Specifications include, but are not limited to: Respondents that receive an awarded contract will serve as a SMT to operate all or part of one or more turnaround academies as a direct result of a school improvement intervention assigned by the State Board. Respondents will be categorized into two groups based on the scope of their proposal, a contract partner or a consulting partner. - Contacting Partner – Describes a respondent that proposes to independently manage one or more Turnaround Academies. A contract partner is responsible for all aspects of administration and operation including, but not limited to, teaching and learning, personnel, budget decisions, food service, transportation, information technology, extracurricular supports, building and grounds, and will receive a commensurate amount of federal, state, and local funding to cover the cost of these services pursuant to Indiana law. A Contracting Partner must demonstrate the capacity to rapidly scale up operations to begin managing the school within a short timeline, and have a clear track-record of successfully turning around chronically underperforming schools under their direct management. Resources (e.g. furniture, equipment) previously in the school will be available for the SMT’s use within that school. The SMT will have full access to the existing school facility at no cost, and receive a pro-rata share of property tax funding for all allowable expenses that the school corporation does not provide directly to the school as outlined in IC 20-31-9.5. - Consulting Partner – Describes a respondent that proposes to partner with a local school corporation to design and execute a rigorous plan for school turnaround and student achievement that dramatically shifts the conditions within which the school has historically operated. Consulting Partners must demonstrate the capacity to identify and address systemic barriers to school improvement that inhibit ongoing efforts to improve student outcome such as: o Increasing school leader autonomy and accountability while providing the necessary support to ensure principals have the ability and the authority to make decisions based on the specific needs of the student population o Strategic school design, rethinking the basic assumptions about school structures when they limit student success, to meet the unique needs of the student population o Dynamic resource allocation to increase funding equity within the school and across the corporation o Innovative staffing models that leverage career pathways and compensation models to attract and retain the most talented educators to teach in the Turnaround Academy