Resolution

To: Members of The School Reform Commission

From: Natalie Hess, Deputy, Specialized Services

Date: July 06, 2017

Subject: Contract with Catapult Learning, Inc. - ru Alternative

Special Education Program

Resolved, that the School Reform Commission acting in its capacity as Board of Directors of the
Philadelphia Intermediate Unit 26 (IU-26), authorizes ru-26, through the Executive Director or his
designee, to execute, deliver and perform a contract with Catapult Learning, Inc. to provide an
Alternative Special Education Program for students with disabilities in grades K through 12, and
primarily for students with emotional disturbance and with severe disabilities, for an amount not to
exceed $10,050,000, for the period commencing July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2020.

Description of Project

This resolution is to request authorization to contract with CatapUlt Learning, Inc., to provide a full-time
alternative special education program for students with disabilities in grades K through 12. This
Philadelphia Intermediate Unit (IV) alternative special education program shall be designed to
specifically fit the needs of students with disabilities and shall have strong academic, behavioral,
transition from school to work, and therapeutic related services programs.

The purpose ofthis resolution is to allow the District to contract with a full-time alternative special
education program provider, Catapult Learning, Inc. (Catapult), to provide programming to students
previously served by Wordsworth and other students whose needs may be met by the program.
Catapult's Philadelphia Intermediate Unit (ill) Program (ru Program) shall be designed to specifically
fit the needs of students with disabilities and shall have strong academic, behavioral, transition from
school to work, and therapeutic related services programs.

The program will begin on September 5, 2017 and follow the ru calendar each year, providing the
requisite number of scheduled school and staff days. The ru Program shall begin serving 100 students
in the 2017-18 school year, prioritizing their placement in existing, functioning District schools. During
a three (3) year term, the Contractor shall train personnel from the School District to fully staff and
operate the program, and transition the site location and program over to the ru as a fully functioning ru
program for students with special needs, staffed by School District personnel.

The ru Alternative Special Education Program shall function as a dynamic best-practices training
facility for School District teachers and staff, and as a model special education program for the
Delaware Valley region.

Justification

The ru Program shall begin serving 100 students in the 2017-18 school year as determined by the
student's individualized education program. During the three (3) year term, Catapult shall train
personnel from the School District to be able to fully staff and operate the ru Program. The goal is to
 transition the ru Program to the District as a fully functioning ru Program for students with special
needs, staffed by School District personnel. The ru Alternative Special Education Program shall
function as a dynamic best-practices training facility for School District teachers and staff, and as a
model special education program for the Delaware Valley region.

Approximately 106 students are currently being served at Wordsworth, located at 2101 Pennsylvania
Avenue in Fort Washington, PA. The District's contract with Wordsworth expires June 30, 2017, and
the District is not renewing the contract for next school year. Students attending Wordsworth will need
to be served by the District, either through their neighborhood school, at another private school
placement, or through the IV Program. 78% of the students at Wordsworth currently have a primary
diagnosis of emotional disturbance (ED), 18% have a diagnosis of intellectual disability (ID), 4% have a
diagnosis of autism (AUT), 2% have a diagnosis of specific learning disability (SLD), and 2% have a
disability of multiple disabilities (MD). In addition, some of these students have secondary disabilities.
This means that some of the students may be ED and SLD, some are ED and ID, and so forth. Because
these students have unique and special needs, the least restrictive environment may be through the IV
Program. The Office of Specialized Services will be notifYing the parents of the students who will be
affected by this decision, and reviewing a continuum of services available through the District's current
programs, the new IV Program, and possible out-of-district placements. The student's IEP team will
then convene to review the data and make an appropriate placement determination for the student. No
student will be required to attend the Program.

The proposed IV Program would enable the district to serve Philadelphia resident students in a less
restrictive environment than their current placement. Students will be able to attend school closer to
their home and have a greater possibility of attending classes with their general education peers. The
intent is not to create a separate program, but to create programs in multiple locations that will use
District curriculum with a focus on teaching students the skills they need to be educated in the least
restrictive environment. The goal will be to have students attend parts of the school day with general
education peers. Students will be taught using the District's core curriculum and the students will have
access to District extracurricular programs and activities.This resolution is also addressing a district
need to serve our special education students per the student's IEP. The District currently places many
students with special needs in approved private schools (APS), because their needs are ooique and
partiCUlar and unable to be served by conventional School District programs. APSs are often located in
isolated areas or far away from the city's center, sometimes resulting in a two-hour commute for
students. The School District wants to be able to offer high quality programming for Philadelphia
students in Philadelphia and in facilities that also include general education programs. This IV program
will help us accomplish that goal.

The District is creating the IV Program to accomplish the following:

Give Students More Opportunities for Academic Success, Graduation and a Career in the least
restrictive environment:
*Focus on quality academic instruction by using the District's core curriculum to allow students to
graduate with credits from the District and focus on employment and job readiness.
*Allow for more academic instruction in the least restrictive environment by allow high school students
to attend the program within a current District high school.
*Better serve student with particular needs by partnering with community behavioral health service
providers.
*Focus on employment and job readiness.

Provide Needed Services to Help Students Transition Back into General education School settings
where they can interact with peers and participate in District activities:
*Specialized instruction based on the student's area of disability, rather than grouping all disabilities
together.
*Teach students the critical skills and curriculum needed to be successful by integrating students back
into the general education curriculum.
*Provide opportunities for partial integration and transition back into the general education setting, with
the staff ofthe program working collaboratively with the District to develop those types oftransition
plans.

Train principals, teachers and staff to Better Support Students:

*Train Principals, teachers and staff to use positive behavior support strategies with hands-on delivery
and real-time modeling of evidence-based practices.
*Video archive professional development training for best-practice coaching for district teachers.
*Support one-on-one teacher instruction so that students' academic growth is increased which will allow
for quicker return to the general education curriculum.
*Train District employees in the procedures and best-practices of the program, as specified budgeted
amount in the contract, so that the District may begin to place its own employees in the program,
eventually resulting in complete hand-over of the program to the District.

Reduce travel time for Students by Bringing Them Back to the District:
*Reduce transportation time for students by allowing them to remain within the District boundaries.
*Increasing interaction with other students by giving them access to other district programs and
activities.

Increase Accountability by monitoring the ill Program:

*Ongoing regular monitoring and evaluation ofthe program by an OSS Director and assigned case
manager(s).
*Regular submission of IEP progress reports, behavior reports, and academic reports of students in the
program.
*Providing more participation by the parent in the IEP team process due to closer proximity of the
program.
*Allowing District coordinators and specialists to participate in the IEP team making decisions.
*Use of a common illP system to allow for instant inspection of all relevant documents to ensure
compliance with federal and state regulations.
*Welcome, encourage, and expect frequent monitoring and oversight by the District in the provision of
servIces.

Catapult was selected through a competitive process, by way of Request for Proposal (REP), No. 546,
issued by the School District's Office of Procurement Services on April 26, 2017.

MfWBE Participation Level

Contractor has met the required range as shown on the attached MWBE Participation Plan Form.

Vendor Goal Level: 10% to 15 %

Vendor Commitment Level: 10

Evaluation Method

Goal #1: The Contractor shall be ready to open a fulling functioning ill Alternative Special Education
Program for 100 students by the start of the 201712018 school year.

Goal #2: Students enrolled in the Contractor's program shall make significant and measurable academic
progress on IEP goals. .

Goal #3: Students enrolled in the Contractor's program shall reduce disruptive behaviors and achieve the
behavior goals on their IEPs.

Goal #4: Students shall have improved attendance rates after entering the Contractor's program, and
student overall rates of attendance shall be at par or exceed the attendance rates of students attending
School District schools.

Goal #5: Students shall make appropriate transitional (from school to work) progress in compliance
with IEP goals.

Goal #6: The Contractor shall transition students enrolled in its program back to their neighborhood
schools or to less restrictive environments when appropriate to do so, and shall follow appropriate
procedures when transitioning students to the least restrictive environment.

Goal #7: All students enrolled in the Contractor's program shall have compliant IEPs after the
appropriate enrollment time-period. The Contractor shall comply with the School District IEP
management protocols and deadlines and prepare IEPs with relevant present level data and measurable
annual goals.

Goal #8: The Contractor shall provide quality professional development to ru selected School District
teachers and support staff.

ABC Code(s)

2017-2018 - $3,350,000.00 -1901-005-9580-1272-3221

2018-2019 - $3,350,000.00 - 1901-005-9580-1272-3221
2019-2020 - $3,350,000.00 - 1901-005-9580-1272-3221

Prepared by: Margaret A Hazel, Dir, Out Of District Placement, Office Of Specialized Services
Approved by: Natalie Hess, Deputy, Specialized Services, Cheryl J Logan, Sponsoring Executive -
Academics Support, Richard K Brown, Small Business Development, Miles H Shore, General
Counsel, Uri Z Monson, Budget Director, William R Bite, Chief Executive Officer

Attachments
Click to download and review the attachments.

ABC Code Information

ABC Code Source Amount
1901-005-9580-1272-3221 2017-2018 $3,350,000.00
 1901-005-9580-1272-3221 2018-2019 $3,350,000.00
1901-005-9580-1272-3221 2019-2020 $3,350,000.00
Total: $10,050,000.00

VendlOlr Information
Vendor Start Date End Date Amount
Catapult Learning 07/01/2017 06/30/2020 $10,050,000.00
Total: $10,050,000.00

Fuudls DJistJrillmtiou Information

SCNumber ABC Code I Source Amount
Catapult Learning
578781 1901-005-9580-1272-3221 I $3,350,000.00
2017-2018
578781 1901-005-9580-1272-3221 I $3,350,000.00
2019-2020
578781 1901-005-9580-1272-3221 I $3,350,000.00
2018-2019
Catapult Learning's Total: $10,050,000.00
Total: $10,050,000.00