“CharterShield brought our school back focusing on the specific obligations spelled out in our charter, something that can be overlooked in the day-to-day operation of the school. Thanks to CharterShield’s consultant team, our governance is re-energized to set expectations of the school leadership to ensure the goals of our charter are met.”

— James Neimeier, Chair Board of Trustees, South Buffalo Charter School


Key Benefits

 

Investigate the critical areas that impact performance and charter renewal including:

  • School culture and academics
  • Operations effectiveness and compliance
  • Organizational leadership and governance
  • Community and parent relationships

Elevate Charter Schools

The development of the Delaware CharterShield™ program was funded by Longwood Foundation. CharterShield™ and CharterRenew™ are delivered in partnership with Elevate, a Charter Support Organization-aligned collaborative with a mission to help charter schools build capacity to be strong organizations that generate undeniable student success - the success that justifies the movement’s existence and expansion. www.elevatecharters.org

CharterShield™ and CharterRenew™

Preparing for Charter Renewal by Identifying and  Closing Gaps Between School Performance and the Requirements of the Charter Agreement

CharterShield™ and CharterRenew™ are annual performance and internal compliance audit services for charter schools. Both programs work in conjunction with a schools financial audit, and investigate all dimensions that impact school performance, from academics and governance to operations. CharterRenew™ is an expansion of CharterShield™ and is designed to actively engage the school board and staff in the renewal process. The goals of both programs are to help schools:

  • Identify gaps and vulnerabilities that can get in the way of a smooth renewal
  • Develop strategies to strengthen the school’s practices and achieve charter goals.
  • Access expert help to navigate the renewal process
  • Build peace of mind in knowing that the school is focused on the right issues and the school’s future is secure.

Steps that are common to the start of both programs include:

Gap Analysis Workshop

Workshop to help your school team (Board, leadership, and teachers) identify and understand obligations in the school’s charter that will be scrutinized by an authorizer.
 

Internal Audit

Quickly zero in on performance and compliance gaps. The internal audit is confidential and is done through a combination of self-evaluation and site visits.
 

Internal Audit Report

The school board and management team receive a confidentail Internal Performance Audit Report that clearly communicates areas of strength and weakness.
 

Additional CharterShield™ steps include:

Solution Development Help

Explore proven solution options including expert advice for performance and compliance gap areas to help develop and implement action.
 

Evaluation

Monitor implementation of action plans and communicate progress with the management team and board.
 

Additional CharterRenew™ steps include:

Preparation Help

Prepare for charter renewal by engaging in mock interviews, receiving expert advice on performance and compliance gap areas, and developing and implementing action plans.
 

Charter Renewal Application

Gather information, write and produce the charter renewal document for the school for review and editing prior to submission to the authorizer.