
Additional References
————————————————————————————————————————–
Section 2
2.1
Attendance / Promptness
Policies & Procedures
2.2
Arrests
2.3
Teacher Certification
2.4
Therapist / Nursing Licensure
2.5
Change of Address and Phone Numbers (Cell &
Home)
2.6
Conflict of Interest
2.6.a
Nepotism
2.7
Dress Code
2.8
Electronic Mail
2.9
Network and Internet Use Policy
2.10
Evaluations
2.10.a Hours Worked
2.10.b Professional Development
2.11
Injury / Illness in the Line of Duty
2.12
Leave of Absence without Pay
2.13
Days off, Personal Time off (PTO)
2.14
Personal Mail / Telephone Calls
2.14.a Violation Actions
214.b Personal Business on School Time
2.15
Personnel Records
2.15.a Probationary Period
2.16
Reassignments
2.17
Resignations
2.17.a Exit Survey
2.18
Retirement
2.19
Suspensions / Dismissals
2.19.a Grevances
2.19.b Reduction in Force and Reorganization
2.20
Temporary Duty Leave
2.21
Toxic Substances at Work
2.22
Transfers
2.23
Vacancy Procedures
2.24
Weapons / Firearms
2.25
Worker’s Compensation
2.25.a Safety
2.26
Classroom Security
2.27
Staff/Student Relationships
2.28
Tobacco-Free Environment
2.29
Use of OC Property
2.30
Visits in the Workplace
2.31
Gifts and Solicitation
2.32
Political Activities
2.33
HIPPA Policy
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————————————————————————————————————————–
Section 3
3.1
Additional Work
Payroll Information
3.2
Payment Schedule/Holdback
3.3
Payment of Unused Leave of Termination /
Retirement
3.4
Payroll Deductions
————————————————————————————————————————–
Section 4
4.1
Health Insurance
Insurance Benefits
4.2
Life Insurance
4.3
Supplemental Benefits
_______________________________________________________________________________
__
Section 5
5.1
Bullying
Employee Policies &
5.2
Child Abuse Reporting
Procedures for Students
5.3
Code of Student Conduct
5.4
Compulsory School Attendance
5.5
Critical Issues
5.6
Ethics in Education Act
5.7
Medication Administration
5.8
Student Threats of Harm to Others
5.9
Parents Working for Organization After a Student
Enrolls
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Welcome 2016 - 2017
Welcome to Our Children’s Prep School
We are looking forward to a great year and are so pleased you have
decided to join our team.
This handbook is intended to advise employees of Our Children’s of the
various policies, procedures, benefits, and services available to them.
Please read through the material and feel free to approach your
Leadership Team, Supervisor, Office Manager, Team Leader, or myself if
you have any questions or concerns.
Once again, WELCOME!
Sincerely,
Sharon McManus Comkowycz, M.S. CCC-SLP
CEO, Founder
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Our Children’s Employee Classifications
Employee Definitions
1. Administrative:
Includes personnel who perform management
activities such as developing broad policies for the Our Children’s
Organizations and executing those policies at all levels within the Our
Children’s. Administrative personnel are generally senior level
professionals who have been assigned the responsibilities of systemwide functions. Examples of administrative employees include: Executive
Director/superintendent; leadership director; technical center directors; and
others who perform management activities.
2. Classified:
Includes educational support employees whose job
functions are neither administrative nor instructional, yet whose work
supports
the
educational
process.
Some
examples
are:
paraprofessionals; technicians; clerical/secretarial workers; skilled crafts
workers; service workers; bus drivers; custodians; food service workers;
and aides.
3. Instructional: Includes employees whose positions require certification
including, but not limited to: Department Chairpersons; Grade Level
Chairpersons; Behavioral Analyst/Licensed Mental health Counselors;
Social Workers; Classroom Teachers; Visiting Teachers; Homebound
Teachers; Librarians; Psychologists; Physical, Occupational, and Speech
Language Therapist; all Instructional Specialists; Summer School
Teachers; Itinerant Personnel; Experts-in-Field; and Adult and
Community Education Teachers.
4. Confidential: The confidential positions are:


Secretaries and Administrative Assistants to the Executive
Director/ Superintendent and the Directors of the Leadership Team.
Human Resources Department Secretaries, Administrative
Assistants, and Human Resources Specialists.
Work Schedules
Employees are hired for various work schedules. Some
employees work 170 or 180 days each year; some work 196 or 201
days, while others work 220, 240, or 260 days. Check with your direct
supervisor to determine your specific schedule.
1.2
Education Standards
The Code of Ethics of the Education Profession in Florida and the Principles of
Professional Conduct of the Education Profession in Florida Chapter 6B-1 Florida
State Board of Education Academic Rules Adopted: June 15, 1982 Amended:
November 24, 1998
6B-1.001 Code of Ethics of the Education Profession in Florida
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1.
2.
3.
4.
The educator values the worth and dignity of every person, the
pursuit of truth, devotion to excellence, acquisition of knowledge,
and the nurture of democratic citizenship. Essential to the
achievement of these standards are the freedom to learn and to
teach and the guarantee of equal opportunity for all;
The educator’s primary professional concern will always be for the
student and for the development of the student’s potential. The
educator will therefore strive for professional growth and will seek
to exercise the best professional judgment and integrity;
Aware of the importance of maintaining the respect and
confidence of one’s colleagues, of students, of parents, and of
other members of the community, the educator strives to achieve
and sustain the highest degree of ethical conduct;
Physical, Occupational, and Speech/Language Therapists will
abide by their
respective code of ethics.
6B-1.006 Principles of Professional Conduct for the Educational and Therapeutic
Professionals in Florida
1.
2.
The following disciplinary rule shall constitute the Principles of
Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida;
Violation of any of these principles shall subject the individual to
revOCPStion or suspension of the
individual educator’s
certificate, or the other penalties as provided by law;
3.
Obligation to the student requires that the individual:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
Shall make reasonable effort to protect the student from
conditions harmful to learning and/or to the student’s
mental and/or physical health and/or safety;
Shall not unreasonably restrain a student from
independent action in pursuit of learning.
Shall not unreasonable deny a student access to diverse
points of view;
Shall not intentionally suppress or distort subject matter
relevant to a student’s academic program;
Shall not intentionally expose a student to unnecessary
embarrassment or disparagement;
Shall not intentionally violate or deny a student’s legal
rights;
Shall not harass or discriminate against any student on the
basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic
origin, political beliefs, marital status, handicapping
condition, sexual orientation, or social and family background and shall make reasonable effort to assure that
each student is protected from harassment or
discrimination;
Shall not exploit a relationship with a student for personal
gain or advantage;
Shall keep in confidence personally identifiable information
obtained in the course of professional service, unless
disclosure serves professional purposes or is required by
law.
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4.
Obligation to the public requires that the individual:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
5.
Shall take reasonable precautions to distinguish between
personal views and those of any educational institution or
organization with which the individual is affiliated;
Shall not intentionally distort or misrepresent facts
concerning an educational matter in direct or indirect public
expression;
Shall not use institutional privileges for personal gain or
advantage;
Shall accept no gratuity, gift, or favor that might influence
professional judgment;
Shall offer no gratuity, gift, or favor to obtain special
advantages.
Obligation to the profession of education requires that the
individual:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
Shall maintain honesty in all professional dealings;
Shall not on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age,
national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status,
handicap condition if otherwise qualified, or social and
family background deny to a colleague professional
benefits or advantages or participation in any professional
organization;
Shall not interfere with a colleague’s exercise of political or
civil rights and responsibilities;
Shall not engage in harassment or discriminatory conduct
which unreasonably interferes with an individual’s
performance of professional or work responsibilities or with
the orderly processes of education or which creates a
hostile, intimidating, abusive, offensive, or oppressive
environment; and, further, shall make reasonable effort to
assure that each individual is protected from such
harassment or discrimination;
Shall not make malicious or intentionally false statements
about a colleague;
Shall not use coercive means or promise special treatment
to influence professional judgments of colleagues;
Shall not misrepresent one’s own professional
qualifications;
Shall not submit fraudulent information on any document in
connection with professional activities;
Shall not make any fraudulent statement or fail to disclose
a material fact in one’s own or another application for a
professional position;
Shall not withhold information regarding a position from an
applicant or misrepresent an assignment or conditions of
employment;
Shall provide upon the request of the certified individual a
written statement of specific reason for recommendations
that lead to the denial of increments, significant changes in
employment, or termination of employment;
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l.
m.
n.
o.
p.
q.
1.3
Shall not assist entry into or continuance in the profession
of any person known to be unqualified in accordance with
these Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education
Profession in Florida and other applicable Florida Statutes
and State Board of Education Rules
Shall self-report within forty-eight (48) hours to appropriate
authorities as determined by organization any
arrests/charges involving the abuse of a child or the sale
and/or possession of a controlled substance. Such notice
shall not be considered an admission of guilt nor shall such
notice be admissible for any purpose in any proceeding,
civil or criminal, administrative or judicial, investigatory or
adjudicatory. In addition, shall self-report any conviction,
finding of guilt, withholding of adjudication, commitment to
a pretrial diversion program, or entering of a plea of guilty
or Nolo contendre for any criminal offense other than a
minor traffic violation within forty-eight (48) hours after the
final judgment. When handling sealed and expunged
records disclosed under this rule, school districts shall
comply with the confidentiality provisions of Sections
943.0585(4)(c) and 943.059(4)(c), Florida Statutes;
Shall report to appropriate authorities any known allegation
of a violation of the Florida School Code or State Board of
Education Rules as defined in Section 1012.795(1), Florida
Statutes;
Shall seek no reprisal against any individual who has
reported any allegation of a violation of the Florida School
Code or State Board of Education Rules as defined in
Section 1012.795(1), Florida Statutes;
Shall comply with the conditions of an order of the
Education Practices commission;
Shall, as the supervising administrator, cooperate with the
Education Practices Commission in monitoring the
probation of a subordinate.
Discrimination Policy Statement
Discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender,
disability, or marital status against a student or an employee in the state
system of public Pre-K, K-20 education is prohibited. No person in this
state shall, on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender,
disability, or marital status, be excluded from participation in, be denied
the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any public Pre-K, K20 education program or activity, or in any employment conditions or
practices, conducted by a public educational institution that receives or
benefits from federal or state financial assistance.
1.4
Unlawful Employment Practices
1.
It is an unlawful employment practice for an employer:
a.
To discharge or to fail or refuse to hire any individual, or
otherwise to discriminate against any individual with
respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of
employment, because of such individual's race, color,
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2.
3.
4.
5.
religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, or marital
status;
b.
To limit, segregate, or classify employees or applicants for
employment in any way, which would deprive or tend to
deprive any individual of employment opportunities, or
adversely affect any individual's status as an employee,
because of such individual's race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, age, handicap, or marital status.
It is an unlawful employment practice for any employer controlling
apprenticeship or other training or retraining, including on-the-job
training programs, to discriminate against any individual because
of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, or
marital status in admission to, or employment in, any program
established to provide apprenticeship or other training.
Whenever, in order to engage in a profession, occupation, or
trade, it is required that a person receive a license, certification, or
other credential, become a member or an associate of any club,
association, or other organization, or pass any examination, it is
an unlawful employment practice for any person to discriminate
against any other person seeking such license, certification, or
other credential, seeking to become a member or associate of
such club, association, or other organization, or seeking to take or
pass such examination, because of such other person's race,
color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, or marital
status.
It is an unlawful employment practice for an employer to print, or
cause to be printed or published, any notice or advertisement
relating to employment, membership, classification, referral for
employment, or apprenticeship or other training, indicating any
preference, limitation, specification, or discrimination, based on
race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, absence of
handicap, or marital status.
It is an unlawful employment practice for an employer to
discriminate against any person because that person has opposed
any practice which is an unlawful employment practice under this
section, or because that person has made a charge, testified,
assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation,
proceeding, or hearing under this section.
Florida Statutes: Chapter 760.10
1.5
Prohibition of Sexual / Racial Harassment
Our Children’s forbids discrimination against any employee, applicant for
employment, or student on the basis of sex or race. Our Children’s and
OCRC will not tolerate sexual/racial harassment activity by any of its
employees. This policy also applies to non-employee volunteers who
work subject to the control of school authorities.
Sexual harassment consists of un-welcomed sexual advances, request
for sexual favors, and other inappropriate verbal, nonverbal, graphic,
written, or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
 Submission to such conduct is made, either explicitly or
implicitly, as a term or condition of employment or of an
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

individual’s education.
Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual
is used as the basis for an employment or academic
decision affecting that individual; or
Such conduct substantially interferes with an employee’s
work performance or student’s academic performance, or
creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or school
environment.
Sexual harassment, as defined above, may include but is not limited to
the following:
 Verbal, non-verbal, graphic, and written harassment or
abuse;
 Pressure for sexual activity;
 Repeated remarks to a person with sexual or demeaning
implications;
 Unwelcome or inappropriate touching;
 Suggesting
or
demanding
sexual
involvement
accompanied by implied or explicit threats concerning
one’s employment.
Racial harassment consists of verbal, non-verbal, graphic, written, or
physical conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward any
employee based upon race when such conduct has the purpose or effect
of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment; or
when such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering
with an individual’s work performance or employment opportunities.
Racial harassment as defined above may include but is not limited to the
following conduct which is based upon race:




Epithets and slurs;
Written or graphic material that shows hostility or aversion
toward an individual or group;
Negative stereotyping;
Threatening, intimidating or hostile acts.
Disability Harassment is oral, written, graphic or physical conduct or any
act as relating to an individual’s disability that is sufficiently severe,
pervasive or persistent so as to limit or interfere with the ability of the
individual to participate in or benefit from district programs or activities;
harassment that has the effect of unreasonably interfering with an
employee’s performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive
working or school environment.
Disability harassment as defined above may include but are not limited to
conduct directed at the characteristics of a person’s disabling condition
such as:
 Imitating manner of speech;
 Interfering with necessary equipment;
 Negative stereotyping;
 Threatening, intimidating or hostile acts;
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
Written or graphic material that shows an aversion or
hostility towards an individual or group with disabling
attributes.
Specific Prohibitions
It is sexual harassment for an employee or non-employee volunteer to
use his or her authority to solicit sexual favors or attention from
subordinates or students, including but not limited to incidents when the
subordinates or students failure to submit will result in adverse treatment,
or when the subordinate’s or student’s acquiescence will result in
preferential treatment. It is racial harassment for an employee or nonemployee volunteer to create or be responsible for a racially hostile
environment i.e., harassing conduct that is sufficiently severe, pervasive,
or persistent so far as to interfere with or limit the ability of an employee
or student to participate in or benefit from services, activities, or privileges
provided by the school.
Procedures
Any person who alleges sexual/racial harassment by any staff member
may complain directly to his/her supervisor. If the direct administrator or
supervisor is the offending person, the report should be made to the next
higher level of administration or supervision. Filing of a complaint, or
otherwise reporting sexual/racial harassment, will not affect the
individual’s status, future employment, future promotion, extracurricular
activities or work assignments.
The right to confidentiality, both of the complainant and of the accused,
will be respected, consistent with the board’s legal obligations, and with
the necessity to investigate the allegation of misconduct and take
corrective action when this conduct has occurred.
In determining whether alleged conduct constitutes sexual/racial
harassment, the totality of the circumstances, the nature of the conduct
and the context in which the alleged conduct occurred will be
investigated. The Direct Supervisor, or designee, has the responsibility of
investigating and resolving complaints of sexual/racial harassment.
A substantiated charge against an employee shall subject such employee
to disciplinary action, including but not limited to warning, suspension, or
termination, subject to applicable procedural requirements.
Any employee, applicant for employment, student, or applicant for
admission who believes he/she has been discriminated against or
harassed is encouraged to follow the established complaint procedures or
directly contact his/her supervisor.
1.6
Drug Free Workplace
In compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, Sections
112.0455, 440.101, and 440.102, Florida Statues, State of Florida
Department of Labor and Employment Security, the organization will
publish an annual statement notifying employees that unlawful
possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by employees
on the Our Children’s premises is prohibited. This includes illicit drug use
or possession at any school-related activities away from or on the
organization’s premises.
Definition:
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a. “Controlled Substance” or “substance” means controlled
substance as defined by Title 41, U.S. Code Section 706 or as
defined by Section 893.02 Florida Statues.
b. “Drug Free Workplace” means any property, building, facility,
site, lOCPStion or place wherein employees engage in schoolrelated activities or otherwise act within the scope of their
employment.
The Direct Supervisor shall immediately suspend any employee violating
the policy, and the Direct Supervisor is hereby directed to report any
violation to the Executive Director who will communicate to the Board of
Trustees for further action, which could result in termination of
employment.
Failure by an employee to report a known violation of this policy will
constitute an act of insubordination and willful neglect of duty. Employees
need to be aware that compliance with this policy is mandatory and
violators will be referred for prosecution.
Substance Testing: Drug testing will be conducted for active employees
in the following instances:
a. Reasonable cause to believe an employee is involved in
substance abuse;
b. Upon return from a substance abuse rehab program;
c. As part of a random selection process for employees in
predetermined departments and/or high-risk positions.
1.7
Emergency School Closings
In case of an emergency, the Superintendent/designee is
authorized to close any school or all schools and to dismiss a
school(s) prior to the regular daily dismissal hour. The may dismiss
the school when the Superintendent or designee cannot be
contacted, and an extreme emergency exists endangering the health,
safety, or welfare of students. In a declared state of emergency, school
personnel shall maintain control of students until these students are
released from school or in the case of transported students, until they
depart from the school bus.
The directors shall cooperate with emergency preparedness authorities
during a natural or man-made disaster. If a civil disturbance or similar
situation occurs, the Direct Supervisor shall cooperate with the law
enforcement authorities.
Section 2
2.1
Administrative Policies and Procedures
Attendance and Promptness
Absenteeism
If you must be absent, it is your responsibility to notify the Direct
Supervisor at once. Call your supervisor as early as possible at their
home or on their cell. If they do not answer, call the school at once to
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report your absence until you speak to someone, do not leave a
message. Excessive absenteeism, tardiness or leaving early may be
grounds for disciplinary action or dismissal. Have a plan in place
whenever possible to have your absences covered by appropriate staff
prior to being absent.
Reporting Absences
Employees who will be away from their normal place of work during
normal duty hours are expected to report their absences or duty
reassignment to their immediate supervisor. Except in cases of
emergency or illness, absences should be arranged in advance and
requested/approved on the appropriate Our Children’s forms.
Tardiness
Our Children’s expects all employees to be present and ready to perform
their duties at the start of their duty day and to remain present for their
entire duty day, unless they have the prior approval of their supervisor.
Employees, who exhibit chronic tardiness, or those who do not call
their supervisor or designated representative prior to being tardy,
may be subject to progressive discipline.
All classified and instructional employees, including exempt (salaried)
must "clock-in" documenting their arrival and departure time. All classified
and instructional employees must clock in and out. Excessive absences
would require documentation in order to prevent any disciplinary action.
Disciplinary actions could occur when an employee no longer has PTO
available or documentation for the excessive absences.
2.2
Arrests
Any employee, who is arrested or charged with any crime, including
driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances, must
notify the Direct Supervisor or designee of the alleged
charges/allegations. Instructional personnel must self-report
within
48 hours to appropriate authorities any arrest/charges involving the abuse
of a
child or the sale and/or possession of a controlled substance.
Failure to self-report will
result in disciplinary action. Such notice
shall not be considered an admission of guilt
nor shall such notice
be admissible for any purpose in any proceeding, civil or
criminal, administrative or judicial, investigatory or adjudicatory. In
addition, self- reporting shall also be required for any conviction,
finding of guilt, withholding of
adjudication, commitment to a
pretrial diversion program, or entering of a plea of
hours after the
final judgment. (A minor traffic violation could be parking or speeding
ticket; however, a DUI is not considered minor.)
When reporting to your supervisor your arrest or charge, obtain
documentation that you
made this report within 48 hours to your
supervisor. It is your responsibility to obtain written documentation such
as an email showing to whom and when you reported your arrest with a
c/c to the Executive Director/Superintendent.
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2.3
Teacher Certification
The Certification Office in the Human Resource Services Division at the
School Board Offices will assist with issuance of certificates and
determination of highly qualified teachers. Florida law requires all
teachers to hold a valid Florida Educator’s Certificate. The staff will be
happy to assist you with the approval of appropriate course-work for
renewal or addition of a subject to your certificate. If you are not sure, it is
always better to ask but it is your responsibility.
Securing and updating a certificate is the responsibility of the teacher.
Our staff is here to provide you with guidance, but you must fulfill the
requirements and complete all procedures.
For teachers with a temporary certificate, it is extremely important that
you follow the requirements listed in your Official Statement of Eligibility
issued by the Florida Department of Education. If you have specific
testing requirements to meet you will need to contact the state for
registration and test information. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST
MINUTE TO TAKE THESE TESTS. (Completion of certification
requirements has major impact on your reappointment eligibility.)
Teachers must pass the general knowledge test by June 30 of the year
the temporary certificate was issued.
Should your name change after your certificate has been issued, you can
apply to change your name on your certificate; however, there is a fee. If
you wish, you can wait until the next renewal date of your certificate and
change your name at NO additional charge. You should also change your
name on your social security records. When you provide the Direct
Supervisor with this information, all records, including payroll records, will
be changed accordingly.
If you have earned a higher degree from an accredited institution, it could
affect your pay status. You must submit an official transcript with the
higher degree conferred to your Direct Supervisor for evaluation.
Teachers and administrative staff must now provide their Direct
Supervisor/supervisor with a copy of their transcripts and valid teaching
certificate. The Florida Department of Education no longer provides these
copies to the employer. New teachers must also provide their Direct
Supervisor with a copy of their Statement of Eligibility. Direct Supervisors
are responsible to pass this information on to the Office Manager at the
Central Office. If you have previous fulltime experience, teachers and
therapists must obtain written verification of fulltime employment from
their previous employer to get credit for work experience.
2.4
Therapist, Nursing and Behavior Analyst or any Employee that holds
a Certification in a Therapeutic Field
Therapists are employed by Our Children’s Rehab Center, Inc. and
licensure/certification is the responsibility of each therapist. Nurses,
Mental Health Counselors, and Behavior Analysts may be employed by
the school and licensure is the responsibility of each individual. Some
continuing education will be provided by the organization, but is up to
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each therapist to complete all continuing education required for their
license. Each therapist must keep track of their continuing education and
provide the organization with verification of each continuing education
hour earned. The therapist will complete licensure/certification renewal
paperwork in a timely manner to avoid any lapse in licensure. The
licensure renewal paperwork with continuing education documentation
must be submitted to the administrative office if you wish the organization
to consider the payment of fees. Failure to renew your license/certificate
in a timely manner will result in suspension or termination of employment.
2.5
Change of Address and Phone Numbers (Cell & Home)
All changes in address or phone numbers, including cell phone numbers,
must be updated in writing on an Employee Contact Form/Employee
Medical Form, which can be acquired from the office manager. Name
changes should be reflected on your Social Security Card, and a copy of
your new card should be turned in along with the Employee Contact
Form.
2.6
Conflict of Interest & Solicitation of Employees
No employee may work for an organization doing business with Our
Children’s while employed with the Our Children’s Organization. Any
employee working another job anywhere must reveal such a contractual
agreement, in writing, to the Direct Supervisor/Executive Director. The
Direct Supervisor/Executive Director may approve such an arrangement;
however, if the Executive Director determines the relationship to be a
conflict of interest, he/she will request that the employee terminate his/her
employment with either the organization of Our Children’s, or the
conflicting employer.
As an employee, you may not perform any duties related to an
outside job during regular working hours or during the additional time
that is needed to fulfill the responsibilities of the position. Similarly,
you may not use the organizations facilities, equipment, or materials in
performing outside work. You may not solicit the sale of or sell services
or goods to Our Children’s during work hours or by using Our Children’s
email for personal profit or gain. Your supervisor must approve soliciting
the sale of goods for nonprofit organizations in advance.
2.6 A. Nepotism
Nepotism is defined as showing favoritism or patronage to relatives.
During the formal screening process, an applicant, who would be
supervised by a close relative, must be eliminated from consideration.
An employee may not transfer to a cost center if he/she may supervise
or be supervised by a close relative. A close relative is defined as a
spouse, ex-spouse, partner, siblings, parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle,
grandchild, cousin, including all step and/or half relatives.
2.7
Dress Code
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All employees are models for the students and should reflect this in their
dress and appearance. Neatness and cleanliness are important for all
employees. Each staff member should maintain a neat, professional
appearance appropriate for his/her specific assignment. Each staff
member will wear a logo-shirt and appropriate bottoms. Appropriate
bottoms are loose fitting neutral or dark pants/skirts at the knee or longer.
Bottoms must be without tears, rips or holes. Skirts, shorts, dresses,
pants, should not be form fitting either by fabric, cut or design. Athletic
wear, spandex, basketball shorts, scrubs, sweat pants or pajama bottoms
are not appropriate for the work place. All staff members must wear
closed-toed shoes; flip-flops or open-toed shoes are not appropriate at
any time. Appropriate undergarments (i.e., bras and underwear) are
expected to be worn by all employees. Undergarments and private body
areas must not be evident or visible through clothing. If midriffs,
underwear or other body parts are exposed, the employee will be sent
home to correct their dress. Staff members sent home must return to
complete the workday in appropriate dress. Payment is not available for
time spent correcting dress. If an employee abuses the dress code
consistently, it will result in disciplinary action or possible termination.
Hospital and medical staff must follow the dress code of the facility at
which they are working.
Tattoos/Piercing:
The ultimate goal of this policy is to ensure a workforce that presents a
sharp, professional appearance to the public and the children we serve,
while allowing individual expression through authorized body art. Tattoos
on the face, neck, hands, or uncovered arms and legs may not be visible
during work hours and school sanctioned events unless it is smaller than
an inch and not offensive in nature. If there is a hand or wrist tattoo larger
than one inch, or hand tattoos which are offensive in nature, then they
need to be covered up. Any exceptions need to be brought to the
administrator.
Visible piercings must follow these criteria: earrings may hang no longer
than one inch below the ear lobe and all other facial piercings must be
removed or covered up during school hours. Extra attention should not be
brought to tongue or belly button piercings; a clear retainer or barbell can
be used as an option. No gauge plugs in ears are permitted.
2.8
Electronic Mail
Email accounts shall be used to enhance communication for work-related
duties. The use of e-mail accounts must be in support of education and/or
research that are consistent with the educational goals and policies of
Our Children’s. The employee in whose name the account is issued is
responsible at all times for its proper use. Behavior that is inconsistent
with this policy may result in disciplinary action which may include
possible termination or legal action.
Policies:
a.
Unauthorized use includes, but is not limited to:
 The creation and exchange of messages that is offensive,
 harassing, obscene, or threatening;
 The exchange of privileged, confidential, or sensitive
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







b.
c.
d.
e.
information outside of the organization or outside the
defined privileged group;
The creation and exchange of advertisements,
solicitations, chain letters, and other unsolicited e-mail;
The creation, storage, or exchange of information in
violation of copyright laws;
Reading or sending messages from another user’s
account, except under proper delegated arrangements;
Altering or copying a message or attachment belonging to
another user without the permission of the originator;
The installation and use of unapproved applications and
downloads are prohibited;
Using email in ways that violate Our Children’s policies and
procedures;
Unnecessary activities which cause congestion of the
network or otherwise interfere with the work of others;
Representing personal views as those of Our Children’s.
The Direct Supervisor must be notified immediately of any
unauthorized use of your account or any other breach of security.
Our Children’s is not liable for any loss you may incur as a result
of someone else using your password or account, either with or
without your knowledge;
Users must not compromise the privacy of their password by
giving it to others or exposing it to public services. Passwords
should be changed at least every 90 days;
Employees must not open e-mails or attachments from unknown
senders to avoid viruses;
Employees must not use the Internet for personal use.
2.9 Networks and Internet Use Policy
Our Children’s offers access to network resources and the Internet to our
schools. Usage is a privilege granted to employees and students. The
use of the network and the Internet must be in support of educational and
professional activities that are consistent with the educational goals and
policies of the school. The user is responsible at all times for its proper
use. Behavior that is inconsistent with these policies and guidelines may
result in disciplinary action and/or legal action.
General Network Use
The network includes all computers and other peripheral devices on
property that are interconnected to the local/wide area network. It is
provided for users to conduct research, complete assignments, and print
assignments, use instructional programs, and use media center electronic
catalog.
Internet Access
The Internet encompasses a multitude of libraries, databases, social
networking and resources beyond the local/wide area network. It is
provided for users to access educational resources to conduct research,
complete assignments, use instructional programs and use media center
on-line catalogs.
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General Network and Internet Access Policies
Unauthorized use includes, but is not limited to:
• Violations of laws and regulations regarding:
 Copyrighted and trademark material;
 Threatening, obscene or profane material;
 Licensing agreements;
 Plagiarism.
 Vandalism, which is defined as malicious attempt to harm or
destroy network resources, data of other users, the Internet
or other networks. This includes the creation of, or uploading
of, computer viruses on the Internet or host site;
 Use of the Internet or network for financial gain or illegal
activity;
 Use of another individual’s network access including use of
another individual’s network username and password;
 Congestion of network by consuming large amounts of
bandwidth, including but not limited to:
 Network/Internet games
 Streaming video and audio
 Teleconferencing
 Downloading very large files without prior approval
of
technology staff;
 Hacking or any attempt to gain access to networks;
 Browsing networks to obtain IP addresses and
other network information;
 Accessing the networks without prior authorization;
 Use network resources or other resources with the
intent of
preventing or interfering with the
transmission of voice,
data, pictures, or
anything that can be transmitted over the network;
 Trespass on other’s work, files or folders, and
attempt to,
or take action to, access, modify,
harm or destroy data
of another user;
 Circumventing proxy servers, firewalls or other
filtering
software;
 Using unauthorized telephone services, including
long distance calls.
For consequences please see 2.19
Social Networking
Our Children’s respects the rights of employees to utilize social media,
such as Facebook, Twitter, or other electronic communications; however,
activities in or outside of work that affect an employee's job performance,
the performance of other employees, or activities that might affect the
image and reputation of Our Children’s and/or are an area of interest for
Our Children’s as an employer. Our Children’s takes these interests very
seriously. Employees should be mindful of these interests, should not use
social media when on duty, and should be mindful of these considerations
when using such media on personal time. Protect your Facebook by
adjusting your settings to being tagged.
Beware! Being “Tagged” on Facebook could result in offensive photos.
See the below Policy and Procedure detailed guidelines.
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Definitions:
Blog: is an online type of journal or newsletter that is readily accessible to
the general public on a website. Blogs are typically used by individuals to
share personal thoughts, ideas, opinions, videos, pictures, etc.
Electronic Communications: is a system of worldwide electronic
communication in which a user can compose a message on a computer,
cell phone, or other electronic devices that allows the user to send a
written message to one or more persons.
Profile: is an individual account posted on social media websites that may
include personal information, viewpoints/opinions and/or communications
with others.
Social Media: is a term that defines the various activities that integrate online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions,
insights, experiences, and perspectives.
Social Networking: is the practice of expanding the number of one's
business and/or social contacts by making connection through on-line
technologies or electronic devices.
Policy:
1. Employees are prohibited from posting photos of Our Children
on personal Facebook accounts, newsfeeds, etc.
2. Employees are expected to follow the guidelines outlined in
this policy and provide a clear distinction between their views
as individuals and their Our Children’s employment.
3. When using social media, employees should have no
expectation of privacy and must apply good judgment for every
activity related to Our Children’s;
4. If information is posted in the public domain, Our Children’s
reserves the right to monitor compliance with this and other
Our Children’s policies. Any public information employees
create, transmit, download, exchange or discuss on any social
media may be accessed at any time without prior notice;
5. Employees who participate in social networking or electronic
communications deemed not to be in the best interest of Our
Children’s will be subject to corrective action up to and
including termination;
6. It is the right and duty of Our Children’s to protect itself, its
students and employees from unauthorized disclosure of
proprietary and/or confidential information and the discussion,
commentary or other dissemination of potentially untrue,
inflammatory, derogatory, defaming, and/or otherwise unlawful
or inappropriate commentary concerning Our Children’s;
7. In public settings, employees must remain respectful of Our
Children’s business operations, co-workers, students, etc.
Anything
obscene,
vulgar,
defamatory,
threatening,
discriminatory, harassing, abusive, hateful, or embarrassing to
a fellow employee, student or business partner is prohibited;
8. Activities in or outside of work that affect an employee's job
performance, the performance of others, or the image and
reputation of Our Children’s are a proper focus for Our
Children’s policy;
9. Employees are prohibited from listing their email address
unless the social networking site is used purely for business or
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professional purposes, including Facebook. If you list your
work affiliation on a social network, then you should regard all
communication on that network as you would in a professional
network.
Guidelines for Employees:
1. You are personally responsible for the content you publish on
profiles, blogs, or any other form of user-generated social media
or electronic communications.
2. Seek input from your immediate supervisor or administration
prior to publishing anything questionable or that you wouldn't say
in person to avoid potential violation of this policy;
3. Be thoughtful and respectful about what you say or publish.
When participating in social networking, you should always protect
your privacy and the privacy of others;
4. Social media is not the appropriate place for addressing workrelated concerns or business matters and accordingly you should
refer these types of employment-related concerns to your
immediate supervisor or administration;
5. Use good judgment when participating in social networking
activities. Do not use ethnic slurs, personal insults, obscenity,
reveal confidential or private information, defame or disparage
students or co-workers or engage in any conduct that would not
be acceptable in the workplace;
6. If you list Our Children’s as your place of employment or publish
content to any website outside of Our Children’s and it has
something to do with work you do or information associated with
Our Children’s, use a disclaimer such as this: “The information or
postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent
the views and opinions of Our Children’s;”
7. For your protection as well as Our Children’s do not post any
privileged, confidential, copyrighted information or Our Children’s
issued documents;
8. Before you engage in any social networking or electronic
communications, remember that you should have no expectation
of privacy and when you compose a message, read it over before
sending it and ask yourself if the content is appropriate based on
the guidelines in this policy.
For consequences please see 2.19
2.10 Performance Evaluation
Each member of the instructional, administrative, and classified staff
shall receive an annual evaluation by his/her immediate administrative
supervisor. The purpose of the evaluation shall be for the improvement
o f a l l personnel. The administrative supervisors shall use the
evaluation form provided by the Executive Director/Superintendent. A
copy of each employee’s evaluation report shall be filed in the
employee’s personnel file maintained in the Administrative office. Our
Children’s expects high performance of all its employees. Evaluations and
goal setting help employees identify their strengths and weaknesses, as
well as opportunities for professional growth and development.
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Approved
Educator/Leader
or
Non-instructional
Personnel
Evaluation Tool
Your administrator/evaluator will provide the assessment forms and
procedures at the beginning of the school year. The evaluator will be
your immediate direct supervisor.
2.10. A. Hours Worked
Educators: Each school or work site may establish its own teacher
duty day schedule. A teacher’s duty day will be the equivalent of
instructional and non-instructional minutes per day in a particular
school. Teachers agree to meet requests for assistance or
conferences initiated by students or parents that require time
outside the regularly scheduled duty day. The regular duty day can be
extended for emergencies that threaten the health or safety of
students. A supervisor may require attendance at faculty meetings,
parent orientations, and open houses.
Classified employees: The regular workweek will be Monday thru
Friday. No employee will be required to work through his or her lunch.
2.10. B. Professional Development
The organization is committed to the development of its people.
Investments in
people represent investments in
our children
and in our future. We believe the more
you
develop
as
a
professional, the better our school will become. As a result,
professional development opportunities abound. Below is a short list of
some of the opportunities available to you:
Teachers
The Vision of the Our Children’s states: “Staff Excels ~ Students
Succeed.” It’s simple, clear, and focused. We believe if we have high
quality teachers in every
classroom, students will benefit, and
student achievement will soar. Our job is to
develop
and
to
provide on-going support to teachers, administrators, and the
schools in this endeavor. The organization accomplishes this work
through two major avenues: Professional Development and Teacher
Evaluation using the Marzano approach.
Professional Development that is designed to make the best even
better leads to a high quality staff working with students. We help
teachers write Individual Professional Development Plans based upon
student data. The Department provides quality and results-oriented
training so that teachers are equipped with strategies that engage
students in rigorous curriculum. Teacher Evaluation is supported
through the Marzano approach for first-year teachers as well as the
coaching and mentoring afforded to teachers.
Instructional Aides
The federal No Child Left Behind legislation requires instructional
aides who work in Title I school to have an associate’s degree, 60
semester hours of college, or have passed a rigorous exam. This is
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also a requirement for any aide at the Paraprofessional level. Our
Children’s offers several opportunities to help aides who aspire to be
Paraprofessionals achieve this goal. Those interested in taking a test
may do so through the Test Center Department at the sponsoring
counties.
Classified
Most classified employees have training opportunities targeted at your
functional area of expertise - that is, making you better at what you do.
Please consult your Supervisor or Director to f ind out what
opportunities may be available to you.
Outside Opportunities
Opportunities may arise to support and promote professional
development. Often these resources are used to pay for substitutes
for teachers to attend PD, but they may also be used to contract
outside consultants and trainers or to send teachers to conferences.
Again, if you are interested in these opportunities, consult your
supervisor.
2.11 Injury and Illness in the Line of Duty
Employees injured while “on the job” will need to contact their direct
supervisor immediately. All injuries must be documented on an incident
report form with all witnesses listed. Leave for injury/illness in the Line of
Duty is granted in accordance with Worker’s Compensation Law when
absence is the result of a personal injury or illness. In order to be eligible
for this protection, the injury must be reported to the Worker’s
Compensation carrier. Treatment must be provided by an approved
Worker’s Compensation doctor. Flu shots and Hepatitis B series will be
available at no cost to the employee. Given that our services are to
children, obtaining a flu shot is highly recommended.
The Staff Incident/Accident Report Form must be filed within 24 hours.
The employee must provide documentation from the Occupational Health
Center physician.
2.12 Leave of Absence without Pay
Unless otherwise specified by law, leave is granted at the discretion of
administration. Policies about leave are designed to protect facility
operation from unnecessary interruption due to absences. When
employees apply for leave, they must complete the appropriate form and
include the reason for requesting the leave in writing. The Direct
Supervisor may cancel the leave if it is used for a different purpose or
cause. Leave is generally granted in advance, not retroactively. However,
emergencies that cannot be anticipated are considered “granted” in
advance if they are promptly reported. Except for military leave, leave
cannot be granted beyond July 1 of the next fiscal year. However, a new
application may be filed at the expiration of leave, with new leave granted
at the discretion of the board. The person on leave is responsible for
requesting a renewal; it is not automatic. If a renewal is not requested,
employment will be terminated.
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If you go on official unpaid leave and wish to continue your health and/or
life insurance coverage, you will be responsible for paying the premiums
under the COBRA program. Employees on leave are entitled to the same
enrollment that active employees have.
Types of Leave
Military Leave in accordance of applicable law
Family/Medical Leave - case by case with documentation of the
illness in question
Maternity/Parental Leave – up to 6 weeks unpaid with continuation
of health benefits
Extended Personal Leave – case by case
Approved employee leave does not entitle the employee to paid time off,
only a guarantee to return to employment. Employment may or may not
be the exact position that was left.
When the need for leave is foreseeable, the staff member must provide at
least thirty (30) days notice. When the need for leave is not foreseeable,
the staff member must notify their supervisor as soon as possible. Leave
decision for Medical/Family or extended personal will be made on a case
by case basis. All leave requests must be made in writing. If leave is
approved for a designated period of time and circumstances require
extending or shortening the leave, the staff member must notify the
administration immediately of the request to change. If the employee is on
approved leave because of his/her personal illness, medical clearance
must be provided prior to return to work.
Maternity leave- The instructional employee shall, in her written
request for leave, notify the Executive that she will return to work either:
as soon after the birth of her child as her physician certifies in writing that
she is able to return, at which time the teacher shall be returned to her
former position on the first day of the next school year following the
termination of pregnancy, at which time the teacher shall be returned to
her former position.
An employee’s PTO must be used prior to any leave without pay is used.
While an employee is on extended unpaid leave, (more than 3 weeks)
they are not entitled to holiday pay.
2.13 Days off, Personal Time-Off (PTO) for Instructional and Classified
Employees
Our Children’s will follow the approved county calendar for students.
Paras will follow the days off schedule for 10-month employees.
Secretaries will follow either the 11-month employee or 12-month
employee schedules set forth by the organization, not the district school
board. Teachers will work 201 days and return to work 2 weeks prior to
the start of school. During the training weeks, educators will receive
training pay at a rate. Para’s will work180 - 196 days and be paid a
training rate of $50.00 per day for the week prior to school beginning.
Please be advised, employees schedules are subject to modifications
based on the needs of the school.
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Incentives
1. If an employee has no absences and no tardies (this includes sick,
PTO, emergency) during each quarter, they may leave work early on
Thursday’s the following month after that quarter every week (2:15pm)
unless a meeting is called such as monthly staff meeting.
Bus drivers and bus aides who cannot leave early will be given 4
hours additional PTO.
2.
a. If an employee has 50% or less of their PTO days remaining, they
will be paid out at 50%;
b. If an employee has 51%-75% of their PTO days remaining, they
will be paid out at 65%;
c. If an employee has 76%-80% of their PTO days remaining, they
will be paid out at 90%;
d. If an employee has 81%-100% of their PTO days remaining, they
will be paid out at 100%.
Each employee will earn sick/personal leave (PTO) days according to the
contract period worked as follows:
10 month employees (180, 196, 201 days) - 10 days per year
10 ½ month employees (220 days) - 10 days per year
11 month employees (240 days)
- 11 days per year
12 month employees (260 days)
- 12 days per year
Employees cannot use PTO until after the 90 day probationary period;
however it will continue to accumulate. PTO, when available, must be
used at time of absence and cannot be saved for future planned time off.
Employees will earn one PTO day for each month worked until the full
amount, based on your agreed upon days worked, has been reached.
Returning employees will start the school year with 4 PTO days.
Disciplinary action will be taken if you exceed your PTO. Employees
cannot take time off without pay except in unusual circumstances and it
must be approved. Taking time off without pay does not conform to this
policy and may jeopardize your employment.
There will be no differentiation between “sick” and “personal” days.
DO NOT BOOK AIRLINE TICKETS WITHOUT APPROVED LEAVE,
EXPECIALLY ON STORM MAKE-UP DAYS. YOU MAY LOSE YOUR
MONEY.
Employees must advise administration of the need to take leave and
complete a sick/personal leave form at least 30 days prior, when possible.
Two days or 16 hours a year may be taken with no pre-authorization
period.
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Employees working at OCRC must request all but their 2 float PTO
days during student vacation times unless previous arrangements
have been made with administration. Instructional and classified
employees may NOT take leave before or after school holidays or
summer break. No PTO will be approved for hurricane or storm
make-up days until it is certain that we will not be required to work
on those days.
No leave accrues year to year. If the employee has unused leave at the
end of their year, they may be paid in accordance with the payout
schedule previously outlined. Staff will not be paid for days off due to
hurricanes. PTO may be used for hurricane days off.
The following require prior approval from the Direct Supervisor:

Partial day;

Use of PTO prior to actual accrual.
The following does not require use of PTO days:

Military Duty (up to 17 days leave with pay);

Illness/injury in the line of duty (in accordance with Worker’s
Compensation Law);

Leave of absence without pay for the following:
a.
Family/Medical Leave - up to 12 weeks unpaid
within a 12 month period for: * birth/care of a
newborn; * placement of child for adoption or foster
care; * to care for an immediate family member
(spouse, child, parent) with serious health
condition; * to take medical leave due to serious
illness
b.
Maternity/Parental Leave
c.
Extended Personal Leave
d.
Extended Military Duty Leave (beyond 17 paid
days)
e.
Jury Duty.
2.14 Personal Mail
Please have all personal mail delivered to your residence. Telephones in
the schools and/or offices are for business only. Of course, it is
understood that emergencies arise, and you must either call or be called
while at work. Please make arrangements for emergency calls to go
through the office and personal calls to go through your cell phone and
check your messages during lunch or after work. However, for purely
personal messages, please make other arrangements for calls during
your work day. All cell phones must be turned off.
2.14. A. Telephone Calls
Audible cell phone use may result in disciplinary action. The cell phone
should not be answered unless it is an emergency. If an employee is
caught using their phone for personal reasons during work time, the
employee will receive first a written-verbal warning and then a written
warning. The first offense will require the phone be placed in the direct
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Supervisor’s desk or in the employee’s car for 1 week. The second
offense will require the phone to be placed in the employee’s car for 1
month. The third offense will result in a permanent ban of the phone from
the work place. Be prepared to show your supervisor what your phone is
being used for when requested.
2.14. B. Personal Business on School Time
No employee of the Our Children’s may conduct personal business
(personal phone calls and text messages as well as the operation of any
personal business) on work time except for emergencies approved by
their Supervisor or the Executive Director/Superintendent. Our
Children’s equipment or supplies shall not be used to conduct
personal business or any other activity not connected with the network
Violation of this rule shall be grounds for disciplinary action - up to and
including termination.
2.15 Personnel Records
Personnel/employment records are processed and maintained in the
central administrative office. All personnel files are public records and as
such are available for public inspection. If you would like to review your
personnel file, please feel free to contact the central administrative office.
The office manager should be notified in writing of any changes in
personal status such as changes in name, address, marital status,
beneficiary for life insurance purposes and/or number of dependents.
2.15. A. Probationary Period
All newly hired employees have a probationary period; the duration of
that period is based upon classification (see page5 for an explanation
of the categories). Employment during the probationary period must be
continuous for probation to be successfully completed.
For classified employees, the probationary period begins on the first
day of regular employment and continues for six (6) months.
For instructional employees, the first year contract is the
probationary period. Administrators should review the contracts to
determine the probationary period.
During the probationary period, the employee may be dismissed
without cause or may resign from the contractual position without
breach of contract. A probationary employee who is recommended
for termination has no appeal rights, and no written explanation from
the organization is required.
2.16
Reassignments
In the event that the administration determines that an involuntary transfer
to another school or hiring lOCPStion must occur, the employee shall be
notified of the decision in writing. This may result in a recalculation of
pay.
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2.17
Resignations
When an employee leaves a position, proper notice should be given.
Teachers and therapists are expected to work the entire school year. In
addition, teachers contract outline the provisions for terminating within the
school year. If a professional plans to resign, they should complete the
semester and give a 60 day notice to ensure you leave in good standing.
A letter of resignation indicating the date you plan to leave and the
reasons should be submitted to your supervisor. Paraprofessionals or
office staff should give at least 4 weeks notice to ensure you leave in
good standing. It is important that you leave the organization in good
standing to protect your eligibility for rehiring. If you are absent from work
without permission from your supervisor, this may be considered as your
having resigned and could result in the forfeiting of all rights to
reemployment. There will be an exit interview for teachers and therapists.
PTO time may not be requested during the notice period. Accumulated
PTO or vacation time will be paid out at the schedule outlined provided
the employee leaves in “good standing.” Good standing means with a 60
day notice at the end of
a semester (teachers/therapists) and a 4 week notice for para’s and office
staff.
2.17. A. Exit Survey
At the end of your relationship with the Our Children’s organization
you will be asked to complete an Exit Survey. We use the information
in the exit survey for a number of things. Most importantly, we use the
information to understand why people leave our organization and, in
return, review our programs and policies to encourage long-term
retention. Most preventable losses to any organization occur because
of a perception of some negative impact on overall quality of life. We
are convinced the better we understand those issues, the better we can
respond with programs that improve the quality of life of our people and,
in turn, improve our overall retention and experience levels.
2.18
Retirement
Our Children’s schools participate in the Florida State Retirement. The
Florida Retirement System (FRS) is an employee-noncontributory
system. This means that your employer makes the total contribution for
you. 3% of your salary is deducted from your paycheck to pay for your
retirement. The employer pays the balance owed to FRS. OCRC
employees participate in a SEP (Simple Employee Pension) where
OCRC contributes 3% of your salary toward retirement. The employer
contributions are not refundable.
The Florida Retirement System now makes available two retirement
plans, the Defined Benefit Plan and the Investment Plan. Under the
Defined Benefit Plan, you are vested after you have completed six (6)
years of creditable service. Vesting refers to your earned right to receive
a retirement benefit when you reach normal or early retirement age, even
though you may have terminated before that age. Normal retirement is 62
years of age OR 30 years of service regardless of age. If you have at
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least six years of creditable service but have not reached your normal
retirement age as described above, you can take early retirement. The
amount of your benefit is reduced 5% for each year you are under age
62.
Under the Investment Plan, you are vested after you have completed
one (1) year of creditable service. This benefit is based on return of
investments or progress. It is more portable and is better for employees
who are short term. If you are preparing to retire, certain steps should be
taken to ensure that there would be no loss of benefits to you.
The following is a description of steps you may wish to follow:
PLAN AHEAD
Decide when you intend to retire. To be eligible for benefits, you must
terminate all relationships with ALL FRS employers and not be
reemployed by any FRS employer within the next calendar year following
your initial retirement. There are exceptions to the reemployment law for
retirees reemployed in certain positions with educational institutions.
REQUEST AN ESTIMATE
Within two years of your proposed termination date, you are encouraged
to request an audit of your years of service, and you may request an
estimate of benefits by obtaining Form FR 9 from the Human Resource
Services Department. The Division of Retirement will send you the
estimate of benefits. It will show the estimated retirement benefits to
which you are entitled.
APPLY FOR RETIREMENT BENEFITS
Three to six months before your termination date, request a retirement
application from the Human Resource Services Department
HEALTH INSURANCE AND LIFE INSURANCE
You may elect to retain the benefits that you are enrolled in at the time of
retirement. You may decrease benefits at retirement, but you may not
increase them.
DEFERRED RETIREMENT OPTION PROGRAM (DROP)
The Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) is a program, which
became effective July 1, 1998, and allows you to retire and begin
accumulating your retirement benefits without terminating employment for
up to 60 months from the date you first reach normal retirement (age 62
or 30 years of service). While participating in DROP, your monthly
retirement benefits remain in the FRS Trust Fund, earning tax-deferred
interest, while you continue to work (but you do not earn additional
service credit for retirement). When the DROP period ends, you must
terminate all employment with FRS employers. At that time, you will
receive payment of the accumulated DROP benefits and begin receiving
your monthly retirement benefit (in the same amount as determined at
retirement, plus annual cost-of-living increases).
OCRC employees are entitled to an optional 403b retirement where
employee contributions reduce your taxable income. Employer will match
3% of annual income after 1 year of employment provided the employee
contributes 3% or more of the annual income for these OCRC employees
participating in the 403B plan.
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2.19
Suspensions / Dismissals
Under certain conditions, a supervisor may recommend to the Executive
Director/Superintendent the suspension or dismissal of an employee.
Immediate dismissal can occur when an employee has violated the law or
has committed a severe act of insubordination that could result in a
compromise of the health and safety of a child or fellow employee. The
disciplinary action is as follows:




A letter of concern;
Verbal warning with a written confirmation;
Written warning related to the same of different offenses;
Recommendation for dismissal or termination letter.
Lapse of licensure or certification may result in suspension or dismissal
from employment. Teachers must have a temporary certificate and pass
the general knowledge exam before June 30th of the year their temporary
certification will expire. Failure to pass the general knowledge exam will
result in the termination of their teaching position.
2.19. A. Grievances
A grievance is an allegation by the employee that she/he has been
treated in an unfair and/or inequitable manner. Currently the Our
Children’s Organization employs a four-step grievance process.
Additionally, reprisal or recrimination as a result of the filing of a
grievance is strictly prohibited.
The following is the four-step grievance process.
1. The employee initiates a grievance allegation by completing an
incident report and submitting the report to the supervisor of the
employee in question and the grieving employee’s supervisor.
2. The supervisor of the employee in question would investigate the
allegation and schedule a conference.
3. If the grieving employee is not satisfied with the outcome, they may
continue up the chain of command to the Executive
Director/Superintendent and request a formal conference.
4. If
satisfaction
is
not
achieved
at
the
Executive
Director/Superintendent level, a written request accompanied by the
Incident Report and the minutes of the formal conference would be
sent to the Board Chair or their designee to request a hearing. The
Board Chair would make a final recommendation and a written
response would be documented to the grieving employee.
2.19. B. Reductions in Force and Reorganization
Should the Our Children’s find it necessary to take action to reduce
staff or reorganize work assignments based on the organizational needs,
both classified and instructional staff could be subject to layoffs or
r ea ss ig nm ent s based upon seniority and certification area or job
classification. Seniority is based on the continuous length of service
from an employee’s effective date of hire. Reassignment of duties to a
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different job may result in an adjustment of pay in accordance to the
newly assigned position.
2.20
Temporary Duty Leave
Temporary duty leave is authorized for all employees who are assigned
by the Direct Supervisor to be on duty at such a place or places removed
from their regular place of duty. The Direct Supervisor is authorized under
these policies to reassign employees to temporary duty as deemed
necessary and to execute payment for reimbursement of expenses. With
proper prior approval from the Direct Supervisor, overnight stays are
permitted for out of county travel and will be reimbursed according to
policy or circumstance. If temporary duty leave results in temporary duty
reassignment, the employee’s remuneration will be based on the Direct
Supervisor’s decision on the payment for job performed. For example,
remuneration for employee training may be a daily rate less than the
employees’ normal rate of pay ($100) per day - teachers and therapists;
($50) per day - paraprofessionals.
2.21
Toxic Substances at Work
Employees have a right to know about exposures to toxic substances in
the workplace. Under the Florida Right-to-Know Law, Chapter 442,
Florida Statues, employers must provide employees with information
about the toxic substances with which they work and train employees in
safe handling practices and emergency procedures. A list of toxic
substances is listed at each facility or hiring lOCPStion.
2.22
Transfers
Employees may request transfers based on vacancies. Employees who
wish to transfer to a different work site during the school session shall
submit a written request to their immediate supervisor for the specific
vacancy being advertised. For a list of vacancies access the Our
Children’s website or contact the Direct Supervisor.
2.23
Vacancy Procedures
All vacancies will be posted on the Our Children’s website and/or can be
obtained by contacting the Direct Supervisor. This information is updated
frequently. An employee seeking a new position within the system is
encouraged to contact the Direct Supervisor. Current employees are
given priority consideration for all vacancies.
2.24 Weapons / Firearms
It is the expressed policy of Our Children’s that no weapons/firearms shall
be taken on organization property, or property of contracted vendors, by
anyone other than law enforcement personnel. All persons, including
school personnel, violating the provisions of this policy while on Our
Children’s property or while providing services to contracted vendors
wherever located, shall be immediately reported to the proper law
enforcement authority. Employees violating the above provisions shall
also be reported to the Board of Trustees and to the Professional Practice
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Commission/Department of Health. The executive director shall make a
recommendation for disciplinary action, which may include suspension or
dismissal.
Worker’s Compensation
2.25
If you are injured on the job, the Florida Worker’s Compensation Law
protects you. If you are hurt on the job, regardless of how slight an injury,
report it to the administrator. You may think the injury insignificant at the
time, but it could develop into something that requires medical care, and a
staff incident report should be on file for you to receive treatment at a
designated health office specializing in occupational health. Contact your
supervisor for specifics.
This benefit is provided by state statute, and there are rules and
procedures both you, as the employee, and your employer must follow.
Further, there are stiff penalties for fraud.
Our Children’s provide safety equipment that must be used when
engaging in certain activities. Be sure to use this protection because you
could be penalized if you are injured while not doing so. A good example
is a care seat belt, gloves, etc. Using it only protects you against injury
but protects your rights under Worker’s Compensation and your ability to
recover from the responsible party.
2.25. A. Safety
Our Children’s has developed and promotes a comprehensive program
to ensure the safety of its employees, students, and visitors. The safety
program includes guidelines and procedures for responding to
emergencies and activities to help reduce the frequency of accidents and
injuries. To prevent or minimize injuries to employees, coworkers,
and students and to protect and conserve Our Children’s equipment,
employees must comply with the following requirements:






Observe all safety rules
Familiarize
yourself
with Our Children’s critical
incident
plans/procedures and emergency preparedness protocols
Keep work areas clean and orderly at all times
Immediately report all accidents to their supervisor by completing the
Incident Report Form.
Operate only equipment or machines for which they have training and
authorization
All employees must wear their employee ID card while on Our
Children’s property.
Employees with questions or concerns relating to safety programs and
issues should contact their immediate supervisor.
2.26
Classroom Security
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When leaving the classroom or other work areas at the end of the day,
teachers are expected to turn out the lights, adjust the thermostat to 85
degrees, secure all doors and windows and lock doors. Additionally, all
trash must be removed from the classrooms at the end of the day.
All staff should refrain from keeping personal items of value in or about
their desks. Purses should never be left unsecured. Students should be
instructed to leave valuables at home. Our Children’s will not be
responsible for the loss of or damage to personal property due to such
causes as fire, theft, accident or vandalism.
2.27
Staff/Student Relationships
Staff members shall maintain professional relationships with students at
all times and develop wholesome and constructive relationships with
them. Staff members shall be expected to regard each student as an
individual and to accord each student the rights and respect that is due
him or her.
Staff members shall promote a learning environment that encourages
fulfillment of each student's potential in regard to his/her program,
consistent with Our Children’s goals and with optimal opportunities for
students. This goal may be reached by adapting instruction to individual
needs, by:
1. Insisting on reasonable standards of scholastic accomplishment
for all students;
2. Creating a positive atmosphere in and out of the classroom;
3. Extending the same courtesy and respect that is expected of
students;
4. Treating all students with consistent fairness.
Staff members shall use good judgment in their relationships with
students beyond their work responsibilities and/or outside the school
setting and shall avoid excessive informal and social involvement with
individual students and parents. No employee may accept a gift of more
than $50.00. If a parent gives a gift in access of $50.00, please return it
or donate the gift back to Our Children’s. Accepting the
money will be grounds for dismissal. Any appearance of impropriety shall
be avoided. Inappropriate relationships between employees and students
shall be prohibited and will be grounds for immediate dismissal.
2.28
Tobacco-Free Environment
Our Children’s properties are smoke-free environments and do not allow
the use of tobacco on any campuses. Compliance is expected and
required. Violations of this policy will result in appropriate action being
taken, the same as a violation of any other Our Children’s policy.
Tobacco use is defined as the carrying or smoking of any kind of lighted
pipe, cigar, cigarette, or any other smoking equipment or material or the
chewing or sniffing of a tobacco product.
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2.29
Use of Our Children’s Property
Our Children’s provides you with necessary equipment, and materials to
carry out the job assigned to you. If you are assigned any equipment or
materials, it becomes your responsibility to exercise care in its operation.
Personal use of materials, supplies, tools, or other equipment is not
permitted. Violation could result in disciplinary action up to dismissal,
criminal prosecution, or both.
2.30
Visitors in the Workplace
All visitors are required to enter any facility through the main entrance.
School visitors must show proper identification and be screened
through the schools visitor management system, receiving a temporary
ID badge, which must be worn while on campus. Contractors and
vendors on campus must display valid identification issued by the
organization at all times while on campus. Employees who observe an
unauthorized individual on the district premises should immediately
direct him or her to the building office or contact the administrator in
charge.
2.31 Gifts and Solicitation
The Our Children’s employees, volunteers or agents shall not accept,
directly or indirectly, gifts or gratuities valued at more than $50.00
from vendors or potential vendors which might influence or appear to
influence purchasing decisions.
2.32 Political Activities
Florida Statute 104.31 and Our Children’s policy governs political
activities of school public employees. Some things to remember are:
(1) Political posters shall not be displayed in schools
(2) Political literature shall not be distributed in schools or on school
property
(3) Solicitations for votes or contributions shall not be conducted in
schools or on school property
(4) Students shall not be required to distribute campaign literature
(5) Employees shall refrain from participation in partisan politics on
Our Children’s property during the work hours. Our Children’s
employees shall not solicit support of any political candidate,
partisan or non- partisan, during regular work hours. An Our
Children’s employee who offers him/herself as a candidate for
public office shall notify the Executive Director/ Superintendent
immediately upon qualifying for election. He/she shall conduct
his/her campaign so as not to interfere with his/her
responsibilities. Personal leave without pay may be taken during the
campaign period with approval from their Supervisor.
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2.33 HIPAA Policy
We are not required to agree to a restriction that you may request. We will
review your request, and if we agree, we will comply with the restriction
unless your information is needed for emergency treatment. We cannot
agree to restrict disclosures that are required by law. We encourage you
to discuss requests for restrictions with your doctor. You may request a
“Health Information Restriction Request Form” from our privacy officer.
You must complete, sign, and date the form. Your request must state to
whom the restriction will apply, and it must specify the restriction
requested.
You can ask us to communicate with you by an alternate means or
at an alternate location if the communication could endanger you.
We will agree to all reasonable requests. We may evaluate the
reasonableness of your request by asking you for information about
payments, alternative addresses, or other methods of contacting you. We
may condition your request. Please make this request in writing to our
privacy officer at the address on the back of this notice.
You have the right to request that your doctor amend your health
information. You may request an amendment of your health information
in a designated record set if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete. All
requests must be in writing. In certain cases, we may deny your request
for an amendment. For example, we may deny your request if we did not
create the information, if the information is something you would not be
permitted to inspect or copy, or if it is complete and accurate. If we deny
your request, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement with
us. We may prepare a rebuttal to your statement. Please contact the
privacy officer if you have any questions about amending your
information.
You have the right to receive an accounting or list of certain
disclosures we have made. This right applies to disclosures for
purposes other than treatment, payment, and healthcare operations as
described in this notice. It also excludes: (i) disclosures that you have
authorized; (ii) disclosures made directly to you; (iii) disclosures to family
members or friends involved in your care; (iv) disclosures for national
security or intelligence purposes; and (v) disclosures to law enforcement
officials.
You have the right to receive information about disclosures that occurred
after April 14, 2003. You must request this information in writing. Your
request should state a timeframe for the disclosures. Your right to receive
this information may be subject to certain exceptions, restrictions, and
limitations.
You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this notice. Upon
request we will send you a paper copy of this notice, even if you have
agreed to accept this notice electronically.
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HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
If you have any questions about this notice, please contact our privacy
officer at (863) 294-1429 or (863) 679-3338
HOW TO COMPLAIN IF YOU BELIEVE YOUR RIGHTS HAVE BEEN
VIOLATED
We encourage you to send any complaints about our privacy practices to
our Privacy Officer. To submit a complaint or for further information about
the complaint process, contact the Privacy Officer, using the information
found below. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
You may also complain to the Secretary of the Department of Health and
Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
This notice explains our privacy practices. It describes how Our
Children’s may use and disclose your health information. It will
explain:
· How your health information will be used and disclosed;
· Your rights related to your health information; and
· How to complain if you believe your rights have been
violated.
In this notice, Our Children’s, may be referred to as “we,” “our,” or “us.”
We will protect your health information. Health information is information
about you that may identify you and medical information, such as your
symptoms, test results, diagnoses, treatments, and plans of care. We are
required to abide by the terms of this notice. However, we may change
our notice at any time. Any new notice will be effective for all health
information maintained at the time of the change. Upon your request, we
will provide you with a copy of any new notice. The new notice will also be
posted at our business location.
USES AND DISCLOSURES OF HEALTH INFORMATION
Your health information may be used and disclosed by your doctor, our
support staff, and others who are involved in your care. Your health
information may be used and disclosed for a number of reasons. This
notice explains those reasons and gives some examples of the types of
uses and disclosures. The examples are not meant as a total list, and
they do not explain all of the ways we might use and/or disclose
information.
Treatment: We will use and disclose your health information to provide
and coordinate your healthcare and any related services you may require.
This includes the coordination and management of your care with a third
party, such as a hospital or home health agency. We will also disclose
health information to other doctors and their staff who may be caring for
you. We may disclose your health information to a referring doctor or
laboratory that may be involved in your care to assist your doctor with
your diagnosis or treatment.
Payment: Your health information will be used, as needed, to obtain
payment for the healthcare services you receive. This may include certain
activities that your health insurance plan requires before it will approve or
pay for services that we recommend, such as approving a hospital
admission or approving certain medical equipment, like a wheelchair.
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Healthcare Operations: We may use or disclose health information, as
needed, to support our business activities as they relate to your health
care. These activities may include, but are not limited to, quality
assessment, employee and physician review, training students, and
limited marketing.
For example, we may disclose your health information to healthcare
students working with patients within our offices. We may use a sign-in
sheet at the registration desk, asking you to provide us with your name
and the name of the doctor. We may call you by name when your doctor
is ready to see you. We may also use or disclose your health information
to remind you of an upcoming appointment.
We may share your health information with third parties who provide
services or functions that are essential to their business. These third
parties are called “business associates,” and include billing agents or
transcription services. We will make sure that all business associates
have signed a written contract that will protect the privacy of your health
information. We may use or disclose your health information, as
necessary, to provide you with information about treatment alternatives or
other benefits that may be of interest to you. We may disclose your health
information for some marketing activities. For example, your name and
address may be used to send you a newsletter about special healthcare
services that we offer. We may send you information about products or
services that we believe may be beneficial to you. You may request that
these materials not be sent to you by writing to our Privacy Officer at the
address on the back.
Others Involved in Your Healthcare: We may disclose your information
to a family member, a close friend, or any other person you identify. This
may include telling a family member about your location, general
condition, or death. In the event of a disaster, we may provide information
about you to a disaster relief organization so they can notify your family of
your condition and location. If you are not present or able to object, then
your doctor may use his or her professional judgment to decide whether
the disclosure is in your best interest.
Emergencies: We may use or disclose your health information in an
emergency situation. If this happens, your doctor will try to obtain your
consent as soon as reasonably possible after the delivery of treatment. If
your doctor or another doctor is required by law to treat you and the
doctor was unable to get your consent, he or she may still use or disclose
your health information to treat you.
Communication Barriers: We may use and disclose your health
information if we attempt to obtain your consent, but we are unable to do
so because of a substantial communication barrier. In this case your
doctor will use professional judgment to decide whether you would
consent.
Required by Law: We may use or disclose your health information but to
the extent that the disclosure is required by law. The use or disclosure will
be made and limited in accordance with the law.
Coroners, Funeral Directors, and Organ Donation: We may disclose
health information to a coroner or medical examiner for identification
purposes or other duties as required by law. Health information may also
be used and disclosed for organ, eye, or tissue donation purposes.
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Research: We may disclose your health information to researchers.
Federal rules govern these disclosures and require your authorization or
the approval by an appropriate board that has reviewed the research and
documents. We will act in accordance with federal rules related to
disclosing information for research purposes.
Military and National Security: We may disclose the health information
of armed forces personnel if authorized by military command authorities.
We may also disclose your health information to authorized federal
officers for conducting national security and intelligence activities.
Workers’ Compensation: We may disclose your health information to
comply with Workers’ Compensation laws and other similar worksite
programs.
Uses and Disclosures Based Upon Your Written Authorization Other
uses and disclosures of your health information will be made only with
your written authorization. You may give, amend, or revoke your
authorization at any time, in writing. You may not revoke to the extent that
your doctor has already taken action in reliance on it. For more
information about authorizations, please talk to your doctor or contact the
privacy officer.
YOUR RIGHTS
Below are a statement of your rights with respect to your health
information and a description of how you may exercise these rights.
You have the right to inspect and copy your health information. This
means that you may inspect or copy part or all of your health information
that is contained in a designated record set for as long as we maintain
that information. A “designated record set” contains medical and billing
records.
Under federal law, you may not inspect or copy the following records: (i)
psychotherapy notes; (ii) information complied for use in a civil, criminal,
or administrative action or proceeding; and (iii) health information that is
restricted by another law.
You may submit your request to inspect and copy particular information to
our privacy officer at (863) 294-1429 or (863) 679-3338. You may also
request a summary of your information.
If your request is accepted, you may be charged a reasonable, costbased fee. If your request is denied, you have a right to have this decision
reviewed. Please contact our Privacy Officer if you have questions about
any request that may be denied.
You have the right to request a restriction on the release of your
health information. You may ask us not to disclose part of your health
information for the purposes of treatment, payment, or healthcare
operations. You may also ask us not to disclose at any part of your health
information to family members or friends who may be involved in your
care and who may ask for the information for notification purposes.
Section 3
3.1
Payroll Information
Additional Work
Will I be paid for additional work and overtime?
It depends on whether or not the additional work is related to your regular
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job function and whether you have your supervisor’s approval prior to
working any additional hours. Also, whether or not you receive additional
compensation depends on whether or not you are classified as “Overtime
Exempt” or “Overtime Non-Exempt” under Wage and Hour Law. If you
are Exempt, you will not receive additional compensation for work
related to your regular job functions.
Exempt Positions
Directors
Teachers
Fully Licensed Therapists
Mental Health Counselors
Office Managers
Marketing/Public Relations/
Grant
Behavior Analysts
Admissions/Case Manager
Registered Nurses
Non Exempt Positions
Paraprofessionals
Facilities/Maintenance Workers
Administrative Assistants
LPN
Food Service
Secretaries
If you are Non-Exempt, you must have prior approval of your
immediate supervisor before you actually work outside of your
normal planned working time. If the additional work is outside of the
realm of your regular job, and you have received proper approval in
advance, you will be compensated for the work at the rate of pay
associated with the job you are performing. As an example, a
teacher/therapist may work at night in a therapy position and be
compensated at a set hourly rate different from her normal hourly rate
assigned to her daytime job or paraprofessionals, secretaries, therapists
and teachers may be involved in weekend inservice training and be
compensated at an inservice rate. This rate may be less than the
employees’ regular rate. Professional therapists and teachers may attend
inservice training and seminars on the weekend, but will not receive
salary compensation.
How will I be paid for my additional work?
An employee’s normal daily working hours on scheduled workdays is
referred to as Planned Working Time. Employees who fall under the
Overtime Non-Exempt category (employees who are covered by Wage
and Hour Law) will be compensated for time worked outside of their
planned working time. Hours worked at the employee’s regular job and
outside of Planned Working Time will be paid as Additional Time at the
employee’s regular hourly rate of pay. Hours worked at the regular job in
excess of 40 hours in a work week, will be paid as Overtime .5x, at one
and one-half the employee’s regular hourly rate of pay. (The work week
begins Monday at 12:00 am (Midnight) and ends Sunday at 11:59 pm.)
For example, a paraprofessional works 42 hours will receive regular
compensation equal to 40 hours (Base Rate) at her straight time hourly
rate, plus 2.0 hours (Overtime 1.5x) at one and a half her hourly rate.
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Hours worked at a job, which is not related to the employee’s regular job,
may be compensated at a special hourly rate of pay and employee is
compensated at a special rate of pay which may be less than the
employee’s regular rate of pay. Those employees in exempt positions are
not required to be compensated as they are salary employees and it is
considered as part of their job.
If an employee (such as a therapist) works on the weekend or during the
week at a lOCPStion that is not their regular employment and they have
or will work their 40 hours, they may be compensated as an independent
contractor and paid a flat hourly rate or at a rate per 15 minute unit when
direct services are provided.
Volunteer Hour Request
The Our Children’s consists of private non-profit organizations. The
Administration and Board of Trustees gives every employee the
opportunity to volunteer at various events. It is suggested that all
employees volunteer a minimum of 25 hours per year to help with
fundraising events. Christmas families, public relation gatherings, school
work days, etc. Every teacher/therapist must attend every parent teacher
meeting, other employees are encouraged to sign up for specific events.
(See attached Volunteer Sheet). Volunteer hours are aggregated and
become very important when applying for grants and when raising money
for specialized programs that benefit our children. The board and
administration are very grateful and appreciate the time staff helps with
our events.
3.2
Payment Schedule
Checks are distributed on Friday, every other week. Pay periods have
designated start and end dates. Employees should check with the
HR/Payroll Manager to determine when
they will receive their first
check and the amount of time they worked in the pay period.
Paychecks for employees are subject to mandatory payroll deductions for
social security tax, Medicare tax and federal withholding tax, based on
Forms W-4 and the tax tables furnished by the Internal Revenue Service.
Work Hours
An employee’s work hours will be determined by the supervisor in order
to properly meet the needs of the school. Be sure to discuss work hours
with your supervisor before you begin work.
Breaks*
Supervisors permit breaks during the normal workday. Every employee is
provided 25-30 minutes for lunch and must take that time each day.
Employees’ lunch periods should be scheduled so that there is always
adequate coverage in the classroom. Thirty minutes for lunch will be
deducted daily for non-exempt employees.
Holdback
What is holdback?
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Holdback is for employees who work less than twelve (12) months. The
overall intent is to give employees as close to twenty-six equal payments
as possible.
For most pay periods, employees will earn more than they will be paid.
The difference between what is earned and what is paid is referred to as
“holdback”. When holdback is deducted from earnings, it is added to a
“holdback balance” which is calculated by the Payroll Manager. The
holdback balance accumulates throughout the school year so that it can
be drawn upon in Thanksgiving, Winter Holidays, Spring Break and
summer.
3.3
Payment of Unused Leave of Termination / Retirement
If your employment is terminated prior to the end of the school year, your
PTO balance will be adjusted to the amount you have actually earned.
Professional staff should give 60 + day notice and clerical staff are
encouraged to give a 30 + day notice, but are required to give a minimum
of 2 weeks. Accrued PTO time will be paid per the payout schedule
previously outlined provided proper notice in accordance with this policy
was given in writing. You do not accrue PTO during your notice period
and you may not use PTO time during your notice period.
3.4
Payroll Deductions
Deductions can be taken from employees’ paychecks to cover items such
as health and life benefits, supplemental insurance coverage provided by
outside carriers, charitable contributions to the Our Children’s, court
ordered garnishments, and Tax Sheltered Annuities, fines/penalties for
late submission of reports, or to replace curriculum and/or tests checked
out to staff. Board sponsored health and life coverage will be provided to
employees upon employment and again each year during the open
enrollment process. Other deductions are arranged between the
employee and the company providing the insurance coverage or services.
A Payroll Deduction Authorization Form should be given to the payroll
secretary at the school indicating the amount of the monthly deduction
with the employees’ signature evidencing authorization of the deduction.
When deductions start is subject to the payroll deadline each payroll
period.
Benefits are available to employees who work more than 30 hours per
week.
Section 4
4.1
Benefit Information
Health Insurance
Our Children’s will be providing health insurance coverage for all
eligible/interested employees. You may purchase coverage for your
spouse/domestic partner (this person must have lived with employee for
12 months) for children, and civil partner (documentation of living together
12 months or more).
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4.2
Life Insurance
Our Children’s will be providing term life insurance coverage for all
employees.
4.3
Supplemental Benefits
We also have information available for supplemental benefits (cancer,
long-term care, hospitalization, accident, dental, etc.) that you may wish
to purchase. For additional information, please contact the Office
Manager.
Section 5 Employee Policies & Procedures for Students
5.1
Bullying
Our Children’s is committed to creating a healthy and safe learning
environment for all students that is free from bullying and harassment. All
employees are expected to model and support a school culture that
promotes positive interactions and respect for others. Bullying is more
specifically addressed in the Code of Student Conduct, Section 6.07
Bullying:
• Is aggressive behavior or intentional harm;
• Can be physical, verbal, emotional, or sexual;
• Is carried out repeatedly over time;
• Occurs within an interpersonal relationship characterized
by an imbalance of power.
Staff members who witness or become aware of bullying will
immediately intervene in the following manner:
• Establish the safety of the victim of bullying;
• Complete an Incident Report
• Report to administration
5.2
Child Abuse Reporting
When school personnel suspect child abuse and/or neglect, the law
requires the following:
The suspected child abuse and/or neglect will be reported
immediately to the Florida Abuse Registry, 1-800-962-2873.
Return the “Notice of Referral to Child Abuse” anonymously to your
school administrator immediately before or after calling the Child Abuse
Registry at 1-800-962-2873. The forms are located with administration or
designee.
5.3
Code of Student Conduct
Our Children’s Code of Student Conduct revolves around a Positive
Behavior Management System. Under the supervision of a Behavior
Analyst, students needing behavior plans are monitored continuously,
and data collection is in order to update and tweak student behavior by
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certified Behavioral Analysts to reflect students’ next steps in their chain
of progress.
5.4
Compulsory School Attendance
Florida statute requires all students, ages 6-16, to attend school. Students
are considered truant if they have 5 unexcused absences within a 30-day
calendar period or 10 unexcused absences within a 90-day calendar
period. Truancy should be reported to the Direct Supervisor of your
school.
Florida law defines "habitual truant" as a student who has 15 or more
unexcused absences within 90 calendar days with or without the
knowledge or consent of the student's parent or guardian, and who is
subject to compulsory school attendance.
When a student is continually sick and repeatedly absent from school, the
student must be under the supervision of a doctor in order to receive an
excuse. The doctor's statement should confirm that the student's
condition requires absence for more than the number of days permitted
by the district school board policy.
5.5
Critical Issues
Our Children’s recognizes that a student in or out of the classroom may
raise questions concerning various critical issues. It is important that
personal values and opinions not be shared with students. The primary
goal is to teach students traditional values such as respect, trust, honesty
and kindness. Students need to understand and decide the best healthy
behavior for one’s mind body and soul. The Florida Legislature as the
expected standard advocates abstinence for all school-aged children and
youth (Division of Statutory Revision, 1996). Students should always be
encouraged to discuss critical issues with their parents or
guardians, especially in the areas of personal/family values and
morals.
5.6
Ethics in Education Act
Senate Bill 1712 titled “Ethics in Education Act” was created and signed
by Florida Governor Crist on July 1, 2008. Florida Statutes, Section
112.2173 is amended to allow the forfeiture of retirement benefits for the
conviction of a felony as defined in Section 800.04 of the Florida Statutes
(lewd and lascivious offenses committed upon or in the presence of
persons under 16), or Chapter 794 of the Florida Statutes (unlawful
sexual activity with certain minors.)
Any employee found to be guilty of such crimes will be terminated
immediately and the proper procedures for forfeiture of teaching
credentials will be initiated by school administration with the Florida
Department of Education.
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Any staff member or administrator who is aware of such actions by
another Our Children’s employee and does not inform his or her
immediate supervisor/Direct Supervisor will be immediately terminated.
5.7
Medication Administration
Our Children’s will follow the guidelines of medication administration,
which can be found in the Student Code of Conduct. Employees who
bring prescription medicine with them to work must keep them out of
reach of the students. Preferably, staff should lock these items in a
secured location. If an employee has a student attending the school, he
or she should follow the procedures outlined in the Student Code of
Conduct.
5.8
Student Threats of Harm to Others
Report immediately any threats of harm to others, including employee
threats to other employees and the school, or threatened violent acts to
the Direct Supervisor or executive director.
5.9
Parents Working for Organization After the Student Enrolls
Once a student is enrolled, the parent may not be hired for a position at
the school their child attends. The parent or guardian of that student may
be hired to work at an alternate campus or to drive a bus.
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Section 13: Student Recruitment and Enrollment
A. Describe the plan for recruiting students, including strategies for
reaching the school’s targeted populations and those that might
otherwise not have easy access to information on available
educational options.
The recruiting plan for the school must consider the various age groups served
by the school, types of disabilities, geographic outreach, socio-economic and
cultural interests of the families, and the methods by which families would receive
information. Many of our families do not have computers and do not subscribe to
newspapers. They move frequently thus has ever changing mailing addresses.
All these factors should be considered before embarking on a marketing plan that
would include print ads and targeted mailings.
With a limited budget the following are some of the most effective ways to market
the school:

Open houses inviting the public through your churches, support groups
for various disabilities groups, local schools, Early Steps, Child Find, the
Health Dept. and any other place where children are being served are
cared for.

Place small yard signs everywhere in neighborhoods, at intersections,
near places where people shop and frequent. The signs will be simple,
“Enrolling Now-ESE Children Call: 863-294-1429”

Advertise with large banner outside the school that we are “Now
Enrolling”.

Encourage other parents to spread the word and invite others to come to
the open house.

Visit preschool programs and pass out brochures that can go home with
the students who the staff has identified as needing services.]

Visit the lunch staff meetings for behavior health case managers and
bring them lunch or dessert with brochures and applications to give to
parents.

Schedule to meet before the office opens or at lunch with the
pediatricians. We will offer to pay them to send a mail out using their
database to inform parents of this new school opening in their community.
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With a little larger budget, a broader market can be reached by:

using radio. In Polk County, country radio is culturally a draw with a large
listening audience. We plan to purchase air time on WGTO Lakeland.

Culturally, Latino population is growing. Although it is expensive, Spanish
radio out of Orlando reaches a very large market.

Christian Radio will allow 30 second spots for free on 88.7 out of Orlando
for a limited time but the listener audience is quit large.
Face Book has become an avenue to reach families that crosses all
socioeconomic levels, all cultural levels, and all ages.

Advertise on FB in targeted markets
Targeted Mailings: Mailings to households can be targeted by zip codes and by
age groups. This is an effective way and not overly expensive to send mailings
developed to target a particular age group.
B. Explain how the school will achieve a racial/ethnic balance reflective
of the community it serves or with the racial/ethnic range of other
local public schools.
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. to make every effort to achieve a racial/ethnic
balance that is comparable with other schools within ESE-only populations within
the District. It will do this throughout marketing and recruiting students in diverse
communities. Eligibility determination will be conducted without discrimination or
bias.
C. Describe the school’s proposed enrollment policies and procedures,
including an explanation for the enrollment timeline, criteria and /or
any preferences for enrollment, and lottery process.
Our Children’s Prep School Inc. Enrollment Policy
The School is committed to enrolling a diverse student population and shall abide
by the provisions in the Florida Educational Equity Act, Section 1000.05(2)(a),
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and Florida Statutes that forbid discrimination on the basis of race, national
origin, gender, marital status, ethnicity, or disability.
The School will admit students of any race, color, nationality and ethnic origin,
religion, sexual orientation, or gender. Pursuant to section 1002.33(10)(b)
Eligible Students, the charter school shall enroll an eligible student who:

submits a timely application unless the number of applications exceed the
capacity of a program, class, grade level or building, and

has an IEP

meets the age and grade requirements of the school.
Such cases shall have an equal chance of being admitted through a random
selection process. In accordance with 1002.33(10)(d), a charter school may give
enrollment preference to populations denoted in its rules and procedures.
Applications will be accepted each year during an open enrollment period and
continuously to maintain capacity in each grade level. All applications will be
date/time stamped as they are received and filed by grade level. If the number of
applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or building, a
public lottery will be held to determine which applicants are admitted. The
number of students who recommit minus the capacity will determine the number
of seats available. This is in compliance with 1002.33(10)(b). The drawing will
continue until every name has been drawn and scheduled for enrollment or
placed on a numerical waiting list. All applications received after the open
enrollment period will be placed at the bottom of the waiting list for that particular
program, class, or grade level in the order in which they are received. The lottery
will be system generated. Parents will be notified in writing of their child’s
acceptance no later than twenty-one (21) days past the acceptance period
deadline and will have a specific timeline to respond to the school in writing of
their decision to attend. If an accepted applicant decides not to attend the school,
the slot will be given to the first person on the waiting list. Florida Statutes that
forbid discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, sex, marital status, or
handicap.
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D. Explain any student and/or family contract that will be used as a
requisite for initial and continued enrollment in the school. Describe
if and how the school will enforce such contracts.
Parents who do not comply with the contract will be counseled by
administration and their contract reviewed.
Conformance to the
contract will be emphasized. If the parent continues to violate terms
of the contract that are deemed to be safety risks for students at the
school or their own child, mandatory reporting to authorities will
occur if/when appropriate and/or the parents may be asked to
withdraw their child from the school. Repeated disruption of school
operation either on campus, at bus stops, on social media may also
result in conferences to rectify the various situations.
If parents are having difficulty conforming to the contract because of
personal hardships, financial constraints, social and family issues,
efforts will be made to assist the families with obtaining the needed
resources to meet the needs of their child.
Full Due Process procedures will be followed should administration
and the board determine that a child should be removed from the
school. This process is outlined in the governance section of this
application.
See contract next page.
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DRAFT
Our Children’s Prep School Parent Contract
School Year 2016 – 2017
You must sign the contract for your child to be eligible for enrollment.
I, ______________________, the parent / guardian of ______________________, and Our Children’s Prep
School (OCPS) enter into this agreement for the school year 2016-2017 I understand that sending my child to
OCPS is my choice. In choosing to enroll my child, I understand that there will be certain requirements for
myself as a parent / guardian. I understand that my involvement is a necessity in my child’s development and
academic growth. As the most important member of my child’s team, I hereby, make a commitment to the
education of my child, to support the staff and school and be an active participant in the following areas:
I will support the school’s mission and philosophy with our students and the public.
I will support the policies and procedures of the school.
I have received, understood, and agree with the school’s mission, philosophy, and policies & procedures.
If I fail to support the mission, philosophy, and/or policies of the school to the degree that I, family members,
or my child’s behavior becomes disruptive, violent, cursing and/or abusive, and no improvement occurs during
probationary trials, I agree to withdraw my child, or expect that my child will be involuntarily removed. Removed
means your child will no longer be enrolled at OCPS. Polk County School Board (PCSB) will be notified that
your child is no longer enrolled at OCPS and the PCSB will be become responsible for the appropriate ESE
placement of your child within the PCSB system.
I will drive using EXTREME CAUTION when entering and exiting the parking lot.
I will send start up school supplies, pull-ups, and a change of clothes.
I will send my child to school regularly, on time, and on each day an event is scheduled if my child is
attending.
I will follow the drop-off and pick-up policies of the school.
I will bring my child to school on time. I understand my child will not be allowed to attend school after 9:30
a.m., unless a letter from a physician accompanies my child, or an uncommon emergency occurred.
I will follow the tardy policy if my child arrives late, but before 9:30 a.m.
I will go to the office when picking up my child early, or dropping off late to avoid classroom disruption.
I will attend and/or provide input to my child’s Individual Education Planning Meeting (IEP).
I will become a member of the PTO and volunteer for at least one of OCPS Parent Teacher Organizational
committees. If I cannot afford the dues, accommodations will be made.
I will ensure that my child arrives at school well rested, well fed, well cared for, healthy, ready to learn and
accompanied by any adaptive equipment that will assist them in their positioning, mobility, health and
communication.
I will check school correspondence daily and maintain correspondence between the school and home.
I will maintain open communication with the school at all times.
I will attend meetings and follow through with staff requests to the best of my abilities.
I will notify the school immediately when we have a change of phone number or address.
I will not smoke and/or swear on the campus or near an OCPS school bus.
I will designate in writing if my child is a car or bus rider for both the morning and afternoon.
I will notify a person at the school in writing if my child’s transportation status changes either temporarily, or
permanently.
I will commit to working 25 hours per year of volunteer / parent involvement time.
▪ Working with my child on any home programs assigned.
▪ Volunteering at the school.
▪ volunteering my time at home for the school.
▪ Attending information meetings at the school.
▪ Attend at least one field trip per year.
▪ Provide monthly personal care supplies.
In return, Our Children’s Prep School agrees to:
Provide a safe, stimulating, and appropriate learning environment for your child. Collaborate with you during the
assessment of your child’s skills and the development of goals, and interventions. Educate your child by
encouraging the acquisition of skills that are meaningful to your child’s progress, both now and in the future.
Keep you informed about your child’s progress through both formal and informal meetings, and written
communication. Be supportive of you as you advocate for the needs of your child. Serve as a resource for
information and assistance to you and your family.
___________________________________________________
__________________________
Parent / Guardian Signature
_____________________________________________
Our Children’s Academy Representative
Date
__________________________
Date
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III. BUSINESS PLAN
Section 14: Facilities
If the site is acquired:
A. Describe the proposed facility, including location, size, and
layout of space.
The facility that OCPS will occupy will be leased from another non profit. It is
currently under contract and the closing is contingent upon securing a charter
contract.
The lease agreement will be the cost the non profit will incur to
purchase the property based on the terms In the budget, the lease amount of
$108,000.00 reflects the expected payments OCPS will make once the building
is secured.
The property also has adjacent land that will be used to temporary portables as
OCPS expands. The budget further reflects an amount of $30,000.00 to rent
portables at a rate of $250.00-$300.00/mo.
The facility is the previous Grace Lutheran Early Childhood School located at
330 Ave. C SE
Winter Haven, Fl. 33880
This 30,000 sq. foot building was built in 2000 and was built in compliance with
the Florida Building Code pursuant to chapter 553 except for the State
Requirements for Educational Facilities.
The facility complies with the Florida Fire Prevention Code, pursuant to s.
633.208, as adopted by the authority in Winter Haven, Florida.
Since the facility was originally designed, constructed and operated as a school,
it meets all the ADA requirements, and needs little remodeling or retrofitting to
operate as a school.
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The facility has 10 oversized classrooms and 1 smaller size classroom. Nine of
the oversized classrooms have accessible bathrooms within the classroom with 8
of the classrooms having two-2 bathrooms in each classroom.
Eight of the classrooms have a teacher planning room/conference room between
two of the classrooms where individual testing, therapy, small group instruction,
counseling, conferencing, parent/teacher meetings, collaborative planning,
student discipline, and simply educator resting areas can occur.
The classrooms have adequate sunlight with large windows that allow natural
sunlight. Each classroom has a hand washing sink and water fountain.
The facility has a 3720 sq. ft. multi-purpose center with a stage, audiovisual
hook-ups, and lighting. This room will be used for daily PE, weekly assemblies,
meetings, performances, and other gatherings.
There is a full kitchen that
conforms to the Department of Health requirements for food serving.
This multi-purpose room will be used to schedule PE, dance and other specials
during reading blocks where ½ of the class will go to a “special” in the multipurpose room while the other ½ of the class will receive their reading instruction
in the classroom in small group instruction for 30-45 minutes in the morning.
Then the other ½ of the class with have PE or a special while the ½ who just had
PE or the special will now have their intensive small group reading instruction in
the classroom. Other reading instruction will be scheduled in the classroom at
other times during the day.
See blue prints of facility and site plan for portables see below.
The staff, students, and parents are fortunate to have this beautiful and large
auditorium/multi-purpose space equipped with a sound system. This space is
also used to house the motivational behavior supports for the middle school
“club” including the pool table, Wii System, games and snacks. Adjacent to the
auditorium the medium size kitchen is available for events and school/PTO
activities.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
The administrative office space has an office reception area and place for
parents to gather and sit. There is a secretary workspace for 2 to 3 clerical staff,
an infirmary for sick or injured children, a conference room/desk space for
therapists and a conference/desk space for the Leadership Team. There is a
private, locked office to allow private conferencing, privacy when working on
business requiring focus and no interruptions, or a location to work on financial
book keeping. There is a central location for educator check in where everyone
has a mailbox and a small place to enjoy lunch.
The campus has a custodian closet and an “alcove work space” for satellite
therapist work area and location for teaching extras.
B. Describe the actions that will be taken to ensure the facility is in
compliance with applicable laws, regulations and policies and is
ready for the school’s opening.
The District has provided a Pre-Opening Site Visit Checklist that lists everything
a first year Charter School must meet. All the facility requirements are listed on
the checklist. They include:

Certificates of Insurance on file

Evidence of mortgage or lease agreements

Certificate of occupancy on file at the school specifying the maximum
occupancy for the main building and each portable

Documentation of two-2 fire inspections completed between July 1 and
May 1

Passing health inspection.
C. Describe how the facility will meet the school’s capacity needs
for students to be served.
The campus is situated on 4 acres with 2 acres where the school is situated and
2 acres remaining and available for expansion. Expansion for quick classrooms
will be the addition of 7-8 portables. There is an outdoor play area covered in a
rubberized, high impact ground cover that provides the highest protection for
children on their playground. The acreage affords the use of a field for team
sport activities such as kick ball, soccer, softball/baseball, volleyball, etc. during
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
PE. The site plan in the portable area shows a basketball court to be used for
PE, recreational activities and practice for Special Olympics. (See portable site
plan below).
Prior to opening, it is anticipated that six 6-7 portables will need to be added to
the campus to the west of the school to meet the facility requirements for the
enrollment projections.
There is a large, expansive, open space above on a second floor section of the
school that is currently used for storage. That space is available for build out and
totals approximately 5000 sq. ft. An empty elevator shaft is constructed in situ
and ready for an elevator when the second floor is ready for occupancy.
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
2019-2020
2020-2021
Total students
305
321
335
351
351
Total Classrms
School-11 port6
Students/class
17
School-11
port-6
17.94
17
School-11
port-6
18.8
18
School-11
port-7
18.61
19
School-11
port-8
18.47
19
School-11
port-8
18.47
D. Explain the anticipate costs for the facility, including renovation,
rent, utilities and maintenance.
Identify, if applicable, any
funding sources (other than state and local funding) that will be
applied to facilities-related costs.
The budget has $9,000.00/mo. for mortgage for the building, which will be a
$1,300,000 note over 30 years. We are confident this budgeted amount will be
adequate to cover the mortgage and insurance. We have budgeted $30,000.00
for portable rental. We have received quotes from a local portable company,
Modular Mobile, for the moving, installation, and removing the portable. Our
school has access to portable rentals for $250.00/mo.
We have budgeted
$37,000 for installation to include engineering, electrical, plumbing, security/fire,
phone and computer plus set up. Since the school was built to be a school and
the design is perfect, $50,000-$64,000/yr. was budgeted for non-building
renovation or improvements. Building renovations was budgeted $10,000.00.
Operational budget amounts for utilities were also realistic as they were based on
previous electric, water, and garbage fees.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
The Manager of Maintenance, Custodial, Safety, is a member of the
Collaborative Leadership Team and identified as a key member of leadership.
The budget has adequate custodial coverage for during the day and evening
coverage.
All funding sources are from state and local funding.
E. Describe the back-up facilities plan.
The non-profit corporation has a fully negotiated contract to purchase the
building and OCPS has an agreement to lease the building from the non-profit.
The likelihood of not using this property is very low. But, if something highly
unusual were to happen, the board and staff would contact St. Paul’s Episcopal
Church as they have offered their facility for us to use.
We’d also look at other alternatives. The last resort would be to look for donated
land or lease land and erect a school of portables as a temporary fix to buy time.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
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Section 15: Transportation Service
A. Describe the school’s plan for transportation, including any plans
for contracting services. Your plan should discuss, to the greatest
extent possible, the issues relevant to the school’s transportation
plans.
Our school plans to provide our own transportation. With that said, there are
many components to a transportation department and we would like to work with
the District, if possible, to negotiate some of the services we may need to
manage and operate our own bus transportation service for children with special
needs.
As a charter school, we are required to adhere to the policies and procedures set
forth by the District whereby our drivers must:

Have their CDL Class B endorsement

New drivers must complete the 40-hour training in classroom and then 40
hours driving with a District driver.

Pass the agility test

Pass the annual physical and drug screen

Participate in a random drug screen pool
Our Children’s Prep School would like to be able to enroll our potential drivers in
the District’s bus driver training classes.
Currently, OCPS has the ability to lease two-2 buses:

2010 Thomas lift 77 passenger with 3 tie downs

2012 Bluebird lift 75 passenger with tie downs
The three biggest needs are:
1.
Having access to a spare bus when our bus is out of service
2.
Providing a substitute bus driver if we are unable to find our own
substitute driver.
3.
Need adequate air conditioning (special needs children are at higher
risk for seizure if they become excessively hot).
Additional needs are:
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
1. Possibly using the Districts garage and repair staff for preventative
maintenance and repairs to the buses.
2. Obtain 3 air-conditioned lift buses (and 1 or 2 non lift buses) from the
District.
3. Use of the camera player should we need to check a film on the bus.
4. Assistance with scheduling software to prepare routes at the start of the
year.
If Polk County Schools is unwilling to contract with us to repair and maintain our
buses, there are local companies who are pleased to repair and maintain the
buses. Bus will be inspected by Mike Starzinski on a 30 day basis. Fueling is
available at Pacific Fuel in Winter Haven.
FEFP funds generated by the students with IEPS who use the buses pay for the
costs of operating the buses.
Services that we have in place:
1.
Drug screens and physicals through Occupational Health in
Auburndale
2.
Bus Inspections every 30 days from ATS Inspection Services
3.
Bus repair from Service On Sight and possible options with McKeel if
we are awarded a charter
4.
Whytes Car Detailing to maintain the buses with complete detailing 3
times per year.
5.
Bus insurance from Mulling Insurance of Auburndale
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Section
16: Food Service
A. Describe the school’s plan for food services, including any plans for
contracting services or plans to participate in the National School
Lunch Program.
Food service and available quality, healthy and delicious food is so important for
children, especially children with special needs who have a higher incidence of
gluten intolerance, digestive struggles, food allergies, adversion to food textures,
swallowing/dysphagia difficulties, oral motor challenges that limit the PO intake of
food due to weak oral pharyngeal musculature and reduced coordination of
mastication, bolus transfer, and swallowing abilities.
Food Service is more
complex with the special needs population thus bringing it either “in house” or
negotiating with a vendor who is willing to work effectively with our population is
very important.
Not only do our children have dietary challenges, many (approximately 78-80%)
will qualify for free and reduced lunch. It is imperative that OCPS participate in
the National School Lunch Program. Recognizing the commitment this requires
to meet the USDA requirements to manage the financial side of the food program
and carefully monitor the inventory of food and the number of meals consumed
daily, the school would need to designate staff to manage the financial aspects of
qualifying families for the program and maintaining their accounts. If we hire a
vendor, the burden of preparation and serving the food would rest with them. If
we decide to prepare our own food and serve our students, additional training
and conformance with strict food management rules would be required to
prepare the OCPS staff to be accountable for sanitary food serving, maintaining
food prep areas and food storage. Accountability is also required for maintain
the proper food temperature, serving size, nutritional serving requirements, and
food disposal
OCPS may decide to contract with the Polk Schools for the first few years and
transition to a National School Lunch Program once the school has gotten up and
running.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
III. BUSINESS PLAN
Section 17: Budget
A.
Provide an operating budget covering each year of the requested
charter term that contains revenue projections, expenses and
anticipated fund balances. The budget should be based on the
projected student enrollment indicated on the cover page of the
application.
Included in this section you will find a 5 year projected budget (Appendix H)
with revenue projections (Appendices D, E, F, and G) based on projected
student enrollment noted at the top of each budget column by year. The
revenue calculation sheets are also attached. These sheets were obtained
from the FLDOE Charter Choice website.
Each projected budget is
balanced.
B.
Provide a start-up budget that contains a balance sheet, revenue
projections, including source of revenues, expenses, and
anticipated fund balance. The start-up budget must cover any
period prior to the beginning of FTE payments in which the
school will expend funds on activities necessary for the
successful start-up of the school.
Also included is a “start-up” budget (Appendix B) with projected expenses
and revenue needed to meet those expenses. The first wish is for the school
to be awarded an incentive-startup grant thus providing start up funds that
may be used for the 3 months prior to the first FTE payment.
Given that these grants are now highly competitive if they are offered at all,
we realize we must plan for other options. Our plan B is to apply for OJT
Grant programs through Career Source for the data entry clerk and the office
secretary.
Career Source Grant would then pay their salary during their
“training” period.
Additionally, we would apply for an OJT Grant for the
Director of Admissions and the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. The
individuals in these positions will need to do extensive training in preparation
for their new positions.In addition to the Career Source OJT Training Grants,
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
OCPS plans to secure a start up bank loan as noted in the revenue section of
the start up budget.
businesses
Effort will be made to apply for grants from local
such as Walmart,
Publix,
Kohls,
TJ
Max,
Community
Foundations.
If OCPS is not able to obtain a start up loan from a bank, a Board member
has pledged an interest free loan to cover the start up expenses.
Other expenses include Marzano training for the Leadership staff, Genesis
training for the data entry clerk, State Standards training for Leadership staff
thus requiring room, board, and training registration costs.
Finally, employee recruitment and student recruitment efforts will require
money for advertising and other activities to make the public and
professionals aware of our unique program for children and adolescents with
special needs.
C.
Provide a detailed narrative description of the revenue and
expenditure assumptions on which the operating and start up
budget are based.
On the primary operating budget with 5 year projections, the majority of the
revenue is from FEFP dollars based on the projected severity and grade
enrollment as seen on the revenue projection worksheets provided. It should
be noted that the FEFP revenue projections might be higher in future years
(or lower) as the legislature sets the budget calculation amounts annually.
The second largest source of revenue for OCPS comes from the partnership
with Our Children’s Rehab Center, Inc. (OCRC). OCRC provides a single
source of intensive therapy services specific to the OCPS treatment and
educational model where therapists are integrated into the classroom lessons
so therapy is provided in context and in “real” times.
There are many
services the therapists provide to the children and their parents that are not
billable under Medicaid or their insurance. Reimbursement for the direct and
indirect therapy services provided to the children and families of OCPS are
billed to OCPS on an hourly basis at prevailing rate reported by a blend of the
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
national and state professional associations of the respective therapy groups
of PT, OT, and Speech/Language. In turn, OCRC bills the third party payors
for the therapy provided and give 100% of the collected revenue to OCPS.
Documentation of the 100% of net collectables is documented in the EOB or
explanation of benefits that is provided to OCPS with the payment. The net
result is that OCPS pays approximately 50% less for the therapy services
than if they were outsourced to a provider who would not offset the expense
for rehab by giving the charter school 100% of the collected Medicaid
revenue.
Other sources of revenue are grants, fundraisers, and donations. The school
plans to apply for additional OJT funds through Career Source for new
educators and paraprofessionals. These grant funds will help to offset staff
costs; the highest expenses on the budget.
Some other expenses to note: capital outlay calculations may be high as I
read the new formula for schools with more than 250 students and I added
that figure to the traditional capital outlay revenue we would anticipate for less
than 250. It may not be an addition formula and if so, I will adjust the budget
accordingly.
The school plans to follow the Polk County Schools hiring guidelines and give
merit increases thereafter based on staff performance.
Average merit
increases will be 2% with the max being 3% per year. Included is the staff
rollout where you can see exactly how many teachers, paraprofessionals,
administrative staff, bus drivers, custodian, nurses, and clerical staff are
planned and those projected expenses are tied directly to the budget.
Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment are a large expense with a start up
charter.
Budgeted is a substantial amount of money for computers,
equipment, curriculum, teaching supplies, and administrative equipment and
supplies. The “gap”, should OCPS not be awarded a “start up grant” for
furniture and fixtures has been substantially mitigated by a substantial pledge
to furnish the school from a non-profit should we receive the charter. This
generous donation combined with the budgeted amounts to cover the
equipment, computers, etc. will be satisfactory. OCPS will also access the
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
textbook warehouse for curriculum and textbooks. When needing furniture for
students and administration, OCPS will visit the PCSB warehouse and the
surplus inventory of other constitutional officers.
D.
Explain how the governing board will monitor the budget,
including a strategy for addressing revenue shortfalls due to
lower than expected enrollment.
The Board will review financials monthly. The budgets will be compared to the
actuals with variances provided to the board members. Built into the budget is a
5% reserve to mitigate revenue shortfalls or fluctuating monthly expenses. For
example, at the start of the year, there are many upfront expenses such as
insurance, curriculum materials, equipment, and possible legal fees that are
needed to negotiate the charter. These are normal fluctuations and are expected
and the cushion in the reserve will take care of the majority of those fluctuations.
Major reductions in revenue due to enrollment shortfalls must be anticipated long
before Oct. FTE and certainly way before December when the district will plan to
start offsetting monthly FEFP payments to recoup any loss in revenue.
The best way to handle this is to contact the district and ask for an adjustment if
possible. Even if that is not possible, the school can still control its expenses and
spend money based on the actual student enrollment rather than the projected
enrollment, thus having a surplus of revenue in the bank when the offset occurs.
This will get the school by until Feb. FTE, when hopefully the enrollment will be
closer to the projections. If it were not, the school would still operate and spend
only the amount needed to educate the actual enrollment.
A close communication with all staff to hold down expenses, the CPA, the Board
and the District is the way to get through any tough times. Communication is the
key.
Even with the best intentions and the best budget management staff, things
happen.
With that in mind, the school will have a credit line applied for,
approved, and available should a shortfall occur or for emergency situations.
The history of successful management of school budgets by this administration,
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
the approval of a charter contract, and the strength of the Board of Trustees will
be used to secure the credit line.
E.
Provide monthly cash flow projections for the school’s start-up
period (i.e.: from the date on which the application is approved to
the beginning of the first fiscal year of operation) through the
first year of operation.
Per the timeline the following expenses will be incurred by the OCPS should the
application be approved. The projected expenses per month are as follows with
and explanation of how those expenses will be paid until July 10-15 when the
charter receives its first payment.
Date
Expense
Amount
Revenue Source
October 2015
Apply for 501 c 3
$500.00
Lender: OCRC
Oct/Nov 2015
Background Checks
0
Board member pays
Oct - ?
Atty. To Negotiate
$2,000
Lender: OCRC or Board
Dec/Jan 2015
New Board govern $1,000.
Lender: OCRC
training
Jan – June 30
Advertise for student
$5,000
Graphic artist, radio, social
media, PS Announce, civic
grps, community events, MD
Lender: OCRC
May 2015
Pull
permits
for $500.00
Lender: OCRC
portables
F.
Describe the school’s fundraising plan, if applicable. Report on
the
current
status
of
any
fundraising
efforts,
including
verification of any fundraising monies reported in the schools
start-up or operating budgets.
Our Children’s has in the budget for a person to handle events and a person to
handle marketing/grants. I expect we will have an active fundraising; annual
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
giving campaign, and grants calendar once our school is approved.
At this
moment, there is no fundraising plan formulated, as these people are not yet
hired.
We plan to apply for Career Source Grants to help offset some of the
professional development costs with Career Source helping with some of the
training costs for our staff.
We plan to apply for grants within the community such as the Winter Haven
Community Foundation, the Greater Lakeland Community Foundation (Give
Well), Publix Supermarket Charities, Florida’s Natural, Target, Wal-Mart, TJ Max,
Kohls, Law offices, Lego Land, and any other available grants locally.
We plan to put together a committee representative of businesses, parents, staff,
and possibly other non profits to plan fundraisers that will raise awareness within
the community, showcase our unique programs, and provide the revenue needed
to fund special yet costly programs such as our Positive Behavior Supports
program, the Hippo-therapy program and others.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Appendix B – Startup Budget
Our$Children's$Academy,$
Prep$School:Winter$
Inc.$
Haven
Budget$Worksheet$
$Start$
Version$
up$March:June(4$
2
mos)
2016
$$
$
Account
3336
3344
3354
3431
3440
3450
3485
50000120
50000130
50000140
50000150
50000150
50000210
50000220
50000230
50000230
50000230
50000230
!
Account$Description
!
!
!
!
Career!Source!Sec!$13.00/hr!March
!Career!Source!Dir.C&I!$19./hr
!Car!Source!Data!Entry!$13.00/hr!March
!Career!Source!Dir!of!Admissions!$19.00/hr
Gifts,!Grants!&!Bequests
Loan
!
Total$Revenue
Personnel
Dir!Admissions!31.25/hr!for!16!wks
Dir!Cur!&!Inst!26.04/hr!for!16!wks
Clerk!Data!Entry!FTE!13/hr!20!wks
Sec!13/hr!20!wks
payroll!taxes
Profess!Devel!8!staff!registration200!ea
Hotel!4!days!4!rooms
Meals
Advertising!staff!for!hire
Advertising!students!for!admission
Printing!advertising!materials
Total$Start$up$Expense
$
$
Budget
!
!
!
!
!!!!!!!!!!(10,400)
!!!!!!!!!!(12,160)
!!!!!!!!!!(10,400)
!!!!!!!!!!(12,160)
!!!!!!!!!!(15,746) Potentially!Start!up!grant;!Publix,!Walmart.!Kohls,!TJMax,!Attys.
!!!!!!!!!!(25,000) Potentially!Start!up!grant;!bank!loan,!private!lender
!
$$$$$$$$$$(85,866)
!!!!!!!!!!!!20,000
!!!!!!!!!!!!16,667
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!8,320
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!8,320
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!4,778
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1,600
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!4,000
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1,400
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!4,000
!!!!!!!!!!!!12,000
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!4,781
$$$$$$$$$$$85,866
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Appendix C - Staff Rollout
EMP #
Our Children's Prep School
NAME
TITLE
DAYS/Hrs
HOURLY
ANNUAL
186/6.5
186/5 hr/da
186
$14.64
$13.50
$13.50
$10.00
$14.64
$18,000.00
$17,000.00
$17,000.00
$9,300.00
$18,000.00
$79,300.00
240/40hr/wk
$10.35
$19,872.00
20
BUS DRIVERS
open
OPEN
OPEN
open
open
MAINTENANCE/CUSTOD
open
bus dvr
15
30
sub bus drvr
bus dvr
bus dvr
bus dvr
cust
$19,872.00
NURSING
open
ADMIN/OFF/CLERICAL
Open
open
Open
Open
Paras
open*
open
open
open
open
open
open
open
open
open
5
LPN
recept/events
Data entry,bookkeep,
Events, Volunteers, PR, Board
Office Operations Specialist
para preK* extra
para preK
para preK
para preK
para preK
para preK float
para mid support
para mid support
para mid support
para elem support
186/8hrs
$13.86
$19,641.60
240
240
260
260
$9.00
$12.00
$14.00
$13.23
$17,280.00
$23,040.00
$29,120.00
$27,523.20
$96,963.20
186/7.5
186/7.5
186/7.5
186/7.5
186/7.5
186/7.5
186/7.5
186/7.5
186/7.5
186/7.5
$9.50
$9.50
$9.50
$9.50
$9.50
$9.50
$10.00
$10.00
$10.00
$10.00
$13,252.00
$13,252.00
$13,252.00
$13,252.00
$13,252.00
$13,252.00
$13,950.00
$13,950.00
$13,950.00
$13,950.00
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
open
open
open
para elem support
para participatory
para preK lead
Paras Continued
Middle
open
open
open
Open
Open
Open
open
open
open
open
open
para
open
open
Open
open
open
ope
para middle B FAA 6-9
para middle C Tradition 6-9
para middle S Tradition 6-9
para middle K Tradition 6-9
para: Behavior Tech
para: Behavior Tech
para
para 3/5 float & music
para 3/5 traditional
para 3/5 FAA
para float
para 2nd
para 1st
para K
para float
para art
para behavior lead
para art lead
186/7.5
186/7.5
186
$10.00
$10.50
$14.64
$13,950.00
$14,647.00
$21,799.20
186/7.5hrs
186/8hr
186/7.5
186/7.5hrs
190/8
202/8
186/7.5
186/part time
186/7.5
186/7.5
186/7.5hrs
186/7.5hrs
186/7.5hrs
186/7.5hrs
186/7.5hrs
186/7.5hrs
186/8hr
186/8hr
$10.93
$10.20
$9.69
$9.53
$14.00
$14.00
$11.00
$9.53
$9.69
$9.69
$9.69
$9.69
$10.86
$10.20
$9.69
$10.45
$12.00
$12.00
$15,247.35
$15,177.60
$13,517.55
$13,294.35
$21,280.00
$22,624.00
$15,345.00
$13,294.35
$13,517.55
$13,517.55
$13,517.55
$13,517.55
$15,149.70
$14,229.00
$13,517.55
$14,577.75
$23,555.04
$21,799.20
$472,389.00
Teachers
Open
open
Open Cert PreK
Open Cert PreK
Open Cert PreK
Open Cert K
Open
Teacher Elem Supp/Participatory
Teacher STEM
Teacher PreK 1/2
Teacher PreK 3/4
Teacher PreK 4/5
Teacher K
Teacher 1st
202/8
202/8
202/8
202/8
202/8
202/8
202/8
$52,250.00
$52,250.00
$40,000.00
$40,000.00
$40,000.00
$38,000.00
$40,000.00
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Open
Open
open
Open
OPEN
Open
Open
open
Open
open
Teacher 2nd
Teacher 3/5
Teacher 3/5 FAA
Teacher Elem STEM
Teacher
Teacher
Lead Teacher Middle LA
Teacher Middle SS/LA
Teacher Middle Science/Math
Teacher Middle Science/Math
Teacher Middle All FAA
open
Teacher middle electives
Open
202/8
202/8
202/8
202/8
202/8
202/8
220/8
202/8
202/8
202/8
202/8
$25.30 hr
$24.83
$19.13
contract
18hr/wk
$40,000.00
$40,000.00
$40,000.00
$50,000.00
$45,000.00
$45,000.00
$50,000.00
$42,000.00
$42,000.00
$42,000.00
$40,000.00
$21,252.00
$799,752.00
open
IT Specialist
$35,000.00
Dir of Sch Finan/HR/
Dir of Behavior,Motivation &
Outcomes
CEO
Director of Facilities Maint and
Safety
Dir of
St.Outcomes/Acct/Testing/CQI
Dir. Of Curriculum and Instruction
Dir of Admissions/IEP Compliance
$40,000.00
Leadership
open
open
open
open
Open
Open
open
$65,000.00
$150,000.00
$30,000.00
$60,000.00
$60,000.00
$60,000.00
$465,000.00
234
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Appendix D – Revenue Estimate Worksheet – 305 FTE
sec 17 Copy of rev cal 305 2016.17 rev.xls
6/18/15 1:32 PM
Revenue Estimate Worksheet for Our Children's Prep School Pre K - 8th Grade Charter School
Based on the Third Calculation of the FEFP 2014-15
School District:
Polk
1. 2014-15 FEFP State and Local Funding 351 2016 - 2017
Base Student Allocation
District Cost Differential:
$4,031.77
Program
(a)
101 Basic K-3
111 Basic K-3 with ESE Services
102 Basic 4-8
112 Basic 4-8 with ESE Services
103 Basic 9-12
113 Basic 9-12 with ESE Services
254 ESE Level 4 (Grade Level PK-3)
254 ESE Level 4 (Grade Level 4-8)
254 ESE Level 4 (Grade Level 9-12)
255 ESE Level 5 (Grade Level PK-3)
255 ESE Level 5 (Grade Level 4-8)
255 ESE Level 5 (Grade Level 9-12)
130 ESOL (Grade Level PK-3)
130 ESOL (Grade Level 4-8)
130 ESOL (Grade Level 9-12)
300 Career Education (Grades 9-12)
167.00
78.00
23.00
16.00
13.00
8.00
Totals
Weighted
FTE
(b)
x (c)
(d)
0.0000
188.0420
0.0000
78.0000
0.0000
0.0000
81.6040
56.7680
0.0000
66.3520
40.8320
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
Program
Cost Factor
(c)
1.126
1.126
1.000
1.000
1.004
1.004
3.548
3.548
3.548
5.104
5.104
5.104
1.147
1.147
1.147
1.004
Number of FTE
(b)
0.9854
305.00
2. ESE Guaranteed Allocation:
511.5980 $
FTE
26.00
50.00
91.00
13.00
27.00
38.00
Additional Funding from the ESE
Guaranteed Allocation. Enter the FTE
from 111,112, & 113 by grade and
matrix level. Students who do not have
a matrix level should be considered 251.
This total should equal all FTE from
programs 111, 112 & 113 above.
Total FTE with ESE Services
$
divided by district FTE
Matrix
Level
251
252
253
251
252
253
251
252
253
Grade Level
PK-3
PK-3
PK-3
4-8
4-8
4-8
9-12
9-12
9-12
245.00
3. Supplemental Academic Instruction:
District SAI Allocation
2014-15 Base Funding
WFTE x BSA x DCD
(e)
$
$
747,073
$
$
309,887
$
$
$
324,205
$
225,534
$
$
263,610
$
162,222
$
$
$
$
$
-
Guarantee
Per Student
$
978
$
3,159
$
6,446
$
1,097
$
3,278
$
6,565
$
781
$
2,961
$
6,249
2,032,531
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
25,428
157,950
586,586
14,261
88,506
249,470
-
Total from ESE Guarantee $
1,122,201
Per Student
231 $
70,455
22,548,786
97,717.16
$
(with eligible services)
4. Reading Allocation:
Charter schools should contact their school district sponsor regarding eligibility and distribution of reading allocation funds.
Total Base Funding, ESE Guarantee, and SAI $
3,225,187
5. Class size Reduction Funds:
DCD
X Allocation factors
335.9980
175.6000
0.9854
0.9854
1317.85
898.92
=
=
436,330
155,546
0.0000
0.9854
901.09
=
0
Weighted FTE (From Section 1)
PK - 3
4-8
9-12
Total *
X
511.5980
Total Class Size Reduction Funds
$
591,876
(*Total FTE should equal total in Section 1, column (d).)
1
235
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
sec 17 Copy of rev cal 305 2016.17 rev.xls
6/18/15 1:32 PM
6A. Divide school's Weighted FTE (WFTE) total computed
in (d) above:
511.5980
to obtain school's WFTE share.
by district's WFTE:
6B. Divide school's Unweighted FTE (UFTE) total computed
in (b) above:
305.00
to obtain school's UFTE share.
by district's UFTE:
0.4885%
97,717.16
0.3121%
Letters Refer to Notes At Bottom:
(a)
1,948,699
7. Other FEFP (WFTE share)
Applicable to all Charter Schools:
Declining Enrollment
Sparsity Supplement
Program Related Requirements:
Safe Schools
Lab School Discretionary
104,736.82
x
0.4885% $
9,519
0
0
1,948,699
0
8. Discretionary Local Effort (WFTE share)
(c)
20,095,592
x
0.4885% $
98,167
9. Discretionary Millage Compression Allocation
.748 mills (UFTE share)
(b)
19,431,057
x
0.3121% $
60,644
10. Proration to Funds Available (WFTE share)
(a)
-2,254,502
x
0.4885% -$
11,013
11. Discretionary Lottery (WFTE share)
(a)
940,044
x
0.4885% $
4,592
7,614,872
x
0.3121% $
23,766
12. Instructional Materials Allocation (UFTE share)
(b)
Dual Enrollment Instructional Materials Allocation (See footnote i below)
ESE Applications Allocation:
Charter schools should contact their school district sponsor regarding eligibility and distribution of ESE Application funds.
13. Student Transportation
(d)
Enter All Riders
250.00
x
382 $
95,500
Enter ESE Student Riders
250.00
x
1,437 $
359,250
x
0.3121% $
3,234
Total $
4,460,722
1 $
1,879,669
14. Digitial Classrooms Allocation (UFTE share)
(e)
15. Florida Teachers Classroom Supply Assistance Program
(f)
16. Food Service Allocation
(g)
1,036,258
17. Funding for the purpose of calculating the administrative fee for ESE Charters.
(h)
NOTES:
(a) District allocations multiplied by percentage from item 6A.
(b) District allocations multiplied by percentage from item 6B.
(c) Proceeds of 0.748 millage levy (s. 1011.71(3)(b), Florida Statutes) multiplied by percentage from item 6A.
(d) Consistent with Section 1006.21, Florida Statutes and DOE Student Transportation General Instructions. Numbers entered here will be multiplied by the district level
transportation funding per rider. "All Riders" should include both basic and ESE Riders. "ESE Student Riders" should include only ESE Riders.
(e) The Digital Classroom Allocation is provided puruant to House Bill 5101 and requires that charter school submit a digital classrooms plan to their school district for
approval by the Department of Education.
(f) Teacher Classroom Supply Assistance Program Allocation per Section 1012.71, Florida Statutes
(g) Funding based on student eligibility and meals provided, if participating in the National School Lunch Program.
(h) Consistent with Section 1002.33(20)(a), Florida Statutes, for charter schools with a population of 75% or more ESE students, the administrative fee shall be calculated
based on unweighted full-time equivalent students.
(i) As provided in the 2013 General Appropriations Act, school districts are required to pay for instructional materials used for the instruction of public school high school
students who are earning credit toward high school graduation under the dual enrollment program as provided in section 1011.62(l)(i), Florida Statutes.
Administrative fees charged by the school district shall be calculated based upon 5 percent of available funds from the FEFP and categorical funding for which charter students
may be eligible. For charter schools with a population of 251 or more students the difference in the fee calculation and the fee withheld may only be used for capital outlay
purposes specified in Section 1013.62(2) F.S. To calculate the administrative fee to be withheld for schools with more than 250 students, divide the school population into 250.
Multiply that fraction times the funds available, then times 5%.
For high performing charter schools, administrative fees charged by the school district shall be calculated based upon 2 percent of available funds from the FEFP and
categorical funding for which charter students may be eligible. For charter schools with a population of 251 or more students the difference in the fee calculation and the fee
withheld may only be used for capital outlay purposes specified in Section 1013.62(2) F.S. To calculate the administrative fee to be withheld for schools with more than 250
students, divide the school population into 250. Multiply that fraction times the funds available, then times 2 percent.
FEFP and categorical funding are recalculated during the year to reflect the revised number of full-time equivalent students reported during the survey periods designated by the
Commissioner of Education.
2
236
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Appendix E – Revenue Estimate Worksheet – 320 FTE
sec 17 Copy of rev cal 320.2017.2018.xls
6/18/15 1:32 PM
Revenue Estimate Worksheet forOur Childrens Prep WH:PreK-8thCharter School
Based on the Third Calculation of the FEFP 2014-15
School District:
Polk
1. 2014-15 FEFP State and Local Funding 2017-2018 320
Base Student Allocation
District Cost Differential:
$4,031.77
Program
(a)
101 Basic K-3
111 Basic K-3 with ESE Services
102 Basic 4-8
112 Basic 4-8 with ESE Services
103 Basic 9-12
113 Basic 9-12 with ESE Services
254 ESE Level 4 (Grade Level PK-3)
254 ESE Level 4 (Grade Level 4-8)
254 ESE Level 4 (Grade Level 9-12)
255 ESE Level 5 (Grade Level PK-3)
255 ESE Level 5 (Grade Level 4-8)
255 ESE Level 5 (Grade Level 9-12)
130 ESOL (Grade Level PK-3)
130 ESOL (Grade Level 4-8)
130 ESOL (Grade Level 9-12)
300 Career Education (Grades 9-12)
175.00
80.00
25.00
18.00
14.00
8.00
Totals
Weighted
FTE
(b)
x (c)
(d)
0.0000
197.0500
0.0000
80.0000
0.0000
0.0000
88.7000
63.8640
0.0000
71.4560
40.8320
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
Program
Cost Factor
(c)
1.126
1.126
1.000
1.000
1.004
1.004
3.548
3.548
3.548
5.104
5.104
5.104
1.147
1.147
1.147
1.004
Number of FTE
(b)
0.9854
320.00
2. ESE Guaranteed Allocation:
541.9020 $
FTE
28.00
54.00
93.00
13.00
29.00
38.00
Additional Funding from the ESE
Guaranteed Allocation. Enter the FTE
from 111,112, & 113 by grade and
matrix level. Students who do not have
a matrix level should be considered 251.
This total should equal all FTE from
programs 111, 112 & 113 above.
Total FTE with ESE Services
$
divided by district FTE
Matrix
Level
251
252
253
251
252
253
251
252
253
Grade Level
PK-3
PK-3
PK-3
4-8
4-8
4-8
9-12
9-12
9-12
255.00
3. Supplemental Academic Instruction:
District SAI Allocation
2014-15 Base Funding
WFTE x BSA x DCD
(e)
$
$
782,861
$
$
317,832
$
$
$
352,397
$
253,726
$
$
283,888
$
162,222
$
$
$
$
$
-
Guarantee
Per Student
$
978
$
3,159
$
6,446
$
1,097
$
3,278
$
6,565
$
781
$
2,961
$
6,249
2,152,926
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
27,384
170,586
599,478
14,261
95,062
249,470
-
Total from ESE Guarantee $
1,156,241
Per Student
231 $
73,920
22,548,786
97,717.16
$
(with eligible services)
4. Reading Allocation:
Charter schools should contact their school district sponsor regarding eligibility and distribution of reading allocation funds.
Total Base Funding, ESE Guarantee, and SAI $
3,383,087
5. Class size Reduction Funds:
DCD
X Allocation factors
357.2060
184.6960
0.9854
0.9854
1317.85
898.92
=
=
463,871
163,603
0.0000
0.9854
901.09
=
0
Weighted FTE (From Section 1)
PK - 3
4-8
9-12
Total *
X
541.9020
Total Class Size Reduction Funds $
627,474
(*Total FTE should equal total in Section 1, column (d).)
1
237
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
sec 17 Copy of rev cal 320.2017.2018.xls
6/18/15 1:32 PM
6A. Divide school's Weighted FTE (WFTE) total computed
in (d) above:
541.9020
to obtain school's WFTE share.
by district's WFTE:
6B. Divide school's Unweighted FTE (UFTE) total computed
in (b) above:
320.00
to obtain school's UFTE share.
by district's UFTE:
0.5174%
97,717.16
0.3275%
Letters Refer to Notes At Bottom:
(a)
1,948,699
7. Other FEFP (WFTE share)
Applicable to all Charter Schools:
Declining Enrollment
Sparsity Supplement
Program Related Requirements:
Safe Schools
Lab School Discretionary
104,736.82
x
0.5174% $
10,083
0
0
1,948,699
0
8. Discretionary Local Effort (WFTE share)
(c)
20,095,592
x
0.5174% $
103,975
9. Discretionary Millage Compression Allocation
.748 mills (UFTE share)
(b)
19,431,057
x
0.3275% $
63,637
10. Proration to Funds Available (WFTE share)
(a)
-2,254,502
x
0.5174% -$
11,665
11. Discretionary Lottery (WFTE share)
(a)
940,044
x
0.5174% $
4,864
7,614,872
x
0.3275% $
24,939
12. Instructional Materials Allocation (UFTE share)
(b)
Dual Enrollment Instructional Materials Allocation (See footnote i below)
ESE Applications Allocation:
Charter schools should contact their school district sponsor regarding eligibility and distribution of ESE Application funds.
13. Student Transportation
(d)
Enter All Riders
258.00
x
382 $
98,556
Enter ESE Student Riders
258.00
x
1,437 $
370,746
x
0.3275% $
3,394
Total $
4,679,090
1 $
1,970,901
14. Digitial Classrooms Allocation (UFTE share)
(e)
15. Florida Teachers Classroom Supply Assistance Program
(f)
16. Food Service Allocation
(g)
1,036,258
17. Funding for the purpose of calculating the administrative fee for ESE Charters.
If you have more than a 75% ESE student population please place a 1 in the following box:
(h)
NOTES:
(a) District allocations multiplied by percentage from item 6A.
(b) District allocations multiplied by percentage from item 6B.
(c) Proceeds of 0.748 millage levy (s. 1011.71(3)(b), Florida Statutes) multiplied by percentage from item 6A.
(d) Consistent with Section 1006.21, Florida Statutes and DOE Student Transportation General Instructions. Numbers entered here will be multiplied by the district level
transportation funding per rider. "All Riders" should include both basic and ESE Riders. "ESE Student Riders" should include only ESE Riders.
(e) The Digital Classroom Allocation is provided puruant to House Bill 5101 and requires that charter school submit a digital classrooms plan to their school district for
approval by the Department of Education.
(f) Teacher Classroom Supply Assistance Program Allocation per Section 1012.71, Florida Statutes
(g) Funding based on student eligibility and meals provided, if participating in the National School Lunch Program.
(h) Consistent with Section 1002.33(20)(a), Florida Statutes, for charter schools with a population of 75% or more ESE students, the administrative fee shall be calculated
based on unweighted full-time equivalent students.
(i) As provided in the 2013 General Appropriations Act, school districts are required to pay for instructional materials used for the instruction of public school high school
students who are earning credit toward high school graduation under the dual enrollment program as provided in section 1011.62(l)(i), Florida Statutes.
Administrative fees charged by the school district shall be calculated based upon 5 percent of available funds from the FEFP and categorical funding for which charter students
may be eligible. For charter schools with a population of 251 or more students the difference in the fee calculation and the fee withheld may only be used for capital outlay
purposes specified in Section 1013.62(2) F.S. To calculate the administrative fee to be withheld for schools with more than 250 students, divide the school population into 250.
Multiply that fraction times the funds available, then times 5%.
For high performing charter schools, administrative fees charged by the school district shall be calculated based upon 2 percent of available funds from the FEFP and
categorical funding for which charter students may be eligible. For charter schools with a population of 251 or more students the difference in the fee calculation and the fee
withheld may only be used for capital outlay purposes specified in Section 1013.62(2) F.S. To calculate the administrative fee to be withheld for schools with more than 250
students, divide the school population into 250. Multiply that fraction times the funds available, then times 2 percent.
FEFP and categorical funding are recalculated during the year to reflect the revised number of full-time equivalent students reported during the survey periods designated by the
Commissioner of Education.
2
238
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Appendix F – Revenue Estimate Worksheet – 335 FTE
sec 17 Copy of rev cal 335.2018.2019.xls
6/18/15 1:33 PM
Revenue Estimate Worksheet for_Our Childrens Prep School-WH PreK-8thCharter School
Based on the Fourth Calculation of the FEFP 2014-15 for projectioin 2018-2019 335
School District:
Polk
1. 2014-15 FEFP State and Local Funding 2018-2019 335
Base Student Allocation
District Cost Differential:
$4,031.77
Program
(a)
101 Basic K-3
111 Basic K-3 with ESE Services
102 Basic 4-8
112 Basic 4-8 with ESE Services
103 Basic 9-12
113 Basic 9-12 with ESE Services
254 ESE Level 4 (Grade Level PK-3)
254 ESE Level 4 (Grade Level 4-8)
254 ESE Level 4 (Grade Level 9-12)
255 ESE Level 5 (Grade Level PK-3)
255 ESE Level 5 (Grade Level 4-8)
255 ESE Level 5 (Grade Level 9-12)
130 ESOL (Grade Level PK-3)
130 ESOL (Grade Level 4-8)
130 ESOL (Grade Level 9-12)
300 Career Education (Grades 9-12)
183.00
83.00
27.00
20.00
14.00
8.00
Totals
Weighted
FTE
(b)
x (c)
(d)
0.0000
206.0580
0.0000
83.0000
0.0000
0.0000
95.7960
70.9600
0.0000
71.4560
40.8320
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
Program
Cost Factor
(c)
1.126
1.126
1.000
1.000
1.004
1.004
3.548
3.548
3.548
5.104
5.104
5.104
1.147
1.147
1.147
1.004
Number of FTE
(b)
0.9854
335.00
2. ESE Guaranteed Allocation:
568.1020 $
FTE
30.00
59.00
94.00
13.00
31.00
39.00
Additional Funding from the ESE
Guaranteed Allocation. Enter the FTE
from 111,112, & 113 by grade and
matrix level. Students who do not have
a matrix level should be considered 251.
This total should equal all FTE from
programs 111, 112 & 113 above.
Total FTE with ESE Services
$
divided by district FTE
Matrix
Level
251
252
253
251
252
253
251
252
253
Grade Level
PK-3
PK-3
PK-3
4-8
4-8
4-8
9-12
9-12
9-12
266.00
3. Supplemental Academic Instruction:
District SAI Allocation
2014-15 Base Funding
WFTE x BSA x DCD
(e)
$
$
818,649
$
$
329,751
$
$
$
380,589
$
281,917
$
$
283,888
$
162,222
$
$
$
$
$
-
Guarantee
Per Student
$
978
$
3,159
$
6,446
$
1,097
$
3,278
$
6,565
$
781
$
2,961
$
6,249
2,257,016
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
29,340
186,381
605,924
14,261
101,618
256,035
-
Total from ESE Guarantee $
1,193,559
Per Student
230 $
77,050
22,548,786
97,897.95
$
(with eligible services)
4. Reading Allocation:
Charter schools should contact their school district sponsor regarding eligibility and distribution of reading allocation funds.
Total Base Funding, ESE Guarantee, and SAI $
3,527,625
5. Class size Reduction Funds:
DCD
X Allocation factors
373.3100
194.7920
0.9854
0.9854
1317.85
898.92
=
=
484,784
172,546
0.0000
0.9854
901.09
=
0
Weighted FTE (From Section 1)
PK - 3
4-8
9-12
Total *
X
568.1020
Total Class Size Reduction Funds $
657,330
(*Total FTE should equal total in Section 1, column (d).)
1
239
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
sec 17 Copy of rev cal 335.2018.2019.xls
6/18/15 1:33 PM
6A. Divide school's Weighted FTE (WFTE) total computed
in (d) above:
568.1020
to obtain school's WFTE share.
by district's WFTE:
6B. Divide school's Unweighted FTE (UFTE) total computed
in (b) above:
335.00
to obtain school's UFTE share.
by district's UFTE:
0.5414%
97,897.95
0.3422%
Letters Refer to Notes At Bottom:
(a)
1,947,472
7. Other FEFP (WFTE share)
Applicable to all Charter Schools:
Declining Enrollment
Sparsity Supplement
Program Related Requirements:
Safe Schools
Lab School Discretionary
104,938.08
x
0.5414% $
10,544
0
0
1,947,472
0
8. Discretionary Local Effort (WFTE share)
(c)
20,095,592
x
0.5414% $
108,798
9. Discretionary Millage Compression Allocation
.748 mills (UFTE share)
(b)
19,362,257
x
0.3422% $
66,258
10. Proration to Funds Available (WFTE share)
(a)
-3,776,997
x
0.5414% -$
20,449
11. Discretionary Lottery (WFTE share)
(a)
345,385
x
0.5414% $
1,870
7,584,515
x
0.3422% $
25,954
12. Instructional Materials Allocation (UFTE share)
(b)
Dual Enrollment Instructional Materials Allocation (See footnote i below)
ESE Applications Allocation:
Charter schools should contact their school district sponsor regarding eligibility and distribution of ESE Application funds.
13. Student Transportation
(d)
Enter All Riders
270.00
Enter ESE Student Riders
14. Digitial Classrooms Allocation (UFTE share)
(e)
15. Florida Teachers Classroom Supply Assistance Program
(f)
16. Food Service Allocation
(g)
1,034,908
17. Funding for the purpose of calculating the administrative fee for ESE Charters.
If you have more than a 75% ESE student population please place a 1 in the following box:
x
382 $
x
1,431 $
103,140
x
0.3422% $
3,541
Total $
4,484,611
1 $
2,055,485
-
(h)
(a) District allocations multiplied by percentage from item 6A.
(b) District allocations multiplied by percentage from item 6B.
(c) Proceeds of 0.748 millage levy (s. 1011.71(3)(b), Florida Statutes) multiplied by percentage from item 6A.
(d) Consistent with Section 1006.21, Florida Statutes and DOE Student Transportation General Instructions. Numbers entered here will be multiplied by the district level
transportation funding per rider. "All Riders" should include both basic and ESE Riders. "ESE Student Riders" should include only ESE Riders.
(e) The Digital Classroom Allocation is provided puruant to House Bill 5101 and requires that charter school submit a digital classrooms plan to their school district for
approval by the Department of Education.
(f) Teacher Classroom Supply Assistance Program Allocation per Section 1012.71, Florida Statutes
(g) Funding based on student eligibility and meals provided, if participating in the National School Lunch Program.
(h) Consistent with Section 1002.33(20)(a), Florida Statutes, for charter schools with a population of 75% or more ESE students, the administrative fee shall be calculated
based on unweighted full-time equivalent students.
(i) As provided in the 2013 General Appropriations Act, school districts are required to pay for instructional materials used for the instruction of public school high school
students who are earning credit toward high school graduation under the dual enrollment program as provided in section 1011.62(l)(i), Florida Statutes.
Administrative fees charged by the school district shall be calculated based upon 5 percent of available funds from the FEFP and categorical funding for which charter students
may be eligible. For charter schools with a population of 251 or more students the difference in the fee calculation and the fee withheld may only be used for capital outlay
purposes specified in Section 1013.62(2) F.S. To calculate the administrative fee to be withheld for schools with more than 250 students, divide the school population into 250.
Multiply that fraction times the funds available, then times 5%.
For high performing charter schools, administrative fees charged by the school district shall be calculated based upon 2 percent of available funds from the FEFP and
categorical funding for which charter students may be eligible. For charter schools with a population of 251 or more students the difference in the fee calculation and the fee
withheld may only be used for capital outlay purposes specified in Section 1013.62(2) F.S. To calculate the administrative fee to be withheld for schools with more than 250
students, divide the school population into 250. Multiply that fraction times the funds available, then times 2 percent.
FEFP and categorical funding are recalculated during the year to reflect the revised number of full-time equivalent students reported during the survey periods designated by the
Commissioner of Education.
2
240
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Appendix G – Revenue Estimate Worksheet – 351 FTE
sec 17 Copy of rev cal 351. 2019-2020.xls
6/18/15 1:33 PM
Revenue Estimate Worksheet for Our Children's Prep School: PreK - 8th grade Charter School
Based on the Fourth Calculation of the FEFP 2014-15
School District:
Polk
1. 2014-15 FEFP State and Local Funding 351 2019-2020
Base Student Allocation
District Cost Differential:
$4,031.77
Program
(a)
101 Basic K-3
111 Basic K-3 with ESE Services
102 Basic 4-8
112 Basic 4-8 with ESE Services
103 Basic 9-12
113 Basic 9-12 with ESE Services
254 ESE Level 4 (Grade Level PK-3)
254 ESE Level 4 (Grade Level 4-8)
254 ESE Level 4 (Grade Level 9-12)
255 ESE Level 5 (Grade Level PK-3)
255 ESE Level 5 (Grade Level 4-8)
255 ESE Level 5 (Grade Level 9-12)
130 ESOL (Grade Level PK-3)
130 ESOL (Grade Level 4-8)
130 ESOL (Grade Level 9-12)
300 Career Education (Grades 9-12)
190.00
86.00
29.00
22.00
15.00
9.00
Totals
Weighted
FTE
(b)
x (c)
(d)
0.0000
213.9400
0.0000
86.0000
0.0000
0.0000
102.8920
78.0560
0.0000
76.5600
45.9360
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
0.0000
Program
Cost Factor
(c)
1.126
1.126
1.000
1.000
1.004
1.004
3.548
3.548
3.548
5.104
5.104
5.104
1.147
1.147
1.147
1.004
Number of FTE
(b)
0.9854
351.00
2. ESE Guaranteed Allocation:
603.3840 $
FTE
32.00
63.00
95.00
14.00
32.00
40.00
Additional Funding from the ESE
Guaranteed Allocation. Enter the FTE
from 111,112, & 113 by grade and
matrix level. Students who do not have
a matrix level should be considered 251.
This total should equal all FTE from
programs 111, 112 & 113 above.
Total FTE with ESE Services
$
divided by district FTE
Matrix
Level
251
252
253
251
252
253
251
252
253
Grade Level
PK-3
PK-3
PK-3
4-8
4-8
4-8
9-12
9-12
9-12
276.00
3. Supplemental Academic Instruction:
District SAI Allocation
2014-15 Base Funding
WFTE x BSA x DCD
(e)
$
$
849,964
$
$
341,670
$
$
$
408,780
$
310,109
$
$
304,166
$
182,499
$
$
$
$
$
-
Guarantee
Per Student
$
978
$
3,159
$
6,446
$
1,097
$
3,278
$
6,565
$
781
$
2,961
$
6,249
2,397,188
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
31,296
199,017
612,370
15,358
104,896
262,600
-
Total from ESE Guarantee $
1,225,537
Per Student
230 $
80,730
22,548,786
97,897.95
$
(with eligible services)
4. Reading Allocation:
Charter schools should contact their school district sponsor regarding eligibility and distribution of reading allocation funds.
Total Base Funding, ESE Guarantee, and SAI $
3,703,455
5. Class size Reduction Funds:
DCD
X Allocation factors
393.3920
209.9920
0.9854
0.9854
1317.85
898.92
=
=
510,863
186,010
0.0000
0.9854
901.09
=
0
Weighted FTE (From Section 1)
PK - 3
4-8
9-12
Total *
X
603.3840
Total Class Size Reduction Funds $
696,873
(*Total FTE should equal total in Section 1, column (d).)
1
241
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Appendix H – 5 year Budget
Our Children's Academy,
Inc.
Prep School-Winter Haven
Budget Worksheet Version 2
2016-17
FTE 305
Account
3202
3230
3240
Account Description
Medicaid
IDEA
TITLE I and II
3310
3336
3344
3354
3431
3440
3450
3485
50000120
50000130
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
320
335
351
2020-2021
351
Budget
(700,000)
(195,000)
(45,000)
Budget
(725,000)
(197,000)
(48,000)
Budget
(752,429)
(205,000)
(51,000)
Budget
(810,000)
(225,000)
(59,000)
Budget
(810,000)
(228,500)
(63,000)
FEFP
Instructional Materials
Lottery Funds
Transportation
Interest on Checking Acct
Gifts, Grants & Bequests
Food Services
Capital Outlay
(4,460,722)
(12,675)
(1,290)
(359,250)
(3,817)
(75,000)
(10,000)
(57,028)
(4,679,090)
(15,000)
(300)
(370,746)
(3,500)
(80,000)
(15,000)
(62,000)
(4,845,027)
(25,954)
(238)
(386,370)
(2,789)
(95,000)
(18,000)
(102,943)
(5,088,108)
(27,190)
(286)
(400,680)
(3,346)
(110,000)
(22,000)
(112,936)
(5,088,108)
(27,190)
(1,000)
(400,680)
(3,500)
(125,000)
(25,000)
(112,936)
Total Revenue
(5,919,781)
(6,133,636)
(6,484,750)
(6,858,546)
(6,884,914)
798,000
43,000
821,940
44,290
863,037
46,504
859,597
47,899
899,597
47,900
Classroom Instruction
Salary - Teacher 18 -20
Salary - Behavior Analyst
-
242
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
50000140
50000150
50000150.05
50000165
50000195
50000210.1
50000220
50000230.01
50000230.02
50000230.03
50000230.04
50000230.05
50000240
50000250
50000310.01
50000310.03
50000310.04
50000310.08
50000310.17
50000310.22
50000330.01
50000350.01
50000510.01
50000510.02
50000510.12
50000520
50000570
50000641
Salary - Substitute Teachers
Salary - Aides/Paras - 19-25
Salary - Aides/Para IDEA - 11-14
Salary - LPN
Florida State Retirement 9%
Payroll tax expense
Insurance - Student Health $8.
Insurance - group
Insurance - Life
Insurance - dental
Insurance - disability
Workers' Compensation
Unemployment Compensation
Contract PT-3PT/1PTA$65x5600
Contract 2CCC/2SLPA$65x5600
Contract OT 2OTR/5COTA$65x9800
Contract Behavior Analyst
Contract Vision Teacher
Contract Social Worker
Field Trips / Fees
Computer Repairs
Supplies - Classroom 18 x $1500
Supplies - Therapy & ART & Music
Supplies - Behavior
Instructional Materials
Food & Snacks for Oral Motor SLP
Classrm Equip 18 X$2000/ART $6000/STEM10000
Classroom computer equipment
5,000
304,000
195,000
23,000
125,280
106,488
2,440
245,000
5,500
12,000
400
25,000
23,000
364,000
364,000
637,000
5,000
1,000
12,000
7,500
7,000
27,000
36,000
30,000
50,000
500
52,000
38,000
6,000
358,968
197,000
25,000
133,038
113,082
2,560
269,500
5,800
12,600
500
27,000
23,500
371,280
371,280
649,740
7,500
1,000
15,000
10,000
7,000
28,500
36,000
35,000
70,000
600
52,000
38,000
7,000
386,737
205,000
25,750
140,403
119,342
2,680
344,850
6,700
14,000
750
30,000
25,000
382,418
382,418
669,232
9,000
1,000
18,000
12,000
7,800
33,000
42,000
38,500
60,000
700
55,000
36,300
6,000
415,339
225,000
26,523
144,571
122,886
2,808
351,593
7,000
14,000
770
32,000
26,000
382,418
382,418
669,232
10,000
1,200
18,000
14,000
8,200
33,000
40,000
38,500
65,000
700
65,000
39,930
6,000
423,646
228,500
27,318
149,306
126,911
2,808
369,172
7,000
14,000
780
32,000
26,000
382,418
382,418
669,232
10,000
1,200
18,000
18,000
8,800
35,000
42,000
39,000
70,000
750
58,000
42,000
243
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
50000641.01
50000641.02
50000690
50000745
50000750.01
50000780
50000900.05
61000310.06
61000310.07
62000610
62000620
Tx equip PT-$20,000.OT $7000 SLP 10000
Software
Bank service charges
Substitute para
Instruction - Depreciation expense
Therapeutic riding
Total Classroom Instruction
Pupil Personnel Service
Contract consultants
Contract Psychological Services
Total Pupil Personnel Service
Media Services
Library books
Audio - visual
Total Media Services
63000100.1
63000100.1
63000210.1
63000220
63000230.02
63000230.03
63000230.04
63000230.05
Curriculum Development Services
Salary - Title I Facilitator Academic Interv/Re
Salary -1/2 time PreK Facilitator
Florida State Retirement
Payroll tax expense
Insurance - group
Insurance - life
Insurance - dental
Insurance - disability
37,000
3,000
200
2,500
35,000
3,300
200
2,500
30,000
3,630
200
2,500
25,000
3,993
200
2,500
30,000
4,392
200
2,500
6,000
6,000
7,000
7,500
10,000
3,592,808
3,780,678
4,008,451
4,088,777
4,184,848
15,000
9,000
24,000
15,000
10,000
25,000
17,000
11,000
28,000
19,000
12,000
31,000
21,000
13,000
34,000
2,500
1,000
3,500
2,500
1,000
3,500
2,500
1,000
3,500
2,500
1,000
3,500
2,500
1,000
3,500
43,000
44,290
28,000
6,200
5,000
10,000
35
150
-
45,619
30,000
7,000
5,150
11,000
35
165
-
4,297
3,652
5,700
35
120
-
244
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
63000240
63000250
63000280
63000310
63000330.03
64000100.02
64000220
64000310.08
64000310.09
64000310.1
64000330.02
64000510.05
71000310.01
71000310.11
71000310.16
71000320.02
71000320.05
71000390.01
71000900.02
Worker's Comp
Unemployment compensation
Building fund Contribution
Professional Services
Travel Reimb/Prof Training
Total Curriculum Development Services
-
-
-
-
Professional & technical service
Travel - Conventions
Staff Development supplies
Total Staff Development
$8,100
7,500
38,000
15,000
3,000
71,600
Board
Board training
Professional Services (Legal)
Professional Services (fingerprin)
Insurance - Board of Trustees
Liability/Error & Ommissions Ins
Meeting meals & Strategic Plan
Staff / Board Meetings
Total Board
2,000
35,000
6,000
12,000
6,000
2,500
1,500
65,000
Staff Development
Wrkhp Stipnd-teach $150/dx 3dax x18t
Payroll expense
Software Training & Support
Para contracted rate $50.x5da.x30para
2,500
59,304
2,500
96,175
2,500
101,469
8,100
7,500
35,000
15,000
3,000
68,600
9,000
11,375
36,000
20,000
8,000
84,375
7,000
11,400
38,000
22,000
5,000
83,400
7,000
11,400
38,000
22,000
5,000
83,400
1,000
25,000
6,000
15,000
7,000
2,500
2,500
59,000
1,000
25,000
7,000
16,000
7,500
2,500
2,500
61,500
150
10,000
6,000
16,000
7,500
2,500
2,500
44,650
150
10,000
6,000
16,000
7,500
2,500
2,500
44,650
245
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
72000310.15
72000330.03
72000900.03
73000110
73000110
73000110
73000160
73000135
73000145
73000210.1
73000220
73000230.02
73000230.03
73000230.04
73000230.05
73000330.03
73000350.01
73000350.05
73000355
General & Administration
Acct. Payable, Bookkeeping & Payroll OCRC
Travel Reimbursement
Reserves-5% to 5.5%
Total General & Administration
83,000
5,000
252,496
340,496
85,490
5,000
233,613
324,103
85,490
5,000
235,251
325,741
86,000
5,000
254,405
345,405
87,720
5,000
235,246
327,966
School Administration
Salary - President/CEO
Salary - HR, Grants, Marketing,Teach
Salary - Dir Acctbilty, Test, CQI
Salary - Admin Office, market, event, 4 staff
Salary-Dir Behav Manag & Motiv
Salary - Dir Facil, Buses, Safety,
Salary - Dir of Curric, Instruct, Eval
Salary - Dir of Admission/Staffings
Florida State Retirement 9%
Payroll tax expense
Insurance - group
Insurance - life
Insurance - dental
Insurance - disability
Travel Reimbursement
Computer Repairs
Computer Purchase
Schoolwide Equip. School Sign/bench.tables/BBQ
150,000
50,000
60,000
109,683
65,000
28,000
50,000
60,000
36,000
43,810
48,000
350
1,000
17,800
5,000
30,000
27,705
155,000
51,500
61,800
112,973
66,950
28,849
51,500
61,800
37,080
45,124
52,800
350
1,050
18,000
5,000
30,000
25,000
159,650
53,045
63,654
116,362
68,958
29,714
53,045
63,654
49,958
42,464
52,800
500
1,200
18,000
5,000
20,000
25,000
164,440
55,053
65,564
119,853
71,027
30,605
55,053
65,564
56,444
47,978
55,440
600
1,300
11,000
6,500
30,000
30,000
169,373
56,705
67,531
123,448
73,157
31,524
56,705
67,531
58,138
49,417
58,212
600
1,300
11,000
6,600
35,000
30,000
246
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
73000360.01
73000370
73000390.01
73000390.02
73000390.03
73000390.04
73000510.04
73000510.13
73000643.01
73000643.05
73000730.04
73000730.05
73000730.06
73000730.07
73000780
73000790
73000900.04
74000360.02
74000360.03
74000630.01
74000675
74000680
Equipment Maintenance
Postage
Meals
Advertising
Special Events
Supplies - Office
Supplies - computer
Office equipment
Computer Hardware
Dues and Subscriptions
Internet Services
Licenses
Software Maintenance fees
Admin. - Depreciation expense
County Admin fee (believe too high)
Website Fees
Total School Administration
Facilities Acquisition & Construction
Building Lease
Portable Rent
Portable installation
Non-building remodeling & renov
Remodeling and Renovations
Total Facilities Acquisition &
Construction
8,000
2,000
5,000
20,000
8,000
2,000
5,000
20,000
8,000
2,000
5,000
20,000
8,000
3,500
5,000
25,000
8,000
4,000
6,500
20,000
3,000
15,000
4,000
16,000
40,000
5,000
1,250
550
2,700
93,983
5,000
1,003,831
3,000
15,000
4,000
16,000
40,000
5,000
1,250
550
2,700
98,545
5,000
1,030,821
4,000
17,500
5,000
18,000
30,000
5,000
1,250
550
2,700
99,774
5,000
1,046,778
5,000
20,000
5,200
20,000
40,000
5,000
1,250
550
2,700
100,414
5,000
1,113,035
5,000
20,000
5,500
24,000
30,000
5,000
1,250
550
2,700
107,613
5,000
1,141,354
120,000
30,000
37,000
64,017
10,000
120,000
30,000
37,000
50,000
10,000
120,000
30,000
10,000
52,000
12,000
120,000
35,000
5,000
60,000
15,000
120,000
35,000
5,000
50,000
15,000
261,017
247,000
224,000
235,000
225,000
247
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
75000310.12
75000310.13
75000730.08
75000730.09
Fiscal Services
Accounting
Audit
Simplify (Medicaid data base/notes)
Bank fees / finance charges
Total Fiscal Services
13,500
7,000
18,000
850
39,350
14,000
10,000
18,000
850
42,850
15,000
11,000
20,000
850
46,850
15,000
12,000
20,000
850
47,850
17,000
12,500
21,000
850
51,350
76000390.14
76000510.14
76000570
Food Services
Food Delivery
kitchen supplies
Snacks / Lunch/Breakfast
Total Food Services
3,500
5,000
15,000
23,500
3,500
2,000
15,000
20,500
4,000
2,500
15,000
21,500
4,200
3,000
25,500
32,700
4,500
5,000
20,000
29,500
77000310
77000730.11
Central Services
Health dept inspection
Fingerprinting
Total Central Services
350
7,000
7,350
350
7,500
7,850
350
8,000
8,350
350
8,500
8,850
350
9,000
9,350
40,000
45,000
42,000
45,000
43,000
45,000
45,000
57,387
60,000
7,500
75,000
30,000
55,000
7,500
75,000
25,000
84,000
7,500
80,000
20,000
44,000
60,000
110,000
96,000
8,000
80,000
18,000
78000320.03
78000350.02
78000360.8
78000390.05
78000450
78000510.1
Pupil Transportation Services
Transportation - Bus insurance
Transportation - repairs & maint
Bus Purchase
Bus Lease from OCRC-5 buses
Transportation - inspections
Transportation - gas
Supplies - Transportation
96,000
8,500
80,000
15,000
248
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
78000730.15
78000780
78000790
79000320.04
79000371.01
79000371.02
79000381
79000382
79000390.05
79000390.06
79000390.07
79000390.08
79000390.09
79000390.1
79000430
79000510.03
79000642
81000152
81000510.09
81000644
81000675
License fees/drug test driver
Depreciation expense - transportation
Parent Pupil Transportation
Total Pupil Transportation Services
2,500
-
1,500
-
2,000
-
2,500
-
2,500
-
260,000
251,000
281,500
418,500
304,387
Operation of Plant
Insurance - Building
Telephone - Cell
Telephone - Office
Water & Sewage
Garbage
Facility Maintenance - overall
Extermination
Office / School Cleaning
Outside Maintenance
Security System Monitoring
Carpet & Floor cleaning
Electric
Supplies - Cleaning
Repairs - Equipment
Total Operation of Plant
11,000
5,000
7,500
15,000
5,500
5,000
2,500
15,000
3,600
4,500
12,000
55,000
10,000
5,000
156,600
11,000
5,000
7,500
18,000
5,500
5,000
2,500
15,000
3,700
4,500
12,500
55,000
12,000
5,000
162,200
13,000
5,500
8,000
20,000
6,000
5,500
3,500
18,000
3,800
5,000
13,000
60,000
14,866
4,000
180,166
13,500
6,000
8,000
25,000
6,200
6,200
3,500
22,000
4,000
5,500
14,000
58,000
16,000
4,500
192,400
14,000
6,000
8,500
25,000
6,500
6,500
3,500
23,000
4,000
6,000
14,000
60,000
17,000
4,000
198,000
38,773
2,500
7,000
5,000
39,936
2,500
7,000
5,000
41,135
3,000
8,000
7,500
42,369
3,303
8,500
7,700
43,640
3,500
8,800
8,200
Maintenance of Plant
Salary Maintenance Person (1FT; 1PT)
Supplies - Maintenance
Repairs - Building
Non -building remodeling & renovations
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
83000210.1
83000220
83000230.04
91000100.01
91000310.21
Fl Retirement employee (9%)
Payroll expense (7.65%)
Insurance -dental
Total Maintenance of Plant
3,490
2,966
2,132
2,966
4,100
3,500
4,200
3,600
4,300
3,700
59,729
59,534
67,235
69,672
72,140
Community Services
Parent Trainings
Contract - Child Care
Total Community Services
3,000
8,000
11,000
3,000
8,000
11,000
3,500
10,000
13,500
4,000
10,000
14,000
4,000
10,000
14,000
Total expenses
5,919,781
6,093,636
6,460,750
6,824,914
6,824,914
TOTAL REVENUE
TOTAL EXPENSE
(5,919,781)
6,093,636
6,460,750
6,824,914
6,824,914
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
BUSINESS PLAN
Section 18: Financial Management and Oversight
A.
Describe who will manage the schools finances and how this
school will ensure financial resources are properly managed.
The ultimate responsibility for managing the school’s finances belongs to the
Board, with the CEO being the only staff person reporting to the Board. The
Board will establish a Finance/Audit committee. Their role will be to review the
audit, the 990, and to work with the CEO to prepare a budget to present to the
Board. Annually, the CEO and the finance committee will prepare a budget and
present it to the Board for approval at the June board meeting. This budget will
include the revenue projection work sheet and the staff rollout.
It will also
include any large capital expenditures in excess of $10,000.00 that are
anticipated during the next fiscal year.
The Board will review the budget monthly with variances, budget to date with
variances, and a comparison of last years budget to date. Significant variances
will be discussed. The CEO will ask the Director of Admissions to present to the
Board the number of students enrolled, new students enrolled within the last
month and projected new students to enroll. These projections will be compared
to the enrollment projections for the year in anticipation of whether the school will
reach its enrollment projection goal, and if not, formulate a plan for either the
reduction in revenue or how to increase enrollment.
The CEO will also request the consultant for physical rehabilitation to present a
report as to the Medicaid and other third party payer reimbursement for the
month. This will determine if we are on target for meeting our revenue goal, and
if not, why and how can we put together an action plan to increase revenue from
intensive services.
The CEO will have the Events and Marketing/Grants person give a report
updating the Board on any fundraising up coming events and grants that have
been awarded. The marketing person will also discuss the plan for cultivating
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
circles of influence to support the school and identify how the board can become
involved in making the school more visible, as well as promoting the school.
If there is a budget shortfall, the CEO will put together a plan to reduce
expenses. This plan may include layoffs and/or cuts in programs and travel. The
CEO will also collaborate with the school’s CPA to work out a new balanced
budget for presentation to the finance committee for review before presenting it
to the Board.
B.
Describe the financial controls, including an annual audit and
regular board review of financial statements, which will be
employed to safeguard finances.
The book keeping for the school will be contracted out to a professional
bookkeeper that has extensive experience working with Red Line accounting
and public schools.
He or she will enter all expenditures into the software
provided by the external CPA. The CPA will then prepare the financials.
It is anticipated that a staffing company will be contracted to handle the payroll,
worker’s compensation, unemployment, and some HR issues. Direct deposit will
be used for check distribution, which is the preferred method by 95% of the
employees. The mail will be opened by a different person with checks received
copied and deposits prepared. The check copies will be given to the bookkeeper.
Receipts will be given to the bookkeeper for safe storage and backup in
preparation for an annual audit or other review will deposit the revenue into the
school’s account. All checks written to pay bills will require 2 signatures and an
initial on the bill by the accounts payable person indicating that the bill has been
reviewed and the check was written for the bill amount. All credit cards will be
reconciled with staff and receipts obtained from staff that matches back to the
credit cards.
Bank statements will be sent, unopened, to the CPA for his staff to reconcile,
check signatures and inspect the integrity of the checks.
An RFP will be developed for an external auditor. The results will be brought
back to the finance committee to review and decide which auditor will be
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
selected to conduct our annual audit and a plan to negotiate a longer-term
contract for a reduction in auditing fees. Upon completion of the Audit, the audit
report will be sent to the finance committee for review. The committee will then
present it to the board. If any minor deficiencies are identified, the CEO will
formulate an action plan and bring it to the board for their information.
If
deficiencies are major, the auditor will bring their findings directly to the finance
committee and an action plan will be formulated.
The school’s CPA will be responsible for sending the monthly financials to the
District for review and filing. The CPA will provide a draft copy of the school’s
990 Federal Tax Return to the Board for review prior to filing with the IRS. If the
Board wishes for the CPA to come to a board meeting to answer questions, the
CPA will be put on the agenda to clarify any questions about the 990 returns.
C.
Describe the method by which accounting records will be
maintained.
Accounting records worked on by the bookkeeper will be backed up nightly with
an external hard drive that is then locked in a fireproof cabinet as the financial
records are not backed up on the office central file server. Monthly, the files are
batched and sent to the CPA where that office sets up an archive of the
electronic files. All backup paper documentation needed for an audit is kept in
locked file cabinets at the central business office. At the end of the year, the
paper files are boxed, marked and stored for 7 years in a locked storage area.
D.
Describe how the school will store student and financial
records.
Student records are stored in a locked room adjacent to the Director of
Admission and Staffing’s Office. All student records are confidential. If a staff
member would like to review a record they may do so in the office of the Director
of Admissions, or they may sign the student record out, put a placement marker
where the record would go with their name on it, and take the record to the
adjacent therapy office.
NO STUDENT RECORDS MAY LEAVE THE
PREMISES. Financial records and monies at the school are kept in a locked
fireproof case and stored in a locked room. The Director of HR and Internal
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Audit manages all financial records related to students. Financial records related
to FEFP and the school budget was described above.
Student attendance will be maintained. FTE attendance will be scanned and
stored electronically and in hard copy in a locked file cabinet and maintained for
7 years.
E. Describe the insurance coverage the school will obtain, including
applicable health, worker’s compensation, general liability, property
insurance, and directors officer liability coverage.
The school will provide comprehensive group medical insurance for all
employees. In an attempt to keep the premiums low, high deductibles will be
selected but the school will look for plans that pay 100% after the deductible is
met. To help the employee mitigate the possible large deductible, AFLAC will be
offered.
This will give the employee the option of purchasing a low cost,
comprehensive medical plan that would cover, or nearly cover; the deductible
should the employee need to be admitted overnight into the hospital.
Depending on the cost of the insurance, the school will try to pay as large of a
percentage of the premium as possible, leaving only a small portion to the
employee.
The health package will also include: The employer paying ½ of a dental plan,
an eye plan, a term life plan, and a long-term disability plan.
The employee would have the option of electing from AFLAC other supplemental
insurance.
In the budget, the school has allotted for $1,000,000 in each of the following
areas: Worker’s Compensation Injury, Disease, Hazard Insurance, Auto Liability,
and Bodily Injury; $1,000,000 for General Liability and $3,000,000 Aggregate;
$1,000,000/$3,000,000 Aggregate for Directors and Officers; $50,000 for
Employee Crime and $25,000 for Employee Forgery and Alteration. Worker’s
Compensation premiums tend to escalate for employees working at schools that
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
serve children with special needs. For that reason, a staffing company will be
used to keep the WC rates stable and within a reasonable range.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
Section 19: Action Plan
A. Present a timetable for the school’s start-up.
Our Children’s Prep School: (OCPS) is applying for a charter to open in
August of 2016. This school will have no affiliation with Our Children’s
Academy located in Lake Wales, Florida.
The new charter school will be operating out a facility built in 2000 as a
school thus meeting the Florida building code for private schools thus
making facility acquisition easy.
The newly formed OCPS board (Charter and operates in the sunshine) has
been established with a Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary and will be
expanded once the charter application is approved.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
The OCPS timetable for the school’s start-up is as follows:
COMPLETION DATE
ACTIVITY
Our Children’s Pre School
August 2015
submits application


October 2015
October 2015
PCSB approves charter
OCPS applies for nonprofit
status under IRS ruling



October 2015
Our Children’s Prep School


Board officially begins.

DESCRIPTION
Application for charter will be
submitted by Aug. 3, 2015 deadline
Application will be reviewed by PCSB
Approval is granted by the PCSB and
informed
OCPS is
files
nonprofit Articles of
Incorporation-*DONE
OCPS applies for federal employer ID
number
OCPS
applies
for Florida
sales
tax
The OCPS
governing
board
is established
exemption
according to
OCPS applies for 501 (c)(3) with IRS
(form 1023)
State
laws and the school by-laws.
October 2015
Implementation plan begins


October 2015
Bank accounts established

December 2015
First board meeting OCPS
November 2015 –
Feb 2016
Charter agreement is
negotiated and signed



If revisions are needed in the OCPS
bylaws, these revisions will occur at
this time.
If new Board members are added who
reflect the interest of the OCPS
population, those board members will be
scheduled for required governance
training.
Necessary background checks will occur.
The OCPS board creates a plan to
take the school from approval to
opening
OCPS Board of Trustees will
establish appropriate bank accounts
and financial arrangements for the
The first OCPS board meeting will occur,
school.
Schedule for future board meetings for
2016-17
Charter agreement is reviewed with legal



counsel.
Terms of the charter are negotiated as
needed
The following will be established:
Charter
is signed.phone number, email
Mailing address,

November 2015
OCPS establishes contact
information
December 2015
New Board Members
recommended

January 2016 –
August 2016 and
throughout the year
until maximum is
reached.
Recruitment of OCPS
students begins and will
continue maximum reached

January 2016
Final plans, policies, and
procedures developed and
approved


address,
website
The
Board
approves remaining board
members to complete board. And all board
members complete
Information
will be shared
govern.with
Training.
the
community so that families learn
about the school
The search for students will be
promoted through local news,
organizations, OCPS website, civic
groups, public notice boards, and
community events.
OCPS board and CEO with input from
the Leadership Team will create and
finalize all plans, policies, and
procedures for the school.
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
January 2015
Implementation of plans
begin
Dec. 2015 to February Submit Florida Department of
Education Public Charter
2016
School Grant application
May, 2016
Begin portable installation


Plans for the following will be set forth:
School improvement plan to include
comprehensive procedures for
managing curriculum, student progress
monitoring, identifying students at three
tier levels, teacher and staff support
systems, behavior management
-Record keeping
-Technology
-Budget
-Safety
-Student conduct
-Transportation
-Food service
-Professional development
-curriculum standards
-Student application
-Payroll and benefits
-Accounts payable and receivable
-staff handbook
 Grant
-schoolapplication
calendar will be submitted earlier
than most.
 Planning portion of $25,000.00 will be
expended over the next year

Implementation
portion
will be expended

Begin
to pull building
permits
three months
258
Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL

prior to opening (plans for expending May, June, & July
2016)
Final portion expended during the school year but before
May 2019 (36 months to spend)
April 2016
May 2015
Startup Grant approved
Spending of the planning
portion of grant begins


Administration equipment and supplies ordered
Approved planning items will be spent during the next year
based on when those items are needed such as board
training for new board members etc.
November 2015
February 2016
March/April 2016
Admission process begins
Admission notification
Recruitment of staff begins



Student admission applications accepted to OCPS
Students are notified of admission decision
Advertising for the Leadership Team and
teachers/therapists/behavioral analyst/begins.
Advertise through Career Source
The search for positions will be promoted through
professional publications, local news organizations, public
speaking engagements, and word of mouth.
Interviews commence when appropriate applications are
received.
Using Genesis, the Dir. Of Finance and terminal
operator will establish a student information system.



February 2016
Student information system
established
February 2016
Staff and student policies
established
February 2016
School calendar established






April 2016
Staff is hired



May 2016
June 2016
Obtain student records
Equipment and material
ordering begins
June 2016
Pre-opening checks and visits
conducted

June 2016
Staff strategic planning

June 2016 and
August 2016
Staff development and
training


The Board of Trustees will establish policies for both staff
and students.
Staff and student handbooks will be written and available.
The OCPS board will establish the 2016-17-school
calendar.
It is expected that this calendar will follow the standard
PCSB’s’.
The Organizational Leadership Team will be hired as
soon as possible;
These leaders will hire the remaining school staff
All staff must undergo FBI background checks and drug
screenings when appropriate.
Items to be ordered include:
-instructional materials
-classroom supplies
-curriculum
-equipment
-computers
-smart boards
-classroom furniture and office furniture
PCSB will conduct the pre-opening checks and possible site
visits.
Staff will collaborate to plan the implementation of the
school improvement plan for 2016-2017
Training will include: SYR, Voyager,
-applied behavioral analysis and positive reinforcement
-PCM training for Crisis Prevention Intervention
-SIM Learning Strategies: Univ. of Kansas
-PECs and Visual Supports
Collaborative Models
Relationship Development Intervention
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Our Children’s Prep School, Inc. Winter Haven, FL
August 2016
August 2016
Summer orientation
School opens


-staff policies
-student policies
-school mission and expectations
-health and safety
-technology
-sexual abuse/harassment
-blood borne pathogens
-social facilitation
-collaborative learning
Orientation will be held for students,
staff, and families
Following
the PCSB schedule,
school will begin
260

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