Department of Education's Monitoring Process for Charter Schools Could Be Improved

Auditors who evaluated the Department of Education’s use of the Charter School Performance Compact (CSPC) to monitor charter schools found areas that could be improved, the Legislative Auditor said in a report released today.

The CSPC, which was approved by the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) in 2013, is used to track the organizational performance of BESE-authorized charter schools (types 2, 4, and 5). Auditors found that the Department’s monitoring process weighted critical and non-critical violations equally, making a charter school with critical violations likely to be rated the same as schools with non-critical violations, the state auditor said.

In addition, Department staff failed to monitor two provisions of charter school law related to enrollment of at-risk students. Auditors reported that seven (19 percent) of the 36 type 2 and 4 charter schools did not enroll the required number of at-risk students during the 2015-2016 academic year.

Auditors found, as well, that the Department’s monitoring procedures did not specify how to address concerns and violations at charter schools. For example, the procedures did not clearly state when a school should receive a “Notice of Concern” letter if problems were found. Nor did the procedures require a “Return to Good Standing” letter to be sent once violations were corrected.

The audit report also noted that the Department needs to better inform parents with students in type 2 or 4 charter schools of its complaint process. The Recovery School District, which oversees type 5 charter schools, has specific instructions on its website for parents who want to file a complaint. No similar web page exists for parents with children in type 2 or 4 schools. Auditors found that out of 494 complaints filed, only 11 percent came from parents of children in type 2 or 4 schools, which could mean these parents did not know where to go to file a complaint.