Report 2016-141 Recommendation 35 Responses

Report 2016-141: Charter Schools: Some School Districts Improperly Authorized and Inadequately Monitored Out‑of‑District Charter Schools (Release Date: October 2017)

Recommendation #35 To: Antelope Valley Union High School District

Antelope Valley Union should maintain active memorandums of understanding with its charter schools that describe the district's oversight responsibilities and ensure the schools meet the measurable student outcomes to which they have agreed.

1-Year Agency Response

AVUHSD staff in collaboration with Educational Services, Desert Sands Public Charter School staff and the Superintendent developed an MOU that was submitted to the AVUHSD Board with their renewal petition on October 10, 2018. The MOU aligns with BP 0420.41 and AVUHSD Internal Written procedures for Academic Oversight that include internal controls and procedures for written feedback, recommendations and steps for assisting charters who do not make outcomes schoolwide and for all student groups as indicated in their petition as it pertains to Measurable Pupil Outcomes (MPO's) and LCAP Annual Measurable Objectives (AMO's). See Attachments- (Charter Oversight BP 0420.41, DSPCS MOU 10-10-18 and Charter School Fiscal and Academic Oversight Procedures.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

Antelope Valley Union provided a copy of its current memorandum of understanding that references the district's board policy for oversight monitoring of its independent charter school's educational program. The district's oversight procedures provide additional details on the district's responsibility for ensuring that the charter school meets its measurable student outcomes.

6-Month Agency Response

District staff, in collaboration with Educational Services and the Superintendent are in the process of creating MOU's that align with the AVUHSD newly adopted Board policies (February 7, 2018) on Charter School Authorization, Oversight, Renewal and Revocation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

Per Antelope Valley Union's response, its implementation of this recommendation is currently pending.

60-Day Agency Response

The AVUHSD is currently in the process of reviewing our Board Policies and MOU's on Charter Schools to align with the California School Board Association (CSBA) sample policy language on Charter School Authorization, Charter Oversight, and Charter Renewal. Additionally, the AVUHSD has access to several template resources from CARSNet, FCMAT, LACOE and the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA), to create a standard MOU that helps to establish and foster best practices for effective charter oversight, between the charters and the AVUHSD. For new charters and all charters submitting renewal petitions, the proposed, revised MOU will be signed by the charter as a condition of approval upon petition submission. Proposed MOU language will address the annual review of compliance to the MOU in the district's annual charter report to the Board. For any follow-up questions, contact Julianne Vela- Director of Categorical and Special Programs- jvela@avhsd.org -(661) 952-2249.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

Per Antelope Valley Union's response, its implementation of this recommendation is currently pending.

All Recommendations in 2016-141

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.