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Charter School Accountability
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary EducationThe Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign
75 Pleasant StreetMalden, MA 02148
Phone: (781) 338-3227
Content Overview
What is a Charter Term?
Important Accountability Documents and Deadlines
Charter School Performance Criteria
Site Visits (Findings, ratings, and site visit reports)
Charter Renewal
What is a charter term?
Charter Term
A license issued by the Board under the provisions of M.G.L. c. 71, § 89, and 603 CMR 1.00, allowing
the grantee to operate a charter
school for a period of five
years.
*See Notes for more details about year one site visits.
To Do ListAnnual
Annual Report and Recruitment & Retention Plan• Due annually by August 1st ; please use the annually updated guidelines to
complete your annual report.• DESE offers annual webinars to help you successfully complete the AR and R&R
Plan
Audit
• Due annually by November 1st
• Audit guide available here: http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/finance/auditing/
Amendments (If Applicable)
• BESE approval– August 1st
• Commissioner approval– Ongoing• Amendment Guidelines: http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/governance/?section=all
Update Directory Administration and Board Member Management System (BMMS)
• Ongoing
End of Year Financial Report
• Due the day before thanksgiving (This year, November 25th)
To Do ListCharter Term
Accountability PlanDuring Year 1
Outlines goals that the school will use and how it will measure success; progress reported in
annual reports
Site VisitsVaries
Check-in, targeted, full, first year; criteria ratings; site visit
protocol
Renewal Application
Due by 8/1 before Year 5
Renewal application, renewal inspection site visit; summary
of review
Amendments to the Charter
Ongoing
Changes to the original charter require approval from BESE or
the Commissioner
*See Notes for more details about each of the items above.
Amendments – Seek Prospective Approval
BESE Approval – Submit by August 1 to be implemented the following school
year
Districts specified in the school’s charter
Maximum Enrollment
Grades Served
Contractual Relationships
Commissioner Approval – Submit anytime
School NameMission
Leadership/Gov. StructureEducational ProgramBoard Membership
MOUsSchedule
Accountability PlanEnrollment PolicyExpulsion Policy
Location/Facilities Change Bylaws
Charter School Performance Criteria (Criteria)
Faithfulness to the Terms of the Charter
Academic Program Success
Organizational Viability
PurposeArticulate the expectations for all aspects of charter school accountability.
The Criteria guide site visits, the amendment process, creation of accountability documents, and the renewal process
The Criteria are organized in three buckets:
Review the Charter School Performance Criteria
The Charter School Performance Criteria can be found here:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/guides/PerformanceCriteria.pdf
Criterion 5: Student Performance
Criterion 5: The school consistently meets state student performance standards for academic growth, proficiency, and college and career readiness.
Factors in the state leveling system that will be taken into consideration are: PPI School Percentile Accountability Level
The goal is to achieve and remain in Level 1.
See additional information about the state system of accountability here: http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/accountability/default.html
What to expect in a site visit report: Criteria Ratings and Findings
The Department uses a rating scale to summarize a charter school’s performance against the Criteria. Ratings will capture school
performance at the time of the site visit. Findings are statements that describe the school’s performance in terms of the Criteria. Findings synthesize the site visit team’s analyses of evidence collected from
multiple sources prior to and during the visit.
At the conclusion of the site visit, the team will report out a few findings regarding the relevant subset of the Criteria.
Site Visits
In conducting site visits, the Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign (OCSSR) is carrying out the requirements of 603 CMR
1.08(2), which outlines the ongoing review of charter school
Site visits are one of the means by which ESE and OCSSR document each charter school’s performance and progress, relative to the Criteria.
Schools will receive ratings and findings for a subset of the Criteria during full, targeted, and check-in site visits. Year one schools will
receive findings and ratings during their spring visit.
Site Visit Protocol: http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/acct.html?section=visit
Site Visits Type of Visit Approximate
Length Typically Eligible SchoolsCriteria Typically
Addressed
Year One 0.5 - 1 day Schools in the first year of operation 1, 2, 6.2. 6.4, 9
Full 1 – 2 days
Schools in the first three charter terms Multi-campus schools Networks of charter schoolsPlease note: Visits to schools in their first charter term, large schools, and schools with more than one campus will generally receive longer site visits. Please see Appendix E for additional details.
1, 2, 3 (if applicable), 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Check-In 0.5 – 1 day Schools in or beyond their third charter term 1, 2, 5, 6.2, 6.4, 9, and 10
Targeted 0.5 – 1 day Schools on conditions or probation Schools requiring a visit for a sub-set of
Criteria
Based on conditions, probation, or areas of
concern
Renewal Inspection
1 – 3 days
Schools in their fifth year of each charter termPlease note: These visits are conducted by contracted external teams or Department staff in accordance with a separate Renewal Inspection Protocol.
1, 6, 7, 8, and 9
Site Visits – Additional Info
Your school will be contacted during July/Aug (the summer prior) to schedule the site visit
Review the site visit protocol as you plan and prepare for the visit for information regarding focus groups, classroom observations, and the resulting site visit report
Site visit reports will be issued to the school 6-8 weeks after the site visit. The report will contain ratings and findings for each of the relevant criteria
Full and targeted site visit teams will include 1-2 external (non-ESE) visitors – let us know if you are interested in being a site visitor!
Renewal – Application and Inspection Process
• Renewal application is due August 1st before the fifth and final year of its charter
• Additional required documentation is listed in renewal inspection protocol
Application process
• Renewal Inspection Protocol outlines process• On site component (1, 2, or 3 Days)• External consultant or DESE staff conduct
visit• Renewal Inspection Report is result
Renewal Inspection
Renewal – Decision Making Process
• Summarizes school performance over charter term
• Ratings and Findings for all 10 Criteria
Summary of Review (SOR)
• SOR presented to the Commissioner• Based on Board votes in 2009 and 2013,
the Commissioner has been delegated the authority to grant charter renewals that do not involve probation or non-renewal.
Decision making process
Important Links
Annual Report Informationhttp://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/acct.html?section=annual
Guide to Charter School Accountabilityhttp://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/guides/AcctGuide.pdf
Renewal Informationhttp://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/acct.html?section=renew
Charter School Laws and Regulationshttp://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/laws.html
Charter School Contact and Liaisonshttp://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/ContactLiaison.html
Thank You!
Still have questions/comments?
Contact your DESE liaison!
Alison Bagg, Accountability Ellie Rounds, Access &Equity [email protected] [email protected] 781.338.3212
Puja Garg, Accountability Melissa Gordon, Access & [email protected] [email protected] 781.338.3209
Claire Smithney, [email protected] …or visit the www.doe.mass.edu
for more details about accountability, governance, and
general charter information!
More Questions?
Join us at DESE for the New Administrators Orientation!
October 16, 20158:30 am
75 Pleasant StreetMalden, MA
Bring your questions and register here:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/conference/?ConferenceID=8200