Charter Renewal Data Requirements: Building Your Evidence Portfolio

Eighteen months before renewal, Summit Charter's leadership began assembling documentation. They discovered gaps: missing board minutes from year two, incomplete enrollment records, no systematic tracking of intervention effectiveness. Scrambling to reconstruct history is far harder than maintaining records continuously.

This guide outlines what data charter schools need for renewal—and how to organize it for maximum impact.

Academic Performance Data

Required Data Elements

• • State assessment results: All years of charter term, all tested subjects and grades
• • Proficiency rates: Overall and by subgroup (race, income, EL, special education)
• • Growth data: Student growth percentiles or value-added measures if available
• • Comparison data: District, state, and similar school comparisons
• • Trend analysis: Year-over-year changes, trajectory toward goals
• • Internal assessments: Benchmark/interim assessment results showing progress during year

Presenting Academic Data

Raw data isn't enough. Present data with context and analysis:

• • Show trends over time, not just single-year snapshots
• • Provide comparison to relevant benchmarks
• • Acknowledge areas of weakness and explain response
• • Connect data to instructional decisions
• • Demonstrate understanding of what the data means

Financial Documentation

Required Financial Records

• • Annual audits: All years of charter term, with management letters
• • Budgets: Adopted budgets and budget-to-actual comparisons
• • Financial statements: Balance sheets, income statements, cash flow
• • Reserve documentation: Evidence of appropriate fund reserves
• • Grant compliance: Documentation of federal/state grant usage
• • Debt service: Records of any loans or bonds

Financial Health Indicators

Authorizers assess financial health through key ratios: current ratio (ability to meet short-term obligations), days cash on hand (liquidity), debt-to-asset ratio (leverage), and enrollment stability (revenue predictability).

Document not just the numbers but the story: how financial decisions supported mission, how challenges were addressed, and how sustainability is ensured.

Organizational and Governance Documentation

Board Governance

• • Board minutes: Complete minutes from all board meetings
• • Board composition: Current roster with qualifications and terms
• • Bylaws and policies: Current versions with amendment history
• • Conflict of interest: Annual disclosures from all board members
• • Board training: Documentation of governance training

Compliance Records

• • Enrollment and lottery: Application and lottery procedures, waitlist management
• • Special education: IEP compliance, service delivery documentation
• • English learners: Identification, services, reclassification records
• • Health and safety: Facility inspections, safety plans, drill logs
• • Staff credentials: Teacher certification, background checks

Mission-Specific Evidence

Charter schools have unique missions. Document fulfillment of yours:

• • Mission-aligned metrics: Data specific to your charter's focus (STEM outcomes, arts participation, etc.)
• • Program implementation: Evidence that promised programs are delivered
• • Stakeholder feedback: Surveys showing satisfaction with mission delivery
• • Success stories: Qualitative evidence of mission impact

Organizing Your Evidence

Create a Renewal Binder

Organize documentation systematically—whether physical or digital. Common organization includes: executive summary, academic performance section, financial section, governance section, compliance section, and appendices with supporting documents.

Tell a Coherent Story

Data alone doesn't make the case—narrative does. Your renewal application should tell a story of: mission clarity, performance toward goals, honest assessment of challenges, responsive improvement efforts, and capacity for continued success.

Address Weaknesses Proactively

Authorizers will identify problems. Beat them to it. Acknowledge areas of concern, explain what caused them, describe response and results, and outline plans for continued improvement.

Continuous Documentation

Don't wait for renewal to gather evidence. Build systems for continuous documentation:

• • Maintain organized records throughout the charter term
• • Conduct annual self-assessments against framework criteria
• • Keep board minutes current and comprehensive
• • Archive evidence of improvement efforts and outcomes
• • Track authorizer feedback and document responses

Summit Charter learned from their documentation scramble. They implemented a renewal readiness system: monthly documentation reviews, annual evidence compilation, and a standing renewal committee. When their next renewal came, they were ready.

Your evidence portfolio isn't just a renewal requirement—it's a management tool. Schools that track their own performance systematically are schools that improve. Documentation disciplines attention; attention drives results.