(a) a charter school report card, which shall include measures of the
comparative academic and fiscal performance of the school, as prescribed
by the commissioner in regulations adopted for such purpose. Such
measures shall include, but not be limited to, graduation rates, dropout
rates, performance of students on standardized tests, college entry
rates, total spending per pupil and administrative spending per pupil.
Such measures shall be presented in a format that is easily comparable
to similar public schools. In addition, the charter school shall ensure
that such information is easily accessible to the community including
making it publicly available by transmitting it to local newspapers of
general circulation and making it available for distribution at board of
trustee meetings.
(b) discussion of the progress made towards achievement of the goals
set forth in the charter.
(c) a certified financial statement setting forth, by appropriate
categories, the revenues and expenditures for the preceding school year,
including a copy of the most recent independent fiscal audit of the
school and any audit conducted by the comptroller of the state of New
York.
(d) efforts taken by the charter school in the existing school year,
and a plan for efforts to be taken in the succeeding school year, to
meet or exceed enrollment and retention targets set by the board of
regents or the board of trustees of the state university of New York, as
applicable, of students with disabilities, English language learners,
and students who are eligible applicants for the free and reduced price
lunch program established pursuant to paragraph (e) of subdivision four
of section twenty-eight hundred fifty-one of this article.
3. The board of regents shall report annually to the governor, the
temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly the
following information:
(a) The number, distribution, and a brief description of new charter
schools established during the preceding year;
(a-1) A list including the number of charter schools closed during the
preceding year, and a brief description of the reasons therefor
including, but not limited to, non-renewal of the charter or revocation
of the charter;
(b) The department's assessment of the current and projected
programmatic and fiscal impact of charter schools on the delivery of
services by school districts;
(c) The academic progress of students attending charter schools, as
measured against comparable public and nonpublic schools with similar
student population characteristics wherever practicable;
(d) A list of all actions taken by a charter entity on charter
application and the rationale for the renewal or revocation of any
charters; and
(e) Any other information regarding charter schools that the board of
regents deems necessary.
The format for this annual report shall be developed in consultation
with representatives of school districts and charter school officials.
4. The board of regents shall review the educational effectiveness of
the charter school approach authorized by this article and the effect of
charter schools on the public and nonpublic school systems. Not later
than December thirty-first, two thousand three, the board of regents
shall report to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the
speaker of the assembly and the board of regents with recommendations to
modify, expand, or terminate that approach. Such report shall include,
for each charter school, a copy of the school's mission statement,
attendance statistics and dropout rates, student performance on
standardized assessment tests, projections of financial stability, and,
wherever practicable, comparisons to other public schools.
5. The board of regents shall on an annual basis review and make
available to school districts best educational practices employed by
charter schools.