Download or read book The Authorizer and Charter School Closures written by Veronica Geyer and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 6 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Part and parcel of a charter school authorizer's oversight responsibility is the unenviable task of closing a school that fails to pass muster. As with most challenges that authorizers face, closing a charter school can be a complex task; executing a closure decision can entail a web of issues that the prudent authorizer must unravel carefully. And while no two charter schools' circumstances or closure processes will be identical, having a standard yet adaptable closure protocol guided by principles of effective leadership will help authorizers address the difficulties of a school closure consistently, adequately and, most importantly, in a manner that protects students and the public interest. Ronald Heifetz, author of "Leadership Without Easy Answers" and a renowned expert on leadership theory, exhorts those in positions of authority to advance goals through adaptive leadership which Heifetz defines in terms of five strategic principles: (1) Identify the adaptive challenge; (2) Keep the level of distress within a tolerable range for doing adaptive work; (3) Focus attention on ripening issues and not on stress-reducing distractions; (4) Give the work back to the people, but at a rate they can stand; and (5) Protect voices of leadership without authority. This issue brief addresses common issues that authorizers face in executing a school closure and demonstrates how adherence to Heifetz's five strategic principles of adaptive leadership can help an authorizer respond effectively to the attendant challenges. In addition, this brief provides some salient observations and practical policy approaches that one authorizer, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), has incorporated into its charter school closure protocol and practices. (Contains 4 endnotes and 3 resources.).

Download or read book An Exploratory Multiple Case Study of the Western United States Charter School Authorizer written by Shaloma Alynca Gray and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The practices and characteristics of charter school authorizers are not well understood, but these entities are responsible for the approval and revocation of charter schools. The phenomena behind the closure of charter schools in relation to charter school authorizers have not been addressed through an exploratory qualitative case study. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory case study was to examine the policies and practices of six charter school authorizers located in the Western United States to understand the differences in policies and practices that either inhibited or enhanced the success of each charter school. Quality authorizing theory, the NASCA standards for quality charter schools, Total Quality Management, and board governance constructs provided the conceptual framework for this study. A list of charter school authorizers with the highest number of school closures, as well as authorizers with the lowest number of school closures was obtained for analysis. Data collection consisted of interviews with reputable charter school leaders. Additionally, minutes of board meetings, board policies and procedures, and field notes were also used to explore the policy environment. Research literature and press articles were also reviewed concerning charter authorizers and their connection with charter school closures, quality authorization, and management practices. The findings revealed that the charter authorizer0́9s policy environment can contribute to the success of charter schools. The transparency of authorizer policies and practices provides insight to help charter operators develop policies and procedures that coincide with the authorizers0́9 oversight.

Download or read book D C charter schools strengthening monitoring and process when schools close could improve accountability and ease student transitions report to congressional committees written by United States. Government Accountability Office and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2005 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Navigating the Closure Process Authorizing Matters Issue Brief written by Matthew Shaw and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 8 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charter school closure, though sometimes challenging and emotionally charged, is an essential aspect of the charter school movement. The purpose of this Issue Brief is to provide a practice-oriented resource for authorizers and other charter school stakeholders to navigate the closure process after the decision to close a school has been made. In order to navigate the closure minefields, the authorizer must understand why the process is painful for each stakeholder and anticipate the information that each stakeholder group will need throughout the school's wind-up. During the closure process, the authorizer will encounter the effects of pain and uncertainty as it hears from angry, anxious constituents. In particular, the authorizer should anticipate the following: (1) Students will be displaced; (2) Parents will be concerned about where their children will attend school; (3) Staff will be worried about losing their jobs; (4) Leaders/Founders are emotionally invested in the school; and (5) Board members, like the school leaders, are invested in the school emotionally and often, financially. (Contains 7 endnotes.) [This paper was written with the assistance of Parker Baxter, Jonas Chartock, Ralph Rossi, and Justin Testerman.].

Download or read book The State of Charter Schools written by and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Trends in State Charter School Laws written by Kathy Christie and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 6 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forty-two states and the District of Columbia have enacted charter school legislation. The Education Commission of the States (ECS) analysts reviewed laws in the 50 states in creating an online database that highlights how state charter school laws vary, particularly in how states establish standards and accountability for charter school authorizers, allow for appeals, provide assistance with start-ups and fund charter schools. Recently, attention to authorizers--the entities responsible for approving and overseeing charter schools--has increased. A growing number of states are establishing standards and reporting requirements that authorizers must adhere to. Six evolving policy areas in state charter school laws are discussed in this brief. Other rapidly evolving policy areas discussed in this brief are limits or "caps" on the number of charter schools allowed in a state, automatic performance-based closures and virtual or "cyber" charter schools.

Download or read book Charter High Schools written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Charter schools to enhance Education s monitoring and research more charter schoollevel data are needed report to the Secretary of Education written by and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Charter School City written by Douglas N. Harris and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2020-07-15 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the wake of the tragedy and destruction that came with Hurricane Katrina in 2005, public schools in New Orleans became part of an almost unthinkable experiment—eliminating the traditional public education system and completely replacing it with charter schools and school choice. Fifteen years later, the results have been remarkable, and the complex lessons learned should alter the way we think about American education. New Orleans became the first US city ever to adopt a school system based on the principles of markets and economics. When the state took over all of the city’s public schools, it turned them over to non-profit charter school managers accountable under performance-based contracts. Students were no longer obligated to attend a specific school based upon their address, allowing families to act like consumers and choose schools in any neighborhood. The teacher union contract, tenure, and certification rules were eliminated, giving schools autonomy and control to hire and fire as they pleased. In Charter School City, Douglas N. Harris provides an inside look at how and why these reform decisions were made and offers many surprising findings from one of the most extensive and rigorous evaluations of a district school reform ever conducted. Through close examination of the results, Harris finds that this unprecedented experiment was a noteworthy success on almost every measurable student outcome. But, as Harris shows, New Orleans was uniquely situated for these reforms to work well and that this market-based reform still required some specific and active roles for government. Letting free markets rule on their own without government involvement will not generate the kinds of changes their advocates suggest. Combining the evidence from New Orleans with that from other cities, Harris draws out the broader lessons of this unprecedented reform effort. At a time when charter school debates are more based on ideology than data, this book is a powerful, evidence-based, and in-depth look at how we can rethink the roles for governments, markets, and nonprofit organizations in education to ensure that America’s schools fulfill their potential for all students.

Download or read book California Charter School Closures written by Jennifer Reiter-Cook and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charter schools have been categorized as "everyone's reform" (Bracey, 2004); they are a type of public school, first established in 1992, that normally has fewer restrictions than most public schools and that serves a student body that, in many circumstances, has consciously opted to attend the school. Charter schools have promised high student achievement and program options that would create healthy competition in the American educational market. Currently, in California alone, there are approximately 800 active charter schools that serve more than 340,000 pupils. As we close in on nearly twenty years of charter school reform, many charter schools could be considered successful. Every year, however, some have their charters either revoked or not renewed due to a variety of reasons including deficiencies in academic programming, poor student achievement, or improper fiscal mismanagement. According to the California Department of Education (2010), twenty-five percent of the 1,152 charter schools that have opened in California since 1992 have closed permanently, with more than forty closings due to charter revocation. To date, however, there has been very little research on charter school closures. This qualitative study attempted to (a) determine which types of California charter schools have closed, (b) discover the reasons the schools' former leaders give for the closures, as well as compare official reasons for closure with the schools' former leaders stated reasons for closure, and (c) solicit any advice the former leaders would offer others wanting to begin, or continue to successfully operate, a charter school. Reasons the former directors gave for their schools' closures included: (a) conflict with their sponsoring agent, (b) a negative relationship with their superintendent, (c) problems with facilities, (d) financial problems, (e) working ineffectively with a business partner, and (f) perceived unethical behavior by a business partner. Advice offered by these directors included the importance of securing and controlling finances at the site level, developing and maintaining collaborative relationships with sponsoring agents, beginning a charter school with a specific vision, not allowing a business entity to operate a charter school, and maintaining a high level of energy and enthusiasm.

Download or read book The Charter School Landscape written by Sandra Vergari and published by University of Pittsburgh Press. This book was released on 2002-07-19 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charter schools are publicly funded entities that enjoy freedom from many of the regulations under which traditional public schools operate. There are, however, state and local variations in charter school legislation and implementation. The Charter School Landscape is the first book to analyze and compare charter school politics and policies across a broad range of jurisdictions.The first charter school opened in Minnesota in 1992. Within nine years, there were more than 2,000 charter schools operating in thirty-four states, Washington, D.C., and Alberta, Canada. Public discourse on the charter school reform is often passionate and politically motivated. Sandra Vergari has assembled a group of experts to present a more reflective and scholarly discussion of the reform, its performance to date, and its implications for public policy.Each chapter focuses on a single state or province, and systematically addresses such issues as charter school laws, the politics of policy implementation, charter school accountability, controversies and trends, and prospects for the future. In addition, the contributors emphasize significant issues specific to each state that offer lessons for analysts and policymakers everywhere. As a whole, The Charter School Landscape suggests that charter schools are having a significant impact on the institution of public education and how we think about the concept of the "real public school."

Download or read book Improving Charter School Accountability written by David Osborne and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today some 5,600 charter schools are in operation, with more than two million students. Some critics persist in a fruitless argument that these schools have failed, despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary. But regardless of your opinion about them, charter schools are here to stay. Those concerned about public education should quit debating whether we should have charter schools and instead focus on improving their quality. That will require us to do at least two big things. We must replicate the most successful charter models--the subject of a Progressive Policy Institute paper last year, "Going Exponential: Growing the Charter School Sector's Best"--and we must close down the worst charter schools--the subject of this report. From the beginning, the charter concept was to give schools more autonomy--freedom to hire and fire their staffs and control their own budgets and curriculum--while still holding them accountable for performance. No charter would be allowed to fail its students year after year, as traditional public schools are often permitted to do. If their students were not learning, they would close. This promise has not always been fulfilled. Hundreds of school districts have authorized charters then failed to invest in oversight. Even some statewide authorizers report that they have insufficient data to make merit-based renewal and revocation decisions. Failing charter schools are at much greater risk of closing than other failing public schools. Still, if we are to harness their true potential, many states need to heighten that risk. In its first 10 years, the charter community focused mostly on "quantity": getting charters open. Over the past ten years, it has focused increasingly on charter school "quality". Today, it is time to open a third frontier: "authorizer quality". The key to quality in the charter sector is quality authorizing. In this report the author discusses why it is so important that authorizers close failing charters, reviews the facts about charter and authorizer performance, examines why some authorizers fail to close underperforming charters, and proposes solutions to these problems. To answer such questions, the author has reviewed the literature and interviewed fifteen current or former charter authorizers and another ten experts on charter schools. In addition, thanks to the generosity of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA), the author has reviewed the data accumulated by its annual surveys of authorizers. (Contains 2 figures and 83 endnotes.).

Download or read book Charter Schools Today written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 31 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Supporting Charter School Excellence Through Quality Authorizing written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The National Association of Charter School Authorizers Index of Essential Practices written by National Association of Charter School Authorizers and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 31 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Authorizers are as varied as the schools they oversee. Some are responsible for just one charter, while others monitor hundreds of charters serving tens of thousands of students. Some are school districts, while others are independent statewide boards, universities, not-for-profits, or state education agencies. Regardless of their size and type, authorizers must do the important work charged to them by law: deciding which schools should open, monitoring and supporting their progress, and closing those that fail to serve students adequately. There is an emerging consensus on specific authorizer practices that are necessary to do the job well. The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) has created and refined "Principles & Standards" that reflect this consensus. Drawing from that, NACSA has crafted a 12-item "Index of Essential Practices" that provides a baseline measure for authorizers. An individual index score (from 0-12) is a diagnostic tool, and can be used to scan the work across the entire sector. The index score communicates to authorizers if they are doing these essential, key pieces of work. This information can then help begin a dialogue about improving practice. Appended are: (1) Methodology; and (2) NACSA Resources for Authorizers. (Contains 4 footnotes.).

Download or read book Charter School Closures written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Increasing State Education Agencies Processes for the Accountability of Title I Funds in the Charter School Closure Process written by Karen Lynn Campbell and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 105 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using State Education Agencies (SEAs) charter school closure documents, this paper examines the extent to which SEAs hold closing charter schools accountable for adhering to the regulatory requirements for the use of federal grant funds, specifically those funds authorized under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Federal grants management actions in the charter school closure process are juxtaposed with the administrative, logistical and organization tasks that predominate SEAs' charter school closure processes. Interviews with SEA personnel that have participated in their respective SEA's charter school closure process illustrate actions to hold closing charter schools accountable for Title I funds; thereby providing the basis for recommended actions to increase SEAs processes for the accountability of Title I funds in the charter school closure process.