Report 2016-141 Recommendation 10 Responses
Report 2016-141: Charter Schools: Some School Districts Improperly Authorized and Inadequately Monitored Out‑of‑District Charter Schools (Release Date: October 2017)
Recommendation #10 To: Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District
To make certain that it authorizes only qualified petitions, Acton-Agua Dulce Unified should revise its charter school authorization policy to require the documentation of its evaluation of charter school petitions. The district should present this documentation to its governing board for its consideration.
1-Year Agency Response
-AADUSD District Staff has continued to implement a rigorous review process for all charter petitions submitted for approval, renewal, or material revision. A Charter Review Matrix is used which covers all elements of Education Code 47605 and incorporates the State Board of Education's standards for assessing charter petitions contained at Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 11967.5.1. The Staff's recommendation and the completed Matrix are submitted to the Board for its review and consideration before the Board takes action.
The District has revised and updated the charter school policy and Charter Review Matrix to include all changes in charter school law. Practices, procedures and guidelines have been revised in the areas of academic, operational and financial oversight and compliance. (See policy, pages 9-12.) The AADUSD Board of Trustees approved the new charter policy and Matrix on October 11, 2018. The new charter policy is being fully implemented by the District.
- Completion Date: October 2018
- Response Date: October 2018
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented
Acton-Agua Dulce Unified provided a copy of its updated charter school policy, which specifies that the district will use the charter review matrix that it also updated.
6-Month Agency Response
The District's staff has reviewed and updated the charter school policy to include changes in charter law and refine some of the practices and procedures regarding academic and financial oversight. The Board has been presented with these updates and action will be taken on these items in June 2018.
- Estimated Completion Date: June 2018
- Response Date: June 2018
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending
Per Acton-Agua Dulce Unified's response, its implementation of this recommendation is currently pending.
60-Day Agency Response
AADUSD District Staff has continued to implement a rigorous review process for all charter petitions submitted for approval, renewal, or material revision. A Charter Review Matrix is used which covers all elements of Education Code 47605 and incorporates the State Board of Education's standards for assessing charter petitions contained at Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 11967.5.1. The Staff's recommendation and the completed Matrix are submitted to the Board for its review and consideration before the Board takes action.
The District's staff has begun to review and update the charter school policy to include changes in charter law and refine some of the practices and procedures regarding academic and financial oversight. The Board will be presented with these updates in May 2018.
- Estimated Completion Date: May 2018
- Response Date: February 2018
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending
Per Acton-Agua Dulce Unified's response, its implementation of this recommendation is currently pending.
All Recommendations in 2016-141
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.