CHAPTER 128
FORMERLY
SENATE BILL NO. 147
AS AMENDED BY
SENATE AMENDMENT NOS. 1 & 2
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14, CHAPTER 5 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO REPORTING AND OVERSIGHT, INNOVATION, AND COLLABORATION OF CHARTER SCHOOLS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
Section 1. Amend § 513, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making insertions as shown by underlining and deletions as shown by strike through as follows:
§ 513. Reporting and oversight.
(a) On or before November 1, each charter school shall produce an annual report for the school year ending the previous June, which shall: (1) discuss the school's progress in meeting overall student performance goals and standards; (2) discuss the innovation occurring at the charter school, including but not limited to the areas of curriculum development, instruction, student culture and discipline, community and parental involvement, teacher and staff development, school operations and management, and extracurricular and after-school programming; and (3) contain a financial statement setting forth by appropriate categories the school's revenues and expenditures and assets and liabilities. To ensure that such reports provide parents and approving authorities with clear and comparable information about the performance of charter schools, the Department of Education shall prescribe a uniform format for such reports, which may be supplemented by requirements set by the approving authority for schools it has chartered. The charter school shall contract to have an audit of the business and financial transactions, records, and accounts after July 1 for the prior fiscal year. The results of the audit shall be shared with the Department of Education. A charter school shall display on its website the annual report including financial statement and audit required by this subsection.
Section 2. Amend § 514, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making insertions as shown by underlining and deletions as shown by strike through as follows:
§ 514. State reports on the charter school program.
Annually, the Department shall prepare a report for the Governor, and the General Assembly, and the State Board of Education on the success or failure of charter schools and propose changes in state law necessary to improve or change the charter school program. Such report shall contain a section comparing the per student expenditures of charter schools, considering all sources of such expenditures, with those of other public schools. Such report shall also contain: (1) the Secretary of Education's analysis of, recommendations relating to, and proposed changes relating to Delaware education laws, in light of the content of annual reports submitted pursuant to Section 513 of Title 14; and (2) the Secretary's assessment of specific opportunities and barriers relating to the implementation of charters schools' innovations in the broader Delaware public education school system.
Section 3. The Task Force for Promoting Charter-District Collaboration (hereinafter "Task Force") is hereby established to consider the current state of collaboration between public charter schools and traditional public schools and to develop recommendations for strengthening such collaboration. At a minimum, the recommendations will include:
1. Development of an ongoing, sustainable mechanism for sharing effective practices between public charter schools and traditional public schools; and
2. Development of requirements for documenting and sharing effective practices for any recipients of the Charter Performance Fund.
The Task Force shall be composed of the following members, who shall be appointed by the appointing authority:
1. A representative of the Delaware Department of Education, appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Education, who shall act as chairperson of the Committee;
2. Two representatives of the Delaware State Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the State Senate;
3. Two representatives of the Delaware State House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
4. Three representatives of the Delaware Association of School Administrators, one from each county, appointed by the president of the Delaware Association of School Administrators;
5. Three representatives of the Chief School Officers Association, one from each county, appointed by the president of the Chief School Officers Association;
6. Three representatives of public charter schools, one from each county, appointed by the president of the Charter Schools Network;
7. Two teachers and one representative of the Delaware State Education Association, appointed by the president of the Delaware State Education Association;
8. Two experts in promoting the sharing of effective practices across schools, appointed by the Secretary of the Delaware Department of Education;
9. A representative of the Delaware State Board of Education, appointed by the President of the Delaware State Board of Education;
10. A representative of the Delaware School Boards Association, appointed by the president of the Delaware School Boards Association;
11. A representative of the Charter Schools Network appointed by the president of the Charter Schools Network;
12. A representative from the Delaware Business Roundtable appointed by the chair of the Delaware Business Roundtable Education Committee; and
13. A representative from the Office of the Governor appointed by the Governor.
The Committee shall present a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate by January 31, 2014. The Task Force shall cease to exist on January 31, 2014, absent further action by the General Assembly.
Section 4. The Act shall become effective on July 1, 2013.
Approved July 18, 2013