T H E C O M M ONW E A L T H OF M A S S A C H U S E T T S

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF EDUCATION

ONE ASHBURTON PLACE ROOM 1403 BOSTON, MA 02108

DEVAL L. PATRICK
GOVERNOR

TIMOTHY P. MURRAY
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

TEL: (617) 979-8340 FAX: (617) 727-0049 www.mass.gov/education

S. PAUL REVILLE
SECRETARY

February 15, 2012

Principal Michael Morris Crocker Farm School 280 West Street Amherst, MA 01002 Dear Principal Morris, It is our pleasure to inform you that the Executive Office of Education (EOE) and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) are awarding a Next Generation Learning Models Innovation School Planning Grant (Fund 154) for Fiscal Year 2012 in the amount of $10,000 to support the planning activities for the proposed Crocker Farm Elementary Innovation School. The Innovation School initiative, a signature component of An Act Relative to the Achievement Gap that Governor Patrick signed into law in January 2010, gives educators and other stakeholders across the state the opportunity to create in-district schools that will leverage the lessons learned from the state's top performing autonomous schools. In particular, these unique schools will operate with increased autonomy and flexibility in the areas of curriculum, budget, school schedule and calendar, staffing (including waivers from or exemptions to collective bargaining agreements), school district policies, and professional development. In exchange for greater authority to establish the school conditions that will lead to improved teaching and learning, the operators of Innovation Schools will be held accountable for meeting annual benchmarks for student achievement and school performance. Based on a thorough and rigorous review of your grant application, we believe that you have articulated the mission and goals of your proposed Innovation School, provided clear descriptions of how the Innovation Plan Committee will explore the use of selected areas of autonomy and flexibility, and demonstrated that you have the commitment and capacity to effectively plan a high-quality program. The number of students being served, the quality of the grant application and the capacity of the applicant group to plan the Innovation School were some of the factors taken into consideration in determining the grant award amounts. Due to the large number of high quality applicants and the limited funding available, award amounts were all below the maximum. Please note that your award is contingent on submission of revised school and district budget pages reflecting the award amount and addressing the information outlined in Attachment A. Congratulations once again. We look forward to supporting your work going forward! Sincerely,

Paul Reville Secretary of Education

Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D. Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education