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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 Symposium Monday November 15, 2010

Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools. Virtual School Symposium Monday November 15, 2010. Sean Conlan, National Association of Charter School Authorizers Amy Anderson, Donnell-Kay Foundation Chris Rapp, Evergreen Education Group. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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

Page 2: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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.

Page 3: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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Charter:Contact

ESP Service Contract

Page 4: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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.

Page 5: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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.

Page 6: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

Multi-District Full-time Online Schools

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Page 7: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

Multi-District Full-time Online Schools

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Page 8: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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

Page 9: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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

Page 10: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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

Page 11: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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

Page 12: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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

Page 13: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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

Page 14: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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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Page 15: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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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Page 16: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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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Page 17: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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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Page 18: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

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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Page 19: Quality Authorizing for Online and Blended Learning Charter Schools

PowerPoint available in VSS Wiki

Contact Information

Sean Conlan- [email protected]

Amy Anderson - [email protected]

Chris Rapp, [email protected]

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