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Monday, September 19, 2011

Audit knocks Recovery School District on oversight; gives good grades on academic performance | NOLA.com

Audit knocks Recovery School District on oversight; gives good grades on academic performance | NOLA.com:

Audit knocks Recovery School District on oversight; gives good grades on academic performance

Published: Monday, September 19, 2011, 12:05 PM Updated: Monday, September 19, 2011, 12:14 PM

The state's Recovery School District, an agency in charge of most public schools in New Orleans, has not provided tough enough oversight on academics, finances or legal compliance for the charter schools it oversees according to a Legislative audit released Monday.

abramson_school_students_hallway.jpgView full sizeThese students at Abramson Science and Technology Charter School were photographed Aug. 10.

It faults the district, as well as the state's charter office, for lacking an effective way to monitor academic performance at charter schools whose students aren't old enough to take standardized tests.

The audit also found that many charters turned in the financial reports they are required to provide the district after they were due. And it found that the district only collected and reviewed comprehensive data on whether charters are complying with legal