April 2024 Quarterly Regional Training Resources
Information and resources from the April 2024 Quarterly Regional Training, presented by the Charter Authorizer Support Initiative (CASI).The Road to Renewal: Oversight Best Practices and What Every Authorizer Needs to Know about Charter Renewals for 2024–25
The April 2024 CASI Quarterly Regional Training addressed charter school renewals for school year 2024–25 and focused on oversight and best practices. Topics discussed included material revisions and renewal procedures.
Disclaimer
The information contained on this page is provided as a reference only. Charter schools and chartering authorities are encouraged to review the laws and regulations and consult with their own legal counsel regarding the application to their specific situations.
Live Video Recording
CASI Quarterly Regional Training, April 2024
(Video; 1:40:47) (Note: Portions of the video have been edited for length and content.)
Section Menu
- Oversight Best Practices
- Material Revision Best Practices
- Renewal Best Practices
- Renewal Procedures
- Additional Resources
Oversight Best Practices
Statutory Requirements California Education Code Section 47604.32
- California Education Code (EC) Section 47604.32
- Identify at least one staff member as contact person for charter school
- Visit each charter school at least annually
- Ensure school complies with all reports required of charters by law, including Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and LCAP annual update
- Monitor fiscal condition of each charter school
- Provide timely notification to California Department of Education (CDE) of renewal, revocation, or a school that ceases operations
Best Practices
- Conduct site visits (at least one per year, but multiple if needed)
- Provide annual reports, with eye to renewal (look at the totality of reports)
- Monitor finances (recommend monthly)
- Attend charter board meetings and/or monitor and review agendas (at least annually, but can be monthly)
- Review school data (demographic, academic, etc.):
- Enrollment, attendance, and exists on California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS), Principal Apportionment Data Collection (PADC), and school information system
- California Schools Dashboard
- LCAP
- School Accountability Report Card
- Comprehensive Safety Plan
- Maintain open and positive relationships
Material Revision Best Practices
Per EC Section 47607, material revisions to the charter are governed by EC Section 47605. Material revisions often occur at the time of renewal when a charter school proposes to change locations or grade levels served, but these changes (or any others) may be made only with the approval of the chartering authority. Additional examples of a material revision to the charter include, but are not limited to, changing the governance structure of the school; significantly increasing or decreasing the enrollment; changing the education program (for example moving from classroom-based to hybrid or nonclassroom-based); or changing the retirement system for school employees. The material revision process may also be addressed through the authorizer’s board policy. Most charters seek material revisions only during the renewal process because charter schools requesting renewal are required to update the charter to comply with any new laws since the charter was last reviewed and to follow the same procedures as a new petition.
Additional information is provided in the July 2023 CASI Material Revisions Quarterly Regional Training video recording.
Renewal Best Practices
The CDE provides guidance and information on specific laws and procedures of the charter school renewal process at Charter School Renewals.
Review Charter Petition Updates
Review updated charter petition components (EC Section 47605
). During the process of renewal, a charter authorizer must review the updated charter petition elements (EC Section 47605). Not all of the petition elements are required to be updated. However, the renewal petition may include changes which are considered a material revision (i.e., the measurable pupil outcomes may be updated to include a new testing program for verifiable data).
- A. Education program (Possible need for updating), EC Section 47605(c)(5)(A)
- Watch for Transitional Kindergarten
- Watch for Independent Study
- B. Measurable Pupil Outcomes
- C. Method for measuring outcomes
- D. Governance structure (Needs updating), EC Section 47605(c)(5)(D)
- Names and Qualifications of persons to serve on Board
- Student Board Members
- E. Employee qualifications (Possible need for updating), EC Section 47605(c)(5)(E)
- Removal of credential flexibility
- F. Health and safety procedures (Needs updating), EC Section 47605(c)(5)(F). The Comprehensive School Safety Plan now includes:
- First Responder review
- Procedures for opioid overdoses
- Procedures to assess and respond to reports of dangerous, violent or unlawful activity that is being conducted or threatened to be conducted at the school, a school activity, or the school bus
- G. Means to achieve a balance of racial, ethnic, Special Education and English Learner Pupils (Needs updating), EC Section 47605(c)(5)(G)
- Now includes Special Education and English Learner Pupils
- H. Admissions policies and procedures (Needs updating), EC Section 47605(c)(5)(H)
- Comprehensive review of admissions policies
- Exact process of how lottery is conducted
- Notices to parents and community on not counseling out students
- I. Annual audit process
- J. Suspension & Expulsion processes (Needs updating), EC Section 47605(c)(5)(J)
- Updated language regarding involuntary dismissal from school
- Updated due process language
- K. Employee benefits, focusing on retirement: social security, State Teacher Retirement System (STRS), and Public Employee Retirement System (PERS)
- L. Attendance alternatives
- M. Return rights of employees
- N. Dispute resolution
- O. Procedures for closure
Additional Petition Updates
- Updated assurances and affirmations
Review Updated Enrollment and Attendance Data
EC Section 47607(d)(1)
requires the CDE at the conclusion of the year immediately preceding the final year of the charter school's term and upon request by a charter school authorizer, to provide the following aggregate data reflecting pupil enrollment patterns at the charter school:
- (A) The cumulative enrollment for each school year of the charter school’s term. For purposes of this chapter, cumulative enrollment is defined as the total number of pupils, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and pupil subgroups, who enrolled in school at any time during the school year. These data, for academy years 2016–17 to present,
are public available at Cumulative Enrollment Data.
- (B) For each school year of the charter school’s term, the percentage of pupils enrolled at any point between the beginning of the school year and census day who were not enrolled at the conclusion of that year, and the average results on the statewide assessments in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress system, or any successor system, for any such pupils who were enrolled in the charter school the prior school year.
- (C) For each school year of the charter school’s term, the percentage of pupils enrolled the prior school year who were not enrolled as of census day for the school year, except for pupils who completed the grade that is the highest grade served by the charter school, and the average results on the statewide assessments in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress system, or any successor system, for any such pupils.
Additional information, including the process for requesting CDE Enrollment Data, is available at Enrollment Data.
Review Renewal Charter School Performance Category List
The Charter School Performance Category Data File has been released as of May 12, 2024. The list of charter schools and their respective performance categories can be accessed at Performance Categories.
Pursuant to EC Section 47607(c)
, as an additional criterion for determining whether to approve a charter renewal, the chartering authority shall consider a charter school’s placement under the performance categories, which is based on the charter school's performance on the California School Dashboard (Dashboard).
Under this criterion, a charter school is placed into one of the three performance categories, high, medium, or low. The determination for charter renewals for each category are the following:
- High: A charter school in this category is eligible for a five-, six-, or seven-year renewal term.
- Middle: A charter school in this category may be renewed for a five-year term.
- Low: A charter school in this category may be renewed for a two-year term only if it meets the conditions under EC Section 47607.2(a)(4)
.
Note: Dashboard Alternative Schools Status (DASS) schools are not included in the data file. DASS schools have their own renewal criteria and are not eligible to be placed in a performance category. A list of DASS schools is available at Active DASS Schools. Additional information about DASS is available at Charter School Renewals.
To assist local educational agencies and charter schools in understanding the criteria for determining performance categories and provide support on the public release of this data set, please refer to the resources available at Performance Categories, including a Determining Charter School Performance Category Flyer (PDF). On March 26, 2024, the California Department of Education (CDE) Analysis, Measurement, and Accountability Reporting Division (AMARD) and the CDE Charter Schools Division (CSD) presented information about how the California School Dashboard informs the Charter School Performance Category Data File and provided an overview of the charter school renewal process. This webinar recording can be viewed at Charter School Performance Categories and Renewals, March 2024
(Video; 54:55).
Review Academic Performance of Significant Student Groups
In general, charter schools are required by law to participate in all statewide testing programs, including testing required for the California School Dashboard. These requirements are provided for in EC sections 47605
, 47607
, 47607.2
, and 47612.5
. Additional information can be found at Charter School Renewals.
Pursuant to EC Section 47607(c), the chartering authority shall consider the schoolwide performance and performance of all subgroups on state and local indicators. Pursuant to EC Section 47607.2(b)(3), in addition to state and local indicators, the chartering authority shall consider clear and convincing evidence showing either of the following:
- (A) The school achieved measurable increases in academic achievement, as defined by at least one year’s progress for each year in school.
- (B) Strong postsecondary outcomes, as defined by college enrollment, persistence, and completion rates equal to similar peers.
Pursuant to EC Section 47607(b)(4), subparagraphs (A) and (B) above shall be demonstrated by verified data, as defined in EC Section 47607(c).
Under AB 1505, the legislature set forth requirements for the State Board of Education (SBE) to establish criteria to define verified data and identify an approved list of assessments. To date, no exceptions to these criteria or list of assessments have been made by the legislature or State Board. A summary of the November 2020 and May 2023 SBE-adopted actions related to the verified data requirements under AB 1505 are available at Verified Data Criteria and Data Use Procedures.
Review Governance, Financials, Operations, and Complaints
Regardless of a charter school's placement under the performance categories, EC Section 47607(e) allows chartering authorities to deny a charter school’s renewal if it makes a finding that the charter school is demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the program set forth in the petition due to substantial fiscal or governance factors, or if the charter school is not serving all pupils who wish to attend. The chartering authority may only deny renewal using this standard if it has provided at least 30 days’ notice to the charter school of the alleged violation and provided the charter school with a reasonable opportunity to cure the violation, including a corrective action plan proposed by the charter school. The chartering authority may deny renewal only by making either of the following findings:
- (1) The corrective action plan proposed by the charter school has been unsuccessful, or
- (2) The violations are sufficiently severe and pervasive as to render a corrective action plan unviable.
Nonrenewal Standards
Per EC Section 47607.2(b)(6)
:
The chartering authority may deny a charter renewal pursuant to this subdivision only upon making written findings, setting forth specific facts to support the findings, that the charter school has failed to meet or make sufficient progress toward meeting standards that provide a benefit to the pupils of the school, that closure of the charter school is in the best interest of pupils and, if applicable pursuant to paragraphs (2) and (3), that its decision provided greater weight to performance on measurements of academic performance.
Renewal Procedures
Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS)
EC Section 47607(c)(7) requires a chartering authority to consider a DASS school's performance on the Dashboard (all performance indicators and local indicators) as well as on “alternative metrics.” These alternative metrics are to be mutually determined by a charter school and its chartering authorities during the first year of the charter school's charter term. A chartering authority is to notify a DASS school of the alternative metrics to be used within 30 days of the meeting where metrics were discussed and agreed to. Denial of the renewal of a DASS school must include written findings of fact supporting the supposition that the closure of the charter school is in the best interest of the pupils. Additional information on renewal of DASS Charter Schools is available at Charter School Renewals.
California State Board of Education-Authorized Charter Schools
EC Section 47605.9(b) allows a current SBE-authorized charter school to continue operating under the SBE's oversight until the charter is up for renewal, at which point the charter school shall submit the renewal petition to the governing board of the school district within the boundaries of which the charter school is located. If the governing board of the school district denies the renewal petition, the charter school may submit the petition for renewal directly to the SBE, which shall review the petition in accordance with EC Section 47605. If the SBE grants renewal pursuant to EC Section 47607, the SBE shall designate, in consultation with the petitioner, either the governing board of the school district or the county board of education in which the charter school is located as the chartering authority (EC Section 47605.9[b]).
After the chartering authority has been delegated by the SBE, the charter school will need to update its chartering authority under the California School Directory by completing the Change in Authorizing District for a Charter School application, which is available at Application for a County-District-School (CDS) Code Instructions.
These EC sections cannot be waived by the SBE.
This does not apply to charter districts established under EC Section 47606.
Renewal Timelines
- The charter school must submit a renewal petition including a signed certification of completion
- 60 days from submission, the charter authorizer must hold a public hearing
- 90 days from submission, the charter authorizer must hold a decision hearing
- The charter authorizer must post findings and recommendations 15 days prior to the decision hearing
- The charter school may appeal within 30 days if denied and submit the petition to both the district and county at same time
- The county must remand the petition back to district if the petition is materially changed and the district must re-review within 30 days
- Submission deadlines for SBE Appeals can be found at California State Board of Education Appeals.
Renewal Submissions Processes
For more information regarding requirements for the timely notification of the CDE after approval of a charter school renewal, please visit Charter School Renewals.
SCCOE Renewal Staff Analysis and Findings of Fact Format
- Sample SCCOE Renewal Staff Analysis and Findings of Fact Format
(PDF)
- Background / History / Procedural Status
- Include information regarding when renewal petition was submitted, public hearing, timeline, etc.
- Set up the legal criteria for the review process (explained more in the actual review of the renewal)
- Criteria for Renewal of a Charter School
- Standards and Criteria in Education Code
- EC Section 47605 specifies the Board of Education may deny a renewal petition if it makes written factual findings to support one or more of the following findings:
- The charter school presents an unsound educational program for the pupils to be enrolled in the charter school
- The petitioners are demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the program set forth in the petition
- The petition does not contain an affirmation of each of the conditions required by statute
- The petition does not contain a reasonably comprehensive description of all the required elements
- The petition does not contain a declaration of whether or not the charter school shall be deemed the exclusive public employer of the employees of the charter school for purposes of the Educational Employment Relations Act (EERA)
- EC Section 47605 specifies the Board of Education may deny a renewal petition if it makes written factual findings to support one or more of the following findings:
- Determination of High-, Middle-, or Low Status (EC sections 47607 and 47607.2)
- Use the list to determine High, Middle or Low
- Provide evidence of academic performance or strong post-secondary outcomes for middle and low tiers
- Show at least one year’s growth for each year of charter term
- Use California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) and Dashboard
- Use verifiable and verified data
- Include all numerically significant student group data
- A Renewal Charter Petition
The renewal petition shall include a reasonably comprehensive description of any new requirement of charter schools enacted into law after the charter was originally granted for last renewed. The charter should also be updated as necessary to reflect the current program offered by the charter school.- Sound education program
- Ability to successfully implement the program set forth in the Petition
- Affirmation of each of the conditions required by statute
- Reasonably comprehensive description of all the required elements
- Required Supplemental Information
- Fiscal Review
- ADA/Enrollment
- Budget
- Cash Flow
- Debts
- Potential Civil Liability
- Fiscal Review
- Exclusive Public Employer
- Requirements for grade levels served, facility location, and students served
- Any other criteria set forth in statute
- Additional Criteria for Denying a Charter Renewal
- A chartering authority may deny renewal of a charter school (EC Section 47607[e]), in any of the three performance categories if it finds the school is unlikely to successfully implement the program due to:
- a. Substantial fiscal factors,
- b. Substantial governance factors, or
- c. The charter school is not serving all pupils who wish to attend.
- A chartering authority may deny renewal of a charter school (EC Section 47607[e]), in any of the three performance categories if it finds the school is unlikely to successfully implement the program due to:
- Standards and Criteria in Education Code
- Recommendation for Board action, if requested by Board
- Make sure to post recommendations 15 days before the decision hearing
Additional Resources
CDE Charter School Database
CDE list of all charter schools and their term dates
CDE Charter Schools Data Files and Directory Information
A compilation of data files and directory information pertaining to California charter schools.
SCCOE Charter Renewal Materials
Link to Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) page which includes charter renewal process; review matrix for both countywide and district appeal schools; and renewal petition certification forms.
CCAP Charter Petition Review Toolkit
Link to initial charter petition review toolkit; information in the toolkit may also be applied to review renewal petitions.
Return to Quarterly Regional Trainings
Return to Charter Authorizer Support Initiative