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CHARTER AUTHORIZER AGENCIES
Public School Academies Unit
Office of Education Improvement and Innovation
Michigan Department of Education
December 12, 2012
Agenda of Today’s Webinar
• Welcome and introductions
• “Housekeeping” items
• Audience
– New authorizers
– New charter applicants
• Webinar objectives:
– Participants will be able to articulate the various types of chartering
agencies in Michigan
– Participants will be able to describe the MDE expectations for
authorizers
– Participants will be able to identify available resources for technical
assistance
What is a Chartering Agency?
• Statutorily legal, educational entity with sufficient capacity to issue
a charter contract in Michigan, monitor legal and contract
compliance for all public school academy contracts within its
purview, and make rational decisions regarding the termination,
suspension or renewal of those same contracts. In Michigan, that
includes state public universities, community colleges, intermediate
school districts, local education agencies, and other entities created
through interlocal agreements between two or more of the other
legal authorizers.
Chartering Agencies and Chartering Regions
State Public University
• Potential to authorize a new school anywhere in the state
Community College
• Potential to authorize a new school anywhere in their geographical area
(Except Bay Mills –Federal Tribally Controlled)
Intermediate School District
• Potential to authorize a new school anywhere in their district
geographical area
Local Education Agency
• Potential to authorize a new school anywhere in their district
geographical area
Entities Created by Interlocal Agreements
• A new school’s location is limited to the authority of the two or more
parties to the agreement
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Authorizers_List_-_Public__Updated_031111_357452_7.pdf
Current Number of Recognized
Chartering Agencies
• State Public Universities (8 authorizers)
• Community Colleges (3 authorizers)
• Intermediate School Districts (16 authorizers)
• Local Education Agencies (9 authorizers)
• Entities Created By Interlocal Agreements
(1 authorizer)
Academies Currently Chartered
Public School Academies (277)
(total of all district-level charter contracts)
Schools of Excellence (25)
(serve general populations)
Strict Discipline Academies (34)
(serve expelled, suspended and adjudicated youth)
Urban High Schools (9)
(serve Detroit populations)
Chartering Agencies Responsibilities
• Establish and maintain a competitive charter application
process
• Establish and maintain a process for vetting, selecting, and
assigning board members to the new academies
• Ensure that charter contracts are issued to Michigan, nonprofit
corporations
• Provide a copy of the legally compliant, substantially complete,
charter contract to the State Superintendent
• Establish a process for amendment, termination and renewal
of charter contracts
• Establish a process for contract compliance monitoring
MDE AND AUTHORIZERS
• There are three main processes that directly involve MDE and authorizers:
charter contract reviews, statutory compliance, and assurance and
verification.
• MDE interacts with the authorizer before and during the contract review
process
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Potential authorizers typically ask for opportunity to meet with MDE staff
New authorizers typically have questions about charter systems and processes
New authorizers typically have questions about the contract checklist
For new contracts from new authorizers, the time to review and make modifications is
typically 30 to 60 days
– After checklist items have been satisfied, the authorizer receives a letter from the State
Superintendent that assigns a new district code
– New district code assignment makes the new school eligible to receive state aid
• MDE maintains a file system for all charter contracts and amendments
• MDE routinely forwards copies of reports, investigations, complaints, and
other similar items related to contract or statutory compliance
Assurance and Verification Visits
• Visits are voluntary, although no authorizer has every refused
to participate
• MDE schedules 10-12 visits per year, which means every
authorizer is scheduled for a visit once every three years
• Dates are mutually agreed upon by MDE representative(s) and
the authorizer
• MDE representatives meet at authorizer’s location for about
four hours
• MDE forwards a self-rating document prior to visit
Assurance and Verification Visits
• MDE reps review documentation maintained by the
authorizer and complete a worksheet that covers the 16
criterion areas
• MDE combines the self-rating and MDE comments into a Final
Report
• Visits really focus on technical assistance, providing any
MDE/PSA updates, and establishing and/or maintaining a
positive dialogue with the authorizer
• Visits are not an audit. Visit reports are not punitive
Assurance and Verification Visits
• MDE uses these visits to gather best practices and
procedures for dissemination to other authorizers
• New authorizers and new school developers are
encouraged to visit the PSA unit’s website at
www.michigan.gov/charters for an extensive compilation of
informational resources
• A district authorizer’s handbook has been published and is
available at the same site
16 Areas Focused on During
Assurance and Verification Visits
• 1.0 Overseeing Application, Authorization and
Contracting
• 1.1 The Authorizer has a process in place for issuing
charters, including open solicitation, evaluation of
multiple applicants and consistent application of
criteria including statutory requirements
16 Areas Focused on During Visits
• 1.2 The Authorizer has a process in place for
ensuring that PSA’s obtain and properly maintain
Michigan non-profit incorporation status
• 1.3 The Authorizer has a process in place for
ensuring that required documents (including
contracts, amendments and reauthorizations)
submitted to MDE are complete, accurate, timely
and updated
16 Areas Focused on During Visits
• 1.4 The Authorizer has a process in place for
determining and communicating reauthorizations,
revocations and non-renewals of charters
• 1.5 The authorizer has a process in place for
conducting oversight or supervisory visits to the
PSAs it authorizes
16 Areas Focused on During Visits
• 2.0 Overseeing PSA Governance
• 2.1 The Authorizer has a Board Appointment
Process in place for ensuring that PSA Board
vacancies are filled in a timely manner and member
files are accurate and available including evidence
of Oaths of Office, U.S. citizenship, conflict of
interest statements, etc
16 Areas Focused on During Visits
• 2.2 The Authorizer has a process in place for
ensuring that PSA’s comply with all applicable law,
and for following up on allegations to the contrary
• 2.3 The Authorizer has a process in place for
ensuring that PSA Boards establish reasonable
governing policies, properly record and publish
minutes, and ensure policies and minutes are
readily available
16 Areas Focused on During Visits
• 2.4 The Authorizer has a process in place for
ensuring that PSA’s operate an open
application/enrollment process, properly noticed,
which employs random selection if necessary to
allocate limited slots
• 2.5 The Authorizer has a process in place for
ensuring that PSA’s that engage ESP’s perform
sufficient due diligence, employ independent legal
counsel and negotiate “arms-length” agreements
that are available for public review
16 Areas Focused on During Visits
• 3.0 Overseeing Facilities
• 3.1 The Authorizer has a process in place for
ensuring that all required occupancy and facility
approvals have been issued, and that local health
and safety citations are documented and followed
up on as they are identified
16 Areas Focused on During Visits
• 4.0 Overseeing Quality of Learning
• 4.1 The Authorizer has a process in place for
ensuring that a PSA has established goals aligned to
state, federal, and authorizer requirements, has
identified methods of assessment (including
MEAP/MME) that are rigorous and measurable and
has in place a process that monitors a PSA’s student
progress (growth) in achieving those goals
16 Areas Focused on During Visits
• 4.2 The Authorizer has a process in place for
ensuring that PSAs employ teachers (or that the
contracted educational services provider employs
teachers on behalf of the PSA) who are
certificated/highly qualified according to state
board rule or who qualify under Section 505(2), and
who have undergone criminal history background
and unprofessional conduct checks
16 Areas Focused on During Visits
• 5.0 Overseeing Financial Accountability
• 5.1 The Authorizer has a process in place for
ensuring that PSAs obtain an annual financial audit
and submit it to ISD/MDE, and for monitoring PSA
response to any audit exceptions, including
identified related party transaction or other issues
identified in the management letter
16 Areas Focused on During Visits
• 5.2 The Authorizer has a process and standards in
place to determine financial stability
• 5.3 The Authorizer has a process in place to assist
PSAs in avoiding or resolving any potential conflicts
of interest, related party transactions, and/or in
determining fair-market value when it cannot be
established by ordinary means
Self-Rating Document
Authorizer:
Person Completing the form:
Date:
1.0 Overseeing Application, Authorization and Contracting
1.1 The Authorizer has a process in place for issuing charters, including
open solicitation, evaluation of multiple applicants and consistent
application of criteria including statutory requirements
The process is (choose all that apply):
Under development
Complete
Clear
Consistent
Improved
Describe the process in brief.
DOCUMENT CONTINUES THROUGH ALL 16 AREAS 1.1 - 5.3
Self-Rating Document
“Under Development” means that a policy or process:
Falls short of the minimum criteria of “complete” because it is nonexistent or not yet fully operational in one or more ways
“Complete” means that a policy or process:
Addresses all elements of the process description
Includes methods for monitoring, documenting and following up on
shortfalls AND
Identifies consequences of non-compliance
“Clear” means that a policy or process:
Clearly defines expected actions and outcomes
Has been made available to appropriate parties
Identifies who is responsible for particular actions AND
Identifies deadlines for specified actions
Self-Rating Document
“Consistent” means that a policy or process:
Is applied across-the-board to all eligible
or applicable entities,
Is maintained, checked or applied on a systematic,
scheduled or routine basis AND
Produces up-to-date status information
“Improved” means that a policy or process:
Has data collected on its implementation
Has identified patterns of success or challenge
inherent in the data
Has experimented with one or more possible
interventions to determine whether they are capable
of improving results as predicted
MDE Worksheet
1. Overseeing Application, Authorization and Contracting
1. The Authorizer has a process in place for issuing charters, including open solicitation,
evaluation of multiple applicants and consistent application of criteria including statutory
requirements.
For review:
 Related policies and procedures
 Documentation of the most recent solicitation for applications, the number of applications received in
response, criteria for selection and decisions made to issue charters
 Documentation of the decision-making process and outcome
 Charter application forms and technical assistance materials
 Correspondence
 Copies of contract amendment supporting documents
Under Development
Complete
Clear
Consistent
Improved
(Note specific improvement
if checked)
Comments:
WORKSHEET CONTINUES ON THROUGH THE SAME 16 CRITERION AREAS 1.1 – 5.3
Examples of Documents Reviewed
• Authorizer policies and
procedures
• Communications to PSAs or MDE
• Forms that deal with applications,
reauthorizations, on-site
visitations, etc
• Contracts and amendments
• Media related docs
• Compliance procedures and PSA
Board minutes docs.
• Copies of oaths, certifications,
conflict of interests, background
checks, etc
• Audits and financial docs
• Licenses, inspection reports,
legal docs, certificates of
occupancy, etc
• State mandated reports and
the process used to ensure
proper submission
• Budgets and quarterly reports
presented by PSA Boards
• Transparency reporting and
PSA (not ESP) websites
DOCUMENTS CAN BE HARD COPIES, ON-LINE, ON DISKS/DRIVES, LINKED TO COMPLIANCE
SOFTWARE, ETC
Focused Areas of Support and Service
Authorizer Development
– www.qualitycharters.org/index.php
– www.qualitycharters.org/emerging-leaders-program
– www.qualitycharters.org/images/stories/Charter_Scho
ol_Application_Process.pdf
– www.qualitycharters.org/images/stories/Charter_Scho
ol_Contracts.pdf
Michigan Authorizer Resources
– www.mccsa.us
– www.charterschools.org
– www.cmucso.org
– http://michiganfuture.org/schools
– http://www.michigan.gov/charters
Focused Areas of Support and Service
MDE’s Authorizer Handbook can be accessed from the
PSA’s homepage at www.michigan.gov/charters
Focused Areas of Support and Service
Data and information, research and analysis, and reports
– http://mathematica-mpr.com/publications/
– http://crpe.org/charter-schools-and-public-school-choice
– http://credo.stanford.edu/aboutOverview.html
– http://www.nber.org/custom?client=test3_fe&proxystyleshee
t=test3_fe&site=default_collection&btnG=Search&entqr=0&u
d=1&output=xml_no_dtd&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&q=charter+schools
Focused Areas of Support and Service
Capacity, infrastructure
– http://www.qualitycharters.org/images/stories/publicati
ons/PMRC_Monograph_FULL_PDF.pdf
Board selection, criteria and development
– http://www.charterschoolcenter.org/newsletter/march2012-strategic-recruiting-charter-school-board-members
– http://www.charterschoolcenter.org/sites/default/files/C
reating%20Effective%20Govering%20boards.pdf
– http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdechart/download/Bd_Trng
_HBk_051007.pdf
Emerging/Trending
Portfolio perspective
• http://www.innovativeschools.org/content_pages/view/mod
el_schools_portfolio_criteria
• http://crpe.org/district-charter-collaboration
Partnerships
• http://www.charterschoolcenter.org/sites/default/files/Bosto
n%20Charter-District%20Signed%20Compact.pdf
Cyber
• http://www.qualitycharters.org/publicationsresources/cyber-series
Special Education Guidance
• http://www.charterschoolcenter.org/sites/default/files/operat
or_present.pdf
Available Resources
Charter School Contacts in Michigan:
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MACSB – Bob Glees @ 517-819-4777
MAPSA – Dan Quisenberry @ 517-374-9167
MCCSA – Billie Wimmer @ 517-487-4848
MDE – Mark Eitrem @ 517-373-4631
NCSI – James Goenner @ 989-317-3510
Useful Websites:
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MACSB – www.macsb.org
MAPSA – www.charterschools.org
MCCSA – www.mccsa.us
MDE – www.michigan.gov/charters
NCSI – www.nationalcharterschools.org
NACSA – www.qualitycharters.org
CLOSING
• We will remain online for a few minutes for any
further questions
• Please fill out the survey by clicking the survey link
in the bottom left corner of the webinar window
• Thank you for joining us today
MDE PSA Unit Points of Contact
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Beatrice Barajas, Secretary
Kim Sidel, Analyst
Tammy Hatfield, Consultant
Karla Browning, Consultant
Neil Beckwith, Consultant
Ron Schneider, Consultant
Phillip Caldwell II, Manager
Mark Eitrem, Supervisor
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
(517) 373-4631
[email protected]
http://www.michigan.gov/charters
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