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Innovative Schools: Agency Report

Donna Tuohey
Wilmington University












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Mission
Innovative Schools is a non-profit resource center for Delaware public schools. Founded
in 2002, the organization serves the State of Delaware as a local intermediary and public schools
as an on-the-ground partner. Innovative Schools researches highly successful programs around
the country that align with the States direction and initiatives. IS then works with national
partners to customize and replicate these initiatives in Delaware. Innovative Schools works
directly with local schools and districts to help implement best practice programs effectively
within their building, customizing initiatives based on the schools unique circumstances
(InnovativeSchools, 2014). Innovative Schools supports student improvement and accomplishes
its mission of delivering programs that provide efficient schools, dynamic leaders and
exceptional education through services offered in its three divisions:
School Leadership Division: The Delaware Leadership Project (DLP) is Delawares first
state-approved alternate route to principal certification. It is designed to attract, develop,
graduate, and support an elite cohort of outstanding school leaders each year. In addition to DLP,
Innovative Schools also provides teacher and staff recruitment and screening services for schools
to ensure qualified and committed candidates.
School Design Division: The School Design Division researches top performing school
models from around the country to Delaware with the purposing of implementation in public or
charter schools. As a Charter Management Organization, Innovative Schools partners with
Founding Boards to navigate charter authorization and launch high quality, deeper learning
charter schools. Innovative Schools works with four deeper learning school designs from around
the country that can serve as the foundation for the new charter schools academic program. In
addition, Innovative Schools provides direct technical assistance through the charter application
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process. Innovative Schools serves as the Charter Management Organization until the schools
first charter renewal.
The School Solutions Division: The third division of IS provides hiring and staffing for
back office support such as accounting, payroll and IT services. By streamlining administrative
functions, IS allows more money to be directed towards the teachers and students.
Demographics
Innovative Schools provides education related services to schools serving students in
grades K-12 in both public and charter schools in all three Delaware counties. IS does not serve a
specific demographic or population. Each of Innovative Schools three divisions target specific
areas of education and seek to provide services in school leadership, administrative support and
as a charter management organization.
The Delaware Leadership Project targets teachers and administrators who are striving to
become principles within public and charter schools. The admissions process for entry into DLP
is competitive and requires candidates to have a Masters degree in any field from an accredited
college or university, current teaching certification and at least three years of teaching
experience. The program is designed to cultivate high performing school leaders and includes an
intensive five week experience designed to transition participants mindset from that of teacher
to school leader. The Summer Intensive also serves an extension of the interview process. DPL
also included a ten month paid residency experience on a school leadership team. Successful
graduates must be willing to commit, in writing, to working in a high need Delaware public
school for three years upon graduation from the program.
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The School Design division works with Founding Boards striving to open a new charter
school and need assistance with charter authorization. Founding Boards can contract with
Innovative Schools to complete the charter application process, obtain funding, staffing and
adaption of a deeper learning model. IS determines the recipients of their services by vetting
applications from Founding Boards based on the strength of the Founding Board, the need of the
community in which the proposed school would be placed, and the strength of the school
concept. In addition to establishing charter schools, IS provides workshops and training to public
and charter school staff implementing Project Based Learning.
The School Solutions division contracts with public and charter schools preferring to
outsource administrative positions such as accounting, human resources and pay roll
responsibilities. IS provides staffing for administrative roles allowing schools to save money by
not hiring full time staff and directing more money into the classrooms (S, Taylor, personnel
communication, June 12, 2014).
Policies and Procedures
Innovative Schools was launched in 2002 to respond to the consistent challenge among
charter schools to locate and finance adequate facilities for their students. The organization went
through significant transition, growing it from one service division from 2002 to 2008 with a
focus on administrative services for Delawares charter schools, to the three service divisions it
now operates for both charter schools and school districts. Today, Innovative Schools programs
serve 19 of the states 24 charter schools and eight of the 19 school districts. The organization
has been able to add a significant amount of comprehensive, high quality programming through
its Innovative School Model and Innovative School Staffing divisions by building relationships
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with nationally recognized non-profit education reform organizations to create localized
replications of their programs in Delaware. Innovative Schools is currently in the process of
revising the agencys policies and procedures due to an increase in staff and expansion of new
programs in the past several years.
Innovative Schools employee handbook outlines policies relating to staff employment,
leave, pay, benefits, harassment policy, work schedules, acceptable use policy and attendance. IS
does not have a written policy manual outlining agency administration policies. Program
administration is the responsibility of the Chief Executive Office whom each of the three
divisions Chief report to regarding program management and operations. Each division appears
to be administered separate from the other divisions; however, each has a shared mission of
providing quality and innovative solutions for Delawares public and charter schools.
Structure
The organizational structure of Innovative Schools is led by an Executive Chairman. The
Executive Chairman reports to a Board of Directors and oversees the agencys finances, structure
and ensures the agencys services and staff remains aligned with the mission and vision. The
agencys Chief Executive Officer reports to the Executive Chairman and provides direct
supervision of all staff and is involved in the daily operations of Innovative Schools three
divisions.
The School Models division is led by a Chief Operating Officer responsible for
overseeing the agencys finances, contracts management and human resources. The Chief
Operating Officer oversees staff responsible for academic services, business services,
professional development and staff recruitment. The School Staffing division is led by a Chief
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Program Chair who is responsible for developing and implementing the Delaware Leadership
Program. The School Solutions division is led by a Chief Schools Officer. The CSO is
responsible for planning, launching and running all schools under contract or under direct charter
management oversight. Each division Chief oversees a staff of four to eight employees and
consultants.
Innovative Schools Organizational Chart

Board of
Directors
Chief of Schools
Officer
School
Operations Staff
Chief Program
Officer
DLP Staff
Chief Operating
Officer
School Design
Staff
Administrative
Staff
Executive
Chairman
Chief Executive
Officer
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Governance
Governance of the agency starts with the Board of Directors who oversees the finances
and structure of the organization. The boards role and legal obligation is to oversee the
administration of the organization and ensure that the organization fulfills its mission. Board
members monitor, guide, and enable good management but are not involved in daily operations
and direct management. The board has decision-making powers regarding matters of policy,
direction, strategy, and governance of the organization. Some of the responsibilities of the
agencys Board of Directors are:
Formulating policies and strategic goals, focusing both on short-term and long-term
challenges and opportunities.
Authorize major transactions or other actions.
Oversee matters critical to the integrity of the organization not decisions or approvals
about specific matters, which is managements rolebut instead those involving
fundamental matters such as the viability of its model, the integrity of its internal systems
and controls, and the accuracy of its financial statements.
Evaluate and help manage risk.
Manage the resources of the organization for the longer run, by carefully reviewing
annual budgets and evaluating operations and encouraging foresight through several
budget cycles.
Provide networking opportunities, resources, advice and introductions to help facilitate
operations.
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The Board of Directors meets quarterly and includes members of the community who work
in education, private business, law and nonprofit (D. Downs, personnel communication, June
17, 2014).
Funding
Innovative Schools relies on grants from several sources to maintain operations and
programs. IS receives a yearly grant and has a sponsorship from the Rodel Foundation of
Delaware. Rodel provides the majority of ISs operational funding. IS receives grants from
nonprofit organizations and for profit companies such as JP Morgan, Capitol One, The
Longwood Foundation, The Welfare Foundation , United Way and several various funders. IS
also receives funding as a charter management organization (CMO). Founding Boards engaged
in starting a new charter school contract with IS to complete the charter application, adapt a
deeper learning model, and acquire facilities and staffing of the new charter school. Innovative
Schools will assist Charter Boards in applying for grants to pay for CMO services.
IS provides contracted services such as school administration recruitment and staffing
services for both public and charter schools. Additional funding is obtained through the Project
Based Learning workshops given by IS staff to public and charter school staff and paid for by the
schools. Innovative Schools is actively researching and applying for over 30 grants at any given
time throughout the year to support agency operations, staffing and programs.
Relationship to other Agencies
Innovative Schools strives to form partnerships with all public and charter schools
throughout Delaware. Over seven districts throughout the state have partnered with IS to adapt
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Project Based Learning, fill administrative positions through the school staffing program, mentor
and hire graduates from the Delaware Leadership Program to become principles. The agency has
acted as a CMO to twenty two charter schools throughout Delaware. In addition to local schools,
IS has partnered with out of state organizations such as the New York City Leadership program
to adapt the Delaware Leadership Program. IS also formed a partnership with the Buck Institute
for Education to adapt the Project Based Learning program that has been instituted in over
eleven DE schools.
Acting as a CMO to new charter schools, Innovative Schools works with the Founding
Boards to research and adapt a deeper learning model. IS has partnered with four national school
design models: Big Picture Learning Model, Early College High School Model, Expeditionary
Learning Model and New Tech High School model. Innovative Schools assists Charter Boards
with researching, touring and adapting the appropriate deeper learning model to fit the needs of
the charter schools target population.
The Innovative School Model Initiative is a signature education program started by
Innovative Schools and supported through a close partnership with United Way of
Delaware. The program is a statewide strategy to launch a network of twenty-five deeper
learning schools in Delaware by 2016. To accomplish this goal, Innovative Schools and United
Way are working to build a fund of nearly $4 million by 2016, through investments from
businesses, foundations and individuals, that can be issued as grants to Delaware public schools
that wish to replicate deeper learning models in place of their traditional academic program.

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Strengths, Trends and Challenges
Strengths: Education and programing for youth are highly supported and valued by all
areas of the community. The agency does not have a target or specific demographic/population
and is not limited to focusing services on a core group. Funding resources and opportunities are
abundant for education related programs and improving education for children is easy to sell to
funders. Innovative Schools services are not focused on addressing a complex and controversial
social issue such as poverty, homelessness, racism or violence related issues. Complex social
issues can be difficult to obtain support and funding and often invoke a strong opinion. Most
people agree on children receiving a quality education and will support programs that provide
those services. In addition, the staff at IS are highly dedicated and experienced professionals who
are passionate about education.
Challenges: Even though funding opportunities are abundant for programs providing
education related services, IS is a nonprofit and dependent on grants for survival. There are many
organizations providing services targeted at improving education for children; competition for
grants can be difficult. Funders want to know how the agencys services have a direct and
measurable impact on students. IS program, Project Based Learning, does not have an
assessment tool to determine the impact and outcomes when implemented in a school. The
agency does not provide direct services to students which can also make analyzing the
effectiveness of their programs and services difficult.
Trends: In recent years there has been an increased interest in education reform. Parents
that are unsatisfied with public education are looking to alternative forms of education for their
children. Interest in a charter school education has increased in Delaware as a way for parents to
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help their children succeed outside of traditional standardized public education. Charter schools
can present parents with an opportunity for their children to learn in a more individualized,
innovative and modern environment.
Internship Role
As an intern I have found the agency staff to be receptive and open to including me in
daily operations and projects. The majority of the staff is experienced teachers and educators
who have a passion for teaching. I have felt comfortable asking questions and receiving
knowledgeable and sincere answers. The staff has been welcoming and has treated my role as an
intern much like a staff member. The agency does not regularly have interns and does not have
specific or assigned tasks for interns. I have been assigned a site supervisor whom I meet with
daily to discuss the days projects, meetings and follow up on completed tasks. My role as an
intern has been to provide assistance to staff in areas of grant research, planning for workshops
and training, creating data bases and assisting with the development of a communications plan. It
appears the role of an intern within the agency is viewed by staff and administration as
supportive and beneficial for the agency.





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Reference
Innovative Schools (2014). Retrieved on June 15, 2014. From
http://www.innovativeschools.org/contact-us.