STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

(1) (("Authorizer" shall have the same meaning as set forth in RCW 28A.710.010(3).

(3))) "Board" means the state board of education.

(((4))) (2) "School district" or "district" means a school district board of directors.

A school district intending to file an application during a calendar year to be approved as a charter school authorizer must submit to the state board of education a notice of intent to file such application by October 1st of ((the prior)) that same year((; provided, however, that a district seeking approval as an authorizer in 2013 must provide such notice of intent to submit an application by April 1, 2013)). A district may not file an authorizer application in a calendar year unless it has filed a timely notice of intent as provided for herein. A notice of intent shall not be construed as an obligation to submit an application under these rules. The board shall post on its public web site a form for use by districts in submitting notice of intent, and shall post ((on its web site)) all notices of intent upon receipt.

(1) The state board of education shall develop and make available on its web site, no later than October 1st of each year, an "authorizer application" that must be used by school districts seeking to be approved as a charter school authorizer((; provided, however, that the board shall make available on its web site the authorizer application for those districts seeking approval in 2013 by April 1, 2013)). The application may include such attachments as deemed required by the board to support and complete the application.

(2) A school district seeking approval to be a charter school authorizer must submit an "authorizer application" to the state board of education by December 31st of the year ((in which)) prior to the year the district seeks approval as an authorizer((; provided, however, that a district application for approval to be a charter school authorizer in 2013 must be submitted to the board, as provided herein, no later than July 1, 2013)). The district's completed application must be ((sent)) submitted via electronic mail to sbe@k12.wa.us ((with the original hand delivered or mailed to the board at the following address:

The original and electronic version of the application must be received by the board no later than the date provided above)) by the date specified in this section. The board shall post on its web site each application received from a school district.

(3) A school district must provide sufficient and detailed information regarding all of the following in the authorizer application submitted to the board:

(a) The district's strategic vision for chartering. The district must state the purposes that it expects to fulfill in being an authorizer of charter schools, with ((specific)) reference to the ((statutory purposes)) findings and intents set forth in RCW 28A.710.005, as well as any district-specific purposes that are a ((particular)) priority for the district; the characteristics of the school or schools it is most interested in authorizing, while maintaining a commitment to considering all charter applicants based on the merits of their proposals and the likelihood of success((; how the school or schools it wishes to authorize might differ from the schools the district currently operates with regard to such features as staffing, schedule, curriculum, and community engagement)); the educational goals it wishes to achieve; how it will give priority to serving at-risk students, as defined in RCW 28A.710.010(2), or students from low-performing schools; and how it will ((protect)) respect the autonomy and ((promote)) ensure the accountability of the charter schools it oversees.

(b) A plan to support the vision presented, including explanations and evidence of the applicant's budget and personnel capacity and commitment to execute the responsibilities of quality charter authorizing. "Budget and personnel capacity" means the district's capability of providing sufficient ((assistance,)) oversight ((and)), monitoring, and assistance to ensure that the charter schools it authorizes will meet all fiscal, academic and operational requirements under chapter 28A.710 RCW and comply with all applicable state and federal laws. A district's evidence of budget and personnel capacity shall consist, at a minimum, of a detailed description of the following:

(i) Staff resources to be devoted to charter authorizing and oversight under chapter 28A.710 RCW, in full-time equivalent employees, at a level sufficient to fulfill its authorizing responsibilities in accordance with the (("))NACSA Principles and Standards ((for Quality Charter Authorizing" developed by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers)) and the provisions of chapter 28A.710 RCW;

(ii) Job titles, job descriptions, and ((qualifications)) brief bios and resumes of district personnel with anticipated authorizing responsibilities under RCW 28A.710.030, demonstrating the district's access to ((competent and necessary)) expertise in all areas essential to charter school oversight including, but not limited to: School leadership; curriculum, instruction and assessment; special education, English language learners((,)) and other diverse learning needs; performance management((;)) and law, finance and facilities, through staff and any contractual relationships or ((interagency collaborations)) partnerships with other public entities; and

(iii) An estimate, supported by verifiable data, of the financial needs of the authorizer and a projection, to the extent feasible, of sufficient financial resources, supported by the authorizer oversight fee under RCW 28A.710.110 and any other resources, to carry out its authorizing responsibilities in accordance with ((National)) the NACSA Principles and Standards ((developed by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers)) and the provisions of chapter 28A.710 RCW.

(c) A draft or preliminary outline of the request for proposal(((s))) that the district would, if approved as an authorizer, issue to solicit charter school ((applicants)) applications. The draft or preliminary outline of the request for proposal(s) shall meet all of the requirements set forth in RCW 28A.710.130 (1)(b) and demonstrate that the ((applicant intends to)) district will implement a comprehensive charter application process that follows fair procedures and rigorous criteria, and an evaluation and oversight process based on a performance framework meeting the requirements of ((chapter 28A.710)) RCW 28A.710.170.

(d) A draft of the performance framework that the district would, if approved as an authorizer, use to guide the ((establishment)) execution of a charter contract and for ongoing oversight and performance evaluation of charter schools. The draft of the performance framework shall, at a minimum, meet the requirements of RCW 28A.710.170(2) including descriptions of each indicator, measure and metric enumerated therein((;)), and shall provide that student academic proficiency, student academic growth, achievement gaps in both proficiency and growth, graduation rates, and postsecondary readiness are measured and reported in conformance with the achievement index developed by the state board of education under RCW 28A.657.110.

(e) A draft of the district's proposed renewal, revocation, and nonrenewal processes, consistent with RCW 28A.710.190 and 28A.710.200. The draft provided must, at a minimum, provide for the implementation of transparent and rigorous processes that:

(i) Establish clear standards for renewal, nonrenewal, and revocation of charters it may authorize under RCW 28A.710.100;

(ii) Set reasonable and effective timelines for actions that may be taken under RCW 28A.710.190 and 28A.710.200;

(iii) Describe how academic, financial and operational performance data will be used in making decisions under RCW 28A.710.190 and 28A.710.200;

(iv) Outline a plan to take appropriate corrective actions, or exercise sanctions short of revocation, in response to identified deficiencies in charter school performance or legal compliance, in accordance with the charter contract and the provisions of ((chapter 28A.710)) RCW 28A.710.180.

(4) A district must sign a statement of assurances submitted with its application, ((that)) which shall be included as an attachment to the authorizing contract executed between the approved district and the state board of education, stating that it seeks to serve as an authorizer in fulfillment of the expectations, spirit, and intent of chapter 28A.710 RCW, and that if approved as an authorizer it will:

(a) Seek opportunities for authorizer professional development, and assure that personnel with significant responsibilities for authorizing and oversight of charter schools will participate in any authorizer training provided or required by the state;

(b) Provide public accountability and transparency in all matters concerning charter authorizing practices, decisions, and expenditures;

(c) Solicit applications for both new charter schools and conversion charter schools, while appropriately distinguishing the two types of charter schools in proposal requirements and evaluation criteria;

(d) Ensure that any charter school it oversees shall have a fully independent governing board and exercise autonomy in all matters, to the extent authorized by chapter 28A.710 RCW, in such areas as ((budget)) budgeting, personnel and ((educational programs)) instructional programming and design;

(e) Ensure that any contract it may execute with the governing board of an approved charter school under RCW 28A.710.160 provides that the school will provide educational services to students with disabilities, students who are limited English proficient, and any other special populations of students as required by state and federal laws;

(f) Include in any charter contract it may execute with the governing board of an approved charter school, in accordance with RCW 28A.710.160(2), educational services that at a minimum meet the basic education standards set forth in RCW 28A.150.220.

(1) The board shall evaluate an application submitted by a school district seeking to be an authorizer and issue a decision approving or denying the application by April 1st of each year((; provided, however, that the board shall issue a decision approving or denying a district's application timely submitted for approval in 2013 by no later than September 12, 2013. The state board may utilize the services of external reviewers with expertise in educational, organizational and financial matters in evaluating applications. The board may, at its discretion, require personal interviews with district personnel for the purpose of reviewing an application)).

(2) ((For an application to be approved, the state board must find it to be satisfactory in providing all of the information required to be set forth in the application.)) In evaluating each application, the board will rate each part of the application as set forth in WAC 180-19-030 (3)(a) through (e) as well-developed, partially developed, or undeveloped, based on criteria for evaluation included in the authorizer application developed and made publicly available pursuant to WAC 180-19-030(1).

(3) In its evaluation the board will ((also)) consider whether the district's proposed ((polices)) policies and practices are consistent with the NACSA Principles and Standards ((for quality charter school authorizing developed by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers)), as required by RCW 28A.710.100(3), in at least the following areas:

(a) Organizational capacity: Commit human and financial resources necessary to conduct authorizing duties effectively and efficiently;

(b) Solicitation and evaluation of charter applications: Implement a comprehensive application process that includes clear application questions and rigorous criteria, and grants charters only to applicants who demonstrate strong capacity to establish and operate a charter school;

(c) Performance contracting: Execute contracts with charter schools that articulate the rights and responsibilities of each party regarding school autonomy, funding, administration and oversight, outcomes, measures for evaluating success or failure, performance consequences, and other material terms;

(d) Ongoing charter school oversight and evaluation: Conduct contract oversight that competently evaluates performance and monitors compliance, ensures schools' legally entitled autonomy, protects student rights, informs intervention, revocation and renewal decisions, and provides annual reports as required by chapter 28A.710 RCW; and

(e) Charter renewal and revocation processes: Design and implement a transparent and rigorous process that uses comprehensive academic, financial and operational performance data to make merit-based renewal decisions, and revokes charters when necessary to protect student and public interests.

(7) For an application to be approved, the board must find it to be well developed in each part of the application as set forth in WAC 180-19-030(3). A determination that an application does not ((provide the required information, or does not)) meet standards of quality authorizing in any ((component)) part, shall constitute grounds for disapproval. If the state board disapproves an application, it shall state in writing the reasons for the disapproval, with specific reference to the criteria included in the authorizer application.

(((3))) (8) The ((state)) board ((of education)) shall post on its public web site the applications of all school districts approved as authorizers. A school district approved as an authorizer shall post its application on a public web site.

No later than April 15th, each authorizer shall annually issue requests for proposals for charter schools meeting the requirements of RCW 28A.710.130. ((For the year 2013, a request for proposal must be issued by no later than September 22, 2013. Requests for proposals in all subsequent years must be issued no later than April 15th.))

(1) An applicant, as defined in RCW 28A.710.010, seeking approval must:

(a) Submit a nonbinding notice of intent to be approved as a proposed charter school not less than thirty days before the last date for submission of an application to an authorizer as provided in this section. An applicant may not ((file)) submit a charter school application in a calendar year unless it has filed timely notice of intent as provided herein; and

(b) Submit an application for a proposed charter school to an authorizer by no later than July 15th of the year in which the applicant seeks approval. ((Provided, however, that an applicant seeking approval to operate a charter school in 2014 must submit an application to an authorizer by no later than November 22, 2013.))

(2) An authorizer receiving an application for a proposed charter school must either approve or deny the proposal by no later than October 15th of the year in which the application is received((; Provided, however, that for applications received in 2013, the authorizer must approve or deny the proposal by no later than February 24, 2014)).

(3) The authorizer must provide the state board of education with a written report of the approval or denial of an applicant's proposal for a charter school within ten days of such action((, but no later than October 25th, whichever is sooner. Provided, however, that for proposals for charter schools received in 2013, the report must be received within ten days of the action, but no later than March 6, 2014, whichever is sooner)). The notice must comply with the requirements set forth in RCW 28A.710.150(2). The report shall be sent to the board via electronic mail to sbe@k-12.wa.us.

(1) Upon receipt of notice from an authorizer that a charter school has been approved, the chair of the state board of education shall certify whether the approval is in compliance with the limits in RCW 28A.710.150 on the maximum number of charter((s in RCW 28A.710.150)) schools that may be established. Certification from the ((state)) board ((of education)) must be obtained before final authorization of a charter school. The certification of a charter school shall be posted on the board's web site.

(2) If the board receives notification of charter approvals under this section on the same day, and the total number of approvals exceeds the limits in RCW 28A.710.150(1) on the maximum number of charter schools that may be established for operation in any single year, the board will select approved charters for certification through a lottery process as follows:

(a) The board shall notify the authorizer that the approved charter school has not been certified by the board for operation and must be selected for certification through a lottery.

(b) Within thirty days after determining that the limit for charter schools has been exceeded, the board shall conduct a lottery, as required by RCW 28A.710.150(3), at a publicly noticed meeting to select and certify approved charters for implementation. The board shall randomly draw the names of charter schools from the available pool of approved charter schools that have not been certified until the maximum allowable total number of charter schools has been selected.

(ii))) (c) Once the total number of charter schools that may be established in any single year under RCW 28A.710.150 is exceeded, the board shall certify a charter school for operation in a subsequent year in which a charter school may be established within the limits set forth in RCW 28A.710.150(1), based upon the charter's selection in the lottery.