CACSA Research on Students with Disabilities in Charter Schools Featured in Colorado Sun Commentary
CACSA’s Executive Director, Alex Medler, and Lauren Morando Rhim, Executive Director of the Center for Learner Equity, penned a commentary for the Colorado Sun featuring recent CACSA studies. The commentary explored the experience with school choice of families with students with disabilities and strategies to help students with more significant needs attend charter schools.
Medler and Rhim summarized research findings and highlighted recent changes in state regulations as well as promising practices by districts like Denver Public Schools and charter operators like Strive Prep that deserve further examination as Colorado works to improve access and services for students with disabilities in charter schools.
CACSA is hosting a webinar on April 1st, from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm to discuss proposed legislation affecting students with disabilities in charter schools. The webinar will address HB22-1294, a recently-introduced bill supported by the Colorado League of Charter Schools (CLCS). A CACSA white paper describing the legislation is available here. One of the bill’s primary co-sponsors and Rhim will join the webinar, along with various stakeholders, to discuss how research and current practices should inform this potential change in state policy. The House Education Committee passed the bill unanimously with minor amendments on March 24.
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Proposed Federal Priorities for Charter School Grants Create Opportunities for District Partnership But Also Considerable Burdens to Charter Opening
Proposed priorities for the Federal Charter School Program (CSP) were released this week that would make fundamental changes to how states would run subgrant programs and how start-up and replication sub-grants for charter schools would be awarded. CACSA is tracking this issue and working with national organizations to understand the potential impact on Colorado charter schools and authorizing. Public comments on the proposals are due April 13.
The proposals include priorities for partnerships between charter schools and districts. Charter advocates are concerned about several proposed priorities. Changes would include a requirement that all future states receiving CSP grants and charter schools and CMOs receiving funds complete “Community Impact” studies. These studies could eventually be analogous to environmental impact studies under the Environmental Protection Act. Charter advocates fear the community impact studies would create a substantial burden on charter operators and potentially lead to highly-politicized local debates related to many charter openings. The studies would focus on the impact of proposed charter schools on enrollment in local district-operated schools and local district finances. The priorities would also require start-up schools to finalize facility leases or other facilities arrangements prior to receive CSP planning funding. This could complicate funding and planning for schools authorized with a planned “Year Zero” before opening.
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State Takes Steps to Return Accountability System To Operation
Colorado continues to take steps to return the state accountability system to full operation. After the State Board enacted three resolutions in December, legislation was introduced to align with those resolutions, and CDE is preparing for a rule-making process to align with both the pending legislation and the State Board resolutions. Resources describing these activities are available, including the original State Board action and resolutions; a presentation from CDE on the process and timeline; and the pending legislation,HB22-137. HB22-137 passed its first hurdle, passing unanimously in the House Education Committee on March 24.
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Correction: ER BOCES Allowed to Approve Charter Transition to Contract School Status after Adams 14 Board Action
Last week’s CACSA Update incorrectly summarized the moratorium controlling the ER BOCES’s ability to approve contract schools. The one-year moratorium on new contract schools approved by the legislature allows a BOCES to authorize new contract schools if the district in which the school would be located passes a resolution to allow the contract school to open. The Adams 14 school district resolution passed this month provides such approval, making it possible for the Community Leadership Academy (CLA)/Victory Prep Academy (VPA) to apply to the ER BOCES if they should choose to do so.
The CLA/VPA is currently operating as a charter authorized by CSI and is up for renewal next year. The resolution passed by the Adams 14 resolved the school’s appeal to the State Board of Education after the district rejected the school’s request to transfer from CSI to Adams 14. It also prevents the school from challenging Adams 14’s exclusive chartering authority. CLA/VPA was originally authorized by Adams 14 and later moved to CSI. The school sought to leave CSI after losing an appeal before the State Board related to conditions that CSI planned to include in the school’s charter contract.