What We Do: Charter School Authorizers
In Minnesota, the primary purpose of charter schools is to improve the learning, achievement, and success of all students. Charter schools are tuition-fee public schools, open to all students, and created to provide innovative ways to improve all student learning.
As a charter school authorizer, our role is to provide oversight of the schools authorized by Osprey Wilds, ensuring they meet their responsibilities as public charter schools in Minnesota. This oversight includes ongoing monitoring and in-depth evaluations of school performance, which we use to decide whether a school has earned the privilege to continue serving students. We hold this decision to a high standard because schools are educating Minnesota children with taxpayer dollars, and public schools carry a deep responsibility to their students, families, communities, and the public who funds them.
Osprey Wilds does not manage or operate any charter schools, and is not responsible for management level decisions, such as staffing, setting the budget, picking curriculum, scheduling assessments, etc. Instead, authorizers make sure schools are learning-focused, legally compliant, and soundly governed, guiding corrective action when students are not learning and, when necessary, closing schools, so schools can provide the best educational experience for students.
To learn more about the responsibilities of charter schools and OW’s authorizing practices, click on the headings below. Our authorizing plan (the Approved Authorizing Plan, or AAP) was approved by the Minnesota Department of Education and provides a complete description of all authorizing practices and policies.
Minnesota charter school statute outlines the key expectations and accountability structure for charter schools and authorizers. All schools must follow state and federal statutes as well as other regulatory requirements outlined by MDE and local government. In addition, Osprey Wilds enters into a contract with each authorized school that outlines key responsibilities of each party and articulates goals and outcomes to be achieved by the charter school.
No two schools are exactly alike, so Osprey Wilds works with the school to tailor performance metrics to reflect each school’s unique programming and student demographics. We work together to develop the accountability measures in their contracts. This approach to authorizing is designed to highlight the way each school uniquely improves the learning, achievement, and success of all students.
See these links for the charter school law Chapter 124E and for a template of the Osprey Wilds Charter Contract.
At Osprey Wilds, our role as an authorizer is to make sure schools are learning-focused, legally compliant, and soundly governed, guiding corrective action when students are not learning and, when necessary, closing schools, so schools can provide the best educational experience for students.
Osprey Wilds implements the following authorizing practices in order to hold schools accountable and to encourage continuous growth and reflection:
Data Review and Analysis – We regularly review a wide range of data to understand how each school is doing. This includes publicly available information, data from the Minnesota Department of Education, and reports schools submit to us directly. Our review of information is comprehensive, targeted, and aligned to the school’s contract and performance frameworks in order to track progress over time.
Site Visits & Board Observations – We visit schools regularly to get a firsthand look at what’s happening onsite. These visits help us verify that schools are meeting their goals and following all guidance and applicable law. The number and focus of these visits are determined by Osprey Wilds based on school need. During a site visit, evaluators may observe classrooms, tour the building, and talk with key stakeholders like board members, school leaders, teachers, parents, and students. In a school’s renewal year, we conduct a more in-depth visit to gather further information to guide school development and renewal decisions. We also attend at least one board meeting per year for each school we authorize. This allows us to observe how the school is being governed and to stay connected with board-level work.
Feedback & Strategic Intervention – We share feedback with schools in a variety of ways: formal performance evaluations, feedback letters from site visits and board observations, board presentations, and conversations with school leaders and board members. We also give schools the chance to respond or provide more context if needed.
If a school is falling short of expectations or not in compliance with its contract or state law, Osprey Wilds may take further action. This could include offering extra support or using one of the formal interventions listed in the school’s charter contract in Exhibit Q: Range of Possible Interventions.
Osprey Wilds conducts performance evaluations in the areas of academics, environmental education, financial, and operations for each of its authorized schools. When a school’s contract is in its final year, Osprey Wilds completes a detailed evaluation of the school’s performance throughout the term of the charter contract. The primary goal of this summative performance evaluation is to determine whether or not the school has demonstrated that it is fulfilling the primary purpose of charter schools, and whether the school has earned the privilege of continuing to serve students. We hold this decision to a high standard because schools are educating Minnesota children with taxpayer dollars, and public schools carry a deep responsibility to their students, families, communities, and the public who funds them.
During the final year of an authorized school’s active contract, the school is required to submit an application for renewal that summarizes how it fulfilled the terms of its active contract, the strategic direction it plans for the years of a contract, and potential performance goals for a future contract. Osprey Wilds CSD reviews that application, conducts a Renewal Site Visit, completes a Renewal Evaluation Report, which consists of an academic, environmental education, financial, and operations evaluation. Then Osprey Wilds CSD compiles a recommendation for or against renewal to the Osprey Wilds Board of Directors. Those recommendations are reviewed and affirmed or amended by the Charter School Committee. The Charter School Committee’s recommendations are then presented to the Board for adoption or amendment.