Performance management is ensuring that the school is on track towards meeting its performance goals – or more simply put, it is accountability. The charter contract that gives the school the opportunity to operate as a public school of choice is a legal agreement between the authorizer and the charter school board. The head of school is not party to the contract. Therefore, it is the board’s ultimate responsibility to ensure that the school has performance goals, monitor progress towards those goals, and take action when needed to ensure the school meets its goals.

Providing adequate oversight of the academic program does not require being an educational expert, but it does require clear expectations that are developed collaboratively by the board and the school leader. The school’s contract with the authorizer, the Colorado School Performance Framework (SPF), the Unified Improvement Plan (UIP), and mission-specific goals should all be understood by the board. Once this understanding is in place, the board can effectively fill its role of monitoring goals and expectations on a regular basis.

The School Accountability Committee, which is mandated by C.R.S. §22-11-401 and 402, plays an important role in performance management. For more information on this committee and its role, see Board Module 4: Board Committees.