State board rates Tennessee charter authorizer 'exemplary'; commission moves renewal criteria to full board

A review by State Board evaluators gave the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission an "exemplary" authorizer rating during the commission's March 27 School Performance and Accountability Committee meeting, and staff advanced long-standing renewal criteria and changes to the school performance framework to the full commission on first reading.

Director of Authorizing Beth Figueroa summarized the 2019 statutory framework that charges the State Board of Education with evaluating authorizers and said the evaluation examines two years of evidence across 21 standards. The commission's most recent formal evaluation produced an overall score of 3.76 (reported by staff as "exemplary"), earning the commission an exemption from the 2026 formal evaluation and public recognition of best practices.

Figueroa said the State Board highlighted strengths including a clear mission alignment across policies and practices, a revised performance framework with mission-specific goals, consistent oversight and rigorous review processes used in amendment and renewal decisions, and the use of experienced review teams.

The evaluation also identified areas for continued attention, including reducing frequency and duplication of…