AB 2254: Charter schools: renewal criteria.

The Charter Schools Act of 1992 authorizes the establishment and operation of charter schools. Existing law, until January 1, 2026, law sets out performance standards and procedures for the renewal of these charter schools. Existing law sets out revised standards and procedures that are operative on and after January 1, 2026. The renewal standards and procedures operative until January 1, 2026, among other things, require the demonstration of certain performance measures by verified data, as defined, in specified circumstances, and require the chartering authority to consider verified data in designated circumstances. the charter of an existing charter school based on the charter schools performance level as determined by data reported on the California School Dashboard, with specific requirements for renewal applicable to 3 specified tiers of performance for those charter schools. Existing law, operative on January 1, 2020, requires a chartering authority to, until January 1, 2026, consider verified data, as defined, in order to determine whether a charter school in the 2 lower tiers demonstrates measurable increases in academic achievement or strong postsecondary outcomes, and to include that consideration, in addition to the charter schools performance level, in its decisions as to whether to renew the charter for the 2 renewal terms immediately following the enactment of that measure. Existing law requires a chartering authority to consider verifiable data provided by the charter school for the purposes of charter renewal if the dashboard for the previous year is not yet available at the time of renewal. Existing law will require a chartering authority, after January 1, 2026, to consider the data reported on the dashboard for of all subgroups of pupils served by the charter school in its decision as to whether to renew the charter.

This bill would extend the operation indefinitely of the performance standards and procedures for the renewal of charter schools that would otherwise be inoperative on January 1, 2026. The bill would also revise those standards and procedures to change the circumstances that require the submission and the consideration of verified data for charter renewal. requirement of a chartering authority to consider verified data for the purposes described above until the State Board of Education adopts the performance standards for growth for the state board adopted pupil-level academic growth measure for English language arts and mathematics, instead of until January 1, 2026. The bill would also require a chartering authority to consider the data the State Department of Education uses to produce the dashboard, instead of verifiable data, for the purposes of charter renewal if the dashboard for the previous year is not yet available at the time of renewal. This bill would require a chartering authority, after the adoption of the performance standards for growth for the state board adopted pupil-level academic growth measure for English language arts and mathematics, to consider performance on those standards, in addition to the data reported on the dashboard, in its decision as to whether to renew the charter. By imposing new duties on local educational agencies acting as chartering authorities, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.