This CACSA update has information on upcoming events as well as:
- Charter Application Review Expert Pool Available
- Focus on Tools: Charter School Institute Student Services Screener identifies schools that could use support in better serving special populations
- National Study on Students with Disabilities in Charter Schools
- Question from the Field: on districts sharing family information and understanding building corps in charter finance
You can reach Alex Medler directly at Alex.Medler@coauthorizers.org, or by phone at 720-635-8329; and Lisa Jarvi at Lisa.Jarvi@coauthorizers.org, or by phone at (303) 880-7576.
Alex
Authorizer Support:
1. Charter Application Review Expert Pool Available
CACSA has assembled a pool of expert reviewers who are available at no cost to school districts to participate in the review of charter applications. National and Colorado state principles and standards for quality authorizing recommend that charter authorizers incorporate at least one application reviewer that is external to the district. Reviewers will receive stipends for their work through CACSA’s federal grant. If your district is interested in incorporating these people into your charter review, or if you would like to serve as an expert reviewer, please contact Alex directly.
2. Focus on Tools: CSI Student Services Screener identifies schools that could use support in better serving special populations
This tool is not used for accountability purposes. Instead, CSI uses the screener to understand how well the schools it oversees are doing at enrolling and servicing special populations, including students with Individualized Education Plans, Section 504 Plans, English Learners, and Gifted and Talented students. The screener explores enrollment, stability, participation in and growth on state assessments, secondary school completion, disciplinary actions, and compliance. The data is not used for high-stakes accountability decisions. Instead, CSI uses it to identify schools for different tiers of assistance that is then provided by CSI.
We are initiating a regular feature to highlight tools available from Colorado authorizers. These and many other resources will soon be available on the CACSA website through our online archive. In the meantime, you can download the CSI Student Services Screener here, and view a webinar explaining it here. We also plan to discuss it at the December 6th, quarterly authorizer meeting.
3. National Study on Students with Disabilities in Charter Schools: Colorado continues to have lowest percent of students with disabilities in charter according to national data.
The National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools (NCSECS) released its annual report on the state of special education in charter schools nationally, Key Trends in Special Education in Charter Schools in 2015–2016: Secondary Analysis of the Civil Rights Data Collection. You can read the press release, full report, and data resources here. The report explores national data from the Civil Rights Data Collection, which is collected by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. The report found an increase in the proportion of students with disabilities in charter schools compared to previous years. Colorado continues to have the nation’s lowest percent of students with disabilities in charter schools and is among the top three states for the gap between charter schools and traditional public schools. The report also provides information on the types of disabilities that students in charter schools have; rates of suspension and expulsion; and the time that students with disabilities spent in various settings for charter schools.
4. Questions from the Field:
We have two questions from fellow authorizers looking for input from their colleagues. These are posted on the CACSA Groupsite. We encourage all CACSA members to join the groupsite where you can post and respond to questions directly and share materials with your peers. If you would like information on signing up for the groupsite, contact Alex directly. If you have input on these questions, please send your response directly to Alex and he will coordinate all answers, return them to the people asking, and share with the group later.
- What do districts do when charter schools ask for lists of potential students, family addresses, or other opportunities to market to potential students in their community?
- When a charter school finances a facility through a Building Corporation, what do districts do differently to understand and track the financial health and appropriate oversight of financial decisions by the school?
Upcoming CACSA Events:
- CACSA Committee on Individualized Education. We will be discussing the research projects; prioritizing resources; and planning an authorizer workshop for later this spring. The group is meeting in person at the offices of the Adams 12 and you can join via Zoom video conference.
Date/ Time: Friday, November 22, 20190; from 8:00 am to 9:30 am.
Location: Adams 12 Five Star school district, at 1500 E 128th Ave, Thornton, CO 80241, Sunlight Peak Room
Online: https://zoom.us/j/427527277?pwd=RGdVREYyQldQSWpFVldmMThub3JHZz09;
Call: 720 707 2699
Meeting ID: 427 527 277
- Quarterly CACSA/CDE Meeting, the regularly authorizer meeting is coming up on December 6th. Information on logistics are below. We will be discussing items like CACSA work on a model charter contract and CSI will be sharing information on their Student Services Screener, described above, as well as updates on the CACSA federal grant and from the CDE Schools of Choice Unit. Please note, our grant has funding available for expenses related to travel for anyone who would not otherwise be able to attend in person but would be able to attend if we reimbursed for travel expenses. Contact Lisa Jarvi if you need reimbursement.
Date/Time: Friday, December 6th, 9:00am-3:00pm
Location: Great Work Montessori, 5300 W Center Ave, Lakewood, CO 80226
Register: Registration can be found here
- Southwest Regional Authorizer Meeting. CACSA is convening regional meetings of authorizers. Our first meeting was in Colorado Springs earlier this month, and the next meeting is will be in Durango on December 13. CACSA regional meetings allow people to network with their local colleagues so they can discuss common challenges and issues emerging in local communities. If you would like to convene a meeting in your region, please contact Alex.
Date/Time: Friday, Dec. 13, 2019; 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Location: Durango School District, 201 E 12 Street, Durango, CO, 81301
RSVP: If you would like to join, contact Alex Medler directly