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In its plan to become a charter school authorizer, the Indianapolis Public Schools board wants to use growth on state assessments, discipline, and enrollment targets to judge charters.
The school board submitted that information to the Indiana Department of Education last week. It’s the first step for IPS to become an authorizer, which has the power to allow charter schools to open and to close them.
Becoming an authorizer would give IPS more power over charters at a time when the school board is losing authority. Although state lawmakers limited the number of charter authorizers in IPS, they also created the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which will manage transportation and facility needs for both district and charter schools while also taking over the school board’s power to raise property taxes.
State law allows the IPS school board to become an authorizer, but the board has never previously sought that status. In a statement in December, the board said the move would be a “step toward unparalleled local accountability” that it said has been inconsistent among the state’s multiple charter authorizers.
In its authorizing plan, IPS also wants to draw on its work with the Innovation Network, in which the district grants some schools a greater degree of autonomy than traditional district-run schools while letting them use certain IPS resources.
Charter schools seeking authorization by IPS would begin the application process through a letter of intent submitted every March.
New charters would undergo a roughly eight-month application process that would require a mission plan, financial projections, and evidence of community support for a school. Existing high-performing charters could apply under a roughly four-month application timeline that includes an audit of their academic and financial history.
The district would have a standardized rubric to evaluate charter applications, which also would be reviewed by a panel of academic and external experts, the district said in its registration. District officials would also interview members of the school’s leadership team.
State law gives the State Board of Education 60 days to register the IPS school board as a charter authorizer. The district estimates opening its authorizing office in August.
IPS prioritizes academics, discipline, enrollment in charter evaluations
IPS plans to evaluate charter schools using the same academic, financial, and governance metrics it uses for its 30 Innovation Network schools, and which existing authorizers also frequently use to evaluate schools.
IPS created the Innovation Network schools, most of which are charters, after state lawmakers created “innovation” schools in 2014 as a way for autonomous and district schools to work together.
“We have built over a decade of relationships with charter schools with our Innovation partnerships,” Rachel Santos, director of external affairs for IPS, told the school board last week. “Our strategic vision is to say that we are continuing that work. We are well equipped to do it, with our office that already oversees 30 relationships.”
In the 11 years of the network’s existence, IPS has not renewed three schools — two of which were charter schools — citing concerns with academic performance. A fourth, Kindezi Academy charter school, closed after failing to agree with the district on a renewal agreement.
According to the information it submitted to the state education department, the district would consider proficiency in English and math on the state ILEARN exam, while also accounting for students’ year-to-year growth on these tests and how 10 specific student subgroups perform compared to their peers. These subgroups include Black and Hispanic students, as well as English language learners and students with disabilities.
The district does not specify exact ILEARN proficiency goals. Authorizers often compare a school’s performance to nearby schools with similar demographics.
The district would also aim for its charter schools to have a 90% pass rate on IREAD.
IPS would also set a 95% attendance rate target, and monitor suspension rates to “reward equitable discipline.”
The district would measure a school’s financial health by assessing the days of cash on hand, among other financial metrics. It would also assess schools on whether they reach at least 95% of their budgeted enrollment each year.
IPS would rate charters on their governance model based on compliance with the state’s Open Door Law, which deals with government transparency, and laws concerning students with disabilities. The district would also assess leadership stability and the charter school board composition to ensure that members offer a diverse set of skills.
Charter renewals would last up to 5 years
Although state law allows for authorizers to renew charters for up to 15 years, IPS would only offer charter terms for up to five years.
The deputy superintendent for IPS would oversee the district’s charter schools alongside the existing director of Innovation schools and director of strategy. The district projects that for those staffers, 30% of their work would be dedicated specifically to charter authorizing, IPS said in the information it submitted to the state.
The district projects an annual authorizing budget of $561,000 that would already be part of the district’s general fund.
IPS said it would implement an authorizing fee, which charters pay to their authorizer usually determined by a percentage of per-pupil state funding. But the district did not specify what percentage would be. State law allows authorizers to charge a fee of up to 3%.
Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IPS plan for charter authorization targets enrollment, discipline, test scores
Reporting by Amelia Pak-Harvey, Chalkbeat Indiana / Indianapolis Star
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