This toolkit is a self-guided resource for authorizers to identify indicators of distress, audit their current data collection methods for evaluating indicators of distress, and assess whether and to what extent the schools in their portfolio are showing indicators of distress. It builds on NCSRC’s earlier report Identifying Indicators of Distress in Charter Schools Part 1: The Role and Perspective of Charter School Authorizers, released in 2020.
By focusing on these research-based indicators of distress, rather than just indicators of failure, charter school authorizers don’t have to wait for schools to fall into full organizational failure before acting – and more students might be saved from the negative impacts of a failing or closed school.
You can also watch NCSRC's online workshop Identifying Distress in Charter Schools: A Workshop for Authorizers and State Departments of Education. During this workshop, attendees reviewed the indicators of distress in charter schools and engaged in a self-assessment of their own data collection and early warning signs exhibited by charter schools in their portfolio. They also heard from the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority about their data collection methods and how they identify schools experiencing early indicators of distress.