The SUNY Charter Renewal Process - Newyorkcharters.org

The SUNY Charter 

Renewal Process 

Presentation to Initial Renewal Schools 

6/18/12

Key Components of SUNY Renewal Practices 

• The Renewal Application 

• The Renewal Visit 

• The Renewal Report and Recommendation 

• SUNY Board of Trustee’s Charter Schools 

Committee Action 

Charter Schools Institute • State University of New York - 2 -


• Key Steps 

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Submission of the Application for Charter Renewal 

School District Notification and Opportunity for Public Comment 

Application Review and Revision (RFA Process) 

Renewal Visit 

DRAFT Renewal Report for Factual Correction 

Final Renewal Recommendation Report 

Action of Trustees’ Charter Schools Committee 

Action of Board of Regents / Issuance of Renewal Charter 


Initial Renewal: Possible Outcomes 

Full-Term Renewal 

The school has compiled a strong and compelling record of meeting or 

coming close to meeting its academic Accountability Plan goals AND 

has in place at the time of the renewal review a generally effective 

educational program; OR 

has made progress towards meeting its academic Accountability Plan 

goals AND has in place at the time of the renewal review a particularly 

strong and effective educational program. 


Initial Renewal: Possible Outcomes 

Short-Term Renewal 

The school has compiled a limited or mixed record in meeting 

Accountability Plan goals, but has in operation at the time of the 

renewal visit (i) an academic program of sufficient strength and 

effectiveness, AND (ii) a governing board and organizational 

structures with demonstrated capacity; OR 

an overall record of meeting or coming close to meeting its 

Accountability Plan goals, but has in place at the renewal visit an 

educational program that is inadequate in multiple/material 

respects. 

Non-Renewal 

The school fails to meet the criteria for either full or short-term 

renewal. 


Initial Renewal 

• Deciding Whether to Apply for Full-Term or 

Short-Term Renewal 

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Apply for the renewal that best fits the school’s 

achievement record; be self-reflective and data driven 

Institute annual evaluation reports and academic 

performance summaries can be an effective guide 


Making the Case for Renewal 

• Application should be a clear, concise and compelling 

description of the performance and operations of the school 

during the current charter term and the school’s future plans 

• Completing the Application is an opportunity for reflection on 

past successes and challenges, and a guide for strategic 

planning 

• Narrative should link where appropriate the school’s student 

achievement record with programmatic decisions, priorities, 

and initiatives over the course of the charter period 


Completing the Application 

• Resources: 

‣ The SUNY Renewal Policies 

‣ The SUNY Renewal Benchmarks 

‣ School evaluation reports prepared by or on behalf of the Institute 

‣ Your school’s annual Accountability Plan Progress Reports 

All of these documents are available on the Institute’s website! 

1. Simply click on your school’s name from the list here: 

www.newyorkcharters.org/parentSchoolList.htm to access a profile 

page containing all Institute reports for your school. 

2. Key renewal documents, including the application, are available 

here: 

http://www.newyorkcharters.org/schoolsRenewOverview.htm 



• Key Impacts of the 2010 Amendments to Charter Act 

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Inclusion of school plans to meet enrollment and retention 

targets 

Guidance for the School Board’s code of ethics and by-laws 

have been revised to ensure compliance 



• Executive Summary: an Actual Summary of the Completed 

Application 

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Not a public relations piece or brochure 

Provide a concrete overview of the extent to which the school 

has met the SUNY Renewal Benchmarks 

Describe how plans for the charter period were effective (and 

ineffective) in improving student achievement, and what 

changes are envisioned if renewed 

Touch upon any significant shortcomings, outline steps taken 

to address them to date and going forward 

Summarize all components of the application: academic, legal, 

fiscal, and governance 


Addressing the Benchmarks: 4 Key Questions 

1: Is the School an Academic Success 

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The narrative summarizes progress toward achieving 

Accountability Plan goals over the entire charter term as well as 

additional data that supports the school’s case for renewal 

It discusses the link between student performance and program 

improvement, highlighting challenges the school has faced and 

overcome 

Note that the Institute places much greater weight on Renewal 

Benchmarks 1B-1F, 2C and 2D among schools applying for Initial 

Renewal than among schools applying for Subsequent Renewal 



1: Is the School an Academic Success 

− Responses to Question #1 and Exhibit #1 

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‣ due THREE weeks from the Commissioner of Education’s 

official statewide release of the 2011 English language arts 

and mathematics assessment results (K-8 Schools) 

‣ due three weeks from the date of the last Regents exam on 

September 12 th (high schools) 

High schools must also include a discussion course credit and 

graduation policies 

Include a discussion of the performance and programs to serve 

students with disabilities and English language learners 



2: Is this School an Effective, Viable Organization 

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Note where original charter plans were successful and where 

plans were modified 

Note specific challenges and how they were addressed 

Be open and reflective in describing changes and mid-course 

corrections 



3: Is the School Fiscally Sound 

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Detail fiscal issues or concerns over the charter period 

Note: The Institute will use data already submitted by the 

school throughout the charter period for Requested Exhibit 5 

‣ Therefore, schools will need only provide a summary of 

functional expenses for the most recently completed year 

(2011-12) in the required template (as there is no available 

audited statement) 



4: Should the School’s Charter be Renewed, What are its Plans 

for the Terms of the Future Charter 

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Responses should be forward looking, informed by the 

current charter term 

Responses require the school to create and submit a series of Renewal 

Charter Exhibits that will become part of the school’s actual Renewal 

Charter Agreement 

The Renewal Charter Exhibits outline “what” the school will do if 

renewed; the narrative responses tell “why” and the “how” it will be 

done 

Generally, the more differences there are between a school’s current 

operations and future plans, the more documentation and detail the 

school will need to provide 



4: Should the School’s Charter be Renewed, What are its Plans 

for the Terms of the Future Charter 

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Inclusion of school plans to meet enrollment and retention 

targets 

‣ Specify how the school intends to target its outreach specifically to 

English language learners, students with disabilities, and students 

eligible for free and reduced-price lunch 

‣ Describe the school’s programmatic elements designed to 

academically support and retain such students 

‣ Describe recordkeeping procedures 

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Submission of management company business plan 


Data Updates to Application Responses 

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Question #1 (Is the School an Academic Success) 

Exhibit #1 (Accountability Plan Progress Report) 

K-8 Due Date: Three weeks after the Commissioner of Education’s official 

statewide release of 2011 English language arts and mathematics 

assessment results 

9-12 Due Date: Three weeks from the administration of the last summer 

Regents exam 


The Renewal Visit 

• Visit Length 

• Informed by the Renewal Application 

• Includes an interview of the school’s Board of Trustees in the 

Institute office 

• Includes collecting evidence on legal compliance and fiscal 

soundness 

• Increased focus on at-risk program implementation 


The Renewal Visit 

• Key Questions on Serving At-Risk Students 

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Does the school have in place a system to identify at-risk 

students 

Does the school have in place an ELL program which is researchbased 

and based on sound educational theory 

Are the programs adequately supported, with appropriate staff 

and resources, to provide a realistic chance of success 

Are programs periodically evaluated and, if necessary, revised 


The Renewal Report and Recommendation 

• A draft report, including the Institute’s preliminary 

recommendation based on evidence collected throughout the 

charter period, is shared with each school for comment and factual 

correction 

• Report is finalized, incorporating school comment where 

appropriate, and forwarded to the SUNY Trustees’ Charter Schools 

Committee for review and consideration 

• In cases of a positive renewal decision, a proposed renewal charter 

is forwarded to Board of Regents for action 

• If the recommendation is non-renewal, the school will be provided 

with due process to present evidence challenging the 

recommendation 


The Renewal Process 2012 Timeline 

Submission of the Application for Renewal August 15, 2012 

Submission of updated response to Question 

#1 and Exhibit 1 

Renewal Visit 

Draft Renewal Report 

Final Renewal Report 

Action by the SUNY Board of Trustees’ Charter 

Schools Committee 

Action by the Board of Regents 

Three weeks from the statewide 

release of state test results for K- 

8 and September 15 th for 9-12 

September – December 

November – January 

December – February 

January March 

Within 90 days of submission by 

the Institute 


Resources 

•SUNY Renewal Visit Guide for School Leaders 

•SUNY Renewal Benchmarks 5.0 

•Institute Staff 


Q & A 

The SUNY Charter

The SUNY Charter Renewal Process - Newyorkcharters.org

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