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The Truth About Charter School Accountability

The Truth About Charter School Accountability

The Truth About Charter School Accountability

The Truth About Charter School Accountability

The Truth About Charter School Accountability

Texas Public Charter Schools Embrace Accountability

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As Texans, we should hold our public schools to high standards for performance, financial management, transparency, and governance. That’s what students deserve — and it’s why public charter schools follow the same (or stricter) requirements as traditional districts. 

In fact, taxpayers in the Lone Star State hold public charter schools to higher standards than traditional ISD schools when it comes to: 

Transparency: Unlike ISD schools, public charters must submit their academic calendars to state education authorities for approval and release their waiting lists. Charters in Texas also face harsher consequences for violating open meetings laws. Charter schools are also subject to strict financial scrutiny, and must publicly report on their financial management through the School Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST), to ensure most of their money is being spent on actually helping kids learn.

Evaluating Performance: Both public charters and ISDs have an A-F accountability system for academic and financial performance. But charters are comprehensively evaluated by the state using a long list of indicators. 

Closures: Any public charter that receives a failing grade from the state for three straight years must close – no appeals allowed. This “three strikes” rule is far stricter than laws concerning lowperforming ISD schools. 

Expanding: In order to open new schools, public charters must meet rigorous performance benchmarks and secure approval from the State Education Agency, State Board of Education, and Attorney General (for bond agreements). 

How Do Charter Schools Compare?

Have you ever wondered how Texas charter schools compare with traditional ISDs and Districts of Innovation (DOIs) on other key issues? The strong accountability system indicated in the table below is a big reason why charter schools have such great outcomes for students.
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