The Office of the Legislative Auditor issued report today (June 30) on
charter schools finding that while charter school students scored lower
on academic tests compared to public school students, once demographic
factors are weighed the test score difference is minimal.
by T.W. Budig
ECM Capitol reporter
The Office of the Legislative Auditor issued report today (June 30) on charter schools finding that while charter school students scored lower on academic tests compared to public school students, once demographic factors are weighed the test score difference is minimal.
Fifteen percent of charter schools performed better on the MCA-II test than public schools with similar demographics, the report notes.
About 24,000 Minnesota students attend charter schools - about three percent of the K-12 population.
Minnesota was the first state to enact charter school law, the 1991 legislation exempting charter schools from some laws applied to the public schools but requiring charter schools to meet education standards and achieve adequate yearly progress under No Child Left Behind, the report notes.
Among some of the findings of the auditor's report is that oversight of charter schools is unclear and complex - schools vary in the amount of oversight they provide and in their abilities to provide it, the report notes.
Expectations not clear
Additionally the expectations for charter school sponsors isn't clear, the auditor notes.
The auditor's report recommends lawmakers clarify the roles of the Minnesota Department of Education and charter school sponsors in regard to oversight - the department should establish standards for charter school sponsors and provide them with training, it recommends.
The report recommends all new charter board members should attend financial management training and that lawmakers expand conflict of interest laws regarding charter school boards as to match federal law.
The report also recommends lawmakers change state law requiring that teachers must constitute a majority of charter school board members, among other recommendations.
Sen. Chuck Wiger, chair of the Senate's Education Policy Committee, appreciated the recommendations.
"I think these are appropriate and necessary changes," Wiger said in a press release. "I plan to address some of them in legislation during the 2009 session," he said.
ECM Capitol reporter
The Office of the Legislative Auditor issued report today (June 30) on charter schools finding that while charter school students scored lower on academic tests compared to public school students, once demographic factors are weighed the test score difference is minimal.
Fifteen percent of charter schools performed better on the MCA-II test than public schools with similar demographics, the report notes.
About 24,000 Minnesota students attend charter schools - about three percent of the K-12 population.
Minnesota was the first state to enact charter school law, the 1991 legislation exempting charter schools from some laws applied to the public schools but requiring charter schools to meet education standards and achieve adequate yearly progress under No Child Left Behind, the report notes.
Among some of the findings of the auditor's report is that oversight of charter schools is unclear and complex - schools vary in the amount of oversight they provide and in their abilities to provide it, the report notes.
Expectations not clear
Additionally the expectations for charter school sponsors isn't clear, the auditor notes.
The auditor's report recommends lawmakers clarify the roles of the Minnesota Department of Education and charter school sponsors in regard to oversight - the department should establish standards for charter school sponsors and provide them with training, it recommends.
The report recommends all new charter board members should attend financial management training and that lawmakers expand conflict of interest laws regarding charter school boards as to match federal law.
The report also recommends lawmakers change state law requiring that teachers must constitute a majority of charter school board members, among other recommendations.
Sen. Chuck Wiger, chair of the Senate's Education Policy Committee, appreciated the recommendations.
"I think these are appropriate and necessary changes," Wiger said in a press release. "I plan to address some of them in legislation during the 2009 session," he said.
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