| Readiness Schools will have increased flexibility and autonomy in five key areas.
Curriculum
Budget
Staffing
School Schedule and Calendar
School District Policies
Each district or group proposing to establish a Readiness School will take part in a locally-based approval process to develop the specific ways these five areas of flexibility and autonomy will be implemented. The approval process will consist of:
the development of a prospectus, which will be subject to an initial review by district leadership;
the development of a master agreement, consisting of the Readiness School's performance contract, a school-based work agreement, and a school-based policy agreement;
in the case of a conversion of an existing school, a faculty vote on the master agreement;
final approval of the master agreement by the local school committee; and
review by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) through oversight and monitoring of organization and implementation.
The performance contract that Readiness Schools operate under is intended to address multiple measures of school performance and school success, such as:
student achievement of academic content;
application of content knowledge to solving novel problems;
ability to communicate persuasively orally and in written form;
building a college-going culture, including at the elementary and middle school levels;
promoting student health and wellness, including socio-emotional development;
increasing faculty, student, and family engagement and satisfaction; and
promoting a positive school culture.
The performance contract will be developed in consultation with district leadership, school faculty and staff, parents, and the Readiness School's partner organizations, as applicable, and will be approved by local school committees.
The Readiness Schools initiative seeks to promote three broad categories of schools.
Readiness Alliance Schools: Readiness Alliance Schools are schools that will implement the five key areas of flexibility and autonomy through comprehensive partnerships between K-12 school districts and external partners, such as those listed above. The external partner(s) will play a central role in the design, implementation, and management of the school's master agreement, and will be held accountable for meeting the requirements of
the performance contract for Readiness Alliance Schools.
example: Partnerships between a school district and a college or university, community-based organization, charter school operator, or education management organization to create or convert a school -- and in which the external partner(s) will play a major role in development and implementation -- typically would fall under this category.
Readiness Advantage Schools: Readiness Advantage Schools are schools in which school faculty and leadership primarily will be responsible for developing the school's master agreement and implementing the five key areas of autonomy and flexibility. Advantage Schools may include collaborations with external partners that will support the school's design, but school leadership will be accountable for meeting the requirements of the performance contract.
example: Schools in which existing school leadership and staff seek flexibility and autonomy to implement practices and programs that address the school's unique needs; teacher-led schools in which faculty assume greater leadership responsibilities over a school's programs and practices; and schools that feature external partnerships that support, but are not central to, the school's design typically would fall under this category.
Readiness Acceleration Schools: Readiness Acceleration Schools will be conversions of existing public schools designated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Acceleration Schools are designed to promote and support rapid improvement and, in some cases, will feature partnerships between a school and an external partner that will play a central role in developing the school's master agreement, implementing the five areas of autonomy and flexibility, and meeting the requirements of the performance contract. The Department will provide targeted assistance and support to Acceleration Schools.
This request for proposals will support preliminary planning grants to school districts interested in establishing Readiness Advantage and Readiness Alliance Schools only.
Preliminary Planning Grants will provide grantees with funds to explore the feasibility of establishing Readiness Advantage or Readiness Alliance Schools. The goal of the preliminary planning process is to enable grantees (and as applicable, their partners) to develop an initial plan related to the establishment of one or more Readiness Schools.
The initial plan should indicate:
which school or schools the district intends to establish as or convert to a Readiness School;
whether the school will be a Readiness Advantage or Readiness Alliance School;
which external partners, if applicable, will be involved in the creation or conversion of the school;
specific issues or challenges at the school that will be addressed or improved by providing more autonomy and flexibility;
a preliminary assessment of how the school will incorporate the five areas of flexibility and autonomy into its design; and
a preliminary description of the process that will be used to ensure that appropriate stakeholders are involved in the subsequent design of the school.
Funding priority will be given to districts that are able to demonstrate a commitment to the development of an initial plan for September 2009 submission.
After initial plans are developed, grantees should use these plans to support comprehensive design and early implementation activities over the course of the 2009-2010 school year.
The Department intends to engage the first cohort of district and school participants of potential Readiness Alliance Schools and Readiness Advantage Schools in ongoing formative study to inform future expansion and development of the Readiness Schools initiative in the Commonwealth. | 
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