The Charter Schools Law that was approved in California in 1992 opened the door to education reform and school choice, allowing charter schools to operate with autonomy and flexibility in exchange for higher accountability.

The growing number of charter schools and increased focus on the charter movement by the federal government call for improved accountability measures to ensure we follow through on the promise of high student achievement.  CCSA is leading the way in these efforts.

Taking the Lead on Improving Academic Accountability

CCSA’s Member Council, which consists of charter school leaders from across California, unanimously adopted a framework that calls for improving academic performance criteria and refining enforcement mechanisms to eliminate deficiencies in current law that make it difficult to close underperforming schools. 

Similar Students Measure

Developed by CCSA staff and building upon California’s Academic Performance Index (API) accountability system, the Similar Students Measure (SSM) raises current academic performance standards for charters while taking into account the background of students served.

CCSA Members:  Click Here For More Information on SSM

How We are Using the SSM Similar Students Measure (SSM) as an Accountability Model

With Schools:
The SSM Report Card is an innovative tool developed by CCSA to communicate with schools about their performance on the Similar Students Measure.  Through the SSM Report Card, we will be able to show schools their results each fall, a full six months before any comparable data would become available from the state.    School operators can use this tool, which offers a nuanced way of assessing school performance, to understand areas for growth and communicate about their successes.

The SSM Report Card is currently being piloted with charter schools across the state. We are currently incorporating feedback and preparing for a full launch in fall 2010. 

With the Broader Movement:
In addition to establishing a minimum bar for academic achievement, the SSM model enables us to look at a continuum of performance, identify schools that are far exceeding their predicted performance and compare charter performance with that of traditional public schools.

The CCSA Accountability and School Achievement Data Teams are using this data to conduct movement-wide analyses that will inform our ability to assess, monitor and improve upon the academic performance of charter schools.  These analyses enable us to identify trends in school performance, as well as track shifts in student populations.  The results reinforce CCSA’s position as the preeminent source for California charter school performance data and form a basis for strategic school support and advocacy.

For more information, please contact Ting Sun or Samantha Brown Olivieri.