Executive SummaryMission and VisionThe mission of the Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School (“Metro Philadelphia”) is to train the minds and improve the hearts of young people through a rigorous classical education in the liberal arts and sciences, with instruction in the principles of moral character and civic virtue. Metro Philadelphia will prepare its students to be competent, upon graduation, to see to it that the matters they pursue in life may prosper. As such, graduates will be prepared to fulfill the role of citizen, and to govern themselves, while also becoming prepared to act as leaders in their homes and communities, and to contribute value, either as entrepreneurs or employees, in business or in whatever other career they may choose to pursue. Through its demanding curriculum with a strong emphasis on civics, Metro Philadelphia will provide a traditional education with a constant view toward developing knowledgeable American citizens.

Academic Plan/School DesignTo achieve this mission, Metro Philadelphia will emphasize an education in the humanities, the sciences, and the arts through several current research-based curricula/programs in the elementary and middle school. These will include: (a) the Core Knowledge Sequence — a specific, grade-by-grade core curriculum of common learning; (b) from the Riggs Institute, it will include The Writing & Spelling Road to Reading & Thinking curriculum; this program will be employed for teaching “explicit” phonics, reading, and language arts; and (c) Singapore Math — a conceptual approach to mathematical skill building and problem solving. Teachers will train students at all levels in Socratic seminars to encourage intelligent, logical, and independent thinking, and the school will strive to maximize the amount of “whole class” instruction to students, thereby again maximizing the amount of time during the school day during which students are directly engaged with the teacher. Further, Metro Philadelphia will supplement its curriculum with particular programs which have proven to be successful for all students, including special needs students and English Language Learners (ELL).

Believing reading to be the greatest key to unlocking the door of academic success, Metro Philadelphia considers reading issues to lie at the heart of much if not most of the difficulty plaguing special needs students in general. Additionally, where English Language Learners may well have developed language skills, but in a language other than English, vocabulary development is an immediate need. Working with picture cards for nouns can be a means of jumpstarting a child’s vocabulary in English, where that child has developed his or her language skills in another language and, in this manner, surprising progress can be made with children to expand their vocabularies far more quickly than might be expected, and to do so sufficiently to enable them sooner to participate beneficially in the regular classroom. Where reading skills themselves are the problem, the Riggs program for phonics-based reading instruction furnishes a sophisticated vehicle for diagnosis of reading deficits as well as an approach for supplying techniques and strategies to overcome such challenges.

At Metro Philadelphia, all students will study Latin beginning in the elementary grades. They will learn Latin roots, which will improve reading comprehension and vocabulary. In the early and middle years, explicit instruction in grammar and mathematics facts will be carried out, including drills (which will be fast paced, varied in rhythm and content, changing often according to prepared programming, in order that student distraction or boredom be minimized). The purpose of these exercises, as to mathematics, is to bring students to the point where they will have internalized, to the point of automatic mastery, those facts and skills which are the necessary foundation for successfully understanding, learning and mastering higher level skills and concepts. In the language arts, these exercises are designed to bring children to internalize a more sophisticated language tool not only for improved reading comprehension and enjoyment, but also for the better and more sophisticated articulation and expression of

thought. These sorts of exercises are regarded as a parallel path, supplementing the school’s rich study of literature and its extensive writing program.

In addition, students will study history in order to acquire essential knowledge of the world around them and develop analytical skills and insight into their own culture and heritage, as well as coming to understand the institutions of the modern world. This program will be carried out mainly through the study of primary source documents. Another unique aspect of the Metro Philadelphia program is instruction in the classical virtues. This study will be integrated throughout the curriculum and pursued all grade levels. At Metro Philadelphia, high academic achievement, personal discipline, ethics, and personal responsibility will consistently be reinforced through the study of the subjects comprising the classical tradition.

In order to determine academic levels, teachers at Metro Philadelphia will use assessments provided by Riggs and Singapore Math to place students appropriately in the correct literacy and mathematics ability group.

Classical education upholds a standard of excellence and has proven itself over the course of time. We believe that Metro Philadelphia’s high standards and research-based curriculum will provide students a rigorous and robust education that will challenge them to excel, not only in academics but also in character development. Students will graduate from Metro Philadelphia as highly literate, knowledgeable, and ethical citizens who will be well prepared to be responsible members of their families and communities.

Educational Need and Target PopulationThe Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School seeks to fill a need for a classical liberal arts option within the City of Philadelphia. No other public school in this area offers the particular curriculum and program which Metro Philadelphia will offer, that associated with the Barney Charter School Initiative of Hillsdale College. To the extent that certain other schools may offer programs having some similar features, notably the Boys Latin School, it is submitted that existing programs do not fully meet the demand or need in Philadelphia for this educational option. Metro Philadelphia will target all students in Philadelphia who desire a content-rich, rigorous, and time-tested learning curriculum which will be taught in an atmosphere that promotes and builds strength of character. We believe that there is a need in Philadelphia for this content-rich educational option.

Operational & Financial CapacityThe Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School will seek and implement the advice of Hillsdale College’s Barney Charter School Initiative in creating and implementing the school’s academic program. The Barney Charter School Initiative is devoted to the education of young Americans. To advance the founding of classical charter schools, Hillsdale College works with school founding groups, which consist of parents and local citizens who care deeply about education.

The founding board members of the Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School together comprise a diverse group of citizens skilled in various disciplines. The President of the Board is John P. McKelligott, Esq., an attorney, skilled in school law, who served for nine years as a Trustee of a Friends school for children with learning differences, as well as serving for 12 years as a School Board Director in the neighboring Delaware County suburban William Penn School District. Mr. McKelligott served 5 ½ years as President of that school board. Another Director, Peggy Gallagher, is a real estate professional who has assisted the school in locating a facility. The Directors are devoted to establishing a charter school that succeeds in training the minds, and in improving the hearts, of young people. All board members share a belief that every child

can learn and deserves an exceptional classical education in the liberal arts and sciences with development in moral character and civic virtue.

The governance structure of the school will be composed of a board of directors and other standing committees that will have set duties and responsibilities as outlined in the by-laws. The board of directors will exercise oversight of the school’s operations, including but not limited to financial oversight and academic oversight directed toward seeing to it that the school’s management devotes its first and predominant attention to educating the children in accordance with their needs and in accordance with the school’s curriculum and program. These duties include, but will not be limited to, final approval of the budget, the development of school policy, and dismissals and election of the board officers and the hiring and oversight of the head of school.

In setting up the school, and in carrying out its operations, the school and its Board will be assisted by the Director and staff of Hillsdale College’s Barney Charter School Initiative, which has entered into what might be termed an agreement of alliance, whereby Hillsdale assists Metro Philadelphia in the design and implementation of the school’s curriculum, and in the hiring and professional development of staff, among other things. While Hillsdale College, through the vehicle of the Barney Charter School Initiative, provides, and will provide, assistance to the Metro Philadelphia school, it is Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School which will operate this charter school.

Target CommunityBelieving that one size does not fit all, and believing that therefore students and families benefit when responsible educational alternatives are made available, Metro Philadelphia considers that its program will, once implemented, bring success to students, and that, across the student population in the City of Philadelphia, there will be 750 (and more) students (and their families) annually who will find the Metro Philadelphia classical education alternative attractive. Accordingly, Metro Philadelphia intends to market across the city for students.

In addition, late in the process of preparing the application, the opportunity became available to Metro Philadelphia to enter into conversations to house its school in a newly renovated building which, through June, 2016, had housed another school (the New Media Technology Charter School); that school lost its charter and ceased operations as of June 30, 2016. The opportunity to locate in this building permits Metro Philadelphia to avoid incurring substantial renovation costs, as would have been necessary to bring up to par the other facility that we were looking at. Accordingly, because this opportunity just arose last week, Metro Philadelphia not yet been able to fully engage with the local community. However, it is manifest that a charter school use coexisted successfully in that neighborhood for many years, and we believe that the community would welcome the restoration of a charter school option in that neighborhood.

As noted above, Metro Philadelphia offers a traditional and highly respected program which is not widely available within the School District of Philadelphia, but which incorporates for today’s world that successful elements of the widely shared educational program that operated across the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries, when America was the educational marvel of the world and core knowledge.

Overview of CurriculumThe Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School has selected the Core Knowledge Sequence, which is based upon E.D. Hirsch’s book Cultural Literacy. The Core Knowledge Sequence provides a coherent grade-by-grade sequence of specific topics to be taught in grades K-8. Topics to be taught will include history, geography, literature, visual arts, music, language arts, science, and math. Core Knowledge focuses on specific content and on building background knowledge, which is especially beneficial for students of poverty, for students with learning challenges and for ELLs. The Core Knowledge Sequence provides teachers a specific outline of the skills and content to be learned grade by grade, thereby eliminating the possibility of gaps or repetition; it also exposes children to shared knowledge needed to be included in a shared literate culture. Lesson plans and resources are included in this curriculum to guide teachers in instruction.

The Riggs Institute’s The Writing & Spelling Road to Reading & Thinking insists upon phonics-based spelling and reading. Riggs students learn syllabification, oral vocabulary, and comprehension. Students will also learn spelling, cursive writing, creative writing, spacing, margins, listening skills, vocabulary, grammar, syntax, punctuation, and capitalization. In addition, Riggs uses a complete and comprehensive method to teach language arts skills, including roots, prefixes, suffixes, homophones and homographs, antonyms, synonyms, and graphic organizers.

The Singapore Math program was selected because it is detailed in its instruction, in its questions, in its problem solving, and it is visual, having hands-on aids (blocks, cards, and bar charts). This variety of approaches assists students in coming to mastery of the material. Students do not move to the next level until they have mastered the prior level. The program presents mathematical skill building and problem solving from a conceptual viewpoint; with this approach, instructional time is saved for focusing on mastery of essential math skills that are required to move from one level to the next.

Curriculum and Instructional DesignMetro Philadelphia will be a classroom-based learning environment whose curriculum aligns with, and exceeds, both the Common Core and Pennsylvania standards.

Lower School/Elementary School Division (grades K-6) — Class Size and Structure (Year 1):Students spend the day with one teacher, excepting enrichment classes and special education or ELL classes, which are taught by specialists.

Lower School/Junior High School Division (grades 7 and 8) — Class Size and Structure (Year 1):Students spend the day with one teacher, excepting enrichment classes and special education taught by specialists.

Upper School — High School Class Size and Structure (Year 1):Students have separate teachers for separate subjects.

High School Curriculum

ENGLISH and LITERATUREStudents will take a semester in composition in addition to four years of literature.

The curriculum will include ancient Greece and Rome, British, American, and modern literature.

The books will be thoroughly read and discussed, with the principle of “less is more” so that students will have a deep knowledge of, for example, two or three Greek plays or two or three Shakespearean plays, not a superficial knowledge of ten of them. The slower pace will challenge the stronger students to become more critical readers and allow the weaker students to keep up with the discussion.

In literature, the Socratic method will govern most discussions. The Socratic method is a systematic questioning of the students about key passages and themes that requires students to think carefully about the story and to consider the insights that story offers into human nature.

Great literature will be seen as moral. The decisions characters must make in certain settings and crises that are either virtuous or vicious, just or unjust, and that consequently leads either to greatness or infamy, happiness or misery. Literature will be discussed as it has been written. Students will come to understand love and hate, victory and defeat, justice and injustice, beauty and ugliness, temperance and intemperance, courage and cowardice, glory and shame, and magnanimity and pusillanimity — by reading and wrestling with the great stories and characters of Western literature. As a result, students will gain insights into their own complex human souls and hopefully be inspired to be great as well as good.

The books to be read in the literature curriculum will be chosen by the principal and the teachers under the guidance of Hillsdale College.

COMPOSITIONIn addition to the attention given to writing in literature classes, the school will require at least a semester of formal composition in the ninth grade or in subsequent grades for students new to the school.

The class will solidify students’ knowledge of grammar, seek to fix the problems that frequently mar students’ writing, and offer an opportunity to put together the elements or writing they have acquired throughout their literature, Latin, and grammar study in the lower and junior high schools.

Foremost, the class will teach students how to write a compelling “thesis-driven essay.” This is a formal paper that makes a point and effectively employs language, marshals evidence, and orders an argument to make that point. This class may also assist with the writing of papers from other classes.

Due to the different levels of writing among students coming out of the junior high school and also coming from other schools, several levels of composition will be offered once the school has been established. Students who begin in a basic composition class will have to take further composition as recommended by the literature teachers. There may be three classes offered: Basic, Standard, and Advanced, with the hope that stronger students will complete the advanced course, and all students will at least complete the standard composition course.

HISTORYNescire autem quid antequam natus sis acciderit, id est semper esse puerum. Quid enim est aetas hominis, nisi ea memoria rerum veterum cum superiorum aetate contexitur?

To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. What does a person’s life amount to without the historical consciousness that weaves one’s life into the life of earlier generations?1

Students will take four years of history, plus a semester each of 20th Century American History, American government, and economics.

Though textbooks may be used to give students the background narrative of any historical period, the course will mostly be taught through the study of primary source documents. The specific curriculum will be determined by the principal and teachers. The sequence will adhere to the guidelines set forth in the statutes and standards ensuring that students receive one credit in both U.S. and world history and half credits in both economics and government.

An overarching principle governing the study of history will be human beings’ attempts to achieve both freedom and justice in a constitutional regime, in short, self-government. Further, history will explore humanities’ great conflicts and achievements. A great deal of attention will be given to the Western and American political, religious, intellectual, cultural, and economic traditions. At stake are the questions: “What is the just regime?” “What is the good citizen?” “What is human happiness?” “What peoples have achieved the most and why?” “What leads to the rise of a given people?” “What leads to decline?” “What have been the effects of good and great people (heroes) on history?” “What have been the effects of bad people (villains)?” “What did it mean to be a Greek?” “A Roman?” “A Medieval man/woman?” “A Renaissance man or woman?” “What is Enlightenment?” “What is Awakening?” “‘What is an American, this new man?’”

SCIENCE Students will take four years of science in the high school, two of which will have a laboratory component.

Students should gain a genuine understanding of the physical world and be able to explain such complex scientific ideas and processes as genetic transmission, chemical bonding, atomic theory, and force. Teaching in the sciences will include student exposure to reports of original research, observations or ideas such as Galileo’s The Starry Messenger, or Sir Isaac Newton’s Principia.

As with mathematics, the classes will be based upon the study of one branch of science per year, the usual sequence being biology, chemistry, physics. To graduate, students must complete the science sequence through chemistry.

The fourth year will be reserved for higher levels of science such as second-year biology, chemistry, or physics. Other semester-long electives, such as astronomy, may be offered as well. With the permission of the principal, students may “double-up” in the sciences earlier than the senior year.

MATHEMATICS Students will take four years of mathematics in the high school.

Students will be placed in math courses by ability.

1Cicero, Orator XXXIV [120]

As in the Lower School and Junior High, most math classes in the high school will not allow the use calculators. There may be exceptions in the higher levels (beyond Algebra II), provided the students do not rely on calculators as a substitute for fully understanding the principles.

As with the other subjects, math will be taught in a classical manner. In addition to acquiring the necessary understanding of math facts, students will also learn the real math behind the algorithm, as opposed to simply performing the various operations without understanding what those operations really mean. This theoretical and conceptual approach, which was also the basis of Singapore math in the earlier grades, forms a solid math foundation.

Beyond the level of pre-algebra, mathematics will be taught in sequence, with each year given to a particular branch of math: Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-calculus, and Calculus. Students may be allowed to “double-up” in math with the approval of the principal.

In order to ensure that students have actually mastered each level of math, the school may require a performance examination to be administered at the end of the year to determine which students may pass to the next level. Algebra I is the lowest level math course for which high school credit will be given.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHYAt a minimum, students will complete a semester course in American government.

Civic education is fundamental to the mission of the classical school. The government course will normally be taught in the junior year, while other electives in political philosophy may be offered as well in future years.

The government class in high school will be centered on the Constitution. Since the students in high school will be at a much higher reading level, the class will, in addition to the Constitution, read supporting documents such as debates from the Constitutional Convention, The Federalist Papers, The Anti-Federalist Papers, important Supreme Court cases, selections from de Tocqueville’s observations of America, and the speeches of American political figures reflecting upon the Constitution.

Particular attention will be given to the original intent of the Framers of the Constitution by seeking to understand why they created a federal government with a separation of powers; limits upon the executive; a bicameral legislature with different terms and only one branch derived directly from the people; a system known as federalism with national, state, and local governments having different spheres of action; a list of enumerated powers; a bill of rights, and so on. The class will seek to understand the Founders’ views and explore the controversy whether modern American history has seen some attempt to get out from under the rule of law provided in the Constitution.

THE FINE ARTSIn high school, students will continue to study and perform in the arts, most likely in elective courses. Music will include performance courses such as choir, band, and orchestra (once the budget allows). Art will include both studio art and art history.

At a minimum, students will complete four semester courses in the fine arts, one of which must be music.

As in the K-8 curriculum, effort will be made to teach students how the arts provide transcendent and timeless lessons to human beings. They are both a reflection of the philosophy and ethos of a given age, as well as the striving of human beings to reach the realm of the beautiful. While technique and composition in either music performance or painting and sculpture are important matters to study, students will also explore the overall theme and meaning of any work of art or music. For example, what does the Sistine Chapel Ceiling tell us not only about Michelangelo’s or Renaissance technique but also about the nature of man? What insight do we gain about the human spirit from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony?

In keeping with the spirit of liberal education, students will be taught the fine arts largely though the works of the best masters, including Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Monet. Students will study the techniques of these artists to gain an insight into the creation of great works of art. This type of study will help students assimilate some of the techniques learned from the masters into their own work in the performance music and studio art classes.

In music, students will be exposed to a wide array of music from jazz to orchestral music as well as vocal music that includes songs from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods. They will learn about composers and their music, the elements of music, and vocal ranges.

ECONOMICSStudents will take one semester of economics, normally in the junior year.

The economics class will explore the basic principles of free markets: supply and demand, the division of labor, pricing, and incentives. Aspects of both micro and macroeconomics will be taught. The course may employ a textbook but will not be driven by a textbook approach. The fundamental ideas behind the class are that man is an economic being: he is disposed to invent, build, and sell things in order to better his environment and improve his lot in life; and that our economy is built upon the premise of voluntary exchange, in which, because each transaction is voluntary on both sides, it conveys two benefits — one to each party to the transaction. As such (and unlike coercive transactions, sometimes government ordered, in which one party wins and the other loses), both sides win (at least to some degree) in voluntary transactions: as Churchill observed, such transactions in which both parties win are “twice blessed.”

The relations between the market and the government will be explored, taking up the important question of which human efforts and enterprises should be performed by government, and which should be performed by the free market.

Just as in government class, the perspective of the Founders (i.e., classical economic theory), will serve as the guiding light of the class. Readings will include selections from Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations: Books I-III, as well as more recent books such as Henry Hazlitt’s Economics in One Lesson and selections from Thomas Sowell’s Basic Economics. As time permits, the differences between a free market economy and modern alternatives (including a socialist economy, a communist economy and a modern welfare state mixed economy) will be explored.

LATIN / MODERN LANGUAGEStudents will be required to take at least one more year of Latin in the high school, typically in the first year. After successfully completing Latin A, B, and C in Junior High School, students are ready for Latin III in their freshman year of high school. (The Latin teacher will recommend placement based on a student’s progress in Junior High.) This preparation will provide an opportunity for students to read some of their texts both in English and (as to selected passages)

in the original Latin in their freshman Classical Literature course (for example, the first 32 lines of Vergil’s Aeneid). This will give students a window into the beauty of the Latin language.

Students are required to take at least 3 years of a foreign language in high school, and will either continue in the Latin sequence after their freshman year or take a modern language elective.

If a new student enrolls at the high school level with no Latin background, the student will be required to complete Latin I, and will have the option of continuing in Latin or taking a modern language to complete the high school foreign language graduation requirement.

MORAL PHILOSOPHYStudents will take a semester-long class introducing them to the formal study of morality and right conduct.

The basic premise of this class is that man is a moral being: man, despite passions and appetites that often take him down the road to ruin, has a conscience (or a moral sense) that urges him to live virtuously. Indeed, living virtuously is the source of happiness, and happiness is the reward of living virtuously.

In order to teach this primary lesson, the class will lay the philosophical foundation for living virtuously and show instances of virtue in action.

The class will not use a textbook but work through sources that shed light on the desirability of right living or the consequences of wrong living. While some of the readings may be from works of philosophy, others will be from literature and history. The purpose will be to show students how human beings attain both happiness and respectability when they live according to conscience and the highest ideas of the good life. The course will explore whether and, if so, how the anarchy of passion and appetite leads not to genuine happiness or human excellence but to another end. Through noble examples in literature and history, students will see how human beings practice the virtues. They will also learn how virtue can be, and should be, the governing force in human relations, whether in friendship, marriage, fatherhood and motherhood, or in leadership, business, politics and or any other human activity.

The end and purpose of the course is to teach young people how to delight in doing the good, as well as arming them with the arguments to combat the moral relativist sophisms of our culture and the modern age.

ELECTIVESElectives may be offered in subjects other than those listed above. It is likely that students will wish to take electives in modern foreign languages, art or music.

Students may decide to continue in Latin beyond the one-year requirement for graduation, or they may study foreign languages as the school is able provide those teachers. The school will seek out teachers who are fluent in foreign languages, as the majority of the class will be conducted in the language to be studied. As soon as possible, students will be required to read in the language, with the intent of being able to translate classic children’s stories (at least) by the end of the first year. In subsequent years, reading literature in the foreign language will be a significant part of the course with the goal being that students shall acquire sufficient fluency to engage the humanity of the foreign subjects of the novel or play and thereby develop a sense of empathy for other human beings who come from different ages or cultures than our’s, but whose experiences can enrich our humanity.

SENIOR THESISThe senior thesis will be looked upon as a culmination of a classical school education and the rite of passage to a life of virtue and self-government.

Every senior will write and deliver orally a senior thesis on a topic of his or her choosing that emerges from the curriculum. A satisfactory performance on the senior thesis will be required for graduation.

Because the assignment is writing intensive, it will most likely be anchored in the senior literature class. Nonetheless, the student’s thesis may concentrate on books, events, or themes that draw on any of the core courses. In the spirit of The Great Conversation, the broad questions the thesis will seek to address are “What is a human being?”; “What is a citizen?”; “What is justice?”; “Who is a hero?”; “What is the beautiful?”; “What is the good life?”

These are big questions. Because teenagers generally have not as yet experienced much in life, students will be invited to adopt a particular perspective on one or more of these questions based on the books, events, ideas, heroes, and human achievements that have most moved and provoked them. The students will then be able to speak through the perspective of great thinkers such as Homer, Shakespeare, Milton, the Founding Fathers, or Lincoln.

RATIONALE FOR THE CURRICULUM — Evidence-Based SupportAs did America’s founders, the Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School’s founders believe that our free government depends on the wisdom and virtue of the people — on their capacity for self-government. Therefore, education must equip young people with the knowledge and character required for self-government. Metro Philadelphia’s educational philosophy and curricular approach were selected because we believe they produce an academic program that will accomplish that goal. The content-based Core Knowledge Sequence for kindergarten through 8th grade will expose students to a coherent core of challenging, interesting, interwoven knowledge that not only provides a foundation for learning, but also defines a common heritage and establishes a common ground for communication and cooperation in a diverse society, starting at the school itself. The classical, liberal arts hold students to high academic standards and require students to recognize and practice virtuous behavior. Classical education has an impressive history of over 2,500 years in preparing students to become literate, informed, and responsible citizens.

The curricular approach we will use begins with the rudiments of basic literacy and math skills and continues to the higher orders of thought and expression in a coherent and orderly fashion. Metro Philadelphia’s Core Knowledge, classical, liberal arts curriculum, supplemented by Riggs, Singapore Math, Latin, and a strong emphasis on civics and classical virtues, will provide students a rigorous and comprehensive education that challenges them to excel both in learning and in character. This philosophy and curricular approach will lead to the highest standards of academic and character excellence — the virtues of self-government the American Founders knew our nation depends on.

We detail the reasoning behind our selection of two key methodologies used in the elementary and junior high school grades as follows: Riggs’ The Writing & Spelling Road to Reading and Thinking and Singapore Math. The Riggs program is a research-based method for teaching all students the “explicit” phonics, reading, and language arts they must learn to succeed. Riggs provides both a strong foundation for students who demonstrate academic progress, and an effective remedial program for preexisting academic problems we anticipate many of our students may have. Riggs is a multisensory, brain-based approach that addresses virtually every student’s learning style through four pathways to the brain: sight, sound, voice, and writing. Students see the symbol(s) and hear the teacher say the sound(s); they repeat or say the sound(s) and write the symbol(s) from dictated, oral instructions. The teacher teaches through each student’s stronger learning modality (or modalities) while simultaneously remedying their weaker ones. This process accelerates the learning process, avoids discrimination against any student’s individual learning style, and provides an optimal learning opportunity for each student.

Another key feature of the Riggs method is its use of appropriate sequencing. Riggs begins at the student’s speech and oral comprehension levels; it allows students to build one skill upon another, always moving from the known to the unknown. Students are presented with a limited number of concepts — or pieces of information — in a given period of time. They then practice these concepts in a variety of ways until mastery is achieved. This mastery in reading, writing, and spelling will ensure that Metro Philadelphia’s students can excel through the Core Knowledge literature and materials.

The Singapore Math program presents mathematical skill building and problem solving from a conceptual viewpoint and saves instructional time by focusing on mastery of essential math skills, not on re-teaching skills that should have been mastered in prior grades. The program’s detailed instruction, questions, problem solving, and visual and hands-on aids (blocks, cards,

and bar charts) ensure that students master the material. Ideally, students do not move on until they have thoroughly learned a topic. Singapore textbooks are designed to build a deep understanding of mathematical concepts as opposed to just memorizing definitions and formulas. Singapore Math’s placement tests will assist teachers in differentiating the curriculum to meet the needs of all learners to ensure optimal student success. Mathematically competent students will be able to study in higher level classes that challenge their math strengths, while students who need more time to master skills and understand concepts will receive time and assistance at the skill level best suited for their success. Often, English Language Learners lack adequate reading skills, but Singapore Math’s student-friendly, straightforward presentation of essential concepts enables such students to obtain necessary math skills.

Support for the Core Knowledge Sequence (K-8)Students do not learn in the abstract. The Core Knowledge Sequence was developed by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. on the premise that, in order to participate in a community’s culture, people must not only use the same language to communicate effectively and to understand complex ideas, but they must also all possess a reservoir of common facts, ideas, and references known throughout the culture. Hirsch stresses that “cultural literacy” is vital to comprehending the vast areas of human knowledge which must necessarily be widely shared in order for humans to positively engage in those communal and societal interactions which drive our economy and shared life, and upon which our political, economic, social, and moral well-being depend.

Core Knowledge therefore is based on the proposition that a grade-by-grade core curriculum of common learning builds a strong and sound education. The need for a coherent sequence arises from the proposition that what children can learn is dependent upon what they already know. Identification of the content and skills provides a coherent approach to building knowledge across all grade levels. By following the sequence, every child will learn the fundamentals of science, the basic principles of government, the important events of world and American history, the essential elements of mathematics, the masterpieces of art and music from around the world, and stories and poems passed down from generation to generation. Knowledge, language, and skills build cumulatively from year to year through Core Knowledge’s sequential, clear, and specific grade-by-grade outline. Literacy is the goal, and students are provided a strong foundation in reading through the teaching of “explicit” phonics. Beginning in kindergarten, teachers read to their students from the best sources — classical literature. When students are able to read independently, their books are the classics. With this approach, teaching of the virtues is intentional and intertwined with discussions of the classics.

In A Nation at Risk: 25 Years Later, published in 2008, Hirsch refers to the severe decline in verbal and math scores and the lack of coherent curriculum in grades K-8 — grades that lay the foundation so necessary for high school success. Students must be well prepared in the elementary grades in order to thrive in the higher grades. Toward that end, Core Knowledge defines the knowledge and skills required for each successive grade level and helps prevent the academic repetition and gaps very evident in schools today.

Support for the Riggs Reading ProgramRiggs Institutes’ reading program, The Writing & Spelling Road to Reading & Thinking, is a brain-based approach with multisensory instruction that addresses all learning styles. Riggs began with Dr. Samuel Orton, a neuroscientist who researched the functioning of the human brain in learning language skills. In collaboration with teachers, he combined his multisensory techniques with classical and Socratic instructional approaches to teaching. Riggs is an “explicit” phonics approach as defined and recommended in a Federal Compilation of Reading Research: Becoming a Nation of Readers, 1985. Beyond phonics and for reading, students also learn syllabification, oral vocabulary, and comprehension. For composition, students learn spelling,

cursive writing, creative writing, spacing, margins, listening skills, orthography rules, vocabulary, grammar, syntax, punctuation, and capitalization. Riggs uses a complete and comprehensive method to teach language arts skills — roots, prefixes, suffixes, homophones and homographs, antonyms, synonyms, and graphic organizers. They recommend vocabulary-rich literature, such as the classics, and are proponents of high expectations. (Source: The Riggs Institute)

Additionally, Riggs complies with the research-based requirements which were incorporated in the “No Child Left Behind” act insofar as Riggs teaches strands in the following areas: Explicit Phonics with dictated Initial Letter Formation, The Alphabetic Principle, Phonemic and Graphemic Awareness, Correct Spelling w/47 Rules, Fluent Oral and Silent Reading, Oral and Print Comprehension, Vocabulary, Pronunciation and Speech, Creative and Organizational Composition, Grammar/Syntax/Punctuation/Capitalization, Analytical and Inferential Thinking, Auditory/Visual/Verbal/Motor Cognitive Development in: Attention, Discrimination, Association, and Memory.

Support for the Singapore Math Method (K-7)For grades K-7, math will be taught using Singapore Math. Singapore is the world leader in mathematics achievement, according to a study conducted by the American Institutes for Research and funded by the U.S. Department of Education (“What the United States Can Learn from Singapore’s World-Class Mathematics System”). Singapore students ranked first, while U.S. students ranked 16th in mathematical achievement (Source: April 24, 2011, American Institutes for Research).

The Singapore Primary Mathematics series is time-tested and has a documented history of success. Studies were conducted in 1995, 1999, and 2003 by the International Association for Evaluation of Educational Achievement (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), which conducts studies to measure math and science achievement in four-year cycles. Results of these studies showed that Singapore’s 4th and 8th grade students scored the highest in all three years the study was administered.

Singapore Math was developed in 1981 by the Curriculum Planning and Development Institute of Singapore. Educators in the United States began implementing Singapore Math in 2000. Topics are taught to a mastery level with detail and consistency, and the textbooks are designed to build a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts as opposed to just definitions and formulas. Professional development accompanies Singapore programs so teachers are better prepared to facilitate lessons. Singapore Math has a consistent emphasis on problem solving and model drawing, with a focus on the in-depth understanding of the essential math skills recommended in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Curriculum Focal Points, the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, and the proposed Common Core State Standards. (Source: http://www.singaporemath.com - Singapore Math Method)

Singapore Math understands that there are multiple learning styles and that ELL students will benefit from the program’s clear and simple explanations of math concepts. With fewer topics and more time to thoroughly learn those topics, the program’s detailed instruction, questions, problem solving, and visual and hands-on aids (blocks, cards, and bar charts) ensure that students master the material. Students do not move on until they have mastered the material and are prepared to build upon their knowledge. Students using Singapore Math learn math concepts thoroughly, but they also master essential math skills more quickly, and it has been reported that by the end of sixth grade, students have mastered multiplication and division of fractions and are able to complete difficult multistep word problems comfortably, ensuring they

are well prepared to complete Algebra 1 in middle school. (Source: John Hoven and Barry Garelick, “Singapore Math: Simple or Complex?” Educational Leadership 65:3, November 2007)

Support for Emphasizing Civics Classical education has always been concerned with the political order. Looking back, Greek education was political — geared toward preparing youth for citizenship. As did the leaders of the ancient republics, America’s Founding Fathers realized that a free government depends upon the wisdom and virtue of its citizens — their capacity for self-government.2 It was their hope that schools would prepare young people to preserve the constitutional republic they created.

In recent years, political knowledge has declined. According to a 2008 study conducted by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) American Civic Literacy Program, 2,508 Americans were surveyed to determine their knowledge of America’s founding principles and texts, core history, and enduring institutions. The results showed that over 70% of those surveyed failed a basic test of civic information. Less than half of the participants could name all three branches of government, and only half could articulate a basic description of a free-enterprise system. Thirty percent of elected officials do not know that “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” are the inalienable rights referred to in the Declaration of Independence. (Source: Americancivicliteracy.org/2008/summary) Classical liberal arts educators contend that by providing a curriculum with a strong history and civics component, this decline in political knowledge can be reversed. In the classical, liberal arts model, primary source documents are used to teach history, with an emphasis on American history and America’s founding principles.

Support for Incorporating Primary Source Documents The use of primary sources exposes students to important historical concepts. First, students become aware that all written history reflects an author’s interpretation of past events. Therefore, as students read an historical account, they can recognize its subjective nature, but when they read the primary documents themselves, they encounter the opportunity to engage with those documents (and the concepts they embody) without the filter of an author’s personal point of view (if not bias). Second, through primary sources the students directly touch the lives of people in the past.3

Further, as students use primary sources, they develop important analytical skills. For many students, history has been seen as a series of facts, dates, and events usually packaged as a textbook. The use of primary sources can change this view. As students use primary sources, they begin to view their textbook as only one historical interpretation and its author as an interpreter of evidence, not as a purveyor of truth. Primary sources force students to realize

2 It seems axiomatic that the capacity for self-government will depend upon the wisdom of the citizens as well as their virtue: surely self-government is easier and more likely if the citizen knows what he is doing, if he understands the institutions of government and their interaction. But the need for citizen “virtue” is likewise fundamental: it cannot be denied that, if a community’s citizens are found to increasingly engage in depraved criminal behavior, the demands for police protection will correspondingly rise. In response, pressure will rise for increased police presence, and that will necessarily bring in its train the specter of increased infringements on civil rights, if not an encroaching police state.3 Such experience of engaging with the lives of people in past generations, and of engaging the humanity of those persons, confers the additional benefit of developing the students’ empathy for persons from different cultures or different times and places. Exercising and building the students’ sense of empathy for others who are different can only be beneficial in the coming world, which more than ever will be increasingly interconnected and diverse.

that any account of an event, no matter how impartially presented it appears to be, is essentially subjective.

Primary sources fascinate students because they are real and they are personal; history is humanized through them. Using original sources, students touch the lives of the people about whom history is written. They participate in human emotions and in the values and attitudes of the past. By reading a series of public opinion surveys from World War II, for example, students confront the language of the person interviewed and his or her fears about shortages, as well as the interviewer’s reactions recorded after the interview.

These human expressions provide history with color and excitement and link students directly to its cast of characters. Interpreting historical sources helps students to analyze and evaluate contemporary sources — newspaper reports, television and radio programs, and advertising. By using primary sources, students learn to recognize how a particular point of view can affect evidence; they also learn what contradictions or other limitations exist within a given source, and they begin to make a determination as to what extent sources are reliable. Essential among these skills is the ability to understand and make appropriate use of many sources of information. Perhaps best of all, by using primary sources, students will participate in the process of history: thereby they will have the chance to relive these debates in history, bringing history alive for them. They will discuss with teachers and classmates the interpretation of the sources. They will challenge others’ conclusions and seek out evidence to support their own. The classroom will come alive as students test and apply important analytical skills (Source: History in the Raw. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. http://www.archives.gov/education/history-inthe-raw.html).

Support for Teaching the Virtues As did the leaders of the ancient republics, America’s Founders knew that the maintenance and prosperity of a free republic — the security and happiness of a free people — depended upon the character or virtue of its citizens. They also understood that virtue or character is only “the result of habit and long training.” (Thomas Jefferson to Edward Everett, March 27, 1824) Youth become virtuous only by learning, observing, and practicing the virtues. Therefore, instruction in the virtues is an essential part of education. Classical education encourages this training in the virtues and the attainment of good character.

Through the decorum of the classrooms and halls, through the reading of great works in literature and history, and through the invitation to polite discussion about heroes and heroines, students analyze, grapple with, and contemplate important moral and intellectual questions. They learn to evaluate situations with sound judgment, recognize good behavior, and make personal decisions that embody and emulate virtue. When teachers model excellence and have high expectations of students’ behavior, students will rise to the occasion.

Ensuring Highly Effective TeachersIn order to ensure the rigorous intellectual and character formation for Metro Philadelphia students, only teachers who meet the following criteria (among others4) will be considered for hire:

● Candidates must have successfully completed a rigorous course of studies at a four-year college or university, as evidenced by the list of courses and grades on the college transcript.

4 These are not the only criteria: Metro Philadelphia will comply with Pennsylvania teacher certification requirements.

● Candidates for junior and senior high school teaching positions must have majored in the subjects they wish to teach, or have equivalent experience and knowledge.

● Candidates must be knowledgeable or willing to learn about the classical method of education.

All teachers will undergo continual in-house development in classical methods and content, as well as further study in their individual fields of expertise. This continuing education will benefit students in two ways: the teachers become better at their vocation, and they model for the students the value of lifelong learning and personal development.

Specialized Instruction and Student NeedsInstructional strategies to be implemented to support the education plan; why such strategies are well-suited for our expected student population.

Multisensory approach to teaching reading and written language. The Riggs program is based upon visual, auditory, and kinesthetic approaches. For example, when students are learning letters and sounds, they will see the symbol(s) and hear the teacher say the sound(s); they repeat or say the sound(s) and write the symbol(s) from dictated, oral instructions. Students also learn syllabification, oral vocabulary, and comprehension. The written language component aligns with the reading component as students learn spelling, cursive writing, creative writing, spacing, margins, orthography rules, vocabulary grammar, syntax, punctuation, and capitalization. Riggs is a comprehensive program where reading and written language are taught in ways that reinforce each other. This program emphasizes strategies that are very effective with all students, including students experiencing learning difficulties. Riggs is based upon a model developed by Samuel Orton (Orton-Gillingham) to teach students with dyslexia and other reading disabilities, and teaches both skills in a comprehensive and integrated manner so that reading and written language skills are being reinforced.

Providing a curriculum that is sequential . The Core Knowledge Sequence presents a grade-by-grade specification of topics that are built upon prior knowledge, or what students already know. It is a sequential building of skills and knowledge that is clearly defined. For example, a state standard might state the following as a unit objective: United States: Understand connections among historical events, people, and symbols significant to United States history and cultures. Describe local events and their connections to national history. It does not identify which events, which people, or which symbols. By contrast, the Core Knowledge Sequence specifies all the important components that address the “What do our children need to know?” question. By utilizing a sequential method of delivering instruction, gaps will be less likely to occur, and there will more likely be a commonality and consistency in what students are learning from grade to grade. Again, within the traditional school systems, while classrooms may follow curriculum maps based upon the standards, there can easily be gaps between what teachers are teaching and in what order. In addition, there is a tendency to teach what will be tested on the Standard Based Assessments,5 which results in important topics being left out. What is being taught to students can be unclear and confusing to parents. Core Knowledge supplies the specificity of what should be taught, and all teachers follow a horizontal and vertical alignment of these specific topics.

5 The Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School rejects the concept of “teaching to the test.” Instead, the school takes confidence in its curriculum: we believe that students who master our Core Knowledge and other curricula will, through their general fund of pertinent knowledge, succeed when they take the state assessment tests, and, as an institution, we as an institution reject the notion of “teaching to the test.”

Teacher-Centered Instruction. A teacher-centered approach consists of structured, guided, and independent practices. Ideas and practices are introduced in an order carefully developed to avoid confusion and to facilitate generalization. All skills are taught so that nothing is “left to chance.” A teacher-driven approach is used to help students gain the basic reading, writing, and math skills they will need before proceeding to the more advanced curriculum. Students remain focused and are more able to stay on task. With a teacher-centered, knowledge-driven approach, we will expect to see results similar to those where direct instruction is used. A review of 37 studies of direct instruction reflected that direct-instruction students scored at the 81st percentile on end-of-unit exams (George Adams and Sigfried Engelman,1996). In more recent studies done in urban schools that had high percentages of minority students and students of poverty, the percentage of students reading below grade level declined, while that of students reading above grade level increased. Similar results occurred in math. The largest gains, however, were with the limited–English proficient learners (Source: Psychology Applied to Teaching, Snowman/Biehler, 11th Edition, 2006).

Socratic Method/Seminar. Students will deepen their understandings, solidify their knowledge, and reflect on their learning experiences, thereby developing critical thinking skills. An example would be to give the students a primary source document to read and have them come together after reading the text to share their thoughts and opinions. Students need to be able to reflect and talk about their learning experiences so that the learning becomes more engaging and meaningful. Learning to communicate respectfully and effectively in school will have positive implications for their lives outside of school as they are being exposed to learning lifelong skills.

Learning Strategies. Strategies such as memory-directed tactics help produce accurate storage and retrieval of information. Examples include the use of mnemonic devices (HOMES or rhymes such as “30 days hath September…”) and comprehension-directed tactics that aid in the understanding of the meaning of ideas and their interrelationships (e.g., teaching students to formulate questions or how to take notes). All students can learn more effectively, and they can become independent learners, if they learn how to organize, store, and retrieve information.

Scaffolded Learning. The purpose of scaffolding instruction is to provide teacher support to students who are having difficulty learning a new concept/skill. An example is that a teacher may demonstrate or model a concept/skill to a student in addition to just giving verbal or visual instructions. Core Knowledge, Riggs (explicit phonics), and Singapore Math were selected because these programs are designed to build foundations of knowledge in the elementary years. Because children learn by building on what they already know, this curriculum will benefit students with varying learning abilities. Emphasizing foundational skills and rich content, teachers can not only effectively bring students with academic problems up to grade level but also strengthen the knowledge base and challenge the academic potential of every student at grade level.

English Language Learners (ELL) will benefit from Singapore Math’s clear and simple explanations of math concepts as well as the program’s detailed instruction, questions, problem solving, and visual and hands-on aids (blocks, cards, and bar charts). Students cannot move on to the next level until they master the material. A strong math foundation early on ensures students will be successful later.

The time-tested, multisensory, brain-based approach that addresses virtually every student’s learning style is the Riggs method (The Writing & Spelling Road to Reading & Thinking). Riggs is appropriate for teaching all students the explicit phonics, reading, and language arts they must learn in order to succeed. Riggs provides a strong foundation for students who exhibit academic progress and will be an effective remedial program for students with academic challenges.

Identifying students who need academic assistance is an ongoing process, and the objective at Metro Philadelphia will be maintaining the rigorous curriculum designed for each grade but modify methods and practices to ensure all students are achieving at grade level. ELL students will also benefit, because Riggs provides limited concepts at a given time and is practiced until students achieve mastery. We believe one of the best forms of remediation is through a solid phonics program.

Promotion and GraduationPolicies and Standards for Promoting Students from One Grade to the Next. (Also, how and when promotion and graduation criteria will be communicated to parents and students.)

Students at Metro Philadelphia should expect to be challenged and to work hard. All students will be expected to master basic skills and content material as well as to master higher order thinking. Teachers will use performance grouping within the class, where appropriate, in kindergarten through 6th grade. Placement in core subjects in grades 7-12 will be based on aptitude and mastery of previous material. An academic advisor will work closely with students to ensure proper class placement and promotion.

Solid literacy is the foundation of all learning. Without the ability to read well, a student cannot advance in English, history, the sciences, the arts, and even mathematics. Since language is the basis of all human interaction, a person cannot thrive independently in the world when possessed of only a halting literacy. The ability to read, particularly in the early elementary grades, will therefore be a requirement for promotion. The school will follow the criteria of reading competency set forth in the Riggs program. Since students in kindergarten and first grade will advance in literacy over the course of the year and all will be given explicit phonics instruction throughout the year, the inability to read at the outset should not be a cause of concern. Parents will be told well in advance if their child may need to be retained.

A student may be promoted on the basis of academic achievement and/or demonstrated proficiency in the subject matter of each grade level. To earn credit in a course, a student must receive a grade of at least 70 percent and must successfully complete all assigned coursework. In addition, at certain grade levels, a student — with limited exceptions — will be required to pass the state-mandated assessment tests.

Promotion criteria will be explained to parents at the orientation meeting as well as in the student/parent handbook distributed to all families at the beginning of the school year. Academic achievement and promotion will be reported to parents via report cards, which will be disseminated every six weeks. The final report card of the academic year will notify parents that their students have been promoted to the next grade level.

High School Graduation Requirements

Grade-level advancement for students in grades 9-12 shall be earned by course credits. In order to advance from grade 9 to grade 10, a student must have earned a minimum of twelve (12) credits. A minimum of twenty-four (24) credits is required to reach grade 11, and at least thirty-six (36) credits must be earned for a student to be assigned to grade 12. To graduate, students must complete forty-eight (48) credits in accordance with specific course requirements. Although students may meet the credit requirements for graduation prior to the last semester of their senior year, they will still be required to take a full course load of seven periods each day. Students at Metro Philadelphia will not be eligible for early release. Because students and parents will incur graduation expenses such as the purchase of invitations, senior rings, cap and

gowns, and senior pictures, both students and parents should monitor progress toward completion of all requirements for graduation.

How graduation requirements will ensure student readiness for college or other postsecondary opportunities (trade school, military service, or entering the workforce).

The rigorous academic program, along with the character formation taught through virtue study and literature, will endow Metro Philadelphia students with the following characteristics that will enable them to succeed in whatever course of life they choose after high school.

Analytical Thinking: Both the study of such logical subjects as math and Latin and the Socratic Method will help students to think carefully and reasonably to solve problems.

Clear Communication: The study of rhetoric and the constant exposure to complex language and well-organized writing will prepare students to become precise in their use of words, to organize their thoughts carefully, and to tailor their speech to an intended audience.

Self-discipline and a Strong Work Ethic: Classical education requires a diligent work ethic. A student formed in this environment has learned the requirements of success — self-restraint and hard work.

Responsibility: Metro Philadelphia high-school students will not be protected from the consequences of their actions. They will be required to actively strive for knowledge. Remembering assignments and long-term projects will be their responsibility. They will be given the option of failing if they do not fulfill their duties. This is great preparation for adult life.

Student RetentionSystems and Structures to be implemented for students at risk of dropping out of high school and/or of not meeting the proposed graduation requirements.

At the end of the 3rd week in each semester, the students and parents will receive a “three week email” with an update on their progress, in order to provide early feedback on the student’s progress and to take appropriate action if the student has started to fall behind. At least once per quarter, and in a timely fashion, failing notices will be sent out for students who have a D or an F in an academic subject with the hope that a student’s progress can be remediated before failing the term. By addressing the problem early, parents and teachers can work together to solve students’ problems and return them to a successful learning environment. Teachers who have concerns about a student will contact parents by phone or email and will set up a meeting. In addition, parents are expected to have online access to student assignment completion records and grades.

Low performing students can also be identified through the use of our assessment and diagnostic tools. Students who score below grade level will be given extra support to reach grade level within the classroom, if need be with pull out instruction. Teachers may use small group, intensive support as needed. Metro Philadelphia may implement a response to intervention (RTI) pyramid practice. A team can meet to discuss the data, examine the needs of specific students and subgroups, and use this information to guide instruction. The team can review individual student records to prescribe interventions according to the protocol and ensure that the resources are available and implemented for the student. The team may use data from ongoing screenings, literacy progress monitoring, and interim assessments, to

appropriately place each student in a tier with interventions, as need be, to meet learning needs. Staff may differentiate instruction in classes by organizing intervention time within the school day. The team can track student data over time.

In addition, the school will offer explicit instruction for all students on study skills, organization, note-taking, and other student success practices that are often incomplete for struggling students.

School Culture and Climate

Learning Environment

CLASSROOM CULTURE AND BEHAVIORIAL EXPECTATIONSAs evidenced throughout the application Metro Philadelphia will place a strong emphasis on virtue and on the building of character in all of our students. Our teachers and administration will set the tone and model virtuous behavior that will then be reinforced during the instruction in the classroom. Teachers will be trained in enforcing standards of dress and conduct. There will be consistent enforcement among all staff. Teachers will model the desired behavior, will dress respectfully, and will maintain formality with their colleagues in the presence of students. When appropriate, discussions in class will be centered on our core virtues; students will discuss these ideas as they arise within the literature and text being read.

We find that many students will do the right thing because it is the right thing — not for a prize or to avoid punishment. They expect fair treatment and will thrive in an environment that is committed to teaching right from wrong, the difference between justice and injustice, and the importance of serving others. Swift, clear enforcement of the rules is vital; good behavior must be reinforced and poor behavior dealt with expeditiously.

The role of discipline at Metro Philadelphia will be to create an environment where teaching and learning take place productively. Respect will be given to teachers and individual students, as well as to all institutional and private property. All members of the community should be allowed to pursue learning without distraction. Discipline at the Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School ought always to uphold the school’s mission statement, and Metro Philadelphia understands that the good behavior of students in school promotes their education on campus. Students will be expected to adhere to the general rules of the school as well as those rules established by each teacher within his or her classroom.

Our character development program will contain the following elements:

The learning community at Metro Philadelphia is built around the proposition that the community’s mission deserves respect, and that the community’s members deserve respect.

Respect is earned, in this community, not by fighting others but by, in the first place, extending respect to other members of the community — thereby becoming in turn deserving of respect yourself.

Respectful conduct, in this community, is modeled by the Golden Rule; for the younger children, and in order to avoid any religious connotations, that conduct may be summed up in the teaching of the Victorian era children’s story Water Babies: a child should behave according to the teachings of “Mrs. Do-As-You-Would-Be-Done-By”; a child should expect to be treated according to the principles of “Mrs. Be-Done-By-As-You-Did.”6

Teachers will establish the principles, and define the rules and behavioral expectations for students, based on school-wide policy.

Students will be expected to encourage their peers to adhere to these pillars and school administrators will manage student conduct according to these principles.

Conduct which disrupts learning or threatens to disrupt the operation of the School; which interferes with the rights and privileges of students or other citizens; which endangers the health, safety, or welfare of any person; or which damages property will not be tolerated.

6 These moral precepts are considered to be relatively self-explanatory, even for younger children. See The Water Babies, Charles Kingsley (1875).

Students will receive progress reports that include not only academic progress, but progress reflective of their adherence to these character principles.

Learning Environment: among other things, a proper learning environment will at all times require all children to maintain good posture and pay attention in the classroom.

Students are expected to uphold the following Honor Code:As a member of the Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School Community, I am responsible for upholding and promoting honesty, trust, respect, fairness, and justice in all venues of School life. To maintain personal integrity, I will not cheat, lie, steal, or plagiarize, nor tolerate those who do. I will do my best to raise awareness of the importance of honor for the purpose of making Metro Philadelphia a better place to learn and work. I understand the Metro Philadelphia Honor Code and will uphold my HONOR ABOVE ALL.

Extracurricular Activities

The classical school will encourage a robust extracurricular life in music, drama, leadership, community service, public speaking, chess, math and science clubs, team sports, etc. These activities, however, will occur after school hours, not during the day.

Choir, band, and orchestra will be considered a part of the fine arts curriculum and therefore will be taught during the school day. Show choirs, jazz bands, and other select groups will hold practices after school.

Students must maintain a sufficiently high G.P.A. (as determined by school policy and monitored by the principal) in order to take part in extracurricular activities.

The following activities are samples of student clubs that will be encouraged at Golden View, based on student interest:

Chess Club Drama Club Guitar Club Homework Helpers Math Counts Mock Trial Science Bowl Speech and Debate Club Yearbook Club

The school intends to offer students the opportunity to participate in sports, both team sports and individual sports. Since the school is unlikely to have, in the early years, a sufficiently large student population to field varsity athletic teams, we will seek the opportunity, through coordinate agreements with neighboring public schools, for students who so desire to play sports with the teams and students of other schools. We recognize this as an area of potential growth in the future as we seek to reach students through an increase in this sort of outreach.

Evening of the Arts at Metro PhiladelphiaThis is an opportunity for students to showcase their best artwork that they have completed during the year.

Meeting Student NeedsMetro Philadelphia advocates the teaching of the classical virtues using traditional methods. Only through teaching and practicing the virtues of responsibility, respect, perseverance, cooperation, courage, honesty, integrity, and citizenship do we prepare our children for a life well lived. We agree with Aristotle’s dictum that one becomes virtuous by practicing the virtues. To this end, teaching the Eight Pillars of Character will address student mental, emotional, and social development and health. Should the need arise outside of the character education, the Head of School and/or assistant headmaster will assist the parents or legal guardians in seeking appropriate services for troubled students.

The school plans to have a counselor and a nurse on staff in order to assist in identifying student needs or in mobilizing resources or social services for students in need. This is separate from the special education staff, although obviously support services and special education services may overlap, depending on an individual student’s needs.

Academic Data & Goals

Goals and Metrics

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT1. Student academic performance is the number one priority of the Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School. Student performance expectations will be aligned with the mission and the educational plan.

Educational goals and objectives: ● At the completion of Year 3, 90% of students in the 3rd grade will

demonstrate proficient or advanced scores on the PSSAs.● At the completion of Year 4, 90% of students in grade 8 will pass the End of

Course Assessments in Algebra.● At the completion of Year 5, 95% of students in the 3rd grade will

demonstrate proficient or advanced scores on the PSSAs.● At the completion of Year 5, 90% of our students who apply to post-

secondary institutions will be accepted.● A graduation rate of 95% of higher beginning in Year 6.

2. In addition to mandatory state assessment and testing, identify the primary interim assessments the school will use to assess student learning needs and progress throughout the year. Formative and summary assessments are used to monitor progress. Formative assessments, sometimes administered prior to content delivery, will establish a baseline of knowledge that students already possess and will inform educators of content needs that students have in subjects and disciplines. Summative assessments, such as the state‐mandated end‐of course assessment for algebra, will provide a summary profile of learned content. If students have not progressed or grown to meet benchmarks, it is vital that educators know this so that they can provide additional instruction to ensure that the material is retained and understood.

Interim assessments will be used to monitor student progress. They will include:● Acuity, which is administered three times per year● DRA (Diagnostic Reading Assessments) for students grades K-2● Teacher-developed pre- and post-assessments● Teacher-developed rubrics● The Core Knowledge Sequence Assessments● The Riggs Assessments ● Singapore Math Assessments

3. Explain how the school will collect and analyze student academic achievement data, use the data to refine and improve instruction, and report the data to the school community. Identify the person(s), position(s), and/or

entities that will be responsible and involved in the collection and analysis of assessment data. As an ongoing practice, data from both summative and formative assessments (formal and informal) will be collected and analyzed weekly to determine if students are making the expected progress. The data collected will be used to determine appropriate placement in skill groups for math in addition to evaluating student strengths, challenges, and weaknesses in the core content areas. The data from all assessments will be disaggregated to show a trend analysis not only for each student but for all students. Statistical methods will be used, when applicable, to streamline the data-collection and analysis processes. Metro Philadelphia will use the results of the data to drive instruction. Adjustments will be made to the curriculum, instructional delivery, and any other areas necessary to improve student achievement.

In addition, Metro Philadelphia will establish a school leadership committee which will consist of the headmaster and/or assistant headmaster, three (3) teachers from the elementary school, one (1) teacher from the junior high school and two (2) teachers from the high school. This committee will generate an annual report to document school data and supplemental information that helps to provide a comprehensive picture of Metro Philadelphia’s overall school performance. The School Leadership Committee will identify goals, strategies and action steps to address student achievement.

Metro Philadelphia believes in the importance of assessments but understands student learning and how teachers instruct is central, rather than merely focusing on raising test scores and school grades. Assessment should not always happen at the end of a lesson or unit but rather in the middle, at least upon occasion. This ensures that teachers have the opportunity to evaluate and inform instruction. Students also play a role in assessment as they assess themselves through reflection on their own individual work and how they can improve and build on prior knowledge.

4. Describe the information system the school will use to manage student performance data. Identify the staff member(s) who will be responsible for warehousing the data, interpreting the data for classroom teachers, and leading or coordinating professional development to improve student achievement. The Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School will research and choose the most appropriate information system to manage student performance data. The administration team of Metro Philadelphia, together with the Board, or with a Committee of the Board, will receive both annual data analysis training and consistent performance data analysis review through both an annual performance data analysis update and regional training sessions. Individual student and group data will be produced, updated, and analyzed at the school by the teachers and reported to the headmaster. The Board, or a committee of the Board, will review school data and assist with interventions to improve student learning.

Quarterly Report Cards: Teachers will be responsible for keeping data on each student in their class in a threefold way. Instead of giving a single letter or number grade, the teacher will analyze students’ academic achievements through three kinds of data: level of achievement, quality of work, and progress toward academic standards. Achievement levels refer to achievement toward exit-level standards of performance sophistication (basic, proficient, and advanced can be used). Work quality refers to the caliber of the products produced at any level. Progress refers to absolute gains toward exit standards (not to be confused with growth, which is measured as change in the individual). These reports will be used during parent-teacher-student conferences held no less often than twice per school year.

5. Explain the training and support that school leadership and teachers will receive in analyzing, interpreting, and using performance data to improve student learning. Training and support will come from the software vendor Metro Philadelphia chooses. At a minimum, further training will occur through curriculum seminars from Hillsdale College and professional development analysts to interpret and use performance data to improve student learning.

If a student illustrates significant deficiencies because of a weak education background or for some other reason, the classroom teacher(s) will, in conjunction with the support staff, work on remediation strategies, which may include some pull-out tutoring and some modification of assignments. The purpose is to bring the student up to grade level. In the case of 7-8 students, remedial classes or extra tutoring may be assigned in place of electives. Parents will be informed about the strategies in place. Supplemental instruction will be provided through Riggs material and is line with Response to Intervention.

6. Describe the corrective actions the organization will take if the school falls short of student academic achievement expectations or goals as established by the School District of Philadelphia or the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Explain what would trigger such corrective actions and who would be responsible for implementing them. Metro Philadelphia will strive to meet all requirements related to student academic achievement expectations or goals established by the School, the School District and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The administration team of Metro Philadelphia will conduct an ongoing review of all campus‐related activities, including a stringent review to ensure expectations are being met in areas related to academics. If an academic issue must be resolved, the administration team will make the corrective action necessary to address it quickly and accurately.

Organizational Capacity and Compliance

Founding Coalition and School LeadershipThe founding coalition has been working toward realizing the submission of this charter application for several years. The members are John P. McKelligott, Esq. and Peggy Gallagher. Both are citizens who are employed outside the field of education, but who care deeply about bring valuable educational opportunities to the children of Philadelphia and of southeastern Pennsylvania. Just recently, the Hon. Michael F.X. Coll, ret. of the Court of Common Pleas for Delaware County agreed to join the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School.

There were other persons who worked with these founders to assist this effort, but three of these persons had to drop out within the past three months. Two of these persons had new jobs, with new work responsibilities, and they could no longer keep up with the time demands of this project.

Mr. McKelligott is a graduate of Dartmouth College and of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and he has been in private practice since 1972. He is self-employed, and his office is located in Newtown Square. For nine years, Mr. McKelligott served as a Trustee of the Stratford Friends School, which is now located in Newtown Square, but which was originally located in Lansdowne, PA. That school was founded in the 1970s to teach reading and math to children with learning differences. In addition, Mr. McKelligott served for 12 years as a School Board Director in the William Penn School District, which is located in Delaware County. During that time, Mr. McKelligott served as President of the Board of School Directors for 5 ½ years.

Ms Gallagher is a real estate professional, and she has been assisting the school in finding an appropriate facility.

Before he was elected to the Bench in Delaware County, Judge Coll served as Solicitor for the William Penn School District and for the Delaware County Intermediate Unit.

During Mr. McKelligott’s tenure on the William Penn School Board, he led a movement to have an academic (or curriculum) audit conducted as to the William Penn School District. The findings of that academic audit led to a change in senior leadership for the William Penn School District and to the wholesale implementation, across the board and in every building, of a new, district-wide curriculum in a school district which had lost any semblance of a shared curriculum decades earlier due to budget difficulties. Between the change in leadership and the introduction of the new curriculum, the William Penn School District made AYP (“adequate yearly progress”) for the first time in its history. Mr. McKelligott was also instrumental supporting sound business practices in a district which is perennially short of funds (due to an inadequate tax base), and, as Chair of the District’s Negotiations Committee, he led the negotiations for three teacher contracts and guided the District through its last school strike.

Mr. McKelligott has long been attracted to the vehicle of the Core Knowledge sequence as a means of benefiting particularly children of poverty and those whose families do not have the educational background to start them out in life with the intellectual capital which is delivered at home to children of privilege, and he has formed an alliance with Hillsdale

College to pursue the classical education model for a charter school in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Pursuant to an agreement that is, essentially, a memorandum of understanding between Hillsdale and the Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School, Hillsdale will, through the Barney Charter School Initiative, provide significant support to the applicant in getting the school up and running. In particular, the following Hillsdale representatives are assisting the applicant in the design of the program for the proposed school, they will assist Metro Philadelphia in getting the school up and going if the charter application should be granted. In particular, the following Hillsdale representatives will be assisting us:

Philip Kilgore — Director of the Barney Charter School Initiative at Hillsdale College

Rebecca Fleming — Assistant Director of the Barney Charter School Initiative, Hillsdale College.

Among other things, Hillsdale will assist in providing: principal candidates and mentoring, development of curriculum, teacher education, and visits to advise on the operation of the school. Hillsdale will likewise offer assistance in hiring teachers and provide professional development. In the first year, Hillsdale will run a 10-day “boot camp” of professional development for Metro Philadelphia’s teachers, in Philadelphia during August so as to help the school and its staff get off on the right foot. In subsequent years, Hillsdale will provide professional development during the summer at Hillsdale’s campus in Michigan. All of these services are provided free of charge.

In return, Metro Philadelphia will provide for the operation of the school, consult with Hillsdale College as the primary source on the school model, and provide performance and operations reports. This relationship comes at no charge to Metro Philadelphia, but it may be terminated upon written notice.

Hillsdale’s Barney Charter School Initiative has opened several partner schools in the past couple years that are now reporting achievement data. Among these are Astancia Valley Classical Academy in Moriarty, New Mexico and Founders Classical Academy in Lewisville, Texas. The latest data for these schools published by the New Mexico and Texas Departments of Education are for the 2012-2013 school year. In its first year, Estancia Valley Classical earned an ‘A’ grade, putting it in the top 10% of all schools in the state. Founders Classical Academy met state standards on the Texas Academic Performance Report with distinction in Academic Achievement in Reading/English Language Arts and Mathematics, an honor achieved by only 13.9% of all school in Texas.7 Other schools have been founded pursuant to the Hillsdale Barney Charter School Initiative, but they are newer and have not yet generated the reservoir of data as the schools listed in the paragraph.

It is anticipated that Mr. McKelligott will take a compensated position in the administration of the new school, should this charter be granted.

7 Fleming, Rebecca, Hillsdale College Barney Charter School Initiative School Assessment for 2012-2013, (April 15, 2014).

The school has not yet identified a principal/school leader candidate. However, should the charter be granted, that search will be conducted with Hillsdale’s assistance.

That individual will be a person enthusiastic about learning, skilled at running a school and resourceful in overcoming obstacles. That person shall possess “a deep understanding of teaching and learning.” The Head of School’s responsibility will be to see to it that the school’s Mission and the Board’s policies are executed promptly and thoroughly, within the law and with success. It shall be the duty of the board of directors to exercise its oversight to ensure that the school’s mission is accomplished, accomplished well, and accomplished within the law.

The school will have principals of the Lower School and of the Upper (or High) School. Candidates have not yet been identified, but their responsibility shall be to act as the academic leaders for their schools. The school will employ a business or operations manager who shall manage the financial operations, oversee the keeping of accounts and the like. The administrative arm will be tasked to take as much of the buildings operations and administrative task off the hands of the principals and the head of school, thereby freeing them to be the full time “academic leaders” for their buildings.

Each school will have a vice principal, who will have significant responsibilities for discipline.

Candidates for these positions have not been identified, and the head of school will have significant discretion to assign responsibilities as he or she sees fit. However, all persons working in the building will be required to obtain all required clearances and to maintain the records thereof at the school. That responsibility shall rest, in the first instance, with the head of school, although he or she may delegate that duty while remaining responsible for the constant fulfilment of that duty.

Leadership and Staff Evaluation and DevelopmentGovernance Structure and Composition— Evaluation The board of directors for the Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School will consist of no fewer than five and no more than thirteen members and will be led by the president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer. Due to very recent resignations, the Board is short of directors, and every effort is being made to fill those positions as quickly as possible.

Once the school begins operations, the Board Treasurer will have significant oversight of the school’s finances. Thus, all bookkeeping, paying of vendors and the like will be handled by the business or operations manager. It shall be the Treasurer’s responsibility, monthly at least, to review not only the monthly financial report and the budget, but he or she shall likewise personally examine all bank statements and all credit card statements. Further, the school shall have no debit cards, and all cash needs shall be handled out of a petty cash account, which shall proper documentation (receipts) for every transaction.

Governing Entity’s Responsibilities.The Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School will be governed by the governing board and managed by its headmaster pursuant to the school’s charter and duly adopted by-laws. The governing board will be responsible for adopting policy, overseeing the management of the school, and ensuring financial compliance and responsibility. In addition, the governing board will ensure that the mission and goals of the charter are carried out by engaging in strategic planning. The governing board will not be involved in the daily operations of the school but will hire a headmaster, who will be evaluated at least annually. The headmaster, in partnership with the governing board, will decide upon the timing of the evaluation of the headmaster’s performance. The governing board will make sure the headmaster manages Metro Philadelphia in compliance with the school’s charter and in compliance with all state and federal laws and regulations.

The governing board will perform ongoing assessments of the school and its programs and operations. It will also routinely assess its own performance. Governing board members will participate in and develop short- and long-range plans for the school. The board will monitor the effectiveness of the school’s programs and their implementation to determine if the school has met its stated goals.

The headmaster will report to the governing board at regular meetings about the school’s operations. The headmaster will serve as liaison between Metro Philadelphia and the school’s authorizer. The headmaster will present his/her recommendation(s) to the governing board on any subject under consideration prior to action taken on the subject, if requested. The headmaster will be required to attend all governing board meetings.

The headmaster will be responsible for overall instructional leadership for the charter school, including the discipline of students if needed, and the planning, implementation, and supervision of the educational program of the school. The headmaster will have authority over all personnel matters, including hiring, disciplining, and terminating all school employees, subject to board approval. The headmaster will periodically evaluate Metro Philadelphia’s employees as permitted by Indiana law and school policy.

The headmaster will establish and maintain an appropriate community relations program. He/she shall uphold and enforce the charter, the school’s governing board policies, and local, state, and federal laws and regulations. Personnel under the supervision of the headmaster, as identified in the organization chart, include the business manager, assistant headmaster, administrative assistants, and teachers.

The work of governing and overseeing the school may be divided among the board members by committee. Each committee meets monthly and reports to the board as a whole each month. The structure ensures that the board is always informed about the status of the various aspects of school governance. The Board shall take professional development, and Board members must familiarize themselves with the Bylaws and policies.

Staff Development

Hillsdale will conduct an intensive 10-day “boot camp” in August to orient the teachers and help the school get started. Thereafter, teachers will attend the annual 3-day professional development offered by Hillsdale in June. Other professional development may be approved by the Headmaster.

The Board shall undertake its own professional development, orienting and reminding its members as the proper (and effective) exercise of its responsibilities.

School Operations

School Calendar

Due to anticipated transportation concerns, the Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School will use the School District of Philadelphia School Calendar for the year 2017-2018. We plan to have our school day start at 7:30 a.m., and end at 3:00 p.m., for grades K-8, which will accord us sufficient days to satisfy the state requirements.

As to High school grades, we plan to start the school day at 7:30 a.m. and end the school day at 3:30 p.m. This will likewise fulfill state requirements for days.

Health Care Benefits

Medical and Dental Benefits are calculated by using a Philadelphia Charter School’s 2016-2017 rates for Single and Family coverage, increased for the projected 2017-2018. Part-time workers do not receive health and dental benefits. The estimated 2017-2018 rates are as follows:

Single FamilyMedical $7,352.00 $22,438.00Dental 388.00 1,345.00Vision 58.05 142.29ST / LT Disability & Life 41.11 50.22 TOTALS $7,839.16 $23,975.51

A 12% annual increase in health and dental rates is forecasted for years 2-5.

The reason for adopting this plan was that the cost of the School District of Philadelphia was virtually prohibitive.

Retirement Benefits

The Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School will opt into the alternate retirement plan rather than PSERs. Again, the PSERs cost is prohibitive. The school will work with Penn Serve to implement the section 401(k) program. The employee will contribute 5% annually, and the school will contribute 5% annually to the plan.

School Operations Experience

The school intends to hire an Operations Manager at a projected salary of $63,654. It is anticipated that this person may have an accounting background, and that he or she will have the experience and skill to capably handle the student accounting. It is

anticipated that this person will also oversee the duties surrounding issues of attendance, particularly with support from the administrative staff.

Our anticipated staffing plan proposes, for the administrative function, a Headmaster position, together with an executive administrative assistant, a nurse, two security guards, four secretary/clerical positions and the Operations Manager (in addition to four custodial workers and 6 cafeteria workers). It is anticipated that the Operations Manager, with administrative support, will be able handle the attendance function as well as the business manager function.

We are advised, and we believe, that other charter schools have implemented such an operations program with good success.

Insofar as it may take some period of time to find and hire such an Operations Manager, the school is prepared to retain its accountant, Thomas Taylor, to cover these functions on an interim basis until a permanent Operations Manager can be hired. Mr. Taylor is a partner in the accounting firm Resaca & Taylor, 2901 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145. Mr. Taylor’s accounting practice includes representation of numerous charter schools, and he is skilled in these issues.

School Operations Plan

Transportation. Metro Philadelphia does not anticipate providing transportation itself, at least at the outset. The school does anticipate that transportation will be provided by the School District of Philadelphia in accordance with state statute and established School District procedure. The school also anticipates that some parents and legal guardians of enrolled students will provide transportation for their own children or make carpool arrangements with other parents of children at the school. Metro Philadelphia will assist parents in making carpool arrangements should this be necessary.

Safety and Security.Metro Philadelphia places the highest priority on the safety and security of the school’s students, faculty, staff, and property. The school will be equipped with restricted access doors throughout the building. All faculty and staff will be properly trained on security policies and procedures, warning signals, and the school’s emergency plan. All school visitors will be required to sign in at the front office and wear an identification badge during their time at the school.

The school will fund two security guard positions to provide security throughout the day, at both the Lower School and the High School.

Attendance.The school intends to hire an Operations Manager at a projected salary of $63,654. It is anticipated that this person may have an accounting background, and that he or she will have the experience and skill to capably handle the student accounting. It is

anticipated that this person will also oversee the duties surrounding issues of attendance, particularly with support from the administrative staff.

Our anticipated staffing plan proposes, for the administrative function, a Headmaster position, together with an executive administrative assistant, a nurse, two security guards, four secretary/clerical positions and the Operations Manager (in addition to four custodial workers and 6 cafeteria workers). It is anticipated that the Operations Manager, with administrative support, will be able handle the attendance function as well as the business manager function.

We are advised, and we believe, that other charter schools have implemented such an operations program with good success.

Recruitment, Admissions and Enrollment — General Enrollment and Target Populations

At full enrollment, in the 2017-2018 year, we project 2 classes each for grades K-6, with 27 children in each class. As to the Junior High School years, grades 7 and 8, we project 2 classes each with 20 children in each class. As to the High School, we project that we will have 1 class each for grades 9 and 20 with 20 students in each class. That would amount to 498 students in the first year.

If we fall short of these projections, we feel that our operations will nonetheless be financially viable in the first year if we can attract 400 students (perhaps even 350, depending on circumstances).

In year 2, 2018-2019, we anticipate adding two kindergarten classes of 27 students apiece, for a total of 552 students.

We believe that our program will prove attractive to children and to their families. Accordingly, we project that we will retain all, or most, of the children who start out with us, and, if we lose some children due to attrition or family moves, we project that we will replace them during the admissions process in the second year and thereafter.

In year 3, 2019-2020, we expect to add 2 kindergarten classes with 27 children in each. That would bring our total student population to 606.

In year 4, 2020-2021, we expect to add 2 kindergarten classes with 27 children in each. However, we expect to graduate 20 seniors in this year. That would bring our total student population to 640.

In year 5, 2021-2022, we expect to add 2 kindergarten classes, each with 27 students, but we expect to graduate 20 more seniors. That would bring our total enrollment to 674.

As to the school’s anticipated racial and ethnic composition, and as to its composition of special education students, we see no reason why our student body should reflect any different make-up than that of the School District of Philadelphia. In fact, insofar as the incidence of special ed. identification in the School District is currently between 14% and 15%, we have projected a 15% special ed. figure for the make-up of our student body.

Recruitment, Admissions and Enrollment — Recruitment and Marketing

We had initially focused on trying to secure a building to house our school which was located at 3601 Island Avenue, in the Eastwick neighborhood. To that end, we concentrated our marketing and investigation efforts on the Eastwick and nearby neighborhoods. We met parents and students at numerous playgrounds in

Southwest Philadelphia, in South Philadelphia and in West Philadelphia. Further, we had been in contact with the Eastwick United Methodist Church, and with families attending that Church, in the neighborhood of the Island Avenue building.

Then, however, last week, the chance came our way to locate in a different building which was located in the Cedarbrook-Mount Airy area, and that building was more attractive because it was in turnkey condition and would not require any substantial investment in renovation funds. (That circumstance stood in stark contrast to the 3601 Island Avenue building, where we were estimating that renovations would cost in the neighborhood of $5.4 million.)

So, we changed course and focused on the Cedarbrook-Mount Airy building, but that opportunity came about so late in the process that we have had no opportunity to do any marketing in that neighborhood.

Additionally, due to the extensive renovations necessary to bring the Island Avenue building up to par, we had originally planned to pursue the “implementation year” program year approach, so as to have time to get the renovations completed, and the building ready to go before the students should arrive. Accordingly, when we conferred with parents up until last week, our potential educational option was two years in the future, and numerous parents were interested but considered that an educational option for their children that was taking shape so far in the future was intriguing but not a realistic option for meeting their family needs. Accordingly, our recruitment was not as robust as we expect it would have been had we been planning all along on a 2017 start.

Nonetheless, we believe that in a large metropolitan area like Philadelphia, with perhaps a population of 2.5 million or more, it is entirely reasonable to anticipate that a rigorous classical education program, with a strong liberal arts component, and one which employs the Riggs reading program, Singapore math and the Core-Knowledge sequence would be attractive to 600 families or students citywide. Furthermore, we believe that such interest would be citywide, not concentrated in any one neighborhood.

Accordingly, it is our intent to market our program citywide. We intend, if approved to spread the word initially, to prompt inquiry, by among other things taking out billboards along Route 95 or the Roosevelt Expressway or the like. (We intend, if our charter application is approved, to apply for a start-up grant in the amount of $95,000. We have been in touch with foundations, and we have been advised that start-up grants can be awarded, but that applications will not be received prior to the award of the charter.

We have received expressions of interest from parents and students, and these are included in Attachment 35. In addition, however, we are advised that the previous tenant in the building that we are targeting was the New Media Technology Charter School, and that it ceased operations as of June 30, 2016 due to disappointing

academic results and other problems. We observe, however, that, when it ceased operations, that school had a student population in the neighborhood of 600 students. We are also advised, and we believe, that that level of student attendance suggest a high level of neighborhood interest in a charter school option in that neighborhood; we are advised that residents in that neighborhood mourn the passing of a charter school option for their children, and that they strenuously desire to see such an educational option return to their neighborhood.

Because this opportunity arose only last Thursday, we have not had the opportunity to conduct any investigation to confirm this information. Nonetheless, we submit that such outlook likely is present and prevalent in the Cedarbrook-Mount Airy neighborhood.

Admissions, Lottery and Enrollment.

We will conduct an open enrollment process, hopefully based on a lottery. Once the sign-up period begins, we will enroll any child who applies on a first come, first served basis. If, as we hope, there is sufficient interest that we cannot admit all who apply, then we will conduct a lottery.

We do expect to offer two preferences in our enrollment proceedings: first, we will observe a preference to enroll a sibling of an existing student, so as to try not to drive families with more than one child nuts driving around to different locations for activities involving their children. Instead, we would seek to extend to families a one-stop shopping option for all their children at our one school.

The second preference which we will extend is a preference to admit, whenever possible, children of our teachers. Insofar as the teachers may believe in the academic validity of the program we are offering, we hope to retain them for our teaching staff over time by offering this educational opportunity, which they believe in, to their children as long as they are employed by us.

Student Discipline

Student Discipline and Code of Conduct

Discipline at Metro Philadelphia serves our educational mission. The establishment of the culture of Metro Philadelphia is not only a necessary condition for our educational success, it is also a core component of our educational program. Our intention is to create a certain kind of culture, which is summarized in the phrases “community of learners” and “habitual vision of greatness.” Metro Philadelphia seeks to draw students out of the youth culture that pervades much of their adolescent lives and into the community of learners.

The foundation of discipline and order at Metro Philadelphia is the realization that a civilized learning community demands certain fundamental norms of courtesy, ethics, and orderly behavior in order to fulfill its mission.

We welcome children into the Metro Philadelphia program with the understanding that they will be on time for class, will be properly groomed, will complete their assignments, will follow rules of good classroom order, will be honest, and will follow the spirit and letter of the Student Handbook. This Student Handbook will be available to students and parents upon enrollment and on our website. Parents and students must sign a document that they have read and understand the expectations set out in our Student Handbook at the beginning of each school year.

Unless there are clear mitigating circumstances, we hold that students are responsible and accountable for their actions. It is our conviction that students in the sixth through twelfth grades are entirely capable of living appropriately in the Metro Philadelphia culture. Students in the earlier grades will receive more guidance in developing good habits and character, an effort in which parents are also included.

We place a high premium on the teacher’s personal investment in the student and we resist the practices that depersonalize so many schools. We distinguish between academic deficiencies (which require an academic response, and are addressed through remedial and corrective action) and nonacademic misbehavior.

Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) When appropriate, we may pursue a Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) program, which is an empirically validated, function-based approach to eliminate challenging behaviors and replace them with pro-social skills. Use of PBIS decreases the need for more intrusive or aversive interventions (i.e., punishment or suspension) and can lead to both systemic and individualized change.

PBIS can target an individual student or an entire school, as it does not focus exclusively on the student, but also includes changing environmental variables such as the physical setting, task demands, curriculum, instructional pace, and individualized reinforcement. It can be successful with a wide range of students, in a wide range of contexts, with a wide range of behaviors. Blending behavioral science, empirically validated procedures, durable systems change, and an emphasis on socially important outcomes, PBIS involves data-based decision making using functional behavioral assessment and ongoing monitoring of intervention impact.

Failure to implement the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), due to a lack of incentives or negative attitudes toward children with challenging behaviors by administrators, policy makers and school personnel, is unacceptable. Students should not be, or only rarely, excluded from school based solely upon inappropriate social behavior. Appropriate services can readily address and modify many of these behaviors, leading to more positive outcomes than simple punishment.

Consequence SystemLevel One Staff Warning

Teacher or administrator warningVerbal reprimand (teacher or administrator)Confiscation

Level Two Notification of parent or guardianAdministrator/student conferenceDetention: before school, after school, or during lunchAssignment of work detail at the schoolBilling of parent for damages to propertyIn-School alternativesProbation

Level Three Conference with parent/guardianSuspension as determined by staffDevelopment of expectations contract

Level Four Out of school suspensionAlternative to suspension (Parental attendance at school)Remedial discipline planLetter of restraintCharges filed or report made to law enforcement officials

Within each Level, consequences may include detention, probation, suspension, and expulsion. These consequences are defined as follows:

Detention: A teacher or an administrator may assign detention. Detention may be served before school, during lunch, or after school. The duration of detention may be between fifteen to sixty minutes, depending on the offense.

Probation (In School Suspension): The Principal may assign probation. This will be an automatic three-days from attending a specific class. The student will be assigned work from the teacher of the specific class that he/she has been removed. The student will be allowed to reenter the class only after a consultation meeting including the student, parent/guardian, teacher and Principal. Depending on the results of the consultation meeting, the probation may become permanent for the remainder of the semester or school year.

Suspension: Only the Principal may suspend a student. These suspensions shall last from one to five days in length. If the suspension is an out of school suspension, the student will not be allowed on campus for the duration of the suspension. The student will not be allowed to return to school until a parent or guardian attends a complete day of class with the student at the end of his suspension term and attends a meeting with the Principal. Suspensions may be become recommendations for expulsion.

Expulsion: Only the Principal may recommend a student for expulsion.

Discipline of Students with DisabilitiesStudents with disabilities are neither immune from the Metro Philadelphia disciplinary process nor entitled to participate in programs when their behavior impairs the education of other students. Metro Philadelphia will comply with the Individuals and Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in

disciplining these students. Students with disabilities who engage in disruptive activities and/or actions dangerous to themselves or others will be disciplined in accordance with their IEP, and behavioral intervention plan and this policy. Nothing in this policy shall prohibit an IEP team from instituting consequences for disorderly or unacceptable actions as a part of the student’s IEP. The Plan shall be subject to all procedural protections established by the IEP process.

All students, including students with disabilities, may be suspended for violations of the student code of conduct. The procedure for suspension is the same as outlined in the Student Handbook. For suspension of a student with disabilities, a team including Student Services staff members and the Principal, will determine whether the student’s behavior is a manifestation of the disability and whether the student’s disability impaired his or her ability to control or understand the impact or consequences of the behavior. Once the team determines that the behavior was not a manifestation of the disability, disciplinary procedures shall be applied to the student in the same manner as applied to non-disabled students. A student with disabilities whose behavior is determined to be a manifestation of his or her disability may not be dismissed but will be disciplined in accordance with his her IEP, any behavioral intervention and this policy.

Appeal ProcessMetro Philadelphia makes use of a three-step appeal process in dealing with student disciplinary matters. First, either the student or his/her parent/guardian corresponds, orally or in writing, with the Assistant Principal. The Assistant Principal has the authority to informally determine routine matters of student discipline without consulting with other members of the administration. The Assistant Principal may choose to speak with whoever proves helpful under the circumstances.

If the situation is not resolved at this first level, then the student or his/her parent/guardian may communicate, orally or in writing, with the Principal. If, on the other hand, the first step is skipped, then, absent unusual circumstances, the Principal will direct the student/parent/guardian to first speak with the Assistant Principal. The Principal may take any appropriate steps to hear all perspectives on the issue and then provide a plan on how to resolve the appeal. The Principal may require any person to submit a written statement about the situation.

If the student or his/her parent/guardian is not satisfied with the decision of the Principal, then they shall submit a written statement to the Chair of the Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical Charter School Board of Directors. The Board Chair, or his/her designee, may call for others to present written statements as well. The Board Chair shall place the item on the agenda of the next regularly scheduled Board meeting, or, if circumstances demand, call a special board meeting to address the issue.

The appeal will be heard in an executive session of the Board unless the parent, guardian, or non-minor student requests the appeal be conducted in an open meeting. At the Board meeting, the student/parent/guardian and/or their representative shall have the opportunity to address the Board. The Board may also choose to hear from any other person. The Board shall allot time enough for all sides to be given an adequate hearing. The Board shall then deliberate and render a final decision, which is not subject to further appeal.