Anna Kucaj, Achievement School District Stacey Thompson, Shelby County Schools Carol Swann, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools

 Only authorizes excellent schools that offer high- quality instruction and are in the best interests of the students, families, and district ;  Holds schools accountable, closes low performers, and encourages the expansion of high performers;  Defends the public trust using processes that are transparent and fair;  Promotes innovation by protecting school autonomy;  Communicates effectively.

 Engaging a variety of stakeholders  Qualities sought in effective reviewers  Selecting high-quality reviewers  Training reviewers  Evaluating reviewers

Who Is On Your Team? A diverse group reflective of your district Individuals with specific areas of expertise (e.g., academics, operations; finance, legal, organizational, community) Experts in serving your student population (e.g., special education, English language learners, etc.) A diverse group reflective of your district Individuals with specific areas of expertise (e.g., academics, operations; finance, legal, organizational, community) Experts in serving your student population (e.g., special education, English language learners, etc.) Evaluators should represent:

 Experience and/or expertise in specific areas of the application – academics, operations, finance, governance, management, etc.  Time to commit to the entire authorization process  Impartiality/No conflicts of interest  Familiarity with Tennessee laws and academic standards  Ability to write and speak to specific strengths and deficiencies using the data given  Ability to formulate probing questions to effectively probe separate sections of the applications.

Communication Teamwork Writing Skills Ability to clearly articulate ideas Ability to listen Ability to work effectively with others Ability to engage in productive discourse Ability to support claims with evidence Ability to express concepts effectively in writing Smart Soft Skills Soft Skills: Personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people. Other Key Skills

Possible Reviewers  Local Stakeholders/Community Members  National Experts  Internal Staff  Existing Charter Partners Vetting Reviewers  All Call for Evaluators  Interviews (e.g., phone, video, in-person)  Performance tasks

Recruiting evaluators is easier, and more effective, if you can make the process mutually beneficial. Stated benefits might include:  Participation as professional development  Giving community members a voice  Adjusting work schedules to create free time  Providing compensation, or at least covering meals and expenses

 Develop a contextualized training based on audience (e.g., webinar, on-site, conference call, etc.)  Align training to the application and scoring rubric  Provide a thorough process that includes practice so that reviewers can see an actual application and apply the scoring rubric  Offer a detailed description of the district context for external reviewers  Be clear about expectations regarding the rubric (e.g., complete sentences, page numbers, precise and detailed descriptions of strengths and weaknesses that are measurable and objective, etc.)  Establish a clear, thorough explanation of “consensus”  Supply a differentiated, more detailed, training for team leads

Possible Data Sources  Survey of evaluators  Survey of applicants  Anecdotal and specific feedback from team leads Information is Needed  Effectiveness of training  Preparation to evaluate  Guidance from team leads  Cohesiveness of process

Anna Kucaj, Stacey Thompson, Carol Swann,