Image of paintings and columns on a wall in the State Education Building with an excerpt from the State Constitution: "the children of this state may be educated..."

NYSED

September 2023

Preparing Your Board to Seek Charter Renewal

Is your school seeking renewal this year or next? If so, check out this NY-RISE webinar designed for charter leaders and board members who submitted renewal applications earlier this month and are preparing for school visits and board interviews this fall. Paul O’Neill, Esq., governance expert of Tugboat Education, and Heather Wendling, former authorizer and school evaluator, reviewed authorizer expectations, best practices for governance, and provided guidance and resources to help participants create an action plan to prepare for the renewal process in ways that showcase their schools’ strengths. Even if you are not eligible for renewal until next year, you may find this resource helpful as you prepare for your renewal.

Find the session recording and accompanying resources in the link below.

Link to Video

A NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

As a new academic year is upon us, I would like to extend a warm welcome back to each of you! This year marks a special milestone as I complete my first year as the Executive Director of the Charter School Office. I am excited to share this journey with all of you. This year we are thrilled to have six dedicated liaisons in the Charter School Office who are enthusiastic about supporting your schools throughout the coming year.

As you kick off the year, we invite you to consider a few suggestions for setting the tone for success:

Celebrate Achievements
Embrace Collaboration
Prioritize Equity and Inclusion
Empower Parents

On behalf of the NYSED Charter School Office, I invite you to continue reading our CSO newsletter! It contains updates from various NYSED offices, including helpful information and key dates to keep you on track this academic year.

Have a fantastic school year!

Dr. Lisa Long

Executive Director

NYSED

Charter School Office

BENCHMARKS

FOCUS: PERFORMANCE FRAMEWORK BENCHMARK 3

The social emotional health of our students and school personnel has been an educational focus for everyone in the years following the pandemic. Benchmark 3 in the 2019 Performance Framework describes the standards for charter schools for educational success in this area.

Benchmark 3: Culture, Climate, and Student and Family Engagement: The school has systems in place to support students’ social and emotional health and to provide for a positive, safe, and respectful learning environment that prepares all students for college and career. Families, community members, and school staff work together to share in the responsibility for student academic progress and social emotional growth and well-being. Families and students are satisfied with the school's academics and the overall leadership and management of the school. (2019 Performance Framework)

The NYSED website has a collection of resources for implementing SEL practices in your school. Click the link below to view the resources on the Student Support Services page.

SEL Website

From the Office of Facilities Planning

Certificates of Occupancy

A reminder from the Office of Facilities Planning (OFP) that, per Education Law §2853(3), any facility intended to be occupied by a Charter School whose original charter was after July 31, 2010, must be reviewed and approved by OFP, regardless of whether it is owned or leased by the School. An OFP provided Certificate of Occupancy (CO) must be provided prior to occupancy, even for leased spaces that receive a CO from the local jurisdiction as well.
Please be aware that our queue for review is several months long, and thus a design professional shall be engaged by the school to assist with submitting an application for OFP approval with ample time prior to intended occupancy.
There are additional requirements, above NYS Code, that Charter School facilities must abide by (such as rescue windows in classrooms), and thus it is imperative OFP be provided with the application early.
Please see our website linked below for additional details and contact information.

Link to OFP Website

NYSED Reminders and Information

Click the links in the right column below for more information.

SEDREF	REMINDER: Keep School information updated on SEDREF. Click here for instructions
Elementary and Intermediate Science	Educator Guide to the 2024 Elementary-level (Grade 5) and Intermediate-level (Grade 8) Science Tests
Regents Examination Schedules	2024 Regents Examination Schedules-UPDATE-Early test dates for new Regents Exams in Algebra Implementation Schedule for New Regents Examinations in Mathematics, Science, and English Language Arts
Computer-based Testing	Memo – Statewide Implementation of Computer-based Testing
2023-24 Survey of Charter School Enrollments and Poverty Status	In order to determine the 2023-24 Title I, Part A final allocations, each Charter School LEA is required to submit enrollment data to the New York State Education Department (NYSED), Office of ESSA-Funded Programs through the submission of the Charter School Enrollments and Poverty Status - Final survey. The survey will become available to all charter schools in October through the business portal, and will be due to be submitted by the beginning of November. Questions regarding this collection can be directed to the Office of ESSA-Funded Programs by emailing conappta@nysed.gov
Performance-Based Learning and Assessment Networks (PLAN) Pilot Program School Applications	Applications are now available for schools (including charter schools) and programs interested in participating as a PLAN Pilot School. Visit the Applying to Become a PLAN Pilot School webpage for more information and guidance.
FCC Affordable Connectivity Program	Visit the FCC website to learn more about how families can save money or may be eligible for free high speed internet.

Important Dates to Remember

2023-2024

Board of Regents Meeting Dates

Click the link above to see schedule of meetings.

September

1

Student Information Repository System (SIRS) 2022-2023 End of Year Data Certification Due

September

25

Data Warehouse and SIRS (Estimated Date)-Data warehouse opens. SIRS reporting of enrollment, attendance, demographics, and staff reports can begin.

October

3

Renewal Applications-Benchmark 1 narrative for renewal schools is due by October 3rd. See page 12 of the Renewal Application for more details.

October

4

Basic Educational Data System (BEDS) Data Collection-October 4th through November 17th

October

6

August Graduation Data Due

November

1

ESSA Financial Transparency (EFT) Reporting-November 1st through December 30th
Annual Report-2022-2023 Annual Report entries 3 through 5 are due by November 1st. See pages 7 through 10 of the Annual Report Guidelines for details.

November

17

SIRS 2023-2024 Staff Snapshot Due (Estimated Date)
BEDS Data Collection Due Date

December

1

Revision Requests-Any MATERIAL revision requests for non-renewal schools are due by December 1st. See pages 5 and 6 of the Charter School Revision Guidelines for more deadline information and help determining if your revision request is material or non-material.

December

30

ESSA Financial Transparency (EFT) Reporting Due

IN THE NEWS

NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL STUDY III

This year The Center for Research on Educational Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University released its third installment of the National Charter School Study, As a Matter of Fact, National Charter School Study III

This installment of the National Charter School Study focused on academic progress of charter school students compared with students in traditional public schools over the last 15 years. The primary research questions provide insight on school performance.

Charter vs. Traditional Public Schools
CMO-affiliated impact
Trends over time

This year, CREDO has made their report digital. At the website linked below, you can download the entire report in English or Spanish or navigate to specific sections owhich are are presented alongside interactive graphics.

You can read more and watch an overview video at the website linked below.

Link to CREDO Website

Do you have something amazing happening in your school?

If you have a noteworthy program or successful best practices in your school pertaining to one of the performance framework benchmarks, reach out to your liaison to let them know. We would like to use this section to share evidence-based successful practices and programs in charter schools.

Helpful Links

Data and Reporting

Educator Resources

Liaison Assignments

Charter School Office

(518) 474-1762

89 Washington Ave.

Albany, NY 12234