Section 180-19-030. Submission of authorizer application.

(Effective until May 15, 2015)

(1) The state board of education shall develop and make available on its web site, no later than October 1st of each year, an "authorizer application" that must be used by school districts seeking to be approved as a charter school authorizer. The application may include such attachments as deemed required by the board to support and complete the application.

(2) A school district seeking approval to be a charter school authorizer must submit an "authorizer application" to the state board of education by December 31st of the year prior to the year the district seeks approval as an authorizer. The district's completed application must be submitted via electronic mail to [e-mail] by the date specified in this section. The board shall post on its web site each application received from a school district.

(3) A school district must provide sufficient and detailed information regarding all of the following in the authorizer application submitted to the board:

(a) The district's strategic vision for chartering. The district must state the purposes that it expects to fulfill in being an authorizer of charter schools, with reference to the findings and intents set forth in RCW 28A.710.005, as well as any district-specific purposes that are a priority for the district; the characteristics of the school or schools it is most interested in authorizing, while maintaining a commitment to considering all charter applicants based on the merits of their proposals and the likelihood of success; the educational goals it wishes to achieve; how it will give priority to serving at-risk students, as defined in RCW 28A.710.010(2), or students from low-performing schools; and how it will respect the autonomy and ensure the accountability of the charter schools it oversees.

(b) A plan to support the vision presented, including explanations and evidence of the applicant's budget and personnel capacity and commitment to execute the responsibilities of quality charter authorizing. "Budget and personnel capacity" means the district's capability of providing sufficient oversight, monitoring, and assistance to ensure that the charter schools it authorizes will meet all fiscal, academic and operational requirements under chapter 28A.710 RCW and comply with all applicable state and federal laws. A district's evidence of budget and personnel capacity shall consist, at a minimum, of a detailed description of the following:

(i) Staff resources to be devoted to charter authorizing and oversight under chapter 28A.710 RCW, in full-time equivalent employees, at a level sufficient to fulfill its authorizing responsibilities in accordance with the NACSA Principles and Standards and the provisions of chapter 28A.710 RCW;

(ii) Job titles, job descriptions, and brief bios and resumes of district personnel with anticipated authorizing responsibilities under RCW 28A.710.030, demonstrating the district's access to expertise in all areas essential to charter school oversight including, but not limited to: School leadership; curriculum, instruction and assessment; special education, English language learners and other diverse learning needs; performance management and law, finance and facilities, through staff and any contractual relationships or partnerships with other public entities; and

(iii) An estimate, supported by verifiable data, of the financial needs of the authorizer and a projection, to the extent feasible, of sufficient financial resources, supported by the authorizer oversight fee under RCW 28A.710.110 and any other resources, to carry out its authorizing responsibilities in accordance with the NACSA Principles and Standards and the provisions of chapter 28A.710 RCW.

(c) A draft or preliminary outline of the request for proposal that the district would, if approved as an authorizer, issue to solicit charter school applications. The draft or preliminary outline of the request for proposal(s) shall meet all of the requirements set forth in RCW 28A.710.130 (1)(b) and demonstrate that the district will implement a comprehensive charter application process that follows fair procedures and rigorous criteria, and an evaluation and oversight process based on a performance framework meeting the requirements of RCW 28A.710.170.

(d) A draft of the performance framework that the district would, if approved as an authorizer, use to guide the execution of a charter contract and for ongoing oversight and performance evaluation of charter schools. The draft of the performance framework shall, at a minimum, meet the requirements of RCW 28A.710.170(2) including descriptions of each indicator, measure and metric enumerated therein, and shall provide that student academic proficiency, student academic growth, achievement gaps in both proficiency and growth, graduation rates, and postsecondary readiness are measured and reported in conformance with the achievement index developed by the state board of education under RCW 28A.657.110.

(e) A draft of the district's proposed renewal, revocation, and nonrenewal processes, consistent with RCW 28A.710.190 and 28A.710.200. The draft provided must, at a minimum, provide for the implementation of transparent and rigorous processes that:

(i) Establish clear standards for renewal, nonrenewal, and revocation of charters it may authorize under RCW 28A.710.100;

(ii) Set reasonable and effective timelines for actions that may be taken under RCW 28A.710.190 and 28A.710.200;

(iii) Describe how academic, financial and operational performance data will be used in making decisions under RCW 28A.710.190 and 28A.710.200;

(iv) Outline a plan to take appropriate corrective actions, or exercise sanctions short of revocation, in response to identified deficiencies in charter school performance or legal compliance, in accordance with the charter contract and the provisions of RCW 28A.710.180.

(4) A district must sign a statement of assurances submitted with its application, which shall be included as an attachment to the authorizing contract executed between the approved district and the state board of education, stating that it seeks to serve as an authorizer in fulfillment of the expectations, spirit, and intent of chapter 28A.710 RCW, and that if approved as an authorizer it will:

(a) Seek opportunities for authorizer professional development, and assure that personnel with significant responsibilities for authorizing and oversight of charter schools will participate in any authorizer training provided or required by the state;

(b) Provide public accountability and transparency in all matters concerning charter authorizing practices, decisions, and expenditures;

(c) Solicit applications for both new charter schools and conversion charter schools, while appropriately distinguishing the two types of charter schools in proposal requirements and evaluation criteria;

(d) Ensure that any charter school it oversees shall have a fully independent governing board and exercise autonomy in all matters, to the extent authorized by chapter 28A.710 RCW, in such areas as budgeting, personnel and instructional programming and design;

(e) Ensure that any contract it may execute with the governing board of an approved charter school under RCW 28A.710.160 provides that the school will provide educational services to students with disabilities, students who are limited English proficient, and any other special populations of students as required by state and federal laws;

(f) Include in any charter contract it may execute with the governing board of an approved charter school, in accordance with RCW 28A.710.160(2), educational services that at a minimum meet the basic education standards set forth in RCW 28A.150.220.

(Effective May 15, 2015)

(1) The state board of education shall develop and make available on its web site, no later than May 15th of each year, an "authorizer application" that must be used by school districts seeking to be approved as a charter school authorizer. The application may include such attachments as deemed required by the board to support and complete the application.

(2) A school district seeking approval to be a charter school authorizer must submit an "authorizer application" to the state board of education by October 15th of the year prior to the year the district seeks approval as an authorizer. The district's completed application must be submitted via electronic mail to [e-mail] by the date specified in this section. The board shall post on its web site each application received from a school district.

(3) A school district must provide sufficient and detailed information regarding all of the following in the authorizer application submitted to the board:

(a) The district's strategic vision for chartering. The district must state the purposes that it expects to fulfill in being an authorizer of charter schools, with reference to the findings and interests set forth in RCW 28A.710.005, as well as any district-specific purposes that are a priority for the district; the characteristics of the school or schools it is most interested in authorizing, while maintaining a commitment to considering all charter applicants based on the merits of their proposals and the likelihood of success; the educational goals it wishes to achieve; how it will give priority to serving at-risk students, as defined in RCW 28A.710.010(2), or students from low-performing schools; and how it will respect the autonomy and ensure the accountability of the charter schools it oversees.

(b) A plan to support the vision presented, including explanations and evidence of the applicant's budget and personnel capacity and commitment to execute the responsibilities of quality charter authorizing. "Budget and personnel capacity" means the district's capability of providing sufficient oversight, monitoring, and assistance to ensure that the charter schools it authorizes will meet all fiscal, academic and operational requirements under chapter 28A.710 RCW and comply with all applicable state and federal laws. A district's evidence of budget and personnel capacity shall consist, at a minimum, of a detailed description of the following:

(i) Staff resources to be devoted to charter authorizing and oversight under chapter 28A.710 RCW, in full-time equivalent employees, at a level sufficient to fulfill its authorizing responsibilities in accordance with the NACSA Principles and Standards and the provisions of chapter 28A.710 RCW;

(ii) Job titles, job descriptions, and brief bios and resumes of district personnel with anticipated authorizing responsibilities under RCW 28A.710.030, demonstrating the district's access to expertise in all areas essential to charter school oversight including, but not limited to: School leadership; curriculum, instruction and assessment; special education, English language learners and other diverse learning needs; performance management and law, finance and facilities, through staff and any contractual relationships or partnerships with other public entities; and

(iii) An estimate, supported by verifiable data, of the financial needs of the authorizer and a projection, to the extent feasible, of sufficient financial resources, supported by the authorizer oversight fee under RCW 28A.710.110 and any other resources, to carry out its authorizing responsibilities in accordance with the NACSA Principles and Standards and the provisions of chapter 28A.710 RCW.

(c) A draft or preliminary outline of the request for proposal that the district would, if approved as an authorizer, issue to solicit charter school applications. The draft or preliminary outline of the request for proposal(s) shall meet all of the requirements set forth in RCW 28A.710.130 (1)(b) and demonstrate that the district will implement a comprehensive charter application process that follows fair procedures and rigorous criteria, and an evaluation and oversight process based on a performance framework meeting the requirements of RCW 28A.710.170.

(d) A draft of the performance framework that the district would, if approved as an authorizer, use to guide the execution of a charter contract and for ongoing oversight and performance evaluation of charter schools. The draft of the performance framework shall, at a minimum, meet the requirements of RCW 28A.710.170(2) including descriptions of each indicator, measure and metric enumerated therein, and shall provide that student academic proficiency, student academic growth, achievement gaps in both proficiency and growth, graduation rates, and postsecondary readiness are measured and reported in conformance with the achievement index developed by the state board of education under RCW 28A.657.110.

(e) A draft of the district's proposed renewal, revocation, and nonrenewal processes, consistent with RCW 28A.710.190 and 28A.710.200. The draft provided must, at a minimum, provide for the implementation of transparent and rigorous processes that:

(i) Establish clear standards for renewal, nonrenewal, and revocation of charters it may authorize under RCW 28A.710.100;

(ii) Set reasonable and effective timelines for actions that may be taken under RCW 28A.710.190 and 28A.710.200;

(iii) Describe how academic, financial and operational performance data will be used in making decisions under RCW 28A.710.190 and 28A.710.200;

(iv) Outline a plan to take appropriate corrective actions, or exercise sanctions short of revocation, in response to identified deficiencies in charter school performance or legal compliance, in accordance with the charter contract and the provisions of RCW 28A.710.180.

(4) A district must sign a statement of assurances submitted with its application, which shall be included as an attachment to the authorizing contract executed between the approved district and the state board of education, stating that it seeks to serve as an authorizer in fulfillment of the expectations, spirit, and intent of chapter 28A.710 RCW, and that if approved as an authorizer it will:

(a) Seek opportunities for authorizer professional development, and assure that personnel with significant responsibilities for authorizing and oversight of charter schools will participate in any authorizer training provided or required by the state;

(b) Provide public accountability and transparency in all matters concerning charter authorizing practices, decisions, and expenditures;

(c) Solicit applications for both new charter schools and conversion charter schools, while appropriately distinguishing the two types of charter schools in proposal requirements and evaluation criteria;

(d) Ensure that any charter school it oversees shall have a fully independent governing board and exercise autonomy in all matters, to the extent authorized by chapter 28A.710 RCW, in such areas as budgeting, personnel and instructional programming and design;

(e) Ensure that any contract it may execute with the governing board of an approved charter school under RCW 28A.710.160 provides that the school will provide educational services to students with disabilities, students who are limited-English proficient, and any other special populations of students as required by state and federal laws;

(f) Include in any charter contract it may execute with the governing board of an approved charter school, in accordance with RCW 28A.710.160(2), educational services that at a minimum meet the basic education standards set forth in RCW 28A.150.220.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.710.090, 28A.710.130, 28A.710.140, and 28A.710.150. WSR 14-19-107, § 180-19-030, filed 9/16/14, effective 10/17/14. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.710.090. WSR 13-07-065, § 180-19-030, filed 3/19/13, effective 4/19/13.]

RCW 28A.710.090, 28A.710.130, 28A.710.140, and 28A.710.150. WSR 14-19-107, § 180-19-030, filed 9/16/14, effective 10/17/14. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.710.090. WSR 13-07-065, § 180-19-030, filed 3/19/13, effective 4/19/13.