Charter Amendments. January 15, District of Columbia Public Charter School Board

Transcription

1 Charter Amendments January 15, 2014 District of Columbia Public Charter School Board th Street NW, Suite 210, Washington DC,

2 Presentation Agenda Charter Amendment What Is It? Types of Amendment Requests Process and What to Submit Question and Answer 2

3 What is a charter amendment? A charter amendment is any change or revision to the charter agreement (c)(10) Charter revision. --A public charter school seeking to revise its charter shall prepare a petition for approval of the revision and file the petition with the eligible chartering authority that granted the charter. The provisions of shall apply to such a petition in the same manner as such provisions apply to a petition to establish a public charter school. Source: DC Code Chapter 18 District of Columbia School Reform (Public Charter Schools)

4 PCSB Charter Amendment Policy May PCSB passed a policy to simplify the the charter amendment process The policy distinguishes the types of charter amendments: Material changes (Petition) Non-Material Changes (Request) Non-Mission Critical Changes (Notifications) ) 4

5 Petitions Charter Amendment petitions are required for material changes to the charter, specifically: Mission or education philosophy; Goals and academic achievement expectations; Grade levels to be served; or Governance structure, including, but not limited to, hiring and dismissal of management companies 5

6 Requests Non-material requests include: Raising enrollment ceilings; Articles of incorporation and bylaws; Operation of additional campus(es) (with no changes to grade configurations); or LEA status for special education Voluntary closure of a campus or grade level(s) These requests are subject to PCSB Board approval and may require a public hearing if the change has the potential to impact the school s ability to carry out its stated charter mission with fidelity. 6

7 Notifications Notification is required for the following: Campus relocation (ANC notification); Accreditation; or Adoption of new curriculum, standards, or assessments Once reviewed by PCSB, notifications may require the school to provide further clarification, documentation, or explanation in person before the Board in a public meeting. 7

8 What should be submitted? An amendment template based on the type of request (found on PCSB website/school Leaders page) An amended agreement that reflects the change Identify the language to be deleted Include the new language The outcome is that the request and the amended agreement will be approved or denied at the same public meeting. 8

9 Why must I submit a request? It is required by law (c)(10) Charter revision. --A public charter school seeking to revise its charter shall prepare a petition for approval of the revision and file the petition with the eligible chartering authority that granted the charter. The provisions of shall apply to such a petition in the same manner as such provisions apply to a petition to establish a public charter school. Source: DC Code Chapter 18 District of Columbia School Reform (Public Charter Schools)

10 What s the process? (c)(10) Charter revision. --A public charter school seeking to revise its charter shall prepare a petition for approval of the revision and file the petition with the eligible chartering authority that granted the charter. The provisions of shall apply to such a petition in the same manner as such provisions apply to a petition to establish a public charter school. Source: DC Code Chapter 18 District of Columbia School Reform (Public Charter Schools)

11 What s the process? Process for approving or denying public charter school petitions. (a) Schedule. -- An eligible chartering authority shall establish a schedule for receiving petitions to establish a public charter school (b) Public hearing. -- Not later than 45 days after a petition to establish a public charter school is filed with an eligible chartering authority, the eligible chartering authority shall hold a public hearing on the petition to gather the information that is necessary for the eligible chartering authority to make the decision to approve or deny the petition. (e) Timetable. --An eligible chartering authority shall approve or deny a petition to establish a public charter school not later than 45 days after the conclusion of the public hearing on the petition. Source: DC Code Chapter 18 District of Columbia School Reform (Public Charter Schools)

12 Submission Process Complete petition template and submit to Epicenter March 3, 2014 Capacity Interview with PCSB Staff (if necessary) March 25 27, 2014 Public Hearing within 45 days of submission (if necessary) April 14 16, 2014 PCSB Board vote within 45 days of public hearing, May 19, Full approval 2. Approval with Conditions 3. Denial 12

13 Summary If you d like to make a change about: 1. Mission or educational philosophy; 2. Goals and Student Academic Achievement Expectations 3. Grade levels to be served; or 4. Enrollment ceiling (October 31 due date) 5. Governance structure, including, but not limited to, the engagement or dismissal of a management company. 1. Articles of incorporation and/or bylaws; 2. Operation of additional campus (with no changes to grades served); or 3. LEA status for special education. 4. Voluntary closure of a campus or grade level(s). 1. Campus relocation (Public Hearing Required/ANC); 2. Accreditation; or 3. Adoption of new curriculum (textbook or program), standards, or assessments. Then you should submit a template and amended agreement: Petition Request Notification Timeline Submit petition for 1, 2, and 5 by March 3, 2014 for start of the school year. Requests for 3 and 4 will not be accepted. Submit by March 3, 2014, before the start of the school year Submit petition by March 3, 2014, before the start of the school year 13

14 Goals 14 Are in a school s charter agreement, specifically the application Performance is reported in annual report each year And academic achievement expectations are evaluated during high stakes charter reviews and renewals If you find that what you are tracking is different than what is in the charter, an amendment may be necessary. However, this must be done no later than two years before a high stakes review.

15 Amending Your Goals Delete goals and academic expectations that have not been historically measured Add goals that reflect changes in your program Elect the PMF as goals and academic achievement expectations; choose the PMFs you want to apply 15

16 Electing the PMF ES/MS/HS At 5 th Year Charter Review Earned at least 40% of the possible PMF points in at least two of the most recent three years in operation At 10 th Year Charter Review Earned at least 50% of the possible PMF points in two of the most recent three years and not under 45% in any of the past five. Charter Renewal (and Every Review Thereafter) Earn at least 55% of the possible PMF points in two of the previous three years and not under 45% for any of the past five. 16

17 Grandfather Clause Electing the PMF ES/MS/HS 10 th Year Charter Review or Charter Renewal [And Every Review Thereafter] A school will need to demonstrate annually consistent improvement in performance with no score below 40% in the past two years or earn at least 45% of the possible PMF points for at least two years prior to the review. 17

18 Electing the PMF EC and Adult These frameworks are still in the pilot phase and are expected to be formally adopted in 2014, however: In the event that the Early Childhood and Adult PMFs are not formally adopted, schools can submit an amendment request to revise goals. For schools undergoing charter review or renewal in have or are working with PCSB staff to establish the standard by which the schools goals will be assessed. 18

19 Contact For questions about.. Process Charter Agreements Sarah Medway Charter Agreement Specialist (202) Nicole Streeter General Counsel (202)