KCSD ad hoc committee reviews Sugar Valley Rural Charter renewal requests; recommends measurable goals and tighter reporting

The Keystone Central School District ad hoc charter school committee met Feb. 3 to review data and four modification requests from Sugar Valley Rural Charter School as part of the charter renewal process, and to form recommendations for the KCSD board.

The committee reviewed publicly available achievement and growth data from the state’s Future Ready site and the charter school’s materials, discussed assessment requirements and diagnostics, considered a requested enrollment increase from 475 to 495 students, and debated whether the charter should continue to appear in person for an annual data presentation to the KCSD board.

Committee members placed the most emphasis on student performance and growth. Dr. Redmond, the district presenter to the committee, said the charter’s scores “are below” the statewide averages in English language arts and mathematics when disaggregated by subgroup, and showed a mixed growth picture. “The statewide average growth is about 75.4 and the Sugar Valley rural charter school growth was a bit below that at 65,” Dr. Redmond said while reviewing the state comparison slides. He noted science scores showed a closer alignment to state averages and that statewide results changed markedly after the pandemic.

Why it matters: the ad hoc committee’s recommendations will guide the full board’s decision on whether to renew the charter agreement. Renewal decisions must consider six statutory criteria the board uses;…