Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools
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Transcript of Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools
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Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter
Schools
Sean Conlan, National Association of Charter School
Authorizers
Amy Anderson, Donnell-Kay Foundation
Chris Rapp, Evergreen Education Group 1
Virtual School SymposiumMonday November 15, 2010
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Virtual Schools Managed by ESPs:NACSA Recommended Practice
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• 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.
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Charter:Contact
ESP Service Contract
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Authorizer Governing Board ESP
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• 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.
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Authorizer Governing Board ESP
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• 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.
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Multi-District Full-time Online Schools
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Multi-District Full-time Online Schools
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Attributes of Full-time Statewide Online Schools
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• 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
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Investigative Methods
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• 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
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Participating Organizations
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• 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
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Key Issues for Online Charter School Authorizers
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• Governing Boards• Application and renewal
processes• Accountability for student
achievement• Special Education• Working with EMOs• Building process and
capacity
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Online Charter Governing Boards
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• Board training for issues specific to online schools
• Fostering independence and responsibility
• Avoiding conflicts of interest• Geographic distribution of
members
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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 models13
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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PowerPoint available in VSS Wiki
Contact Information
Sean Conlan- [email protected]
Amy Anderson - [email protected]
Chris Rapp, [email protected]
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