1. Charter School Regulatory Changes
Office of Charter and Renaissance Schools
Charter School Regulatory Changes
Patricia Morgan, Assistant Commissioner/Chief Legal and External Affairs Officer
Colleen Eskow, Deputy Chief of Government Affairs
Katherine Czehut, Acting Director, Office of Charter and Renaissance Schools
October 5, 2016
Advisory, Consultative, and Deliberative Material

2. Rationale for Regulatory Changes
The Charter School Program Act of 1995 (CSPA) was signed into law in 1996 to establish charter schools to promote comprehensive educational reform by offering charter school operators greater autonomy and opportunities for innovation in exchange for greater accountability for student outcomes.
For the last seven years, charter school students have outperformed their district counterparts on statewide assessments.
Despite high performance, regulatory roadblocks inhibit charter innovation. The Department has worked with charter leaders throughout New Jersey and national charter experts to develop regulatory recommendations to provide greater autonomy for charter schools.
Advisory, Consultative, and Deliberative Material

3. Charter School Landscape: 1997 to present
While the total number of charter schools has stayed relatively stable since 2012, the number of seats in charter schools continues to grow. Since 2011, the Department has closed 16 low performing charter schools.

4. 2015-16 Charter School Demographics
Charter schools on average, compared to statewide averages, serve a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged, black and Hispanic students. 4

5. 2014-15 Charter School PARCC Performance
Charter schools, on average, outperformed their district counterparts in ELA and math in both the elementary and middle grades (i.e., grades 3-5 and 6-8). 5

6. 2014-15 Charter Performance in State Operated Districts Who
Percent of Students Who Met or Exceeded Expectations in ELA
Percent of Students Who Met or Exceeded Expectations in Math
In all four state-operated districts, the percent of students who met or exceeded grade-level expectations was higher in charter schools than in district schools.

7. Charter Performance Over Time
For the last seven years, the percent of students who scored proficient or advanced was higher in charter schools than in district schools.

8. Topic Proposal Citation
Proposed Regulatory Changes
The Department proposes to add, amend, repeal, and recodify rules in five chapters in Title 6A of the New Jersey Administrative Code to achieve the following:
Topic
Proposal
Citation
Expedited Renewal
Establish an expedited renewal process for high-performing charter schools.
N.J.A.C. 6A:11-2.3(c)
Single-Purpose Charter Schools
Permit single-purpose charter schools.
N.J.A.C. 6A:
Weighted Lottery
Codify weighted lottery for charter school enrollment.
N.J.A.C. 6A:11-4.5(f)
Advisory, Consultative, and Deliberative Material

9. Topic Proposal Citation
Proposed Regulatory Changes
Topic
Proposal
Citation
Certification
Establish a pilot program for charter school teacher, administrator, and school business administrator certifications.
N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-11.12(e)
N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-12.4(o)
N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-12.7(l)
Facilities
Ease the way for charter schools to secure capital funding and facilities.
N.J.A.C. 6A: (a)
N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-22.4(b)1
N.J.A.C. 6A:26-7.5(e)
Budgetary Controls and Fiscal Monitoring
Streamline procedures around budgetary controls and fiscal monitoring for charter schools.
N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-16.8(a)
N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-16.10(b-d)
N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-22.4(d)
N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-22.6(a)3
N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-22.15(a)
Advisory, Consultative, and Deliberative Material

10. Streamlined Practices
Proposed Regulatory Changes
Best Practices
Board minutes
Charter dissolution
DOE accountability
N.J.A.C. 6A: (c)
N.J.A.C. 6A:11-2.3(b)12
N.J.A.C. 6A:11-2.4(c)2iv
N.J.A.C. 6A:11-2.4(c)2v
N.J.A.C. 6A:11-2.2(d)
Clarification
Extracurricular activities
Multiple campuses
Planning years
Pre-K student lottery
N.J.A.C. 6A:
N.J.A.C. 6A: (b)
N.J.A.C. 6A:11-2.1(m)
N.J.A.C. 6A:11-4.7(b)
Streamlined Practices
Professional development plan
N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-1.1 & N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-5.5
Advisory, Consultative, and Deliberative Material