Summary

Indiana HB 1338 (Open States or Indiana Legislature) primarily focuses on increasing charter school accountability, as well as access to high quality charter schools, but the legislation also supports virtual charter schools and ensures that students attending virtual schools are not disadvantaged.

Legislative Analysis

HB 1338 increases accountability for charter schools through the following provisions, among others:

• requires the state department of education to include a charter school annual report on their website;
• requires greater financial accountability from charter schools that close or have their charter revoked;
• requires all approved authorizers to adopt standards of quality charter school authorizing as defined by a nationally recognized organization with expertise in charter school authorizing;
• requires authorizers to develop a charter school closure protocol;

• provides for a third party review by the state board of education before a nonrenewal school can change authorizers; and
• requires that a charter school agreement must include a requirement that a charter school not remain in the lowest category or designation of school improvement in the third year after initial placement in the lowest category or designation.

The law provides for greater access to high quality charter schools by:

• allowing authorizers to award multiple charters to an organizer on a single application;
• codifying special education funding for charter schools; and
• defining education service providers and codifying the relationship between an ESP and an organizer.

Regarding virtual charter schools, HB 1338:

• requires the state department of education, with the approval of the state board of education, to submit an annual report to the budget committee pertaining to virtual charter schools;
• provides that a virtual charter school receives state tuition support in the same manner as a charter school;
• removes a requirement that 60% of the students of a virtual charter school must have been included in the state’s ADM (average daily membership) count for the previous school year;
• provides that a virtual charter school is eligible to receive new charter school startup grants;
• provides that a virtual charter school is eligible to receive career and technical education grants; and
• provides that a virtual charter school is eligible to receive honors diploma awards.

HB 1338 has a strong positive impact on digital learning in Indiana through increasing accountability for quality, funding sources, and access at charter schools, including charter virtual schools.

Legislative History

Detailed Vote History: Legiscan |  Open States

Approved by Governor Rick Scott on 4/22/2013