Professional Services

Services We Offer

Authorizer Development provides direct, professional services to improve authorizer practices. Since 2009, we’ve provided guidance to authorizers that, together, oversee more than half of our nation’s charter schools. We have worked with authorizers of all sizes and in all geographies—some oversee fewer than five charter schools while others oversee more than 500. We can adapt our strategies to meet the needs of any authorizer—both staff and board—and its community.

Authorizer Startup, Planning, and Development

How do authorizers create a brand new agency? What happens when leadership changes composition or direction? We work with authorizers at all stages of development—from the moment they come into existence to good-to-great transitions, including strategic planning, board and staff orientation, budget modeling, and organizational restructuring.

Client Sampling

  • State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia
  • Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board
  • New Mexico Public Education Commission
Authorizer Testimonial

Tom Hutton
Executive Director, Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission

“If NACSA was able to achieve this degree of success while navigating Hawaii’s complex political, policy, and cultural challenges, I believe the organization is well positioned to improve authorizer capacity anywhere in the nation.”

Due Diligence

The best way to know whether a management organization is going to open a great new school is by knowing whether the schools they already operate are great. We produce customized reports that enable authorizers to understand a management organization’s operations and outcomes, and our Charter Operator Tracker (Beta) now helps authorizers do this work on their own.

Client Sampling

  • State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia
  • District of Columbia Public Charter School Board
  • Washington State Charter School Commission
Authorizer Testimonial

Jenna Hodgens
President, FACSA
Director of Charter Schools, Hillsborough County Schools

“As authorizers, we do everything we can to ensure the charters we approve have the best chance at success; this tool will be invaluable to Florida authorizers as we evaluate proposals for new schools.”

Application Decision Management

Choosing which schools to open is arguably the most important decision an authorizer makes, and one of the most difficult. We know this from experience—we’ve managed the evaluation of nearly 500 charter school applications, having launched this work in one of the most challenging environments, post-Katrina Louisiana. Since then we have helped authorizers across the country and internationally to establish sound processes for approving new schools that both recognize community needs and put children before politics. We advise at every step and can lead in any way, from developing the materials to managing the complete process, including presenting recommendations to the board.

Client Sampling

  • Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Department for Education, United Kingdom
  • Ministry of Education, New Zealand
Authorizer Testimonial

Chris Barbic
Former Superintendent, Tennessee Achievement School District

“We would not even be close to the kind of progress we have made in a short time without your efforts.”

Performance Management

NACSA develops and implements comprehensive performance management systems that allow authorizers to establish high expectations for schools and hold them accountable for results. Our expertise helps authorizers strike the right balance between school autonomy, and protecting student and public interests.

Client Sampling

  • Connecticut Department of Education
  • Orleans Parish School Board
  • Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission

Authorizer Evaluation

Every organization can benefit from having a mirror held up to its practices and having practical suggestions for improvement. We’ve conducted more than 60 in-depth assessments for authorizers large and small across the country. We deliver focused assessments and clear, actionable guidance based on our unique evidence-based protocol and national standards for quality authorizing.

Client Sampling

  • Texas Education Agency
  • Miami-Dade County Public Schools
  • District of Columbia Public Charter School Board
Authorizer Testimonial

Steve Canavero
Interim State Superintendent, Nevada Department of Education

“The evaluation process has been an absolute game changer. It has not only enabled me to make the tough decisions that authorizers must make, but also allowed for the rationale behind those decisions to have added merit.”

For more information about these services, please contact Erin Reddy, Manager of Authorizer Development.