Authorizers identify distress using existing data and professional judgment rather than new data collection demands¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The report states that identifying schools in distress 'does not require vast reams of data or an increase in demands on schools'; for many authorizers it 'simply means looking at existing data differently.' Interviewed authorizers relied on data already being collected plus professional judgment honed by decades of collective experience, reviewing data longitudinally with an eye toward decline.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Authorizers must have the capacity and relationships to work with schools or other stakeholders to act on identified indicators

Constraints¶

• Acting on findings depends on the nature of the authorizer's role and on maintaining school-level autonomy

Target Learners¶

• Charter school authorizers and charter support organizations

Target Learning Goals¶

• Early flagging of schools needing guidance, supports, or thorough review

Related Strategies¶

• Use structured reflection questions in check-ins and board materials to surface leadership distress indicators

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• National Charter School Resource Center, lead authors Aimee Evan, Laura Groth, and Hannah Sullivan. (2020). Identifying Indicators of Distress in Charter Schools: Part 1 The Role and Perspective of Charter School Authorizers. Bethesda, MD: Manhattan Strategy Group. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED609911