Equitable Monitoring of Charter Schools

Equitable Monitoring of Charter Schools

Competencies

Performance Monitoring and Accountability - The authorizer develops/maintains accountability measures and implements systems that hold the charter school to high standards.

• Proficiency: Create/ensure an understanding of a set of performance measures (academic, operation, and finance) that will hold schools accountable while also honoring their uniqueness.

Equity - The authorizer develops/guides the ongoing work of creating system-wide equitable practices.

• Proficiency: Create/ensure an understanding of a set of performance measures (academic, behavior, and culture) that will hold schools accountable while celebrating innovation, diversity, and cultural differences.

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Learning

Introduction 

Authorizers and school leaders need to monitor student progress.  They need transparency about whether children are learning and growing academically. This course focuses on equitable monitoring.  This course covers an accountability system that holds high expectations for all children, focuses on student achievement against academic standards, is open and transparent, and enlists the community so that the system gets feedback and improves.

 

Part 1. Equitable Monitoring of Student Performance

Introduction to Charter School Equitable Monitoring
This slideshow reinforces several main ideas for equitable monitoring. Use this slideshow as a guide along with the following video to solidify your understanding of the basic idea of equitable monitoring.
Format: PPT
Length: 15 slides

Introduction to Equitable Monitoring
Leaders need to monitor their students’ progress—they need transparency about whether their children are learning and growing academically. This course focuses on equitable monitoring, which means creating an accountability system that holds high expectations for all children, focuses on student achievement against academic standards, is open and transparent, and enlists the community so that the accountability system gets feedback and improves. Watch this introductory video to learn the basics of equitable monitoring.
Format: YouTube Video
Length: 13:18 minutes

 

Part 2. Four Steps to Create a System of Accountability

Four Steps to Create a System of Accountability
This brief slideshow describes the four steps to creating a system of accountability:

• Set goals using baseline data.
• Align resources.
• Comply with your process and with policy.
• Monitor results.

Glance through the slides to learn about these four ideas.
Format: PPT
Length: 10 slides

 

Part 3. Deep Dive into Goal Setting

Performance Goals PowerPoint
These slides correspond with the Performance Goals video. Use these as a guide and as a tool to help you reflect on key concepts about performance goals.
Format: Google Slides
Length: 17 slides

Charter School Goal Setting
As you watch this video, reflect on your school or district’s greatest area of need. Do you face an achievement gap, proficiency gap, or change-over-time gap? Which gap is the most urgent and important?
Format: YouTube Video
Length: 15:26 minutes

 

Part 4. Contract Negotiations

Negotiating Charter School Contracts Slides
Use these slides with the Negotiating Charter Contract video. These slides can help as a guide to reflect on key concepts about contract negotiation.
Format: Google Slides
Length: 14 slides

Negotiating Charter School Contracts
Performance monitoring should be a key piece to your charter contract negotiation.  As you award charter school contracts, be aware of Wisconsin’s statutory requirements. Be sure that the school’s goals and benchmarks align with state requirements. This video provides an overview of the main things to consider.
Format: YouTube Video
Length: 3:47 minutes

 

Part 5. Sample Language about Monitoring and Oversight

Policy Examples for Monitoring and Oversight 
It’s common for authorizers to review charter school performance on an annual basis. These slides provide you with sample language to set your policies about annual monitoring and oversight of your charter schools.
Format: PPT
Length: 6 slides

 

Performance Measures Framework
This Performance Framework Guidance has been created by WRCCS to help support Authorizers, Governance Board, and School Leaders with an example framework to ensure transparent, rigorous, and holistic school performance communication.  As it is clearly identified in state statute (118.40(1m)(b)5. and 118.40(2r)(b)2.a.), charter contracts should contain specific annual academic and operational performance measures and a plan for monitoring.
Format: Google Document
Length: 10 pages

 

Writing Performance Measures Guidance
It’s common for authorizers to review charter school performance goals and ensure the charter school is comprehensively measuring the charter school.  Authorizers may need to support charter schools with writing performance measures that are complete, measurable, and holistic.
Format: Google Document
Length: 8 pages

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Applying 

Applying

1. Answer these reflection questions:
   
   • Why is accountability important and what needs to be in place to ensure an appropriate accountability system?
   • What is an appropriate cautionary note when thinking about the design of an accountability system?
   • What are the elements of a SMART goal setting process?
   • What is an example of an accountability requirement of the State?
2. Create a SMART goal related to student academic performance that could be used for a charter school you authorize. Be sure that the goal addresses an achievement gap, proficiency gap, or change-over-time gap and uses a baseline date to provide a “before” picture. 
3. Look at your district’s strategic plan and specific goals. Use these themes, alone with Wisconsin’s statutory requirements, to review your current performance measures.
4. Work with school stakeholders and the community to get feedback about the goal and refine it until it represents a unified aspiration for the school. 

 

Evidence of Learning

Evidence includes examples of SMART goals related to student academic performance that could be sued for a charter school you authorize. Be sure that the goal addresses an achievement gap, proficiency gap, or change-over-time gap and uses baseline data to provide a “before” picture.

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