Charter Renewal
Charter renewal is one of the most important responsibilities of a charter school authorizer. In accordance with Indiana Code 20-24-4-1, Education One has established a fair, transparent, and timely decision-making process for charter renewal. Through this process, Education One evaluates whether a school has fulfilled the commitments outlined in its Charter Agreement and demonstrated the academic, financial, and organizational capacity necessary to continue serving students.
To be eligible for renewal, a school must demonstrate that it has substantially met the performance expectations established in its Charter Agreement, including evidence of academic success, financial sustainability, organizational effectiveness, and legal compliance. Schools that have identified areas of concern must demonstrate both a credible plan and the capacity to achieve continued improvement.
Renewal decisions are based on a comprehensive review of evidence collected throughout the charter term, including annual performance reviews, monitoring and oversight activities, stakeholder feedback, compliance records, the Renewal Application, and an independent external review. This process ensures that renewal decisions are objective, evidence-based, and centered on the best interests of students and families.
The renewal process typically begins during the spring preceding a school's final year of its charter term. It culminates with a renewal decision by the Education One Board of Directors no later than December 31 of the renewal year.
The renewal process begins during the spring preceding a school's final year of its charter term. During this phase, Education One works with school leadership and the governing board to review renewal requirements, establish timelines, and confirm key milestones throughout the process.
Schools seeking renewal must submit a formal letter of intent to renew and provide documentation demonstrating that the governing board has voted to pursue charter renewal. Education One then conducts an initial renewal overview meeting to review the renewal process, expectations, required documentation, stakeholder engagement activities, and the timeline leading to the Board's renewal decision.
The Renewal Application serves as a comprehensive self-study of the school's performance throughout the charter term. Using evidence from Annual Reviews, Accountability Plan Performance Framework (APPF) results, monitoring and oversight activities, compliance records, and other performance data, the school reflects on its academic, financial, organizational, and school climate outcomes.
For each performance indicator, the application requires schools to review historical performance, analyze trends, and explain the evidence supporting their ratings. Schools must also identify areas of strength, acknowledge areas of concern, and demonstrate their capacity for continuous improvement.
Any measure that received a rating of Approaching Standard or Does Not Meet Standard during the charter term requires the submission of an Action Plan. These plans include a root cause analysis, improvement strategies, implementation responsibilities, and anticipated timelines for achieving the performance expectations outlined in the Charter Agreement.
The Renewal Application provides Education One, the External Review Team, and the Education One Board of Directors with a comprehensive understanding of the school's performance, improvement efforts, and capacity for an additional charter term.
An External Review Team (ERT) composed of experienced educators, school leaders, governance experts, and other professionals conducts an independent evaluation of the school as part of the renewal process. The review team examines evidence from the Renewal Application, Annual Reviews, Accountability Plan Performance Framework (APPF) results, stakeholder feedback, and other performance data collected throughout the charter term.
As part of the review, team members participate in an on-site visit that includes classroom observations, interviews with school leadership, governing board members, and staff, and a review of the school's programs, operations, and organizational effectiveness. The External Review is designed to provide an objective assessment of the school's strengths, challenges, and capacity to fulfill the commitments outlined in its Charter Agreement.
Findings from the External Review are shared with Education One and become an important component of the overall renewal evaluation and recommendation process.
Following the External Review and review of all available evidence, Education One conducts a comprehensive analysis of the school's academic, financial, organizational, and compliance performance. The Executive Director develops a renewal recommendation based on the totality of evidence gathered throughout the charter term.
The Education One Board of Directors reviews the renewal recommendation and supporting evidence during a public meeting. After discussion and consideration of the school's performance, the Board votes to renew or non-renew the Charter Agreement.
If the Education One Board of Directors votes to renew a school's charter, the school will receive written notification of the Board's decision following the public meeting. Education One will then work with the school's governing board to finalize and execute a new Charter Agreement for the upcoming charter term.
The renewed Charter Agreement will reflect the school's approved charter term, current application materials, Accountability Plan Performance Framework, applicable exhibits, and any conditions or expectations identified through the renewal process. Once executed, the renewed Charter Agreement becomes the governing document for the next charter term and serves as the foundation for ongoing monitoring, oversight, and accountability.