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Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools. Virtual School Symposium Monday November 15, 2010. Sean Conlan, National Association of Charter School Authorizers Amy Anderson, Donnell-Kay Foundation Chris Rapp, Evergreen Education Group.

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Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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  1. Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools Virtual School Symposium Monday November 15, 2010 Sean Conlan, National Association of Charter School Authorizers Amy Anderson, Donnell-Kay Foundation Chris Rapp, Evergreen Education Group

  2. Virtual Schools Managed by ESPs:NACSA Recommended Practice • Include strong, independent governance by a governing board for the school or schools; and • That that board receive a charter from the authorizer. • Governing board enters into a service contract with the ESP outlining the relationships and the roles and responsibilities of the two parties to the service contract.

  3. ESP Service Contract Charter: Contact

  4. Authorizer  Governing Board ESP • 55% of large authorizers condition initial charter approval on the review and approval of the ESP service contract. • 68% insist that service contracts do not contain “poison pills”. • 49% insist that the service contract include performance measures by which the board would hold the ESP accountable.

  5. Authorizer  Governing Board ESP • 52% of ESP managed schools have governing boards with their own lawyer. • 56% of ESP managed schools have governing boards with their own accountant . • 27% of authorizers do not prevent the ESP from picking or approving board members. • 26% don’t prevent compensation of governing boards by the ESP.

  6. Multi-District Full-time Online Schools

  7. Multi-District Full-time Online Schools

  8. Attributes of Full-time Statewide Online Schools • Most often organized as a charter school • Many affiliated with Educational Management Organizations (EMOs) • Attract students from an entire state • Serve all grade levels • Enrollments from a few hundred to several thousand • Accountable to their charter authorizer or parent school district

  9. Investigative Methods • Targeted states with robust enrollments or unique issues • Interviewed a variety of authorizer types • Conversations focused on unique challenges and opportunities in this new authorizing role

  10. Participating Organizations • Georgia Charter School Commission • Grand Valley State University Charter School Office • Nevada Department of Education • Ohio Council of Community Schools • Pennsylvania Department of Education • South Carolina Public Charter School District • Utah State Charter School Board

  11. Key Issues for Online Charter School Authorizers • Governing Boards • Application and renewal processes • Accountability for student achievement • Special Education • Working with EMOs • Building process and capacity

  12. Online Charter Governing Boards • Board training for issues specific to online schools • Fostering independence and responsibility • Avoiding conflicts of interest • Geographic distribution of members

  13. Application and Renewal Processes • Targeted questions for online applicants • Identifying readers or reviewers with online school experience • Working with a state-level distance learning office • Create accountability measurements specific to online • Considering blended models

  14. Accountability for Student Achievement • Working with mobility and retention issues in online schools • Leveraging online school data to individualize growth models • Challenges of an at-risk student population • Logistics of state testing at a distance

  15. Special Education • Online charters as alternative schools • High percentage of IEPs • Special services online – how are they tracked and what are the limits? • Lacking expertise to set up accountability processes

  16. Working with EMOs • Transparency of school financial data • Improving the process for enrollment count • Determining appropriate funding levels • Variations in EMO experience level and quality

  17. Building Authorizer Process and Capacity • Authorizer staffs are growing • Much to learn about uniqueness of online schools • Working with current state processes • Commitment and vision from leaders

  18. Supporting Authorizer Improvement • Many entering new phase of online charter oversight • Best practices will emerge rapidly • Seeking independent guidance and collegial support • Connecting those at the same decision point

  19. PowerPoint available in VSS Wiki Contact Information Sean Conlan- seanc@qualitycharters.org Amy Anderson - aanderson@dkfoundation.org Chris Rapp, chris@evergreenedgroup.com

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