All public charter schools in Idaho are issued a performance certificate by their authorizer. This document is a legal agreement detailing the roles and responsibilities of both parties and identifying the five-year operational term awarded to the school. The IPCSC’s performance framework is incorporated into each school’s performance certificate and serves to communicate the expected performance outcomes. Each year, schools’ actual outcomes are measured against these established standards, and an annual report is issued to the school and the public. These reports are then used to inform the IPCSC’s renewal decisions at the end of each school’s performance certificate term.
The performance framework that applies to all schools establishes standards for outcomes in three categories: Academic, Operational, and Financial.
Academic
The academic section focuses on quantitative academic outcomes. It reflects the IPCSC’s commitment to considering schools’ performance in the context of their communities and student demographics. Although some results may not be made publicly available, in order to protect individually identifiable student information, the IPCSC may still use this information for the purpose of making authorizing decisions.
Operational
The operational section of the framework contains measures designed to consider whether schools are operating in compliance with federal and state law, authorizer requirements, and the provisions of their performance certificates. These measures are separated into board stewardship and management.
Financial
The financial section evaluates schools’ near-term and long-term sustainability. The eight measures in this section are designed to help evaluate a school’s responsible use of public funds by indicating the financial health of the school.