Charter Schools
Frequently Asked Questions
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1) What is a charter school?
A charter school is a public school that is nonsectarian and nonreligious and operates under a contract or charter. Under Indiana Code, charter schools are established to serve the different learning styles and needs of public school students, to offer public school students appropriate and innovative choices, to afford varied opportunities for professional educators, to allow freedom and flexibility in exchange for exceptional levels of accountability, and to provide parents, students, community members, and local entities with an expanded opportunity for involvement in the public school system.
Charter schools got their name from the charter, or contract, the organizers of the school sign with an authorizer, also known as a sponsor. The sponsors are designated by state law and are responsible for school oversight and ensuring that the charter school complies with applicable state and federal laws and the terms of the charter.
Like traditional public schools, charter public schools must have open enrollment policies and cannot discriminate based on disability, race, color, gender, national origin, religion, or ancestry.
Indiana law provides for two types of charter schools: nonconversion and conversion.
2) What is the difference between a conversion charter school and a nonconversion
charter school?
A nonconversion charter school is a newly created public elementary or secondary school. A conversion charter school is a charter school that is established by converting an existing public elementary or secondary school into a charter school. Question 3 addresses the manner in which a public elementary or secondary school may convert to charter status.
3) How does a public elementary or secondary school become a
conversion charter school?
An elementary or secondary school may begin the process of conversion to a charter school only if at least 60% of the teachers at the school and at least 51% of the parents of students at the school have signed petitions requesting the conversion. If such conditions are met, the teachers and parents may appoint a committee to act as organizers for the school. The organizers must submit a proposal to the school corporation in which the existing school is located requesting conversion to a charter school.
4) Is a private school that becomes
a charter school considered a conversion school?
No. A private school that decides to become a charter school is considered a nonconversion, or newly created charter school. However, once a private school becomes a charter school, it is considered a public school, as are all charter schools. Charter schools, including private schools that become public charter schools, are required to follow all applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and guidelines.
5) How does a charter public school
differ from a traditional public school?
Charter public schools were created to provide innovative and creative educational choices for students and their parents. As such, they are exempt from many state and school district regulations and tend to have more autonomy than a traditional public school. In Indiana, an individual charter school is considered to be its own local educational agency (LEA), meaning it is treated as an autonomous entity that is independent from a school district. For some purposes, including funding purposes and other purposes specified in legislation, charter schools are treated as their own school corporations. Although charter public schools are exempt from some state and district regulations, they are held to high levels of accountability. In addition to meeting state and federal accountability requirements, charter schools must also meet the requirements set out in their charter and agreed to by their sponsor. A sponsor may revoke a school’s charter at any time if the school is not producing positive results or fulfilling its charter.
6) What state laws apply to charter schools?
Indiana charter schools are required to follow several Indiana laws, including but not limited to financial audits by the state board of accounts, student health and safety laws, compulsory school attendance laws, and accountability laws. For a complete list of the state laws that apply to charter schools, see Indiana Code 20-24-8-5.
7) What
state laws do not apply to charter schools?
Indiana charter schools are exempt from Indiana laws that are not specifically listed as applicable to charter schools. Charter schools are also exempt from rules or guidelines adopted by the Indiana state board of education, rules or guidelines adopted by the professional standards board, except for rules regarding gaining or renewing a teacher’s license, and regulations or policies adopted by a school corporation. For more information on exemptions provided to charter schools, see Indiana Code 20-24-8-4.
8) Do administrative rules passed by the Indiana State Board of Education apply to charter schools?
Generally, no, unless the Board specifies that an adopted rule applies to a charter school and the rule is adopted under a law that applies to charter schools.
9) How many charter schools does Indiana currently have?
Eleven charter schools opened in Indiana in 2002, the first year for charter schools in the state. Beginning in the 2008 school year, 49 charter schools will be open across the state of Indiana.
10) How
can I find out more about Indiana’s charter schools?
Those interested in finding out more information on Indiana’s charter schools are encouraged to visit the charter schools’ Web sites page. Anyone interested in finding out more about charter schools in a particular area of the state or an individual charter school is encouraged to contact the school. Contact information for Indiana’s charter schools is provided on the Department’s charter school page.
11) What is a charter?
A charter is defined by Indiana law as “a contract between an organizer and a sponsor for the establishment of a charter school.” The charter explains the goals of the charter school’s educational program and ways in which the goals will be assessed.
12) What
is included in a charter?
Indiana law mandates that a charter must be a written instrument that is executed by a sponsor and an organizer. The charter must confer certain rights, franchises, privileges, and obligations on a charter school. The charter must confirm the status of the charter school as a public school, and must provide for a review by the sponsor of the school’s performance, including progress toward achieving academic goals set forth in the charter.
13) What is the purpose of the charter?
The charter is designed to help the school’s sponsor (described in the next section) hold the school accountable for performance. The charter also describes the school’s educational program in detail and provides additional information required by law. Finally, the charter acts as the School Improvement Plan for the school for accreditation purposes.
SPONSORSHIP AND ORGANIZATION OF A CHARTER SCHOOL
14) Who can organize or start a charter school?
A charter school organizer can be any group or entity that operates under not-for-profit 501(c)(3) status.
15) Who can sponsor or authorize a
nonconversion charter school?
Indiana law allows a sponsor (sometimes also called an “authorizer”) to be either the board of a local educational agency (school corporation), a public university that offers a four-year baccalaureate degree program, or the Mayor’s office of a consolidated city. Currently, Indiana’s charter school sponsors include the Indianapolis Mayor’s office, Ball State University, Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation, and Lafayette School Corporation.
16) Are there limits on the number of charter schools a charter may sponsor?
No. Caps on the number of charter schools that may be sponsored by universities sunset in June 2005. There are no limits on the number of charter schools that may be sponsored by school corporations in Indiana.
17) Who can sponsor a conversion charter
school?
As stated in Indiana’s charter law, only the governing body (school board) of a school corporation in which a conversion charter school is located may act as the sponsor for that school.
18) What process does a charter school organizer have to
go through in order to start a charter school?
The process that an organizer must go through varies based on the sponsor with whom the organizer is working. Potential charter school organizers must be prepared to devote quite a bit of time to planning and researching before the actual chartering process can begin. An organizer should review the contents of Indiana’s charter law and should work to establish a clear mission statement and vision for what the charter school will accomplish. Organizers interested in starting a charter school are encouraged to visit the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office and Ball State University’s Office of Charter Schools provide information about their chartering processes and some sample applications from existing charter schools. Please note, however, that the processes described on the linked pages are specific to these two sponsors and may not be reflective of the processes of other existing or potential charter school sponsors.
19) May a charter school charge tuition?
No. Federal and state statutes prohibit a charter school from charging tuition. However, a charter school may charge tuition for a preschool program, unless barred under federal law, and a latchkey program, if these programs are offered.
20) Are charter schools open to anyone
living in Indiana who wants to attend?
Yes. State law mandates that a nonconversion charter school must be open to any student who resides in Indiana. A charter school may not establish admissions policies or limit student admissions in any manner in which a public school is not permitted to establish admissions policies or limit admissions.
For a conversion charter school ONLY (defined in Question 2), enrollment may be limited to those students who were enrolled in the school on the date of the conversion, and siblings of those students.
Charter schools are open only to children living in Indiana. By law, an Indiana charter school may not enroll a student from outside of Indiana (see Question 24).
21) What
happens if a charter school receives more applications for admission
than it has capacity for?
In a case in which a charter school receives applications for admission that exceed its capacity, the charter school must institute a lottery process in which each applicant is given an equal chance of admission. However, such a charter school may limit new admissions to ensure that a student who attends the charter school during a school year may continue to attend the school in subsequent years, and that siblings of such a student may attend the charter school.
22) May students with disabilities or students with limited English proficiency attend a charter school?
Yes. State law prohibits charter schools, as public schools, from discriminating based on disability, race, color, gender, national origin, or religion.
23) How do I enroll my child in a charter school?
Charter schools in Indiana differ greatly in educational purpose and educational goals. Therefore, parents should look carefully at each charter school’s mission and goals in order to find the school that is right for their children’s educational needs. Parents are encouraged to contact individual charter schools to request more information. The individual charter school can provide admissions information and the application process necessary for admission.
24) If my child lives outside of the school district
in which a charter school is located, can s/he still attend that charter
school?
Generally, yes. A student may attend a nonconversion charter school outside the district in which a student resides if a parent decides that the child would be better served educationally at the charter school. However, if the school corporation in which a student lives feels that such a transfer would not benefit the student academically, the school corporation may appeal to the state board.
A conversion charter school must be open to any student residing in the local school corporation. However, by joint agreement of the charter school and its sponsor, a conversion school may open enrollment to include students who live outside of the local school corporation.
25) Can
a student who lives outside of Indiana attend a charter school in Indiana?
No. Only students who are residents of Indiana may attend Indiana charter schools.
CHARTER SCHOOLS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
26) Do charter schools have to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under No Child Left Behind?
Yes. Like all public schools, charter schools must make AYP. A charter school’s sponsor is responsible for ensuring that the charter school meets AYP accountability requirements. For more information about AYP, visit http://doe.state.in.us/ayp/.
27) Do charter
school students have to take the ISTEP+ exam?
Yes. Indiana law states that charter school students must take the ISTEP+ exam. In addition, a charter school’s curriculum must meet Indiana’s academic standards.
28) Are
charter schools subject to No Child Left Behind’s
Title I accountability provisions?
Yes. As public schools, charter schools that receive Title I funds are subject to the accountability provisions described in No Child Left Behind.
29) Are charter schools placed in categories under Indiana’s Public Law 221 accountability plan?
Yes. Like traditional public schools, charter schools are assessed for ISTEP+ performance and improvement and are placed in categories for PL221. For more information about PL221, visit http://doe.state.in.us/pl221/.
30) Have any charter schools in the state been closed?
Yes. Two charter schools have been closed by their sponsor for accountability issues after being open to students. One school had their charter revoked prior to opening to students.
- Ball State University closed Urban Brightest Academy after serving students for the 2003-2004 academic year. The school was closed for a combination of financial, academic, and governance issues.
- The Indianapolis Mayor’s Office closed Flanner House Higher Learning charter school in the 2004-2005 academic year. The school was closed for a combination of financial, academic, governance, and enrollment issues.
- Ball State revoked the charter of the Indiana Math and Science Academy at Gary prior to the school opening and serving students.
31) In what other ways are charter schools held accountable
for student performance?
In addition to assessing students based on state standardized assessment scores, charter schools must develop a school improvement plan (which may be their charter) and are assessed for improvement each year. Charter schools, as public schools, are placed in school improvement and performance categories based on assessment results. Besides state accountability requirements, charter schools are held to high standards of accountability by their sponsors. Sponsors collect annual performance data from charter schools, and a school may have its charter revoked if the sponsor finds that the charter school is not meeting the goals set out in the charter.
32) How are charter schools funded?
Charter schools may receive funding from federal grant programs, state tuition support, and private foundation funding. Federal funding may come from several sources, including discretionary and non-discretionary grants. Charter schools are funded by the state in the same way that traditional public schools are funded, which comes primarily in the form of state formula aid. Charter schools are also eligible for start-up and growth loans (which must be repaid) under the state’s charter school advancement account loan. In addition, Indiana offers some funding, for which charter schools may be eligible, for programs that target special populations and educational programs.
33) How does a charter school organizer apply for federal grant funds under the federal Public Charter Schools Program?
A charter school organizer may apply to the Indiana Department of Education for grant funds under the federal Public Charter Schools Program (PCSP) as soon as a charter is approved. Applications from organizers who do NOT have an approved charter cannot be accepted. Federal grant funds may be used to help with start-up costs, including post-award planning, program design, and the initial implementation of the charter school’s program. More information about the federal Public Charter Schools Program can be found in the PCSP frequently asked questions section of the Department’s charter schools Website.
34) Do charter school teachers have to be licensed?
Yes. Indiana law requires that any teacher in a charter school must hold a license to teach in a public school in Indiana. However, a charter school may also employ a teacher who is in the process of obtaining a license under the state’s transition to teaching program. Such a teacher must complete the transition to teaching program no more than three years after beginning to teach at a charter school.
35) Can
charter school teachers participate in the state teachers’ retirement
fund?
Yes. A charter school may participate in the state teachers’ retirement fund, the public employees’ retirement fund, or another employee pension or retirement fund.
36) How do I become a teacher in a charter school?
Teachers interested in working in a charter school should contact the individual charter school in order to ask about possible employment opportunities. In Indiana neither traditional schools or corporations nor charter schools are required to inform the Department of Education about job openings. Schools may voluntarily place job openings on the Department’s Professional Education Employee Referral (P.E.E.R.) page located at http://doe.state.in.us/peer/welcome.html.
