BILL NUMBER: SB 1290	ENROLLED
	BILL TEXT

	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 27, 2012
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 22, 2012
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 20, 2012
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 29, 2012
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 28, 2012

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Alquist

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2012

   An act to amend Sections 47605, 47605.6, and 47607 of the
Education Code, relating to charter schools.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1290, Alquist. Charter schools: establishment, renewal, and
revocation.
   (1) The Charter Schools Act of 1992 specifies the procedures for
the submission, review, and approval or denial of a petition to
establish a standard or countywide charter school, which include, but
are not limited to, a requirement that the petition contain
measurable pupil outcomes.
   This bill would require those pupil outcomes to include outcomes
that address increases in pupil academic achievement both schoolwide
and for all groups of pupils served by the charter school, which this
bill would define.
   (2) The Charter Schools Act of 1992 limits the duration of
charters to a period not to exceed 5 years and authorizes the
chartering authority to grant one or more subsequent renewals for an
additional period of 5 years. To receive a renewal, existing law
requires a charter school to meet at least one of several criteria.
   This bill would revise the criteria relating to the attainment of
the charter school's Academic Performance Index growth target in
prior years and would require those growth targets to be met both
schoolwide and for all groups of pupils served by the charter school.
The bill also would require the chartering authority to consider
increases in pupil academic achievement for all groups of pupils
served by the charter school as the most important factor in
determining whether to grant a charter renewal.
   (3) Existing law authorizes a chartering authority to revoke a
charter if it finds substantial evidence that the charter school
committed one of several violations.
   This bill would require a chartering authority to consider
increases in pupil academic achievement for all groups of pupils
served by the charter school as the most important factor in
determining whether to revoke a charter.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 47605 of the Education Code is amended to read:

   47605.  (a) (1) Except as set forth in paragraph (2), a petition
for the establishment of a charter school within a school district
may be circulated by one or more persons seeking to establish the
charter school. A petition for the establishment of a charter school
shall identify a single charter school that will operate within the
geographic boundaries of that school district. A charter school may
propose to operate at multiple sites within the school district, as
long as each location is identified in the charter school petition.
The petition may be submitted to the governing board of the school
district for review after either of the following conditions is met:
   (A) The petition is signed by a number of parents or legal
guardians of pupils that is equivalent to at least one-half of the
number of pupils that the charter school estimates will enroll in the
school for its first year of operation.
   (B) The petition is signed by a number of teachers that is
equivalent to at least one-half of the number of teachers that the
charter school estimates will be employed at the school during its
first year of operation.
   (2) A petition that proposes to convert an existing public school
to a charter school that would not be eligible for a loan pursuant to
subdivision (b) of Section 41365 may be circulated by one or more
persons seeking to establish the charter school. The petition may be
submitted to the governing board of the school district for review
after the petition is signed by not less than 50 percent of the
permanent status teachers currently employed at the public school to
be converted.
   (3) A petition shall include a prominent statement that a
signature on the petition means that the parent or legal guardian is
meaningfully interested in having his or her child or ward attend the
charter school, or in the case of a teacher's signature, means that
the teacher is meaningfully interested in teaching at the charter
school. The proposed charter shall be attached to the petition.
   (4) After receiving approval of its petition, a charter school
that proposes to establish operations at one or more additional sites
shall request a material revision to its charter and shall notify
the authority that granted its charter of those additional locations.
The authority that granted its charter shall consider whether to
approve those additional locations at an open, public meeting. If the
additional locations are approved, they shall be a material revision
to the charter school's charter.
   (5) A charter school that is unable to locate within the
jurisdiction of the chartering school district may establish one site
outside the boundaries of the school district, but within the county
in which that school district is located, if the school district
within the jurisdiction of which the charter school proposes to
operate is notified in advance of the charter petition approval, the
county superintendent of schools and the Superintendent are notified
of the location of the charter school before it commences operations,
and either of the following circumstances exists:
   (A) The school has attempted to locate a single site or facility
to house the entire program, but a site or facility is unavailable in
the area in which the school chooses to locate.
   (B) The site is needed for temporary use during a construction or
expansion project.
   (6) Commencing January 1, 2003, a petition to establish a charter
school may not be approved to serve pupils in a grade level that is
not served by the school district of the governing board considering
the petition, unless the petition proposes to serve pupils in all of
the grade levels served by that school district.
   (b) No later than 30 days after receiving a petition, in
accordance with subdivision (a), the governing board of the school
district shall hold a public hearing on the provisions of the
charter, at which time the governing board of the school district
shall consider the level of support for the petition by teachers
employed by the district, other employees of the district, and
parents. Following review of the petition and the public hearing, the
governing board of the school district shall either grant or deny
the charter within 60 days of receipt of the petition, provided,
however, that the date may be extended by an additional 30 days if
both parties agree to the extension. In reviewing petitions for the
establishment of charter schools pursuant to this section, the
chartering authority shall be guided by the intent of the Legislature
that charter schools are and should become an integral part of the
California educational system and that establishment of charter
schools should be encouraged. The governing board of the school
district shall grant a charter for the operation of a school under
this part if it is satisfied that granting the charter is consistent
with sound educational practice. The governing board of the school
district shall not deny a petition for the establishment of a charter
school unless it makes written factual findings, specific to the
particular petition, setting forth specific facts to support one or
more of the following findings:
   (1) The charter school presents an unsound educational program for
the pupils to be enrolled in the charter school.
   (2) The petitioners are demonstrably unlikely to successfully
implement the program set forth in the petition.
   (3) The petition does not contain the number of signatures
required by subdivision (a).
   (4) The petition does not contain an affirmation of each of the
conditions described in subdivision (d).
   (5) The petition does not contain reasonably comprehensive
descriptions of all of the following:
   (A) (i) A description of the educational program of the school,
designed, among other things, to identify those whom the school is
attempting to educate, what it means to be an "educated person" in
the 21st century, and how learning best occurs. The goals identified
in that program shall include the objective of enabling pupils to
become self-motivated, competent, and lifelong learners.
   (ii) If the proposed school will serve high school pupils, a
description of the manner in which the charter school will inform
parents about the transferability of courses to other public high
schools and the eligibility of courses to meet college entrance
requirements. Courses offered by the charter school that are
accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges may be
considered transferable and courses approved by the University of
California or the California State University as creditable under the
"A" to "G" admissions criteria may be considered to meet college
entrance requirements.
   (B) The measurable pupil outcomes identified for use by the
charter school. "Pupil outcomes," for purposes of this part, means
the extent to which all pupils of the school demonstrate that they
have attained the skills, knowledge, and attitudes specified as goals
in the school's educational program. Pupil outcomes shall include
outcomes that address increases in pupil academic achievement both
schoolwide and for all groups of pupils served by the charter school,
as that term is defined in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of
subdivision (a) of Section 47607.
   (C) The method by which pupil progress in meeting those pupil
outcomes is to be measured.
   (D) The governance structure of the school, including, but not
limited to, the process to be followed by the school to ensure
parental involvement.
   (E) The qualifications to be met by individuals to be employed by
the school.
   (F) The procedures that the school will follow to ensure the
health and safety of pupils and staff. These procedures shall include
the requirement that each employee of the school furnish the school
with a criminal record summary as described in Section 44237.
   (G) The means by which the school will achieve a racial and ethnic
balance among its pupils that is reflective of the general
population residing within the territorial jurisdiction of the school
district to which the charter petition is submitted.
   (H) Admission requirements, if applicable.
   (I) The manner in which annual, independent financial audits shall
be conducted, which shall employ generally accepted accounting
principles, and the manner in which audit exceptions and deficiencies
shall be resolved to the satisfaction of the chartering authority.
   (J) The procedures by which pupils can be suspended or expelled.
   (K) The manner by which staff members of the charter schools will
be covered by the State Teachers' Retirement System, the Public
Employees' Retirement System, or federal social security.
   (L) The public school attendance alternatives for pupils residing
within the school district who choose not to attend charter schools.
   (M) A description of the rights of any employee of the school
district upon leaving the employment of the school district to work
in a charter school, and of any rights of return to the school
district after employment at a charter school.
   (N) The procedures to be followed by the charter school and the
entity granting the charter to resolve disputes relating to
provisions of the charter.
   (O) A declaration whether or not the charter school shall be
deemed the exclusive public school employer of the employees of the
charter school for purposes of Chapter 10.7 (commencing with Section
3540) of Division 4 of Title 1 of the Government Code.
   (P) A description of the procedures to be used if the charter
school closes. The procedures shall ensure a final audit of the
school to determine the disposition of all assets and liabilities of
the charter school, including plans for disposing of any net assets
and for the maintenance and transfer of pupil records.
   (c) (1) Charter schools shall meet all statewide standards and
conduct the pupil assessments required pursuant to Sections 60605 and
60851 and any other statewide standards authorized in statute or
pupil assessments applicable to pupils in noncharter public schools.
   (2) Charter schools shall, on a regular basis, consult with their
parents, legal guardians, and teachers regarding the school's
educational programs.
   (d) (1) In addition to any other requirement imposed under this
part, a charter school shall be nonsectarian in its programs,
admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations,
shall not charge tuition, and shall not discriminate against any
pupil on the basis of the characteristics listed in Section 220.
Except as provided in paragraph (2), admission to a charter school
shall not be determined according to the place of residence of the
pupil, or of his or her parent or legal guardian, within this state,
except that an existing public school converting partially or
entirely to a charter school under this part shall adopt and maintain
a policy giving admission preference to pupils who reside within the
former attendance area of that public school.
   (2) (A) A charter school shall admit all pupils who wish to attend
the school.
   (B) If the number of pupils who wish to attend the charter school
exceeds the school's capacity, attendance, except for existing pupils
of the charter school, shall be determined by a public random
drawing. Preference shall be extended to pupils currently attending
the charter school and pupils who reside in the district except as
provided for in Section 47614.5. Other preferences may be permitted
by the chartering authority on an individual school basis and only if
consistent with the law.
   (C) In the event of a drawing, the chartering authority shall make
reasonable efforts to accommodate the growth of the charter school
and in no event shall take any action to impede the charter school
from expanding enrollment to meet pupil demand.
   (3) If a pupil is expelled or leaves the charter school without
graduating or completing the school year for any reason, the charter
school shall notify the superintendent of the school district of the
pupil's last known address within 30 days, and shall, upon request,
provide that school district with a copy of the cumulative record of
the pupil, including a transcript of grades or report card, and
health information. This paragraph applies only to pupils subject to
compulsory full-time education pursuant to Section 48200.
   (e) The governing board of a school district shall not require any
employee of the school district to be employed in a charter school.
   (f) The governing board of a school district shall not require any
pupil enrolled in the school district to attend a charter school.
   (g) The governing board of a school district shall require that
the petitioner or petitioners provide information regarding the
proposed operation and potential effects of the school, including,
but not limited to, the facilities to be used by the school, the
manner in which administrative services of the school are to be
provided, and potential civil liability effects, if any, upon the
school and upon the school district. The description of the
facilities to be used by the charter school shall specify where the
school intends to locate. The petitioner or petitioners shall also be
required to provide financial statements that include a proposed
first-year operational budget, including startup costs, and cashflow
and financial projections for the first three years of operation.
   (h) In reviewing petitions for the establishment of charter
schools within the school district, the governing board of the school
district shall give preference to petitions that demonstrate the
capability to provide comprehensive learning experiences to pupils
identified by the petitioner or petitioners as academically low
achieving pursuant to the standards established by the department
under Section 54032, as it read before July 19, 2006.
   (i) Upon the approval of the petition by the governing board of
the school district, the petitioner or petitioners shall provide
written notice of that approval, including a copy of the petition, to
the applicable county superintendent of schools, the department, and
the state board.
   (j) (1) If the governing board of a school district denies a
petition, the petitioner may elect to submit the petition for the
establishment of a charter school to the county board of education.
The county board of education shall review the petition pursuant to
subdivision (b). If the petitioner elects to submit a petition for
establishment of a charter school to the county board of education
and the county board of education denies the petition, the petitioner
may file a petition for establishment of a charter school with the
state board, and the state board may approve the petition, in
accordance with subdivision (b). A charter school that receives
approval of its petition from a county board of education or from the
state board on appeal shall be subject to the same requirements
concerning geographic location to which it would otherwise be subject
if it received approval from the entity to which it originally
submitted its petition. A charter petition that is submitted to
either a county board of education or to the state board shall meet
all otherwise applicable petition requirements, including the
identification of the proposed site or sites where the charter school
will operate.
   (2) In assuming its role as a chartering agency, the state board
shall develop criteria to be used for the review and approval of
charter school petitions presented to the state board. The criteria
shall address all elements required for charter approval, as
identified in subdivision (b) and shall define "reasonably
comprehensive" as used in paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) in a way
that is consistent with the intent of this part. Upon satisfactory
completion of the criteria, the state board shall adopt the criteria
on or before June 30, 2001.
   (3) A charter school for which a charter is granted by either the
county board of education or the state board based on an appeal
pursuant to this subdivision shall qualify fully as a charter school
for all funding and other purposes of this part.
   (4) If either the county board of education or the state board
fails to act on a petition within 120 days of receipt, the decision
of the governing board of the school district to deny a petition
shall, thereafter, be subject to judicial review.
   (5) The state board shall adopt regulations implementing this
subdivision.
   (6) Upon the approval of the petition by the county board of
education, the petitioner or petitioners shall provide written notice
of that approval, including a copy of the petition to the department
and the state board.
   (k) (1) The state board may, by mutual agreement, designate its
supervisorial and oversight responsibilities for a charter school
approved by the state board to any local educational agency in the
county in which the charter school is located or to the governing
board of the school district that first denied the petition.
   (2) The designated local educational agency shall have all
monitoring and supervising authority of a chartering agency,
including, but not limited to, powers and duties set forth in Section
47607, except the power of revocation, which shall remain with the
state board.
   (3) A charter school that is granted its charter through an appeal
to the state board and elects to seek renewal of its charter shall,
before expiration of the charter, submit its petition for renewal to
the governing board of the school district that initially denied the
charter. If the governing board of the school district denies the
school's petition for renewal, the school may petition the state
board for renewal of its charter.
   (  l  ) Teachers in charter schools shall hold a
Commission on Teacher Credentialing certificate, permit, or other
document equivalent to that which a teacher in other public schools
would be required to hold. These documents shall be maintained on
file at the charter school and are subject to periodic inspection by
the chartering authority. It is the intent of the Legislature that
charter schools be given flexibility with regard to noncore,
noncollege preparatory courses.
   (m) A charter school shall transmit a copy of its annual,
independent financial audit report for the preceding fiscal year, as
described in subparagraph (I) of paragraph (5) of subdivision (b), to
its chartering entity, the Controller, the county superintendent of
schools of the county in which the charter school is sited, unless
the county board of education of the county in which the charter
school is sited is the chartering entity, and the department by
December 15 of each year. This subdivision does not apply if the
audit of the charter school is encompassed in the audit of the
chartering entity pursuant to Section 41020.
  SEC. 2.  Section 47605.6 of the Education Code is amended to read:
   47605.6.  (a) (1) In addition to the authority provided by Section
47605.5, a county board of education may also approve a petition for
the operation of a charter school that operates at one or more sites
within the geographic boundaries of the county and that provides
instructional services that are not generally provided by a county
office of education. A county board of education may approve a
countywide charter only if it finds, in addition to the other
requirements of this section, that the educational services to be
provided by the charter school will offer services to a pupil
population that will benefit from those services and that cannot be
served as well by a charter school that operates in only one school
district in the county. A petition for the establishment of a
countywide charter school pursuant to this subdivision may be
circulated throughout the county by any one or more persons seeking
to establish the charter school. The petition may be submitted to the
county board of education for review after either of the following
conditions is met:
   (A) The petition is signed by a number of parents or guardians of
pupils residing within the county that is equivalent to at least
one-half of the number of pupils that the charter school estimates
will enroll in the school for its first year of operation and each of
the school districts where the charter school petitioner proposes to
operate a facility has received at least 30 days' notice of the
petitioner's intent to operate a school pursuant to this section.
   (B) The petition is signed by a number of teachers that is
equivalent to at least one-half of the number of teachers that the
charter school estimates will be employed at the school during its
first year of operation and each of the school districts where the
charter school petitioner proposes to operate a facility has received
at least 30 days' notice of the petitioner's intent to operate a
school pursuant to this section.
   (2) An existing public school may not be converted to a charter
school in accordance with this section.
   (3) After receiving approval of its petition, a charter school
that proposes to establish operations at additional sites within the
geographic boundaries of the county board of education shall notify
the school districts where those sites will be located. The charter
school shall also request a material revision of its charter by the
county board of education that approved its charter and the county
board of education shall consider whether to approve those additional
locations at an open, public meeting, held no sooner than 30 days
following notification of the school districts where the sites will
be located. If approved, the location of the approved sites shall be
a material revision of the school's approved charter.
   (4) A petition shall include a prominent statement indicating that
a signature on the petition means that the parent or guardian is
meaningfully interested in having his or her child or ward attend the
charter school, or in the case of a teacher's signature, means that
the teacher is meaningfully interested in teaching at the charter
school. The proposed charter shall be attached to the petition.
   (b) No later than 60 days after receiving a petition, in
accordance with subdivision (a), the county board of education shall
hold a public hearing on the provisions of the charter, at which time
the county board of education shall consider the level of support
for the petition by teachers, parents or guardians, and the school
districts where the charter school petitioner proposes to place
school facilities. Following review of the petition and the public
hearing, the county board of education shall either grant or deny the
charter within 90 days of receipt of the petition. However, this
date may be extended by an additional 30 days if both parties agree
to the extension. A county board of education may impose any
additional requirements beyond those required by this section that it
considers necessary for the sound operation of a countywide charter
school. A county board of education may grant a charter for the
operation of a school under this part only if the board is satisfied
that granting the charter is consistent with sound educational
practice and that the charter school has reasonable justification for
why it could not be established by petition to a school district
pursuant to Section 47605. The county board of education shall deny a
petition for the establishment of a charter school if the board
finds one or more of the following:
   (1) The charter school presents an unsound educational program for
the pupils to be enrolled in the charter school.
   (2) The petitioners are demonstrably unlikely to successfully
implement the program set forth in the petition.
   (3) The petition does not contain the number of signatures
required by subdivision (a).
   (4) The petition does not contain an affirmation of each of the
conditions described in subdivision (d).
   (5) The petition does not contain reasonably comprehensive
descriptions of all of the following:
   (A) (i) A description of the educational program of the school,
designed, among other things, to identify those pupils whom the
school is attempting to educate, what it means to be an "educated
person" in the 21st century, and how learning best occurs. The goals
identified in that program shall include the objective of enabling
pupils to become self-motivated, competent, and lifelong learners.
   (ii) If the proposed charter school will enroll high school
pupils, a description of the manner in which the charter school will
inform parents regarding the transferability of courses to other
public high schools. Courses offered by the charter school that are
accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges may be
considered to be transferable to other public high schools.
   (iii) If the proposed charter school will enroll high school
pupils, information as to the manner in which the charter school will
inform parents as to whether each individual course offered by the
charter school meets college entrance requirements. Courses approved
by the University of California or the California State University as
satisfying their prerequisites for admission may be considered as
meeting college entrance requirements for purposes of this clause.
   (B) The measurable pupil outcomes identified for use by the
charter school. "Pupil outcomes," for purposes of this part, means
the extent to which all pupils of the school demonstrate that they
have attained the skills, knowledge, and aptitudes specified as goals
in the school's educational program. Pupil outcomes shall include
outcomes that address increases in pupil academic achievement both
schoolwide and for all groups of pupils served by the charter school,
as that term is defined in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of
subdivision (a) of Section 47607.
   (C) The method by which pupil progress in meeting those pupil
outcomes is to be measured.
   (D) The location of each charter school facility that the
petitioner proposes to operate.
   (E) The governance structure of the school, including, but not
limited to, the process to be followed by the school to ensure
parental involvement.
   (F) The qualifications to be met by individuals to be employed by
the school.
   (G) The procedures that the school will follow to ensure the
health and safety of pupils and staff. These procedures shall include
the requirement that each employee of the school furnish the school
with a criminal record summary as described in Section 44237.
   (H) The means by which the school will achieve a racial and ethnic
balance among its pupils that is reflective of the general
population residing within the territorial jurisdiction of the school
district to which                                          the
charter petition is submitted.
   (I) The manner in which annual, independent, financial audits
shall be conducted, in accordance with regulations established by the
state board, and the manner in which audit exceptions and
deficiencies shall be resolved.
   (J) The procedures by which pupils can be suspended or expelled.
   (K) The manner by which staff members of the charter schools will
be covered by the State Teachers' Retirement System, the Public
Employees' Retirement System, or federal social security.
   (L) The procedures to be followed by the charter school and the
county board of education to resolve disputes relating to provisions
of the charter.
   (M) A declaration whether or not the charter school shall be
deemed the exclusive public school employer of the employees of the
charter school for purposes of the Educational Employment Relations
Act (Chapter 10.7 (commencing with Section 3540) of Division 4 of
Title 1 of the Government Code).
   (N) Admission requirements of the charter school, if applicable.
   (O) The public school attendance alternatives for pupils residing
within the county who choose not to attend the charter school.
   (P) A description of the rights of an employee of the county
office of education, upon leaving the employment of the county office
of education, to be employed by the charter school, and a
description of any rights of return to the county office of education
that an employee may have upon leaving the employ of the charter
school.
   (Q) A description of the procedures to be used if the charter
school closes. The procedures shall ensure a final audit of the
school to determine the disposition of all assets and liabilities of
the charter school, including plans for disposing of any net assets
and for the maintenance and transfer of public records.
   (6) Any other basis that the county board of education finds
justifies the denial of the petition.
   (c) A county board of education that approves a petition for the
operation of a countywide charter may, as a condition of charter
approval, enter into an agreement with a third party, at the expense
of the charter school, to oversee, monitor, and report to the county
board of education on the operations of the charter school. The
county board of education may prescribe the aspects of the charter
school's operations to be monitored by the third party and may
prescribe appropriate requirements regarding the reporting of
information concerning the operations of the charter school to the
county board of education.
   (d) (1) Charter schools shall meet all statewide standards and
conduct the pupil assessments required pursuant to Section 60605 and
any other statewide standards authorized in statute or pupil
assessments applicable to pupils in noncharter public schools.
   (2) Charter schools shall on a regular basis consult with their
parents and teachers regarding the school's educational programs.
   (e) (1) In addition to any other requirement imposed under this
part, a charter school shall be nonsectarian in its programs,
admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations,
shall not charge tuition, and shall not discriminate against any
pupil on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender
identity, gender expression, or disability. Except as provided in
paragraph (2), admission to a charter school shall not be determined
according to the place of residence of the pupil, or of his or her
parent or guardian, within this state.
   (2) (A) A charter school shall admit all pupils who wish to attend
the school.
   (B) If the number of pupils who wish to attend the charter school
exceeds the school's capacity, attendance, except for existing pupils
of the charter school, shall be determined by a public random
drawing. Preference shall be extended to pupils currently attending
the charter school and pupils who reside in the county except as
provided for in Section 47614.5. Other preferences may be permitted
by the chartering authority on an individual school basis and only if
consistent with the law.
   (C) In the event of a drawing, the county board of education shall
make reasonable efforts to accommodate the growth of the charter
school and in no event shall take any action to impede the charter
school from expanding enrollment to meet pupil demand.
   (f) The county board of education shall not require any employee
of the county or a school district to be employed in a charter
school.
   (g) The county board of education shall not require any pupil
enrolled in a county program to attend a charter school.
   (h) The county board of education shall require that the
petitioner or petitioners provide information regarding the proposed
operation and potential effects of the school, including, but not
limited to, the facilities to be used by the school, the manner in
which administrative services of the school are to be provided, and
potential civil liability effects, if any, upon the school, any
school district where the charter school may operate, and upon the
county board of education. The petitioner or petitioners shall also
be required to provide financial statements that include a proposed
first-year operational budget, including startup costs, and cashflow
and financial projections for the first three years of operation.
   (i) In reviewing petitions for the establishment of charter
schools within the county, the county board of education shall give
preference to petitions that demonstrate the capability to provide
comprehensive learning experiences to pupils identified by the
petitioner or petitioners as academically low achieving pursuant to
the standards established by the department under Section 54032, as
it read before July 19, 2006.
   (j) Upon the approval of the petition by the county board of
education, the petitioner or petitioners shall provide written notice
of that approval, including a copy of the petition, to the school
districts within the county, the Superintendent, and to the state
board.
   (k) If a county board of education denies a petition, the
petitioner may not elect to submit the petition for the establishment
of the charter school to the state board.
   (l) Teachers in charter schools shall be required to hold a
Commission on Teacher Credentialing certificate, permit, or other
document equivalent to that which a teacher in other public schools
would be required to hold. These documents shall be maintained on
file at the charter school and shall be subject to periodic
inspection by the chartering authority.
   (m) A charter school shall transmit a copy of its annual,
independent, financial audit report for the preceding fiscal year, as
described in subparagraph (I) of paragraph (5) of subdivision (b),
to the county office of education, the Controller, and the department
by December 15 of each year. This subdivision shall not apply if the
audit of the charter school is encompassed in the audit of the
chartering entity pursuant to Section 41020.
  SEC. 3.  Section 47607 of the Education Code is amended to read:
   47607.  (a) (1) A charter may be granted pursuant to Sections
47605, 47605.5, and 47606 for a period not to exceed five years. A
charter granted by a school district governing board, a county board
of education, or the state board may be granted one or more
subsequent renewals by that entity. Each renewal shall be for a
period of five years. A material revision of the provisions of a
charter petition may be made only with the approval of the authority
that granted the charter. The authority that granted the charter may
inspect or observe any part of the charter school at any time.
   (2) Renewals and material revisions of charters are governed by
the standards and criteria in Section 47605, and shall include, but
not be limited to, a reasonably comprehensive description of any new
requirement of charter schools enacted into law after the charter was
originally granted or last renewed.
   (3) (A) The authority that granted the charter shall consider
increases in pupil academic achievement for all groups of pupils
served by the charter school as the most important factor in
determining whether to grant a charter renewal.
   (B) For purposes of this section, "all groups of pupils served by
the charter school" means a numerically significant pupil subgroup,
as defined by paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 52052,
served by the charter school.
   (b) Commencing on January 1, 2005, or after a charter school has
been in operation for four years, whichever date occurs later, a
charter school shall meet at least one of the following criteria
before receiving a charter renewal pursuant to paragraph (1) of
subdivision (a):
   (1) Attained its Academic Performance Index (API) growth target in
the prior year or in two of the last three years both schoolwide and
for all groups of pupils served by the charter school.
   (2) Ranked in deciles 4 to 10, inclusive, on the API in the prior
year or in two of the last three years.
   (3) Ranked in deciles 4 to 10, inclusive, on the API for a
demographically comparable school in the prior year or in two of the
last three years.
   (4) (A) The entity that granted the charter determines that the
academic performance of the charter school is at least equal to the
academic performance of the public schools that the charter school
pupils would otherwise have been required to attend, as well as the
academic performance of the schools in the school district in which
the charter school is located, taking into account the composition of
the pupil population that is served at the charter school.
   (B) The determination made pursuant to this paragraph shall be
based upon all of the following:
   (i) Documented and clear and convincing data.
   (ii) Pupil achievement data from assessments, including, but not
limited to, the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program
established by Article 4 (commencing with Section 60640) of Chapter 5
of Part 33 for demographically similar pupil populations in the
comparison schools.
   (iii) Information submitted by the charter school.
   (C) A chartering authority shall submit to the Superintendent
copies of supporting documentation and a written summary of the basis
for any determination made pursuant to this paragraph. The
Superintendent shall review the materials and make recommendations to
the chartering authority based on that review. The review may be the
basis for a recommendation made pursuant to Section 47604.5.
   (D) A charter renewal may not be granted to a charter school prior
to 30 days after that charter school submits materials pursuant to
this paragraph.
   (5) Qualified for an alternative accountability system pursuant to
subdivision (h) of Section 52052.
   (c) (1) A charter may be revoked by the authority that granted the
charter under this chapter if the authority finds, through a showing
of substantial evidence, that the charter school did any of the
following:
   (A) Committed a material violation of any of the conditions,
standards, or procedures set forth in the charter.
   (B) Failed to meet or pursue any of the pupil outcomes identified
in the charter.
   (C) Failed to meet generally accepted accounting principles, or
engaged in fiscal mismanagement.
   (D) Violated any provision of law.
   (2) The authority that granted the charter shall consider
increases in pupil academic achievement for all groups of pupils
served by the charter school as the most important factor in
determining whether to revoke a charter.
   (d) Before revocation, the authority that granted the charter
shall notify the charter school of any violation of this section and
give the school a reasonable opportunity to remedy the violation,
unless the authority determines, in writing, that the violation
constitutes a severe and imminent threat to the health or safety of
the pupils.
   (e) Before revoking a charter for failure to remedy a violation
pursuant to subdivision (d), and after expiration of the school's
reasonable opportunity to remedy without successfully remedying the
violation, the chartering authority shall provide a written notice of
intent to revoke and notice of facts in support of revocation to the
charter school. No later than 30 days after providing the notice of
intent to revoke a charter, the chartering authority shall hold a
public hearing, in the normal course of business, on the issue of
whether evidence exists to revoke the charter. No later than 30 days
after the public hearing, the chartering authority shall issue a
final decision to revoke or decline to revoke the charter, unless the
chartering authority and the charter school agree to extend the
issuance of the decision by an additional 30 days. The chartering
authority shall not revoke a charter, unless it makes written factual
findings supported by substantial evidence, specific to the charter
school, that support its findings.
   (f) (1) If a school district is the chartering authority and it
revokes a charter pursuant to this section, the charter school may
appeal the revocation to the county board of education within 30 days
following the final decision of the chartering authority.
   (2) The county board of education may reverse the revocation
decision if the county board of education determines that the
findings made by the chartering authority under subdivision (e) are
not supported by substantial evidence. The school district may appeal
the reversal to the state board.
   (3) If the county board of education does not issue a decision on
the appeal within 90 days of receipt, or the county board of
education upholds the revocation, the charter school may appeal the
revocation to the state board.
   (4) The state board may reverse the revocation decision if the
state board determines that the findings made by the chartering
authority under subdivision (e) are not supported by substantial
evidence. The state board may uphold the revocation decision of the
school district if the state board determines that the findings made
by the chartering authority under subdivision (e) are supported by
substantial evidence.
   (g) (1) If a county office of education is the chartering
authority and the county board of education revokes a charter
pursuant to this section, the charter school may appeal the
revocation to the state board within 30 days following the decision
of the chartering authority.
   (2) The state board may reverse the revocation decision if the
state board determines that the findings made by the chartering
authority under subdivision (e) are not supported by substantial
evidence.
   (h) If the revocation decision of the chartering authority is
reversed on appeal, the agency that granted the charter shall
continue to be regarded as the chartering authority.
   (i) During the pendency of an appeal filed under this section, a
charter school, whose revocation proceedings are based on
subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c), shall
continue to qualify as a charter school for funding and for all other
purposes of this part, and may continue to hold all existing grants,
resources, and facilities, in order to ensure that the education of
pupils enrolled in the school is not disrupted.
   (j) Immediately following the decision of a county board of
education to reverse a decision of a school district to revoke a
charter, the following shall apply:
   (1) The charter school shall qualify as a charter school for
funding and for all other purposes of this part.
   (2) The charter school may continue to hold all existing grants,
resources, and facilities.
   (3) Any funding, grants, resources, and facilities that had been
withheld from the charter school, or that the charter school had
otherwise been deprived of use, as a result of the revocation of the
charter shall be immediately reinstated or returned.
   (k) A final decision of a revocation or appeal of a revocation
pursuant to subdivision (c) shall be reported to the chartering
authority, the county board of education, and the department.