Name:

Final Project _______________________

Civics (Nelson)
Cohort:
500 points

How do you Right a Wrong?

Design a New Public Charter High School in Chicago, IL

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different
results.” –Albert Einstein

Goal: Your final project in Civics is to design a new public charter school (scheduled
to open in the fall of 2011 with its first freshman class) that will address the needs of
young people in Chicago in the 21st century and close the achievement gap. You will
work with a partner or on your own. You will present your charter school design to a
panel of “experts” (your peers) on the Chicago Charter School Review Board
(CCSRB) who will decide whether or not to give you the money to open your school. Both
your school design and your presentation will count as your final exam grade. Good
Luck!

Background: “America’s biggest public education challenge today may be the

persistent and dramatic achievement gap. For years people didn't want to talk
about [it.] But over the past decade a new dialogue has begun to look for ways to
close the gap. For many Americans this is the next great phase of the Civil Rights
Movement.” –Clarence Page, Pulitzer Prize Winning columnist for the Chicago
Tribune

Requirements: You and your partner(s) are responsible for the following project
requirements:

□ School Name, Location, and Mission Statement—100 points

□ Charter High School Design Proposal—300 points
○ Each person is responsible for one large and one small part of the
proposal
□ Presentation (4 minutes maximum)—100 points

□ Note: Extra Credit Opportunities will be presented soon—stay tuned!

Project Calendar
M T W TH
F
17 (B) 18 (A) 19 (B) 20 (A) 21
Project Project Type Mission Type Mission No School
Requirements Requirements School Research School Research
Create Mission Create Mission
24 (B) 25 (A) 26 (B) 27 (A) 28 (B)
School Research School Research School Proposal School Proposal School Proposal
Design Design Design
31 1 (A) 2 (B) 3 (A) 4 (B)
No School School Proposal School Proposal School Proposal School Proposal
Design Design Design Design
7 (A) 8 (B) 9 10 (A) 11 (B)
PowerPoint PowerPoint Explore Test Final Touches Final Touches
Slides Slides Rehearse Rehearse
Presentation Presentation
Slides to Ms. Slides to Ms.
Nelson Nelson
14 15 16 17 18
Presentations Presentations Presentations No School LAST DAY

Charter High School Design Proposal

Each group member is responsible for at least one large part with a “*” and
one small part without a “*”
*TEACHERS*
□ What skills, characteristics, and experience must teachers have to get a job at your school?
□ How will these teachers help you to achieve your mission?
□ How much freedom do teachers have in designing their courses/deciding what to teach?
□ How do teachers measure whether or not students are learning what they are supposed to in class
every day?
□ How can you be sure that teachers are prepared every day with excellent lessons to teach in their
classrooms?
□ How will teachers themselves learn to make sure they are always improving and that their students
are learning more?
□ Create a help wanted advertisement for a teaching position at your school

*CURRICULUM*
□ What courses will be offered to your first class of freshmen?
□ How will these courses help you to achieve your mission?
□ What standards will be taught in these courses?
□ How will you measure whether or not students are learning what they should each year?
□ How will you meet the needs of students who come to your school with a variety of math, reading,
and writing levels—some ready for advanced work and others achieving below grade level?
□ How will you make sure that all students are being challenged?
□ Create a sample lesson plan for one ninth grade course at your school

*DISCIPLINE*
□ What rules will you set for behavior and how will students learn these rules?
□ How will the rules help you to achieve your mission?
□ Who will be responsible for creating the rules?
□ What will happen if students break them?
□ Who will be responsible for talking to parents/guardians about students who break the rules and
how will this happen?
□ Will students be rewarded for good behavior--how?
□ Create a student code of conduct for new students at your school

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
□ What kinds of elective courses and after school activities will your school offer?
□ When will you offer them? Will students have to participate?
□ How will these extra-curricular activities help you to achieve your mission?

SCHEDULE
□ What will the freshmen schedule look like day to day and week to week? (i.e.: courses, times, lunch,
extra-curricular, etc.)
□ How will you present the schedule to students so they can learn it and follow it?
□ How will the schedule help you to achieve your mission?

PARENTS/GUARDIANS AND COMMUNITY

□ How will your school involve parents/guardians and members of the community in your school?
 □ How will people outside of your school know if your school is successful? What things will you
measure or report to give parents, community members, and supporters an idea of whether you
are a successful school or not?
□ How will the involvement of parents and community members help you to achieve your
mission?

STUDENT SUPPORT
□ How will your school support students with the challenges they face outside of school?
□ How will your school make sure students are successful in school no matter what challenges they
face outside of school?
□ How will your plan for student support help you to achieve your mission?

ADDITIONAL STAFF
□ In addition to teachers, what other staff members would you hire to run your school?
□ What kind of experience would you want these individuals to have before working for your school?
□ What will each individual do to help your achieve your mission?
How do you Right a Wrong?
Charter High School Design Project Evaluation Rubric- Up to $30 million
awarded!
Extra Credit (50 points)
Fully Funded! Keep Looking A Small Token
$10 million $6 million $2 million
100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60

Mission
□ clearly stated □ most of it is clearly □ not clearly stated
Statemen
□ focused on closing stated □ not focused on closing
t achievement gap □ partially focused on achievement gap
□ 2 pieces of relevant closing achievement □ does not use relevant
(100 evidence--underlined gap evidence
points) □ unique and reflects the □ uses1 piece of relevant □ not unique or does not
cooperation of all group evidence--underlined reflect cooperation of
members □ mostly unique and group members
reflects cooperation of
some group members

100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60

Charter
High □ includes one large and one □ includes one large and one □ does not include one large
small part per group member small part per group and one small part per
School □ answers all of the questions member group member
Design completely and in □ answers most questions □ answers few of the
Proposal paragraphs completely and in questions completely; not
□ at least 1 piece of relevant paragraphs in paragraphs
(300 evidence per part-underlined □ at least 1 piece of mostly □ does not use 1 piece of
points) □ each part is clearly relevant evidence in each evidence per part
connected to the mission part—underlined □ few parts are connected to
□ typed and in correct format □ some parts are connected mission
to the mission □ not typed and/or not in
□ typed and in correct correct format
format with a few errors

100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60

Presentat
ion □ 4 minutes long or less □ not 4 minutes or less □ not 4 minutes or less
□ uses 4 slides that are clear □ uses 4 slides—not all are □ uses 4 slides that are not
and useful to the clear or useful to
(100 clear or useful to
presentation presentation presentation
points) □ presents the school’s
□ presents the school’s □ does not present the
mission and something mission but not
school’s mission or
unique about the school something unique about
something unique about
□ involves the participation of the school
the school
all group members □ does not involve all group
□ does not involve all group
members
□ convinces many of the members
CCSRB members to fund □ convinces some CCSRB □ convinces few CCSRB
your proposal members to fund your
members to fund your
proposal
proposal

Final 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60
Grade:
 □ Include an extra part in Charter School Design Proposal
□ Interview an administrator, teacher, or other staff member
□ Draw a detailed plan for the proposed school campus
□ Agree to present project early (June 10 or June 11)—required that you stay after school
on June 9th
How do you Right a Wrong?
Designing a Mission Statement

School Name:
______________________________________________________________________________
School Location:
____________________________________________________________________________
School Motto (Optional):
_____________________________________________________________________

Mission Statement: A mission statement is a short written statement of the purpose of an

organization. The mission statement should explain its overall goal, provide a sense of
direction and guide its decision-making.

Noble Network of Charter Schools Mission Statement:

Through the values of scholarship, discipline, and honor, our mission is to prepare our
students to succeed at the nation’s finest colleges and empower them to become
exemplary citizens of their communities, country and the world.

Mission Statement Requirements (all group members MUST draft below):

□ Must be clearly stated in complete sentences
□ Must include a goal to close the achievement gap
□ Must use at least 2 pieces of evidence (underline them)
□ Must reflect the cooperation of the entire group
□ Must be UNIQUE

Evidence 1: Source: Evidence 2: Source:

____________________________ _____________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
During the next class period, this will be typed and fit onto a PowerPoint Slide.