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Charter Schools

Charter Schools

Oversight Plan for Board of Regents-Authorized Charter Schools

The New York State Board of Regents, through its administrative body, the New York State Education Department, is authorized to oversee and monitor each charter school authorized by the Regents in all respects, including the right to visit, examine and inspect the charter school and its records. To permit the Regents to fulfill this oversight function under the New York State Charter Schools Act and ensure that each charter school is in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, and the terms and conditions of the charter, each charter school agrees to abide by and implement the oversight plan, the components of which are presented below. Amendments and revisions may be made to the plan by the Department in consultation with the charter school.

Section I: Opening Procedures

Section I: Opening Procedures

An Opening Procedures Checklist was developed by the Charter School Office to support successful start-up activities for new charter schools authorized by the Board of Regents. Most of the tasks in the checklist, such as preparing a facility for educational programming and partnering with initial vendors, are specific to start-up and will occur before or during a school's opening. Others are one-time tasks unique to the first year of school that may take place after school opens.

Opening Procedures Webinar Series

Section II: Monitoring Plan

Section II:   Monitoring Plan

Oversight and monitoring activities to be conducted by SED in its oversight and charter authorization role:

Site Visit Protocols: How the CSO will conduct and report on site visits during the school year at charter schools directly authorized by the Board of Regents. 

Charter School Policy Review Protocols: The following policies are subject to NYSED review and approval in accordance with the Charter School Revision Guidelines: 

  • Admission/Enrollment (including school student enrollment application document) 
  • Hiring/Personnel (including Fingerprinting and Clearance, and policies related to conditional appointments and emergency conditional appointments)
  • Discipline/Code of Conduct (including DASA)
  • Bylaws and Code of Ethics
  • Complaint
  • FOIL (upon CSO request) 
  • Fiscal (upon CSO request)
  • Health/Safety (upon CSO request)
  • FERPA (upon CSO request)
  • School Wellness/Nutrition (upon CSO request)
  • Promotion (upon CSO request)

Charter School Revision Guidelines

Memo: Reporting Local Assessment Outcomes to the New York State Education Department’s Charter School Office (April 2021) 

Section III: Performance Framework

Section III:   Performance Framework

The Board of Regents Renewal Policy and Performance Framework is the foundation of the Board of Regents Oversight Plan and is applicable to all Regents-authorized charter schools. In November 2012, the Board of Regents approved a new Renewal Policy and endorsed a Performance Framework as an outline of qualitative and quantitative standards for effective charter schools. The Framework outlines performance benchmarks and indicators in ten key areas for Regents-authorized charter schools. The Department’s Charter School Office was directed to revise and update the Framework, in consultation with the field, as necessary and consistent with the Renewal Policy and the guiding principles outlined in the Framework. In accordance with this direction, the Performance Framework was updated and posted for public comment in August 2015, and finalized in November 2015. It was updated and endorsed by the Board of Regents again in 2019.

Section IV: Closing Procedures Guide and Checklist

Closing Procedures Guide and Checklist

Section IV:  Closing Procedures Guide and Checklist (Updated February 2020)

The primary purpose of this guide and checklist is to provide guidance to both Charter School Office staff and charter school leadership to ensure the orderly closure of a Board of Regents-authorized charter school after closure has been determined by the Board of Regents.