2022 Annual Charter Schools Report SL 2013-335

Report to the North Carolina

General Assembly

2022 Annual Charter Schools Report

S.L. 2013-335; S.L. 2014-115; S.L. 2019-165;

S.L. 2020-49

Date Due: June 15, 2023

DPI Chronological Schedule, 2022-2023

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION VISION: Every public school student in North Carolina will be empowered to accept

academic challenges, prepared to pursue their chosen path after graduating high school, and encouraged

to become lifelong learners with the capacity to engage in a globally-collaborative society.

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MISSION: The mission of the North Carolina State Board of Education is to

use its constitutional authority to guard and maintain the right of a sound, basic education for every child in

North Carolina Public Schools.

ERIC DAVIS

Chair: Charlotte

– At-Large

ALAN DUNCAN

Vice Chair:

Greensboro – Piedmont-Triad Region

MARK ROBIN

SON

Lieutenant Governor: High Point

– Ex Officio

DALE FOLWELL

State Treasurer: Raleigh

– Ex Officio

CATHERINE TRUITT

Superintendent & Secretary to the Board: Cary

JILL CAMNITZ

Greenville

– Northeast Region

REGINALD KENAN

Rose Hill

– Southeast Region

AMY WHITE

Garner

– North Central Region

OLIVIA OXENDINE

Lumberton

– Sandhills Region

VACANT

Southwest Region

JOHN BLACKBURN

Linville

– Northwest Region

DONNA TIPTON-ROGERS

Brasstown – Western Region

J. WENDELL HALL

Ahoskie – At-Large

JAMES FORD

-Large

NC DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

Catherine Truitt, State Superintendent :: 301 N. Wilmington Street :: Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-2825

In compliance with federal law, the NC Department of Public Instruction administers all state-operated educational programs, employment

activities and admissions without discrimination because of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, color, age, military service, disability, or

gender, except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law.

Inquiries or complaints regarding discrimination issues should be directed to:

Thomas Tomberlin, Director of Educator Recruitment and Support, NCDPI

6301 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6301 / Phone: (984) 236-2114 / Fax: (984) 236-2099

Visit us on the Web: www.dpi.nc.gov 0422

2022 Annual Charter Schools Report

Executive Summary

North Carolina state statute requires an annual reporting of charter school performance, impact on

district schools, best practices, and other factors. The North Carolina State Board of Education,

Charter Schools Advisory Board, and Office of Charter Schools welcome this opportunity to

reflect on the successes and challenges encountered in the charter sector over the past year.

The 2022 Annual Charter Schools Report will demonstrate the continued growth of the North

Carolina charter school community. The report will explain charter school authorizing and

monitoring within the state, provide data on charter school student demographics, and report on

academics and funding. Finally, the report will highlight best practices and recognitions within the

large range of diverse and unique North Carolina charter schools, as well as, information regarding

access to the state’s charter schools.

Currently, there are 206 charter schools operating for the 2022-2023 school year. Self-reported

data from the state’s charter schools indicate that 85% of charter schools had a waitlist totaling

over 77,000 students statewide

During the pandemic, charter schools showed significant gains in enrollment. As of December 1,

2022, there are over 137,500 students being served by charter schools. This represents just over

9% of the total public-school population as of the December 1 headcount. Charter enrollment gains

during the pandemic show an increase of nearly 19%.

A national review of charter school enrollment found that North Carolina had the nation’s fifth

highest charter enrollment gains from the 2019 to 2021 school years.

The North Carolina State Board of Education and the North Carolina General Assembly have each

provided critical supports to ensure accountability, oversight, and autonomy in the state’s 206

charter schools. The Office of Charter Schools and Charter Schools Advisory Board look forward

to continued partnership to ensure North Carolinian families have access to high-quality schools

of choice.

Figure may include duplicates, as students are often waitlisted at multiple charter schools.

Changing Course: Public School Enrollment Shifts During the Pandemic. Nov. 2022. Accessed March 2023.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Legislation and Historical Background ......................................................................................................................... 3

North Carolina Charter School Authority and Oversight .............................................................................................. 5

Table 1: Current Charter School Advisory Board Members ..................................................................................... 6

Table 2: Office of Charter School Workflows/Responsibilities ................................................................................ 7

Figure 1: Office of Charter Schools Staffing and Charter School Growth, 2009-2022 ............................................. 9

Legislative Updates ..................................................................................................................................................... 10

Charter School Accountability .................................................................................................................................... 12

Figure 2: Charter School Closures, 1998-2022 ....................................................................................................... 14

2021-2022 Performance Framework ........................................................................................................................... 15

Table 3: Operational Compliance Results by Measure, 2021-2022 ........................................................................ 16

Figure 3: Percentage of Charter Schools Meeting or Exceeding All Financial and Operational Goals, 2016-2022

................................................................................................................................................................................. 18

2022 Charter Sector Growth and Sustainability .......................................................................................................... 20

Figure 4: North Carolina Charter Schools in Operation By Year ........................................................................... 20

Figure 5: Number of Authorizers by Type .............................................................................................................. 24

Figure 6: Proportion of Schools Overseen by Authorizing Type ............................................................................ 24

Figure 7: Authorizing by State ................................................................................................................................ 25

Figure 8: Average Ratio of Schools per Authorizer, by Type ................................................................................. 26

Figure 9: Average Number of Schools Per Full Time Authorizing Staff ............................................................... 27

Figure 10: Charter School Application Approval Rates, 1997-2022....................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table 4: Charter Renewal Timeline ........................................................................................................................ 28

Charter School Student Enrollment and Demographics .............................................................................................. 31

Figure 11: Charter School Enrollment, December 1

2019 to December 1

2022.................................................. 31

Table 5: Charter Schools by County, List, as of March 5, 2023 ............................................................................. 31

Figure 12: Gender Distribution in Charters, 2019-2022 .......................................................................................... 37

Figure 13: Demographic Data, Charters and Traditional LEAs, 2022 .................................................................... 38

Special Population Student Enrollment ....................................................................................................................... 39

Figure 14: Percentage of Students with Disabilities, 2019-2022............................................................................. 39

Figure 15: Percentage of English Learners, 2019-2022 .......................................................................................... 40

Figure 16: Percentage of Economically Disadvantaged Students, 2022 ................................................................. 40

Eliminating Barriers to Access .................................................................................................................................... 41

Figure 17: Charter School Transportation, 2022 ..................................................................................................... 42

Charter School Academic Performance ....................................................................................................................... 46

Figure 18: Charter School Academic Growth, 2021-2022 ...................................................................................... 46

Table 6: Low Performing Schools and Districts ..................................................................................................... 49

Charter School Impact on Local Districts .................................................................................................................... 50

Best Practices and Innovation ...................................................................................................................................... 51

Teaching and Leading Recognitions............................................................................................................................ 54

Resources ..................................................................................................................................................................... 55

Legislation and Historical Background

In 1996, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Charter School Act, thereby authorizing

the establishment of “a system of charter schools to provide opportunities for teachers, parents,

pupils, and community members to establish and maintain schools that operate independently of

existing schools, as a method to accomplish all of the following:

1. Improve student learning;

2. Increase learning opportunities for all students, with special emphasis on expanded

learning experiences for students who are identified as at-risk of academic failure or

academically gifted;

3. Encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods;

4. Create new professional opportunities for teachers, including the opportunity to be

responsible for the learning at the school site;

5. Provide parents and students with expanded choices in the types of educational

opportunities that are available within the public school system;

6. Hold the schools established under this Part accountable for meeting measurable student

achievement results and provide the schools with a method to change from rule-based to

performance-based accountability systems.”

Article 14A, Chapter 115 of North Carolina General Statute sets the parameters for how the system

of charter schools must operate. The law includes the following sections:

 Purpose of charter schools; establishment of North Carolina Charter Schools Advisory

Board and North Carolina Office of Charter Schools

 Eligible applicants; contents of applications; submission of applications for approval

 Opportunity to correct applications; opportunity to address Advisory Board

 Fast-track replication of high-quality charter schools

 Final approval of applications for charter schools

 Review and renewal of charters

 Material revisions of charters

 Nonmaterial revisions of charters

 Charter school exemptions

 Charter school operation

 Civil liability and insurance requirements

 Open meetings and public records

 Accountability; reporting requirements to State Board of Education

 Charter school facilities

 Public approval for private activity bonds

 Charter school transportation

 Admission requirements

 Charter school nonsectarian

 Nondiscrimination in charter schools

 Student discipline

 North Carolina School Report Cards

 Driving eligibility certificates

 General operating requirements

 Display of the United States and North Carolina flags and the recitation of the Pledge of

Allegiance

 Course of study requirements

 Employment requirements

 Identification of low-performing and continually low-performing charter schools

 Causes for nonrenewal or termination; disputes

 Dissolution of a charter school

 State and local funds for a charter school

 Notice of the charter school process; review of charter schools

 Operation of NC Pre-K programs

Finally, G.S. §115C-218.110 directs that the State Board “shall report annually no later than

June 15 to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the following:

1) The current and projected impact of charter schools on the delivery of services by the public

schools.

2) Student academic progress in charter schools as measures, where available, against the

academic year immediately preceding the first academic year of the charter schools’

operation.

3) Best practices resulting from charter school operations.

4) Other information the State Board considers appropriate.”

This report fulfills this legislated reporting requirement.

North Carolina Charter School Authority and Oversight

North Carolina State Board of Education

Codified in NC General Statute as Article 14A of Chapter 115C (115C-218, et al,) the charter

schools law assigns the State Board of Education (SBE) the sole authority of charter school

oversight in North Carolina including, but not limited to, the approval of charter applications, the

approval of material revisions to the charter agreement, and the renewal of charter agreements.

North Carolina Charter Schools Advisory Board

In 2013, the North Carolina Charter Schools Advisory Board (CSAB) was created by statute, with

four expressed powers and duties:

I. To make recommendations to the State Board of Education on the adoption of rules

regarding all aspects of charter school operation, including timelines, standards, and

criteria for acceptance and approval of applications, monitoring of charter schools, and

grounds for revocation of charters.

II. To review applications and make recommendations to the State Board for final

approval of charter applications.

III. To make recommendations to the State Board on actions regarding a charter school,

including renewals of charters, nonrenewals of charters, and revocations of charters.

IV. To undertake any other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the State Board.

The CSAB is comprised of eleven voting members; four appointed by the North Carolina Senate,

four appointed by the North Carolina House of Representatives, two appointed by the State Board

of Education, and the Lieutenant Governor or the Lieutenant Governor’s designee. The

Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Superintendent’s designee serves as the secretary of

the board and a nonvoting member. Statute outlines the term requirements: “Appointed members

shall serve four-year terms of office beginning on July 1. No appointed member shall serve more

than eight consecutive years. Vacancy appointments shall be made by the appointing authority for

the remainder of the term of office.”

The entire slate of CSAB members, their date of appointment, and their term is below.

Table 1: Current Charter School Advisory Board Members

Appointed By First Name Last Name

Start Date

of Current

Term

End Date of Current

Term

State Board of Education

Cheryl

Turner

2019

June 30, 2023

State Board of Education

Eric

Sanchez

2021

June 30, 2025

Superintendent – (Non-Voting)

Terry

Stoops

2023

December 31, 2025

Lt. Governor

Stephen

Gay

2023

December 31, 2025

House

Bruce

Friend

2021

June 30, 2025

House

Hilda

Parlér

2021

June 30, 2025

House

Dave

Machado

2022

June 30, 2025

House

Shelly

Shope

2021

June 30, 2025

Senate

Bartley

Danielsen

2022

June 30, 2025

Senate

Rita

Haire

2021

June 30, 2025

Senate

John

Eldridge

2021

June 30, 2025

Senate

Todd

Godbey

2021

June 30, 2025

North Carolina Office of Charter Schools

N.C. General Statute §115C-218(c) stipulates the establishment of the NC Office of Charter

Schools, staffed by an executive director and additional personnel to carry out necessary duties.

Pursuant to state statute, the Office of Charter Schools has the following powers and duties:

I. Serve as staff to the Advisory Board and fulfill any tasks and duties assigned to it by

the Advisory Board.

II. Provide technical assistance and guidance to charter schools operating within the State.

III. Provide technical assistance and guidance to nonprofit corporations seeking to operate

charter schools within the State.

IV. Provide or arrange for training for charter schools that have received preliminary

approval from the State Board.

V. Assist approved charter schools and charter schools seeking approval from the State

Board in coordinating services within the Department of Public Instruction.

VI. Assist certain charter schools seeking to participate in the NC prekindergarten program

in accordance with G.S. 115C-218.115.

VII. Other duties as assigned by the State Board.

The mission of the Office of Charter Schools is as follows:

The NC Office of Charter Schools exists to sustain the success of quality charter schools through

operations, compliance, and support.

The Office of Charter Schools is currently staffed by six consultants, a shared program assistant,

and an executive director, with office responsibilities divided into multiple workflows, each

managed by an individual consultant. In addition to leading at least one workflow, consultants

support several additional workflows.

Table 2: Office of Charter School Workflows/Responsibilities

Workflow

Responsibilities

Amendments/CSAB/SBE

Facilitates process of obtaining approval for any

modifications to a school’s charter application

(amendment process). Organizes and manages

CSAB meetings. Prepares SBE materials.

Applications

Facilitates the new school application process,

provides training to applicants, hires and trains

external evaluators, provides updates to CSAB

members.

Communications and Data

Manages all internal and external communication

between the Office of Charter Schools and the

general public. Responds to data requests.

Provides Epicenter assistance.

Performance Framework

Facilitates the yearly collection and audit of

documents from schools to ensure compliance

with statute, policy, and the Charter Agreement.

Planning Year/Ready to Open Process

Provides training and support to newly approved

schools prior to opening, reviews submitted

documentation to ensure compliance with statute,

policy, and the Charter Agreement, and provides

CSAB with progress newly approved schools are

making towards a successful opening (4xs/year).

Professional Development

Plans and provides ongoing in-person and virtual

training to currently operating schools. Handles

miscellaneous duties including collaboration with

other divisions, TOY/POY processes, and

alternative licensure validations.

Renewals

Facilitates the 2-year charter renewal process

including renewal data collection (last 3-years),

renewal site visits, renewal interviews, and

trainings. Prepares renewal documentation and

presentations for CSAB and SBE.

Reports and Rules

Produces reports required through legislation

and/or SBE requests. Works with the DPI Rules

Coordinator and Rules Commission to facilitate

the rules process as it pertains to charter-related

rules.

Risk Assessment

Conducts site visits and monitors at-risk schools.

Analyzes academic data; monitors and supports

low-performing schools. Manages DPI

compliance team meetings and analyzes/records

DPI charter school compliance data. Manages

closure process and revocation appeals.

Stakeholder Support

Manages grievances and complaints from

stakeholders. Produces OCS Guidance

Documents and tools/resources.

Supporting Charter Schools, Stakeholders, and Partners

During the last year, the Office of Charter Schools (OCS) staff facilitated charter school

operations, compliance, and support in a multitude of ways. OCS consultants provide general

guidance and technical support to each charter school in the state, as well as those in the planning

year and nonprofit boards engaging in the application process. A survey of workflow productivity

includes:

− Implemented 17 Charter Schools Advisory Board Meetings.

− Presented at all monthly State Board Meetings.

− Processed over 50 amendments.

− Supported and trained over 20 charter school applicants.

− Managed the charter school application process – application system, training, evaluation

facilitation.

− Created and sent weekly communications to schools.

− Responded to dozens of public record/data and student record requests.

− Reviewed over 3500 compliance documents for Performance Framework.

− Implemented a full year of trainings for schools in their planning years, reviewed hundreds.

of documents during planning to ensure alignment with Charter Agreement and law.

− Conducted board trainings.

− Facilitated Charter Teacher and Principal of Year evaluation process.

− Conducted over 250 hours of stakeholder interviews for renewal schools.

− Managed over 130 grievances from stakeholders.

− Approved over a dozen alternative evaluation instruments.

− Conducted dozens of site visits.

− Committee and partnership participation: SEL State Implementation Team, High School

Accreditation recommendations, various award and recognition committees, IABS Charter

Collaboration, Driver’s License Committee, Counselor Cohort, Arts Committee, Data

Management Group, PowerSchool Steering Committee, Blue Ribbon Committee, and

Comprehensive Needs Assessment engagements.

Figure 1: Office of Charter Schools Staffing and Charter School Growth, 2009-2022

Figure 1 shows OCS staff over time in comparison to charter school growth in the state

. OCS was

allotted two new full-time consultant positions during the 2022 budget process. Those positions

are in the process of being filled and will bring the total number of consultants to eight.

Department of Public Instruction Collaboration

OCS could not facilitate its duties without the support and help of Department of Public Instruction

(DPI) staff. As the student population of charter school attendees nears 10% of public school

enrollment in North Carolina, it is critical that staff within the many DPI divisions are able to

properly support and monitor charter schools.

The OCS could not fulfill its statutory obligations as outlined above without the assistance and

cooperation of DPI divisions and offices. Collaboration and charter specific staff are essential in

Financial School Business, Exceptional Children, Internal Audit, Early Learning, Office of District

and Regional Support, Accountability, Federal Programs, and Integrated Academic and Behavior

Systems, to name a few.

Staffing numbers are averaged using monthly data on filled/occupied positions.

6 6

7 7

6 6 6 6

100

106

126

147

158

166

173

184

196

200

204

206

100

150

200

250

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

OCS Staffing and Charter School Growth

Staff Number of Schools

Legislative Updates

Throughout the 2021-2022 Session, the General Assembly passed several bills impacting the North

Carolina charter school community, including, but not limited to the following:

SL 2022-74 HB 103 2022 Appropriations Act

Section 7.1 -School Business System Modernization

Grant program for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to provide funds to eligible local school

administrative units and charter schools to migrate the unit's or charter school's school business

data to an off-site premises. All local school administrative units and charter schools shall store

their school business data at an off-site premises by June 30, 2023.

SL 2022-74 HB 103 2022 Appropriations Act

Increase SRO grant match in low wealth counties

Section 7.2- Provides additional non-recurring funding for the school safety competitive grant and

additional recurring funding for the SRO grant program. Administered by the Center for Safer

Schools.

Revisions to the Standards of Student Conduct

Section 7.7 - Standards of student conduct-NC G.S. 115C-390. Charters will now need to submit

their discipline/codes of conduct annually.

Section 7.9- School Threat Assessment Survey- All PSUs shall report by 11/15/22 to the Center

for Safer Schools.

Section 7.10- Feminine Hygiene Product Grants of up to 5K to PSUs. $250,000 in recurring dollars

to fund grants (first come first serve) for feminine hygiene products for students. Priority for PSUs

who did not get this in FY2021.

Section 7.13 - (f) A charter school that submitted a virtual instruction plan for the 2021-22 school

year to DPI may continue to provide virtual instruction in accordance with that plan for the 2023-

24 school year. This will be managed by the DPI Digital Teaching & Learning Division of

IT services. (g) & (h) Extends the pilot status of the virtual charters through the 2024-

2025 school year & allows the virtual charter pilots to apply to the State Board of Education for a

charter renewal. Our two virtual schools who were in the 2023 Renewal Cohort will be in the

2025 Cohort.

SL 2022-71 HB 159 Extension of enrollment priority

2.3.(a) G.S. 115C-218.45(f) reads as rewritten: "(f) The charter school may give enrollment

priority to any of the following: … (3) Limited to no more than fifteen percent (15%) of the school's

total enrollment, unless granted a waiver by the State Board of Education, the following:

Children or grandchildren of persons (i) employed full time by the charter school or (ii) working

full time in the daily operation of the charter school, including children of persons employed by

an education management organization or charter management organization for the charter school.

Children or grandchildren of the charter school's board of directors.

SL 2022-75 HB 911 Regulatory Reform Act of 2022

TOLLING THE TERMS OF CHARTERS TO ALLOW TIME TO OBTAIN LAND USE

APPROVALS. SECTION 2. G.S. 115C-218.5 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:

"(g) A charter school shall be entitled to automatically extend any deadline to begin operations or

commence the term of its charter until the next school year if it notifies the State Board by June

30 that it is seeking land use or development approvals for its selected site or facilities or if it is

challenging the denial of any requested land use or development approvals. The term of the charter

issued by the State Board shall be tolled during the period of any extension or extensions issued

under this section."

SL 2022-53 Bond Information Transparency

SECTION 9.5.(a) G.S. 115C-218.15 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: "(f) Funds

received by a charter school as required by G.S. 115C-218.105 may be deposited by the board of

directors with the State Treasurer for investment under G.S. 147-69.2(b8), to the extent permitted

by the Internal Revenue Code, as amended. The deposit and investment of such funds under this

subsection are deemed essential to the provision of public education by the State and the income

from such investment shall accrue solely to the charter school for the provision of public education

pursuant to this Article."

SECTION 9.5.(e) G.S. 159-30(g) reads as rewritten: "(g) A local government, public authority, an

entity eligible to participate in the Local Government Employee's Retirement System, or a local

school administrative unit, or a charter school, may make contributions to a Local Government

Other Post-Employment Benefits Trust established pursuant to G.S. 159-30.1.”

Charter School Accountability

As schools of choice, charter schools are accountable to parents and guardians, who may withdraw

their student(s) and re-enroll them elsewhere, should the school not meet expectations.

Additionally, the North Carolina General Assembly and State Board of Education (SBE) have

approved several additional, concrete measures through which charter schools are held

accountable to stakeholders, as well as accountability requirements found in NC Administrative

Code.

• Per General Statute 115C-218.25, all charter school boards are subject to the Open Meetings Laws.

• Per General Statute 115C-218.25, all charter schools are subject to the Public Records Act and

must promptly comply with citizen requests.

• Per General Statute 115C-218.90(b), all charter schools must adopt a criminal history check policy

mirroring that of the local school administrative unit in which the school is located. Further, all

founding charter school board members must have criminal background checks.

• Per General Statute 115C-218.85(3) and SBE policy CHTR-001, all charter schools are required

to conduct the student assessments required by the SBE. Further, all charter schools are required

to comply with North Carolina’s Accountability Model, unless otherwise approved by the SBE.

Currently, four charter schools have been approved for an alternative accountability model.

• Per General Statute 115C-218.30 and SBE policy CHTR-006, every charter school is required to

undergo an annual audit for both its finances and its compliance with applicable federal and state

laws and policies. These audits should be conducted by an independent auditor approved by the

Local Governance Commission, and the audit must be published on the school’s website.

• Per General Statute 115C-218.6 and SBE policy CHTR-007, every charter school is required to

undergo a rigorous renewal process prior to having their charter term extended. Schools not

meeting the expected academic, financial, and/or governance standards required for a ten-year

renewal are subject to renewal terms of seven, five, or three years, or non-renewal.

Academic Monitoring

The 2021-2022 school year saw the resuming of state accountability data. Two hundred and four

charter schools received accountability data. This was the first official accountability data since

the 2018-2019 school year. Schools identified as low-performing or continually low-performing

receive various supports, and must meet specific requirements, from the Office of Charter Schools

and other divisions within NCDPI. Those include:

− Low-performing schools are subject to similar requirements as traditional public schools:

stakeholder notification of low-performing status, school improvement teams, and school

improvement plan submission and review.

− Low-performing schools appear before the Charter Schools Advisory Board for updates on

progress/plans for improvement.

− Low-performing schools are subject to Risk Assessment processes including site visits and

progress monitoring.

− Low-performing schools receive supports including School Improvement Plan trainings

conducted by the Office of District and Regional Support.

− Schools are offered professional development and support through OCS and other DPI

divisions including NC ACCESS, Exceptional Children, Federal Programs, NC

Instructional Leadership Academy (Office of District and Regional Support) and more.

OCS’s Risk Assessment workflow conducts site visits and analyzes academic data in order to

monitor the progress of low performing schools. OCS, along with other departments in DPI

support low performing schools by offering professional development, providing feedback and

technical assistance for School Improvement Plans (SIP). Finally, during the renewal process, each

renewal school undergoes an extensive review of academic data.

Charter Termination and Closure

Charter schools are held accountable in several ways including academic, financial, operational,

and governance monitoring. If a charter school fails to meet standards set out in statute, through

the Charter Agreement, the school’s charter application, and/or policy, it risks closure.

§115C-218.95. Causes for nonrenewal or termination; disputes.

(a) The State Board of Education may terminate, not renew, or seek applicants to assume the

charter through a competitive bid process established by the State Board upon any of the

following grounds:

(1) Failure to meet the requirements for student performance contained in the charter;

(2) Failure to meet generally accepted standards of fiscal management;

(3) Violations of law;

(4) Material violation of any of the conditions, standards, or procedures set forth in the charter;

(5) Two-thirds of the faculty and instructional support personnel at the school request that the

charter be terminated or not renewed; or

(6) Other good cause identified.

At the conclusion of the 2021-2022 school year, four charter schools closed permanently.

Charter terminations and closures fall into four categories: relinquishment, assumption, non-

renewal, or revocation.

− Two charters were revoked: Torchlight Leadership Academy and Three Rivers Academy.

− One charter, The Learning Center, was relinquished.

− Uproar Leadership Academy was not renewed at the conclusion of its charter term.

Since 1998, there have been a total of 87 charter terminations. This includes schools that were in

operation and those that may have been in the planning year program prior to opening the school

to students.

Figure 2: Charter School Closures, 1998-2022

Since 1998, 53 charter schools have voluntary relinquished their charters, one has been assumed

by another non-profit board, eleven have been non-renewed, and twenty-two charters have been

revoked by the State Board of Education.

Revoked

25%

Relinquished

61%

Assumed

Non-Renewed

13%

CHARTER SCHOOL CLOSURES

2021-2022 Performance Framework

The State Board of Education (SBE) sets goals and measures for all public Charter Schools to

annually monitor and track performance trends. Identification and analysis of charter school

performance trends provides the opportunity for targeted programmatic support and professional

development offerings by the Office of Charter Schools (OCS). The measures for charter schools

operating in the 2021-2022 academic year include information from annual accountability data

along with financial and operational requirements set forth in General Statute, SBE Policies, and

the Charter Agreement.

APPROACH TO GUIDANCE AND MONITORING

Implementation of the Epicenter document management system in fiscal year 2019 continues to

be a valuable resource for managing the heavy load of reviewing and providing meaningful

guidance on thousands of documents annually by a small team of Education Consultants. The

overall compliance statistics are then captured in the final School Performance Framework Report

presented here.

2021-22 PERFORMANCE FRAMEWORK TREND ANALYSIS

In 2014, OCS created the Performance Framework to serve as the standard mechanism for annual

reporting on progress toward achievement of the State Board’s goal to increase the number of

charter schools meeting academic, operational, and financial goals. The Framework provides a

consolidated view of each charter school’s performance relative to operational, financial, and

academic criteria. The operational and financial elements of the Framework are all requirements

outlined in General Statute, State Board policy, or the Charter Agreement. The academic elements

align with the goals outlined in the Strategic Plan of the SBE, along with academic performance

measures found in General Statute applicable to all public-school units.

The Performance Framework reports on 46 operational, financial, and academic indicators. Of the

46 reported indicators, schools were measured against a maximum of 41 criteria. Some

measurements were not applicable to all schools, such as required EMO/CMO reporting, posting

of previous performance scores (not applicable to first year schools), renewal criteria, and other

measurements that did not yield a data point for some schools, such as testing subgroup

requirements. Most charter schools were measured on a range of criteria between 29-40 measures.

Number of schools obtaining 80% or higher goals met by measurement category

This section provides accountability numbers and percentages for charter schools based on the

four main categories of the Performance Framework which include operational criteria, renewal

criteria, financial criteria, and academic outcomes. For each section, the number of charter schools

achieving at or above 80% of standards met is reported. The compliance percentage is calculated

for each school by the number of criteria measures met divided by the total number of criteria the

school was measured against for the given category.

Section: A. Operational Annual Monitoring Criteria

One hundred forty-four (144) of 202 charter schools, or 71.3%, achieved at or above 80% but less

than 100% success in the category of operational annual monitoring criteria. Fifty-eight (58)

charter schools, 28.7%, were compliant in every single applicable measure. All charter schools

were measured against a maximum of 21 criteria, of which some were not applicable to all schools.

Operational Annual Monitoring Results by Measure

Six of 21 criteria yielded a charter school compliance percentage above 80% but below 100%. Of

the 21 Operational criteria, thirteen criteria measured as having 100% of charter schools in

compliance. The two lowest scoring criteria are below:

A7. Official funded ADM is within 10% of projected. Accurately predicting enrollment within 10%

accuracy can be a difficult computation for charter schools, especially since a school’s funding is

capped at the number projected, leading many school leaders to err on the side of too many rather

than too few. The Office of Charter Schools understands the importance of accurately projecting

student enrollment and has consistently communicated this to the field. Charter schools that project

more than 10% above their actual enrollment are automatically ineligible for enrollment expansion

requests.

A17. The school is compliant with all student health and safety requirements as defined in general

statute, SBE policy, or the signed charter agreement. One hundred and twenty of 202 schools,

59.41%, met this target, down from 91.57% the previous year. After having been waived for two

years, many charter schools indicated that they did not have one or more of the DHHS

requirements in place. Several schools have since come forward to claim with evidence that they

had mistakenly marked "no" on a requirement they had in place. The Charter School Nurse

Consultants work closely with OCS to remind schools of the importance of having all thirteen of

the required pieces in place and accurately reporting so on the annual self-report, which cannot be

amended once it is submitted by the school.

Table 3: Operational Compliance Results by Measure, 2021-2022

Measure

Percent

Compliant

A1. The NC Report Card and Letter Grade are prominently displayed on the school's

website and schools with D/F have sent letter to notify parents.

98.96%

A2. The school has an assigned administrator in the Education Value-Added

Assessment System (EVAAS).

99.49%

A3. The school meets the required number of instructional hours or days in accordance

with State law.

100%

A4. The school adheres to all testing and accountability policies for state assessments.

100%

A5. The school implements mandated programming as a result of state or federal

requirements; Title I Status, Title II, EC Status, School Nutrition, English Learners.

94.06%

A6. The school follows student admissions and lottery requirements as stated in North

Carolina General Statute, State Board of Education Policy, and the signed charter

agreement.

100%

A7. The school's official funded ADM is within 10% of the projected ADM.

52.97%

A8. The non-profit board has a current grievance policy.

99.5%

A9. The non-profit board has a current conflict of interest policy that complies with

G.S. 115C-218.15.

100%

A10. The non-profit board has a current nepotism policy.

100%

A11. A quorum of the non-profit board of directors meets no less than 8 times a year

(including annual meeting).

100%

A12. The majority of the non-profit board members primary residence in NC.

100%

A13. There is evidence of current fire inspections and related records.

96.04%

A14. The school has a viable certificate of occupancy or other required building use

authorization.

100%

A15. The non-profit board holds current, active civil and liability insurance with the

minimum coverage as defined in the signed charter agreement.

100%

A16. The non-profit board has a criminal history check policy that mirrors the LEA in

which the school is located.

100%

A17. The school is compliant with all student health and safety requirements as defined

in general statute, SBE policy, or the signed charter agreement.

59.41%

A18. The school is compliant with teacher licensure percentage requirements by

maintaining at least 50% of teachers licensed from December 31 through the end of

the school calendar year in accordance with SBE policy.

100%

A19. The charter school is compliant with the annual EMO/CMO public records

request.

100%

A20. The charter school is compliant with maintaining the required dissolutions funds

as required by G.S. 115C- 218.100.

100%

A21. The school is compliant with the implementation of a School Improvement Plan

submitted through NCStar.

96.7%

Section: B. Operational Renewal Monitoring Criteria

Eighteen schools with a renewal year of 2022 were measured against a maximum of seven criteria,

some which were not applicable to all the renewal schools. OCS is currently working to revise

criteria and renewal reviews to ensure thorough reviews and supply schools with helpful

information regarding compliance.

Financial and operational goals as measured by the Office of Charter School’s Performance

Framework: Percentage of charter schools meeting or exceeding.

One hundred ninety-four of 202 (96%) charter schools met or exceeded all financial and

operational goals. Of the 202 operating charter schools, the 194 that met or exceeded all financial

and operational goals achieved over 80% compliance in operation criteria and 100% compliance

in the financial criteria of the Framework. The SBE target for this measure was 90%. This steady

improvement accompanied the increase in rigor of monitoring for compliance and only one

opportunity for correction with OCS staff monitored indicators. With dedicated guidance and

proactive communication, we expect this positive accountability effort to continue. A seven-year

trend of this measure is shown in the figure below.

Figure 3: Percentage of Charter Schools Meeting or Exceeding All Financial and

Operational Goals, 2016-2022

PERFORMANCE FRAMEWORK CONCLUSION

Overall, the vast majority of charter schools show compliance in operational, financial, and

renewal criteria each year. It should be noted that compliance ratings are reported based on

evidence provided that a measure has been met within a certain timeframe. It should not be

assumed and is not always the case that a charter school is violating a law or policy due to failure

0 0

90% 90% 90% 90% 90%

76.9%

91%

94.2%

95.6%

98.9%

96% 96%

2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22

Target v. Actual

Percentage of Charter Schools Meeting or Exceeding All Financial and

Operational Goals

Target Actual Linear (Actual)

to provide timely evidence of compliance. The Charter Schools Performance Framework is a vital

accountability tool used by the Office of Charter Schools to review compliance annually for the

over 200 charter schools currently operating in the state with the goal of improvement and stability

in operational, academic, and financial status.

2022 Charter Sector Growth and Sustainability

The North Carolina charter school sector began in 1996 when the General Assembly passed the

Charters School Act. The original Act placed a cap on charter school growth at 100 schools. That

cap was eliminated in 2011 and since that time the number of charter schools has increased by

106% to 206 operating charter schools as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Figure 4: North Carolina Charter Schools in Operation By Year

2022-2023 NEW CHARTER SCHOOLS

After successful completion of the Ready to Open process, six new charter schools opened for the

2022-2023 school year.

School Name

County

Year Grade Levels

At Full Enrollment

Wake Preparatory Academy

Franklin

K-10

K-12

Movement School Southwest

Mecklenburg

K-1

K-5

Oak Hill Charter School

Caldwell

K-7

K-8

Central Carolina Academy Charter

Lee

6-10

6-12

TMSA Apex

Wake

K-5

K-8

93 93

100

106

126

147

158

166

173

184

196

200

204

206

100

150

200

250

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

North Carolina Charter Schools in Operation By Year

American Leadership Academy Johnston

Johnston

K-10

K-12

READY TO OPEN STATUS - FALL 2023

As of this report, there are seven charter schools scheduled to open in fall 2023, contingent upon

the successful completion of the Ready to Open (RTO) process and a final approval vote from the

State Board of Education.

School Name

EMO/CMO

County

Year

Grade

Levels

At Full

Enrollment

Bonnie Cone Leadership Academy

Charter One

Mecklenburg

K-10

K-12

Aspire Trade High School

None

Mecklenburg

9-10

9-12

School of the Arts for Boys Academy

(SABA)

None

Chatham

3-5

K-12

Movement School Northwest

None

Mecklenburg

K-1

K-5

Wayne STEM Preparatory

None

Wayne

K-3

K-5

Mountain City Public Montessori*

None

Buncombe

K-6

K-8

Legacy Classical*

American

Traditional

Academies

Rockingham

K-4

K-8

*These schools are accelerated 2022 applicants.

2022 CHARTER APPLICATION CYCLE

Twenty-one non-profit boards submitted applications to open public charter schools by the April

29, 2022 application deadline. Of these, four boards were seeking approval for Fast-Track or

Acceleration to open in the 2023-2024 school year with another seventeen applying under the

regular timeline to open in 2024. One application withdrew before CSAB capacity interviews took

place.

Once an application is deemed complete, it is presented to evaluators including external evaluators

with a variety of charter experience, NC DPI staff evaluators, and Charter Schools Advisory Board

(CSAB) members. Applicant boards then appear for an interview with the CSAB and are either

forwarded to a second-round interview or recommended for denial or approval by the State Board

of Education (SBE). If an applicant is forwarded to a second-round interview, the CSAB makes a

final vote of recommendation for denial or approval by the SBE. It should be noted that non-profit

board applicants may choose to partner with a management organization according to guidelines

set forth in NC Administrative Code.

2022 ACCELERATED APPLICATIONS

Two of the four accelerated applications were approved by the SBE to enter Ready to Open (RTO)

status and plan for a 2023 fall opening. The schools have begun the RTO programming. Final

approval for opening will go before the CSAB and SBE in the summer of 2023.

The approved schools are below:

School Name

EMO/CMO

County

Year

Grade

Levels

At Full

Enrollment

Mountain City Public Montessori

None

Buncombe

K-6

K-8

Legacy Classical

American Traditional Academies

Rockingham

K-4

K-8

2022 REGULAR TIMELINE APPLICATIONS

Sixteen regular timeline charter applications were received and reviewed by external evaluators,

NCDPI staff, and CSAB between May 2022 and September 2022. Seven applications were

recommended for approval by the CSAB.

Dispositions of the sixteen standard applications following CSAB review:

• Four applicants withdrew

• Seven applicants recommended for approval

• Five applicants not recommended

CSAB and SBE Review of Applications

At the December 2022 SBE meeting, two schools were sent back to the CSAB for additional

review and reconsideration of the original approval recommendation. The two schools that were

returned to the CSAB were American Leadership Academy (ALA) Monroe and Legacy Classical

Academy.

Concerning ALA Monroe, questions were raised regarding the EMO agreement including

concerns relative to the EMO fee structure for any federal funds received by the school.

Concerning Legacy Classical academy, questions were raised regarding the EMO agreement,

financial capacity of the management organization and the relationship between interested parties

and facility developer.

The CSAB met for its regular meeting December 5, 2022, and second capacity interviews were

held with the applicant boards and EMO representatives. The CSAB again recommended approval

for both schools. Following discussion at the January 2023 SBE meeting, SBE voted to approve

Legacy Classical Academy and did not approve ALA Monroe.

At the February 2023 SBE meeting, the charter application for Heritage Collegiate Leadership

Academy of Wake was sent back to the CSAB for an additional review and reconsideration of the

original approval recommendation after the SBE voted unanimously to reject HCLA Wake. HCLA

Wake was originally reviewed by CSAB at its November 8

and December 5

, 2022, meetings.

CSAB voted at its February meeting to again recommend approval to SBE. At its March meeting,

SBE denied approval of HCLA Wake.

At the conclusion of the 2022 Charter School Application Cycle, six schools were approved by

SBE to open on a standard timeline:

School Name

LEA Location

Grade Levels for

1st Year

Grades when

fully enrolled

Agape Achievement Academy

Cumberland

K-3

K-5

Flat Rock Classical Academy

Henderson

K-4

K-8

Riverside Leadership Academy

Craven

K-7

K-12

Movement School Raleigh

Wake

K-1

K-5

Movement School West Charlotte

Mecklenburg

K-1

K-5

Movement School Northeast Charlotte

Mecklenburg

K-1

K-5

THE UNIQUE STATE OF CHARTER AUTHORIZING IN NORTH CAROLINA

Throughout the United States, there are a number of types of authorizers (i.e. entities which

approve charter schools for operation).

Types of Authorizers

Non-Educational Government Entity (NEG)

Nonprofit Organization (NFP)

State Education Agency (SEA)

Higher Education Institution (HEI)

Independent Chartering Board (ICB)

Local Education Agency (LEA)

As of 2020, North Carolina is one of 22 SEA authorizers. North Carolina’s authorizing process

and the monitoring and review of charter schools is implemented through the state’s education

agency. As seen in the figures below, the vast majority of authorizers are LEA authorizers and

about half of all charter schools are overseen by LEAs.

Figure 5: Number of Authorizers by Type

Figure 6: Proportion of Schools Overseen by Authorizing Type

Figure created and published by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers.

849

Type of Authorizer, 2020

LEA SEA ICB HEI NFP NEG

North Carolina is

one of 22 State

Education Agency

(SEA) authorizers.

North Carolina is also one of few states with one single authorizer and oversight agency. Twenty

two percent of charter schools nation-wide are overseen by an SEA.

Figure 7: Authorizing by State

As seen in Figure 7, while there are twenty-two states with SEA authorizers, North Carolina is

only one of six states with a single SEA authorizer (i.e. no other type of authorizer allowed

within the state).

Figure created and published by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers.

Figure 8: Average Ratio of Schools per Authorizer, by Type

North Carolina’s school to authorizer ratio is more than double the national average of 76.

Data source https://qualitycharters.org/

8.03

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

LEA

SEA

ICB

HEI

NFP

NEG

Overall

Average number of schools, per Authorizing Type

Figure 9: Average Number of Schools Per Full Time Authorizing Staff

Most authorizers (80%), have a ratio of no more than ten schools per full-time employee. North

Carolina’s average of six consultants staffing the Office of Charter Schools provides a ratio of 34.3

schools per consultant.

Figure created and published by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers.

CHARTER SCHOOL RENEWALS

The renewal of a charter school requires many steps in a two-year process. The process consists

of a self-study, OCS school renewal visit, interviews, and CSAB review before recommendations

are made to the SBE. OCS staff work on a two-year timeline for each renewal cohort culminating

in a presentation to the CSAB to receive renewal recommendations which will be forwarded to

SBE. Renewal reports utilize data from various NCDPI divisions: OCS, Financial and Business

Services, Accountability, Exceptional Children, Federal Program Monitoring, Child Nutrition,

and/or any other division that may have information pertinent to the evaluation of a school.

Additionally, this report will contain information from the charter renewal self-study that each

charter school board and school leader will complete, and from renewal site-visits.

Table 4: Charter Renewal Timeline

As one Renewal Cohort receives new Charter Agreements in July, a new Cohort enters the process

and the remaining Cohort continues into the second year tasks culminating in a charter renewal

term vote by the SBE. The chart below outlines the main tasks that take place throughout the two-

year process. This is an approximate timeline as the process may take more or less time due to

several factors.

Month

Tasks

July

Schools request to enter the renewal process (Cohort 1)

New Charter Agreements become active (Cohort 2)

August

New Renewal cohort is established, contact groups created

Communication regarding online training dates

September - October

Renewal Process Training

November

Renewal Self-Studies are due

Consultant schedules conference calls to do the following:

Review Self-Study submissions

Discuss any compliance issues that were present at the time of the renewal

request

Answer questions asked by the school

Schedule Renewal Site Visits

December

Non-refundable $500.00 Renewal Fee is due

Consult with OCS/DPI Compliance Team regarding any compliance matters

related to Renewal Cohorts

January – May

Conduct site visits to each renewal school (virtual model started during the

pandemic)

Consult with OCS/DPI Compliance Team regarding any compliance matters

related to Renewal Cohorts

August – October

Continue site visits as needed

Consult with OCS/DPI Compliance Team regarding any compliance matters

related to Renewal Cohorts

Prepare Renewal Presentation for CSAB

Consult with DPI divisions regarding Renewal Presentation and relevant

data

November

Renewal discussions take place at CSAB

Schools not presented as a 10-year guideline placement, appear before

CSAB

December

CSAB votes on recommended renewal terms

Recommendations are forwarded to SBE for review

January – March

The SBE reviews renewal recommendations

SBE may request any additional information of the CSAB and/or DPI staff

needed to support decision

Makes final vote on Charter Agreement terms

Thirty-eight charter schools requested renewal of their charters that will expire June 30, 2023. Receipt of a

ten-year renewal is based on statutory requirements. Schools that did not meet the ten-year requirements

were interviewed over the course of three CSAB meetings (November 7–8, 2022, December 5-6, 2022, and

January 9, 2023). On January 9, 2023 and February 6, 2023 the CSAB held a final review of the renewing

schools to determine final recommendations to be submitted to the SBE. Reviews of certain schools

continue through the April 11, 2023 CSAB meeting at which point final recommendations were sent to the

State Board of Education for review.

The Charter School Advisory Board recommended a ten (10) year charter renewal for the following

schools, which per § 115C-218.6 shall be granted a ten-year renewal term. The schools have provided

financially sound audits the previous three years, have academic outcomes comparable to the local LEA

for the preceding three years, and are in compliance with State law, federal law, the school's own bylaws,

or the provisions set forth in its charter granted by the State Board of Education.

16B Tiller School

19C Willow Oak Montessori

23A Pinnacle Classical Academy

34H NC Leadership Charter Academy

39A Falls Lake Academy

39B Oxford Preparatory

41J Summerfield Charter Academy

49F Langtree Charter Academy

60G Queen's Grant Community

65D Island Montessori Charter

68C The Expedition School

76A Uwharrie Charter Academy

78B Southeastern Academy

92U Longleaf School of the Arts

A seven (7) year renewal was recommended for:

53B Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County

55B West Lake Preparatory Academy

61V Bonnie Cone Classical Academy

61W East Voyager Academy of Charlotte

61X Jackson Day School

A three (3) year charter renewal was recommended for:

09A Paul R Brown Leadership

13B Cabarrus Charter Academy

24B Thomas Academy

29A Davidson Charter Academy: CFA

32P The Institute for Developing Young Leaders

41N The Experiential School of Greensboro

41M Next Generation Academy

60N

Aristotle Prep Academy

61P VERITAS Community School, CFA

63C Moore Montessori Community School

64A Rocky Mount Preparatory

65C Classical Charter Schools of Wilmington

90D Monroe Charter Academy

90F Apprentice Academy of NC

93Q Carolina Charter Academy

93R Raleigh Oak Charter School

Non-Renewal was recommended for:

60P Eastside STREAM Academy

60Q Invest Collegiate Transform

67B Z.E.C.A. School Arts & Technology

At the April and May 2023 SBE meetings, final decisions regarding renewal terms were made.

Final decisions and discussions can be found in SBE minutes and livestream recordings.

Nonrenewal was confirmed for Eastside STEAM Academy and Invest Collegiate Transform. Both

schools will close effective the conclusion of the 2022 school year. Z.E.C.A. received a three-year

renewal with stipulations from SBE.

Charter School Student Enrollment and Demographics

State statute originally capped at 100 the number of charter schools that could operate in the state

in a given school year, but the General Assembly removed that ceiling in August 2011. Since then,

the number of charter schools in the state has grown from 100 to 206 (as of the 2022-23 school

year). 204 are brick-and-mortar charter schools operating in 63 counties, and two are virtual charter

schools. Both virtual charter schools have brick-and-mortar headquarters in Durham County.

As of December 1, 2022, there are over 137,500 students being served by charter schools. This

represents just over 9% of the total public-school population as of the December 1 headcount. The

figure below shows charter enrollment gains since the pandemic, growth of nearly 19%.

Figure 10: Charter School Enrollment, December 1

2019 to December 1

2022

Student enrollment and demographic data are retrieved from the Common Education Data Analysis and Reporting

System (CEDARS), NC's PreK-13 State Longitudinal Data System. The system is composed of various DPI source

data collection systems, a student and staff identification system, a centralized data repository, and associated

reporting and analysis tools. As student data naturally fluctuates over time, point in time is noted throughout.

Table 5: Charter Schools by County, List, as of March 5, 2023

County Description

School Name --------------------------------

Alamance

River Mill Academy

Clover Garden

The Hawbridge School

115869

125039

129911

137541

2019 2020 2021 2022

All Charters - Enrollment

Alamance Community School

Avery

Marjorie Williams Academy

Beaufort

Washington Montessori

Bladen

Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy

Emereau: Bladen

Brunswick

Classical Charter Schools of Leland

Classical Charter Schools of Southport

Buncombe

Evergreen Community Charter

ArtSpace Charter School

IC Imagine

The Franklin School of Innovation

Asheville PEAK Academy

Francine Delany New School

Burke

New Dimensions

Cabarrus

Carolina International School

Cabarrus Charter Academy

A.C.E. Academy

Concord Lake STEAM Academy

Caldwell

Oak Hill Charter School

Carteret

Tiller School

Chatham

Chatham Charter

Woods Charter

Willow Oak Montessori

Cleveland

Pinnacle Classical Academy

Columbus

Thomas Academy

Classical Charter Schools of Whiteville

Cumberland

Alpha Academy

The Capitol Encore Academy

Currituck

Water's Edge Village School

Davidson

Davidson Charter Academy

Durham

North Carolina Cyber Academy

NC Virtual Academy

Maureen Joy Charter School

Durham Charter School

Community School of Digital & Visual

Art

Kestrel Heights School

Research Triangle Charter

Central Park School For Child

Voyager Academy

Global Scholars Academy

Research Triangle High School

The Institute Development Young Leaders

Reaching All Minds Academy

Excelsior Classical Academy

KIPP Durham College Preparatory

Discovery Charter

Edgecombe

North East Carolina Prep

Forsyth

Quality Education Academy

Carter G. Woodson School

Forsyth Academy

The Arts Based School

NC Leadership Charter Academy

Franklin

Crosscreek Charter School

Youngsville Academy

Wake Preparatory Academy

Gaston

Piedmont Community Charter School

Mountain Island Charter School

Ridgeview Charter School

Community Public Charter

Granville

Falls Lake Academy

Oxford Preparatory

Guilford

Greensboro Academy

Guilford Preparatory Academy

Phoenix Academy - Primary, Elem, Upper

Triad Math and Science Academy

Cornerstone Charter Academy-CFA

College Prep and Leadership Academy

Summerfield Charter Academy

Piedmont Classical High School

Gate City Charter

Next Generation Academy

The Experiential School of Greensboro

Revolution Academy

Summit Creek Academy

Halifax

KIPP Halifax College Preparatory

Hobgood Charter School

Harnett

Anderson Creek Academy

Achievement Charter Academy

Haywood

Shining Rock Classical Academy

Henderson

The Mountain Community Sch

FernLeaf

Iredell

American Renaissance School

Success Institute Charter

Pine Lake Preparatory

Langtree Charter Academy

Iredell Charter Academy

Jackson

Summit Charter

Johnston

Neuse Charter School

Johnston Charter Academy

American Leadership Academy - Johnston

Lee

Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County

MINA Charter School of Lee County

Central Carolina Academy

Lenoir

Children's Village Academy

Lincoln

Lincoln Charter School

West Lake Preparatory Academy

Martin

Bear Grass Charter School

Mecklenburg

Sugar Creek Charter

Lake Norman Charter

Metrolina Reg Scholars Academy

Queen's Grant Community School

Community School of Davidson

Socrates Academy

Charlotte Secondary

KIPP Charlotte

Corvian Community School

Aristotle Preparatory Academy

Eastside STREAM Academy

Invest Collegiate Transform

Bradford Preparatory School

Commonwealth High

Pioneer Springs Community School

Lakeside Charter Academy

United Community School

Stewart Creek High

Charlotte Lab School

TMSA Charlotte

VERITAS Community School, CFA

Mallard Creek STEM Academy

Matthews Charter Academy

Unity Classical Charter School

Movement Charter School

Bonnie Cone Classical Academy

East Voyager Academy of Charlotte

Jackson Day School

Steele Creek Preparatory Academy

Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy

Movement School Eastland

Telra Institute

Movement School Southwest

Montgomery

Tillery Charter Academy

Moore

The Academy of Moore County

STARS Charter

Moore Montessori Community School

Nash

Rocky Mount Preparatory

New Hanover

Cape Fear Center for Inquiry

Wilmington Preparatory Academy

Classical Charter Schools of Wilmington

Island Montessori Charter School

American Leadership Academy-Coastal

Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington

Wilmington School of the Arts

Northampton

KIPP Gaston College Preparatory

Onslow

Z.E.C.A. School of Arts and Technology

Orange

Eno River Academy

The Expedition School

Pamlico

Arapahoe Charter School

Pasquotank

Northeast Academy of Aerospace &

AdvTech

Person

Bethel Hill Charter

Roxboro Community School

Pitt

Winterville Charter Academy

Randolph

Uwharrie Charter Academy

Robeson

CIS Academy

Southeastern Academy

Old Main STREAM Academy

Rockingham

Bethany Community School

Rowan

Faith Academy Charter School

Rutherford

Thomas Jefferson Class Academy

Lake Lure Classical Academy

Stanly

Gray Stone Day

Surry

Millennium Charter Academy

Swain

Mountain Discovery

Transylvania

Brevard Academy

Union

Union Academy

Union Day School

Union Prep Academy at Indian Trail

Monroe Charter Academy

Apprentice Academy High School

Vance

Vance Charter School

Henderson Collegiate

Wake

The Exploris School

Magellan Charter

Sterling Montessori Academy

Franklin Academy

East Wake Academy

Raleigh Charter High School

PreEminent Charter

Quest Academy

Southern Wake Academy

Casa Esperanza Montessori Charter

School

Endeavor Charter School

Triangle Math and Science Academy

Longleaf School of the Arts

Wake Forest Charter Academy

Cardinal Charter Academy

Envision Science Academy

RISE Southeast Raleigh Charter

Central Wake High School

Peak Charter Academy

Pine Springs Preparatory Academy

Rolesville Charter Academy

Carolina Charter Academy

Raleigh Oak Charter

Cardinal Charter Acad at Wendell Falls

Doral Academy of North Carolina

The Math and Science Academy of Apex

Warren

Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School

Washington

Pocosin Innovative Charter

Watauga

Two Rivers Community School

Wayne

Dillard Academy

Wayne Preparatory Academy

Wilson

Sallie B Howard School

Wilson Preparatory Academy

GENDER DATA

As of October 1, 2022, males slightly exceeded female enrollment at charter schools, which is

aligned with state-wide public school enrollment figures showing slightly greater male enrollment.

Figure 11: Gender Distribution in Charters, 2019-2022

ETHNICITY AND RACIAL DATA

N.C. General Statute 115C-218.45(e) states, “within one year after the charter school begins

operation, the charter school shall make efforts for the population of the school to reasonably

reflect the racial and ethnic composition of the general population residing within the local school

administrative unit in which the school is located or the racial and ethnic composition of the special

population that the school seeks to serve residing within the local school administrative unit in

which the school is located.” The school shall also be subject to any court-ordered desegregation

plan in effective for the local LEA. Beginning January 2022, all charter schools are required to

submit plans to the Office of Charter Schools as to how the school is making efforts to meet these

requirements.

49.95%

50.05%

50.00% 50.00%

49.94%

50.06%

49.95%

50.05%

49.80%

49.90%

50.00%

50.10%

Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male

10/1/2019 10/1/2020 10/1/2021 10/1/2022

All Charters - Distribution of Gender

The figure below shows racial/ethnic composition within all charters and all traditional (non-

charter) local education agencies (LEAs) as of October 1, 2022.

Figure 12: Demographic Data, Charters and Traditional LEAs, 2022

0.79%

4.22%

26.24%

13.33%

0.12%

6.66%

48.65%

1.07%

3.98%

24.61%

21.11%

0.14%

5.37%

43.72%

AMERICAN

INDIAN OR

ALASKAN

NATIVE

ASIAN BLACK OR

AFRICAN

AMERICAN

HISPANIC NATIVE

HAWAIIAN

OR OTHER

PACIFIC

ISLANDER

TWO OR

RACES

WHITE

10/1/2022

2022 ETHNICITY AND RACIAL DATA

All Charters - Percentage All LEAs - Percentage

Special Population Student Enrollment

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

As of the December 1, 2022, federal headcount of Students with Disabilities (SWD), the SWD

headcount at charter schools was 10.85%, up from 10.33% the year prior.

Figure 13: Percentage of Students with Disabilities, 2019-2022

ENGLISH LEARNERS

As of the October 1, 2022, federal headcount, charter schools continue to show increased

enrollment of English Learners, but much lower rates of enrollment when compared to traditional

(non-charter) public schools.

10.59%

10.20%

10.33%

10.85%

12.41%

12.26%

12.27%

12.49%

2019 2020 2021 2022

Students with Disabilities, Charters and Traditionals

All Charters - Percentage All LEAs - Percentage

Figure 14: Percentage of English Learners, 2019-2022

ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

As of June 30, 2022, charter schools enrolled 40,496 economically disadvantaged students, or

30.93% of charter students. This is an increase from the 2020 June 30

headcount of 22.48%.

Figure 15: Percentage of Economically Disadvantaged Students, 2022

3.61%

3.30%

3.56%

4.12%

8.29%

7.99%

8.45%

9.10%

1/1/2019 1/1/2020 1/1/2021 1/1/2022

Percentage Distribution of English Learners

All Charters - Percentage All LEAs - Percentage

30.93%

37.26%

6/30/2022

Economically Disadvantaged Students

All Charters - Percentage All LEAs - Percentage

Eliminating Barriers to Access

WEIGHTED LOTTERIES

The ability to conduct a weighted lottery is codified in G.S. §115C-218.45(g1). Charter schools

may not discriminate in their admissions process on the basis of race, creed, national origin,

religion, or ancestry; however, they are allowed to utilize additional controls to enroll underserved

populations, if supported by the school’s mission.

In 2018, North Carolina was awarded a federal Charter Schools Program grant to increase

educationally disadvantaged student access to high quality charter schools in the state. One

stipulation that North Carolina wrote into the grant application is that subgrantees would agree to

implement a weighted lottery. This has led to a significant increase in not only the implementation

of weighted lotteries, but awareness of the admissions procedure that is a weighted lottery.

Over 70 charter schools are approved to utilize a weighted lottery. As a greater number of charter

schools begin to implement a weighted lottery, the hope is to see a greater number of educationally

disadvantaged students enrolling in charter schools. As part of the approval process, schools must

explain how the needs of educationally disadvantaged students will be met. Many schools report

an increase in staff, improved nutrition and transportation programs, as well as increased

community outreach and partnerships. OCS staff and the NC ACCESS grant team are working to

collect data on the implementation of weighted lotteries and how that process is impacting

educationally disadvantaged students at school levels. The NC ACCESS grant program

disseminates an annual report each year analyzing the impact of weighted lottery, and the grant

program in general.

TRANSPORTATION

N.C. General Statute §115C-218.40 states that a charter school “may provide transportation to

students enrolled at the school. The charter school shall develop a transportation plan so that

transportation is not a barrier to any student who resides in the local school administrative unit in

which the school is located.”

In 2017, S.L. 2017-57 appropriated $2.5 million to the Charter School Transportation Grant. Grant

awards were available to schools where 50% or more of the student population was economically

disadvantaged. These grant funds were not renewed for the following year; however, the grant was

made permanent during the 2021 legislative session. Feedback from grant recipients confirm that

the transportation grant is allowing greater use and upkeep to traditional yellow busing which has

become more costly over the years due to fuel and supply costs.

Figure 16: Charter School Transportation, 2022

CHILD NUTRITION

Charter schools in North Carolina are not required to participate in the National School Lunch

Program (NSLP), however, similar to the transportation provision, they are required to have a plan

that ensures that every child who needs lunch provided will receive a meal. Child nutrition plans

are evaluated during the initial charter school application phase and are a consistent component of

interview questioning before CSAB prior to sending application recommendations to SBE.

In the 2021-2022 school year, 76 charter schools participated in NSLP and for the current 2022-

2023 school year, 82 schools implement the NSLP.

NC ACCESS PROGRAM

Overview

The North Carolina Office of Charter Schools is currently in its fifth year of implementing the

North Carolina Advancing Charter Collaboration and Excellence for Student Success (NC

ACCESS) Program through a $36.6 million Public Charter Schools Program (CSP) grant from the

U.S. Department of

Education. The major purposes of the CSP are to expand opportunities for all students, particularly

educationally and economically underserved students, to attend charter schools and meet

Data from School Nutrition Division, NCDPI.

114, 55%

9, 4%

29, 14%

54, 26%

Charter School Transportation 2022

Bus transportation Public transportation Carpool Coordination Provide as Needed

challenging state academic standards; provide financial assistance for the planning, program

design, and initial implementation of public charter schools; increase the number of high-quality

charter schools available to students across the United States; evaluate the impact of charter

schools on student achievement, families, and communities; share best practices between charter

schools and other public schools; encourage states to provide facilities support to charter schools;

and support efforts to strengthen the charter school authorizing process.

Subgrant Program Statistics

The subgrant program is the largest investment the NC ACCESS Program makes to remove

barriers for educationally disadvantaged students. Over 90% of our total award goes directly to

schools through a competitive subgrant application process. Through four cycles, the NC ACCESS

Program has awarded 62 charter schools with subgrants totaling $33 million.

NC ACCESS Fellowship Institute

The NC ACCESS Program is committed to increasing access for educationally disadvantaged

students in high-quality charter schools in the State of North Carolina. As a result of this

commitment, the NC ACCESS Program has developed the Fellowship Institute for subgrantee

charter school leaders to learn, develop, and demonstrate best practices in serving educationally

disadvantaged students and fostering collaboration within the charter school community and

between charter and traditional public schools. The Fellowship Institute expanded its reach for

2021-2023 and provided an opportunity for all NC Charter Schools to attend the monthly sessions.

The sessions include opportunities to build supportive and collaborative networks, share best

practices, and engage in critical conversations with state and national experts who have experience

in leadership best practices, developing, expanding and replicating successful high-quality

schools, and/or working with educationally disadvantaged populations. A select number of leaders

from traditional public schools using the state’s Restart Model were invited to participate in the

full ACCESS Fellowship. Currently, over 160 school leaders have participated in the year-long

Institute over the five-year grant period.

Educational Equity Aspiring Minority Leaders Program

The NC ACCESS grant program implemented the Educational Equity Aspiring Minority School

Leaders Program. The purpose of the program was to recruit, select, and train a cohort of aspiring

minority school leaders over the life of the project to prepare for service in a leadership role in NC

charter schools. As you may already know, North Carolina, like most states, faces the challenge

of recruiting and retaining effective school leaders. In this age of increased accountability, research

has taught us that school leaders are crucial to improving instruction and raising student

achievement. Yet even with this changing landscape, one notable characteristic has remained

intact: there is significant lack of school leaders of color. The Aspiring Minority School Leaders

Program is designed to recruit, support, and build a pipeline of minority school leaders prepared

to meet the challenges of leading schools for educational equity. Candidates completed the 24-

hour credit, online MSA program at Appalachian State University. Upon completion of the Add

on Licensure Program, candidates earned a North Carolina School Administrator License. Twelve

(12) aspiring leaders completed the program in May of 2022 and have secured leadership roles at

charter schools across the state.

Charter School Transformative Executive Leadership Program

The NC ACCESS Program Office of Charter Schools has launched the newly created Charter

School Transformative Executive Leadership Program to provide high-quality, customized

professional coaching for a cohort of charter school leaders with a focus on dramatically

accelerating their leadership capacity and improving student outcomes at schools designated as

low- or continually low-performing.

Transformational principal leadership is critical to turning around low-performing schools. This

year-long cohort learning experience is designed to examine the implementation and evaluation of

programmatic strategies, the effectiveness of the decision-making process, and the engagement of

multiple stakeholders by a transformational leader engaged in an agenda of change in low-

performing schools. Currently, 22 school leaders are taking part in the Executive Leadership

Program. The Charter School Transformative Executive Leadership Program is facilitated by Alex

Quigley, Executive Director of Healthy Start Academy and former Chair of the North Carolina

Charter School Advisory Board, and Jason Jowers, Principal of Eno Valley Elementary School.

The Office of Charter Schools and NC ACCESS Science of Reading (LETRS) Training and

Support

In furthering our mission to ensure high-quality charter schools in North Carolina, the NC

ACCESS Program and Office of Charter Schools joined forces with the NC Department of Public

Instruction Office of Early Learning to provide charter school leaders and teachers the opportunity

to engage in LETRS training. Over 225 charter schoolteachers and 100 charter school

administrators are participating in the trainings which began in September of 2022.

LETRS is a suite of professional development offerings that bridges deep, meaningful research

into practical application. It provides educators with the background, depth of knowledge and tools

to teach language and literacy skills to every student. LETRS professional development addresses

four critical outcomes for effective literacy instruction: (1) understanding the science of reading,

(2) converting research to practice, (3) enhancing teacher effectiveness and (4) transforming

instruction by understanding the “why” behind science and evidence-based research. As a result,

educators can effectively know how to aid students in learning to read. LETRS professional

learning is relevant and applicable and designed to be the cornerstone of a multiyear, systemic

literacy improvement initiative.

Teach Like a Champion Training and Support for NC Charter Schools

In continuing the mission to ensure high-quality charter schools in North Carolina, the Office of

Charter Schools in collaboration with the NC ACCESS Program has committed to partnering with

Teach Like a Champion to provide charter school leaders and teachers the opportunity to engage

in Teach Like a Champion training. The NC ACCESS Program is supporting 200 charter school

teachers and administrators to participate in the trainings which began in January 2023. Teach

Like a Champion focuses on a belief that the solutions to education challenges exist in the

classrooms of real-life teachers, that exceptional practitioners of the art of teaching are the true

experts. Their mission is to dramatically improve teaching. Teach Like a Champion provides

educators with a set of techniques, a shared vocabulary, and a framework for practice that equip

teachers to achieve dramatic results with their students.

Charter School Academic Performance

The sixth legislative purpose of charter schools outlined in statute is to “hold schools established

under this Part accountable for meeting measurable student achievement results and provide the

schools with a method to change from rule-based to performance-based accountability systems.”

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 2021-2022

2021-2022 Accountability data was the first state academic data following the pandemic-related

waivers. Two hundred and four schools received at least some accountability data (depending on

grade levels served).

Percentage of charter schools receiving a School Performance Grade of an A or B

Fifty-three of 195 (27.2%) of charter schools received a School Performance Grade of an

A or B. This calculation does not include three schools that did not have tested grades in

2021-22 and four schools participating in the Alternative Schools’ Accountability Model.

Percentage of charter schools meeting or exceeding expected annual academic growth

One hundred twenty-two of 195 (62.6%) of charter schools met or exceeded expected

growth for 2021-22. This calculation does not include seven schools that did not have

growth measures reported for 2021-22.

Figure 17: Charter School Academic Growth, 2021-2022

Met

44%

Not Met

38%

Exceeded

18%

Academic Growth 2021-2022

Met

Not Met

Exceeded

Charter schools meeting the statutory definition of Low Performing (School Performance

Grade of D or F and a school growth score of “met expected growth” or “not met expected

growth”)

Sixty-seven of 195 (34%) applicable charter schools met the General Assembly’s definition

of Low Performing, having earned either a School Performance Grade of D or F and a

school growth score of “met expected growth” or “not met expected growth.” Forty-eight

of the 67 low performing charter schools were under 10 years old.

Charter schools meeting the statutory definition of Continually Low Performing (Identified

as Low Performing two out of the last three reported school years)

Thirty-five of 195 (18%) applicable charter schools met the General Assembly’s definition

of Continually Low Performing, having been identified as Low Performing two out of the

last three reported school years. Twenty-three of the 35 continually low performing charter

schools were under 10 years old.

Academic Recognitions

National Elementary and Secondary Act Distinguished Schools

Fifty-five U.S. schools have been named 2022 National Elementary and Secondary Education Act

Distinguished Schools for the extraordinary success of their students in several categories. Two

North Carolina charter schools were recognized for the following categories:

Category 2: Schools that have closed the achievement gap between student groups

• Durham Charter School (formerly Healthy Start Academy)

Category 3: Schools that show excellence in serving special populations of students

• ArtSpace Charter

U.S. News and World Reports Rankings

Fourteen charter schools were ranked in the top 50 NC high schools:

1. Raleigh Charter High School (Raleigh), #3

2. Woods Charter School (Chapel Hill), #4

3. Gray Stone Day (Misenheimer), #9

4. Research Triangle High Schools (Durham), #12

5. Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (Mooresboro), #14

6. Pine Lake Preparatory (Mooresville), #16

7. Community School of Davidson (Davidson), #23

8. Henderson Collegiate (Henderson), #26

9. The Hawbridge School (Saxapahaw), #28

10. Triangle Math and Science Academy (Cary), #35

11. The North Carolina Leadership Academy (Kernersville), #38

12. KIPP Gaston College Preparatory (Gaston), #41

13. Franklin Academy (Wake Forest), #45

14. Oxford Preparatory (Oxford), #47

State Low-Performing Schools and Districts

Each year low-performing school information is presented to the State Board of Education and

submitted to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee (JLEOC) regarding districts

and schools identified as low-performing, effective improvement planning, and recommendations

for additional legislation to improve student performance and increase local flexibility. Data on

low-performing and continually low-performing charter schools is included within that report

. In

addition, the NCDPI Accountability Division publishes an Annual Testing Report

with detailed

academic analysis on the state’s public schools. The data below is pulled from these reports to

provide comparative academic analysis between traditional public schools and charter public

schools.

The North Carolina General Assembly has enacted requirements to identify low-performing

schools, low-performing districts, and recurring low-performing schools based on Legislative

requirements.

North Carolina identifies low-performing public school units annually. There are four designations

for low-performing public school units:

 Low-Performing School

 Low-Performing District

 Recurring Low-Performing School

 Continually Low-Performing Charter Schools

Low-Performing Schools. A low-performing school has a School Performance Grade of 'D' or 'F',

and a growth status of 'Met' or 'Not Met.'

Low-Performing District. Low-performing districts are defined as districts that have greater than

50% of schools identified as low-performing.

Recurring Low-Performing School. A recurring low-performing school is identified as low-

performing in any two of the last three years.

Report to the North Carolina General Assembly: Low-Performing Districts and Schools, Improvement Planning, and Statewide

Support.

https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Meetings/Attachment.aspx?S=10399&AID=339652&MID=13198

https://www.dpi.nc.gov/2021-22-annual-testing-report/open

Continually Low-Performing Charter Schools. A continually low-performing charter school is

identified as low-performing in any two of the last three years.

Table 6 below provides the summary of schools and districts removed (No Longer Designated),

newly identified (Newly Designated), the net change from the 2020-2021 (based on 2018-19 data)

and the new total for 2021-2022.

Table 6: Low Performing Schools and Districts

Type Total 20-21

No longer

designated

Newly

designated

Net Change Total 21-22 Percentage

Traditional

441

131

483

(+352)

793

31.71%

Charter

(+25)

32.84%

Lab Schools

(-1)

80%

Districts

(+20)

25.22%

Recurring Traditional

LP Schools

423

(+41)

464

18.55%

Continually LP Charters

(-3)

17.16%

* This count includes ISD as a district which transferred ownership of Southside Ashepole ES back to Public Schools

of Robeson County in June 2022.

Detailed data on low-performing schools can be found in the report linked in the footnotes below.

Charter School Impact on Local Districts

FUNDING AND MEMBERSHIP

For 2021-2022 state funding, charter school average daily membership (ADM) accounted for 8.8%

($909,998,508) of the state’s total ADM. This increased to 8.9% the following year, 2022-2023

($985,919,148).

State funds are allotted based on the number of students in ADM at an individual charter school.

State funds may be used for any purpose with the exception of purchasing a building. Most federal

funds are targeted to specific school populations such as Title I or IDEA Handicapped. Local funds

are based on the local current expense appropriation in the county in which the student resides.

Local funds may be used for any purpose.

Specific financial guidelines pertaining to charters are:

- Funds are allocated in an unrestricted block allotment;

- Charters are not eligible for capital funds from state or county revenues; and

- Charters are not required to pay personnel using the State salary schedule, participate in the State

Retirement System or State Major Medical Plan or purchase on state contract or participate in e-

procurement.

Unlike local education agencies, charter schools are not bound to serve only the students residing

within a particular county or district. Many charter schools serve students from multiple districts,

which often poses challenges related to transportation and funding allocations. Given the large

number of districts from which a charter school may enroll students, it is difficult to pinpoint the

specific fiscal impact of a given charter school on its “home district.”

Detailed financial data regarding student enrollment, school personnel, expenditures, and reports

can be found at NCDPI Financial and Business Services.

Best Practices and Innovation

Charter schools were designed to provide families and students with greater choice in the types of

educational opportunities available within the public school system. Through the charter process,

charter boards and founders design schools that provide innovative and unique opportunities that

attract a diverse range of students. The attraction to charter schools, for many families and students,

lies in the specific programming and mission of the chosen charter school. The foundation of

charter school success in NC lies in choice – families choosing the programming and environment

that best meets the individual needs of their unique students.

With over 200 operating charter schools, there are a great variety of specific innovations and

programs within the NC charter community. In this year’s report, specific programmatic offerings

are being highlighted as an example of the diverse programming throughout the state.

NORTH CAROLINA CHARTER SCHOOLS: PROGRAMMING BY TYPE

Social Emotional and Mental Health Supports

Mountain Island Charter School

− Utilizes Gaggle Services with the support of federal funding to support mental

health/behavior. Partnership with Atrium Health to provide Mental Health Teletherapy.

Pine Lake Preparatory

− Implemented Capturing Kids’ Hearts which provides training, coaching, and character-

based resources for students, and equips staff with the tools necessary to support the

emotional wellbeing of students.

Alamance Community School

− Responsive Classroom Program which begins each day with morning meetings to promote

optimal student learning and create a caring community of students and staff.

Charlotte Secondary School

− Sown to Grow allows students to become comfortable sharing their personal and academic

concerns with staff.

NC Leadership Academy

− Implemented “Rox”, a 12-week program for empowering girls with their self-confidence

and analyzing social media tendencies.

Thomas Academy Charter School

− PAWS FOR PEOPLE partnership with UNCW which is a dog handling elective that allows

students to experience a therapeutic program that could lead to a 4-year degree.

Willow Oak Montessori Charter School

− Works with a therapy dog and her handler to provide SEL support to the school community.

Technology

Quality Education Academy

− Emerging Technologies course focused on aviation and drones; students have ability to

earn Level I Pilot License.

Old Main Stream Academy

− Students are engaging with drone technologies through a partnership with Emerging

Technology Institute.

Next Generation Academy

− National WozED School of Distinction incorporating technology pathways including

drone, cyber security, animation, and artificial intelligence.

Community School of Digital & Visual Arts

− Students take coding, digital animation, and newscasting classes. E-Sports team competes

against teams worldwide.

Aristotle Preparatory Academy

− Department of Defense STARBASE provides fifth grade students with 25 hours of

experience with the National Guard, Marines, Air Force Reserves, Army and Air Force

bases across the nation.

Alpha Academy

− The Katherine G. Johnson S.T.E.M. Institute at Alpha Academy is named after NASA

Pioneer Katherine G. Johnson. The Katherine G. Johnson STEM Institute will provide a

comprehensive, rigorous, and interactive curriculum that challenges students to maximize

their potentials for advanced studies and STEM-related careers.

World Language

Socrates Academy

− Only Greek language school in NC and only one of three in the nation. The Academy's

bilingual, multicultural curriculum follows both the North Carolina Standard Course of

Study (language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, physical education, art, and

music) and the National Greek Curriculum Standards (language arts, mathematics, and

Greek culture).

NCDPI reports that for the Class of 2022, 45 out of 74, or 61%, of charter schools with a grade 12

had graduates who earned the Global Languages Endorsement (GLE), NC's Seal of Biliteracy,

which is new record.

Arts

Longleaf School of the Arts

− First charter school to integrate academics with fine and performing arts which include

choral music, dance, instrumental music, musical theatre, theatre, and visual art.

Jackson Day School

− Offers competitive dance teams with previous teams undefeated at regional competitions

and progressing to the World Championships in NYC. The Elementary Elite team won 1

place at the World Championships in NYC.

Career Technical Education

Eighty-one charter schools reported offering CTE/dual credit courses, 41 of those on campus.

Fifty-nine schools report that their students have an opportunity to receive an Associate's Degree

and/or Career Certification upon graduation from high school.

Teaching and Leading Recognitions

The Wells Fargo Principal of the Year Award was introduced in 1984 to recognize the role of the

principal in establishing an environment conducive to the pursuit and achievement of academic

excellence in North Carolina’s schools. The Wells Fargo Principal of the Year serves as the North

Carolina ambassador for the state’s approximately 2,500 principals.

2022 Principal of the Year for charter schools: Maria Mills- Carolina Charter Academy, Angier,

2023 Principal of the Year for charter schools: T.J. Worrell- Northeast Academy for Aerospace

and Advanced Technologies, Elizabeth City, NC

The Burroughs Welcome Fund Charter School Teacher of the Year chooses a candidate who is

dedicated and highly skilled, a candidate proven capable of inspiring students of all backgrounds

and abilities to learn.

2022 Teacher of the Year: William Keegan Storrs, Roxboro Community School

2023 Teacher of the Year: Ryan Henderson, Sugar Creek Academy

Resources

Please see the links below for additional data and information related to North Carolina’s charter

schools.

Recognitions

Accountability Data

Data and Reports

NC School Finances

School Report Cards