Category

Sub-category

Pilot Schools

Horace Mann Charter Schools

Commonwealth Charter Schools

Oversight

Oversight entity

Boston Public Schools (BPS).

BPS and the state, through MA Department of Education.

MA Department of Education.

Evaluation

BPS superintendent and BPS/BTU Steering Committee.

MA Board of Education.

MA Board of Education.

Head of school evaluation

Governing board, with BPS superintendent having final authority.

Board of Trustees has complete authority.

Board of Trustees has complete authority.

Accountability

School Quality Review every five years; BPS/BTU intervention process for schools of concern.

Charter Renewal every five years.

Charter Renewal every five years.

Audit

No requirement for annual audit, as general school funds are managed by BPS.

Must do an annual audit and produce annual report, as general school funds are managed by the school.

Must do an annual audit and produce annual report, as general school funds are managed by the school.

Union and District

Contractual work conditions

Exempt from most work conditions defined by BTU contract. Work conditions are defined at the school level in an election-to-work agreement.

Exempt from most work conditions defined by BTU contract, as defined in the charter proposal.

Exempt from work conditions defined by BTU contract. Charter proposal defines work conditions.

School committee and district

Exempt from school committee policies and district regulations.

Exempt from school committee policies and district regulations.

Exempt from school committee policies and district regulations.

Grievances

Each Pilot School must have in place an appeals and dispute resolution process that a teacher may use if there is a dispute with an administrator.

May develop own grievance procedure.

May develop own grievance procedure.

Funding

Funding formula

Lump sum per pupil funding formula based on BPS average cost per pupil for regular education, ELL, special education, and vocational education students.

Lump sum per pupil funding formula based on BPS average cost per pupil for regular education, ELL, special education, and vocational education students.

Funding comes from local school district at a per pupil amount for every child leaving the system to go to a Charter.

Central office discretionary services

Have the choice of purchasing select discretionary central office services or adding the per pupil funds to their lump sum budgets.

Have the choice to purchase a greater range of discretionary central office services or to add the per pupil funds to their lump sum budgets.

Not applicable. Operate separately from school district.

State and federal grants

Receive state and federal grants through BPS.

Receive state and federal grants directly.

Receive state and federal grants directly.

Facilities

Do not have to pay for facility if housed in city-owned building. Must pay for own facility if housed in non-city-owned building.

Do not have to pay for facility if housed in city-owned building. Must pay for own facility if housed in non-city-owned building.

Must pay for own facility.

Teacher hiring and salary level

Employ certified teachers at district salary level.

Employ certified teachers at district salary level.

Employ certified or uncertified teachers with salary level determined by the school.

Personnel

Layoffs

Affected by personnel “bumping” during time of layoff.

Exempt from personnel “bumping” during time of layoff.

Not applicable. Operate separately from school district.

Teacher evaluation

Pilot Schools voluntarily agreed to use BPS evaluation procedure for teachers but may also establish their own additional teacher evaluation processes.

Develop own teacher evaluation system.

Develop own teacher evaluation system.

Admissions

Elementary and middle schools must use the district lottery process. High schools may use a common Pilot application and their own admissions process, but may not screen for academic achievement.

Must have admissions process, and a lottery must be held if number of applicants exceeds spaces.

Must have admissions process, and a lottery must be held if number of applicants exceeds spaces.

Enrollment

Projected enrollment

If a Pilot School falls 5% below its projected enrollment, it must repay the district the per pupil differential. Likewise, if a Pilot School goes 5% over its projected enrollment, BPS adds to its budget the per pupil differential above 5%.

If enrollment falls below projection, school must repay BPS.

State tuition payments based on actual enrollment.

Students served in substantially separate classroom placements

Required by BPS to accept students served in substantially separate classroom placements outside of admissions process.

Required to enroll students served in substantially separate classroom placements.

Required to enroll students served in substantially separate classroom placements.

School Data

MCAS

MCAS results published as school within BPS.

MCAS results published as individual school district.

MCAS results published as individual school district.

Report cards and diplomas

Report cards and diplomas administered by school district.

Charter school administers own report cards and diploma unless the school chooses to have district administer them.

Charter school administers own report cards and diploma.

Disaggregated data

Various types of disaggregated data are provided automatically by BPS.

Must send data to district and state.

Must send data to state.