© 2013

© 2013

100 Cummings Center, Suite 236C, Beverly, MA 01915

SDP Charter School

Performance Standards

Work Group Pt. 2September 2013

© 2013

Introductions

Tracy Kelley - SchoolWorks

Please share your name, your school, and why you are here.

© 2013

Why we are here today…• These workgroups have been

charged to establish reasonable expectations SDP can adopt to ensure the charter schools in its portfolio are viable organizations with strong fiscal management and operational practices in place.

• Know that SDP is cognizant of the delicate balance between appropriate oversight and infringement on autonomy.

© 2013

Agenda

o Introductions/ObjectivesoWhy Are We Here?oWork-Group Deliberations/FindingsoThink, Pair, Share ActivityoQuestions?oNext Steps

© 2013

Overall Objectives

• Develop standards for SDP’s oversight of charter school’s financial and operational performance through a process that is objective, transparent, and comprehensive.

• Gather stakeholder ideas and perspective while relying on a wide-range of sources to inform the development of SDP’s standards for oversight of charter school’s financial and operational performance.

• Ensure that matters of financial management and compliance do not get in the way of a school’s ability to provide a high quality education to its students. 

© 2013

Why Are we Here?

Today’s Objectives

• Review draft of SDP’s operational and financial performance standards that will be implemented to provide oversight of charter school performance.

• Identify strengths of the draft, areas of weakness, and areas that should revised.

• Ensure that the matters of financial and operational management and compliance contained in the draft do not get in the way of a school’s ability to provide a high quality education to its students. 

© 2013

Why Now?

• …SDP needs to strengthen financial and operational performance standards that produced healthy, sustainable, and legally compliant charter schools.

• …Pennsylvania Charter School Law is vague and imprecise.

• …SDP does not currently have performance standards to evaluate a schools financial or operational outcomes.

© 2013

Pennsylvania Charter School Law - OVERVIEW

• Requires a “written charter” signed by authorizer incorporating provisions from application

• Requires SDP to “annually assess whether each charter school is meeting the goals of the charter” (Sect. 17-1728-A)

• Requires that each charter school “submit an annual report” by August 1.

• Gives SDP “ongoing access to the records and facilities…to ensure compliance” (Sect. 17-1728-A)

© 2013

Pennsylvania Charter School Law - OVERVIEW

• Allows SDP to revoke a charter where there are “violations of any of the conditions, standards or procedures contained in the written charter” (Sect. 17-1729-A(1)).

• Does not define charter school operational performance standards or expectations, but ther are specific laws charter schools are required to comply.

• Prohibits a charter school from discriminatory “admissions policies or practices.

• Allows a school’s charter to include provisions for the “establishment of reasonable criteria to evaluate prospective students” (Sect. 17-1723-A(2)).

© 2013

Pennsylvania Charter School Law

Non-negotiables, Charter school law requires• Compliance with federal statues

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Internal Revenue Code for (501)c(3) organizations

• Compliance with state statutesThe Right to KnowThe Sunshine ActThe Public School Code of 1949The Public Officials and Employees Ethics Act

© 2013

Work-Group Deliberations

• This summer SDP sent a call for members of the charter community to participate in sessions to help draft financial and operational standards.

• 3 sessions and 9 hours of discussions were held between August 26th and 28th.

• Contributors came from FACTS, Performing Arts, Khepera, MCSCS, New Foundations, Global Leadership, Russell Byers, Southwest, YouthBuild, MAST, KIPP, Franklin Towne, Independence, Mastery, and the Mayor’s office.

© 2013

Work-Group Resources

Financial and Operational Performance Standards EXEMPLARS

© 2013

What SDP Heard You Say

• SDP standards must be clear, transparent and not overly intrusive.

• SDP should only measure the minimum requirements, not the maximum.

• SDP should monitor schools fidelity to its original mission.

• SDP standards should include 3-4 performance levels –not “all-or-nothing”.

© 2013

What SDP Heard You Say

• SDP should monitor “Barriers to Entry” (admissions and enrollment policies), giving consideration to school’s unique mission and program.

• SDP should establish a list of “triggers” that alert SDP to schools in immediate financial distress, prompting SDP to do a deeper dive into school finances (i.e. days cash on hand less than 30).

• SDP should establish a list of high-quality auditors to ensure audit reports are reliable and thorough.

© 2013

Work-Group Findings

• Delaware model was identified as having performance criteria with the most specificity and clarity, by some.

• Delaware limits oversight only to what was required by law and/or contract.

• Delaware has a binary rating scale good at identifying compliance.

© 2013

Work-Group Findings

The focus group gravitated to the Indianapolis model for these reasons:

• Indianapolis Mayor’s office was seen as stylistically

easier to understand (i.e. Core Questions)

• Indianapolis used graduated rating scale, which was good for non-compliance areas-Exceeds Standard, Meets Standard-for appropriate metrics (i.e. “Is the organization effective and well run?”)

© 2013

Think it Through…

In small groups, please answer these three questions, be prepared to share your findings with the group.

1. What are the strengths of the draft?

2. What are missing from the draft?

3. What in the draft needs to be changed?

© 2013

Wrap-up…

Did We…• Review draft of SDP’s operational and financial

performance standards that will be implemented to provide oversight of charter school performance.

• Identify strengths of the draft, areas of weakness, and areas that should revised.

• Ensure that the matters of financial and operational management and compliance contained in the draft do not get in the way of a school’s ability to provide a high quality education to its students. 

© 2013

© 2013

Next Steps…

Jennifer M. NagourneyCharter Schools OfficeThe School District of

Philadelphia440 North Broad StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19130215.400.6169 (office)

215.400.4011 (fax)