S. 686 · 112th Congress
Charter School Quality Act of 2011
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 112th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
6 cosponsors · 5 D, 1 I
6 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
Charter School Quality Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to add to the criteria the Secretary of Education is to consider when deciding whether to give a state priority in the receipt of public charter school grants.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Mar 30, 2011
Charter School Quality Act of 2011 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to add to the criteria the Secretary of Education is to consider when deciding whether to give a state priority in the receipt of public charter school grants.
Favors states that ensure that public charter schools are held to the student performance standards set forth in their performance contracts, and: (1) have a statewide authorized public chartering agency; (2) work with authorized public chartering agencies to streamline data collection and reporting; (3) ensure that those agencies follow high-quality standards that reflect best practices; (4) have a transparent process for accrediting, training, or evaluating those agencies; and/or (5) make student achievement a primary factor in decisions to approve, renew, or revoke school charters.
Directs the Secretary, when assessing a state's grant application, to consider the rigor of the process it establishes to ensure that subgrants are awarded only to high-quality applicants that are likely to create high-performing charter schools.
Directs the Secretary to award grants to successful public charter schools, high-quality public chartering agencies, and experienced nonprofit organizations to: (1) disseminate information about successful innovations in education; or (2) assist other schools, chartering agencies, charter support organizations, and nonprofit organizations in utilizing such innovations.
Requires public charter schools to: (1) conduct an annual, independent, and timely financial audit that is filed with their chartering agency; (2) have a written, legally-binding performance contract or charter with an authorized public chartering agency in their state; and (3) be governed by a board that is independent from the chartering agency and has autonomy over decisions.
Requires authorized public chartering agencies or authorizers to use student performance and growth at the whole school level and for certain student subgroups as a primary factor in assessing public charter schools and determining whether to renew or revoke their charters.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Charter School Quality Act of 2011
Latest action (Mar 30, 2011): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Policy area: Education · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Mar 30, 2011
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.