COLUMBUS – The state says nearly a third of Ohio charter school sponsors could have their authority revoked under new evaluations of how well the sponsors follow current educational rules and laws.
The 21 sponsors that received a poor rating in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 sponsor evaluations released Thursday by the Department of Education can appeal with the final decision in the hands of the state school board.
Sponsors that receive a poor rating or three consecutive ineffective ratings are subject to revocation of their sponsorship authority. The sponsorship of individual schools would switch to the state if a new sponsor can’t be found.
The state rated 39 sponsors ineffective, meaning they can’t sponsor new schools and will have to create an improvement plan.
Only five sponsors were rated effective.
“High quality community schools are an important part of Ohio’s education system. Sponsors play an essential role: They bear the primary responsibility for overseeing the operations and quality of community schools,” said state school superintendent Paolo DeMaria.
The ratings are based on how well students are performing academically, the sponsors’ compliance with laws and rules and whether they are monitoring their schools’ compliance, and the sponsor’s adherence to national standards of quality.