At the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI), our commitment to continuous improvement drives every aspect of our work as a model charter public school authorizer. This year, we’ve made significant updates to our new school application and rubric. These revisions reflect our dedication to fostering high-quality, innovative schools that serve diverse communities across Colorado while ensuring our processes remain accessible, rigorous, and aligned with best practices.
Refining the Path to Quality
The revised application incorporates dramatic updates to its Educational Program and Student Services sections, aligning more closely with the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) model application and best practice recommendations. By focusing on essential elements, these changes streamline the review process, ensuring we’re asking the right questions to evaluate a school’s potential for success.
A notable improvement is the inclusion of team capacity questions after key sections. This approach emphasizes the importance of assessing not just the quality of the written application but also the founding team’s ability to implement their vision. By “evaluating people and paper,” we ensure a more holistic understanding of applicants’ readiness to lead a successful school.
Focusing on What Matters
To balance rigor with accessibility, we’ve adjusted requirements for goals, educational program details, and operational planning at the application phase. These elements will now be explored in greater depth during Year 0 for approved applicants, allowing founding teams to focus their early efforts on meaningful planning and preparation.
Additionally, we’ve updated our evidence of need guidance, drawing on data from prior applications to refine expectations. Applicants are now expected to demonstrate that Letters of Intent (LOIs) represent at least 100% of anticipated Year 1 enrollment—a benchmark based on trends linking LOIs to actual enrollment figures.
Maintaining Accessibility and Innovation
CSI’s model-agnostic application process has long been a cornerstone of our commitment to fostering innovation. This flexibility has allowed groundbreaking schools to move from concept to reality, such as:
- Kwiyagat Community Academy located in Towaoc with a strong grounding in Nuchiu culture, and
- Prospect Academy, a school in Arvada offering a personalized learning environment for students who have diagnoses of autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and ADHD.
The updated application continues to honor this principle while reducing redundancy, consolidating questions, and integrating addenda and attachments for a smoother submission process.
For instance, questions about staffing and leadership, previously incorporated throughout the application, are now consolidated in a single subsection within the Operations section. Meanwhile, the Education Program, Student Services, and Goals sections have been reworked to focus on what’s essential for initial evaluation, shifting some content to Year 0 planning for applicants that are approved.
Rooted in Community and Best Practices
One area we have always prioritized and will continue to prioritize is the emphasis on community engagement. Evidence of need, demand, and involvement remains central to the application process, underscoring the importance of community alignment for a school’s long-term success.
These updates are informed by our experience reviewing applications, feedback from stakeholders, and insights from NACSA’s Leadership in Action work on rethinking new school applications. This alignment with national standards for quality ensures our practices remain at the forefront of charter school authorizing.
Looking Ahead
At a high level, these updates aim to:
- Ask the right questions to evaluate a school’s potential for success.
- Assess founding teams’ capacity to implement their visions.
- Reduce barriers for applicants, fostering innovation and accessibility.
As CSI continues to lead as a model authorizer, we are excited to see how these updates will enhance the application process, support innovation, and ultimately contribute to high-quality options for all students. By evolving our practices, we reaffirm our commitment to equity, excellence, and innovation in public education.
If you’re ready to embark on this journey with CSI, we encourage you to explore our updated application and join us in creating transformative educational opportunities for Colorado’s students.