KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools

Minutes

KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools Board of Trustees Retreat Meeting

Date and Time

Wednesday December 21, 2022 at 3:30 PM

Location

The Bulletin Building
3025 Market Street, fl 2
Philadelphia, Pa 19104

A regular meeting of the KIPP Philadelphia Charter School Board of Trustees in joint session with regular meetings of the KIPP West Philadelphia Preparatory Charter School Board of Trustees, KIPP DuBois Charter School Board of Trustees, KIPP West Philadelphia Charter School Board of Trustees, KIPP North Philadelphia Charter School Board of Trustees, and KIPP Parkside Charter School Board of Trustees with President Samantha Wilson-Jones presiding.

Trustees Present

A. Aerts, A. Keyes, B. Cummings, C. Johnson, H. Richman, S. Wilson Jones, T. Algarin

Trustees Absent

D. Reuter, G. Lewis

Guests Present

C. Benson, E. Otuije (remote), I. Gasiorowski, J. Cunningham Akoto, L. Whitaker, M. Eigen, M. Poorman, N. Wiltshire

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance and Guests

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

S. Wilson Jones called a meeting of the board of trustees of KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools to order on Wednesday Dec 21, 2022 at 3:36 PM.

II. WELCOME

A.

WELCOME

The Meeting kicked off with J. Cunningham doing a school spotlight of KPPA. A video snippet was played of the days event.

 

The building is almost completed.

IV. COMMITTEE REPORTS

A.

Academics

M. Eigen updated the board on: 

 

PVAAS RESULTS

  • Pennsylvania Value Added Assessment System: Value-added is a statistical analysis used to measure a district's, school's, or teacher's influence on the academic progress rates of groups of students from year to year.
    • PVAAS utilizes scores year to year to determine growth compared to the rest of the students in the state.  It tells us how students grew on average compared to their statewide peers.

PSSA HEADLINES

 

•In ELA all three KPPS charters that administer PSSA met the state growth standard

 

•In Math KPCS and KWCS met the state growth standard, but KNPA did not

 

•KWCS has continued to perform in the well above growth category in both Math and ELA.

 

 

Keystone PVAAS Results

 

•In 2022 KDCA Met the growth standard in Biology and Literature.  It was well below the growth standard in Algebra

 

•KDCA has been on a multiyear trend of increasing growth in Both Biology and Literature.

 

While PSSA proficiently grades are not great the growth trajectory has been consistent.

 

CURRENT PREDICTIVE RESULTS

  • Current results in K-8 Math shows better numbers.
  • B. Cummings asked if the techniques employed to improve the grades was working.
  • M. Eigen offered that the grades were not as high as we want them to be.
  • J. Cunningham offered that winter math growth numbers show better growth numbers at KIPP West Middle school
  • High School Keystone Proficiency in Algebra is still a bit of a pain point at the high school level. ELA is tracking in the right direction and Biology is struggling currently.

REGIONAL RESPONSIVE PRIORITIES

3 big areas are in:

 

ATTENDANCE - Has shifted since the pandemic. Goal is 65% and our schools are not quite there yet. Systems are in place and being prioritized to intervene to improve attendance gong forward to get kids in school more regularly.

  1. J. Cunningham explained that post shut down, parents are wary as to whether to send their kids to school in the face of any illness in the kids.

Tier 2 Teacher Moves - Teacher moves are focused on Data & Rigor. Teachers in tier 1 skills are mastered and are averaging higher in proficiency while tier 2 proficiency skills are averaging below the expected mark of 80%.

  1. Academic Team focusing on priority teacher skills
  2. Principal and AP strategy training
  3. Track and monitor teacher performance closely
  4. J. Cunningham explained that Tier 1 is foundational skills like lesson plan teaching the right thing & the basics are covered while tier 2 is more nuanced in skill which requires that teachers are asking nuanced questions are the teachers able to assess the kids comprehension of the student and their ability to collaborate which are skills veteran teachers would possess. And is especially harder when it comes to staffing the High Schools because of the national teacher crises.
  5. C. Johnson asked if other charters were having the same struggles.
  6. M. Eigen responded that other charters are struggling the same way but might be less specific based on the rubric they use for their data analysis.
  7. This performance track is based on observation which is the rubric we use in our charter.
  • KDCA SCHOOL CULTURE - Behaviors around the school or at the school is concerning hence the high suspension numbers.
  1. J. Cunningham explained that the news stories about district schools being lax about disciplinary measures makes it hard seeing as we are responsive but do not want to foster an unhealthy culture of disciplining or suspension. Suspension is most effective, however we have a growing number of kids where the parents are not as engaged with the student enough to enforce the positive outcomes that could be borne out of being suspended.
  2. Measures being taken to alleviate this includes increased culture interventions, double down on teacher performance, consider alternative consequences and incentives.
  3. What's Next? - Leaders and steering committees for each priority, Plan and monitoring, Review data change at next Data Stepback

STUDENT CULTURE - WHAT NOW?

  • Implement varied consequences and incentives
  • Build teacher skill
  • MTSS 
  • Increased dean training
  • Increased parent engagement
  • Addressing cell phone usage more assertively

B.

Development

C. Benson updated the Board on Progress to Goals

 

We are at 50% on the giving which is the half way point to our $6m goal or a little over that.

 

•Annual Participation

                  25%

 

•Campaign Participation

                  100%

 

KIPP CATTO RIBBON CUTTING EVENT

  • Was executed successfully with great attendance and amazing kids performances.
  • J. Cunningham commended the relationship growth with Walnut Hill so far.
  • The KIPP Team came together perfectly to pitch in to make sure the event went really well.

Updates & Wins

 

• Managing Director of Development

 

• Development Consultants - Current consultants are winding down on 12/31/22

 

• Public Relations - We hired aPR firm to do the pitch work for us in raising our profile in other areas asides academics.  PR firm did an interview with our students that will drop in January.

 

• Comcast - The firm will utilize in house help for now that has resulted in Comcast giving us $40,000 in support.

 

• Advocacy - Some Mayoral candidates have come for tours and more are coming for tours to further build connections with whoever potentially wins as Mayor. 

 

C.

Finance

The Board went into a closed Executive Session to discuss a personnel matter.

Upon their return:

N. Wiltshire updated the Board on:

 

Revised Budget Updates

  • Enrollment Focus indicates there will be no issues relative to what our peers are experiencing.
  • Budget Summaries show the West Charter has a lot of experienced but expensive teachers and we needed to hire cleaners and to pay for an expensive building because our rentals are more expensive than the builidngs we own.
  • KIPP Catto will be subsidized with KPCS funds that schools will eventually pay back to KCPS. However KIPP Catto will not be paying KCPS back and Catto will not pay KASC CMO fees. This will fix the discrepancy.
  • Preliminary Bond Covenant Calculations 
    • Confirmation from auditor that they will accept bond counsel's recommendation to calculate bond covenants on combined basis
    • Bond Counsel provided email memo outlining interpretation of bond requirements
    • Certification of FY'23 Bond Covenants due June 30, 2023
    • Will continue to monitor and update calculations as date approaches

 

Audit Update

  • Current indication is that there will be no material findings
  • Currently off track with timeline
    • Slower turnaround by KIPP Team of open item issues
    • Late submittal to CLA of Lease Documents
    • Some inefficiencies on CLA's end requesting same items multiple times
    • As of meeting on 12/21 - Auditors confirm progress in last 48 hours and we are awaiting their follow up as to any additional needs.
  • At risk of not meeting two deadlines
    • Bond Trustee filing - December 27th
    • PDE Filing - December 31st
  • Consulted with bond counsel and Charter Schools Office to verify that missing deadlines will not result in automatic defaults

 

ACH Payment Breach

Email Phishing scam targeted at KIPP DuBois Charter

  • ACH Payment request made via email
  • KPPS policy not followed by Accounting
  • Manager-double verification not received
  • Police Report filed and Insurance Claim made for $72K loss
  • Claim likely to be paid out based on nature of the incident

CFO/Controller Search Update

 

 

Real Estate Update

D.

Governance

S. Wilson Jones updated the Board on: 

 

BOARD RECRUITMENT

  • Pipeline refresh occurring and potential candidate discussions held (3 held to date)
  • Continue to identify potential candidates with:
    • Higher education background
    • Higher education finance/accounting,
    • KIPP alum and KIPP family
    • PLEASE look at your network and provide potential candidates
  • Identified additional groups and/or organizations to connect with to source potential Board and/or committee members currently under review
  • Identifying KIPP alum candidates as well as parent candidates - meet with these individuals shortly after the new year.

 

BOARD SELF ASSESSMENT

 

  • Governance Committee reviewing categories for a baseline self assessment
  • Reviewed Board assessment available in BoardonTracK (BOT
  • Governance Committee members are completing the BOT assessment to pilot and determine if it will work for our Board and
  • Plan to conduct baseline assessment (Board, Committee and Individual) with the end of SY22-23

V. Information

A.

Public Comment

I. Gasiorowski updated the Board on:

 

  • A parent visitor who wanted to express an interest in seeing an increase of Science & Social Studies in the Elementary School. 
  • We are working with the school principals on the curriculum to figure out how Science & Social Studies and possibilities of scheduling them in the Elementary Schools. 
  • Parent also expressed the principal is really attentive to the students & supportive of the growth of the kids and his staff.

B.

New Business

None

C.

Old Business

S. Wilson Jones informed the Board that Board goals are still being finalized and will come with the final budget.

 

N. Wiltshire asked what will be required by the board to consider the budget finalized.

B. Cummings responded that when the numbers and adjustments add up and everything looks great they will accept it as satisfactorily finalized.

 

 

D.

Announcements

VI. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

H. Richman made a motion to Adjourn the meeting.
C. Johnson seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 5:34 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
S. Wilson Jones