Issue Briefs

Currently, NACSA is publishing a series of Authorizer Issue and Policy Briefs to showcase in a quick and easy to read format specific authorizing issues, challenges, practices, and strategies that illustrate and instruct the theory and practice of charter school authorizing.  THe PDF versions are free and available for download. Please click on a title below.


Newly Released Issue Briefs:

Measuring Charter School Financial Health - (October, 2009)
By Ben Aase


Leave No Charter Behind: An Authorizer Guide to the Use of Growth Data - (July, 2009)
By Dr. Jody Ernst and Richard Wenning



Creative Commons License
Leave No Charter Behind: An Authorizer Guide to the Use of Growth Data by National Association of Charter School Authorizers is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.


Past Issue Briefs:

Issue Brief No. 1 - Renewal Decisionmaking
"When It Really Matters: Charter Renewal Decisions at the State University of New York" - William Haft

Issue Brief No. 2 - Roles and Responsibilities
"Building a Foundation for Success: How Authorizers Can Help Schools with the Facilities Challenge" - Robin Halsband and Bryan C. Hassel

Issue Brief No. 3 - Agency Capacity and Infrastructure
"Built for Quality: The Capacity Needed to Oversee Charter Schools" - Nelson Smith and Paul Herdman

Issue Brief No. 4 - Ongoing Oversight and Evaluation
"The Value of Quality On-Site School Reviews: Seeing Is Believing" - Rebecca Wolf DiBiase

Issue Brief No. 5 - Ongoing Oversight and Evaluation II
"Charter School Authorizers and Oversight: Where is the Line Between Effectively Holding Schools Accountable and Overregulation?"

Issue Brief No. 6 - Agency Capacity and Infrastructure
"School Districts Choosing to Charter" - Robin Lake

Issue Brief No. 7 - Agency Capacity and Infrastructure II
"Square Pegs: Charter Authorizers in Non-Charter Agencies" - Nelson Smith

Issue Brief No. 8 - Renewal Decisionmaking
"The Authorizer and Charter School Closures: Exercising Adaptive Leadership to Protect the Public Interest" - Veronica Geyer

Issue Brief No. 9 - Role and Responsibilities
"Steering the Course for Success: Authorizers and Effective Charter School Governance" - Marci Cornell-Feist

Issue Brief No. 10 - Role and Responsibilities
"A Primer on Virtual Charter Schools: Mapping the Electronic Frontier" - Gregg Vanourek

Issue Brief No. 11 - Role and Responsibilities
"Authorizing Virtual Charter Schools: Rules of the Road on the Digital Highway" - Gregg Vanourek

Issue Brief No. 12
“Steadying the Three-Legged Stool: Authorizers, Charter Schools, and Education Service Providers” - Adam Lowe and Margaret Lin

Issue Brief No. 13
"Navigating Special Education in Charter Schools Part I: Understanding Legal Roles and Responsibilities" - Lauren Morando Rhim

Issue Brief No. 14
"Navigating Special Education in Charter Schools Part II: The Authorizers’ Role in Ensuring Quality Special Education Programs" - Lauren Morando Rhim

Issue Brief No. 15
"Good to Govern: Evaluating the Capacity of Charter School Founding Boards" – Marci Cornell-Feist

Issue Brief 15: Diagnostic Tool

Issue Brief No. 16 - October, 2007
“Starting Fresh in Low Performing Schools” - David T. Kindler

Issue Brief No. 17 - December, 2008
“Stepping Up: University Leadership in the Charter School Sector” – Kim Wechtenhiser

Issue Brief No. 18 - February, 2009
"The Terms of the Deal: A Quality Charter School Contract Defined" – William Haft