Ready for CSP New Mexico Fellowship Application

Ready for CSP New Mexico Fellowship Application - CSP Round 4 Applicants

This application has two purposes: to assess readiness for participation in the Ready for CSP New Mexico Fellowship and to begin the substantive work required for a future Charter Schools Program grant application. Note that this application assesses Fellowship readiness, not immediate CSP award readiness.

To learn more about the Ready for CSP New Mexico Fellowship, click here.

Applicants will be notified about next steps in early June with final Fellowship decisions made in October. If you have questions about the application or the Fellowship process, please contact Bria Gibson (bgibson@themindtrust.org).
Deadline: May 20, 2026 by 11:59 PM MST

Section 1: School & Applicant Information

School Name

Authorizer

Year School Opened

Current Grades Served

Current Enrollment

Applicant Name

Applicant Role/Title

Years in Current Role

Intended Growth Pathway

SECTION 2: Theory of Growth This section mirrors the Executive Summary and Need for the Project components of a CSP application. Strong responses go beyond describing what you want to do, making the case for why now, for whom, and at what risk.

In 300–400 words, describe your school's vision for growth and impact over the next 3-5 years. Your response should address: (1) the strategic opportunities you are positioned to pursue, including anticipated scope, timeline, and student impact; and (2) the key challenges, risks, or unresolved questions you expect to navigate. Applicants are encouraged to be direct about areas of uncertainty (we consider this to be a marker of organizational self-awareness, not a weakness).

SECTION 3: Evidence of School Quality Reviewers are looking for evidence that the applicant has a clear, rigorous, and coherent academic model grounded in evidence-based instructional practices that will continue to yield strong student achievement outcomes in the midst of growth.

In 300–400 words, describe the strongest evidence that your school is meeting the needs of students academically:

How are students growing in ELA and Math?

What does your proficiency data show, and what context matters for reading it correctly?

How are your subgroups performing?

SECTION 4: Budget Logic & Use of CSP Funds This section evaluates financial reasoning, not just technical budgeting.

In 300–400 words, provide a high-level narrative describing how CSP funds would support your school's proposed growth. Your response should address the major categories of anticipated expenditures, explain how CSP funding would accelerate or enable growth beyond your existing core funding rather than supplant it, and outline your school's plan for sustaining operations once CSP funding concludes.

Upload your official enrollment data for the past three school years (SY2022-23, SY2023-24, and SY2024-25). Acceptable formats include state-submitted reports, board-approved figures, or an export from your enrollment management system.

In 300–400 words, describe your school's enrollment trends and the systems you have built to sustain and grow student enrollment over the last three school years. Please address:

• Your total enrollment for each year and what those numbers reflect about your school's growth or stability

• The key strategies and systems your team has put in place to drive enrollment, including outreach, retention, and community engagement

• Who owns enrollment at your school, how goals are set, and how progress is monitored

SECTION 5: Fellowship Commitment The Fellowship involves complex, system-level work that may not yield immediate results. This section helps us understand your readiness to do it well.

In 300–400 words, share your readiness and commitment to the Ready for CSP New Mexico Fellowship. We'd like to understand what you hope to gain from participating, where you anticipate the greatest challenges, and how you and your team will intentionally carve out time and focus for this work while managing your ongoing responsibilities.

SECTION 6: Fellowship Participants The Fellowship is designed for leadership teams where possible. We ask that you identify up to two leaders to participate (one being the executive director, head of school, or principal). Final participation decisions will be confirmed upon acceptance into the Fellowship.

Participant 1 Name

Participant 1 Title/Role

Participant 1 Email

Participant 1 Phone

Participant 2 Name (If Applicable)

Participant 2 Title/Role (If Applicable)

Participant 2 Email (If Applicable)

Participant 2 Phone (If Applicable)

Why is this person the right participant for the Fellowship? (2–3 sentences)

Contact Information