Renewal Applications

While the forms and types of renewal differ, there are some common elements to any successful application for renewal.

The application for charter renewal should be a clear, concise, and compelling explanation of the past, present, and future of the school, building a case for renewal.  The application should be written in plain language, devoid of jargon or "buzz words," it should address a school's strengths and outline a plan for the future to build upon current successes. The application should not be a restatement of the Accountability Plan and Annual Accountability Progress Reports from the first five-year charter, nor should it be a compilation of the Annual Reports submitted to the State Education Department. 

Each renewal application is organized around four central questions:

1. Is the school an academic success?
   
2. Is the school an effective, viable organization?
   
3. Is the school fiscally sound?
   
4. What are the school’s plans for the next charter period and are
   they reasonable, feasible and achievable?

In answering these questions, with reference to the Renewal Benchmarks, a school will have provided much of the evidence that the Institute looks for in determining whether a school has met the standard for the type of renewal for which it is applying. Again, is you have any questions about which type of renewal is most appropriate for your school, please contact the Institute.

New! 7/14/08: All of the applications for renewal described below have been updated for inclusion in the Renewal Handbook, 3rd Edition.

Applications for Renewal (includes all guidance and forms):

• Application for Short-Term Planning Year Renewal
  
  This application form is to be used only by those schools that are eligible and applying for Short-Term Planning Year Renewal.   Short-Term Planning Year Renewal is appropriate only for those schools that have taken one or more planning years prior to opening and therefore come to renewal with less than four full years of student achievement data as well as a limited operational and financial history.  The application form details precisely what the application should contain, how it should be formatted and when it is due. Should you have any questions as to which renewal application is appropriate and/or when to apply, please consult the State University Renewal Practices and the application itself for detailed guidance, or contact the Institute directly.

• Application for Initial Renewal:  Full-Term Renewal or Short-Term Renewal
  
  This application form is to be used by schools that are applying for either
  Full-Term Renewal or Short-Term Renewal for the first time. The
  application form details precisely what the application should contain, how it
  should be formatted and when it is due. Should you have any questions as to which renewal application is appropriate and/or when to apply, please consult the State University Renewal Practices and the application itself for detailed guidance, or contact the Institute directly.

• Application for Subsequent Renewal
  
  This application form is to be used by all schools applying for renewal that
  have already been granted an initial renewal (with the exception of those
  schools that have received a Short-Term Planning Year Renewal; they should
  use the Application for Initial Renewal). The application form details
  precisely what the application should contain, how it should be formatted and
  when it is due. Should you have any questions as to which renewal application is appropriate and/or when to apply, please consult the State University Renewal Practices and the application itself for detailed guidance, or contact the Institute directly.