Delaware Department of Education

Academy of Dover
Charter School Renewal Report

AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport

Contents
CharterSchoolRenewalReport...................................................................................................................2
RequirementsUndertheLaw...................................................................................................................2
AcademicPerformance................................................................................................................................2
ChangesintheAcademicFramework.......................................................................................................2
DelawareAcademicFrameworkReport...................................................................................................3
DelawareSchoolSuccessFramework.......................................................................................................4
OrganizationalFramework..........................................................................................................................5
NonMaterialViolations............................................................................................................................5
MaterialViolations....................................................................................................................................6
FinancialFramework....................................................................................................................................8

AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport

CharterSchoolRenewalReport
RequirementsUndertheLaw
Thecharterschoollaw(14Del.C.514A)outlinestheprovisionsthattheDelawareDepartment
of Education (DDOE) follows for charter renewal and nonrenewal. The DDOE is required to
reviewthepreliminaryperformanceofthecharterschooltodetermineitscompliancewithits
charteranditssatisfactionofthecriteriasetforthinthistitleforthepurposesofrenewalor
nonrenewal1.14Del.C.514A(c)statesthat,
(c) NolaterthanApril30,theapprovingauthorityshallissueacharterschoolrenewal
reportandcharterrenewalapplicationguidancetoanycharterschoolwhosecharterwill
expire the following year. The renewal report shall summarize the charter school's
performancerecordtodate,basedonthedatarequiredby79Del.Laws,c.51andthe
chartercontract,andshallprovidenoticeofanyweaknessesorconcernsperceivedby
theapprovingauthorityconcerningthecharterschoolthatmayjeopardizeitspositionin
seekingrenewalifnottimelyrectified.Thecharterschoolshallhave10workingdaysto
respondtotherenewalreportandsubmitanycorrectionsorclarificationsforthereport.

AcademicPerformance
ChangesintheAcademicFramework
From School Year (SY) 201011 through SY 201314, the academic performance of all charter
schoolswereevaluatedusingtheDelawareAcademicFrameworkReportsthatwerepublishing
annually.InJulyof2015,theDDOEreceivedapprovalfromtheUnitedStatesDepartmentof
Education to use 201415 as a flexibility year for all schools in order to transition to a new
accountabilityframework2.ThisnewaccountabilityreportisreferredtoastheDelawareSchool
SuccessFramework(DSSF).
Forthepurposesofreportingtheacademicachievementforcharterschoolsduringthistransition
period, academic performance is broken down into reporting categories. These categories
include:
Academic Framework Reporting (201011 through 201314): This report includes
percentages reflecting: Student Progress Over Time (Growth), Student Achievement
Status,StateandFederalAccountability,PostSecondaryReadiness(HighSchoolsOnly),
andMissionSpecificAcademicGoalswhichwereanoptionalmeasure.

Afullcopyof14Del.C.Chapter5canbefoundat:http://delcode.delaware.gov/title14/c005/

USDOEFlexibilityLettercanbefoundat
http://www.doe.k12.de.us/cms/lib09/DE01922744/Centricity/domain/232/esea/DEESEA_Flex_Renewal_Letter_7
915.pdf.

AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport

DSSFReporting(201415):Thisreportincludestwosystemsforratings.Metricratings
representedbyaonetofivestarratingforAcademicAchievement,AcademicGrowth,
OnTrack to Graduation, and College and Career Readiness. This report also includes
AcademicPerformanceratingsinthefourcoresubjectareas(EnglishLanguageArts(ELA),
Math,Science,andSocialStudiesaswellasAcademicGrowth,OnTracktoGraduation,
andCollegeandCareerPreparationthatarerepresentedasapercentage.
Becausethesereportsdifferinhowindividualreportingcategoriesarecalculated,itwouldnot
beappropriatetoincorporatethedatafromtheDSSFintotheAcademicFrameworkutilizedfrom
2010through2014.BecauseSY14/15wasaflexibilityyear,thecharterschooldataisreported
inrelationshiptothestateforcomparisonpurposesonly.

DelawareAcademicFrameworkReport

20132014

D
F
F

Legend

E=Exceeds
Standard

20122013

M
D
F

D
D
D

M
M
D

M=Meets
Standard

D
D
D

M
M
M

M
M
M

D
M
D

M
M
D

M
M
M

D
D
D

D
D
D

M
M
D

M
E
M

M
M
M

N/A N/A N/A M

N/A N/A N/A M
N/A N/A N/A D

Overall
Rating/Scale

5.a.MissionSpe

4.a.SAT

3.AYP

ELA

Math

2.d.Similar
Schools

ELA

Math

2.c.District

ELA

Math

2.b.Overall
Subgroup

ELA

Math

2.a.Prof

ELA

Math

ELA

Math

Year
20112012

1.b.Bottom 1.c.Growthto
25%
Prof

ELA

Math

1.a.Growth

4.b.GradRate

55.6
55.9
39.1

D=DoesNot
F=FallsFar
MeetStandard BelowStandard

*Greyshadingindicatesthatthenumberofstudentstestedwasinsufficienttoincluderesultsintheoverallratings;resultsarepresentedbutnotincludedinoverallschoolrating.

AccordingtotheDelawareAcademicFrameworkReport,AcademyofDoverdidnotmeetState
AcademicStandardsforoneofthethreeyearstheywereassessed.In201314,AcademyofDover
didnotmeetstandardson10outof15measuresandshowedregressiononsixmeasureswhich
hadhigherratingsthepreviousyear.Additionally,theschoolsoverallratingdeclinedbyslightly
over16percentagepointsinthe201314SchoolYear.

AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport

DelawareSchoolSuccessFramework

Track
to
Gradu
ation

Attendance

ELA

Math

Growthto
Proficency

ELA

Academic
Growth

Math

Social
Studies

Science

ELA

DSSF
Year
2014/2015

Math

AcademicPerformance
%Proficency

Academy
ofDover 26.1 38.5 N/A 44.5 29.8 32.6 1.6 10.2 93.3
Delaware 36 50.4 41.6 46.1
23.8 49.9 94.2

*AcademicGrowthhasanormof50%.

AccordingtotheDSSFoverallratingsystem,AcademyofDoverscoredthefollowingratingsfor
overallschoolperformance:

AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport

OrganizationalFramework

Legend

M=MeetsStandards

D=DoesNotMeetStandard

For SY 1112 and 201213, Academy of Dover had overall ratings of Meets Standard for the
organizational framework reporting. For 201314 and 201415, the schools organizational
performance regressed with overall ratings of Does Not Meet Standard for two consecutive
years.In201314,therewere6outof13measureswhereAcademyofDoverreceivedratingsof
DoesNotMeetStandard.For201415,therewere5outof13measureswhereAcademyof
DoverreceivedratingsofDoesNotMeetStandard.

NonMaterialViolations
In201213,AcademyofDoverfailedtomeetstandardsforitsattendancegoalsinMeasure4b.
Thefollowingwasnotedforthe201112and201213reportingyears:

Noncompliantwiththeattendancegoalof95%.

BasedoninformationavailabletotheDOEduringthe201314and201415schoolyears,the
charterschoolmateriallycompliedwithapplicablelaws,rules,regulations,andprovisionsofthe
charterrelatingtoattendancegoals.
In 201314 and 20142015, Academy of Dover failed to meet standards in staff credentialing
requirements.Thefollowingwasnoted.

HighlyQualifiedTeacher(HQT)requirementnotmet(93.5%)

BasedoninformationavailabletotheDOEduringthe201213schoolyear,thecharterschool
materially complied with applicable laws, rules, regulations, and provisions of the charter
(includingthefederalHighlyQualifiedTeacherrequirementswithinTitleIIoftheESEA)relating
tostatecertificationrequirementsandbackgroundchecks.
5

AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport

In 201314, Academy of Dover failed to meet standards in health and safety requirements in
Measure5b.Thefollowingwasnoted.

NoncompliantwiththestatutoryrequirementsoftheComprehensiveSchoolSafetyPlan.

MaterialViolations
In20122015,AcademyofDoverhasstruggledwithmeetingMeasure2byfailingtomaterially
complywithapplicablelaws,rules,regulations,andprovisionsofthecharterrelatingtofinancial
reportingrequirementsin201112,201314and201415.In201415,thefollowingwasnoted.

MisuseoffundsbynowformerSchoolLeaderidentifiedbyDelawareAuditorofAccounts
inJune23,2015report
PoorinternalcontrolsidentifiedbyDelawareAuditorofAccountsinJune23,2015report
DidnotsubmitpayrollinternalcontrolplantoDivisionofAccountinguponrequest
Ongoing Charter School Office monitoring of the charter school's website found that
documentsrelatingtofinancialoversightwerenotpostedasrequiredbycodeatmultiple
pointsduringthereportingperiod.Theseincludedmonthlyfinancialstatements,audited
financial statements, Citizen Budget Oversight Committee (CBOC) agendas, CBOC
minutes,andCBOCmeetingnotice
FY15AuditResults:
o Qualifiedopinion
o 2materialweaknesses(#2014003and#2015001)
o 1instanceofnoncompliance(#2015001)

Forthepasttwoyears,AcademyofDoverhasstruggledwithmeetingMeasure3abyfailingto
materiallycomplywithapplicablelaws,rules,regulationsandprovisionsofthecharterrelating
togovernancebyitsboard.In201415,thefollowingwasnoted.

NoncompliancewithStateEmployees',Officers',andOfficials'CodeofConductbynow
formerSchoolPrincipal
Ongoing Charter School Office monitoring of the charter school's website found that
documentsrelatingtogovernancewerenotpostedasrequiredbycodeatmultiplepoints
duringthereportingperiod.TheseincludedBoardofDirectorsmeetingminutes,Board
ofDirectorsmeetingagendas,andBoardofDirectorsmeetingnotice

In201112and201415,AcademyofDoverhasstruggledwithmeetingMeasure3bbyfailingto
materiallycomplywithapplicablelaws,rules,regulationsandprovisionsofthecharterrelating
tooversightofschoolmanagement.In201415,thefollowingwasnoted.

Asnotedinformalreview,startedyearwithoutaccountabilitysystemsforschoolleader
putinplaceafterschoolleaderdeparted

AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport

In201314,AcademyofDoverreceivedaratingofDoesNotMeetStandardforMeasure3cby
failingtomateriallycomplywithapplicablelaws,rules,regulationsandprovisionsofthecharter
relatingtorelevantreportingrequirementstotheschoolsauthorizer,stateeducationagency,
districteducationdepartment,and/orfederalauthorities.Thefollowingwerenoted.

NoncompliantwiththestatutoryreportingrequirementsofTitleIIA.
NoncompliantwiththefederalandstatutoryreportingrequirementsofTitleI,Raceto
theTopfunding,andtheTechnologyBlockGrant.
Noncompliant with the federal reporting requirements of the Childrens Internet
ProtectionAct.

BasedoninformationavailabletotheDOEduringthe201415schoolyear,thecharterschool
materiallycompliedwithapplicablelaws,rules,regulationsandprovisionsofthecharterrelating
torelevantreportingrequirementstotheschoolsauthorizer,stateeducationagency,district
educationdepartment,and/orfederalauthorities.
In201112and201415,AcademyofDoverreceivedaratingofDoesNotMeetStandardfor
Measure4abyfailingtomateriallycomplywithapplicablelaws,rules,regulations,andprovisions
ofthecharterrelatingtotherightsofstudents.In201415,thefollowingwerenoted.

Substantiatedincidentinvolvingteacherviolenceagainststudent

AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport

FinancialFramework

Year
1112
1213
1314
1415
Legend

1a

1b

1c

1d

2a

2b

2c

2d

OverallRating

NR

NR

NA

DoesNotMeet
Standard

NA

DoesNotMeet
Standard

NA

MeetsStandard

NA

DoesNotMeet
Standard

E=ExceedsStandard

M=MeetsStandard

D=DoesNotMeetStandard F=FallsFarBelowStandard

NR=Notreported

FortheFinancialReportingFramework,AcademyofDoverfailedtomeetstandardsforfourof
thefiveyearsofreview.
In201213, AcademyofDover struggledwith Measure1a(CurrentRatio)becausetheschool
failedtodemonstratethatitcouldpayitsobligationsforeachofthereportingperiods.However,
theschoolwasabletomeetthestandardsforMeasure1ain201112,201314and201415.
In201112,201213and20142015,AcademyofDoverstruggledtowithMeasure1b(DaysCash)
becausetheschoolfailedtomeetthe60daythresholdforcashonhand.However,theschool
wasonlyablemeetstandardsforthemeasurein201314.
In201112 and201213,AcademyofDoverstruggledwithMeasure1c(EnrollmentVariance)
becausetheschoolfailedtomeetitsauthorizedprojectedenrollmenttargets.However,the
schoolwasonlyablemeetprojectedenrolmenttargetsin201314and201415.Theresultsof
thiscomparisoninrelationshiptothedesired95%equatedto:

20111285%Doesnotmeetstandard
20121394%Doesnotmeetstandard

For the past five years, Academy of Dover struggled with Measure 2b (Debt to Asset Ratio)
becausetheschoolsliabilitiesexceededitsassetsbeyondthe.90thresholdforthismeasure.
Thefollowingshowstheschoolsdebttoassetratioforthepastfiveyears.

2011122.49FallsFarBelowStandard
2012132.67FallsFarBelowStandard
2013141.64FallsFarBelowStandard
2014150.95DoesNotMeetStandard

In201213and201415,AcademyofDoverfailedMeasure2c(CashFlow)becausetheschool
failed to demonstrate longterm stability based on both three year cumulative cash flow and

AcademyofDoverCharterSchoolRenewalReport

annualcashflow.AcademyofDoverreceivedaratingofDoesNotMeetStandardin201213
and201415.