2857 - Notice; review and assessment.
§ 2857. Notice; review and assessment. 1. The board of regents shall distribute information announcing the availability of the charter school process described in this article to each local school district and public postsecondary educational institution. At each significant stage of the chartering process, the charter entity and the board of regents shall provide appropriate notification to the school district in which the charter school is located and to public and nonpublic schools in the same geographic area as the proposed charter school. Such notification shall be provided by each charter entity within thirty days of its receipt of an application for formation of a new charter school or for renewal of an existing charter school, and at least forty-five days prior to initial approval of the charter application by the charter entity. Prior to the issuance, revision, or renewal of a charter, the school district in which the charter school is located shall hold a public hearing to solicit comments from the community in connection with the foregoing. Such hearing shall be held within the community potentially impacted by the proposed charter school. When a revision involves the relocation of a charter school to a different school district, the proposed new school district shall also hold such hearing. In addition, such school districts shall be given an opportunity to comment on the proposed charter to the charter entity and such charter entity shall consider any comments raised and submit any such comments to the board of regents with the application for issuance, revision, or renewal of a charter. 1-a. In the event the school district fails to conduct a public hearing, the board of regents shall conduct a public hearing to solicit comments from the community in connection with the issuance, revision, or renewal of a charter. * 2. Each charter school shall submit to the charter entity and to the board of regents an annual report. Such report shall be issued no later than the first day of August of each year for the preceding school year and shall be made publicly available by such date and shall be posted on the charter school's website. The annual report shall be in such form as shall be prescribed by the commissioner and shall include at least the following components: (a) a charter school report card, which shall include measures of the comparative academic and fiscal performance of the school, as prescribed by the commissioner in regulations adopted for such purpose. Such measures shall include, but not be limited to, graduation rates, dropout rates, performance of students on standardized tests, college entry rates, total spending per pupil and administrative spending per pupil. Such measures shall be presented in a format that is easily comparable to similar public schools. In addition, the charter school shall ensure that such information is easily accessible to the community including making it publicly available by transmitting it to local newspapers of general circulation and making it available for distribution at board of trustee meetings. (b) discussion of the progress made towards achievement of the goals set forth in the charter. (c) a certified financial statement setting forth, by appropriate categories, the revenues and expenditures for the preceding school year, including a copy of the most recent independent fiscal audit of the school and any audit conducted by the comptroller of the state of New York. * NB Effective until January 1, 2011 * 2. Each charter school shall submit to the charter entity and to the board of regents an annual report. Such report shall be issued no later than the first day of August of each year for the preceding school yearand shall be made publicly available by such date and shall be posted on the charter school's website. The annual report shall be in such form as shall be prescribed by the commissioner and shall include at least the following components: (a) a charter school report card, which shall include measures of the comparative academic and fiscal performance of the school, as prescribed by the commissioner in regulations adopted for such purpose. Such measures shall include, but not be limited to, graduation rates, dropout rates, performance of students on standardized tests, college entry rates, total spending per pupil and administrative spending per pupil. Such measures shall be presented in a format that is easily comparable to similar public schools. In addition, the charter school shall ensure that such information is easily accessible to the community including making it publicly available by transmitting it to local newspapers of general circulation and making it available for distribution at board of trustee meetings. (b) discussion of the progress made towards achievement of the goals set forth in the charter. (c) a certified financial statement setting forth, by appropriate categories, the revenues and expenditures for the preceding school year, including a copy of the most recent independent fiscal audit of the school and any audit conducted by the comptroller of the state of New York. (d) efforts taken by the charter school in the existing school year, and a plan for efforts to be taken in the succeeding school year, to meet or exceed enrollment and retention targets set by the board of regents or the board of trustees of the state university of New York, as applicable, of students with disabilities, English language learners, and students who are eligible applicants for the free and reduced price lunch program established pursuant to paragraph (e) of subdivision four of section twenty-eight hundred fifty-one of this article. * NB Effective January 1, 2011 3. The board of regents shall report annually to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly the following information: (a) The number, distribution, and a brief description of new charter schools established during the preceding year; (a-1) A list including the number of charter schools closed during the preceding year, and a brief description of the reasons therefor including, but not limited to, non-renewal of the charter or revocation of the charter; (b) The department's assessment of the current and projected programmatic and fiscal impact of charter schools on the delivery of services by school districts; (c) The academic progress of students attending charter schools, as measured against comparable public and nonpublic schools with similar student population characteristics wherever practicable; (d) A list of all actions taken by a charter entity on charter application and the rationale for the renewal or revocation of any charters; and (e) Any other information regarding charter schools that the board of regents deems necessary. The format for this annual report shall be developed in consultation with representatives of school districts and charter school officials. 4. The board of regents shall review the educational effectiveness of the charter school approach authorized by this article and the effect of charter schools on the public and nonpublic school systems. Not later than December thirty-first, two thousand three, the board of regentsshall report to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly and the board of regents with recommendations to modify, expand, or terminate that approach. Such report shall include, for each charter school, a copy of the school's mission statement, attendance statistics and dropout rates, student performance on standardized assessment tests, projections of financial stability, and, wherever practicable, comparisons to other public schools. 5. The board of regents shall on an annual basis review and make available to school districts best educational practices employed by charter schools.