Georgia Connections Academy
ANNUAL REPORT
December 2019
Prepared by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts Greg S. Griffin, State Auditor

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Table of Contents
Enrollment & Attendance..................................................................................................................................1 School Enrollment ................................................................................................................................2 Student Attendance..............................................................................................................................5 Attrition..................................................................................................................................................... 6 Student Persistence..............................................................................................................................8 Student Engagement......................................................................................................................... 11
Academic Achievement, 2018-19 School Year ...................................................................................... 13 College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) ..................................................... 14 School-Specific Academic Goals ................................................................................................... 17 Alternative Academic Options ...................................................................................................... 18
Academic Achievement, 2017-18 School Year ...................................................................................... 22 Beating the Odds Analysis .............................................................................................................. 24 Comprehensive Performance Framework Academic Measures .................................... 24 Comparison of Academic Growth Prior to Placement ........................................................ 26 Comparison of Academic Achievement Prior to Placement............................................. 29
Management & Staffing ................................................................................................................................... 34 Agreements for Corporate Management Services................................................................ 35 Governance and Management ...................................................................................................... 36 Staffing and Teacher Qualifications............................................................................................ 39 Development Plans for Leadership without Certification ................................................ 42
Operations & Planning..................................................................................................................................... 43 School Finances .................................................................................................................................. 44 Innovative Practices and Implementation .............................................................................. 47
APPENDIX A: Georgia Connections Academy's Educational Products and Services Agreement ............................................................................................................................................................ 49
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Enrollment & Attendance
Georgia public schools are responsible for tracking and reporting data for student enrollment and attendance. This section contains enrollment, attendance, and various statistics which indicate the level of student participation at Georgia Connections Academy. Key points in this section include:

3,987

3,885

4,370

2016-17 2017-18 2018-19

Statewide Avg

52%

Connections

67%

0 to 5 absences 6 to 15 16+

Connections' total enrollment has been between 3,800 and 4,400 students annually, and demographics are similar to Georgia's public school students. The exception is the school's significantly lower percentage of economically disadvantaged students in the 2018-19 school year.
Student attendance at Connections is higher than most schools, with 67% of students missing five or fewer days in 2018-19. The variance may be partially attributed to the methodology Connections uses to calculate attendance, which is necessarily different than a traditional brick-and-mortar school. This variance can also be attributed to the ease of access to education associated with virtual schools.

29%

32%

35%

2016-17 2017-18 2018-19

Approximately 35% of students withdrew before the end of the 2018-19 school year, with many transferring to another Georgia public school or to home school. The school's student mobility rate, which captures enrollments and withdrawals between October and May, was approximately 49%, higher than the statewide median rate in recent years of 16%.

100%

50%

0%

5

7

9

11

Successful Unsuccessful Incomplete

74%

25%

1%

Of students who completed the 2017-18 school year at Connections, approximately 66% returned the following year. The retention rates were highest in high school, reaching approximately 80% for those in 10th grade in 2017-18.
In the 2018-2019 school year, the overall course segment completion rate was 99%, with completion rates generally higher as the student grade level increased. Across all grade levels, the rate of students completing courses with a passing grade was 74% and the rate with failing grades was 25%.

Exempt Alarm

Approaching Alarm

On Track

Connections measures student engagement by tracking factors such as attendance, frequency of assignment submissions, frequency of teacher contact, and others. During the 2018-19 school year, approximately 23% of students were deemed in need of some type of intervention due to these measures.

1

School Enrollment
Connections, which serves grades six through twelve, had 4,370 students in the 201819 school year.1 This was approximately 12% more than the 2017-18 school year, despite not having any students in elementary grades.2 As shown in Exhibit 1, the number of students in most of the subgroups tracked by the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) was similar over years 2016-17 and 2017-18. Female students, Hispanic students, and economically disadvantaged increased most significantly in school year 2018-19.

Exhibit 1

Connections enrollment, 2016-17 to 2018-19 school years

2016-17

2017-18

Total Students

3,987

3,885

2018-19 4,370

Gender Male Female

1,859 2,128

1,794 2,091

1,891 2,479

Race Hispanic American Indian Asian Black Pacific Islander White Two or More Races

298 11 94
1,380 4
1,992 208

308 15 76
1,343 2
1,931 210

347 16 76
1,477 11
2,196 247

Other Subgroups

Student with Disabilities

416

448

English Language Learners

20

21

Economically Disadvantaged1

1,765

1,123

1 GaDOE defines economically disadvantaged as the number of students eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. However, Connections does not serve lunch. 2 For the 2018-19 school year, United States Department of Education approved the Charter School Poverty Rate Formula, which GaDOE used to calculate the poverty level for Connections. This formula allows poverty to be calculated from direct certified numbers that can be verified.

Source: GaDOE student enrollment records

477 43
2,2122

Connections has a racially diverse student population, somewhat similar to the demographics of Georgia's public school students. As shown in Exhibit 2, Connections' student body has a greater portion of white students and students of two or more races than the statewide enrollment and a smaller portion of Hispanic and Asian students in 2018-19.

1 For school funding purposes, student enrollment is captured during October and March full-time equivalent (FTE) counts. GaDOE uses the October count when reporting enrollment for a school year. 2 The new charter for Connections (effective July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2021) stipulates that the school serves grades 6-12. Elementary grades were dropped for the 2018-19 school year. Subsequent performance reviews by the State Charter Schools Commission have allowed Connections to gradually add elementary grades back, beginning in the 2019-20 school year with 5th grade and 4th grade in school year 2020-21.
2

Exhibit 2 White students represent a greater portion of Connections' enrollment, 2018-19 school year1
Connections Statewide

50% 39%

37% 34%

16% 8%

2% 4%

6% 4%

White

Black

Hispanic

Asian

Two or More Races

1Total enrollment for American Indian and Pacific Islander students was less than 1% each.
Source: GaDOE student enrollment records

When looking at the other subgroups identified in federal law, Connections had a similar portion of students with a disability as the statewide public school population. However, the portion who were English language learners or economically disadvantaged was significantly lower than the statewide population. As shown in Exhibit 3, only 1% of Connections students were English language learners, compared to 8% statewide in 2018-19. The school's economically disadvantaged population was 40%, compared to 60% statewide.

Exhibit 3 Connections has a smaller percentage of economically disadvantaged students enrolled, 2018-19 school year
Connections Statewide

60%

40%

11% 12%

8% 1%

Students with Disabilities

English Language Learners

Source: GaDOE student enrollment records

Economically Disadvantaged

3

As shown in Exhibit 4, most Connections students are from metropolitan Atlanta, with more than 500 enrolled students residing in the Gwinnett school district, and between 251-500 in Cobb, Clayton, DeKalb, and Fulton school districts. All but 13 school districts have residents enrolled at Connections. Exhibit 4 Students enrolled at Connections are primarily located in the Atlanta metropolitan area, 2018-19 school year1
1 In addition to the state's 180 public school districts, the map shows Fort Benning and Fort Stewart as separate school districts. Some students were removed because they did not have a complete physical address on file.
4

Student Attendance
Student attendance is one predictor of academic performance in school. Low attendance rates are associated with decreased achievement in school and higher high school dropout rates. Measuring attendance in a traditional, brick-and-mortar school is relatively straightforward: a student is present if they are present in the classroom. Attendance in a virtual environment is less obvious. Because students may attend live lessons, view recorded lessons, or work offline, virtual schools may use a variety of methods to gauge attendance. Typical considerations include assignments submitted, teacher interactions, login data, and self-reported records provided by students or their learning coach (i.e., adult monitoring the student at home).

Connections calculates attendance based on submissions made by the learning coach. Connections asks that the learning coach enter attendance daily. According to GaDOE standards, students in the 6th - 12th grades are expected to complete 28 hours of school per week. Connections employs an attendance coordinator who compares attendance reported by the student's learning coach with student logins, assignment submissions, and teacher interactions. If the attendance coordinator determines that student logins and assignment submissions are not compatible with the attendance records submitted by the learning coach, the coordinator can adjust the student's recorded attendance.

Exhibit 5 Connections' student absences increased in 2018-19 school year, but remains lower than statewide rates in 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years1

CONNECTIONS

STATEWIDE2

0 to 5 Absences 6 to 15 16+

0 to 5 Absences 6 to 15 16+

11.8% 9.2%

13.8% 10.7%

18.6% 14.5%

11.2% 35.8%

11.9% 36.6%

79.0%

75.5%

67.0%

53.1%

51.6%

2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019

2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019

1 The percentages GOSA reports are rounded, and therefore may not total exactly 100.0% for each school in each year. 2 Statewide data for the 2018-19 school year is not available as of publication. Source: Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) Attendance Data and GaDOE student enrollment records

For each school's annual report card, the Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) calculates the percentage of students who missed five or fewer days of school, 6 to 15 days, and 16 or more days. Because GOSA's calculation for 2018-19 will not be available until after publication, we used GaDOE student records data to calculate Connections' attendance rate for the 2018-19 school year. In the 2018-19 school year, approximately 67% of Connections students missed five or fewer days of school, 15%

5

missed between 6 and 15 days, and 19% missed 16 or more days. Attendance has declined slightly from the 2016-17 school year as shown below. However, Connections' attendance has been higher than the statewide rates in 2016-17 and 2017-18 (see Exhibit 5). While not yet available for the 2018-19 school year, statewide attendance rates for each year are relatively stable.
Attrition
Virtual charter schools normally experience a high amount of student mobility, or attrition through withdrawals. Withdrawals serve as the basis to calculate school attrition, which refers to students who are enrolled in school but withdraw prior to the end of the school year. In a virtual school, some students withdraw because they determine that they are not well-suited for a virtual education, lacking the discipline or educational support at home. Others may have enrolled to satisfy temporary needs (e.g., health issues, extracurricular activities, family issues) without an intention to remain in the school throughout the year. Regardless of the reason for withdrawals, changing schools can negatively impact student performance. Curriculum can vary among school districts and different teachers and classrooms move at different paces.
As shown in Exhibit 6, the percentage of students that withdrew from Connections before the end of the school year increased from 29% in 2016-17 to 35% in 2018-19. In the 2018-19 school year, Connections recorded a total of 5,539 enrollments and 1,919 withdrawals.
Exhibit 6 Connections' withdrawal rate increased each year over school years 2016-17 through 2018-19
35% 32% 29%

2016-17 Source: GaDOE student enrollment records

2017-18

2018-19

As shown in Exhibit 7, 46% of withdrawals from Connections during the 2018-19 school year were students transferring to another state public school. This was the most common reason for withdrawals in each of the last three years, with annual withdrawals of 600 to 900 students. At 17% in 2018-19, an increasing portion of withdrawals are due to lack of attendance. The portion of withdrawals for those opting for homeschooling (shown as "attend home study" in Exhibit 8) declined in

6

2018-19 to 14%. Home study decreased from 299 students in 2016-17 to 264 students in 2018-19.
Exhibit 7 Reported reasons for student withdrawal from Connections 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19 school years

Transfer to GA Public School

Lack of Attendance Attend Home Study
Unknown Adult Education/Post Secondary
Transfer Out of State Transfer to GA Private School
Other

17% 15% 13%
14% 25%
21%
11% 9%
12%
5% 3%
5%
4% 4.5% 4%
3% 5%
3%
0.3% 0.4% 1%

46% 39%
42%

2018-19 Source: GaDOE student enrollment records

2017-18

2016-17

GOSA also calculates a student mobility rate based on entries and withdrawals during the school year. GOSA determines this student mobility rate, also known as a "churn" rate, for all Georgia schools. The rate measures the percentage of a school's students who entered or withdrew from a school between the October FTE count date and May 1st. Because the churn rate also includes students who entered school in its calculation, it is slightly different from the withdrawal rate. Because GOSA's calculation will not be available until after publication of this report, we used GaDOE student records data along with GOSA's formula to calculate Connections' mobility rate for 2018-19.

As shown in Exhibit 8, Connections had a student mobility rate of 48% during the 2018-19 school year. The rate is slightly higher than the previous school year. While the statewide average mobility rate for 2018-19 is not yet available, it was 16% in both the 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years. Research indicates that virtual schools generally have higher turnover rates than brick-and-mortar schools.

7

Exhibit 8 Connections' student mobility rate increased each school year and is over double the statewide median, 2016-17 to 2018-191 school years

Connections Statewide Median

47%

48%

41%

16%

16%

2016-17

2017-18

2018-19

1 As of publication, GOSA statewide results are not available for the 2018-19 school year. Source: GaDOE student enrollment records and GOSA mobility analysis

Student Persistence
Student persistence is the act of continuing towards an educational goal. It is a measure generally used in the postsecondary education environment, when students can more easily discontinue their education. Student persistence can be measured by a year-to-year retention rate for a school and can provide a proxy measure for students' satisfaction with the learning environment at their school.
We found that 66% of students who completed grades 5 through 11 in the 2017-18 school year returned the following year. High school students were more likely than middle school students to remain at Connections across the two years (Exhibit 9). The retention rates per grade level range from 53% in 5th and 8th grade to 80% in 10th grade.
Exhibit 9 Between 53% and 80% of students in each grade level returned to Connections in 2018-19

Elementary

Middle

High

68%

74%

80%

78%

53%

57%

53%

5

6

7

8

Source: GaDOE student enrollment records

9

10

11

8

We also examined the persistence of students who are likely old enough to discontinue their education non-graduating seniors. In the 2017-18 school year there were 428 Connections students in the 12th grade. While the majority (76%) graduated in 2017-18 and another 13% withdrew, 11% of students did not graduate or withdraw. Of those non-graduating seniors, 5% (20) re-enrolled at Connections the following year, and 6% (27) did not re-enroll (see Exhibit 10).
Exhibit 10 5% of Non-Graduating Seniors re-enrolled in 2018-19, 6% did not re-enroll

6% 5% 13%
76%

Graduated Withdrew Other: Re-enrolled in 18-19 Other: Did not Re-enroll in 18-19

Source: GaDOE student enrollment records
We found that an additional 3% (13) of 2017-18 seniors graduated in 2018-19, bringing the graduation rate to 79% over two years (see Exhibit 11). Another 0.7% (3) of students withdrew in 2018-19, bringing the withdrawal rate to 13.7%.
Exhibit 11 79% of the 2017-18 senior cohort graduated from Connections and 14% withdrew

Graduated

76%

3%

Withdrew 13% 0.7% Source: GaDOE student enrollment records

9

Course Segment Completion Rate
Given student mobility and attrition, not all students will complete their enrolled courses. GaDOE data does not permit a determination of the percentage of students who complete a course, but we were able to determine the portion that complete a course segment. A yearlong course will often have two segments (first and second semester). Completing a single segment in a multi-segment course does not result in academic credit; a passing grade in the final segment is required.
In the 2018-19 school year, the course segment completion rate was 99% (see Exhibit 12), with rates for grade levels ranging from 97.5% to 99.7%. The rate of students completing courses with a passing grade (i.e., successful completions) was 74% across all grade levels, ranging from 71% in 9th and 10th grade to 86% in 12th grade. The percentage of students who completed the course with a failing grade (i.e., unsuccessful completions) was highest in 9th and 10th grades at 28%.
Exhibit 12 Connections students completed nearly all course segments, but about 25% with a failing grade, in school year 2018-19
Successful Unsuccessful Incomplete

13%

25%

25%

26%

25%

28%

28%

26%

86%

74%

72%

73%

74%

71%

71%

74%

All

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Grade Level

Source: GaDOE course records

The rates of completion and success for Connections students for school year 201819 are similar to those for school year 2017-18 (see Exhibit 13). The completion rate increased in the second year for each grade level, while the rate of successful completions decreased overall. Grades six and eight saw an increase in passing grades, but the remaining grades show slight decreases in passing grades.

10

Exhibit 13 Percent of completed course segments increased in 2018-19, while percent of successful course segments decreased

COMPLETE

SUCCESSFUL

2017-18 2018-19

2017-18 2018-19

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

All

All

6

6

7

7

8

8

9

9

10

10

11

11

12

12

Source: GaDOE course records
Student Engagement
Student engagement is the degree to which students are attentive and interested in their coursework, and engaged students are more likely to perform well in school. Common measures of engagement, such as students raising their hands to pose or answer questions, participating in class discussion, or interacting with teachers in the classroom, are not available in an online environment. As such, virtual schools must develop systems to define and capture student engagement.
Connections measures student engagement through an "Escalation System" developed by the school. The system places students into one of three categories--on track, approaching alarm, and alarm--based on factors such as attendance, frequency of assignment submissions, frequency of contact with a teacher, and others. If a student consistently submits assignments, interacts with teachers, and has grades over the required percentage, the student in on track. Students who do not meet the standards are moved into approaching alarm status, with continued non-compliance leading to a student being placed into alarm status.
During the 2018-19 school year, 3,764 students were tracked in Connections' Escalation System. As shown in Exhibit 14, Connections reported that 74% remained on track as of April 1, 2019. The approaching alarm and alarm categories had 12% and 11.5% of students, respectively. Approximately 3% of students were exempt from the system due to being enrolled for fewer than 21 days. The performance was similar to the 2017-18 results.

11

Exhibit 14 Most students at Connections are reported to be engaged in coursework and submitting materials on time, 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years

2017-18

74%

11% 11.3% 3.4%

2018-19

74%

12% 11.5% 2.7%

On Track Approaching Alarm Source: Connections Escalation Report System

Alarm

Exempt

12

Academic Achievement, 2018-19 School Year
Charter schools are expected to use their flexibility from certain state and local rules to raise student achievement. There are numerous methods used to measure academic achievement in Georgia's public schools. Some academic performance data for the 2018-19 school year was not available in time for inclusion in this report. For those measures, we report 2017-18 data in a subsequent section on page 22.
Key points in this section include:

Connections Statewide Average
Single Score Middle High Overall Overall Score Score

Connections' 2018-19 College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) single score was lower than the state average. However, Connections' middle school scores were slightly higher than, or similar to the state average. The school's high school scores were lower than the state average.

Single Score MIDDLE Overall Content Mastery
Progress Closing Gaps
Readiness HIGH Overall Content Mastery
Progress Closing Gaps
Readiness Grad Rate
67% 66% 75%
E & K12 Middle High

In addition to the single score and overall scores, CCRPI contains several sub-scores for each grade band (elementary, middle, and high), including: content mastery, progress, closing gaps, and readiness. When looking at the change in sub-scores from 201718 CCRPI to 2018-19 CCRPI, we found that while Connections improved in four sub-scores, most sub-scores decreased in the 2018-19 year.

Local School CCRPI is Higher

Alternate options for students enrolled at Connections include attending a local district school, home school, or private school. Most students enrolled in 2018-19 live close to a traditional, brickand-mortar public school with a CCRPI score higher than Connections.

5 34%
4 44%

The majority of Connections students enrolled in 2018-19 live near a local district school with a climate rating of 4 or 5; the climate rating scale is from 1 (low) to 5 (high).

Public Home Private

Over 80% of Connections' new students in 2018-19 previously attended another Georgia public school. Some new students transferred from home school (13%) and private school (5%).

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College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI)
The College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) is an accountability tool the state uses to measure performance and hold schools accountable for student achievement. The CCRPI provides multiple measures of student performance. GaDOE redesigned the framework for measuring and reporting CCRPI and implemented the new methodology beginning in 2017-18.

CCRPI is comprised of four main indicators used to assess students in multiple areas. All students are assessed based on content mastery, progress, closing gaps, and readiness. An additional assessment, a graduation rate, is also included for fourthand fifth- year high school students. Exhibit 15 shows each of the CCRPI indicators and the measures used to score each indicator.

Exhibit 15

CCRPI indicators and measures, 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years

Indicator

Description

Weights (E, M, H)

Content Mastery

Performance on the Georgia Milestones Assessment and the Georgia Alternate Assessment in ELA, mathematics, science, and social studies.

30% 30% 30%

Progress

Amount of growth a student has demonstrated relative to academically-similar students in ELA and mathematics, as well as English learners' progress toward language proficiency.

35% 35% 30%

Closing Gaps

Based on CCRPI improvement targets for academic

achievement, represented by improvement flags, in order to show that all students and all subgroups of

15%

15%

10%

students continue to make improvements.

Percent of students that show readiness in the

certain areas:

Elementary & Middle: literacy, attendance, and

Readiness

Beyond the Core (earning a passing score in fine

20% 20% 15%

arts or world language);

High: literacy, attendance, accelerated enrollment,

pathway completion, and college/career readiness.

Graduation Rate

Percent of 12th grade students that graduate in four or five years.

n/a

n/a

15%

Source: GaDOE Accountability Division

GaDOE calculates a score for each CCRPI indicator and an overall score for each school, as well as an overall single score for each district. Connections' single CCRPI score for 2018-19 (69.2) is lower than the state average (75.9); the state average is Connections' "comparison district" for charter purposes because it is a statewide school.

Connections' overall CCRPI score for middle school (72.4) is slightly higher than the state average (72.1), while the overall score for high school (66.2) is lower than the state average (77), as shown in Exhibit 16.

14

Exhibit 16 Connections and Statewide Average 2018-19 CCRPI Scores
Connections Statewide Average

75.9 69.2

72.4 72.1

77 66.2

Single Score

Middle Overall Score

Source: GaDOE Accountability Division

High Overall Score

Middle School Connections' overall score for middle school is higher than the state (see Exhibit 17). The school's component scores are mixed in relation to the statewide averages. Connections and the state scored equally in readiness, and Connections has lower scores in content mastery and progress compared to the state. For content mastery by subject, middle school students are above the state average in ELA and social studies but below the state average math and science. For the progress indicator, students were above the state average in the amount of growth shown in ELA but lower in math. Finally, the readiness score for middle school students is equal to the state average.
Exhibit 17 Connections' middle school CCRPI scores are similar to the state average in most sub scores, 2018-19 school year
Connections Statewide Average

72.4 72.1

65.3 66.3

80.3 69.3

80.0 50.0

82.9 82.9

Overall Score Content Mastery Progress

Closing Gaps

Readiness

15

CONTENT MASTERY

74.5 66.3

67.9 57.0

59.2 61.3

69.1 66.8

PROGRESS

89.1 83.6

83.1 71.9

ELA

Math

Science Social Studies

ELA

Source: GaDOE Accountability Division

Math

High School The school's overall CCRPI score and score for each component is below state high school scores, as shown in Exhibit 18. For content mastery, Connections' scores were above the state average in ELA but lower in all other subjects. In progress, students were slightly below the state average in the amount of growth shown in ELA, and further below math when compared to the growth of academically-similar students. Finally, both the high school readiness score and graduation rate are much lower than the state numbers.

Exhibit 18 Connections' high school CCRPI scores are lower than the state average, 2018-19 school year

Connections Statewide Average

77.0 66.2

65.1 69.4

80.5 82.1

80.0 63.8

74.5 59.4

82.6 48.4

Overall Score Content Mastery Progress Closing Gaps Readiness Graduation Rate

CONTENT MASTERY

86.7 75.2

63.5 51.5

66.5 59.2

72.4 62.9

PROGRESS

80.3 82.7

82.8 58.4

ELA

Math

Science Social Studies

ELA

Math

Source: GaDOE Accountability Division

16

Exhibit 19 below shows the change in Connections' CCRPI scores from the 2017-18 school year to 2018-19. In eight of the twelve scores shown, including the single score, Connections' performance decreased. The remaining four scores content mastery in middle school, closing gaps in middle school, high school readiness and graduation rate, increased in 2018-19. The state's scores mostly improved, with only four scores decreasing the single score, middle school overall score, middle school closing gaps, and high school progress.

Exhibit 19 Majority of CCRPI scores decreased at Connections, majority improved statewide, 2017-18 school year to 2018-19 school year

CHANGE FROM 17-18 TO 18-19

-10

-5

0

5

10

MIDDLE

SINGLE SCORE OVERALL SCORE CONTENT MASTERY
PROGRESS CLOSING GAPS*
READINESS OVERALL SCORE CONTENT MASTERY
PROGRESS CLOSING GAPS*
READINESS GRADUATION RATE

HIGH

Connections Source: GaDOE Accountability Division

Statewide Average

School-Specific Academic Goals
In addition to academic measures listed above, Connections has established an internal academic goal in its charter. The Connections charter includes the goal that 75% of graduating seniors that have completed their Post-Secondary Option Dataview should be accepted to at least one of their post-secondary options (twoyear college, four-year college, vocational school, or military service). Connections reported to SCSC that it met the graduating senior measure in the 2018-19 school year.

17

Alternative Academic Options
Students enrolled at Connections have several alternatives for obtaining an education, including attending a local district school, private school, or home school. The availability of these options may vary for some students.
Local District School Students enrolled at Connections have the option of attending one of 2,200 public schools throughout the state. These schools are operated by the 180 school districts (159 county, 21 city) and are available to students who live within the school's attendance zone. These schools are publicly funded and available to all students.
Most Connections students live near a local district school with a higher CCRPI score.3 As shown in Exhibit 20, this is true for elementary4, K12, middle, and high schools. We found that 28% of middle school students' local schools had a CCRPI at least 10 points higher. The number was 33% for high school students, and 20% for those that matched to a local elementary or K12 school. It should be noted that the CCRPI is only one measure of a school, and there can be other reasons that a student chooses not to attend a local district school.
Exhibit 20 Most Connections students live close to a local school district public school with a higher CCRPI score, 2018-19 scores

33% 0%

0-10 Higher 10+ Higher
23% 11%

0-10 Lower 10+ Lower 21% 4%

20%
47% Elementary & K12 Source: DOAA analysis

28% 38%
Middle School

33% 42%
High School

3 The student's zoned district school is not reported; therefore, we determined the local school district school that is closest to the home address of approximately 5,500 Connections students. We excluded schools not open to all students in a specific zone (e.g., magnet schools) and other special schools (e.g., alternative schools, residential treatment facilities). 4 Connections did not have any elementary students (grades K-5) in 2018-19. However, some Connections students in grades 6-8 live nearest an elementary school that includes those grades.
18

GaDOE also uses survey information obtained from students, parents, and school employees to assign each local school district school a climate rating. The climate rating is based on the following:
Attendance Frequency of students' unexcused absences and frequency of employee leave
Discipline In-school and out-of-school suspensions, as well as alternative school assignments and expulsions
Safe and Substance Free Frequency of physical, bullying/harassment, and drug-related incidents
Climate Perception Survey of students, parents, and employees about the school
As shown in Exhibit 21, almost 80% of Connections students live close to a school with a school climate rating of four or five. The ratings range from one (lowest) to five (highest). As a virtual school, Connections does not receive a school climate rating.
Exhibit 21 Most Connections students live close to a local school district public school with a climate rating of 4 or 5, 2018-19 school year

12

5 34%

3% 4% 3 15%

4 44%
GaDOE and Georgia Connections Academy
Availability of Private Schools Some students enrolled at Connections may have the option to attend one of more than 600 private schools. Private schools are available in 110 Georgia counties. Fulton and DeKalb counties have a combined 135 private schools, 21% of all private schools in the state. Forty-five counties have a single private school.
Private schools charge tuition and may have various attendance restrictions, limiting the option for many students. The cost of attending a private school in Georgia ranges from approximately $1,250 to $32,000 per year, though scholarships may be available for qualifying students. In addition, the private schools in Georgia may restrict attendance eligibility based on grade level (e.g., K-5), religious affiliation, gender, or any other criteria that fits their mission.
19

Home School Some students at Connections may have the option to be home schooled. As shown in Exhibit 22, over 10% of students entering and exiting Connections are transitioning between home school and virtual school.
In order for a student to be home schooled in Georgia, state law requires parents or guardians who wish to teach their children at home to have a high school diploma or GED at minimum and annually declare their intent to homeschool to GaDOE. At least 180 days instruction (a minimum of 4.5 hours of per day) must be completed annually unless the child is physically unable to comply with this requirement. Home study programs are to include a minimum of the following five content areas: mathematics, English language arts, science, social studies, and reading. Students are required to participate in a nationally standardized testing program administered by a person trained in the administration and interpretation of such tests; the student must be evaluated at least every three years beginning at the end of third grade.
The costs of home schooling vary depending on a variety of factors, such as the method (e.g. being taught by a parent only or participating in a cooperative home school with other students), curriculum purchased, and number of children in the home being home schooled (the more students, the lower the cost per student). Students may also require textbooks, school supplies, extracurricular activity fees and/or computer equipment. The National Home Education Research Institute estimates homeschool families spend an average of $600 per student annually for their education.
Students' Previous School Locations Using student enrollment records, we also identified where Connections' students previously received their education. Of 3,985 new student enrollments in 2018-19, 83% (3,116) transferred from another Georgia public school (see Exhibit 22). Approximately 12% (474) transferred from home schools, while another 4.5% (181) transferred from a private school. The remaining new students were in other categories, such as transferring from schools in another state or country. Exhibit 22 also shows that 46% of students leaving Connections in 2018-19 transferred to a Georgia public school. Almost 15% transferred to home school, and 3% to private school.5
5 The remaining students that withdrew were removed for lack of attendance, transferred out of state, pursued post-secondary education, or withdrew for other reasons.
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Exhibit 22 Most students that transferred to Connections were from another public school, 2018-19
83%

46%

12% 14%

5% 3%

GA Public School

Home School

Private School

Entered From Transferred To

Source: GaDOE student enrollment records

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Academic Achievement, 2017-18 School Year
Charter schools are expected to use their flexibility from certain state and local rules to raise student achievement. There are numerous methods used to measure academic achievement in Georgia's public schools. For the academic measures below, 2018-19 school year data was not available in time for inclusion in this report. Therefore, we reported results from the 2017-18 academic year.
Key points in this section include:

0.0525

-0.0986

-0.0609

Elementary Middle

High

The 2017-18 value added impact score for Connections is lower than its comparison district (the statewide average) for elementary and middle school grades but higher in high school.

75

Predicted

In comparison to similar schools during the 2017-18 school

67.5

Score

year, Connections' CCRPI score was higher than the predicted

Actual Score score. Therefore, the school was not designated as Beating the

Odds.
60

96/100 =
Meets Academic Standards
Change in Growth Scores 36% 34% 24% 29%
35% 33% 47% 48% ELA 1 ELA 2 Math 1 Math 2 Declined Remained Stable Improved

Connections scored 96 of 100 points in the State Charter School Commission's Comprehensive Performance Framework review of its academic performance in the 2017-18 school year. Connections also met its school-specific goal in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years.
Change in students' growth scores after one or two years at Connections varied by subject. English Language Arts (ELA) growth scores were generally stable or improved after time at Connections, while math scores generally declined.

Change in Achievement Scores 61% 57% 58% 56% 59% 50% 53% 50%

Improvement and decline in students' achievement scores after one or two years at Connections varied by subject. However, across all subjects and cohorts at least half of students' scores remained stable after time at Connections. English Language Arts (ELA) and social studies scores showed more improvement than math and science scores.

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Value-Added Model
The Value-Added Model (VAM) established by the Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) measures the ability of state charter schools to positively impact student performance. The VAM controls for demographic, academic, and socioeconomic factors so that student achievement can be attributed to the school. After controlling for certain factors, the VAM calculates a predicted score for each student. The difference between the predicted and actual score is the school's impact on the student's achievement.

The analysis consists of a two-step process to get the final value-added measurement. The first step is to find the difference between a student's actual score and their predicted score. For each student, a predicted score is calculated based on the student's characteristics, the student's previous test scores, and the student's school characteristics. For each school, the difference between the predicted and actual scores for all students is averaged. In the second step, the scores are weighted to account for the unique populations that each school serves. The model has separate estimates by grade level and subject. A negative value-added measurement denotes that the actual scores for the students were lower than the predicted scores and a positive score denotes the opposite. The state average value-added effect is zero and it is used as the comparison district for virtual schools since they serve students across the state.

As shown in Exhibit 23, Connections' value-added impact score was lower than the statewide average for elementary and middle schools, as well as the subject grouping for those grades. (Connections did not have an elementary school in the 2018-19 school year.) Connections' value-added impact score was higher in most high school subjects. The impact score exceeded the statewide average in 9th grade Literature and American Literature, was not statistically different in Algebra 1, and was lower in Geometry.

Exhibit 23

Connections' 2017-18 Value-Added impact scores are only higher than the

statewide average for high school students, 2017-18 school year

Grade Band

Value-Added

Impact Relative to

Subject or Course Elementary

Impact Score -0.0986

Statewide Average Lower

English Language Arts

-0.0942

Lower

Math Middle

-0.1586 -0.0609

Lower Lower

English Language Arts

-0.0258

No Statistical Difference

Math High
9th Grade Literature

-0.1787 0.0525 0.1909

Lower Higher Higher

American Literature

0.1612

Higher

Algebra 1 Geometry

-0.0484 -0.1370

No Statistical Difference Lower

Source: GSU report for the State Charter Schools Commission

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Beating the Odds Analysis
The Beating the Odds (BTO) analysis established by GOSA is an outcome measure that compares charter schools' performance on the CCRPI with the performance of similar schools. The BTO model also calculates a predicted score and range (confidence interval) for each school based on demographic characteristics. The characteristics used in the 2017-18 comparison include the following:
Percentage of female students Percentage of students in certain races/ethnicities (including Asian,
Black, Hispanic, and Multi-racial) Percentage of students with disabilities Percentage of English language learners Percentage of economically disadvantaged students Student mobility rates School grade cluster Whether the school is traditional or non-traditional School size: the model splits schools into three size groups for small (0 to
500 students), medium (501 to 1,000 students), and large (over 1,000 students) schools because there was a large difference in variability between small and large schools.
The BTO analysis includes only those students counted in the October full-time equivalent (FTE) count. The school will receive a score of "Below Expected Range" if the score is below the predicted range, "Within Expected Range" if the score falls within the predicted range, or "Beating the Odds" if the score is above the predicted range. Given that the analysis controls for certain characteristics, a school with a relatively low CCRPI could be Beating the Odds.
For the 2017-18 school year, Connections was classified as Beating the Odds. Connections' CCRPI score was 73.1, which was higher than the predicted score range of 62.78 69.22. In the previous school year, Connections was found to not be Beating the Odds.
Comprehensive Performance Framework Academic Measures
The State Charter Schools Commission (SCSC) conducts annual performance reviews of all state charter schools. The Comprehensive Performance Framework contains the performance standards each charter school is evaluated against in three sections operational performance, financial performance, and academic performance. The SCSC uses each year's CPF results to inform charter renewal.
Connections' academic performance results for the 2017-18 school year are shown in Exhibit 24 below. The first indicator looks at whether the school is meeting state improvement targets, and if the school is on a targeted improvement list. Connections earned 0 of 4 points because it failed to meet 100% of those targets and was on an improvement list. The second indicator looks at different CCRPI sub-scores. To earn the full 96 points the school must perform above the level of the comparison district (in Connections' case the comparison district is the statewide average) in one of the
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listed measures. To earn partial (60) points for any measure, the school must be performing the same as or above its comparison district in at least one of the grade bands served. Connections earned 60 points for the CCRPI Progress Sub-Score and the CCRPI Grade Band Score. Connections earned 60 of 96 points for this indicator.

The CPF also provides "second look criteria" as another way for schools to earn the full 96 student achievement and growth points. Connections earned 96 points because GaDOE designated the school as Beating the Odds in the 2017-18 school year. SCSC takes the highest score from the latter two sections. As a result, Connections met SCSC academic standards in the 2017-18 school year.

Exhibit 24

SCSC determined that Connections met academic standards in the 2017-18 school

year

CPF Academic Performance Indicators and Measures

Available Points

Points Earned

First Look Criteria

Indicator 1: State and Federal Accountability Systems

4

0

Measure 1a: the school did not receive any points because it did not meet 100% of School Improvement Targets.

2

0

Measure 1b: the school did not receive any points because it

was designated as TSI, CSI or Turnaround Eligible by GaDOE or

2

0

GOSA.

Indicator 2: Student Achievement and Student Growth

96

60

CCRPI Content Mastery Sub-Score was lower than that of its comparison district(s) in all grade bands served.

96

0

CCRPI Progress Sub-Score was the same as or higher than the district(s) it serves in at least one but not all grade bands served.

96

60

CCRPI Grade Band Score was the same as or higher than the district(s) it serves in at least one but not all grade bands served.

96

60

Second Look Criteria

Indicator 2: Student Achievement and Student Growth

96

96

CCRPI Single Score was lower than that of its comparison district(s).

96

0

Value-Added Impact Score was not statistically higher than that of its comparison district(s) in all grade bands served.

96

0

Was designated as Beating the Odds by GaDOE.

96

96

Total Points
Source: State Charter Schools Commission 2017-18 CPF results

100

96

25

Student growth percentile levels
Low 1-34 Typical 35-65 High 66-99

Comparison of Academic Growth Prior to Placement
Academic growth indicates how a student has progressed academically over time. GaDOE uses the student growth percentile (SGP) to describe student academic growth relative to academically-similar students across the state. Using state assessment scores, GaDOE compares the change in a student's performance from one year to the next in relation to other students with similar scores in the initial year. Regardless of their initial assessment score, all students are able to demonstrate growth or decline in relation to other students who started with a similar initial score. Student growth levels range from 1 to 99, with higher percentiles representing more academic growth.
Cohort Analysis Methodology
To compare academic growth prior to entering Connections and after time at Connections, we conducted cohort analyses for two subsets of Connections students.
First Year: The first group includes students that entered Connections in 2016-17. We compared their SGP results for 2015-16 (labeled "Brick & Mortar" in exhibits) to their SGP results in 2016-17 (labeled "Connections" in exhibits).
Second Year: The second group also includes students that entered Connections in 2016-17. We compared their SGP results for 2015-16 ("Brick & Mortar") to scores in 2017-18, or their second year at Connections.
For each subject and cohort, we analyzed results two ways: Student-level change: First, we looked at the change in each student's SGP level over the period to determine if their SGP level declined, remained stable, or improved. Distribution change: Then, we looked at the distribution of the entire sample's SGP levels between low, typical, and high growth before and after time at Connections.
Note: The sample sizes for each subject area and cohort are slightly different because we matched on the SGP results. Students may not have SGP results in each subject for each school year. In addition, some Connections students in the first-year cohort are not enrolled in year two.
We analyzed cohorts of students to determine the extent to which levels improved after the students attended Connections (see text box). A decrease in the percentage in the "low growth" level and/or an increase in the percentage in the "high growth" level indicates improvement, while the opposite indicates decline. Comparing the cohorts also allows us to see if more time at Connections has an effect on SGP levels.
Academic Growth: English Language Arts The first- and second-year groups performed similarly in English Language Arts (ELA) SGP levels when comparing brick-and-mortar results to Connections results.
First Year: As shown in Exhibit 25, 35% of students improved their ELA SGP levels in their first year at Connections, while 30% remained stable, and 36% declined. In addition, the distributions of low, typical, and high growth preand post-Connections are similar. At their brick-and-mortar schools, 37% of students' SGP was "low," 27% "typical," and 36% "high." At Connections, the percentage in low and high percentiles decreased, and the percentage in the typical range increased.

26

Exhibit 25 35% of students' ELA growth levels improved after first year at Connections
Declined Remained Stable Improved

35.8%

29.6%

34.6%

BRICK & MORTAR CONNECTIONS

Low Typical High

37.4%

26.8%

34.9%

33%

35.8% 32.1%

Source: GaDOE Assessment Data
Second Year: Exhibit 26 shows that 34% of students' ELA SGP levels improved in their second year at Connections and 33% remained stable and declined. The distribution of SGP levels for low and typical changed from the brick-and-mortar schools to Connections. The percentage of students in low growth percentiles increased approximately 4% and typical SGPs decreased by the same amount.
Exhibit 26 34% of students' ELA growth levels improved after second year at Connections
Declined Remained Stable Improved

33.2%

33.2%

33.7%

Low Typical High

BRICK & MORTAR

36.3%

28.9%

34.7%

CONNECTIONS

40.5%

24.7%

34.7%

Source: GaDOE Assessment Data

Academic Growth: Math Students were more likely to have lower academic growth at Connections than they had in their brick-and-mortar schools, though the second-year group performed slightly better than the first-year group.

First Year: Exhibit 27 shows that 47% of students' math SGP levels declined after their first year at Connections, while only 24% improved. The distribution of low, typical, and high growth SGP also shows lower performance. The proportion of low growth SGP increased from 39% while at the brick-and-mortar schools to 56% at Connections. The percentage of typical growth remained similar, and the proportion of high growth SGP decreased from 34% to 17% after year one at Connections.

27

Exhibit 27 47% of students' math growth levels declined after first year at Connections
Declined Remained Stable Improved

46.6%

29.4%

24%

Low Typical High

BRICK & MORTAR CONNECTIONS

38.7% 55.9%

27.7%

33.6%

27.4%

16.7%

Source: GaDOE Assessment Data
Second Year: As shown in Exhibit 28, 48% of students' math SGP levels declined after their second year at Connections, while 29% improved and 23% remained stable. The distribution of low, typical, and high growth SGP also indicates declining performance. The proportion of low growth SGP increased from 34% at the brick-and-mortar schools to 49% at Connections. The high growth group decreased from 41% at brick-and-mortar schools to 22% at Connections.

Exhibit 28 Almost half of students' math growth levels declined after two years at Connections
Declined Remained Stable Improved

48%

22.9%

29.1%

Low Typical High

BRICK & MORTAR CONNECTIONS

34.3% 49.1%

24.6%

41.1%

29.1%

21.7%

Source: GaDOE Assessment Data

28

Milestones Assessment System Achievement Levels
Beginning learner does not yet demonstrate proficiency; needs substantial academic support.
Developing learner demonstrates partial proficiency; needs additional academic support.
Proficient learner demonstrates proficiency; is prepared for the next grade level/course.
Distinguished learner demonstrates advanced proficiency; is well prepared for the next grade level/course.

Comparison of Academic Achievement Prior to Placement
The state uses the Georgia Milestones Assessment System to measure student achievement in grades 3 through 12. The Milestones tests measure how well students have learned the knowledge and skills outlined in the state content standards for core content areas. Students in grades 3 through 8 take an end-of-grade assessment in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics, and students in grades 5 through 8 also take an end-of-grade assessment in science and social studies. High school students take an end-of-course assessment for each of the ten courses designated by the State Board of Education.6
Based on Milestones tests, students may be placed into one of four achievement levels: beginning learner, developing learner, proficient learner, or distinguished learner. Student assessment scores are reported by grade and subject for the state, school system, and school. We analyzed cohorts of students to determine the extent to which scores improved after the students attended Connections (see methodology text box). A decrease in the percentage of beginning and developing learner achievement levels and/or an increase in the percentage of proficient and distinguished learners indicates improvement, while the opposite indicates decline. Comparing the two cohorts also allows us to see if more time at Connections has an effect on achievement levels.
Cohort Analysis Methodology
In order to compare academic achievement prior to entering Connections and after time at Connections, we conducted cohort analyses for two subsets of Connections students.
First Year: The first group includes students that entered Connections in 2016-17. We compared their milestone assessment results for 2015-16 (labeled "Brick & Mortar" in exhibits) to their SGP results in 2016-17 (labeled "Connections" in exhibits).
Second Year: The second group also includes students that entered Connections in 201617. We compared their milestone assessment results for 2015-16 ("Brick & Mortar") to scores in 2017-18, or their second year at Connections.
For each subject and cohort, we analyzed results two ways. Student-level change: first we looked at the change in each student's achievement levels over the period of time to determine if their level declined, remained stable, or improved. Distribution change: Then, we looked at the distribution of the entire sample's achievement levels between beginning, developing, proficient, and distinguished learners before and after time at Connections.
Note: The sample sizes for each subject area and cohort are slightly different because we matched on the milestone assessment results. Students may not have these results in each subject for each school year. In addition, some Connections students in the first-year cohort are not enrolled in year two.
Academic Achievement: English Language Arts Students had slightly better performance in their first year at Connections than in their brick-and-mortar schools, while the second-year cohort clearly performed
6 The ten courses include: ninth grade literature and composition, American literature and composition, algebra I/coordinate algebra, geometry/analytic geometry, biology, physical science, United States history, and economics/business/free enterprise. These tests serve as a final exam for the course and contribute 20% to the final grade for the course.
29

better. Compared to the first-year group, the second-year students had a higher percentage of improved students, lower percentage of declined students, and a higher combined total of proficient and distinguished learners.

First Year: The majority of students' achievement levels remained stable after one year at Connections, though more students had an improved level than a declining level. As shown in Exhibit 29, the combined percentage beginning and developing learners remained the same between the brickand-mortar schools and Connections.

Exhibit 29 61.5% of ELA achievement levels remained stable after one year at Connections
Declined Remained Stable Improved

15.8%

61.5%

22.7%

Beginning Developing Proficient Distinguished

BRICK & MORTAR CONNECTIONS

21.3% 15.8%

Source: GaDOE Assessment Data

33.6% 39%

39%

6%

37.4%

7.9%

Second Year: Exhibit 30 shows that the majority of students' achievement levels remained stable after two years at Connections; however, 29% improved and only 13% declined. The combined percentage of proficient and distinguished learners increased from 42% at brick-and-mortar schools to 51% at Connections.

Exhibit 30 57% of ELA achievement levels remained stable after two years at Connections
Declined Remained Stable Improved

13.4%

57.3%

29.3%

Beginning Developing Proficient Distinguished

BRICK & MORTAR CONNECTIONS

19.6% 15.6%

38.4% 33%

36.6% 42.4%

5.4% 9%

Source: GaDOE Assessment Data

30

Academic Achievement: Math Students had lower math achievement levels at Connections than they did in their brick-and-mortar schools. The second-year students had lower performance than the first-year group.
First Year: The majority of students' math achievement levels remained stable after one year at Connections, but almost 30% declined and only 15% improved (see Exhibit 31). The combined percentage of beginning and developing learners increased from 66% at the brick-and-mortar schools to 75% at Connections.
Exhibit 31 57.5% of math achievement levels remained stable after one year at Connections
Declined Remained Stable Improved

27.6%

57.5%

14.9%

Beginning Developing Proficient Distinguished

BRICK & MORTAR CONNECTIONS

24.3% 24.1%

42.3% 51.5%

23.1% 10.4% 19.4% 5%

Source: GaDOE Assessment Data

Second Year: Exhibit 32 shows that the majority of students' math achievement levels remained stable after two years at Connections, but 33% declined and only 11% improved. The combined percentage of beginning and developing learners increased from 63% at the brick-and-mortar schools to 71% at Connections.

Exhibit 32 56% of math achievement levels remained stable after two years at Connections
Declined Remained Stable Improved

32.7%

56.1%

11.2%

Beginning Developing Proficient Distinguished

BRICK & MORTAR CONNECTIONS

17.1% 26%

Source: GaDOE Assessment Data

46.5% 45%

23.8% 12.6% 25.7% 3.3%

31

Academic Achievement: Science Students' academic achievement in science was lower in Connections than the brickand-mortar schools for both the first-year and second-year groups. While the secondyear group had a higher percentage of students with improved achievement than the first-year group, more than 30% of students had lower achievement levels in both years.
First Year: As shown in Exhibit 33, almost 60% of students' achievement levels remained stable after one year at Connections, while 32% declined and only 9% improved. In addition, the combined percentage of beginning and developing learners increased from 69% prior to entering Connections to 78% after one year at Connections.

Exhibit 33 Almost 60% of science achievement levels remained stable in student's first year at Connections, while 32% declined
Declined Remained Stable Improved

31.8%

59.1%

9.1%

Beginning Developing Proficient Distinguished

BRICK & MORTAR CONNECTIONS

30.2% 45.5%

Source: GaDOE Assessment Data

38.8% 33.1%

25.2% 5.8% 16.9% 4.5%

Second Year: Half of students' science achievement levels remained stable after two years at Connections, 34% declined, and only 16% improved (see Exhibit 34). The combined percentage of beginning and developing learners increased from 52% at brick-and-mortar schools to 63% at Connections.

Exhibit 34 50% of science achievement levels remained stable in students' second year at Connections, while 34% declined
Declined Remained Stable Improved

33.6%

50%

16.4%

Beginning Developing Proficient Distinguished

B R I C K & M O R T A R 20.3%

CONNECTIONS

25%

Source: GaDOE Assessment Data

32% 38.3%

36.7%

11%

29.7%

7%

32

Academic Achievement: Social Studies Performance in social studies declined in the first year at Connections but was comparable to the brick-and-mortar performance for the second-year students. The second-year group had a higher percentage of students with improved achievement levels. The second-year group also had a lower portion of students in the beginning and developing learners categories.

First Year: As shown in Exhibit 35, over half of students' social studies achievement levels remained stable after one year at Connections while 31.5% declined and 15.5% improved. The combined percentage of beginning and developing learners increased from 66% at brick-and-mortar schools to 76.5% at Connections.

Exhibit 35 Over 50% of social studies achievement levels remained stable after one year at Connections, while 31.5% declined
Declined Remained Stable Improved

31.5%

53%

15.5%

Beginning Developing Proficient Distinguished

BRICK & MORTAR

28.2%

CONNECTIONS

31%

Source: GaDOE Assessment Data

37.5% 45.5%

26.3% 8% 20.2% 3.3%

Second Year: Half of students' achievement levels remained stable after two years at Connections, and 27.5% improved while 22% declined. The combined percentage of beginning and developing learners only slightly increased from approximately 70% at brick-and-mortar schools to 72.5% at Connections. See Exhibit 36.

Exhibit 36 50.5% of social studies achievement levels remained stable after two years at Connections, and 27.5% improved
Declined Remained Stable Improved

22%

50.5%

27.5%

Beginning Developing Proficient Distinguished

BRICK & MORTAR

28.5%

C O N N E C T I O N S 20.2%

Source: GaDOE Assessment Data

42.2% 52.3%

22% 7.3% 22.9% 4.6%

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Management & Staffing
Charter schools, unlike traditional public schools operate under the terms of a charter and are governed by an autonomous non-profit board of directors. This section provides information about Georgia Connections Academy's agreements, governance, staffing, and certification. Key points in this section include:
Connections had an educational services agreement with Connections Education LLC for educational materials, an online platform, staffing, purchasing, and other services in the 2018-19 school year.
A new contract that went into effect in the 2018-19 school year contains provisions that strengthens Connections' governance capabilities. Additionally, the agreement continued to incorporate many of the provisions we consider consistent with best practices for holding education management contractors accountable.
During its 2017-18 review (the most recent available), the State Charter Schools Commission (SCSC) concluded that Connections' governing board met all SCSC standards pertaining to governance.
Connections had 142 employees during the 2018-19 school year (the same as the prior year). While the teaching staff employed by Connections decreased by 6% between 2017-18 and 2018-19, the level of education and experience of the teaching body remained relatively constant. The average teaching experience across instructors was 12 years, and all instructors have a bachelor's degree or higher (60% have a master's degree or higher).
Connections has a policy that those in leadership positions, such as principals and assistant principals, hold Standard Professional Teaching (SRT) and Standard Professional Leadership (SRL) licenses. It also allows those without the necessary certifications upon hire to obtain them within 18 months. One of Connections' five staff in leadership positions does not currently have the required certification. Connections' leadership stated that this staff member is actively pursuing the required certification and still within the 18-month window.
According to the Connections executive director, the school chooses to hire teachers certified in Georgia, with few exceptions. In the 2018-19 school year, all Connections instructors had teacher certification according to GaDOE data.
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Agreements for Corporate Management Services
Charter school governing boards may contract with education management organizations to assist with the school's operation. These corporate entities provide a variety of operational services to public school districts and charter schools. They can provide either comprehensive management or selective services. The scope of services may include educational and administrative services such as accounting, procurement, and reporting.
During the 2018-19 school year, the school board contracted with Connections Education LLC for a broad range of products and services (see Exhibit 37 and Appendix A).7
Exhibit 37 Products and services obtained through agreement with Connections Education LLC in 2018-19 school year Learning Products & Services
License to use online curriculum, technology platform, and other educational materials Lesson plans and instructional materials Computer hardware and software Assessment tests and testing readiness plan
Management & Administrative Services
Supervision, oversight, discipline, and dismissal of teachers (in collaboration with the lead school administrator) Administrative functions including student enrollment and placement, maintenance of student records, and accounting services Human resources services including recruitment, payroll, and benefits administration Continuing professional development and other staff training Public relations and marketing Website and IT Services (Internet access, technical support, and online system maintenance) Financial reporting and budget development Insurance policy oversight Facility and capital equipment procurement and management
Source: Georgia Connections Academy
Learning Products and Services This includes access to the company's education management system and education materials, such as online lesson plans, tutorials, student assessments, computers for teachers and students, and teacher resources used to develop personalized plans for each student. These products and services are used by both teachers and students.
7 Connections has entered into a new agreement with the contractor for the period July 2018 through June 2021, the three-year period of the school's current charter.
35

Management and Administrative Services This includes enrollment and academic placement processing, human resources including payments and benefits administration, financial services, website and IT services, and public relations/marketing. The contractor also recruits, hires, and provides oversight of teachers, administrative staff, and certain clerical and support positions in collaboration with the lead school administrator; however, the agreement states "the governing board has final authority over matters related to hiring, compensation, discipline, termination, and employment policies and procedures." Financial reporting functions, including creation of the annual budget for approval by the board, are handled by the contractor as well.
During fiscal year 2019, the school paid $26.6 million to Connections Education LLC. Approximately one-third of the payments ($9.5 million) were compensation expenses for school staff, which are reimbursed at cost. With limited exceptions, much of the educational products and services are paid for on a per student or per teacher basis, while administrative services are paid as a percentage of governmental revenue.
It should be noted that the contract contains a provision protecting the school against an annual deficit. If the school has an annual deficit and no positive net assets, the contractor provides a credit or cash payment to the school. In fiscal year 2019, Connections Education LLC did not provide a credit to the school.
Governance and Management
Charter schools operate under the leadership of a board that serves as the governing authority of the school. The primary responsibilities of the governing board relate to strategic planning and policymaking, budgeting and fiscal stability, hiring and providing oversight for the school leader, and ensuring accountability. The governing board is also responsible for ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, maintaining records of meetings, committees and policies, and monitoring school achievement. Board members with diverse backgrounds and skills in areas such as education, finance, human resources, and legal affairs can contribute to a board successfully performing its duties.
State law and State Board of Education guidelines establish qualifications for governing board membership and member training requirements. O.C.G.A. 20-22084 requires board members to be a U.S. citizen and Georgia resident, and it prohibits members from being an employee of the school. The law also prohibits board members from being an officer or board member of any organization that sells goods or services to the school. State Board guidelines require board members to receive 15 hours of training in their first year and nine hours each subsequent year. The required training must consist of charter school finance and budgeting, best practices for charter school governance, requirements relating to public records and meetings, and other applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
Connections' by-laws authorize between three and eleven board members (there were five board members in 2017-18). The board president is responsible for overseeing the process for screening applicants for board membership and making
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recommendations to the full board for a member vote. Members are elected to threeyear terms and may serve an unlimited number of successive terms. They are not paid but may be compensated for expenses incurred in connection with their duties. A majority of board members are required to transact business at meetings. The board held 11 meetings during 2017-18.

Comprehensive Performance Framework Governance Measures (2017-18 Results)8 The Operational Performance section of SCSC's Comprehensive Performance Framework (CPF) covers several aspects of charter school operations, including governance. The CPF states that a governing board must provide adequate oversight of school management and operations to ensure that the school is fulfilling its duties to students, employees, parents, and the general public. Given that CPF indicators and measures are incorporated into all charter contracts, a school's CPF standing is a reflection of whether the school has met the requirements and goals set forth in its charter contract, as well as applicable law, and SCSC rules and policies.
The framework consists of four standards for charter school governance as part of its expectations for operational performance. The State Charter Schools Commission (SCSC) concluded that Connections met all standards pertaining to governance in the 2017-18 school year (see Exhibit 38 for results).

Exhibit 38

SCSC Comprehensive Performance Framework Results for Governance, 2017-18

CPF Governance Performance Indicators

Available Points Points Earned

General Governance The school complies with applicable laws

rules, regulations, charter contract provisions and school policies

5

5

relating to board governance.

Open Governance The school complies with the Georgia Open Meetings Act and open records requirements.

5

5

Governance Training The school ensures that all governing board members participate in required trainings.

5

5

Holding Management Accountable The school has adequate

oversight of school management and contractors, including

implementation of the Teacher and Leader Keys Effectiveness Systems, monitoring employee performance, and enforcing

5

5

contractual provisions or terminating the contract of noncompliant

contractors.

Total Points

20

20

Source: State Charter Schools Commission report

Accountability When contracting for education management services, the governing board is responsible for preserving its ability to exercise complete oversight of the school. This requires that agreements include provisions that enable the board to hold the company accountable for performance related to these services. It also requires that the board have the expertise and resources to assess the contractor's performance.

8 Results for the 2018-19 academic year had not yet been released at time of publication.
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Based on our research of best practices for contracting with education management organizations, we compiled a list of provisions that are necessary for governing boards to hold management companies accountable for performance. For example, the agreement should outline the services the school receives in exchange for its fee and give the governing board authority to terminate the agreement if it is not in the best interest of the school. As shown in Exhibit 39, the agreement Connections had in place during the 2018-19 school year contained most key provisions necessary for the board to hold contractors accountable for their performance.

Exhibit 39

Agreement for management & other services contains key provisions, 2018-19

school year

Key Contract Provisions

In Contract

Explanation

Financial

Defines the fee structure, including an

Agreement includes a

explanation of key components used in the

Yes

schedule of fees to be

calculation of the fee amount

negotiated annually.

Agreement requires

Outlines the services the school receives in exchange for its fee

Yes

contractor to provide a breakdown of charges by

September of each year.

Agreement Period

Gives the board authority to terminate the

agreement if it is not in the best interest of the

Yes

school

Does not renew automatically with a new

charter term or continue for a specified time

Yes

period into a new charter term9

Services Ensures that the academic program implemented aligns with Georgia's standards and allows for modifications to address changes in state standards

Yes

Agreement does not specifically address

modifications.

Oversight & Monitoring
Includes an effective contract monitoring system with clearly defined evaluation criteria, performance rewards, and penalties
Source: DOAA Analysis

Agreement authorizes a

No

performance review; but does not clarify the criteria,

rewards, or penalties.

While contract provisions provide a mechanism for governing boards to hold companies accountable, contracting for the management services presents unique challenges for a part-time board. Staff independent of the contractor are necessary to sufficiently monitor a contractor providing a broad of services.

A new contract went into effect in the 2018-19 school year that contains provisions strengthening Connections' governance capabilities. The prior agreement indicated the contractor was responsible for virtually all aspects of school management and

9 The State Charter Schools Commission adopted a rule in January 2019 that prohibits state charter schools from entering multi-year contracts that extend beyond the length of their charter.
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noted the lead school administrator works "primarily under the direction" of a vice president for the contractor (subject to oversight by the school board) and "shall report to [the contractor] as to the operation of the Charter School." While the agreement acknowledged the school's staff was employed by the board, management was not in a position to provide an independent assessment of contractor performance. The agreement in effect for the 2018-19 school year provided clarification that the board of directors is the employer of all school staff with "final authority over matters related to hiring, compensation, discipline, termination, and employment policies and procedures." It also reframes the relationship with the contractor's administration as "collaborative" rather than a reporting relationship and contains clauses that soften the permanency of decisions and responsibilities delegated to the contractor.
Staffing and Teacher Qualifications
Both GaDOE and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) have roles in assessing the qualifications of public school staff. GaDOE requires public school teachers to hold a teaching certificate and a clearance certificate issued by GaPSC. A clearance certificate is issued after completion of a criminal background check, while a teaching certificate has additional educational and testing requirements. All public school teachers--including those in charter schools--are required to have a clearance certificate. Charter schools are permitted to employ instructors without a teaching certificate.
As shown in Exhibit 40, Connections had 142 employees during the 2018-19 school year, the same count as the previous year. Of the staff, 132 were in certified positions10 and 10 in classified positions. Though the majority of certified staff are instructors, certain staff in leadership, special education, and student or instructional support roles have certification as well.11 Ten employees are classified personnel who provide administrative support for the school. They do not provide instruction and are not required to obtain a teaching certificate; however, Connections did have two additional administrative staff with teacher certification in the 2018-19 school year.
10 With limited exceptions, certified positions are occupied by individuals with state certification. Charter schools may employ those without a certificate. 11 While instructors are typically required to be certified, certification for other positions is not uniformly required.
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Exhibit 40 Staffing at Connections, 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years

Personnel Type

2017-18

2018-19

Certified1 Classified Certified Classified

(Total) Superintendent/Asst Superintendent

(132) 1

(10)

(132)

(10)

1

Principal/Asst Principal

4

4

Instructional Supervisor

1

0

Elementary Instructor2

23

2

Middle School Instructor

34

59

Secondary Instructor

47

48

Special Education Instructor

20

9

Other Special Education

2

9

Student Support Services

13

15

Administrative

2

10

2

10

1 With limited exceptions, certified positions are occupied by individuals with state certification. Charter schools

may employ those without a certificate. 2 Connections served grades K-12 in the 2017-18 school year. Connections began operating under a new, three-

year charter that limited the school to grades 6-12 in the 2018-19 school year. Subsequent performance

reviews by the State Charter Schools Commission have allowed Connections to gradually add elementary grades, beginning in the 2019-20 school year with 5th grade and 4th grade in school year 2020-21. The decrease in elementary instructors in 2018-19 reflects this reduction in students served.

Note: Certain staff have multiple assignments that cross categories; therefore, some may be counted in more than one category. As a result, the sum of numbers in the certified column exceeds the column total. Source: GaDOE CPI data

Connections has a policy that those in leadership positions, such as principals and assistant principals, hold Standard Professional Teaching (SRT) and Standard Professional Leadership (SRL) licenses. An SRT is required before an instructor can obtain an SRL, and Connections allows an instructor hired or promoted into a leadership position 18 months to obtain the required SRL certification. In the 201819 school year, Connections had five staff in leadership positions, with four of the five having the required leadership certification. One individual had not yet obtained the required SRL license but was within the 18-month window.

Connections' leadership stated that they choose to hire teachers certified in Georgia, with few exceptions. In the 2018-19 school year, GaDOE data indicates all Connections teachers were Georgia certified. As shown in Exhibit 41, GaDOE data shows that all of Connections instructors have a bachelor's degree or higher. Over half (60%) have a master's degree or higher.

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Exhibit 41 Instructor education level, 2018-19 school year

Education Specialist
(7%)

Doctorate (1%)

Master's (52%)

Bachelor's 40%

Source: GaDOE CPI data
Though the teaching staff employed by Connections decreased by 6% between 201718 and 2018-19, the level of experience remained relatively constant (see Exhibit 42). Less than 15% of Connections instructors had under five years of experience and 23% had over 15 years of experience in the 2018-19 school year. The average teaching experience across instructors was 12 years.
Exhibit 42 Majority of teachers have 6-15 years of experience, 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years
2017-18 2018-19
63% 66%

18% 12%
0-5 years Source: GaDOE CPI data

6-15 years

17% 18% 16-24 years

41

2% 5% 25+ years

Development Plans for Leadership without Certification
Connections has a policy that those hired into leadership positions, such as principals and assistant principals, hold Standard Professional Teaching (SRT) and Standard Professional Leadership (SRL) licenses. Connections allows an instructor hired or promoted into a leadership position 18 months to obtain the required SRL certification. GaDOE data indicates Connections had five staff in leadership positions in the 201819 school year. All five were certified employees, however, only four of the five had leadership certification specifically. One leadership staff had non-renewable leadership certification that expired and is currently pursuing re-certification.
42

Operations & Planning
Charter schools can use their funding to implement innovative or unique programs that are not typically available in traditional public schools. This section discusses Georgia Connections Academy's funding, innovation, and future plans. Key points in this section include:
Connections received 94% of its funding from state funds, which is about 40 percentage points higher than the state average. Like all state charter schools, Connections does not receive local funds.
Compared to the state average, Connections spent a higher percentage of funding on instruction, general administration, and school administration and a lower percentage on pupil services and staff services.
Connections has a per student full-time equivalent (FTE) expenditure of $6,564, approximately 64% of the statewide average. Additionally, when comparing Connections' per-student expenditures and test scores, GOSA rates the school a 3.5. That is higher than 60% of the state's schools.
Connections identified innovative methods to monitor at-risk students and to attempt to get high school students who have entered the school academically behind their student cohort to graduate on time. A "STEAM Academy" has also been initiated to provide further learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.
Connections reported future plans to increase enrollment, improve assessment scores in relation to the state average, improve graduation rates, and to add grades 4 and 5 back into the school (one grade over each of the next two school years). Other future initiatives include formalizing its programming aimed at college and career readiness, increasing participation in dual enrollment, and earning GaDOE certification for its STEAM Academy.
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School Finances
During the 2017, 2018, and 2019 fiscal years, state charter schools received Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding and supplemental state funding from the State Charter Schools Commission (SCSC). The supplemental funds were provided because SCSCchartered schools are not eligible for local funds. Virtual charter schools received two-thirds of the supplemental funding provided to brick-and-mortar schools, did not receive capital funding until fiscal year 2019, and generally received no transportation or nutrition funding.12 In addition, the contract between Connections and its contractor contains a provision protecting the school against an annual deficit. If the school has an annual deficit and no positive net assets, the contractor provides a credit or cash payment to the school. These are shown below as "in-kind contributions" in fiscal years 2017 and 2018. According to financial statements, deficit protection was not required in fiscal year 2019.

Connections' annual financial report shows that revenue increased from $26 million in fiscal year 2018 to $28 million in fiscal year 2019 (see Exhibit 43). Expenditures during both years were less than revenues, with a surplus of $528,000 in fiscal year 2019. State funds provided the majority of Connections' funding, with federal funds and other sources providing the remainder.

Exhibit 43 Connections' revenue primarily state funds, Fiscal Years 2017 - 2019

Description Revenue State Federal In-Kind Contributions Other income Local Total Revenue

2017
$21,819,477 $1,557,965 $1,537,500 $19,236 $0
$24,934,178

2018

2019

$22,685,586 $1,502,339 $1,781,000 $17,726 $0
$25,986,651

$25,955,523 $1,667,621 $0 $72,524 $0
$27,695,668

Percent Change 2018-19
14% 11% (100%) 309% N/A 7%

Expenditures Instruction
School Administration Pupil Services Support Services Business Other Support Services Improvement of Instructional Services General Administration Maintenance & Operations Total Expenditures Revenues Less Expenditures

$19,480,813 $2,185,415 $1,013,944 $671,553 $579,889
$578,648
$235,952 $165,795 $24,912,009 $22,169

Source: Georgia Connections Academy Financial Reports

$20,254,787 $2,363,923 $1,047,393
$704,032 $601,159
$571,089
$244,359 $179,446 $25,966,188 $20,463

$21,153,968 $2,564,351 $1,007,265 $882,671 $582,557
$551,657
$236,585 $188,844 $27,167,898 $527,770

4% 8% (4%) 25% (3%)
(3%)
(3%) 8% 4%
2479%

12 With passage of HB 787 during the 2018 legislative session, funding for all state charter schools increased in the 2018-19 school year and virtual schools began receiving capital funding.
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We used GaDOE fiscal year 2019 revenue and expenditure reports to compare Connections' revenue and spending patterns to other public schools.13 As shown in Exhibit 44, Connections relies on state funding much more than typical public schools. This is true of all state charter schools that do not qualify for local funding. State charter schools receive QBE funding and a state charter commission supplement to offset a portion of the local funding that they do not receive.
Exhibit 44 State funds are nearly twice the revenue source for Connections than the statewide average, Fiscal Year 2019

State

94% 53%

6% Federal
6%

0% Local
41%

Connections Statewide
Source: Statewide & Connections GaDOE financial report
Compared to the statewide averages for expenditures, Connections spends more on instruction, school administration, and general administration. Connections spends less on pupil services and staff services (see Exhibit 45). School administration includes funding for leadership positions such as principals and assistant principals, while general administration covers positions such as Title I director and homeless liaison, as well as maintenance and technology related services not covered under school administration. Pupil services includes the purchase of materials such as ebooks and periodicals, communication and coordination with parents, and additional educational offerings, such as summer school. As expected, Connections spends less on maintenance and operations (typically associated with buildings) and transportation than the statewide averages.

13 The amounts in GaDOE's financial reports are slightly different than those in the school's financial statements due to the exclusion of certain revenue sources (e.g., in-kind contributions) and expenditure categories. However, GaDOE's reports allow a comparison to other Georgia public schools.
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Exhibit 45 Connections reports spending more than the statewide average on instruction and administration, but less on pupil and staff services in Fiscal Year 2019

Instruction

School Administration

9.6% 6.8%

General Administration

6.9% 4.6%

Pupil Services

3.3% 4.6%

Staff Services

2.0% 5.5%

Maintenance & Operations

0.7% 5.6%

Transportation

0.0% 8.2%

77.5% 64.8%

Connections Statewide
Source: Statewide GaDOE financial report and DE46 financials
Connections' expenditures per FTE were significantly lower than the statewide average. As shown in Exhibit 46, Connections spent $6,564 per FTE in the 2018-19 school year. This was approximately 64% of the statewide average of $10,237.
Exhibit 46 Per-pupil expenditures at Connections are approximately 64% of per-pupil expenditures statewide, Fiscal Year 2019
$10,237

$6,564

Connections Source: Statewide GaDOE financial report

Statewide
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Academic Performance as a Ratio of Per-Student Expenditures (2017-18 Results)14
The Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) calculates a Financial Efficiency Star Rating (FESR) for each school in the state. The FESR compares a school district's spending per student with its overall academic performance. The 2017-18 FESR compared each school's spending per student to its CCRPI score and assigned between 0.5 and 5 stars to each school. Schools in the highest spending category with low CCRPI schools received only 0.5 stars, while those in the lowest spending category with CCRPI scores at 90 or above could receive 5 stars.
Connections received 3.5 stars as part of GOSA's 2017-18 FESR. More than 1,200 schools (60%) received a lower rating, and 334 other schools (15%) received the same rating as Connections.
Innovative Practices and Implementation
Charter schools operate with freedom from certain regulations applied to traditional public schools. This freedom can allow the charter schools to adopt innovative practices or new approaches that may lead to better student outcomes. Innovation can be implemented in various areas of education, including instruction, governance and accountability. While student outcomes are generally the ultimate goal of innovative practices, intermediate goals may include increasing the learning opportunities for students or adopting the use of creative teaching methods.
Examples of Goals for Innovation in Charter Schools
1. Increase learning opportunities for all students 2. Encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods 3. Create different innovative forms of measuring outcomes 4. Establish new forms of school accountability 5. Create new professional opportunities for teachers
Source: Minnesota Association of Charter Schools
Connections has implemented practices expected to improve academic outcomes for high school students. In the 2016-17 school year, Connections implemented an academic probation program that targets students who previously failed three or more credits of core academic courses. The program requires high school students to attend three-hour live sessions held three times each week and requires a teacher to monitor these students daily. Connections reported that over 65% of the students that entered this program at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year remained enrolled in the school the following year. Of those 65%, 18% improved their grades sufficiently to receive less monitoring.
To assist high school students who enroll at Connections behind their age cohort to graduate on time, Connections created the Persevere Until Success Happens program
14 We used the 2017-18 FESR because GOSA will not report the 2018-19 FESR until after this report is published.
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(PUSH) program. As part of the program, Connections holds in-person and virtual one to two-day sessions throughout the year and conducts weekly check-in homeroom calls for high school students. Connections reported that participation in the PUSH program reduced the percentage of off-cohort students from 31% at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year to 23% at the end of the year.
Connections also initiated a "STEAM Academy" program in the 2018-19 school year to provide additional science, technology, engineering, arts, and math learning opportunities to students. Through the program, high school students gain hands-on learning in areas such as 3D modeling, 3D printing, biotechnology, engineering design, architecture, illustration, graphic design, digital photography, coding, and animation. Students complete a four-year progression of courses, exhibitions, competitions, forums and performances, and they also must take at least one advanced placement or dual enrollment course.
Future Goals and Plans
Prior to the 2018-19 school year, Connections served kindergarten through 12th grade. In the 2018-19 school year, Connections began operating under a new, threeyear charter that limits the school to grades 6-12. After a subsequent review by the State Charter Schools Commission, Connections was allowed to re-introduce grades 4 and 5 in the 2019-20 school year. The school board chose to offer 5th grade for the 2019-20 school year and intends to add 4th grade in the 2020-21 school year. Connections officials indicated they plan to increase enrollment by approximately 14% over the next two years (including the addition of the 4th and 5th grades).
The school is also focused on improving its operational score in the State Charter Schools Commission's Comprehensive Performance Framework review. Academically, the school has goals to improve the high school graduation rate 20% by 2021 and outperform the statewide average CCRPI score.
Future initiatives include: 1) formation of a College and Career Academy partnering with post-secondary schools and universities to provide post-high school opportunities and resources for students; 2) dedicating a new staff member to focus on increasing participation in dual enrollment, and 3) earning certification from GaDOE for its existing STEAM Academy.
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APPENDIX A Georgia Connections Academy's Educational Products and Services Agreement
Effective July 1, 2018
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 38B2EAD67EE2365E--3A15A338--445DFD1A-B-9092744-2-435E5D8EC63F9719B028766

CONNECTIONS EDUCATION LLC CHARTER SCHOOL VIRTUAL LEARNING PROGRAMS
STATEMENT OF AGREEMENT

Customer Name: GEORGIA CONNECTIONS ACADEMY

Contact Person: Rich Thompson, Board President

Phone Number: 770-361-0408

Email Address: Rich@ameripublic.com

Effective Date:

July 1, 2018

______________________________________________________________________________

1. Georgia Connections Academy ("School") and Connections Education LLC ("Connections") are hereby entering into this Statement of Agreement ("Agreement") whereby School, by and through its Governing Board, Georgia Connections Academy Charter School, Inc., for the fees provided for herein is contracting with Connections to receive access to certain virtual education products through Connexus, Connections' education management system ("EMS"), along with associated support services, as more fully set forth herein (collectively "the Education Program").

2. Defined Terms: Capitalized terms within the Agreement, not otherwise defined herein, have the meanings ascribed to them in the Index of Defined Terms, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

3. Connections Responsibilities:

a. Education Program. Provide the Curriculum which, when supplemented with Teacher provided additions and modifications, meets the State Standards, as adopted by the Georgia Department of Education. The Curriculum shall include, at a minimum, the following:

i. Connections standard Course offering, including core and elective subjects, augmented by a mix of supporting online and offline instruction and intervention resources;

ii. Access to teacher directed extended learning activities; nationally facilitated nonSchool directed extracurricular activities, activities, and special events described in the Program Guide;

iii. To the extent permitted by Georgia law, access to certain courses taught through the International Connections Academy ("iNaCA");

iv. In accordance with the license terms set forth in Section 6 below, a license to use all required curricular and instructional materials that are part of Connections' standard offering, including textbooks, ancillary materials such as workbooks, kits, texts and other instructional resources (collectively "Instructional Materials"). Instructional Materials will be provided in compliance with Students' individualized education plan ("IEP") or 504 Plan;

v. Access to online lesson content, instructional materials, including Teachlet tutorials, Longitudinal Evaluation of Academic Progress ("LEAP") and other intangible educational resources included in Courses.

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b. Connexus Access.
i. In accordance with the license terms set forth in Section 6 of this Agreement, a license for the duration of the Term to access and use Connections' proprietary technology platform, known as Connexus(or any successor technology platform(s) to Connexus to which Connections transitions the School) (collectively, "Connexus"), for purposes of utilizing the Education Program set forth in Section 3 of this Agreement, including providing web-based access to the Education Program from non-school sites to Students, Caretakers of Students, Learning Coaches, Teachers, and Administrative Staff;
ii. Access to other technologies, including those offered through Connexus, including the Connexus student information system, lesson scheduling tools, accountability tools, messaging, video and audio streaming, and message board forum; and the ability to track Student progress.
c. Operations Services. Under the direct oversight of the Governing Board, and subject to the Delegation of Responsibility set forth in Section 4.b.ii. of this Agreement, provide services critical to the operation and integrity of the Education Program of the School ("Operations Services"), including, the provision of human resources services set forth in Section 3.m.i. below. Operations Services shall be provided in accordance with the Charter, federal and state law, and the authority conferred to Connections by the Governing Board, including all policies and procedures set forth in the Governing Board approved Student and employee handbook. Connections shall support the school, prepare any policies the School believes it will need to adopt to be compliant with State law, as well as prepare all reports to the Caretakers, and/or other third parties required by law and/or the Governing Board. To the extent any School operational practice, including any aspect of the Delegation of Responsibility from the Governing Board to Connections in Section 4.b.ii. of this Agreement, is determined to violate the Charter, federal or state law, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith an amendment to this Agreement to cure such determined violation.
d. Complaints. Together with the Lead School Administrator, promptly investigate any concerns or complaints raised by the Governing Board involving the performance of any member of the Administrative Staff, Teachers, Special Education Director or other personnel providing support services to the School, regardless of whether: (i) employed by Connections; (ii) employed by the School; or (iii) retained as an independent contractor.
e. Counseling and Related Services. Provide support to guidance counselors and advisory teachers in their provision of academic counseling and other related services to Students, including assisting in the development of protocols and providing consultative support in connection therewith.
f. Services to Special Need Students.
i. Assist the School in the development of Special Education Protocols that will govern the manner in which Special Education Services are provided; and
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ii. Provide consultative support to the Special Education Director in support of the Special Education Services provided by the School, as well as periodic compliance assessments to the Board of Trustees of the School's delivery of Special Education Services.
g. Enrollment and Academic Placement Processing. Implement and conduct the School enrollment process on behalf of the School, in accordance with placement and withdrawal policies and procedures adopted by the Governing Board and Connections, and consistent with local, state and federal law. The School hereby appoints Connections as the School's agent throughout the enrollment process for purposes of obtaining and delivering information from and to Students and Caretakers relevant to the enrollment and placement process.
i. Except as otherwise provided for in this Section, dual or part-time enrollment will not be permitted except by prior written agreement by Connections and the School, and neither Party shall have any obligation to accept a dual or part-time enrollment or provide any payment for services provided by other parties.
ii. The School has no responsibility to pay Connections for any Students Enrolled in the School who are not eligible.
iii. Connections shall maintain a list of the Students Enrolled on behalf of the School and shall provide such list to the School promptly upon request.
iv. Connections will report on the status of withdrawals to the School monthly during the Academic Year, or whenever requested by the School.
v. Connections will be responsible for reimbursing the proceeds of any state and federal funds that it has received to the extent the School is required to repay such funding as a result of a Student's withdrawal.
h. Repository of School Records. The School hereby appoints Connections its repository of electronic Student Records and other electronic School records, including financial records. Connections shall store and maintain such electronic Student Records and other electronic School records in accordance with state, local and federal requirements and consistent with commercially reasonable technical and organizational measures intended to protect against: (i) accidental or unauthorized destruction; (ii) accidental or intentional loss or alteration; or (iii) unauthorized disclosure or access. In the event the Agreement terminates, Connections shall be obligated to maintain said repository for a period of seven (7) years following such termination for no additional fee. Further, upon reasonable request, and in a manner that will not interfere with the Authorized Users accessing the Education Program, for the duration of being the Repository of School Records, Connections shall make available to the School's independent auditor, all electronic School records, including financial records.
i. Student Records Support. In furtherance of its enrollment and placement related obligations set forth in Section 3.g. of this Agreement and in connection with its repository obligations set forth in Section 3.h. of this Agreement:
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i. Connections shall receive from Caretakers all Student Records on the School's behalf that are submitted electronically through its secure, password-protected system.
ii. Connections shall maintain the confidentiality of all Students' records in compliance with applicable state and federal laws, and pursuant to the confidentiality provisions set out in Section 17 of this Agreement. Connections shall maintain such records as are required to comply with all attendance rules and apportionment requirements specified by applicable law.
iii. All Student Record information shall remain the property of the School, and, to the extent not immediately available through the School's on-demand access, shall be provided to the School via a secure means within five (5) business days of the School's written request for such information. To the extent permitted by law, Connections may retain a copy of such records subject to the confidentiality requirements of this Agreement until such time as the School provides written notice requesting that specific records be returned or Destroyed.
iv. Unless the parties expressly agree to a longer time period, Connections shall certify to the School within one (1) year from the date it receives instructions, as to what Student Records are to be returned or Destroyed, that it has complied with the instructions of the School in connection with such notice.
j. Testing and Assessments. Support the administration of all State required testing and other State mandated assessments, including a series of assessments designed to gauge the Student's mastery of core concepts and readiness for the State of Georgia standardized tests or other State mandated testing.
k. Insurance. Maintain and keep in force the insurance policies set forth in Exhibit A, which shall be in amounts that are no less than the minimum levels required by the Charter, applicable law, or both. Liability, casualty, and property insurance for any facility leased directly and/or managed by the School, and any capital equipment or furniture and fixtures owned by the School, as well as Director and Officer's Insurance in the amount required by the Authorizer will be the responsibility of the School.
l. Public Website. Maintain a public web site on behalf of the School that will contain or link to any information required by the Charter School Law.
m. Other Professional and Technical Support Services.
i. Provide human resources and support services integral to delivery of the Education Program, including: (1) recruiting and training of School Staff, and other support service providers employed or otherwise engaged by the School, as well as providing guidance and support to the Lead School Administrator in the supervision, monitoring and support of such personnel and supporting the annual performance evaluation process for such personnel, based on a combination of competencies and goals, which will be submitted annually to the Board of Directors for its consideration and approval; (2) implement a performance based compensation program, or other program mutually agreed upon by Connections and the Governing Board, for all School Staff designed to attract and retain qualified personnel; (3) payroll and benefits administration, including providing employee benefit plans as
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required by law; (4) conducting background checks, including pre-employment reviews as specified by law; and (5) assisting in the development of an employee handbook and school handbook that shall be submitted for review and adoption to the Governing Board.
ii. Provide 24/7/365 technical support through on-line Help (in Connexus) and live phone support via Connections Support Services to parents and students MondayFriday 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (ET) ), and to staff Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ET), which hours are subject to change at Connections' discretion, with prior notice to the School. For Students not using computer technology provided by Connections, Connections shall provide initial technical support to ensure Students have the minimum requirements necessary to participate in the Education Program, and ongoing technical support on an as needed basis for the Students' use of Connexus.
iii. Assist the School in their recruitment and support of Community Coordinators, including obtaining any criminal background checks and child abuse clearances for each Community Coordinator, as required under applicable law.
iv. During the Academic Year, staff a virtual educational resource center during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET with education professionals trained in the delivery of the Education Program to provide applicable School Staff with additional education support services.
v. Provide all Teachers with access to all Instructional Materials supplied to Students as necessary to conduct their teaching responsibilities.
vi. Provide Governing Board Members and School Staff with training in Connections protocols and other best practices. In addition, as part of its fee for the Education Program paid to Connections, Connections will make available to the Governing Board and School Staff continuing professional development and other related training, leadership development and peer to peer networking opportunities (collectively "Training") that support the School mission and delivery of the Education Program and which shall be sufficient, at minimum, to allow the respective Governing Board Members and School Staff to comply with applicable laws that specify Training requirements. All costs associated with such Training shall be the responsibility of Connections, including related travel, housing, meal and hospitality costs, except to the extent Connections notifies the School prior to the Training opportunity of those costs, the School will be required to cover. All Connections' sponsored training will be for the purpose of promoting the School's education mission and other related official school business.
vii. Provide training and support programs and materials to Students, Learning Coaches, Caretakers and community coordinators on the Curriculum, use of Connexus, various Connections policies and procedures, and other technology to support Student learning as appropriate.
viii. As part of Connections' Education Program responsibilities, and in order to facilitate the School's ability to oversee Connections' Operation Services and Education Program responsibilities ("Program Oversight"), Connections shall make key personnel reasonably available for advisement and consultation with members of the
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 38B2EAD67EE2365E--3A15A338--445DFD1A-B-9092744-2-435E5D8EC63F9719B028766

Governing Board, Authorizer, and/or Lead School Administrator or his or her designee. Except to the extent otherwise agreed, reasonable expenses incurred by Connections, including hospitality related expenses, in connection with Program Oversight, shall be paid out of the fee for the Education Program paid to Connections.

ix. Under the direction of the Governing Board treasurer, provide accounting support services to the Governing Board, including providing all necessary supporting reports for all Connections activities under this Agreement.

x. Assist the Governing Board treasurer in the development of a Budget for the Governing Board's consideration and approval on an annual basis.

xi. Provide audit support and local, state and federal financial reporting support, as well as related consultation support to the Governing Board.

xii. Develop and implement a Public Information Campaign ("PIC") utilizing a combination of national and local information campaign strategies designed to inform and engage potential students, their Caretakers, and other interested parties about the School. Local PICs will be developed in collaboration with the School's PIC coordinator and designated staff.

1. All local PICs will comply with Connections' trademark usage guidelines located

at:

http://www.connectionsacademy.com/terms-of-use/trademark-

guidelines.aspx.

2. Connections is under no obligation to implement any PIC initiatives promoted by the School that Connections determines will have a negative impact on its brand identity and/or reputation in the Marketplace, including in relation to the School.

3. PIC activities for each Academic Year during the term, commence on or before the January immediately preceding the Academic Year in question.

4. Fees for PIC related activities supporting the Academic Year in question are not invoiced until the start of such Academic Year, and then, are invoiced to the School in monthly installments spread out over the course of such Academic Year, with any outstanding amounts owed being invoiced in the final invoice for such Academic Year. For the sake of clarity, the PIC activities related to the 2018-19 school year may begin as early as January 2018, but the invoicing for them will not commence until July 2018 and continue through the final invoice related to the 2018-19 school year.

xiii. Serve as an invoice payment processor for the School for school operations invoices. All costs associated with the invoices, however, remain the responsibility of the School and will be reimbursed at cost to Connections.

xiv. Provide logistic services in connection with the Connections provided physical Curriculum materials, including procurement, contracting, storage, fulfillment, and other services required to obtain, deliver, collect and warehouse these materials.

n. Provision of Computer Technology for School Staff. For all School Staff and the Lead School Administrator, provide and maintain in working condition the Computer Technology necessary to provide the Education Program. Any Computer Technology provided by Connections will be the exclusive property of Connections or its contractors

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and will be returned upon the termination of this Agreement or upon the termination of employment of such respective School Staff, whichever is sooner. The School shall not be responsible for ensuring the return of Computer Technology.
o. Provision of Computer Technology for Students. To the extent required by law and/or the Charter, provide access to Computer Technology solution to Students, which shall include procuring, imaging, delivering, repairing, replacing, warehousing and collection of such Computer Technology, as well as other related comprehensive logistical support services, such as, set up, Connexus interface mapping, and technical support, in accordance with Connections' established policies and procedures. Any Computer Technology provided by Connections will be the exclusive property of Connections, and will be returned upon the termination of this Agreement, or when the Student is no longer Enrolled, whichever is sooner. The Computer Technology may be updated from time to time by Connections. The School and the Governing Board shall not be responsible for ensuring the return of Computer Technology. However, to the extent that such Computer Technology is not recovered, Connections may invoice Caretakers, unless prohibited by law, for any Computer Technology not returned.
4. Governing Board Responsibilities:
a. Governance. Obtain and maintain the governance and organizational structure required by law and/or the Charter.
b. Management of the School.
i. The Governing Board shall be responsible for adopting any necessary policies to comply with state law in oversight of the School, as well as overseeing the day to day affairs of the School, subject to the Delegation of Responsibility set forth below.
ii. Delegation of Responsibility and Rescission Procedure.
1. Subject to Section 4.c. and the Governing Board's authority to rescind such delegation, in order to ensure the quality and integrity of the Education Program and to fully leverage Connections experience providing comprehensive support services to full time virtual K-12 virtual schools, the Governing Board delegates to Connections ("Delegation of Responsibility"), all responsibilities associated with the recruiting, training, supervision, oversight, discipline and dismissal of Teachers, Administrative Staff, the Special Education Director, 504 coordinator, clerical staff, and other such support positions as may be necessary to support School operations. Nothing herein shall interfere with the Governing Board's ultimate responsibility to establish staffing levels as provided for in the Budget process set forth in Section 11.k.
2. All terminated School employees shall have the ability to have their terminations reviewed by the Governing Board, as further set forth in the employee handbook and no termination action will be considered final until the later of: (i) the time period to request review has expired and no such request has been timely made; or (ii) the Governing Board has affirmed such termination in accordance with the termination procedure set out in the employee handbook.
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3. The Governing Board reserves the right through resolution by a properly constituted Governing Board to void or modify any decision made by Connections under the Delegation of Responsibility. Any Governing Board action to void or modify any decision made by Connections under the Delegation of Responsibility shall take effect at a time and in manner specified by such Governing Board resolution.
4. The Delegation of Responsibility may be rescinded in whole or in part upon adoption of a resolution by a properly constituted Governing Board setting forth the parameters of such rescission. Any Governing Board decision to rescind the Delegation of Responsibility, whether in whole or in part, shall not take effect any earlier than the close of the Academic Year in which such rescission is communicated to Connections, provided however, the notice of rescission must be provided to Connections by January 1 of such Academic Year.
5. Prior to the adoption of any resolution either voiding or modifying a decision arising out of, or related to the Delegation of Responsibility, or rescinding in whole or in part the Delegation of Responsibility, the Governing Board shall consult with Connections and explain the reasons therefor. In the event of the rescission of the Delegation of Responsibility set forth herein, Connections has the option to terminate this Agreement or agree to negotiate a new agreement with the Board that establishes the rights and responsibilities of the Parties following such rescission. Any termination under this section shall not take effect until the close of the Academic Year in which such notice of termination is provided and shall be subject to the post-termination provisions set forth in Section 20.b. of this Agreement. As part of this Delegation of Responsibility, and regardless of any Governing Board decision to rescind such delegation, if Connections has a concern about the legality of any action by the Governing Board or lack of action relating to any Board management decision of the School that Connections believes could jeopardize the school's reputation or ability to continue as an ongoing concern, Connections may refer the matter to the Governing Board's Counsel of Record for review and analysis, and take such other action available to Connections under the terms of this Agreement and/or applicable law.
iii. The Governing Board shall be responsible for adopting any necessary policies to comply with state law and regulation in the oversight of the School and to promptly inform Connections of any obligations or deficiencies in the School's operations.
iv. The Governing Board shall perform any responsibility assigned to Connections under the terms of this Agreement to the extent such delegated task or responsibility is in conflict with or nullified by any applicable law, regulation and/or the terms of the Charter.
v. The Governing Board shall perform any responsibility not explicitly assigned to Connections under the terms of this Agreement, that would otherwise be the responsibility of the School under applicable law, regulation and/or the terms of the Charter, unless and until, Connections and the School reach agreement regarding under what conditions such responsibilities will be delegated to Connections.
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c. Education Program Administration. Administer the Education Program in a manner that fully implements the Education Program as designed by Connections.
i. Employment of School Staff. Subject to the Delegation of Responsibilities set forth above, the School shall be the employer of all School Staff and the Governing Board has final authority over matters relating to hiring, compensation, discipline, termination, as well as employment policies and procedures as set forth in the School employee handbook. The Governing Board shall consult with Connections in determining such compensation arrangements due to the impact on the school budget, and shall not adopt a compensation arrangement that will cause the School to run a deficit except when expressly agreed to in writing by Connections, and then only to the extent of such written agreement. Failure to obtain such written consent shall result in a loss of Deficit Protection provided for in Section 11.g. of this Agreement.
ii. The Lead School Administrator, in consultation with Connections, shall be responsible for the day to day delivery of the Education Program and supervision of all School Staff, and shall be the primary interface between Connections and the Board of Directors, as well as the primary interface between the Board of Directors and the School Staff. The Lead School Administrator may also from time to time be referred to as the principal or Executive Director. The Lead School Administrator consults with Connections on the recruiting, selection, training, supervision, oversight, discipline and dismissal of Teachers, Administrative Staff and clerical staff. The Lead School Administrator shall aim to build consensus among all stakeholders, and hence shall have responsibilities that shall include, but not be limited to: reporting regularly to the Board of Directors; supervising administrative personnel; inspiring Teachers to teach and facilitate student learning; Students to engage in learning; and Learning Coaches to engage in their Student's learning consistent with the school's mission. The Teachers shall report to the Lead School Administrator or such individual as shall have been designated by him or her, and the Lead School Administrator shall work collaboratively with the Connections designated Director of Schools, or his/her designee, who will provide guidance to the Lead School Administrator, all under the oversight of the Board of Directors. The Lead School Administrator shall comply with Connections practices and protocols in the delivery of the Educational Program, and shall report to Connections as to the implementation of such practices and protocols. In consultation with Connections, the Lead School Administrator will promptly investigate and take action to address any complaints or concerns raised by the Governing Board, or others regarding the performance or conduct of any Teacher or Administrative Staff member. The Lead School Administrator shall provide a prompt report to the Governing Board and Connections on any and all actions taken in response to such a request.
iii. Under the direction of the Lead School Administrator, and in furtherance of Section 5 below, the Special Education Director, who shall be properly credentialed and have all necessary certifications required by Georgia law to hold such position, is responsible for overseeing the provision of Special Education Services, including the implementing of the Special Education Protocols, overseeing all personnel involved in the provision of Special Education Services, including the School's Section 504
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coordinator, and all outside contractors retained for such purposes. The Special Education Director may also act as a Teacher, and/or the 504 coordinator, to the extent qualified to do so, in addition to their other responsibilities.
iv. All other Administrative Staff shall take their day to day direction from the Lead School Administrator or his or her designee. If the respective Administrative Staff have the required credentials to teach, these staff members may also act as Teachers in addition to their other responsibilities.
v. All Teachers shall be licensed and credentialed pursuant to Georgia law, shall take their day to day direction from the Lead School Administrator or his or her designee, and in all respects shall comply with Connection's practices and protocols in the delivery of the Educational Services.
d. Administer Established Protocols, Policies and Procedures. Abide by and oversee the administration of all Connections established protocols, policies and procedures in connection with the Education Program, including requirements for Course completion (including awarding of transfer credit where applicable), grade attainment, and attendance in order to meet minimum requirements for graduation with a School diploma, and return and recovery policies in connection with the use of Connections provided Computer Technology and Instructional Materials.
e. Diplomas. Grant diplomas based on attainment of minimum State requirements for graduation.
f. Insurance. Except for that insurance identified in Exhibit A, obtain and maintain the following policies of insurance, as required and/or permitted by applicable law: director and officer liability, workers compensation with minimum limits established by law, educators' legal liability, employment practices liability and general liability insurance. To the extent permitted by applicable law, Connections shall be added as additional named insureds on all policies of insurance obtained and maintained by, and for the benefit of the School.
5. Special Education Services:
a. Special Education Protocols. The School will adopt Special Education Protocols that comply with state and federal law, and the Charter, with respect to Special Needs Students. In consultation with Connections, the Special Education Protocols will be subject to review and revision from time to time throughout the Term. The Special Education Protocols and all modifications to the Special Education Protocols are subject to Connections' approval. The Special Education Director will fully and consistently implement such Special Education Protocols in the provision of Special Education Services and will accept guidance from Connections with respect to providing Special Needs Students with a free and appropriate education ("FAPE").
b. Replacement of Special Education Director. Connections shall have the right to request that the School replace the Special Education Director in the event that Connections determines that the Special Education Director is not administering the delivery of Special Education Services in accordance with state and federal law, and so notifies the Lead School Administrator in writing. In the event that the School refuses to comply with Connections' request to replace the Special Education Director, the School shall have 60
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days to develop a plan that fully and consistently implements the Special Education Protocols, as well as addresses any other areas of concern identified by Connections, related to the provision of Special Education Services ("Special Education Remediation Plan"). The Special Education Remediation Plan should be developed in consultation with Connections, and is subject to the written approval of both parties. It is the Special Education Director's responsibility to fully and consistently implement the Special Education Remediation Plan.
c. Failure to Adopt Special Education Protocols. During any period of time that the School fails to: (i) adopt Special Education Protocols approved by Connections; (ii) timely and consistently implement the Special Education Remediation Plan referenced in (b) above; or (iii) take corrective action with regard to any issue(s), matter(s), or concern(s) related to Special Education Services brought to the School's attention by Connections, Connections and its agents, employees, and assigns, will not be deemed to have engaged in any wrongdoing, misconduct, negligence, or default under Section 21 of this Agreement, with respect to Special Education Services.
6. Grant of Rights and Access:
a. Marketing Leads License. Connections grants to the School a non-exclusive, nontransferrable, non-assignable, royalty-free, limited license during the term of this Agreement to the Marketing Leads developed and/or collected in support of the School for use in marketing the School within the geographic boundaries of the state of Georgia. As an express condition to the license grant herein: (i) to the extent the School performs any marketing activities in support of the School independent of the marketing activities performed by Connections pursuant to Section 3.m.xii. of this Agreement; and (ii) the School incorporates the Connections Academy trademark in the School name, or other Connections trademarks are used in association with the School, all such School independent marketing efforts, including, but not limited to, marketing materials, slogans, ad copy (audio, video, or print), are subject to Connections preapproval. This license expires upon expiration of the Term. All rights of use not specifically licensed herein are retained by Connections and nothing in this Section shall be interpreted to limit Connections' rights of use or rights of ownership in such Marketing Leads or to confer title or ownership (joint or several) in such Marketing Leads to the School.
b. License. Connections hereby grants to the School a non-exclusive, nontransferable, royalty-free, limited license during the Term of the Agreement for Authorized Users to access and use Connexus, and the Content and Instructional Materials, and other Intellectual Property contained in Connexus in connection with the receipt of the Education Program hereunder (collectively the "Licensed Collateral"). The School's right to access and use the Licensed Collateral is solely for the intended purpose for which such access is granted and is subject to Connections' Intellectual Property provisions set forth in Sections 15 and 16 of this Agreement. Connections may update the features and functions of Connexus from time to time. Any right to use the Content and Instructional Materials shall be solely for the applicable Course for which a Student is enrolled, or that an Authorized User is otherwise authorized to access.
c. Permitted and Prohibited Uses. All rights not expressly granted to the School and Authorized Users pursuant to the Agreement are reserved to Connections, and any uses of
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the Marketing Leads and/or Licensed Collateral by the School and Authorized Users not expressly permitted in the Agreement are strictly prohibited. Specifically, unless otherwise authorized by Connections in furtherance of the delivery of Education Program related services, School will not, and will not permit Authorized Users, School's employees or agents or any third party to: (i) access the Content and Instructional Materials or Connexus; except in connection with Courses for which a Student is enrolled; (ii) use the Curriculum, Content and Instructional Materials except in strict compliance with the Agreement and the Terms of Use; (iii) copy, reproduce, modify, alter, transfer, transmit, perform, publish, display, sub-license, distribute, circulate provide access to, rent, or create Derivative Works from the Content and Instructional Materials or any portion thereof; (iv) decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble, or otherwise determine or attempt to determine the source code (or the underlying ideas, algorithms, structure or organization) of the Content and Instructional Materials, or of Connexus; (v) upload files that contain viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time bombs, cancelbots, corrupted files, or any other similar software or programs that may damage the operation of Connexus; (vi) take any actions, whether intentional or unintentional, that may circumvent, disable, damage or impair the control of security systems of Connexus or the Content and Instructional Materials, nor allow or assist a third party to do so; (vii) use the Content and Instructional Materials in a manner that disparages Connexus, Content, Instructional Materials, Connections or its content providers, or in any manner that Connections may, in its sole discretion, deem inappropriate; or (viii) disclose Log-In Information (as defined in Section 6.e. of this Agreement) or permit access to Connexus and/or the Content and Instructional Materials by unauthorized persons using an Authorized User's Log-In Information.
d. Usage Guidelines and Rules of Conduct. The School (including its employees and agents) and Authorized Users may use the Licensed Collateral for bona fide educational and other contracted-for purposes only. The School will comply and assure compliance by its employees, agents and the Authorized Users with Terms of Use of Connexus, Privacy Policy, and other applicable Connections policies, as may be updated from time to time by Connections in its sole discretion. The Privacy Policy and Terms of Use are posted on the Website and are accessible from the Connexus login page. The School acknowledges that Connections may also institute basic rules for academic and personal conduct for Authorized Users' use of the Licensed Collateral, and that Connections will enforce those rules in its sole discretion, including terminating access for Authorized Users in the event of their failure to adhere to those rules. Included in the rules of conduct shall be prohibitions against any Authorized User's attempt to make inappropriate communication or contact with any other Authorized Users through Connexus, as well as, hacking, viral infection, or other technical attempts to gain unauthorized access to or cause damage to Connexus. The School shall immediately provide Connections with written notice of any unauthorized use or distribution of the Content, Instructional Materials, or Education Program of which the School becomes aware and shall take all necessary steps to ensure that such unauthorized use or distribution is terminated.
e. Security and Use of Passwords. Each Authorized User will have a user name and password for the purpose of accessing Connexus and the Content and Instructional Materials (the "Log-In Information"). The School and its Authorized Users must keep all Log-In Information strictly confidential, and all Log-In Information may be used only by the assigned Authorized User. The School and its Authorized Users are responsible for
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maintaining the security and confidentiality of all Log-In Information, and for preventing access to Connexus and/or the Content and Instructional Materials by unauthorized persons using an Authorized User's Log-In Information. Unauthorized access to or use of Connexus and/or the Content and Instructional Materials by someone using an Authorized User's Log-In information may be attributed to such Authorized User.
f. Availability and Support. Connections strives to provide access to Connexus twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week; however, it is anticipated that there will be periodic system interruptions due to occasional computer technology failures, system maintenance and updates, and/or internet provider service interruptions.
7. Communications from Connections: The School acknowledges and agrees that Connections may periodically contact Authorized Users for the School in relation to Connections carrying out its obligations set forth in this Agreement, as well as to inform Caretakers and Students of educational opportunities related to such Students' academic pursuits such as summer school programs, dual credit opportunities, teacher directed extended learning activities; nationally facilitated non-School directed extracurricular activities, including sports program opportunities, in compliance with state and federal law. Unless prohibited by law, the School specifically consents to such communications being delivered to Caretakers and Students via the Connexus WebMail portal and message boards, personal email to the extent such information is available, and direct mail. Except as identified herein, Connections will not deliver communications to Students that constitute targeted advertising based on personally identifiable information from Student Records. Telephonic communications shall be limited to School related communications of an immediate nature that impact a Student's access to the Education Program or are related to the Students' academic participation and/or academic achievement. By accessing the Licensed Collateral, the School and Authorized Users will be deemed to have consented to receive such communications.
8. Representation Regarding Non-discrimination: Neither Connections nor the School will discriminate against any person on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, national origin, religion, ancestry, sexual orientation or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal or Georgia law.
9. Performance Review: At the Governing Board's discretion, the School shall undergo a Performance Review, which shall include a review of the performance of School service providers, including Connections. Based on the outcome of the Performance Review, Connections shall work with the Governing Board to develop a performance improvement plan to address any shortcomings identified in the Performance Review. The Governing Board in its sole discretion may initiate subsequent Performance Reviews as it deems necessary. Nothing in this section prevents the School from raising concerns with Connections' performance at other times. Connections agrees to work in a prompt manner to respond to any such issues raised by the School or its Governing Board.
10. Health and Safety: Connections will assist the School in the development of training and policies related to the following standards regarding health and safety:
a. Reporting child abuse or neglect where there is reasonable basis for suspecting such abuse or neglect is occurring, as required by state law;
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b. Adopting policies prohibiting the use of drugs, alcohol, weapons and tobacco in school operated facilities or at school sponsored events;
c. Adopting policies prohibiting bullying, sexual harassment, harassment, and other social behaviors prohibited under applicable law; and
d. Complying with all state immunization law.
11. Pricing and Payment Terms:
a. Fee Schedule. During each year of the term, as compensation for the Education Program provided by Connections under the terms of this Agreement, Connections shall be paid in accordance with the schedule of fees for services (the "Fee Schedule"), attached hereto as Exhibit B, as amended from time to time. To the extent that the Fee Schedule includes any fees that are based on a "percentage of revenue," such fees shall be assessed against funds received by the School from whatever source in a given Academic Year, whether from state, local, or federal government agencies, including but not limited to Federal Title funds, grants, income, or other funding sources ("Total Revenues").
b. Payment Agent. The parties may agree to have Connections act as its payment agent for various expenditures. Connections will submit to the School appropriate documentation evidencing payment of such expenditures, and upon said submission shall be entitled to a dollar for dollar reimbursement for these expenses. Reimbursement shall be made in accordance with Section 11.c. of this Agreement.
c. Invoicing. Connections will invoice the School monthly. Payment will be due within five (5) business days of action by the Governing Board, which shall use its best efforts to review and approve invoices within thirty (30) days of receipt. Connections may charge interest at the rate of one and one half percent (1.5%) per month for any invoices over sixty (60) days unless such failure to pay is the result of funds being withheld from the School due to a failure by Connections to perform under the terms of this Agreement, or if the School is disputing any charges. The School shall notify Connections of the basis for any dispute within five (5) days of determination of such dispute, and shall work to resolve the dispute within thirty (30) days. All amounts, other than any amount in dispute, shall be paid according to the terms herein. Funds shall also be subject to adjustment based on any adjustments to Student counts as a result of an audit by the State of Georgia. Any differences in amounts that were previously paid under this Agreement, as a result of such adjustments, shall only be applied to or against the next payment or payments otherwise due under this section, or if no payment is due, Connections shall refund such amount to the School.
d. State Audit Adjustments. To the extent that any adjustments as a result of a state audit are the result of Connections' failure to adequately perform its responsibilities under this Agreement, Connections will be required to either: (i) return funds to the School in the amount determined as a result of a State audit, or (ii) to the extent that funds are withheld from future payments to the School, reduce amounts invoiced to the School by the amount funding is withheld.
e. Realigning of Responsibilities.
i. To the extent there is a realigning of responsibilities between the parties pursuant to Section 4.b.ii. of this Agreement, the parties shall negotiate a corresponding
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adjustment in the Fee Schedule for the Academic Year in which said alignment of responsibilities occurs.
ii. To the extent Connections' delegation of responsibilities is expanded/reduced beyond what is set forth in Section 4 of this Agreement, the parties shall negotiate a corresponding increase/decrease in the Connections' fee for the Academic Year in which said expansion/reduction of responsibilities occurs. No expansion/reduction of responsibilities shall become effective until such time as the parties execute an amendment to the Agreement for such corresponding increase/decrease.
iii. In the event of a rescission of the Delegation of Responsibility that does not result in an early termination, as provided for in Section 20.a.vi. of this Agreement, the parties agree to negotiate and mutually agree to new compensation terms for services provided by Connections based on the relationship of the parties at that time.
f. Expense Management Program.
i. Expense Management. As an incentive to Connections and the School to exercise sound fiscal management, to strengthen the partnership between the Parties and to keep operating costs low while seeking to maximize the educational efficacy of the School, the Parties have agreed to an Expense Management Program as more fully set forth on Exhibit C. Under the Expense Management Program, the School shall receive an amount equal to $25 per Full-Time Student if savings are realized as determined by an end-of-Academic Year audit of certain line items in the Budget, as explained with more specificity in Exhibit C.
ii. Board Discretionary Fund. All funds paid by Connections to the School pursuant to the Expense Management Program, shall be considered board discretionary funds to be saved or used at the Board's discretion ("Board Discretionary Funds"). Board Discretionary Funds shall not be included in the calculation of Total Revenue (see Section 11.a.) for any purpose, including determination of the Deficit Protection credit (if any) to be allocated to the School for any given Academic Year. The Board Discretionary Funds cannot be used for any purpose that would generate a financial obligation on the part of the School in subsequent Academic Years, such as providing merit increases to Teachers, expanding physical facilities, or signing a multi-year contract for an amount that exceeds the funds in the Board Discretionary Fund.
g. Protection Against Deficits.
i. In the event that as of June 30 of each year during the Term, Total Revenues are less than the School's expenditures, including payments to Connections, as well as those incurred and paid by the School, but excluding any payments for capital expenditures (the "Total Expenditures"), and in the event that the School does not have positive Net Assets (as defined in its annual audited financial statements, ) sufficient to offset the difference between Total Revenues and Total Expenditures, to the extent that any expenditures in excess of Total Revenues were included in the balanced budget, or were subsequently approved by both Parties in a written budget amendment, Connections shall issue a credit or discount to the School, to the extent required to maintain positive Net Assets at least equal to Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) as of each June 30 during the Term of this Agreement ("Deficit Protection"). Any credit
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or discount offered under this clause will not be recoverable by Connections in subsequent years.
ii. In order for the School to qualify for Deficit Protection, both Parties must formally approve the School's annual Budget, and any amendments to it during the year, such Budget and amendment(s) to be reduced to a writing signed by both Parties and adopted by the Board. To the extent the School engages in spending outside the approved Budget, and any subsequent amendments thereto, the gross sum of such expenditures shall not be subject to Deficit Protection. For example, if at the end of year two (2) of the Term, the School runs a deficit of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) that would otherwise be subject to Deficit Protection and fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) of such deficit is attributable to expenses incurred on spending not approved in the School's annual budget for that year, then only two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) of such deficit is covered by Deficit Protection. Further, to the extent the fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in spending is carried forward to future Academic Years, such spending shall not be covered by Deficit Protection in such future years, unless and then only to the extent expressly agreed to in writing by Connections.
h. Financial Reporting and Impact of Revised GASB 68. Effective for fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2014, Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 68 ("GASB 68"), as currently drafted, will require the school to recognize net pension liability and related long term pension expense associated with the state sponsored retirement plan in its audited financial statements. Any recognition of net pension liability and related long term pension expense required under GASB 68 will be excluded when calculating net assets discussed in Section 11.g. Additionally, any impact created by GASB 68 on the school's statement of activities will be excluded when applying any charges arising from the Fee Schedule and evaluating the impact of applying Section 11.g.
i. Breakdown of Charges. No later than September 30 of each year during the Term, Connections will provide to the Governing Board, a breakdown of its charges, including a breakdown between tangible and intangible instructional materials, and amounts charged for staff compensation, a sublicense to Connections' materials. This shall not change the amounts due to Connections by the School, but shall provide the School with support for the charges for the products and services provided by Connections.
j. School Funds. All School funds received by the School, from whatever source, retain their character as charter school funds until such time as they are paid out to a third party, including Connections, as payment for a service performed (or to be performed) for, or at the direction of, the School or for a product obtained at the direction of the School, at which time such monies paid to such third parties shall lose their charter school fund character.
k. Budgets. No later than the earlier of June 1 or fourteen (14) working days prior to any deadline specified in the Charter or other regulatory mandate, Connections will present to the Governing Board or its designee and the fiscal officer, a proposed balanced budget (i.e., not resulting in a cumulative net asset deficit) for the following fiscal year, developed under the direction of the Governing Board or its designee. The Budget shall be in reasonable detail and shall be based on the Fee Schedule. In the event that the Governing Board and Connections do not agree on a Budget by June 30, the Parties agree that Connections will
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continue to perform all of its responsibilities under this Agreement and will use the then current approved Budget and the corresponding Fee Schedule as the basis for operations until the Parties agree to a new Budget. Connections will use the staffing model in existence as of such date to release new positions that need to be filled in order to accommodate the projected growth in enrollment for the following Academic Year, which will allow the School to recruit, hire, and train new staff in time for the start of the following Academic Year.
12. Additional/Optional Services: For an additional fee as set forth in the Fee Schedule, the School has elected to contract with Connections to provide the following additional services:
a. Facility and Capital Equipment/Furnishings Procurement, Management and Maintenance. Procure, manage and maintain for the School, administrative office space adequate to meet the needs of the School, including all equipment and furniture required to make such office space functional for its intended purpose, as well as all utilities required to fully meet such functional requirements.
i. Any office space provided or managed by Connections shall be materially compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and meet any other requirements of the Charter and other applicable laws. The locations, lease terms, and capital purchases required for all facilities provided under this Agreement will be subject to the approval of the Governing Board.
ii. Connections agrees that it will have no beneficial financial interest in any approved lease.
iii. All leases negotiated on behalf of the School or entered into by Connections on behalf of the School shall contain a cancellation clause consistent with the requirements of the Charter, unless otherwise approved by the Governing Board.
iv. In the event that this Agreement is terminated prior to its expiration, Connections shall have the unilateral option to assign any lease obtained on behalf of the School to the School, subject to landlord approval if such approval is required, and any capital equipment or furniture and fixtures owned by Connections, if any, and located in the facility may be purchased by the School at the then current book value as recorded on Connections' financial records.
v. Any capital equipment, furniture or fixtures ("Capital Assets"), as well as any other furniture, equipment or fixtures purchased by Connections on behalf of the School using federal or state grant funds or any other sources of public money, shall remain the property of the School at no transfer cost, free and clear of all liens, claims, encumbrances and interests, and continue to be deemed the property of the School.
vi. Connections shall permit School to hold public meetings of the School at such offices, without payment of rent.
vii. Furniture and equipment are provided at an annual rental fee of one-fifth (1/5th) of Connections' purchased price and may be purchased from Connections at any time at a cost equal to its depreciated cost basis (assuming a five year life). Connections may offer an additional incentive, in its sole discretion, to the School to facilitate the purchase of the furniture and equipment by the School. Any such rental costs shall be reflected in the Fee Schedule or a separate agreement between the parties.
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viii. Rent on the facility and utilities are a pass-through cost from Connections to the School, with no mark-up.
ix. Connections shall support the School in the procurement and installation of telephone service, data lines, including Internet access, and such other similar technology services used by personnel who are engaged in providing the Education Program under this Agreement.
b. Office Products and Supplies. Support the School in the procurement of office products and supplies needed for the operation of the administrative offices by, for example, setting up accounts with office product vendors.
c. Student Technology Support Stipend Administration. Act as the School's agent in administering the School's student technology support stipend program established by the Governing Board. Payment of the stipend to eligible households would be facilitated by Connections, which will be issued to the Caretaker (and in certain circumstances, the Student) according to the schedule outlined in the School handbook, which shall be consistent with the rate used in the development of the Budget, provided payment of the stipend is provided for in the Fee Schedule.
13. National Collegiate Athletic Association Eligibility: So long as the School meets the following criteria, it may elect to be included in the Connections Academy "district" for NCAA purposes at no additional fee, which will entitle the school to make available to its Students, high school courses, that meet the NCAA Eligibility Center requirements.
a. The Curriculum must be the NCAA-approved content, delivered by Teachers through the Connexus system. Courses must be college prep level, meaning Connections' Standard level or higher (e.g. Honors/AP), and delivered via the sequential option. Credit recovery/diagnostic-prescriptive courses are not NCAA-eligible.
b. Connections shall provide oversight support for the implementation of the School's instructional model by a Partner School Leadership team member or a person in a comparable role as designated by Connections to meet this requirement; and
c. The Connections Courses must be taught by Teachers for whom Connections provides support services, including but not limited to onboarding, training, and support for such Teacher's annual evaluation within recommended evaluation guidelines, as well as provides guidance and support to the Lead School Administrator in the supervision, monitoring and support of such Teachers as more fully set forth in Section 3.m.i.
If at any time the School does not satisfy all of the criteria set forth in this Section 13, the School will be notified that it will be removed from the Connections Academy NCAA "district."
14. Other Services: To the extent there are products and services not included in the Education Program and the School elects to contract with a third party other than Connections for such products or services, it shall be the School's responsibility to ensure that such products or services are provided consistent with the Budget and in accordance with any requirements of Charter School Law or other applicable law and any requirements in the Charter.
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15. Trademarks:
a. Connections and its Affiliates are the owners of various trademarks, service marks, logos, or trade names used in its business of providing Education Program. Connections trademarks can be found at:
https://www.connectionsacademy.com/Portals/4/ca/documents/pdfs/legal/common-lawtrademarks.pdf (collectively, the "Licensed Marks"). Connections grants to the School a non-exclusive, non-transferable, royalty-free sub-license to use the Licensed Marks during the term of this Agreement solely in connection with the performance of this Agreement and subject to pre-approval of such use by Connections. The School agrees to use the Licensed Marks in accordance with any trademark usage guidelines provided by Connections, the most up-to-date version of which can be found at: http://www.connectionsacademy.com/terms-of-use/trademark-guidelines.aspx. Connections retains all right, title and interest in and to the Licensed Marks , including the School name "Georgia Connections Academy", and any related proprietary rights not expressly granted to the School hereunder. All goodwill attributable to the Licensed Marks will inure exclusively to the benefit of Connections. Any School action or inaction (such as an uncured failure to carry out or abide by the Board's responsibilities set forth in Sections 4.c. and 4.d. that Connections determines is diluting or may dilute the goodwill attributable to the Licensed Marks may result in the modification or rescission of the license grant set forth in this Section. Any such modification or rescission shall not take effect until the later of the close of the Academic Year in which such notice of modification or rescission is provided or a time mutually agreed upon by the Parties.
b. Upon termination of this Agreement, the School's license to use the Licensed Marks shall immediately terminate, except as expressly permitted in this Agreement or by applicable law. The School agrees that within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of termination, all references to "Connections Academy", and any other Licensed Marks shall be removed from the School's signage, stationary, website, marketing materials and any other material or location it appears.
16. Intellectual Property:
a. Limitations on Use. The Licensed Collateral, including but not limited to, Connexus and all technology, programs, services, and materials hosted thereon, the Curriculum, all tangible and intangible education materials, all Connections Education LLC trademarks and copyrighted works, and the trade name "Georgia Connections Academy" are the Intellectual Property of Connections. The School's right to use and benefit from said Intellectual Property is limited to its license rights set forth in this Agreement and shall terminate automatically with the termination of expiration of this Agreement.
b. No Sale. Nothing in this Agreement shall be interpreted to be a sale or transfer of ownership interest from Connections to the School, School Staff, Students, Caretakers, or Learning Coaches.
c. No Use of School Funds to Develop or Procure. No School funds shall be used by Connections to develop or procure Courses or Content or Instructional Materials or improvements to Connexus, provided, however, any School funds paid to Connections for
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provision of the Education Program hereunder, once paid, shall not be deemed to be School funds.
d. Derivative Works. Any works created by the School Staff and derived from Connections' Intellectual Property shall be deemed the property of Connections, and the School agrees to extend all reasonable and appropriate measures to assist Connections in securing and perfecting its ownership interest in such derivative works.
e. Derivative Works License. The School hereby grants to Connections, and will require its School Staff to do the same, a worldwide freely transferable, royalty free, perpetual license, in any content contained in any Derivative Works that are determined to remain the property of the School and/or a member of its School Staff. Similarly, to the extent that any School Staff created educational content is hosted on Connexus or in a Connections proprietary LiveLesson session, the School on behalf of itself and such School Staff hereby grants to Connections a worldwide, freely transferable, royalty free, perpetual license to use such School Staff created educational content for its own commercial purposes.
f. Aggregated Data. Student specific data, including corresponding Caretaker data, is the property of the School, Student and/or the Caretaker ("Student Information"), unless and to the extent that Connections obtains such Student Information from a source other than the School, including directly from Student (if emancipated minor or over the age of minority) or such Student's Caretaker. Connections will not use any such School owned Student Information for any non-school related purpose without obtaining the written permission of such Student or Student's Caretaker (as the case may be). Connections may freely aggregate School owned Student Information, so long as such aggregated use does not reveal identifying characteristics that would enable a third party to determine the identity of any individual Student, including that Student's Caretaker. All such aggregated data shall be the property of Connections. Connections may freely use all such aggregated data, and identify its source as being the Georgia Connections Academy. In addition, Connections shall, from time to time, provide to the School reports in an electronic format, requested by the School, to the extent Connections' systems and capabilities permit. Upon receipt of such request from the School, Connections will work with the School to formulate queries, formats and designs that will generate Student Information in a manner most useful to the School, based on the School's objectives and Connections' existing capabilities.
17. Confidentiality:
a. Confidential Information. The receiving party shall use the Confidential Information of the disclosing party only in connection with the furtherance of the business relationship between the parties, and the receiving party shall make no further use, in whole or in part, of any such Confidential Information. The receiving party agrees not to disclose, deliver or provide access to all, or any portion of the disclosing party's Confidential Information to a third party, or to permit a third party to inspect, copy, or duplicate the same. The receiving party will disclose Confidential Information only to its employees and agents who have a need to know such Confidential Information in connection with the performance of the Agreement, and who are under a written obligation to protect the confidentiality of such Confidential Information. The receiving party will treat the Confidential Information with the same degree of care and confidentiality that the receiving party provides for similar information
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belonging to the receiving party that the receiving party does not wish disclosed to the public, but not less than holding it in strict confidence.
b. Student Records. Connections and the School acknowledge and agree that pursuant to FERPA and any regulations promulgated thereunder, the parties have certain obligations with regard to maintaining the security, integrity and confidentiality of "education records", as that term is defined by FERPA (also referred to herein as "Student Records"). The parties acknowledge that the School at all times retains ownership of Student Records and that each party must perform its obligations under the Agreement in compliance with FERPA and any regulations promulgated thereunder. Connections and the School each designate the Lead School Administrator, School Staff, Governing Board members, third party service providers (including Connections) and volunteers who are providing educational and/or administrative services to the Students as agents of the School, as individuals having a legitimate educational interest, and thus entitled to access education records under FERPA. Connections and the School shall also maintain Student Records in accordance with all other applicable laws and regulations.
c. Exceptions. The foregoing shall not prevent the receiving party from disclosing Confidential Information that must be disclosed by operation of law, provided: (i) the receiving party shall promptly notify the disclosing party of any such request for disclosure in order to allow the disclosing party full opportunity to seek the appropriate protective orders; and (ii) the receiving party complies with any protective order (or equivalent) imposed on such disclosure. It is understood and agreed that this Section 17.c of this Agreement is not intended to permit the disclosure of education records referenced in Section 17.b. of this Agreement, unless permitted by applicable law.
d. Return of Confidential Information. The receiving party agrees that it will, within ten (10) days after written request by the disclosing party, return to the disclosing party, or at the option of the disclosing party, destroy and certify in writing the destruction of, all Confidential Information received from the disclosing party, including copies, reproductions, electronic files or any other materials containing Confidential Information.
e. Remedy for Breach. The parties acknowledge that monetary damages may not be a sufficient remedy for unauthorized disclosure of Confidential Information and that a disclosing party shall be entitled, without waiving any other rights or remedies, and without the posting of bond or other equity, to such injunctive or equitable relief as may be deemed proper by a court of competent jurisdiction.
18. Protection of Goodwill and Academic Integrity of the Program: The Parties recognize that Connections has invested substantial money and resources in developing a nationally recognized virtual education program under the "Connections Academy" brand, and that it has an inherent interest in protecting the goodwill generated in connection therewith, as well as the academic integrity of the Education Program. The Parties also recognize that the School has a vested interest in Connections protecting such goodwill, as well as the academic integrity of the Education Program in connection with its mission to advance the education interests of its Students. Accordingly, as part of its responsibilities, Connections is hereby authorized to perform ongoing and periodic reviews of School records documenting the manner in which the Program is delivered to Students, including documentation of interaction between Teachers and/or Administrative Staff with Students, Learning Coaches and
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Caretakers, and to report to the Governing Board, Administrative Staff and/or Teachers any deviations from established Connections policies, procedures and protocols, federal or state legal requirements, or established best practices, or other deficiencies Connections takes note of in connection with such ongoing or periodic review.
19. Term: This Agreement will commence on July 1, 2018, and shall expire on a date coterminous with the expiration of the Charter (the "Term ").
20. Termination:
a. Grounds For Early Termination. Unless otherwise renewed or earlier terminated, this Agreement shall terminate immediately upon the expiration of the Term. Any notice of early termination shall take effect at the closing of the last day of the Academic Year, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties or provided for herein. Notices of termination must be made in writing and delivered to the addresses set forth herein no later than January 15 of the current Academic Year and shall list all reasons for said early termination. Except as specifically provided for herein, this Agreement can only be terminated before its expiration as follows:
i. By both parties if they agree in writing to the termination;
ii. By the School, for any reason, provided, however, that notice of termination shall be given in writing no later than November 1 of the Academic Year in which such termination shall be effective and termination shall not occur prior to the close of the Academic Year in which notice is given. Notice of termination under this Section 20.a.ii. shall include a detailed explanation of the reason(s) for termination and shall be subject to the resolution process referenced in Section 26;
iii. Termination by either party, immediately, if one (1) party materially breaches this Agreement and fails to cure such breach within thirty (30) days following written notification of such breach from the other party. Failure to pay Connections for services as set forth in the Fee Schedule shall be considered a material breach. In the event objectively ascertainable reasonable efforts have been made to effect such cure, and the breach at issue does not objectively lend itself to cure within such thirty (30) day period, then such additional time as necessary to complete said cure, but in no event longer than sixty (60) days following written notification of such breach;
iv. Termination by Connections at the close of the then Academic Year, if the payments to which Connections is entitled under Section 11 of this Agreement are materially reduced as a result of a change in funding provided to the School or applicable laws or regulations impose requirements that are materially different from those previously provided under this Agreement and Connections is unwilling or unable to make the required changes;
v. By Connections, if there are unresolvable differences between the Parties relating to what Connections, in its sole discretion, considers to be conduct that reflects materially and unfavorably upon Connections' reputation with respect to the manner in which School carries out its responsibilities under the terms of this Agreement and Connections provides the School with thirty (30) days written notice of its intent to terminate during which such time the Parties shall work in good faith to alleviate to Connections' satisfaction the circumstances giving rise to such unresolvable
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differences. Termination under this provision may only take effect at the end of the Academic Year in which such notice is given;
vi. By Connections, in the event of a rescission of the Delegation of Responsibility by the Governing Board under Section 4.b.ii. and Connections provides the Governing Board with written notice of its intent to terminate rather than to negotiate a restructuring of the parties' relationship as a result of such rescission;
vii. Termination by either party, immediately, if the Charter is terminated, or if the School is no longer authorized by the Authorizer as required by applicable state law and regulation;
viii. Termination by the School, if the Governing Board determines at the end of an Academic Year that the Education Program set forth in this Agreement does not meet the requirements for a virtual charter school, as defined by applicable laws and regulations, but only if Connections is unable to cure such deficiency after being given reasonable notice thereof and the opportunity to cure any alleged failure to meet such requirements;
ix. Termination by the School, if the Governing Board determines after a Performance Review, in the School's sole reasonable discretion, that Connections has failed to satisfactorily address any shortcomings identified in the Performance Review through the implementation of the performance improvement plan referenced in Section 9 above, to the extent such performance improvement plan is in connection with improving Connections' performance. Termination under this subsection may not occur prior to the close of year four (4) of the Term in order to provide Connections the opportunity to implement the performance improvement plan. Notice of said termination must be made on or before November 1 and shall not take effect until the close of the Academic Year in which said notice is given, unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.
b. Obligations on Termination. In the event this Agreement is terminated by either party for any reason:
i. Connections shall assist and cooperate with the School in the transition of the Educational Products and Services from Connections to the School or another service provider, so as to minimize the disruption to the Students;
ii. Each party will promptly (not later than thirty (30) days after the effective date of termination) return to the other party all Confidential Information, property and material of any type belonging to the other party, including but not limited to, electronic versions, hard copies and reproductions and will not retain copies of any such property or material except as may be expressly permitted in this Agreement or required by applicable law;
iii. All access to Connexus and other educational products and services contracted for herein shall be discontinued;
iv. Except as provided in Section 3.h. of this Agreement, Connections shall provide to the School copies of all Student Records not otherwise in the School's possession at no additional cost;
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v. School shall pay Connections all amounts due under this Agreement upon the earlier of either their due dates or thirty (30) days after the effective date of termination.
21. Indemnification: a. Indemnification Obligations. Each party shall defend, indemnify, save and hold harmless the other party, its Affiliates, Parent, subsidiaries and its respective directors, officers, agents and employees (together "Indemnified Party") against and from any and all claims, actions, liabilities, costs, expenses, damages, injury or loss (including reasonable attorney's fees) made, brought, incurred, or alleged by any third party ("Claim") to which the Indemnified Party, its Affiliates and their respective directors, officers, agents and employees may be subject to liability by reason of any wrongdoing, misconduct, negligence, willful misconduct or default by the Indemnifying Party, its agents, employees, subcontractors, or assigns in connection with the performance of this Agreement. This indemnification, defense and hold harmless obligation on behalf of Indemnifying Party shall survive the termination of this Agreement. b. Indemnification Procedure. The Indemnified Party will: (a) promptly notify the Indemnifying Party in writing of any claim, loss, damages, liabilities and costs, and for third party claims; (b) allow the Indemnifying Party to control the defense; and (c) reasonably cooperate with the Indemnifying Party in the defense and any related settlement negotiations. In addition to any defense provided by the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnified Party may, at its expense, retain its own counsel. If the Indemnifying Party does not promptly assume the Indemnified Party's defense against any third party claim, the Indemnified Party reserves the right to undertake its own defense at the Indemnifying Party's expense.
22. Limitation of Liabilities: In no event will either party, or such party's Affiliates, directors, officers, employees, or agents, be responsible or liable for the debts, acts or omissions of the other party or such party's Affiliates, directors, officers, employees, or agents.
23. Sales Tax: The School shall provide Connections with support that it is tax exempt. To the extent that the School is not tax exempt, the School shall be responsible for federal, state, or local taxes assessed, if any, based on the Education Program provided by Connections hereunder. If any sales and use taxes are assessed on purchases made by Connections for the School's benefit and charged to the School, Connections will provide a credit to the School equal to the amount of the sales or use taxes paid.
24. Notices: All notices, consents and other communications under this Agreement shall be given in writing and shall be sent by and deemed to have been sufficiently given or served for all purposes as of the date it is delivered by hand, received by overnight courier, or within three (3) business days of being sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid to the parties at the following addresses (or to such other address as hereafter may be designated in writing by such party to the other party):
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If to Connections: With a copy to:

Connections Education LLC 10960 Grantchester Way Columbia, MD 21044 Attn: Thomas Ap Simon, President
Connections Education LLC 10960 Grantchester Way Columbia, MD 21044 Attn: General Counsel

If to the School:

Georgia Connections Academy 2763 Meadow Church Road, Suite 208 Duluth, GA 30097 Attn: Rich Thompson, Board President

With a copy to:

Strickland Brockington Lewis LLP 1170 Peachtree Street NW Atlanta, GA 30309 Attn: Jonathan R. Poole

25. Governing Law: This Agreement shall be governed and controlled by the laws of the State of Georgia. Any legal actions prosecuted or instituted by any party under this Agreement shall be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction located in the State of Georgia, and each party hereby consents to the jurisdiction and venue of any such courts for such purpose.

26. Resolution of Disputes: Any dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be resolved in accordance with the procedures specified in this Section 26.

a. Negotiation. The parties agree to negotiate in good faith all disputes arising out of or relating to the rights and obligations of the Parties, as set forth in this Agreement and/or established by applicable law. Any dispute not resolved within the normal course of business shall be referred to the VP of Schools for Connections, and the Board Chairperson, for the School or his/her designee, for discussions related to the nature of the dispute and an agreed course of action as to how to resolve the dispute or to other such persons within the organization of Connections and the School as the Parties mutually deem appropriate.

b. Mediation. In the event the parties are unable to fully resolve a dispute through negotiation, each Party agrees to submit all unresolved disputes to nonbinding mediation pursuant to processes and procedures mutually agreed upon by the Parties. In the event the Parties are unable to agree to such processes and procedures, the Parties agree to submit the matter to Board Counsel of record, or other such third party agreed upon by the Parties, who will establish the processes and procedures by which such unresolved disputes will be mediated.

c. Confidentiality. The Parties agree to treat all discussions and sharing of documents related to this Section 26.c. as confidential and not subject to disclosure to any third

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party to the extent permissible by law, except as consented to by the disclosing Party. In the event the Parties are unable to resolve such dispute through nonbinding mediation, to the extent such dispute remains unresolved, each Party, upon providing the other party ten (10) calendar days' notice of its intent to do so, may pursue their respective contractual, administrative, legal and/or equitable remedies available to them in order to fully resolve such dispute.
27. Miscellaneous.
a. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable, it shall be ineffective only to the extent of the invalidity, without affecting or impairing the validity and enforceability of the remainder of the provision or the remaining provisions of this Agreement. If any provision of this Agreement shall be or become in violation of any federal, state, or local law, such provision shall be considered null and void, and all other provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
b. Successors and Assigns. The terms and provisions of this Agreement shall be assignable by either party only with the prior written permission of the other, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; provided that a change in control of Connections or its managing member or an assignment from or to a wholly owned subsidiary of Connections, notice of which shall be provided by Connections to the Governing Board, shall not be deemed a violation of this Agreement if such assignment is made without prior written permission.
c. Complete Agreement; Modification and Waiver. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the matter contained herein and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, warranties and understandings of the parties. There are no agreements, representations or warranties of any kind except as expressly set forth in this Agreement. No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by both parties. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement will be effective unless it is in writing and signed by the party to be charged with such modification, and no such waiver will constitute a waiver of any other provision(s) or of the same provision on another occasion.
d. Force Majeure. If any circumstance should occur that is not anticipated or is beyond the control of a party or that delays or renders impossible or impracticable performance as to the obligations of such party, the party's obligation to perform such services shall be postponed for a period equal to the time during which such circumstance shall extend, or, if such performance has been rendered impossible by such circumstance, shall be cancelled.
e. No Third party Rights. This Agreement is made for the sole benefit of the parties. Except as otherwise expressly provided, nothing in this Agreement shall create or be deemed to create a relationship among the parties or any of them, and any third party, including a relationship in the nature of a third party beneficiary or fiduciary.
f. Professional Fees and Expenses. Each party shall bear its own expenses for legal, accounting, and other fees or expenses in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement.
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g. 501(c)(3) Status. The Parties agree to negotiate in good faith an amendment to this Agreement to cure any IRS cited defect in the Agreement that will impede the issuance of a determination from the IRS that the School is a tax exempt organization under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3).
h. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts, which shall together constitute the signed original Agreement.
i. Compliance with Laws, Policies, Procedures, and Rules. Each party will comply with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations including all of the specific requirements of the Charter, applicable local ordinances and the School's policies whether or not specifically listed in this Agreement.
j. Interpretation of Agreement. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that this Agreement has been negotiated at arm's length and between parties equally sophisticated and knowledgeable in the subject matter dealt with in this Agreement. Accordingly, any rule of law or legal decision that would require interpretation of any ambiguities in this Agreement against the party that has drafted it is not applicable and this Agreement shall be interpreted in a reasonable manner to affect the intent of the parties as set forth in this Agreement.
k. Headings; Exhibits. The section headings contained herein are for convenience only and shall not in any way affect the interpretation or enforceability of any provision of this Agreement. All schedules and exhibits to this Agreement are incorporated herein and shall be deemed a part of this Agreement as fully as if set forth in the body hereof.
l. Attendance at Meetings. The parties agree that during the Term Connections is hereby invited (through a Connections designated individual or individuals) to attend all Governing Board closed session meetings except where such attendance: (i) is prohibited by applicable law; (ii) will result in a waiver of the attorney/client privilege; (iii) will result in Connections being present during discussions concerning negotiations regarding the renewal or termination of this Agreement, or (iv) will result in Connections being present during discussions regarding such other matter with respect to which Connections has a conflict of interest.
m. Electronic Signatures. This Agreement and related documents may be accepted in electronic form (e.g., by scanned copy of the signed document, an electronic or digital signature or other means of demonstrating assent) and each party's acceptance will be deemed binding on the parties. Each party acknowledges and agrees that it will not contest the validity or enforceability of this Agreement and related documents, including under any applicable statute of frauds, because they were accepted or signed in electronic form. Each party further acknowledges and agrees that it will not contest the validity or enforceability of a signed scanned PDF or facsimile copy of this Agreement and related documents on the basis that it lacks an original handwritten signature. Facsimile and scanned PDF signatures shall be considered valid signatures as of the date hereof. Computer maintained records of this Agreement and related documents when produced in hard copy form shall constitute business records and shall have the same validity as any other generally recognized business records.
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n. Survival. The rights and responsibilities of Sections 11.c., 15, 16, 17, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27.e. , i., n., and o., shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
o. Status and Relationship of the Parties. Connections is a limited liability company organized under the laws of Delaware, and is not a division or a part of the School. The School is a Georgia public charter school authorized by the Charter School Law and is not a division or part of Connections. The parties intend that the relationship created by this Agreement is that of an independent contractor and not employer-employee. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, no agent or employee of Connections shall be deemed to be an agent or employee of the School. Connections shall be solely responsible for its acts and the acts of its agents, employees and subcontractors, and the School shall be solely responsible for its acts and the acts of its agents, employees and subcontractors. The relationship between Connections and the School is based solely on the terms of this Agreement, and the terms and conditions of any other written agreement between Connections and the School.

Agreed to by:

GEORGIA CONNECTIONS ACADEMY

CONNECTIONS EDUCATION LLC

By: ________________________________ By: _________________________________

Title: __B_oa_r_d__C_h_a_i_r____________________ Title: __M_an_a_g_i_n_g__D_i_r_e_ct_o_r_,__O_B_L___________

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INDEX OF DEFINED TERMS
"Academic Year" shall mean the school year as defined by the School Calendar under which the School operates.
"Administrative Staff" means any and all individuals employed by or otherwise providing services for or on behalf of the education program operated by the School.
"Affiliates" means any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with another entity. With respect to Connections, Affiliate shall also include Pearson PLC and its Affiliates. For the purposes of this definition, "control" means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct the management and policies of an entity whether through the ownership of voting securities, registered capital, contract or otherwise.
"Authorizer" shall mean the agency or other governmental entity authorized by law in the state in which the School is contracting with Connections under the terms of the Agreement to provide the Education Program.
"Authorized Users" shall mean the Students, Caretakers, Teachers, Instructional Aides, Administrative Staff, Learning Coaches, and Governing Board members who are authorized to access Connexus, the Content, Instructional Materials and Courses pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
"Budget" shall mean the operating budget for the School, as approved by the Governing Board as more specifically discussed in Section 11.k.
"Caretaker" shall mean the parent(s), legal guardian(s) or another individual designated by a parent or legal guardian as a Student's Caretaker.
"Charter" shall mean the authorization to operate a charter school granted by the Authorizer.
"Charter School Law" shall mean the applicable laws and regulations governing charter schools as codified in statutes and code of regulations of the State of Georgia.
"Community Coordinators" shall mean individuals who volunteer their services to coordinate school-sanctioned community activities and field trips that enhance the educational experience of Students and provide them with the opportunity to engage other Students residing in the immediate geographic area who also attend the School.
"Computer Technology" shall mean: (a) computer hardware, software, or both, that shall meet or exceed any specifications required by law, for each eligible household in which one (1) or more Students reside, and (b) any computer hardware, software, or both, required by Administrative Staff or Teachers.
"Confidential Information" shall mean proprietary business, technical and financial information of each of the parties, including for example and without limitation, each party's respective information concerning: (a) business strategy and operations such as business plans, methods, marketing strategies, outreach plans and sales information, pricing information and customer and prospect lists, the identities and locations of vendors and consultants providing services or materials to or on behalf of the disclosing party; (b) product development such as product designs and concepts; (c) financial information such
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as budget and expense information, economic models, pricing, cost and sales data, operating and other financial reports and analysis; (d) human resource information such as compensation policies and schedules, employee recruiting and retention plans, organization charts and personnel data; (e) unpublished educational content, curricula, teaching outlines, lesson plans, testing processes and procedures; (f) Student Records and other student-related or parent-related personal information; (g) the terms of this Agreement, (h) login and password information for Connexus; (i) technical information such as development methods, computer software, research, inventions, the design and operation of Connexus; and (j) other similar non-public information that is furnished, disclosed or transmitted to the receiving party or to which the receiving party is otherwise given access by the disclosing party, orally, in written form, in any type of storage medium, or otherwise. Confidential Information, in whatever form provided, shall remain the exclusive property of the disclosing party at all times, and the parties hereby acknowledge and agree that all such Confidential Information of a party are its trade secrets. Except as specifically provided for herein, nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as granting or conferring any rights in any Confidential Information disclosed to the receiving party, by license or otherwise.

"Connexus" means the website or Education Management System (also sometimes

referred to as Learning Management System, EMS or LMS) with the URL

http://www.Connexus.com, or such other URL as Connections or its Affiliates may

designate from time to time, through which Authorized Users access Connections Content

via a secure, password protected website. The features and functions of Connexus may

be modified and/or updated from time to time by Connections. Access to Connexus is

governed

by

the

Terms

of

Use

located

at

https://www.Connexus.com/public/termsOfUse.html and defined herein.

"Content" means the components of a Course and/or Service Delivery Resource (as each is defined herein) licensed, designed, developed, owned or provided by Connections and its third party content partners and delivered in an online format through Connexus (as defined herein) or in an offline format (textbooks and other materials) to teach students in various subjects in grades K12 and/or to deliver resources in connection with the Services (defined herein). Content may include the courseware, data, documentation, text, audio, video, graphics, animation, drawings, programming, icons, images, pictures and charts, Teachlet tutorials and LiveLesson sessions. Connections reserves the right to add Content, withdraw Content, modify and/or offer substitute Content, in its sole discretion, provided that the School will receive reasonable notification concerning any substitution or withdrawal that is substantial.

"Course(s)" shall be comprised of a set of lessons and assessments, including Instructional Materials, that shall meet the educational content or other standards established by the State of Georgia in order to be recognized for high school credit in grades 9-12 and/or for meeting educational requirements in grades K-8, as the case may be.

"Curriculum" means a program of instruction provided by Connections, which includes Content and Instructional Materials accessed primarily through Connexus, that, together with Teacher provided additions and/or modifications, shall meet the educational content or other standards established by the State of Georgia in order to be recognized for high school credit in grades 9-12 or for meeting educational requirements in grades K-8.

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"Curriculum Guide" means the publication which sets forth the list of Courses offered by Connections during a particular Academic Year and may sometimes be referred to in this Agreement as a "Program Guide".
"Derivative Works" include any translation, editorial revision, annotation, elaboration, or other modification, correction, addition, enhancement, extension, condensation, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgement or other form in which the Content or Instructional Materials or other Licensed Collateral may be recast, transformed or adapted, including but not limited to all forms in which such Derivative Works may or may not infringe any of the copyrights in the Content or Instructional Materials.
"Destroyed" means at minimum removing personally identifiable information from the Student Record stored on Connections' production systems.
"Education Program" has that meaning ascribed to it in Section 1.
"FERPA" means the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. 1232 (g), as amended from time to time.
"Governing Board" shall mean the governing board of the School.
"Instructional Materials" shall have that meaning ascribed to it in Section 3 a.v.
"Intellectual Property" means collectively, rights under patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws, and any other intellectual property or proprietary rights recognized in any country or jurisdiction worldwide, now or in the future, including but not limited to, moral rights, industrial design rights and similar rights, and shall in all cases include Marketing Leads, data and materials and other related collateral developed by Connections, regardless of whether such data, materials and collateral are developed specifically for the School. Intellectual Property is the exclusive property of Connections.
"Learning Coach" shall mean a Caretaker of the Student or another adult specifically designated by the Student's Caretaker, or the Student where over 18 or emancipated, who will perform the responsibilities as defined in the Caretaker Acknowledgement, Designated Learning Coach Agreement or Eligible Student Acknowledgement, respectively, and the School Handbook, which shall be subject to the review and approval annually by the Governing Board. Learning Coaches are not employees or contractors of either the School or Connections; shall not receive any compensation for their services from either Connections or the Governing Board; and shall look solely to the Caretaker to collect any alleged agreed to compensation. Learning Coaches shall not fall within the definition of "Instructional Aides".
"Licensed Collateral" shall mean Connexus and all technology, programs, services, and materials hosted thereon to which Customer is granted access, the Curriculum, all tangible and intangible education materials and other proprietary and copyright protected works and other Intellectual Property to which Customer is granted a right of use (whether in digital, print or both and including third party content contained therein or linked to therefrom), and all Connections Education LLC trademarks, and the trade name "Georgia Connections Academy".
"Marketing Leads" shall mean the Caretaker names, contact information, demographic and other information developed and collected through Connections marketing efforts
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(including but not limited to Public Information Campaigns defined herein) at any time before, during or after the initial or any renewal term of this Agreement, including leads, developed and collected through radio, online and television advertisements, online and in person information sessions, the Connections Academy website, surveys and petition gathering efforts, and other marketing activities performed on behalf of Connections and/or the School.
"Marketplace" shall mean each of United States and its territories and lawful possessions (individually and in the aggregate).
"Public Information Campaigns" or "PIC" shall mean such activities as marketing and outreach efforts by offline medial advertising, online advertising, direct mail, telephone calls, traditional public relations, and other advertising efforts, as well as online and in person information sessions, managing social media messaging, etc.
"Performance Review" shall have that meaning ascribed to it in Section 9 of this Agreement.
"Privacy Policy" means that certain statement of Connections' practices for handling personally identifiable and non-personally identifiable information gathered by Connections through Connexus or any web site maintained by Connections from time to time.
"Program Guide" shall have that meaning ascribed to "Curriculum Guide," defined herein.
"Related Services" shall mean services related to the provision of speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, counseling, social skill development, psycheducational evaluations, closed captioning, sign language interpreting, transition and job coaching, academic support for the vision and hearing impaired, adapted physical education, assistive technology, and other services of a similar nature.
"School Calendar" shall be the days when the Education Program under this Agreement will be delivered to Students, as defined by the School Handbook. Connections will provide Educational Products and Services on those days established to be the School Calendar for the Academic Year, except that Students may continue to report attendance during scheduled school holidays to the extent permitted under Georgia law. The School Calendar for each Academic Year is subject to the prior approval of the Governing Board, taking into account all reasonable comments and suggestion by Connections, and shall meet any regulatory requirements for days and hours of instruction required by law or regulation.
"School Staff" has that meaning ascribed to it in Section 3.m.
"SDR" means Service Delivery Resource and relates to any tools, instructions, assessments or other support materials used in the delivery of Services, either through Connexus or otherwise.
"Services" means any service provided by Connections to Students, including therapeutic or educational services, under the terms of the Agreement between the School and Connections.
"Special Education Director" is that person employed to oversee the Special Education Services per Section 3.f. It is the Special Education Director's responsibility to keep
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informed of (and to inform Connections of) any state legislative or regulatory enactments that impact the provision of Special Education Services, as well as to supervise the special education Teachers and implement a Connections approved model for special education instruction. "Special Education Protocols" shall mean the policies, procedures and protocols that govern the provision of Special Education Services and shall, at minimum comply with applicable state and federal law requirements. "Special Education Services" shall mean all necessary special education programs and services, including the development and implementation of IEPs and Section 504 plans, handling administrative proceedings and specialized services, submitting state or federal reports, applying for and administering supplemental funding, providing other Related Services and all other administrative services associated with the delivery of services to Special Needs Students. "Special Needs Students" shall mean Students (as hereinafter defined) who have been identified as disabled under the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, as amended ("IDEIA") or Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. "Student" means any person actively enrolled in the School. "Student Records" shall mean those "educational records," as defined in subsection (a)(4)(A) of FERPA (as defined herein), which the School or Connections is required to retain in accordance with state law. "Teacher" means any and all educators (including Connections Teachers) involved in providing instruction, assessment and/or other educational support of Students pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the Charter. "Term" shall have that meaning set forth in Section 19. "Terms of Use" means certain rules governing how Authorized Users may and may not use Connexus and any Content and Instructional Materials accessible through Connexus. The most current version is located at https://www.Connexus.com/public/termsofuse.html "Website" means the Connections website with the URL http://www.connectionsacademy.com/home.aspxand any subpages connected thereto.
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Exhibit B Fee Schedule
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Exhibit C
Expense Management Program
Process 1. Once the Budget for the upcoming Academic Year has been developed and
approved by both Parties in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, then the following calculation would be performed:
a. The following budgeted expenses items would be added together (expenses using Board Discretionary Funds is excluded from this calculation): i. Compensation expense - administration/teachers; salaries, bonus, stipends; benefits charge/expense; taxes; pension (i.e., all components of compensation) ii. All other operating expenses excluding the required Connections Fee Schedule items (i.e., discretionary items like substitute teaching services and direct course instruction support would not be eliminated from the calculation). Note: any Deficit Protection credit is ignored in the calculation.
b. The figure obtained above in 1.a. would be divided by the budget average daily membership ("ADM") figure to arrive at the "Target Metric".
c. The prior Academic Year's Actual Metric (defined below) will be used as the basis for setting the maximum figure for the Target Metric by multiplying the Actual Metric by the percentage increase in the basic state funding on an ADM basis. If the adopted Budget results in a Target Metric higher than this maximum, the figure determined by this calculation will be used instead of the one driven by the Budget to set the Target Metric.
d. The Target Metric shall only be revised by mutual written agreement of the Parties once it has been adopted. For example, if the School is required by law to adopt a revised Budget, that would not change the Target Metric except by mutual written agreement of the Parties. An example where such a change might be warranted is if the School receives more restricted funds than were budgeted and utilizing those funds requires additional unbudgeted spending to occur.
2. Once the School's annual financial audit has been completed, the calculation described in Section 1 above will be repeated using actual audited figures. The result will be the "Actual Metric".
3. If the Actual Metric is less than the Target Metric (comparison will use figures rounded to the whole dollar), then the Board shall receive a Discretionary Fund Payment from Connections calculated as follows:
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a. The actual ADM figure multiplied by $25.

b. The minimum payment size would be $10,000 for such Academic Year.

c. The payment will be paid to the school in the form of a check.

4. Any payment provided to the school shall not be subject to the Deficit Protection credit provided in this Agreement, thus leaving the funds to be saved or spent at the Board's discretion with the only restrictions being that the use cannot drive ongoing operating costs higher as set forth in Section 11.f.ii. and cannot compromise the Education program.

5. Payment funds awarded under this Program will be accounted for separately by School Financial Services and reported on a regular basis to the Board.

Example

Example Connections Academy

2017-18 Budget

2017-18 Actual

(a) Compensation Expense

$11,154,607 $11,085,125

(b) All Other Operating Expenses

23,855,656 23,300,225

(c) Required Connections Charges

(21,269,149) (20,852,349)

(d) Subtotal All Expenses = (a + b + c)

$13,741,114 $13,533,001

(e) ADM (Average Daily Membership)

4,000

3,950

(f) Metric (Target or Actual) = (de)

$3,435

$3,426

Is Actual < Target ?

Yes

Board Discretionary Payment Earned (@ $25 per Actual ADM)

$98,750*

* 3,950 x $25 = $98,750

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The Performance Audit Division was established in 1971 to conduct in-depth reviews of state-funded programs. Our reviews determine if programs are meeting goals and objectives; measure program results and effectiveness; identify alternate methods to meet goals; evaluate efficiency of resource allocation; assess compliance with laws and regulations; and provide credible management information to decision makers. For more information, contact
us at (404)656-2180 or visit our website at www.audits.ga.gov.