What are the Charter School Laws on the annual review of a charter school?
Section 1728-A, Annual Reports and Assessments, of PA School Laws and Rules states, "The local board of school directors shall annually assess whether each charter school is meeting the goals of its charter and shall conduct a comprehensive review prior to granting a five (5) year renewal of the charter."
A Basic Education Circular (BEC) issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in October of 2004, states that "Charter schools are required to submit an annual report to the chartering school district(s) no later than August 1 of each year. A copy of the annual report, as sent tot the chartering school district, must also be sent to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Community and Student Services, Charter Schools."
Annual reports are intended to provide data-driven analysis of a charter school's educational and fiscal operations. Annual reports that do not provide sufficient information in these areas, identifying a charter's current status and improvement plan with measurable goals, will be considered incomplete. Annual reports that are repeatedly not submitted to the chartering school district, are submitted past the August 1st deadline, or are incomplete, may constitute a material violation of the charter.
Annual Report Focus Area
The annual Report focuses on four areas of analysis:
- Student achievement: Are the students meeting high quality, measurable goals?
- Implementation of Overall School Design: What are the curriculum and instructional practices performed in the school?
- School Operations/Management: Is the school a viable organization?
-Plans for the Upcoming Year for the Charter: What are the student achievement goals for PSSP's in the upcoming year?
The annual report gives each charter school the opportunity to provide answers to these four questions. It is also designed to provide each school with the opportunity to reflect on its strengths, weaknesses and accomplishments during its year of operation, and to make plans and adjustments for the upcoming years.
Timeline
No Later than Aug 1st
Charter school annual reports are submitted to the chartering school district(s) and to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Community and Student Services, Charter Schools.