1. Improving the Charter Oversight Process for Better Schools
CCSA Annual Conference
Wednesday March 28, 2018
Welcome

2. Presenters
Darlene Chambers, Ph.D., Senior Vice President National Charter Schools Institute
Ruth Dutton, Superintendent, The Academies CMO (Sycamore and Blue Oak Academies)
Corey Loomis Ed.D., Administrator, Charter Schools, Riverside County Office of Education
David Patterson Ed.D., Director CARSNet (Charter Authorizers Regional Support Network)

3. Outcomes for the Workshop
Participants Gain Greater Understanding
The state of charter school oversight in CA
CARSNet and others work to strengthen authorizing
One school’s experience
The importance of shared values, principles and expectations
Your feedback

4. Our (60 minute!) Journey Quick Background on Authorizing in CA
Values, Principles, and Expectations
“The Academies” Experience
Ongoing Efforts to Transform Authorizing
Fiscal, Educational, Operational and Governance Accountability
CARSNet and CCAP
Your feedback

5. Authorizing and Oversight – a critical but often neglected role
What does the law say……. Ed Code
(a) Each chartering authority, in addition to any other duties imposed by this part, shall do all of the following with respect to each charter school under its authority:
(1) Identify at least one staff member as a contact person for the charter school.
(2) Visit each charter school at least annually.
(3) Ensure that each charter school under its authority complies with all reports required of charter schools by law, including the local control and accountability plan and annual update to the local control and accountability plan required pursuant to Section  .
(4) Monitor the fiscal condition of each charter school under its authority.
(5) Provide timely notification to the department if any of the following circumstances occur or will occur with regard to a charter school for which it is the chartering authority:
(A) A renewal of the charter is granted or denied.
(B) The charter is revoked.
(C) The charter school will cease operation for any reason.
(b) The cost of performing the duties required by this section shall be funded with supervisorial oversight fees collected pursuant to Section 47613 .

6. California’s Charter Authorizers
California Department of Education
(public schools database as of 6/5/17)
1,246 total active charter schools
337 total charter authorizers
296 district authorizers
40 county authorizers (plus SBE)
92% have 6 or fewer (defined as “small” in grant)
68.5% have only 1 or 2
622 (49.9%) of current charter schools overseen by “small” authorizers

7. Issues Identified in Studies of California Authorizing
Lack of choice/commitment by authorizing agencies
Lack of resources for oversight, especially among authorizers with small portfolios
Highly Complex and High Stakes Work
Varying interpretations of standard for petition denial (restrictive to permissive)
Opportunistic authorizers and charter operators (“charters for sale”)
Impact of district and county board politics on chartering decisions; unpredictability

8. Values, Principles and Expectations (VP&&E)
An approach to charter school authorizing based on Values and Principles
Foundational Guidance to ground the work
Broad input and discussion
Presenters will tie their remarks to the VP&E

9. The Academies – Reflections on Authorizing – Ruth Dutton
A High Performing Charter Schools Experience
Authorizing (Approval Process)
Renewal
Growth (Second School Petition)
Reflections on VP&E (Values, Principles and Expectations)

10. The Application “Journey” Riverside County Office of Education
Application Submission Packet
Application Rubric/ Checklist
Capacity Interview
Reflections on VP&E

11. The “Journey” Application Submission Multi-disciplinary Review
Public Hearing
Internal Team Meeting
Capacity Interview
“Draft” Staff Report Review
Board Charter Subcommittee
Board Decision

12. Standardized Review Document

13. Fiscal Accountability – David Patterson
Near-Term Measures, Sustainability and Financial Compliance
These are leading indicators for YOU and your authorizer
Work Ongoing to Consolidate Further

14. Sustainability Measures Financial Compliance Measures
Metric
Near-Term Measures
1.a
Current ratio
1.b
Unrestricted days cash on hand
1.c
Enrollment variance
1.d
Unduplicated pupil percentage (UPP) variance
1.e
Default
Sustainability Measures
2.a
Total margin
2.b
Debt to asset ratio
2.c
Cash flow monitoring
2.d
Debt service coverage ratio
2.e
Minimum Proportionality Percentage (MPP)
Financial Compliance Measures
3.a
Financial reporting and compliance requirements
3.b
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)

15. OVERSIGHT & EVALUATION PERFORMANCE CONTRACTING
Epicenter – Working Smarter On-Line Document Management and Oversight Tool
COMMITMENT &
CAPACITY
RENEWAL OR REVOCATION
PETITION REVIEW &
DECISION MAKING
OVERSIGHT & EVALUATION
PERFORMANCE CONTRACTING

17. Epicenter – Data, Dashboards & Scheduling

18. Your Questions Answered
Epicenter – Why You Should Consider it? On-Line Document Management and Oversight Tool
Q&As with Corey Loomis
Your Questions Answered
Why you decided to implement Epicenter.
Your thoughts about what it takes to implement.
Compare using Epicenter to your former oversight methods.
Your top reasons why you would recommend the tool.

19. What is CARSNet? What is CCAP?
What is CARSNet? What is CCAP?

20. CARSNet - Charter Authorizers Regional Support Network
3-Year National Leadership Activities Grant from the federal Charter School Program
Serve charter school authorizers statewide
Free regional and statewide supports
Emphasis on authorizers with small portfolios (Up to 15 Charter Schools)

21. CCAP - The Mission
Members of the California Charter Authorizing Professionals (CCAP) advance quality public education for all students by providing charter school authorizing professionals with the support, resources, and collective voice necessary to foster high-performing, fiscally sound, autonomous, and accountable charter schools.

22. Your Questions, Comments and Suggestions

23. CARSNet Website www.carsnet.org CCAP Website www.calauthorizers.org
Additional Resources
CARSNet Website
CCAP Website

24. Contact Information
David Patterson Ed.D., Director CARSNet (Charter Authorizers Regional Support Network)
Dr. Darlene Chambers, Senior Vice President National Charter Schools Institute
Ruth Dutton, Superintendent, The Academies CMO (Sycamore and Blue Oak Academies)
Corey Loomis Ed.D., Administrator, Charter Schools, Riverside County Office of Education
Dave