FEBRUARY 05, 2014Low-performing charter given green light to expand
(Calif.) Following through with a promise to hold underperforming charters to the same accountability standards as other schools, the California Charter Schools Association has challenged a decision by a San Jose district to allow a struggling charter to expand further.
The Latino College Prep Academy, which serves about 370 high school students drawn from the hardscrabble neighborhoods of east San Jose, falls into the lowest 20 percent of performing schools in California and has consistently under-performed when compared to other schools serving similar student demographics.
“Accountability means supporting the growth of high-performing schools and illuminating those charter schools that are not providing a high-quality education,” Jed Wallace, president and CEO of the Charter Schools Association, said in a statement criticizing the Eastside Union High School District for agreeing to allow the charter to replicate two new sites.
“We cannot have an honest discussion about education reform and increasing accountability and then continue to allow chronically low-performing charters to replicate,” said Wallace. “(Latino College Prep Academy) has missed the minimum performance benchmarks that CCSA members created to identify persistently under-performing charter schools. As a result, replicating a failing
Longer student day should accompany Common Core
(District of Columbia) States and districts should consider adding time to the school schedule if they hope to successfully implement and gain from new, national Common Core standards, says a report released Tuesday.