Charter schools face íntervention if students don't get results - David Seymour

Charter schools will face interventions if they fail to reach minimum academic standards, which will vary according to students' backgrounds.

The standards announced today covered attendance, achievement rates in reading, writing, maths and - for secondary schools - school-leaver attainment of NCEA level 2.

Associate Minister of Education David Seymour said charter schools that did not reach the minimum standards could face interventions ranging from a "please explain" to cancellation of their contract.

There were three levels of minimum achievement based on whether schools had more, moderate or fewer barriers to achievement as measured by the Equity Index.

Seymour said the minimum standards were based on achievement rates in the top half of each of the three groups.

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Primary and intermediate schools where more children came from poor backgrounds must ensure at least 25 percent reached the expected level for their age in maths and writing, 30 percent reached the expected level in reading, and 35 percent attended school regularly.

At schools with the fewest students from poor families, 35 percent had to succeed in maths and writing, 70 percent in reading, and 60 percent had to attend regularly.

Schools would self-audit and report their results to the Charter School Agency.

Seymour said in addition to the minimum standards, the schools would be trying to reach government targets.

"All schools will be aiming to meet and surpass the standardised target of 80 percent of primary students above the expected curriculum and 95 percent of school leavers reaching NCEA level 2 or above.

"However, unlike state schools, charter schools will be set minimum requirements for achievement before facing interventions, including possibly having their contract terminated," he said.

The schools would also be expected to self-audit and report their financial situation to the Charter School Authorisation Board.

Measures included an annual financial surplus of 2-5 percent and an expectation the schools would meet their contractual obligations before taking any profits.

A Ministry of Education analysis of the previous round of charter schools found problems with scrutiny of results and a lack of intervention when things went wrong.