Massachusetts Charter Schools

Accountability

Each school is assigned a liaison who is able to respond to inquiries regarding any aspect of charter school accountability.

For general questions and concerns about charter schools please contact charterschools@mass.gov or call 781-338-3227 for assistance.

Charter School Performance Criteria

The Charter School Performance Criteria (Criteria) are presented in the three guiding areas of charter school accountability defined in the current regulations, 603 CMR 1.00: faithfulness to charter, academic program success, and organizational viability.

The purposes of the Criteria are to:

  • Articulate the expectations for all aspects of charter school accountability, from the application process to the renewal process;
  • Provide charter schools with clear guidance about how the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board), the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department), and the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education (Commissioner) define charter school success and on what basis charter schools will be evaluated; and
  • Clarify the connections between Massachusetts charter school accountability and state and federal accountability standards.

The Criteria were first developed in 2005 and were subsequently revised in 2010. The Department developed the third revision (Version 3.0) in 2013 after research and review of best practices from other high quality charter school authorizers and made slight annual revisions to the Criteria in subsequent years to clarify the meaning of certain criteria or key indicators. The Department developed the fourth major revision (Version 4.0) in 2018 to include clear guidelines for charter schools to work toward the elimination of persistent achievement, access, and opportunity gaps experienced by historically underserved students.

There are ten (10) Criteria that define expected performance in the three guiding areas of charter school accountability: faithfulness to charter, academic program success, and organizational viability. The Department evaluates these criteria through the use of quantitative and/or qualitative data as well as affirmative evidence presented by the school, compiled over the course of the school's charter term.

Last Updated: March 13, 2025