Metro Nashville Public Schools’ Office of Innovation has been named one of four organizations nationwide to receive a Performance Management, Replication and Closure (PMRC) Grant from the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). The estimated value of the grant is more than $100,000, primarily in in-kind services.
“Being selected as one of just four cities nationwide shows the level of care and commitment surrounding school choices that is happening in Nashville,” said Alan Coverstone, executive director of the Office of Innovation. “We have proven, and continue to prove, our ability to offer traditional public schools, charter schools, and innovative schools. The key is to maintain oversight of all schools to ensure they are delivering what they’ve promised families.”
The grant will enable Metro Schools to increase the number of high performing schools, further develop tools that will assist the district in authorizing and renewing charter applicants, and expand educational opportunities for all students.
Metro Schools’ commitment to quality authorizing of charter schools and dedication to high performing schools increased its attractiveness to NACSA, ranking Nashville as one of the very best authorizers in the country. Two other organizations have been selected to receive the grant, with a fourth to be announced:
· Metro Nashville Public Schools,
· Ball State University, and
· Atlanta Public Schools.
Each grant recipient exhibits strong policies and procedures and large portfolios of high quality charter schools. All organizations have a complete collection of outstanding tools for making sure that only charter schools that will improve outcomes for students are authorized. Metro Schools, and the other organizations, will serve as working demonstrations of the very best of authorizing practices nationwide and will illustrate what NACSA has learned because of its commitment to quality.
Through the PMRC grant, Metro Schools will benefit from the expertise of Public Impact, a leader in the study of school turnaround, and Matthew Shaw, a nationally recognized expert in charter school financials. In partnership with Public Impact and Shaw, Metro Schools will develop clear academic, organizational and financial targets that charter schools must meet to renew the charter. Additionally, Metro Schools will receive training to establish internal review teams that will perform assessments in future years. The initial training for the internal review teams will take place March 28 as a webinar, with a full-day training following on April 26. The academic indicators and trained internal review teams will ensure that Metro Schools’ investments in charters results in greater educational opportunities for all students.
The district will enhance replication - replicating an existing charter school - and closure procedures to ensure both are in line with the NACSA Principles and Standards, which are considered the gold standard throughout the country. The grant has already begun to set Metro Schools apart as a national leader in charter school authorization.
About NACSA
The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) is the trusted resource and innovative leader working with public officials and education leaders to increase the number of high-quality charter schools in cities and states across the nation. NACSA provides training, consulting, and policy guidance to authorizers and education leaders interested in increasing the number of high-quality schools and improving student outcomes.
