Policy Framework for High-Quality Charter Authorizing Practices

Resource Selection
15 Mar, 2021

The State role in creating strong authorizing environments is critical. By legislating and creating State requirements in policy, States guide authorizers in using best practices that ensure the quality of charter schools. The Policy Framework for High-Quality Charter Authorizing Practices (Framework) is a tool for assessing the State policy environment’s support for high-quality authorizing practices. The Framework is based on a review of high-quality authorizing practices referenced in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and literature by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) and the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools (Alliance). 

The Framework is also the foundation for National Charter School Resource Center (NCSRC) activities related to quality authorizing. For example, NCSRC’s High-Quality Charter Authorizing Policy Profiles (State Profiles) are summaries of states’ charter school authorization policy contexts based on the Framework. Researchers reviewed legislation and policy in each state and identified whether the authorizing practices specified in the Framework were present in state law or policy. The State Profiles can be viewed here