Making the Most of the Relationship with your Charter School Back Office Partner | Part 3 of 3

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August 18, 2023

You’ve worked hard to choose the right charter school back office services partner, now it’s time to make the relationship flourish! A good relationship is built on a foundation of mutual understanding of expectations, roles, and responsibilities. Read on for a few best practices and tips for a smooth working relationship.

Clarify Responsibilities

Understanding what your charter school back office partner will provide for your school is critical. Once a school leader and board understand what is covered, they can fill any remaining gaps with additional staff or staff allocations to particular tasks. This understanding aids in the efficient completion of back office tasks and avoids costly mistakes that can be time consuming to fix.

Communication is Key

Address any communication and information transfer issues with internal staff and the back office partner quickly so efficient business routines are established from the outset of the relationship.

Quality Checks Start on Day One

Address response time and service level issues early so they do not become a problem. Gently, but firmly, keep the provider accountable for what is included in the contract to ensure that your needs and expectations are being met. Just as you do not settle for substandard work in the classroom, do not settle for it from your back office partner. And remember: excellence in the classroom can either be furthered or inhibited by the quality of your back office operations.

Delegate Internally

Assign a point person who is responsible for communicating with your back office partner for each function (e.g., accounts payable, payroll, etc.) Additionally, assign a person or team of people (e.g., school leader and board member) to oversee the work and make sure it all ties together. For example, a board member who is comfortable with financial statements should review the financial reports of the service provider and communicate questions and/or concerns.

Take the Time to Understand Your Financial Situation

Schedule time each month to review the financials in detail to understand your school’s current financial position, review budget variances, and discuss what assumptions are informing the forecast updates Even with a back office partner, charter school leaders will always need to be involved in critical decisions to ensure the financial stability of their school, and the board has fiduciary responsibility for the school.

Seek Guidance

Don’t hesitate to call upon the charter school back office support company for support. That’s what they’re there for; they’re your partner!

As a school leader, you put tremendous time, energy, and effort into ensuring that your students have the best teachers and the necessary resources to reach their potential. To ensure that your charter school, both as a business and learning center, reaches its highest potential, you need access to the finest support and resources.

If you’re interested in learning more about EdTec’s back office services and how we can support your school’s success, fill out the form below!  

charter school back office questions

Critical Questions to Ask When Choosing a Back Office Partner | Part 2 of 3

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August 7, 2023

This is the second post of a three-part series on the stages of partnering with a back office support company for charter schools. The first part of the series explored the benefits of using a high-quality back office support company. 

Once your charter school has decided to work with a back office support company, the school’s leadership and board will need to determine which one is the best fit. A back office support company should be more than simply a vendor; it should be a strategic partner that has as much invested in the success of the school as the staff and board! While the handling of tasks and transactions will free up more time for you to focus on the school’s academic program, a true partner will help to align your budget and operations in support of that academic program.  

With so much at stake, it’s important to ask the right questions to ensure that your school makes an informed decision. The following questions will help you determine where your school needs support, understand the services included in the back office bundle, assess the company’s flexibility in adjusting to your needs over time, and evaluate their service delivery staffing model and overall experience.  

Where do we need help?

The foundation for any successful relationship is knowing what you bring to the partnership and what you need from your partner, so it is crucial that the school staff and board do their research and carefully choose a provider that matches those needs. Identify the gaps in skills and knowledge of your staff and board. Do you already have a well-staffed business office and need a bookkeeper to provide transactional support, or are you looking for CFO-level guidance to help you plan for financial stability? Do you need support finding and financing a facility? Are there certain back-office functions that you want to keep in house?

What specifically is included in the service bundle?

Understand what is offered and what is not. Seek detailed clarification on pricing, depth, and frequency of services. For example, how often are cash flow and budget forecasts updated? Does the company provide audit support? What tools are made available to the school for on-demand visibility to its financial data? Will company representatives attend your board meetings to present updates and answer questions? Then determine if those services and tools match the expectations and needs of the school staff and board.

Can the service flexibility adjust to my needs over time?

Ask if the provider will tailor services to your needs or if it’s a one-size-fits-all approach. What defined service level options are available? Further, as your school evolves and your needs change over time, will the provider adjust its scope to meet your requirements?

What is the service delivery staffing model?

Find out if the provider has specialized staff with deep expertise in each functional area or if a single individual is attempting to wear multiple hats. Ask how many schools are assigned to your primary support resource and find out each company’s staff to client ratio. Additionally, clarify if you will have direct access to transactional support teams to troubleshoot issues as they arise.

What will the service delivery experience be like?

While the back-office services described by different companies may appear to be similar on paper, there can be tangible differences related to service delivery approach, support levels, and communication. Your best course is to spend the necessary time speaking with current clients of each provider to hear firsthand about their experiences. You might ask about responsiveness to requests, turnaround time, accuracy in reporting and projections, knowledge of compliance requirements, and proactivity in planning for the future. Additionally, don’t be satisfied with a few reference schools that have been selected for you by the provider; ask providers for a complete list of their back-office clients so that you can choose which schools to contact when performing reference checks.

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Choosing a back office support company for your charter school is a critical decision that can have a significant impact on the school’s financial and operational success. At EdTec, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities facing charter schools, and we’re committed to providing comprehensive, flexible, and responsive back office services that meet the specific needs of each school we work with. 

If you’re interested in learning more about EdTec’s back office services and how we can support your school’s success, fill out the form below!  

 

Charter School Back Office Questions to Ask

From Compliance to Cost Savings: How a Back Office Support Company Can Benefit Your Charter School | Part 1 of 3

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July 31, 2023

As a charter school leader, running a successful school while fulfilling your school’s mission is your primary focus. However, you are also tasked with managing the business side of things, and smooth back office operations are critical to the success of every charter school. Keeping up with the administrative, business, and operations tasks with so much on your plate can be challenging. This is where a back office support company can help! Back office support companies provide a wide range of services to charter schools so that school leaders can focus their attention on where it matters most – fulfilling the vision of their charter.

The scope of back office services for charter schools varies, and may include accounting, budgeting, financial reporting and analysis, accounts payable and receivable, audit support, facilities, payroll, and human resources.  In this blog post, the first of a three-part series, we’ll explore five benefits of using a high-quality back office support company.

Focus on Providing Quality Education

Charter schools have an important mission to provide access to a high-quality public education. However, unlike traditional public schools, charters do not have a district central office to handle business functions. In turn, charter school leaders are responsible for both overseeing school operations and meeting the needs of students. By hiring a back office support company, charter school leaders can outsource the daily management of tasks such as payroll, budgeting, compliance, and financial reporting, freeing up more time to focus on educational outcomes. While charter school leaders will always need to be involved in critical decisions to ensure the financial stability of their school, a partnership with a back office support company allows them to do this together with experts.  

Cost Savings and Stability

Cost savings and stability are significant additional benefits of using a back office support company. By partnering with a third-party provider rather than hiring and managing a full-time business office staff, charter school leaders can leverage economies of scale that allow back office companies to provide services at a lower cost. This cost savings in administrative support frees up more dollars for the classroom, to invest in areas such as teacher salaries, facilities, educational materials, and equipment. Further, a back office company with scale provides critical stability to your school’s business operations by providing uninterrupted services and support. The outsourced back office model can insulate your school from the disruptions and related costs that would otherwise arise from school business office staff turnover, vacations, sick days, or medical leave in the purely internal staffing model. Although back office support companies are not immune to those staffing challenges, providers with scale have sufficient staffing capacity across functions and the structure to absorb and manage those disruptions, including the recruiting, hiring, and training of new staff, all while continuing to deliver uninterrupted service to their school clients. 

Expertise and Best Practices

Back office companies offer charter schools the expertise and experience to handle business tasks effectively and efficiently. Back office companies that specialize in supporting charter schools stay up to date on the latest sector best practices, funding sources, and related compliance requirements, to ensure that your school is running smoothly, maximizing available funding, and in compliance with local, state, and federal requirements. Additionally, a high-quality back office support company can provide insightful financial analysis and scenario modeling for proactive, strategic decision making. This specialized level of charter school expertise is especially valuable for start-up charter schools. 

Scalability

Charter schools may experience rapid growth or fluctuating enrollment due to various external factors, making it challenging to manage operations effectively. However, some back office support companies offer scalable solutions meaning they can adjust their services to meet the current needs of your school, whether you’re experiencing growth or a downturn in enrollment. As a result, back office support companies offer the opportunity for charter schools to remain nimble and adapt to changing circumstances without sacrificing administrative support. 

Increased Transparency and Accountability

Charter schools are accountable to stakeholders and must meet high compliance standards and fiscal transparency. A back office support company can increase transparency and accountability in your school’s financial operations. As a third-party provider, a back office support company provides an objective view of your school’s financials, identifying areas where cost savings can be achieved or financial controls need to be strengthened. This level of oversight can help charter schools build trust with stakeholders, including parents, donors, and authorizers.  

 

In conclusion, there are many benefits to hiring a back office support company for your charter school. By delegating certain tasks to a back office provider, charter school leaders can reduce costs, benefit from expertise and best practices, scale appropriately, increase transparency and accountability – and, most importantly, have more time to focus on providing a high-quality education! 

If you’re considering a back office support company for your charter school, take time to research providers thoroughly and choose one that aligns with your school’s needs and values. If you want to learn more about EdTec’s back office services, contact us today! 

 

Every Student Succeeds Act

What California Charter Leaders Need to Know About Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Assistance

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By Annice Weinstein, Senior Manager, Assessment Data & Analysis

February 18, 2020

The California Department of Education (CDE) just released the list of schools that qualify for Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) assistance based on the 2019 CA School Dashboard. All schools in California qualify for either General Assistance, Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), or Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI). General Assistance is the standard assistance that every school receives, so we’ll focus on CSI and ATSI.

So, how does a school get identified for CSI?

California uses the CA School Dashboard to determine eligibility for CSI based on two categories of schools. The criteria for CSI are based on the performance of “All Students.” The categories are:

  1. Schools with a low graduation rate: High schools with a four- and five-year graduation rate of less than 68% averaged over two years; applies to high schools regardless of whether they receive Title I funds.
  2. Lowest-performing Title I schools (based on 2019 CA School Dashboard and Title I funds for the 2018-19 school year):
    • School with all red indicators
    • Schools with all red but one indicator of another color
    • Schools with all red and orange indicators
    • Schools with five or more indicators where the majority are red
    • Note: For 2019, an English Language Progress Indicator (ELPI) Status level of “Very Low” will be used as a proxy for “Red” in CSI criteria.

Schools can only be eligible for CSI in one of the two categories for a single school year. The criteria apply to Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS) schools as well. Schools will be evaluated annually to determine continued eligibility for CSI or exit.

What is required of a school identified for CSI?

Schools that meet the criteria for CSI are required to develop and approve a plan for the school to improve student outcomes. That plan must be based on a needs assessment, include evidence-based interventions, and address any resource inequities through the implementation of the plan.

If your school is identified for CSI, you are eligible to receive additional funding to support the implementation of school plans. Eligible schools should log into the Grant Management and Reporting Tool (GMART) to submit their applications before 4 pm on February 28, 2020. The application timeline is short, so make sure you don’t miss out on this extra funding.

CSI charter schools also have additional reporting requirements for the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). CSI charter schools must complete CSI prompts #2 and #3 in the LCAP Plan Summary that describe the programs and supports implemented, as well as the process for monitoring program effectiveness. These schools will also detail how the CSI funds were used to implement related actions in the LCAP. CSI charters may utilize the LCAP to meet the School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) requirement, provided they include evidence-based interventions in the “Actions” and the “Increased and Improved Services” sections of the LCAP.

How does a school get identified for ATSI?

The criteria for ATSI is based on the performance of student groups. Even if your indicators for “All Students” look good on the Dashboard, you can still qualify for ATSI based on your student group performance.

Schools that are not eligible for CSI can qualify for ATSI if they have one or more student group(s) that for two consecutive years (example: 2018 AND 2019), meet(s) the criteria listed above for “CSI-Lowest performing schools.”

The same student group would have to meet the criteria in both years, although the group may meet the criteria based on different color combinations in each of the two years. The school does not need to receive Title I funds to be eligible for ATSI. Schools identified for ATSI do not receive any additional federal funds for support.

How do I know if my school was identified for CSI or ATSI?

To see if your charter was identified for CSI or ATSI this year, click here. The list only shows charter schools identified for CSI or ATSI. If your school isn’t on the list, it only qualifies for General Assistance.

CA Testing Participation Rates

What California Charter Leaders Need to Know About Testing Participation Rates

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By Annice Weinstein, Senior Manager, Assessment Data & Analysis

January 15, 2020

EdTec’s data specialists put together a tool that makes it easy for any school to check their 2019 participation rates. Click here to review your 2019 participation rates for ELA and math, schoolwide and for each student group.

In Spring 2020, the testing participation rate will matter more than ever for the Dashboard. Check out our recent blog post to learn why.

So, who counts towards the participation rate calculation?

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires all California schools (including charters and Dashboard Alternative School Status, or DASS, schools) to test at least 95 percent of all students and student groups in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics, and to factor the participation rate into California’s accountability system, the CA School Dashboard. The calculation includes students tested on Smarter Balanced (SBAC) Summative Assessments as well as the CA Alternate Assessments (CAAs) in ELA and mathematics. Students must take both the computer adaptive test (CAT) and performance task (PT) sections to count as participating. The rates are calculated separately for each subject area. The CA Science Test (CAST) is not currently included on the Dashboard, but participation rate will be calculated for the CAST as well.

All schools that serve students in grades three through eight and eleven are responsible for meeting the 95 percent participation rate, both schoolwide and for all student groups with at least 11 students. Even though only groups with 30 or more students receive a color designation on the Dashboard, groups with at least 11 continuously enrolled students will have Status data reported on the Dashboard, and the participation rate will impact the Distance from Standard (DFS) for those groups.

How is the participation rate calculated?

Although the DFS for the Dashboard is calculated based on students continuously enrolled since census day, the participation rate is based on the number of students enrolled during the testing window. The participation rate penalty is applied after the initial DFS average is calculated.

The following students are removed from the participation rate:

  • Medical emergency: Students absent from testing due to a significant medical emergency and flagged with a medical emergency condition code on the CAASPP file
  • English learners new to the country (enrolled after April 15 of the prior school year) are exempt from the ELA portion only. They are still required to take the Math assessment.

Parent waivers DO NOT EXEMPT students from the participation rate.

 

Formula for Participation Rate*

Total number of students tested (SBAC and CAAs)

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­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Total number of students enrolled during testing window

*The CDE uses whole number rounding (example: 94.1% rounds up to 95%)

 

The testing window begins when the first student at the school logs on to take either the CAT or PT of the SBAC in ELA or math or the CAA. The end of the testing window

Make sure to test any students who transfer in during the testing window, although you’re not responsible for testing students who transfer in during the last 14 days of the testing window. You’re also responsible for testing any students who transfer out during the testing window provided they don’t transfer out during the first 14 days of the testing window.

To monitor your testing progress in TOMS, have an LEA-level user generate the Test Completion Rate Report. You can export the report to Excel to total the “Total Student Completed” column across grade levels for each subject area. Separately, based on your enrollment in CALPADS, calculate the total students needed to test at your school in order to reach a 94.1% participation rate. Check that the total from the Test Completion Rate report is above your estimated total. Note: The “Total Student” column in the report includes students with medical exemptions but not students with parent waivers, so that total and the “Percent Completed” column can be misleading in relation to the participation rate.

Where can I check my school’s 2019 participation rates?

EdTec’s data specialists put together a tool that makes it easy for any school to check their 2019 participation rates. Click here to review your 2019 participation rates for ELA and math, schoolwide and for each student group. Take note of any student groups that had a participation rate below 95%. And begin communicating the importance of meeting the 95% participation rate with your students and families now to ensure a successful round of testing in Spring 2020!

Understand the Role of the California School Dashboard in New Renewal Criteria

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By Annice Weinstein, Senior Manager, Assessment Data & Analysis

December 18, 2019

If you have questions about your Dashboard or would like to know what renewal track your school qualifies for based on 2018 and 2019 Dashboard data, contact EdTec’s data specialists.

 

California’s 2019 School Dashboard was just released in mid-December 2019. The 2019 Dashboard reflects your school’s performance during the 2018-19 school year and performance improvement from 2017-18 to 2018-19. The Dashboard indicators will be central to charter renewal criteria starting July 1, 2020, when AB 1505 legislation goes into effect, so take time now to review your indicators closely, both schoolwide and for your student groups. The new renewal criteria will apply to Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS) schools as well.

The new charter renewal criteria splits schools into three groups based on their Dashboard performance:

High

High-performing schools can expect a streamlined renewal for a term of five to seven years. Schools that receive all blue and green indicators in the most recent two years (2018 and 2019 Dashboards) qualify, as well as schools that meet the following criteria for closing the achievement gap:

“For all measurements of academic performance, the charter school has received performance levels schoolwide that are the same or higher than the state average and, for a majority of subgroups performing statewide below the state average in each respective year, received performance levels that are higher than the state average.”

The secondary criteria indicates schools must perform equal to or better than the state indicators schoolwide for ELA, math, English learner progress (ELPI), and college and career (CCI), and the majority of the school’s disadvantaged student groups must also perform better than the state indicators for those student groups.

When the state average performance increases, the criteria become more challenging to meet. Statewide indicators improved either schoolwide or for student groups in math, ELA, and the CCI from 2018 to 2019. Whereas 8.2% of charters would have qualified for the high track in 2018, only 4.3% qualify in 2019.

Determinations are based on Dashboard performance over the last two years. Schools identified for differentiated assistance cannot qualify for the high-performing track.

Low

Low-performing schools can expect non-renewal or at best, a two-year renewal. These schools have all red or orange indicators on the dashboard for the past two years, or meet the following criteria:

“For all measurements of academic performance, the charter school has received performance levels schoolwide that are the same or lower than the state average and, for a majority of subgroups performing statewide below the state average in each respective year, received performance levels that are lower than the state average.”

The secondary criteria reflect the opposite of the high group – a majority of a school’s student groups are performing below the state’s student group performance on the academic indicators.

A “second look” consideration will be given to schools in the low category to consider alternative measures of achievement growth and post-secondary success, but the that process will only be available through 2026. The “second look” process will take into account evidence-based “verified data”[i] that the school is producing measurable increases in academic achievement equivalent to one year’s progress for each year the student is in school.

Middle

The remainder of charters will fall into the middle category, and they can expect a five-year renewal if approved. This will encompass 80-90% of charter schools. The “second look” process also applies to these schools if the Dashboard indicators are not a good reflection of the school’s achievements. This process will likely benefit schools with high rates of school mobility or with many students who enter far below grade level, small schools with few Dashboard indicators, and high schools achieving post-secondary success not represented in the college and career indicator.

As you review your school’s Dashboard indicators, take note of the two elements that make up the indicator: your status for 2018-19 and the change from 2017-18 to 2018-19. Even relatively small changes from one year to the next can cause your indicator color to fluctuate. Also make sure to click “View More Details” to review the performance of each of your significant student groups.

 

CA School Dashboard

 

If you have questions about your Dashboard or would like to know what renewal track your school qualifies for based on 2018 and 2019 Dashboard data, contact EdTec’s data specialists

[i] “Verified Data” criteria will be released by the state in January 2021

CA Dashboard Participation Rate

California Charters, SBAC Participation Rate Matters More Now Than Ever!

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By Jennifer Reyes, Educational Support Services Manager

December 10, 2019

Starting with the 2020 CA School Dashboard, there will be a greater penalty to the Academic Indicators if a school’s participation rate falls below 95% on Math or ELA for the SBAC or CAA. The change will result in a greater decrease in Distance from Standard than the methodology used in the 2018 and 2019 Dashboards for schools that did not meet the participation rate threshold.  The Academic Indicators in the 2020 Dashboard will be calculated based on 19-20 CAASPP results.  That means schools have the opportunity NOW to plan for 95% or higher participation rates in Spring 2020 to avoid the new larger penalty.

Why the change?

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to test at least 95% of all students and student groups in ELA and mathematics.  California introduced a methodology for factoring participation rate into scores in 2018.  This methodology will be applied once more in the 2019 Dashboard release (with test results from 2018-19).  The federal Education Department reviewed the California Department of Education (CDE)’s methodology and determined that it does not meet ESSA requirements.

What is the current methodology?

For the 2018 and 2019 CA Dashboard data, CDE calculates the number of percentage points that the school, LEA, or student group falls short of the 95% participation target.  For each of these percentage points, they reduce the Distance from Standard (DFS) by 0.25 points.

What is the new methodology?

Instead of a 0.25 point penalty for each percentage point below 95%, the CDE will assign the Lowest Obtainable Score (LOSS) for each student needed to bring the school, district, or student group to a 95% participation rate.  Under the new methodology, the calculation will add the number of students needed to reach a 95% participation rate into the DFS calculations, and these students will be assigned a predetermined LOSS score.  The LOSS in Level 1 varies by subject and grade level.  The calculation will assign the LOSS among the school’s tested grade levels that penalizes the school the least.

Are there any exceptions to the participation rate requirement?

Students flagged with the “Medical Emergency” condition code will be automatically removed from the participation rate calculation unless they log onto both parts of the test.  English learners new to the country (enrolled in a U.S. school for less than one year) are exempt from taking the ELA portion of the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments.  It’s important to note that parent waivers do not exempt students form the participation rate calculations. Also note that the same LOSS will be applied to students who do not take the California Alternative Assessments as for those taking the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments.

What can I do to ensure 95% participation?

Awareness, advance planning, and strong systems can all be leveraged to ensure a strong participation rate.  Educate staff, parents, and students about the way in which your school performance is tracked and publicized on the CA School Dashboard.  When stakeholders mobilize around school goals, everyone is invested in having their school represented in the best possible light.  When planning the window and logistics of the testing, it’s important to solicit staff, parent, and student input to avoid unanticipated barriers to participation and optimize the testing schedule for everyone.  Be sure to include a cushion of time for make-up testing for absent students. Finally, set up systems for reminding everyone of their role in successful testing, and closely monitor participation rates while still within your window and respond accordingly until you hit or surpass 95%.

Is your school ready to hit 95% participation on SBAC/CAA Math and ELA? Let us know how you plan to prepare in the comments section below!

My School Had an Emergency Closure. Do I Need to File a J-13A Emergency Waiver?

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By the EdTec Data Team

October 16, 2019

Between power outages, wildfires, and other natural disasters, there are many events that may result in unexpected school closures. Read on to learn if you need to complete a J-13A emergency waiver, and the steps you should take to make sure you’re in compliance with the State of California’s requirements.

If my school experiences an unexpected closure, what should I do?

Before completing a J-13A emergency waiver, there are a few things to consider. First, find out if the length of the closure ends up putting your school below the state’s annual instructional minutes and days requirement. You’ll also want to look at your charter petition to see if you have instructional minutes or days requirements beyond what the state mandates. If your instructional time doesn’t fall below either requirement, you can relax – you don’t need to complete a J-13A waiver.

However, what if the closure puts you below the requirements? Again, don’t panic – you have options! Your first option is to add days to your calendar and/or minutes to your bell schedule later in the year to recover the lost days/minutes resulting from the closure. If you go this route, you do not need to complete a waiver, although it is highly recommended that you get these calendar and bell schedule changes approved by your board. But if you prefer to keep your calendar and bell schedule as is, your second option is to complete a J-13A waiver. Simply completing the waiver isn’t enough; it must be signed by a majority of your board, and approved by your authorizer, the county, and the California Department of Education (CDE). Only after your waiver makes it through this multi-level approval process will the state allow your school to be below the instructional time requirements without penalty.

The J13-A waiver also has a material decrease option. But what does this option really mean? The material decrease option applies to schools that stay open during an emergency. If the event has an adverse impact on the school’s attendance, a school can use the material decrease option to substitute its attendance for the affected days with the school’s average daily attendance (ADA). This option is a bit unpredictable and may not actually be as beneficial as just removing the lost days and/or replacing them. This option is unpredictable because we don’t know exactly what you will get as your final replacement ADA until the CDE approves the waiver and then does calculations based on your attendance data. This is one of the reasons why the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) recommends not filing the waiver unless you know you’re below the instructional minutes and days requirement.

If the emergency occurred before P-1, do I need to file the waiver before submitting my school’s P-1?

Not necessarily, but you should confirm your attendance data accurately reflects any changes caused by the unexpected closure before submitting your P-1 to ensure your ADA is correct.

It is important your school decides as soon as possible whether it wants to file the waiver or add more days to your schedule since you obviously can’t make additions to the calendar or schedule after the year is over. Although schools report days of instruction with the P-Annual at the end of the year and auditors verify instructional time requirements around the same time, it is best to file a waiver before P-2 so you know what your P-2 ADA will be without having to wait for an adjustment. Waivers filed after P-2 will lead to any ADA funding revisions processed as prior year adjustments and won’t be reflected until P-1 of the following year. Also keep in mind that CDE approval can take months, depending how many waivers are submitted.

Now that we’ve discussed the waiver, are there any other things to keep in mind?

Yes, don’t forget your Student Information System (SIS)! Each SIS is different but there should be a way to change days from school days to non-school days. Make sure to update your SIS to reflect any closure days and, if applicable, add any replacement days. You need to do this even if you do not file a J-13A waiver. If you’re still uncertain of what the process is like in your SIS, reach out to your EdTec data contact or your SIS support line.

In addition to updating your SIS, you’ll also need to update your school calendar showing closure days as non-school days. Any other changes such as days added as replacement should also be included in your school calendar update. It is also helpful to recalculate your instructional days/minutes, so you have an updated calculation available.

If you have additional questions about the J-13A waiver, don’t hesitate to reach out to your EdTec data contact. You can also find additional guidance from CDE’s J-13A website at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/pa/formj13afaq.asp.

Local Indicators

Everything A California Charter School Leader Needs to Know About Local Indicators!

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By Jennifer Reyes, Educational Support Services Manager

October 1, 2019

What are the Local Indicators?

The Local Indicators are indicators based on the Eight State Priorities included in a Local Education Agency’s (LEA’s) Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP).  Unlike the state measures that are automatically calculated by state-captured data, the Local Indicators are calculated with data collected by each LEA.  After collecting the data, the school uses the California Department of Education (CDE) self-reflection tools to measure progress, and then reports the findings to its board and finally, to the public via the California School Dashboard.

The Due Date is Fast Approaching!

The due date for the Local Indicators to be uploaded to the California School Dashboard is November 1, 2019.  This is a couple of weeks earlier than last year, so be sure to set aside enough time for the self-reflection and board approval.

It may seem strange to have a reporting requirement that is out-of-sync with the cycle of the LCAP Annual Update.  But the CDE envisions that LEAs will do the work for Local Indicators as part of their annual LCAP reflection and updates.  It is just the reporting for Local Indicators that comes later in Fall, as it is aligned to the annual release of the California School Dashboard.  So, there is flexibility as to when in the year your school conducts the Local Indicators self-reflection, as long as you obtain board approval and upload to the California School Dashboard by the deadline.

Revision Alert: Revised Tool for Priority 3 -Family Engagement

Note the revised self-reflection tool in 2019 for Priority 3:  Family Engagement. This indicator was formerly called Parent Involvement and was revised this past year, after Assembly Bill (AB)2878 expanded the description of Parent Involvement to include family engagement.  AB2878 retained the requirement to address the following in the LCAP:

  • Seek parent input in making decisions for the school district and each individual school site
  • Promote parental participation in programs for unduplicated pupils and individuals with exceptional needs

It added the following:

Family engagement may include, but need not be limited to:

  • Efforts by the school district and each individual school site to apply research-based practices, such as welcoming all families into the school community, engaging in effective two-way communication, supporting pupil success, and empowering families to advocate for equity and access
  • Families as partners to inform, influence, and create practices and programs that support pupil success and collaboration with families and the broader community, expand pupil learning opportunities and community services, and promote civic participation.

CDE convened a workgroup for the project and ultimately composed a revised self-reflection tool to encompass the former and new components.  Previously, the tool had two options:  1) Summarizing key findings from a parent survey or 2) Reflecting on local measures relevant to seeking input from parents and promoting parents.  The new tool has three sections, and each uses a set of questions with a numeric rating scale, plus one narrative prompt.  The three sections are: 1.) Building relationships between school staff and families, 2.) Building partnerships for student outcomes, and 3.) Seeking input for decision-making.

Meeting the Requirements

When you input the Local Indicators through the California School Dashboard interface, you will select Standard Met, Standard Not Met, or Standard Not Met for Two or More Years, according to the criteria.  You meet the indicators by:

  1. Measuring progress annually
  2. Reporting results at a regularly scheduled public board meeting
  3. Publicly reporting results through the California School Dashboard

If you have completed steps one through three above, then you have met the indicator for that year and should select “Met.”  In other words, meeting the indicators does not depend on the contents of your self-ratings and reflection, but rather on the completion of the process of reflecting and reporting.

Accountability for Local Indicators

Local Indicators are included in the annual criteria for differentiated assistance:

  • The charter school fails to meet the Criteria for three or more student groups (or all the student groups if there are fewer than three student groups)
  • In regard to one or more state or school priorities identified in the charter
  • For three out of four consecutive school years

If identified for differentiated assistance, the authorizer may opt to provide support or request support from the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE).  The authorizer shall consider revocation for a school if, after support is provided, they determine that a) the charter is unwilling or unable to implement the CCEE recommendations or b) inadequate performance of the charter school, based on the Dashboard, is so persistent or acute as to require revocation. The authorizer must consider increase in pupil academic achievement for all student groups as the most important factor in determining whether to revoke a charter.  Charters may not appeal revocation.

Resources

It’s important that schools make time to fully understand the Local Indicators requirements and reserve enough time to complete all the steps appropriately.  The following resources are designed to help you understand and complete your 2019 Local Indicators:

Dashboard Coordinator Login:  https://coordinator.caschooldashboard.org/#/application

2019 Self-Reflection Tools:  https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/cm/localindicators.asp

CDE LCFF/LCAP LISTERV: JOIN-LCFF-LIST@MLIST.CDE.CA.GOV​

And check out EdTec’s informational video – we’ll walk you through the Local Indicators reporting process!

If you have questions or need assistance with your school’s Local Indicators, please reach out to Jennifer Reyes, EdTec’s Educational Support Services Manager.

LCAP Community Engagement

Engaging Stakeholders in Your School’s LCAP Development

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By Jennifer Reyes, Ed.D., Educational Support Services Manager

September 9, 2019

Embrace Local Control

As one of the key pillars of California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), stakeholder engagement has a prominent section in the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP).  The idea behind LCFF is that Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) will have “local control” over the use of their funds through the combined input of parents, teachers, school leaders and staff, and other community partners.  At the district level, LCAP engagement efforts may not address school-specific concerns, but charter schools can easily align LCAP engagement with the goals and plans of their unique school community.

Create a Plan to Engage all Stakeholders

 According to Ed. Code, the LEA must “consult with teachers, principals, administrators, other school personnel, local bargaining units of the school district, parents and pupils” in developing the LCAP.  They must describe in the LCAP the steps they took to engage parents, pupils, and the community and how this engagement contributed to developing the LCAP.  The CDE is preparing to introduce a new LCAP template in the coming months, and the proposed template requires a description of how the engagement of each group impacted the current plan (see below for a screenshot).

Proposed New LCAP Stakeholder Engagement Section:

Leaders will need to be prepared with specific responses for the applicable groups.  This can be accomplished with a little bit of backwards planning.  For example, I may hope that by year’s end I would like to be able to state that my English Learner Parent Advisory Committee carefully reviewed the actions and services dedicated specifically to English Learners and made recommendations.  I can plan now for those committee agendas and surveys to include LCAP input.  I can do the same to ensure that LCAP is part of the agendas for board, parent, and staff meetings periodically throughout the year.

Avoid Information Overload

Now that I have planned LCAP engagement into the calendar of meetings for each stakeholder group, how do I make the information digestible?  What kind of input do I ask for?  Again, we can think ahead to the impact we would like each group to have in our LCAP development.  I might decide that I want all my parents, students, and staff to be able to articulate my school’s three big goals.  I want to be able to review data points with all three groups to keep them invested in achieving the goals.  Then with my advisory committees, perhaps I want to do a deeper dive into the curriculum or professional development initiatives.  I can select key components to review with each group instead of asking them to sift through the entire plan.

Make it Meaningful

 Hopefully your school has an LCAP that is well organized and aligned to your school’s mission and vision.  If not, you can redesign it.  The more the plan speaks to your community, the easier it will be to align it with the work you do and the conversations you already hope to have with all your stakeholders.  By taking a few steps now to set up the system of engagement for the year, you can ensure that you have much to say about the impact of your various groups on your school’s LCAP.