The federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) provides funding to create new public charter schools, replicate high-quality public charter schools, and disseminate information about effective charter school practices. To ensure that grant funds are used effectively, CSP needs a partner to collect and monitor data to support its oversight of CSP grantees.
Purpose
WestEd takes a rigorous approach to monitoring and data collection and analysis, providing recommendations informed strictly by data. With this support, WestEd is helping the CSP ensure that federal funds help to expand high-quality charter school options.
WestEd uses a monitoring approach that is uniquely designed for each program and cohort of grantees and that focuses on critical concepts of program fidelity and financial responsibility. The primary purpose of the data collection is to understand the impact of the grant on grant-funded schools. This provides a more complete picture of grant implementation and impact for the CSP.
Audiences Served
The project serves the CSP (federal program office staff) and grantees, including state education agencies, other statewide entities, charter management organizations, charter school developers, and charter school finance organizations. WestEd also provides policymakers with nonpartisan information about the use and impact of CSP funds.
Project Activities
WestEd provides monitoring, data collection, and related technical assistance services to the CSP in support of its grants management and oversight responsibilities. The monitoring and data collection activities provide CSP and its grantees a systematic framework to report on and review grantee progress, compliance, and improvement.
Project Director
Sara Allender
Funder
U.S. Department of Education: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Charter Schools Program through the CSP Data Collection, Risk Assessment, and Monitoring contract (GS-10F-0288W).
Project Duration
9/28/2020–9/27/2025