Guidebook 2011

City of Indianapolis, Office of the Mayor Page 1 of 112
Guidebook for Mayor-Sponsored Charter Schools
5th
Edition
Mayor-Sponsored Charter Schools
Guidebook
[LAST REVISED: SPRING 2011]

Contents
I. Introduction 3
II. Working with the Mayor’s Office 4
III. State-Level Compliance 13
IV. Assessments of Performance 23
V. Charter School Funding 26
VI. Student Recruitment & Enrollment 36
VII. Serving Students from Specific Populations 41
VIII. Responsibilities of a Public Organization 48
IX. Staffing & Governance 65
X. Facilities Preparation 72
XI. Health & Safety 78
XII. School Nutrition 82
XIII. Other Funds & Services 85
Attachment A: Amending the Charter Agreement 87
Attachment B: Amendment Template 89
Attachment C: Pre-Opening Visit Checklist 90
Attachment D: Reports Indianapolis Charter Schools Must Submit to the IDOE 108

I. Introduction
This guidebook, created by the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office, provides Mayor-sponsored
charter schools with a comprehensive overview of information critical to: 1) opening a
charter school in Indianapolis, 2) understanding charter schools’ responsibilities to the
Mayor’s Office as their sponsor, and 3) working with local and state agencies.
Our website, www.indy.gov/OEI/Pages/home.aspx, contains much of the information
referenced within this guide. Readers are welcome to contact our office for information
related to the authorization or operation of charter schools.
While we have attempted to create a thorough and accurate guide, the Mayor’s Office does
not assume responsibility for any inaccuracies or omissions and makes no representations
or warranties concerning the legal matters discussed in this guidebook. The forms and
reproductions in this guidebook have been provided only as examples and may not fit your
particular needs or may change due to implementation of new laws and regulations.
Furthermore, some laws and regulations are ambiguous and may be subject to different
interpretations from those contained in this guide. Users of this guide are recommended to
contact the individuals and agencies listed in each section of this guidebook for the most
up-to-date information. Users are also advised to consult with their own legal counsel as
necessary; the Mayor’s Office is not providing, and does not intend to provide, legal advice
through this guidebook.
Acknowledgments
We greatly appreciate the considerable contributions that individuals from the following
offices made to the development of this guidebook: the Indiana Department of Education,
the Teachers’ Retirement Fund, the Public Employees’ Retirement Fund, the State Board of
Accounts, the Indiana Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Indiana State Department of
Health, the Marion County Health Department, the City of Indianapolis’ Departments of
Metropolitan Development and Public Works, the Indianapolis Fire Department, and the
City’s Public Access Counselor. We are also grateful to the charter schools sponsored by
the Mayor’s Office for sharing their experiences. And finally, we extend a special thanks to
all who have thoughtfully and critically reviewed its contents. If you have questions or
comments about this Guidebook, contact the Charter School Office.
Phone: 317.327.3618
Fax: 317.327.5271
E-mail: charter@indy.gov
200 East Washington Street, Suite 2501
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
www.indy.gov/OEI/Pages/home.aspx

II. Working with the Mayor’s Office
The Charter Agreement
The “Charter” is the legal agreement, or contract, that charter school organizers enter into
with the Mayor. The Charter outlines what the school plans to accomplish, how student
performance will be measured, what level of achievement the school expects to attain, and
the school’s general responsibilities. The Charter also outlines various reports schools are
required to submit and the timing of these reports. An organizer that fails to comply with
the terms of its Charter may have its Charter revoked.
Amending the Charter
As independently operated public schools, charter schools operate with freedom from
many of the laws and regulations that constrain district public schools, allowing them to
pursue a particular educational vision with innovative curricula, pedagogical approaches,
and organizational structure. One of the freedoms given to charters is the ability to amend
the charter, with approval by the Mayor’s Office. For example, as a school prepares to open,
it may decide to refine facility plans previously outlined in its application to reflect
unexpected building challenges. An existing school might revisit enrollment plans, for
example, and amend its charter to accommodate changing needs. The Mayor’s Office has
established a specific protocol for amending the Charter or any of its attachments (e.g., the
application). This protocol, included as Attachment A, is intended to guide schools and
provide procedural information if the school intends to deviate from the terms of the
Charter and/or its attachments.
If a school intends to make any changes to its charter, the proposed changes need to be
agreed upon by both the Mayor’s Office and school leaders before formal Board action. If
the Board of Directors agrees with the Mayor’s Office and school leaders’ proposed
changed, then the Board of Directors must submit a written request to the Mayor’s Office.
A written request must be submitted for any desired changes to the charter, including
changes to the school’s transportation plan, the mission or educational philosophy, the
special education plan, the code of conduct, the governance or organizational structure, the
bylaws, the facility, or any contract held with an Education Management Organization.
Written amendment requests can be submitted at any time. The Mayor’s Office will work
with the Board and school leadership to process the amendment as quickly as possible.
It is important that when a school wishes to make a change to the Charter or any of its
attachments, the school should electronically send the entire section of the Charter to be
amended with the changes noted in red. This will better help the Mayor’s Office to see the
changes and determine whether the entire section should be fully replaced by the
amendment, or whether the amendment should simply supplement the information
already in the Charter or the attachments.

The Mayor’s Office, upon approval of the written request, will work with school
representatives to draft the official amendment. Once the amendment language is finalized,
and the amendment has been approved by the Mayor’s Office, both the Mayor’s Office and
the designated Board representative must sign the document. The original signed version
is retained by the Mayor’s Office, and a copy is provided to the school. An amendment
template can be found as Attachment B.
Maintaining Official School Contact Information
The Charter specifies the school representative who will be responsible for receiving any
official communication from the Mayor’s Office. As this information may change from the
pre-opening to the opening phase and during the term of the Charter, it is imperative that
the school notify the Mayor’s Office of any changes in contact information. If changes occur,
the Mayor’s Office and the school’s authorized representative will sign an amendment
reflecting the new contact information for official correspondence.
Pre-Opening: Before a school opens its doors
For new schools, resources and systems must be in place for the school to get off to a strong
start. Prior actions required by the Charter and the pre-opening visits conducted by the
Mayor’s Office help the school prepare for opening day and beyond.
Pre-Opening Checklist & Visits
A series of pre-opening visits will be conducted by the Mayor’s Office before a school opens
its doors to students for the first time. The purpose of the visits is to ensure the school is
focusing upon a wide range of items from safety to staffing that are critical to successfully
opening a new school. See Attachment C for the Pre-Opening Visit Checklist.
Pre-opening visits are conducted in the months prior to the first day of operation. Visits
are scheduled in advance to ensure schools have the time necessary to prepare. Multiple
visits provide the Mayor’s Office the opportunity to monitor school readiness and provide
schools enough time to address any weaknesses and establish contingency plans before the
first day of school. Each visit is expected to take about 1 to 1 ½ hours to complete.
One to two staff members from the Mayor’s Office will meet with school representatives.
The school should, at the very least, ensure the following individuals are present for each
visit: the school leader, school start-up coordinator or office manager; architect or
construction manager, and any other key individuals who are able to answer questions
related to specific checklist items.
The pre-opening visits will take place at the school so that the Mayor’s Office
representatives may also tour the school’s facility at this time. If the facility is not suitable
for the first visits, then these visits may take place at the school’s temporary headquarters.

Prior to each pre-opening visit, the Mayor’s Office will communicate to new schools
outlining the items that should be submitted at the upcoming meeting. Schools should
prepare the necessary information prior to the meeting. During each visit the Mayor’s
Office will review a series of items identified in the pre-opening checklist. The checklist
identifies the review period during which each item will be discussed. The pre-opening
checklist includes:
 Governance and management;
 Staffing;
 Curriculum and instruction;
 Students and parents;
 Operations;
 Facilities,
 Furnishings and equipment; and
 Accountability.
It is not the purpose of the pre-opening checklist to create additional work for the schools.
If schools have alternative evidence for a particular review area than what is listed on the
checklist, they are welcome to provide this information, provided that the substituted
documentation is relevant and appropriate. In some cases, however, only the
documentation listed in the checklist will suffice (e.g. a letter from the IRS or a facilities-
related permit). If schools have questions about appropriate documentation, they should
contact the Mayor’s Office prior to the pre-opening visit.
Prior Actions
The Charter outlines a series of prior actions a school must complete before it may provide
instruction to students. Prior actions will be completed during the school’s pre-opening
stage during the same calendar year as the first year the school is in operation. Each prior
action outlines the timing and detail about specific documentation or evidence of
completion that must be submitted. Schools should know the following information about
several of the prior actions.
Physical Plant: Once a school has identified a facility, the school must amend its
original application to reflect the school’s final facility plans. After the facility is
finalized, the school must assure the Mayor’s Office that it is taking the necessary
steps to follow appropriate city and state rules and regulations. The Mayor’s Office
has established a timeline for obtaining all of the necessary permits and zoning
requirements and completing inspections with various city and state agencies.
Ideally, schools should submit copies of permits and inspection certifications to the
Mayor’s Office as documentation of completion; however, if such evidence is not
available, the school should submit a written notice to the Mayor’s Office certifying
it has successfully completed the requirements in cooperation with city and state
agencies. The Mayor’s Office will not issue approval of the facility or the school as

ready to provide instruction to students until the school has successfully completed
all applicable inspections.
Insurance: In order to ensure the health and safety of the school, its students, and
staff, the Mayor’s Office requires schools to acquire specified levels and types of
insurance. As noted in the prior actions, the insurance company with whom a
school elects to work must be licensed to do business in Indiana and have at least an
A- rating from A.M. Best. Once the Mayor’s Office approves the insurance coverage
submitted by the school, the school will be asked to amend the application to reflect
the new insurance coverage.
Some insurance companies combine several types of coverage together under one
policy. Regardless of whether certain insurance policies include coverage for
multiple purposes or whether schools must obtain additional and separate riders
for specific purposes, each type of insurance listed in the prior actions must have
the specified amount of coverage earmarked solely for that type of coverage. For
example, the prior actions state that schools must keep $1 million per occurrence
for commercial general liability and another $1 million for sexual abuse liability. If
the insurance company states that sexual abuse liability is covered under the
commercial general liability, then the school should verify that the commercial
general liability coverage is for at least $2 million, with $1 million earmarked solely
for sexual abuse liability.
The Mayor’s Office requires schools to maintain at least a $2 million liability
umbrella. Coverage should take effect no later than effective date of acquisition of
physical plant.
Comprehensive Special Education Plan: Once a school has finalized it plans to serve
students with disabilities, the Mayor’s Office must review and approve this plan to
ensure compliance with local, state, and federal law. In some cases, the school’s
plan may also need to be approved by the Indiana Department of Education. Once
the plan has been approved by the Mayor’s Office, the Mayor’s Office will ask the
school to amend the charter application to reflect the school’s special education
plan. Additionally, if the school has joined a special education cooperative, this plan
must also be submitted for approval by the Mayor’s Office and reflected in the
amended special education section of the application.
Financial Plan: Schools should contact the Mayor’s Office with specific questions
about the financial plan. The school will be asked to amend the application to
reflect the school’s updated financial plans.
Curriculum: As stated in the prior actions, the curriculum must be detailed and
specific. In the event a school has proprietary concerns about the curriculum, the
school should use its best judgment in providing as much information about the
curriculum as the school is permitted to. The school will be asked to amend the
application to reflect the school’s detailed curriculum plans.

Transportation: As stated in the prior actions, the transportation plan must be
detailed and specific. For example, schools should include detailed information
about the process schools will use to identify students needing transportation, the
type(s) of transportation to be offered, information about companies with whom
the school is contracting for services, the transportation routes that have been
designed, and the processes and protocol in place for safely picking up and
dropping off children. In the event a school does not have any students enrolled
who need transportation, the school should still provide detailed information and
plans as suggested above. The school will be asked to amend the application to
reflect the school’s detailed transportation plans.
School Safety Plan: As stated in the prior actions, the safety plan must be detailed
and specific. Note that while the school will be asked to amend the application to
reflect the detailed safety plans, the Mayor’s Office will not release the safety plan to
the public along with the rest of the Charter and its attachments and/or
amendments.
Accountability & Oversight
Overview
The Mayor’s Office has developed a comprehensive system for overseeing the
accountability of the schools it has authorized. This accountability system builds on the
goals and contractual obligations described in each founding group’s charter agreement,
setting the expectations against which each school’s performance will be measured over
the seven-year charter term.
Indiana’s charter school law and the state’s accountability policies provide the broad
context within which the Mayor’s Office has developed its accountability system for charter
schools. The aim is not just to create a system that meets the letter of the law and
regulations, but to create an approach to accountability that provides practical benefits to
charter schools, families, and the public. The Mayor’s Office envisions a fundamentally new
kind of relationship among public schools, the agencies that oversee them, families, and the
wider public.
To achieve this goal, the Mayor’s accountability system for charter schools is designed to
support the following basic principles:
• Autonomy — enabling schools to implement their own unique approaches to quality
public education;
• Value — providing schools with tools and information that help them improve
performance;
• Low burden — minimizing the amount of time, effort, and expense needed to comply
with requirements;

• Transparency — providing maximum information to schools and the public about
school performance and the accountability process; and
• Responsibility — ensuring that the Mayor has sufficient information to carry out his
responsibilities for overseeing charter schools that are of the highest quality and
accessible to all.
Central to the accountability system is the Performance Framework, which defines the core
areas for which schools are accountable. This framework measures school performance by
indicators common for all schools chartered by the Mayor’s Office, including broad areas
such as educational performance, organizational and management performance,
operations and accessibility, and conditions for success.
In addition to the measures common for all Mayor-sponsored schools, the Performance
Framework also leaves a placeholder for measuring the attainment of educational and
organizational goals unique to each school. The Mayor’s Office expects charter school
accountability to be based not just on state and national accountability measures and those
established by the authorizer, but also on unique goals developed by each school that are
tied to its mission. These unique goals help define, amplify and gauge fulfillment of each
charter school’s mission to parents, students, teachers, the Mayor’s Office, and the general
public. These goals and their accompanying measures distinguish each charter school and
help determine its effectiveness.
Together, the common school indicators and the school-specific indicators make up each
school’s accountability plan. The accountability plan, once finalized, becomes an
amendment to the Charter Agreement and thus represents a contractual obligation with
the Mayor’s Office.
To learn more about the Mayor’s charter school accountability system, read the
Accountability Handbook, which can be found at:
http://www.indy.gov/OEI/Schools/Operating/Pages/site_visit.aspx
Specifics
The Mayor’s Office holds schools accountable for academic, organizational, and governance
performance. Monitoring activities include, but are not limited to: site visits, analysis of
standardized test scores, financial evaluations, monthly leadership visits, board minute
reviews, and parent and teacher surveys. The Mayor’s Office ties each of these monitoring
activities to the Performance Framework and the school-specific indicators.
Monthly Leadership Meetings - On a monthly basis, a representative from the
Mayor’s Office visits each school to, among other things, discuss new developments,
evaluate governance and compliance issues, and to collect new or updated
documents for the compliance binder that resides at the Mayor’s Office. The Master
Calendar of Reporting Requirements lists what the Mayor’s Office collects at each of
these meetings. In addition to these monthly meetings, the Mayor’s Office is in
contact with state regulatory agencies, especially the Indiana Department of

Education (IDOE), throughout the school year to remain informed of any schools
that are not fulfilling their obligations to meet reporting deadlines.
Master Calendar of Reporting Requirements - Mayor-sponsored charter schools are
required to report on various aspects of operation throughout the school year. The
Master Calendar of Reporting Requirements outlines all charter school reporting
requirements to the Mayor’s Office, state regulatory agencies, and other important
dates. The calendar includes deadlines for submitting key information to the
Mayor’s Office, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), and other State
agencies. The requirements outlined in the calendar are not all-inclusive and are
subject to change. Requirements are listed based on the month they are due. The
calendar is updated by the Mayor’s Office each school year. Schools should also refer
to the IDOE’s website (www.doe.state.in.us) for all state regulatory agencies
reporting requirements and deadlines. See Appendix E for the Master Calendar of
Reporting Requirements.
Compliance Binders - Both the school and Mayor’s Office have a copy of the
Compliance Binder on-site at all times. This binder houses all governance- and
compliance-related items. Schools should add documents to the school's binder on
a monthly basis. For each item added to or updated in the school’s binder, the
school should submit a second copy to the Mayor’s Office. The Binder will continue
through the life of the charter. See below for a list of what information each
tab/placeholders contains.
1. Monthly Reports
2. Quarterly Financial Statements
3. Quarterly Compliance
Certification Letter
4. Audited Financial Statements
5. Board Meetings
6. Board Members
7. Board Policies
8. By-Laws
9. Articles of Incorporation
10. 501 (c)3 Status
11. Documentation of Loans or
Other Debt Outstanding
12. School Calendar & Class
Schedules
13. School Employees
14. Public Retirement Funds
15. Recruitment Strategies,
Application Procedures, & Wait
List Processes
16. Student Policies, including
Suspension & Expulsion Policies
17. Health services, screenings, &
immunization records
18. Enrollment Count Information
19. Copies of Biannual Financial
Report Submitted to IDOE
20. Annual Reports to IDOE
21. Copy of DOE-PS Report that
includes Pupil Enrollment
information
22. Document of Facility
Acquisitions
23. Inspections
24. Evidence of Insurance
25. Comprehensive Special
Education Plan
26. Proposed Financial Plan
27. Curriculum Plan
28. Transportation Plan

29. School Safety & Emergency
Preparedness Plan
30. Projected Budget
31. Projected Enrollment
Monthly Report to the Mayor’s Office - The charter school agreement between the
Mayor and each charter school requires schools to submit a monthly report to the
Mayor’s Office. This report serves to inform the Mayor’s Office of any material
changes in eight areas of the school’s operations and governance. The report must
include:
1. List of students expelled during the month;
2. Documentation of changes in (i) the Organizer's certificate of occupancy for the
Charter School's physical plant or (ii) other health and safety-related
certifications or permits;
3. Applications, filings, or Internal Revenue Service determinations related to
seeking and maintaining the Organizer's tax-exempt status;
4. Applications, filings or state determinations related to seeking and maintaining
the Organizer's not-for-profit corporation status;
5. Lists and contact information of any individuals leaving or joining the Board;
6. Lists and contact information of any individuals who are resigning from or
expecting to hold a position in the operation of the Charter School;
7. Documentation of any non-compliance by Organizer with the Charter or
applicable law in connection with the operation of the Charter School; and
8. Any conflict of interest issues that arose under Paragraph 3.4 (of the charter
school agreement) and the resolution of such issue, if any.
In addition to these eight items, the Mayor’s Office also requires that each school
report its current enrollment as of the 15th of each month on the monthly report. If
any of the reportable items occurred in the previous month, the school should
provide an explanation of the item. See Appendix E for a monthly report template.
Quarterly Compliance Certification Letter - The charter school agreement requires
each charter school to submit to the Mayor’s Office a quarterly letter certifying that
the school is in compliance with the charter agreement and applicable law during
the previous quarter. Charter schools must submit the certification letter within
forty-five (45) days of the end of the quarter. If the school was not in compliance,
the letter should note in what manner the school was out of compliance.
Request for Demographic Information
The Mayor’s Office frequently receives requests for aggregated data and information about
the Mayor-sponsored schools. In order to provide the most up-to-date and accurate
information, the Mayor’s Office periodically requests the following information from
schools:

 Roster of current students, broken down by:
o Grade*
o Gender*
o Race*
o School corporation of residence*
o Previous year’s schooling* (i.e., students previously in public school, private
school, home school – note that students in kindergarten and students in first
grade who did not attend kindergarten should be counted in the “public
school” category)
o Free or reduced-priced lunch status
 Total number of applications received
 Total number of students on waiting list, broken down by grade
 Total number of spots still available in each grade
*The total number in this category should equal the total number of students enrolled in the
school.
Contact Information, Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation
Christine Marson
Interim Director
Christine.Marson@indy.gov
317.327.7458
Christina Summers
Operations Manager
Christina.Summers@indy.gov
317.327.3618
Beth Bray
Assistant Director
Beth.Bray@indy.gov
317.327.3621
Tiffany Kyser
Accountability Manager
Tiffany.Kyser@indy.gov
317.327-3121
Nicole Conrad
Accountability Manager
Nicole.Conrad@indy.gov
317.327.3111

III. State-Level Compliance
Indiana Code
IC 20-24 Chapter 1. Definitions.
IC 20-24-2 Chapter 2. Charter Schools Generally
IC 20-24-3 Chapter 3. Establishment of Charter Schools
IC 20-24-4 Chapter 4. The Charter
IC 20-24-5 Chapter 5. Student Admissions and Enrollment
IC 20-24-6 Chapter 6. Employment of Teachers and Other Personnel; Collective Bargaining
IC 20-24-7 Chapter 7. Fiscal Matters
IC 20-24-8 Chapter 8. Charter School Powers and Exemptions
IC 20-24-9 Chapter 9. Oversight of Charter Schools; Reporting Requirements; Revocation
of Charter
IC 20-24-10 Chapter 10. Student Transfers from Charter School to Public Noncharter
Schools
IC 20-24-11 Chapter 11. Conversion of Existing Public Schools into Charter Schools
School Identification Numbers
Each charter school is assigned two unique four-digit identification (ID) numbers by the
Indiana Department of Education (IDOE): a corporation ID and a school ID. These unique
numbers are used by the IDOE to generate reports and mailings specific for either schools
and/or central offices. As the majority of charter schools do not have central offices, they
should expect to receive information related to both ID numbers. These numbers are also
used to access and update the IDOE student database.
Student Test Numbers
Every student in the State of Indiana is assigned a unique, seven-digit student test number
(STN). The STN is primarily used by the IDOE to collect student and school data and to

track student performance. Once assigned, the STN remains with the student throughout
his/her educational experience in Indiana schools. It is therefore critical that multiple
STNs are not assigned for a single student and that a duplicate STN is not assigned to more
than one student. In general, charter schools do not assign STNs to their students. Instead,
schools use the STN already assigned by the sending schools. A school should only have to
assign a STN if a student has transferred from an out-of-state school, non-accredited school,
or home school, or are entering kindergarten for the first time. In order to minimize
inaccurate or duplicate STNs, a school corporation or school must use the student’s legal
name when assigning the STN to the student. Legal name is the name that appears on the
student’s birth certificate, social security card, or similar legal document that serves as
proof of identity for enrollment. Schools can verify any STN in the IDOE’s student lookup
database. Additional information about STNs can be found on the IDOE website, at
www.doe.in.gov/stn/.
Explanation of the STN
First 4 digits: Four-digit school ID assigned by IDOE
Next 2 digits: Last two digits of the ending academic school year during which the
number was assigned. (e.g., 03 if assigned during the 2002-03 school
year)
Last 3 digits: Sequential number assigned as the school creates STNs (e.g., last three
digits for the first student for which school is assigning an STN would
be 001)
Student Test Number (STN) Look-Up Report
The monthly STN look-up report provides the IDOE with a record of every student enrolled
in each school. It is due on the 15th of each month, and the October report should be
included in the compliance binder. The October report also requires schools to resolve any
STN conflicts; for example, one student might have multiple STNs or enrollment is claimed
by more than one school. The data is collected electronically and is submitted to the IDOE
via the STN Application Center. It includes information such as the student’s name, STN,
gender, ethnicity, and grade level.
Submitting Student Information
All student information requested by the IDOE should be created at the school-level. The
STN application center is the vehicle used to transfer any data files that schools have
prepared. The IDOE utilizes specific data layouts, however. Schools must submit reports in
an IDOE-approved format. Approved formats typically include comma delimited,
positional, or XML format. The preferred method for accessing the Application Center is by
Secured Socket Layer (SSL).
Once files are transferred, information regarding the transfer of the file (e.g. error
messages, warnings, report totals, etc.) should be viewed and verified. Data submitted to

the IDOE is considered final, unless the school is otherwise contacted by the IDOE to clear
up any unforeseen problems.
For important instructions, updates, and additional information, schools should sign up for
the STN listserv through IDOE’s website at
http://listserv.doe.state.in.us/mailman/listinfo/stn. Schools can access back issues of the
STN newsletter from this site as well.
School Personnel Number
A School Personnel Number (SPN) is a unique, eight-digit number assigned by the Indiana
Department of Education (IDOE) Center for Information Systems to school personnel. The
SPN is used to accurately identify a single school employee throughout their career within
the state of Indiana; it serves as a permanent, unique identifier. The SPN is assigned when
an educator (administrator or teacher) obtains his/her first license in the state of Indiana.
Starting in the 2009-2010 school year, public schools, charter schools and accredited
nonpublic schools will be required to use the SPN on the Certified Employee/Certified
Position data collection. The SPN will be used by school and district administrators to
report personnel data to the IDOE. The SPN is a unique ID for personnel just like the STN is
a unique ID for students. While the student ID is assigned by schools, the personnel ID is
assigned by the IDOE. Visit www.doe.in.gov/SPN/ for more information.
Reporting Requirements
In addition to various financial-related requirements, the IDOE collects several reports
related to a school’s students and staff. The IDOE makes these reports available to schools
throughout the year at the STN application center. Schools must check the IDOE website
and the STN listserv to remain informed of report due dates and layouts. The majority of
the forms are submitted online at the STN application center
A list of reports Indianapolis charter schools must submit to the IDOE can be found in
Attachment D. Note that the list is not all-inclusive and can be subject to change.
For the most up-to-date information on any of IDOE reporting requirements, visit the K-12
School Data section of the IDOE website. To contact an IDOE staff member for specific
questions about particular forms, refer to the contact information listed on the IDOE
website.
Maintaining Up-to-Date Contact Information with the IDOE
The Division of Educational Information Systems maintains the master contact database for
each school. For the most part, other divisions within the IDOE refer to Educational

Information Systems for mailing lists and contact information. It is therefore imperative
that schools contact this division in the event any contact information for the school
changes. This ensures that schools receive necessary reports, updates, instructions, and
other important information in a timely manner. Schools will be asked to update contact
information before the start of the school year, but should continue to notify the IDOE of
any additional changes throughout the school year.
The IDOE has created a database on its website in which schools should enter and update
the e-mail addresses for the primary and secondary central points of contact at the school.
Divisions within the IDOE use this database to e-mail important information to the schools.
For more information on the Central Point of Contact database, including how to enter
information and which IDOE divisions currently use this database and for what purpose,
visit the IDOE website.
Financial Reporting & Insurance Requirements
Sources of Local Public School Support
Almost all of Indiana public school revenues come directly or indirectly from some taxing
vehicle. Dollars for state support to local public school corporations are appropriated by
the Indiana General Assembly from the General Fund or dedicated funds of the state.
Revenues to the state’s General Fund include monies generated by sales and use taxes, the
individual income tax, and corporate income taxes. Locally, various forms of taxation are
used to generate monies for schools and for civil units of government. The local taxes are
charged, collected, and provided to the governmental units in a more direct way than state
revenues.
Quarterly Financial Statements
Within forty-five (45) days of the end of each quarter, each charter school must submit
financial statements that meet the reporting standards set out by the Indiana State Board of
Accounts (SBOA). The statements should cover school year-to-date activities: July–
September, July-December, July–March, and July–June.
An independent accounting firm compiles the school’s financial performance for the
Mayor’s Office. Representatives coordinate with each school to gather the necessary
information from the school’s authorized representatives in order to complete the financial
performance compilation. The following items are requested by the firm to either be
provided or updated for any changes.
1. Current officials of each charter school
2. Current chart of accounts for each school
3. Current list of capital assets
4. Information on Accounts Receivable as of the last date of the quarter
5. Information on Accounts Payable as of the last date of the quarter
6. Information on all investments (CDs, Money Markets, etc.)

7. PERF/TERF information to include actuarial assumptions
8. Vacation/Sick/Personal day policies
9. Current and Estimated budgets for each school
10. Information on all Operating Leases
11. Information on all Capital Leases
12. Information on all Temporary Loans
13. Risk Management/Insurance policies, payouts, etc.
14. Holding corporations for capital leases, etc.
15. Policies on post employment benefits
16. Board policies
17. Board meeting minutes for all board meetings held during the quarter
18. Cash balances as of last date of the quarter
19. Fiscal year to date revenues/receipts and expenses/disbursements from the
beginning of the fiscal period to the last date of the quarter
20. Information on all capital purchases during the quarter
21. ADM count for current school year
22. Bank statement(s) and reconciliation for the last month of the quarter
23. Fund, revenue, and appropriation reports for each month of the quarter
24. Detail revenue and detail budget history reports from the beginning of the fiscal
year to the end of the current quarter
The firm produces a comprehensive report that details each school’s financial performance
and documents key financial indicators. A copy of the financial performance reports
remains on file with the Mayor’s Office.
Annual Audited Financial Statements
Charter schools must contract with an independent, certified public accountant to produce
audited financial statements in accordance with the standards established by the SBOA,
unless a charter school requests and receives a waiver from the Mayor’s Office. The audit
must be completed six months after the end of the Accounting Year.
In addition, school examinations are conducted by the State Board of Accounts and are
performed to conform to the federal single audit act. Audits are conducted on a two-year
cycle and include all school corporation funds and extra-curricular funds; schools receive
an examination after their first year of operation and every two years thereafter.
Examinations are conducted on a fiscal year, July 1 through June 30, basis and usually
involve more than two calendar years. A portion of the examination is charged to the local
school corporation. Audit reports are kept on file by the State Board of Accounts.
Projected Budget
Every June, each charter school must submit to the Mayor's Office a budget for the
upcoming Accounting Year which begins July 1. The budget must reflect the number of
students (ADM) the budget assumes.

Evidence of Insurance
The charter school is required to maintain, at a minimum, the following insurance policies
in the amounts listed below. In addition, every June the Mayor’s Office collects new and
updated insurance policies if policies were changed or renewed since the previous year.
Any change to insurance policies should be reported to the Mayor’s Office immediately.
 Commercial General Liability (which must expressly cover Corporal Punishment
Liability and Athletic Participation Medical Coverage)
 Directors' and Officers' Liability
 Educators' Legal Liability
 Employment Practices Liability Umbrella (Excess Liability)
 Automobile Liability
 Sexual Abuse Liability
 Workers Compensation Liability
Commercial General Liability
Coverage amount: $1,000,000 per occurrence; $2,000,000 aggregate
Note: Such comprehensive general liability insurance must expressly cover corporal
punishment liability and athletic participation medical coverage.
Directors' and Officers' Liability/Educators' Legal Liability (or School Leaders Errors
and Omissions)/Employment Practices Liability
Sexual Abuse Liability
Coverage amount: $1,000,000
Note: Sexual abuse liability must be a separate policy or a separate coverage part
with limits independent of other coverage parts in the general liability policy.
Automobile Liability
Coverage amount: $1,000,000 combined single limit
Umbrella (Excess Liability)
Note: The umbrella policy must include commercial general liability, directors' and officers'
liability/educators' legal liability/employment practices liability, automobile liability and
sexual abuse liability.
Workers Compensation Liability
Coverage amount: As required by Indiana law
The City of Indianapolis must be listed as an additional named insured on each of these
policies. Copies of the proposed policies must be provided to the Mayor's Office prior to
the initial opening of the school, and final policies should be included in the compliance

binders. As insurance is renewed, or changed, copies of each policy should be placed in the
compliance binders.
Annual Financial Report
I.C. 5-3-1-3 requires the secretary of each school corporation (charter schools are
considered their own school corporations) to publish an Annual Financial Report. The
Report must be published one time annually, not earlier than August 1 or later than August
15 of each year. The Department must make this report available for public inspection,
which the Department does via its Professional Library. The statute also requires the
Department of Education to develop guidelines for the preparation and form of the report
and to provide assistance to school corporations in preparation of the report. Instructions,
helpful hints, and a sample form can be found at www.doe.in.gov/finance/welcome.html.
Biannual Financial Report
Schools are required to submit the Biannual Financial Report (Form 9) to the State thirty
(30) days after the close of the reporting period. The State operates on a July 1- June 30
fiscal year, and so the reports will be due at the beginning of August (January-June
reporting period) and February (July-December reporting period). Each year the State will
notify the schools of the exact submission dates for these reports. In some instances, a
school may have no financial activity for a particular reporting period, e.g., new schools
may not have activity January-June as they have just been chartered (and reporting is on a
cash basis, i.e., schools only report on expenses that have actually been paid and not just
accrued). The school is still required to submit a biannual financial report for that period;
the school should simply note on the report that no financial activity has occurred and
submit it to the IDOE.
Other Reporting Requirements
Enrollment Data
Three times per year, charter schools are required to conduct and report Average Daily
Membership (ADM) counts of the total number of students enrolled in the school. The
report conducted on the second Friday after Labor Day (called the Average Daily
Membership, or ADM, Count) determines the amount of funding the school receives from
the state. These reports include identification of students’ school corporations of residence.
This data must be submitted electronically to the IDOE via the STN Application Center on
the DOE-ME Membership and DOE-SR Student Residence reports. Each school must also
print hardcopies of the reports, have them signed by the principal or school director and
the school’s treasurer, and then mail the reports to the IDOE per the IDOE’s deadline.
These counts are used to generate tuition support and categorical funding for charter
schools.
A copy of the printed and signed reports and electronic copies of the DOE-ME and -SR
should be submitted to the Mayor’s Office at the respective monthly leadership meeting.

Charter schools are also required to complete the student residence, or DOE-SR report,
which verifies the student residence information for enrolled students. Schools must verify
each enrolled student’s school corporation of residence prior to submitting the report to
the IDOE. When asked for this information, parents may mistakenly provide the school
corporation to which their child is assigned, which may in fact differ from the school
corporation of residence. For example, a child residing in Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS)
may be assigned to a different school corporation if the child lives in a desegregation
transfer area. However, that child still resides in IPS and must therefore be identified as
such. The local Department of Metropolitan Development may be able to provide schools
with assistance in verifying school corporations of residence. As well, the Family Guide to
Public Schools in Indianapolis, a web-based parent choice tool, includes a capability to
verify school corporations of residence by home address. This guide is located at
www.indy.gov.
What if there is an error in the ADM report?
Once the data is entered into the approved form, DOE-ME, the school should submit
the report electronically to the IDOE. The school should also print a hard copy of the
report, which must then be signed by the principal and the school’s treasurer and
mailed to the IDOE. If a school finds any errors in Form DOE-ME after it is
submitted, the school should immediately make the necessary corrections in the
IDOE student database, generate a new report with the correct information, obtain
signatures from the school principal and treasurer, and re-submit both a hard copy
and electronic copy to the IDOE.
What if a student enrolls after ADM count day?
If new students enroll after the first ADM count day, schools should submit this
information for the second ADM count in December. For each ADM count, schools
should only submit information for students enrolled on the count day.
Annual Report to the IDOE’s Division of Educational Options
Every August, each charter school must submit an annual report covering the prior school
year to the IDOE’s Division of Education Options. Over the summer, the IDOE staff will
provide guidance to the school regarding the content, format, and deadline for the
submission. Indiana charter school law (Indiana Code § 20-24-9-6) describes the general
content of the report, including:
1. Results of all standardized testing, including ISTEP+ and Graduation Qualifying Exam.
Since IDOE has access to ISTEP+ and GQE testing results, they will only request results
on other standardized tests.
2. A description of the educational methods and teaching methods employed. After the
first report, schools will only need to report if any material changes have been made to
these methods since the prior report.
3. Daily attendance records.

4. Graduation statistics (if appropriate), including attainment of Core 40 and Academic
Honors Diplomas.
5. Student enrollment data, including the following:
(A) The number of students enrolled;
(B) The number of students expelled; and
(C) The number of students who discontinued attendance at the charter school and
reasons for discontinuation.
In addition, charter schools receiving grant funds under the Federal Public Charter Schools
Program are required to provide a grant report to the IDOE’s Division of Education Options.
Annual Performance Report for all Public Schools
Every school corporation in Indiana, including charter schools, must publicly publish an
Annual Performance Report each January. These reports must include at least basic data
provided by the IDOE (typically in December) on the previous four years’ student
enrollment, ISTEP+ passing rates, and other performance indicators. Since the reports
cover only prior school year information, first year charter schools are not required to
publish this report. Each school corporation must provide a copy of its final report to the
IDOE in February of each year. The IDOE notifies all schools of deadlines and data needed
for the report.
SAMS/PAMS
The IDOE communicates with school leaders via the Superintendent Alert and Messaging
System (SAMS) and Principal Alert and Messaging System (PAMS). One representative from
each charter school may sign up to receive these email news messages. To add yourself or
others these lists, or to make any changes to the recipients at your school, email Alex
Damron at adamron@doe.in.gov.
Contact Information
Indiana Department of Education, Office of Data Collection & Reporting
317.234.5276 or 800.527.4931
Expulsions
Dropout and Mobility
Suspensions
Programs and Services
Attendance
School Board
Certified Employee
Graduates
Master File
Certified Employee Positions
School Calendar
COHORT
Non Certified Employee
STN Lookup
STN Application Center
Additional Student Information
Enrollment
Retained Pupils

Indiana Department of Education, Special Assistant for Technology
Mike Huffman, Special Assistant on Technology
mhuffman@doe.state.in.us
317.232.6672
Indiana Department of Education, Division of Educational Information Systems
Anne Brinson, Director
abrinson@doe.state.in.us
317.232.0807
Indiana Department of Education, Office of Financial Management
Peggy Smith
School Financial Management Specialist
pesmith@doe.in.gov
317.232.0840 or 866.234.1414
Melissa K. Ambre
Director, IDOE, Office of School Finance
mambre@doe.in.gov
317-232-0840

IV. Assessments of Performance
ISTEP +
Per the federal No Child Left Behind legislation (NCLB), public schools, including charter
schools, are required to implement state-approved English language arts and mathematics
assessments annually in all grades 3-8 and once in grades 10-12. Indiana offers the Indiana
Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP+) as the state-approved annual
assessment in English language arts and mathematics for all of the mandated grades.
Currently, ISTEP+ assessments for English language arts and mathematics are required in
every grade 3 through 10. Students in grades 5, 7, and 9 also take ISTEP+ science.
Additionally, high school students are required to take the Graduation Qualifying Exam
(GQE) beginning in the fall of 10th grade. Students who do not pass the test have the
opportunity to retake the test in the fall and spring of their junior and senior years as well.
See the ISTEP+ website at www.doe.state.in.us/istep/welcome.html for additional
information and for the schedule for administering the GQE.
Historically, the ISTEP+ testing period has taken place over a two week period beginning
on the second Monday after Labor Day. During the 2008-09 school year, Indiana began
gradually transitioning the testing period to the spring semester. In 2009-10, it is expected
to be fully transitioned.
Each school should identify an internal ISTEP+ test coordinator. As the central point of
contact, this individual will receive a Test Coordinator Kit as well as all testing materials.
The test coordinator is responsible for ensuring that the test is administered according to
applicable rules and regulations as well as for notifying the IDOE in the event the school
has a shortage of testing materials.
The test coordinator will receive two packages of materials in anticipation of the testing
period: the first package will contain test coordinator manuals and instructions for
ordering additional student testing materials; the second package will contain the actual
student testing materials. The test coordinator should also go to the above website in
order to sign up for the ISTEP+ listserv. During the two weeks prior to the school year, the
Division of School Assessment (ISTEP+ office) will conduct a series of workshops across
the state to prepare ISTEP+ test coordinators and schools for the upcoming assessments.
At least one person from every school is required to attend.
Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress and
Acuity
In addition to assessments mandated by federal and state law, the Charter agreement with
the Mayor’s Office requires charter schools to administer either the Northwest Evaluation
Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment or Acuity yearly to
all students.

Annual Performance Report
The governing body of each charter schools is required by state law to publish an annual
performance report between January 15 and January 31 (IC 20-20-8; IC 20-24-9-6). The
law states that no later than sixty (60) days after publication of the report, the governing
body can conduct a public hearing to present and discuss the report. Copies of the report
are required by law to be given to the IDOE; the Mayor’s Office also requires a copy, as well.
Schools must submit the IDOE copy to the Center for Assessment no later than February 15
each year.
A growing number of local media outlets work with schools to publish the reports.
Historically, The Indianapolis Star has published a special section that reports the legally-
required data and any supplemental information to help the public understand school
progress. School administrators are encouraged to discuss the publication of their Annual
Performance Report in advance of the January deadline. Questions regarding the Annual
Performance Report should be directed to apr@doe.in.gov. Refer to IC 20-20-8 for a
complete list of items schools must publish in the annual performance report.
The IDOE compiles and computes the data required for an Annual Performance Report. To
ensure consistency in the data across Indiana schools, schools must use the data the IDOE
generates. The data will be generated through information the IDOE has collected from the
schools throughout the school year. Note that schools will not need to submit any
additional information to the IDOE for the performance report. Six to eight weeks prior to
the January deadline, the IDOE will send schools the following data for the last three school
years (as schools are required to publish multi-year data). Schools in their first or second
year should publish as much data as is available.
1.) School level data:
a. Total expenditure per pupil, three-year average
b. Average teacher salary
c. Percent of students in special education
d. Percent of students in gifted and talented education
e. Percent high school vocational education
f. Percent of students receiving free lunches/textbooks
g. Total ISTEP+ remediation funding
2.) Data for a high school:
a. Graduation rate
i. Percent of graduates who have passed the GQE
ii. Percent of graduates granted waivers for the GQE
b. Grade 10 percent passing GQE math standard
c. Grade 10 percent passing GQE language arts standard
d. Advanced placement percent of students with average score ≥ 3
e. Advanced placement percent of 11th and 12th graders tested

f. SAT average score
g. Percent of 12th graders taking SAT
h. Percent academic honors diplomas
i. Percent Core 40 diplomas
j. Percent of graduates pursuing college education
k. Attendance rate
l. Number of suspensions
m. Number of expulsions
n. Number of expulsions or suspensions involving drugs, weapons or alcohol
3.) Data for a middle school:
a. Grade 6 percent passing ISTEP+ math standard
b. Grade 6 percent passing ISTEP+ language arts standard
c. Grade 8 percent passing ISTEP+ math standard
d. Grade 8 percent passing ISTEP+ language arts standard
e. Attendance rate
f. Number of suspensions
g. Number of expulsions
h. Number of expulsions or suspensions involving drugs, weapons or alcohol
4.) Data for an elementary school:
a. Grade 3 percent passing ISTEP+ math standard
b. Grade 3 percent passing ISTEP+ language arts standard
c. Number of students per teacher
d. Attendance rate
e. Number of suspensions
f. Number of expulsions
g. Number of expulsions or suspensions involving drugs, weapons or alcohol
If a school has any questions, concerns, or disputes with the data the IDOE has sent, the
school should contact the IDOE as soon as possible. Additional information about this
process will be included in a memorandum the IDOE sends to the schools when it sends the
pertinent data.
While schools may only use data generated by IDOE, schools may determine their own
format for publishing the information and have the flexibility to publish more than the
basic information required by law. According to the IDOE, in past years some school
corporations have elected to simply publish the information the IDOE sent, and other
schools have elected to publish a tabloid insert in the newspaper which may include
additional information such as, for example, community and business partnerships, a
calendar for the upcoming school year, a narrative highlighting past accomplishments,
programs and initiatives, and/or a financial report. The annual performance report must
be published in concert with the requirements specified in IC 5-3-1.

For additional information on publication of the annual performance report, visit the IDOE
website for information on the submission of the Annual Performance Report.
http://doe.state.in.us/htmls/performance.html.
Contact Information
Indiana Department of Education, Division of School Assessment
Wes Bruce, Director and Assistant Superintendent
wbruce@doe.state.in.us
317.232.9050

V. Charter School Funding
General Tuition Support
Charter schools are funded as their own separate districts. According to the IDOE, per
pupil funding for a charter school in its first year of operation is the same as per pupil
funding for the district in which the charter school is located. The per pupil funding for a
charter school in its second year of operation or beyond is based on the target revenue the
school generates through the school funding formula (i.e., based on the previous year’s
funding level and student counts). The state pays 65 percent of this per pupil amount, and
the other 35 percent is paid through the local property taxes from each student’s school
corporation of residence. The county auditor re-directs property tax payments from a
student’s resident district to the charter school. State payments are also sent directly to the
charter school. For more detailed information, schools should contact the IDOE’s Office of
Financial Management, Analysis, and Reporting.
Schools receive both the state and local portions of general tuition support beginning in the
second semester of the charter school’s first year of operation. Funding is always be six
months behind because payments for the current school year begin in the calendar year
following the start of the school year. As stated previously, the amount of total funding is
based upon the ADM count taken in September.
Maximum Age for Funding Eligibility
Schools receive funding for students in a regular public education program until the
student earns a high school diploma. This means that a school could have a student who is
thirty, forty, or fifty years old enrolled and still receive general tuition support for that
student until he/she graduates. The regulations are different, however, for special
education funding. While schools continue receiving general tuition support for students in
special education, after students reach the age of twenty-two, state and federal funding
specifically earmarked for special education is no longer be available.
Common School Fund
Charter schools may borrow funds from the Common School Fund in order to cover
operational expenses incurred during the first semester of the first school year or to cover
operational expenses incurred during the first semester of subsequent years if the school
experienced an increase in enrollment of at least 15% from the previous school year. The
IDOE specifies each year any deadlines for submitting petitions for loans. Loans for first-
year operations are issued in a lump sum shortly after the school submits its loan
application, if approved.

Repayment of a Common School Fund is made by the charter school over a maximum of
twenty years at an interest rate set by the State Board of Education (minimum 1 percent,
maximum 4 percent). Alternatively, the General Assembly may appropriate tuition support
dollars for loan repayment in the years following the years the loans were made.
Schools must submit the Taxpayer Identification Number Request (IRS Form W-9) to the
State Auditor, as well as a form for Automated Direct Deposit Authorization Agreement
(Form SF#47551) in order to start receiving payments from the State. The State cannot
send any payments to the school until both forms are received. Schools can enter their
information directly onto the on-line version of the form W-9 Form. The IDOE will send
deposit information directly to the school when a payment is made; usually twenty-four
hours prior to the actual payment.
Common School Fund Advancement Loan
In 2003, the General Assembly enacted PL 276-2003 creating the Charter School
Advancement Account within the Common School Fund. The purpose of this loan program
is to provide loans for “operational costs” defined as costs other than construction costs
incurred by:
1) a charter school other than a conversion charter school during the second six (6)
months of the calendar year in which the charter school begins operation; or
2) a charter school, including a conversion charter school, during the second six (6)
months of a calendar year in which the charter school’s most recent enrollment
reported under I C 20-24-7-2 divided by the charter school’s previous year’s ADM is
at least one and fifteen-hundredths (1.15).
Loans granted due for enrollment growth are not awarded until after September to ensure
that the charter growth is met. Charters in the first year of operation will be awarded loans
based on the actual students committed to attend the school by the loan submission date,
and a supplemental loan application can be submitted for the additional students who
enroll as of the September ADM count day.
Title I Funding
Title I funds should be used by eligible schools to fund learning opportunities for students
who are below grade level. Title I funds should not be used in place of general tuition
support dollars, rather the funds must supplement the school’s regular instructional
program. Learning opportunities must be academic in nature. Examples may include (but
are not limited to)
 Tutoring;
 After-, before-, and summer school programs;
 Jumpstart programs to prepare students for grades K-1; and

 School days extending beyond 180 instructional days.
Funds may also be used for research-based professional development opportunities for
teachers and paraprofessionals involved with Title I learning opportunities. It is important
to note that students who receive additional instructional support through the use of Title I
funds do not necessarily have to be students who are eligible for free or reduced-price
lunch – once a school has been deemed eligible to receive Title I funds, any child in the
school performing below grade level can receive services through the use of Title I funds.
Schools should consult with the IDOE’s Division of Compensatory Education for
appropriate uses of Title I funds.
Title I Allocations
Title I allocations to school corporations are based on census poverty data. Charter schools
do not have a census poverty count because students are drawn from across census
boundaries. Therefore, the State applies a multi-step formula to determine the school’s
equivalent of census poverty and then generates the eligibility and allocations. Eligibility is
determined by the number of “formula children” in the charter school, i.e., the number of
students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in relation to the school’s overall census
poverty data.
To be eligible for a Title I basic grant, a charter school must have at a minimum at least ten
“formula children” and the number of “formula children” must make up more than 2% of
the student population (ages 5-17). A school is eligible for a targeted grant if the school has
at least ten “formula children” and the number of “formula children” make up more than
5% of the student population (ages 5-17). A school is eligible for a concentration grant if
the number of “formula children” exceeds 6,500 or is 15% of the total student population.
Once eligibility is determined, the charter school will draw Title I funds from each district
in which “formula children” reside, and will receive the same amount per “formula child” as
that particular district receives. Associates within the IDOE’s Division of Compensatory
Education will walk each charter school through the formula once the school has
determined its number of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch and the districts
in which the students reside.
Applying for Title I Funds
Once the IDOE determines the charter school’s allocation, it will help the school complete
the Title I application, including helping to identify uses for the funds. Schools in operation
during the previous school year submit the Title I application at the beginning of July, and
schools in the first year of operation submit the application in the middle of October. In the
application, the school will indicate what percentage of its allocation it would like to
receive each month. Note that in August through October a school can only request up to
20% of its total allocation. Schools can carry over up to 15% of any unused Title I funds to
the next school year, provided that 85% of the allocation has been expended. Schools must
be careful about planning how to spend Title I funds over the course of the year.

Additional information is available on the IDOE Division of Compensatory Education’s
website at www.doe.state.in.us/TitleI.
Federal Public Charter Schools Program (PCSP)
The federal Public Charter Schools Program (PCSP) grant program provides support to
charter schools for planning, program design, and initial implementation of charter schools.
Schools must have a Mayor-approved charter in order to apply for these funds. Charter
schools may use subgrant funds for 1) post-award planning and program design activities
for up to 18 months (before the school opens) and for initial implementation activities for
up to 24 months (after the school opens). Grants awarded to charter schools must not,
however, exceed 36 months total. The intent of the program is to increase parent and
student options among public schools and to give students more educational opportunities,
resulting in higher student achievement. The PCSP program awards grants to State
Educational Agencies (SEAs) on a competitive basis. The SEAs then award subgrants to
individual charter schools, also on a competitive basis. If a State elects not to participate in
the PCSP program or is denied funding, an individual charter school that is eligible may
apply directly to the U.S. Department of Education for a grant. The PCSP grant was
amended in October 1998 by the Charter School Expansion Act of 1998 and in January
2001 by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title V, part B.
For the 2007-2010 grant period, grant awards for planning activities ranged from $25,000-
$150,000 and were generally awarded for a 12-month period. Awards for implementation
ranged from $75,000-$200,000 and were awarded for a 24-month period. Funding
depends upon the quality of the grant application, enrollment, previous uses of grant funds
(if applicable), and award amounts that the state receives from the federal government.
Funds are administered through the IDOE’s charter schools office. Once approved, schools
must renew their grant each year by submitting a renewal application to the IDOE. For
additional information about the program, including requesting a copy of the grant
application, contact Kimb Stewart at kstewart@doe.state.in.us. Also, visit
www.doe.in.gov/charterschools/pcsp_faq.html and
www.doe.in.gov/charterschools/pcsp_grantee_resources.html.
Note: Pursuant to amendments to charter school law, charter schools are required to
“make all applications, enter into all contracts, and sign all documents necessary for the
receipt by a charter school of aid, money, or property from the federal government”
(Indiana Code 20-5.5-7-5).
Professional Development Program Grant

The IDOE’s Office of Accreditation and Awards reviews Professional Development Grant
Applications to ensure that the school’s professional development program aligns with the
objectives, goals and expectations of the School Improvement Plan. The State Board may
approve a school's program only if the program meets the Board's core principles for
professional development and the additional criteria listed on the application. The
Department may make written recommendations for modification to the program to
ensure alignment. The professional development funds must be used in accordance with
(IC 20-20-31). The deadline for grant applications is usually late June.
The Professional Development Grant Application can be accessed at DOE Online.
Grant Requirements
 School Level Assurance Form;
 Report of Grant Expenditures from the previous school year;
 Completed and approved Professional Development Grant Application;
 Submittal of 2009 DOE-PE (Pupil Enrollment) as required;
 The school principal must submit a School Level Assurance Form verifying that the
professional development program complies with the Indiana State Board’s core
principles for professional development and was developed by the committee that
develops the school’s strategic and continuous improvement and achievement plan.
(IC 20-20-31-5); and
 The exclusive representative(s) must demonstrate support for the professional
development program by signing either the corporation level assurance form that
would be verification for all schools in the corporation OR can sign each individual
school assurance form.
If you have questions concerning this grant, contact Garry Wallyn, Director of the Office of
School Accreditation and Awards.
E-Rate Filing
Indiana charter schools are eligible to receive internet services through the state network
currently provided by Education Networks of America (ENA). See below for an explanation
of processes around E-rate filing, Internet Service billing and state subsidization for
connectivity.
Changes to Funding Levels: There was a change to the anticipated level of subsidization
of Internet connectivity for schools based on the 2009 appropriation of Indiana General
Assembly for the School and Library Internet Connection (IC 4-34-3-2) fund. Funding for
2009-2010 and 2010-2011 is set at $1.8 million/year for schools. In the most recent
biennial budget, funding for schools from this appropriation was set at $2.3 million/year.
During the planning for Internet services for 2009-2010, the local cost for Internet services
through ENA was determined using the $2.3 million figure. The IDOE provides subsidies
from the School and Library Internet Connection fund to school corporations (including

charter schools) that participate in the state network. The IDOE also certifies technology
plans.
Changes to the E-rate Filing Process: Beginning with the E-rate filing for service year
2010 (July 2010 – June, 2011), the IDOE will no longer file a Form 471 consortium
application. The Department has procured the services of AdTec to file individual
applications for every consortium member. AdTec will work with each school corporation
to certify the applications and respond to PIA inquiries in a timely manner. This replaces
the process that was previously handled by the consortium filing. The Department will
continue to facilitate a statewide network offering by procuring and managing a statewide
contract on a consortium basis and by providing state funding (Connectivity Fund) to
support purchases as in the past.
Changes to the Billing Cycle: The billing cycle will occur monthly beginning in October
2009. Schools will be receiving an invoice in October (for service provided in July, August,
and September 2009). October 2009’s invoice will be the first monthly invoice for the
2009-2010 service year. These bills will continue to reflect the state provided discount as
discussed above.
For the 2010-2011 service year, the vendor for the state network will bill each corporation
for the local share of service not covered by E-rate. The IDOE will issue funds from the
School and Library Connection Fund directly to the corporations. Therefore, instead of
remitting funds to the IDOE, school corporations will remit funds directly to the vendor.
Bid for Services: The IDOE will release a Form 470 to procure an Internet Service
Provider for the state network since the current contract with ENA expires at the end of the
2009-2010 service year. The contract for the state network will go out for bid in
September 2009 and a vendor will be chosen well in advance of the filing deadlines for the
2010-2011 service year.
The following table illustrates these changes on a timeline:
Activity 2009-2010 Service Year 2010-2011 Service Year
Changes to
the Filing
Process
· No change for this year · Individual E-rate applications for
each school corporation prepared
with assistance from AdTec
Changes to
the Billing
cycle
· First three months of the service
year billed in October. October
service and following billed on a
monthly basis
· Connectivity funds are distributed
the same as in the past—discounts
on regular invoices (based on the
new appropriation)
· Each school corp. is billed directly
by the vendor on a monthly basis for
portion of the service not covered by
E-rate
· Connectivity funds sent directly to
schools on a schedule to be
determined—based on the $1.8
million/year
Bid for · Service continues with ENA for · Form 470 is posted for Vendor

Services 2009-2010 Solicitation for state contract for
Internet services (Posting occurs in
the Fall of 2009)
· Based on vendor solicitation and
selection in Fall 2009, selected
vendor provides first year of service
under the three-year contract
Direct questions to John Keller, Director of Learning Technologies and State E-rate
Coordinator (317.234.5703).
Full-Day Kindergarten Grant
This grant is used to assist schools with kindergarten programs that provide five hours of
daily instructional time for 180 days during the school year. The full-day kindergarten
grant will be distributed in December 2010. The amount each school receives depends on
how many grant applications are submitted to the IDOE and the total appropriation for the
grant, but will not exceed $2,500 per student. The funding per student for Full Day
Kindergarten for the 2008-2009 school year was approximately $1,132.62. The grant
amount was determined by multiplying the total number of students reported as funded by
the Full Day Kindergarten Grant on the DOE-FD (Full Day Kindergarten Report submitted
through the Application Center) as of the September 12, 2008, count day by $1,132.6234.
Prior to submitting a grant application, schools must complete and submit an “Intent to
Participate” form to the IDOE. All schools are eligible for the grant provided they do not
charge families for the school-day portion of their kindergarten program. Schools may
charge fees for participation in full-day kindergarten only if the school also offers a half-day
program.
Grant Eligibility
 School corporations and charter schools are eligible for the grants.
 Grant amounts will be determined without regard to the demographic makeup of
the applicant school corporation or charter school.
 Programs funded through the grant program must include five hours of
instructional time for 180 days during the school year and must meet the academic
standards and other requirements of Indiana Code Title 20 and State Board of
Education rules.
 Teachers must monitor the literacy progress of all students participating in the
program using a valid observational assessment such as mClass Reading 3D or
DIBELS.
 School corporations may wait and enter the program during the 2011-2012 school
year without penalty. However, all schools offering kindergarten should complete
the online www.doe.in.gov/fdkgrant form.

Grant Allocations
 The grant amount available for each school corporation or charter school will equal
the total state appropriation divided by the total number of full-day kindergarten
students funded by the grant, multiplied by the school’s full-day kindergarten
enrollment.
 The statute provides that the maximum amount a school corporation or charter
school may receive is $2,500 per student.
 If all public school corporations and charter schools choose to participate and fund
all kindergarten students through the grant program, the minimum amount a school
corporation or charter school could receive would be approximately $788 per
student.
 School corporations and charter schools participating in the grant will receive an
estimate of per pupil funding based on applications received by the deadline.
 Final grant amounts will be based on student enrollment counts on September 17,
2010 on Form DOE-ME.
Supplementing Grant Funding
 If state grant funding is insufficient to serve all kindergarten students at a
corporation or charter school, general funds or voluntary parent fees may be used to
fully fund the full-day program.
 If state funds are used in combination with federal Title I funds to provide full-day
kindergarten, one of two methods must be employed to demonstrate compliance
with federal supplement, not supplant provisions: 1) the traditional ‘Title I-like’
model or 2) an alternate ‘fair share’ model.
 In general, Title I funds for full-day kindergarten cannot be used to provide services
to Title I-eligible students while those same services are provided to non-Title I
students with state and local funds, including the state full-day kindergarten grant.
 Additional information related to Title I funds and full-day kindergarten are
provided in the General Guidance for Funding FDK Programs and the Title I
Supplement, Not Supplant Guidance, available online at www.doe.in.gov/TitleI.
Textbook Reimbursement
The State receives a Federal appropriation for textbook reimbursement, which is divided
among every charter school and school corporation who applies. The percentage of
reimbursement is determined the State depending upon how much has been requested for
reimbursement from all schools, compared to the actual appropriation for textbook
reimbursement.
Every year, the textbook reimbursement forms must be submitted by October 31st. Schools
must submit student information though the STN Application Center for every student
eligible for free-or reduced priced meals. The IDOE computer system pre-populates the
claim form with student counts, and the school then needs to complete the remainder of

the claim form. Filing the claim is done electronically on the internet, and the web program
automatically notifies the IDOE once a claim has been filed.
Even if a school’s curriculum materials are not State-approved, the materials are still
eligible for reimbursement provided that the charter school’s board officially adopts the
materials, e.g., as evidenced through the board minutes. Eligible materials for
reimbursement include but are not limited to textbooks, workbooks, instructional software
and accompanying workbooks, and science kit replacement items. Schools can also include
reasonable amounts for shipping costs in their reimbursement claims. Schools should keep
supporting documentation (e.g., textbook receipts, board minutes showing textbook
adoption) on file in the event of an audit of State distributions by the State Board of
Accounts (SBOA).
If the reimbursement received from the state is less than the rental fee assessed, the school
corporation may request that the parent or emancipated minor pay the balance. School
corporations may request but cannot require the parent or emancipated minor to pay the
balance.
As stated in IC 20-33-5-3: Sec. 3. (a) If a parent of a child or an emancipated minor who is
enrolled in a public school, in kindergarten or grades 1 through 12, meets the financial
eligibility standard under section 2 of this chapter, the parent or the emancipated minor
may not be required to pay the fees for school books, supplies, or other required class fees.
The fees shall be paid by the school corporation that the child attends. (b) The school
corporation may apply for a reimbursement under section 7 of this chapter from the
department of the costs incurred under subsection (a). (c) To the extent the
reimbursement received by the school corporation is less than the textbook rental fee
assessed for textbooks that have been adopted under IC 20-20-5-1 through IC 20-20-5-4 or
waived under IC 20-26-12-28, the school corporation may request that the parent or
emancipated minor pay the balance of this amount.
It is the position of the Department of Education that a school corporation may request an
eligible parent to pay the difference, but the parent cannot be required to pay the
difference. This means the parent cannot be sued in small claims court or referred to a
collection agency by the school corporation for collection of the difference. This is the same
position taken by the Indiana Court of Appeals in 1990. In Gohn v. Akron School, 562 N.E.2d
1291 (Ind. App.3 Dist. 1990), a public elementary school brought legal action against
parents who were eligible for financial assistance to collect the difference in unpaid
textbook rental fees. The court of appeals held that the school was barred from taking legal
action against the parents. In interpreting the statute the court determined that "[r]equest
means to ask for, not compel through legal action," and further stated: [Ind. Code] 20-33-5-
11 allows a school to take legal action to collect unpaid textbook rental fees only against
parents ineligible for financial assistance for school children. Indiana law barred Akron
School from taking legal action to collect unpaid textbook rental fees when the [parents]
were eligible for financial assistance for school children.

Please be advised that at no time may you deny textbook assistance to an applicant who
meets the federal free/reduced lunch guidelines and at no time may you compel eligible
parents to pay the balance of textbook rental fees not paid by the state. IC 20-33-5-11
allows a school to take legal action to collect unpaid textbook rental fees only against
parents determined to be ineligible for financial assistance for school children. Please be
reminded that IC 20-33-5-2 The Financial Assistance for School Children statute now
includes students who qualify for reduced priced meals under the National School Lunch
Program.
In addition, under IC 20-33-5-11 a school corporation may not withhold from any student
school books and supplies, require any special services from a child, or deny a child any
benefit or privilege because the parent fails to pay required fees. A school corporation may
not withhold textbooks, workbooks, report cards, pre-paid school pictures, transcripts, or
any other service as a result of unpaid fees. This applies to all students, regardless of
whether the family is found eligible for financial assistance for school children.
State Board of Accounts
Charter schools must manage their financial activity according to a unified accounting
system as prescribed by the SBOA. Additionally, schools are required to undergo a SBOA
audit after their first year and then biannually thereafter. Accordingly, the SBOA has
published accounting and compliance manuals for public schools and extracurricular
programs. These manuals are available on the SBOA website. The SBOA has also noted on
the tables of contents for these two manuals the items in each that are (or are not)
applicable to charter schools.
The School Administrator, the quarterly SBOA newsletter for schools, is available from the
SBOA website at www.in.gov/sboa. It is recommended that any school staff responsible for
financial reporting refer to current and past issues of the newsletter for additional
information and clarifications of procedures and policies. SBOA has also noted in the index
for this quarterly newsletter which items are not applicable to charter schools. Volume 152
of the School Administrator provides information on preparing for the SBOA audit. The
SBOA has a listserv that enables schools to receive the School Administrator and any other
important information of which they should be aware. Schools should e-mail one of the
SBOA representatives listed above in order to get on the listserv.
In accordance with a unified accounting system, the SBOA requires schools to use
particular forms in their accounting systems and, if a school chooses to use computer
generated forms in place of the prescribed forms, these forms must be approved by the
SBOA for use. Part 9 of the public school accounting and compliance manual describes the
forms approval process.
Schools may elect to utilize school accounting software to manage their financial activities.
While schools do not need to receive SBOA approval for the software programs, they must

receive approval for the forms that are generated by these programs. Note: Schools must
bond their treasurers. Volume 149 of the School Administrator describes the procedures
and details of this requirement.
Contact Information
Indiana Department of Education, Office of Financial Management, Analysis, & Reporting
317.232.0840
Indiana Department of Education, Office of Student Learning Choices
Kimb Stewart, Charter School Specialist
317.234.2137
kstewart@doe.in.gov
Indiana Department of Education, Office of Early Learning & Literacy (Full-Day Kindergarten)
Jayma McGann, Director, Office of Early Learning & Literacy
317.232.9152
jmcgann@doe.in.gov
State Board of Accounts, School & Township, Accounting & Audits
Chuck Nemeth, Supervisor Stan Mettler, Supervisor
cnemeth@sboa.in.gov smettler@sboa.in.gov
317.232.2520 317.232.2520
Indiana Department of Education, Office of Title I Academic Support
Jamie Miller, Associate Director, Title I
jmiller@doe.state.in.us
317.232.0540
Sarah Pies, Education Consultant, Title I
spies@doe.state.in.us
317.233.6502
Indiana Department of Education, Office of Accreditation & Awards
Gary Wallyn, Director, Office of Accreditation & Awards
317.232.9060 or 800.894.4044

VI. Student Recruitment & Enrollment
Student Recruitment
Charter schools are open to all students, and it is therefore critical that they recruit families
from all segments of the community. Particularly strong efforts must be made to reach
those families traditionally less-informed of their educational options. For example,
schools targeting or expecting a significant proportion of students from families of limited
English proficiency should provide school information and applications in multiple
languages.
The Lottery
The Mayor’s Office does not mandate the process schools should use to conduct the
admissions lottery. At a minimum, however, according to the charter law, lotteries should
be open to all students who submit a timely application and should give each student in a
particular grade level an equal chance to enroll. The only preference that may be given is
to siblings of enrolled students providing that seats are available in the applicable grade
level; if a student is accepted through the lottery, all of the student’s siblings who also are
participating in the lottery may automatically receive admission as well, providing that
seats are available in the applicable grade levels.
Schools are encouraged to rehearse the lottery proceedings prior to the official drawing in
order to ensure the process runs smoothly and is as open and fair as possible. Strategies
that schools have used in the past to conduct lotteries to ensure the process runs smoothly
and is open and fair for all students include:
 Asking a reputable third party or firm to administer, monitor, or oversee the lottery
to avoid conflicts of interest;
 Inviting the media and families to attend the lottery to demonstrate the process is
fair and open;
 Reviewing the application and lottery procedures with the audience;
 Sending parents their students’ lottery numbers prior to the day of the lottery;
 Publicly cross-checking the numbers assigned to student applications with the
numbers on the cards to be drawn during the lottery (note: per FERPA, student
names should not be used at any time during the public lottery);
 Noting siblings’ lottery numbers on the cards so that siblings may be placed in
appropriate grades (providing spaces are available) as soon as one sibling is
selected in the lottery;

 Displaying the results of the lottery as they occur on a board visible to the audience;
and
 Taping the lottery proceedings.
School Policies and Legal Documents
School Calendar and Class Schedules
Each June, schools must submit a school calendar for the upcoming year listing dates that
the charter school is in session. In addition, the school should provide a class schedule to
the Mayor's Office for each grade level or teacher at the school.
Recruitment Strategies and Application Policies
Two months prior to a school’s open enrollment window or holding a lottery for student
admission, schools must submit to the Mayor's Office documentation of:
 Recruitment Strategies that follow federal and state law and constitutional
provisions that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, disability, gender,
religion, national origin, ancestry, or color;
 Open Enrollment Window that specifies the timeframe the school will accept
application enrollment forms;
 Application Procedures that meet the open student admissions and enrollment
requirements of Indiana's charter school law (Indiana Code § 20-24-5);
 Lottery Procedures that provide equal chance of admission to all students if the
number of applications exceeds the school's capacity in that grade or class;
 Lottery Information including the date, time, and location of the lottery; and
 Wait List Procedures for student applicants who do not initially gain admission to
the charter school via standard admission or lottery procedures.
Representatives from the Mayor’s Office may attend schools’ lotteries to observe practices.
Projected Enrollment
Every July, Mayor-sponsored charter schools must project student enrollment for the
upcoming school year, including the expected number of students by grade level.
Projections must be consistent with what was provided in the budget.
Enrollment Process
When a child decides to enroll in a Mayor-sponsored charter school, the school may require
the student or his/her parents to complete a one-page admissions form. This form may
require information such as:
 Student’s Name;
 Street Address;
 City, State, Zip Code;
 Date of Birth;
 Phone Number;
 Gender;

 Current School;
 Current Grade;
 Current Expulsion/Suspension;
 Parent/Guardian’s Name; and
 Parent/Guardian’s Signature.
This one-page admissions form MAY NOT require information related to Individualized
Education Plans (IEPs), essays, ethnicity, and social security number. Once a student is
enrolled in the school, the school may require the student to complete a more in-depth
registration packet that requires information pertaining to a student’s IEP, ethnicity, and so
forth. Contact the Mayor’s Office with questions about what is and is not acceptable to
include in both the admission form and the registration packet.
Available seats are based upon the enrollment numbers provided in the information sheet
of a school’s charter. Enrollment may exceed the set number by ten percent (10%). If a
school decides to fill the extra ten percent and then loses some of those children, the school
must continue to enroll (via first the waitlist). For example, if a school has 100 slots and
enrolls 110 students, and come November five students leave, then the school must fill
those five slots even though the charter notes 100 students.
Suspensions & Expulsions
Indiana Code (IC 20-33-8-20) specifies the length of an expulsion. It is not indefinite. Once
this time expires, compulsory attendance laws go into effect, meaning public schools must
enroll a student that is not currently serving a suspension or expulsion.
After an expulsion, the Indiana statue requiring reenrollment criteria (IC 20-33-8-24) only
applies to students 16 years of age or older. In addition, the school corporation (in this
case the individual charter school) can only require a student to attend an alternative
school/program, evening classes, or classes established for students 16 years of age or
older IF the school corporation offers these options. If the school does not offer these
courses, the school must enroll that student.
State law states that a suspension “means any disciplinary action that does not constitute
an expulsion under section 3 of this chapter, whereby a student is separated from school
attendance for a period of not more than ten (10) school days” (IC 20-33-8-7). Schools can
suspend a student for fewer than 10 days if they so chose – that is a policy the board
approves – but not more than 10 days. After ten days it counts as an expulsion.
See below for grounds for a suspension or expulsion.
IC 20-33-8-14 Grounds for suspension or expulsion

Sec. 14. (a) The following are the grounds for student suspension or expulsion, subject to
the procedural requirements of this chapter and as stated by school corporation rules:
(1) Student misconduct.
(2) Substantial disobedience.
(b) The grounds for suspension or expulsion listed in subsection
(a) apply when a student is:
(1) on school grounds immediately before or during school hours, or
immediately after school hours, or at any other time when the school is being
used by a school group;
(2) off school grounds at a school activity, function, or event; or
(3) traveling to or from school or a school activity, function, or event.
The law allows for the Superintendent (in the case of charter schools this may be the
principal or someone else the Board has delegated Superintendent like authority to) or the
Superintendent’s designee to conduct the expulsion hearing.
See below for expulsion procedures and appeals.
IC 20-33-8-19 Expulsion procedure; appeals
Sec. 19. (a) A superintendent of a school corporation may conduct an expulsion meeting or
appoint one (1) of the following to conduct an expulsion meeting:
(1) Legal counsel.
(2) A member of the administrative staff if the member:
(A) has not expelled the student during the current school year; and
(B) was not involved in the events giving rise to the expulsion.
The superintendent or a person designated under this subsection may issue subpoenas,
compel the attendance of witnesses, and administer oaths to persons giving testimony at
an expulsion meeting.
(a). Notice of the right to appear at an expulsion meeting must:
(1) be made by certified mail or by personal delivery;
(2) contain the reasons for the expulsion; and
(3) contain the procedure for requesting an expulsion meeting.
(b) An expulsion may take place only after the student and the student's parent are given
notice of their right to appear at an expulsion meeting with the superintendent or a
person designated under subsection
(c) The individual conducting an expulsion meeting:
(1) shall make a written summary of the evidence heard at the expulsion meeting;
(2) may take action that the individual finds appropriate; and

(3) must give notice of the action taken under subdivision (2) to the student and the
student's parent.
(d) If the student or the student's parent not later than ten (10) days of receipt of a notice
of action taken under subsection
(c) makes a written appeal to the governing body, the governing body:
1. (1) shall hold a meeting to consider:
(A) the written summary of evidence prepared under subsection (c)(1); and
(B) the arguments of the principal and the student or the student's parent;
unless the governing body has voted under subsection (f) not to hear appeals of actions
taken under subsection (c); and
(2) may take action that the governing body finds appropriate.
The decision of the governing body may be appealed only under section 21 of this chapter.
(e) A student or a student's parent who fails to request and appear at an expulsion meeting
after receipt of notice of the right to appear at an expulsion meeting forfeits all rights
administratively to contest and appeal the expulsion. For purposes of this section, notice of
the right to appear at an expulsion meeting or notice of the action taken at an expulsion
meeting is effectively given at the time when the request or notice is delivered personally
or sent by certified mail to a student and the student's parent.
(f) The governing body may vote to not hear appeals of actions taken under subsection (c).
If the governing body votes to not hear appeals, subsequent to the date on which the vote is
taken, a student or parent may appeal only under section 21 of this chapter.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.17.
VII. Serving Students from Specific Populations
Students with Special Needs
School Responsibilities
Charter schools, like all public schools, must accept all students, including those with
disabilities. If a charter school enrolls a student with special needs, the school must
provide special education services to meet the student’s needs according to the child’s
Individualized Education Program (IEP). The school must also have a process in place to
identify, refer, and serve the special needs of students who were previously unidentified as
needing special education services. State and federal requirements for serving students
with disabilities are extremely complex and detailed. This section of the guidebook only
touches on some of the major requirements. Schools should seek further guidance on these
issues from the state and legal counsel. As well, while the discussion in this guidebook is
related more to schools that have already been chartered or are already in operation, the

planning for special education services should begin far in advance of this time, i.e. during
the initial planning phase.
According to the Indiana Department of Education’s (IDOE) Center for Exceptional
Learners’ website, the center “provides leadership and state-level support for public school
gifted and talented (grades K-12) programs and for students with disabilities from ages 3-
21. The following disabilities are included: autism spectrum disorder, communication
disorder, deaf-blindness, developmental delay, emotional disability, hearing impairment,
learning disability, mental disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other
health impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment. The center ensures that
Indiana is in compliance with the federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Act,
through monitoring of special education programs, oversight of community and residential
programs, provision of mediation and due process rights, and sound fiscal management.
The center includes High Ability Education, which administers grants, operates a resource
center, and provides workshops and materials suited to the needs of the high ability
population.”
Terminology
 Article 7 refers to Indiana’s special education regulations that are found in the
Indiana Administrative Code (IAC) at 511 IAC 7-32 through 7-47. Article 7
encompasses the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other
federal regulations. Article 7 describes how “special education and related services
are to be determined and provided by Indiana's public schools…[and] requires that
each student with a disability between the ages of 3 and 21, enrolled in a public
school, be provided with a free appropriate public education” (FAPE).
 Case Conference Committee (CCC) is a group comprised of school personnel and the
student’s parents that is responsible for determining the student’s eligibility for
special education and related services and developing and reviewing the student’s
individualized education program (IEP). In developing an IEP, the CCC must
consider a variety of general and special factors and determine the special education
and related services that will meet the student’s unique needs, as well as address all
of requisite IEP components. The school must take whatever action is necessary
(including providing an interpreter) to make sure parents understand what
happens in the CCC meeting.
 The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as well as other
state and federal laws, govern the confidentiality of a student’s educational records.
The school must protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable information
concerning your child during the collection, storage, and destruction of information.
A school official is responsible for ensuring the confidentiality of information and
has received training in these procedures. The school provides training regarding
confidentiality to anyone on the staff who collects or maintains this information, and
must maintain a current list of the names and positions of school employees who
have access to personally identifiable information in your child’s educational record.

This list is available for public inspection. The school must keep a record of those
persons, except parents and authorized employees of the school district, who obtain
access to a student’s record, including names, dates, and purposes for the access.
The school must also provide you, upon your request, with a list of the types and
locations of education records collected, maintained, or used by the agency.
 Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) means special education and related
services that:
o Are provided under public school supervision and at no cost to the parent;
o Meet the standards of the Indiana Department of Education (the IDOE);
o Include early childhood (preschool), elementary, and secondary education;
o Are provided in accordance with the student’s IEP; and
o Include earning course credits and a diploma for academic requirements to
the same extent
o the credit is awarded to students without disabilities.
 Independence is a collection of articles of interest and importance to high school
students with disabilities. Independence is distributed at the beginning of each
semester to all local Directors of Special Education who are encouraged to use it as
an "article bank" to develop local newsletters for secondary aged students with
disabilities and their families. Independence is distributed in hard copy and as a disk
to facilitate local use. Articles are updated each edition and new articles added.
Topics include high school graduation requirements, preparing for a job interview,
GED requirements, a military career, buying a car, renting an apartment and other
age-appropriate topics.
 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) includes the federal
law and regulations governing special education. The IDEA 2004 provides that if a
special education teacher teaches core academic subjects exclusively to students
who are being assessed against alternate achievement standards (ISTAR), the
teacher must meet the highly qualified requirements for elementary school teachers
and, for instruction above the elementary level, have subject-matter knowledge
appropriate to the level of instruction being provided. Accordingly, special
education teachers above the elementary level who teach core academic subjects
exclusively to students assessed against alternate achievement standards (ISTAR)
have the option of meeting the highly qualified requirements for elementary school
teachers. Alternatively, these teachers can meet the highly qualified teacher
requirements at the secondary level. Note: Teachers who do not teach core
academic subjects (e.g., some life skills classes) do not have to be highly qualified.
 Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written document that is developed,
reviewed, and revised by the CCC describing how the student will access the general
education curriculum (if appropriate) and the special education and related services
to be provided. A Transition IEP is an IEP developed for a student who will turn 14
or enter the 9th grade during the time the IEP is in effect.

 Indiana Standards Tool for Alternate Reporting (ISTAR) is an alternate assessment
component of Indiana's assessment system for students who perform significantly
above or below grade-level. In addition, ISTAR can be used as a supplementary
assessment for students who also participate in ISTEP+.
 Individualized Classroom Accountability Network (ICAN) is an optional provision of
a web-based classroom toolbox, designed to support the local management of
curriculum and assessment. Although ICAN has been developed for use with all
students, not just those with exceptional needs, it contains a case conference/IEP
component that is integrated with standards-referenced goals and assessments,
including ISTAR.
 Student with a Disability means a student who has been evaluated in accordance
with Article 7 and determined by the case conference committee to be eligible for
special education and related services. Each student with a disability who is enrolled
in public school is entitled to a free appropriate public education.
Charter schools, like school corporations, are also required to submit to the State a
comprehensive special education plan that outlines how the school plans to meet the needs
of special education students. The plan must be approved by the IDOE after a
recommendation from the State Advisory Council on the Education of Children with
Disabilities. The plan must also be reviewed annually by the charter school or special
education cooperative, if applicable. Subsequent approval of the comprehensive plan is
required when the plan is substantively modified or if membership in the cooperative
changes.
Cooperatives
Charter schools, like school corporations, may form a consortium of schools, often referred
to as a cooperative. Cooperatives allow schools to share a director of special education
and/or other personnel, as well as other special education-related costs in an attempt to
reach economies of scale while simultaneously effectively meeting the needs of the schools’
students with special needs. Each cooperative determines how services and expenses will
be allocated, based on the terms of the agreement under which the cooperative is formed.
Reporting
Each director of special education is required to report data through an Integrated
Electronic Management (IEM) system developed by the IDOE to manage special education
data collection (the CODA Project).
Schools are required to conduct a special education child count on December 1. Note that
pre-count is conducted on October 1, which includes an initial special education child count
and submission of a teacher roster. The teacher roster is sent to the IDOE’s Division of
Professional Standards to verify teacher certification. All other reporting requirements and
funding sources regarding special education are tied to this December 1 count. The IDOE

sends detailed information to the schools in mid-November regarding count procedures,
important forms, and submission instructions.
Funding
For operating schools, state special education funds generated through this count
represent the school’s allocation for the current school year, but are be distributed until the
beginning of the next calendar year. Operating schools are required to submit an
application for federal funds on August 15. Federal funds, which based on this application
and the December 1 child count, are distributed in July of the next calendar year (i.e., the
end of the school year in which the count was taken). Note that the IDOE may ask new
charter schools to submit an estimated child count during the summer before opening so
that the schools may begin receiving federal special education funding at the beginning of
the first school year as opposed to the end of the school year; funding will be re-adjusted
once actual counts are collected in December.
Under the provisions of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations
(EDGAR), states are required to take steps to ensure that each new charter school receives
Part B, IDEA (special education) federal funds during its first year of operation. In order to
receive such funds, a charter school must provide to the Indiana Department of Education
(IDOE) data and information needed to determine the initial grant award. To this end, the
attached data collection form must be completed and sent to our office via email by
Tuesday, October 7, 2008 based on the number of students served within each designated
category as of October 1, 2008.
Federal special education funds allocated under Part B, IDEA are based on three factors:
number of students with disabilities, total number of students served and the number of
students receiving free and reduced lunches. Each category has an established per child
amount which will be multiplied by the total number served. The respective per child
amounts are as follows: special education $517, total students $109 and free/reduced
lunch $51.
After you have submitted the required data collection form, our office will calculate your
2008-09 school year grant award under Part B, IDEA and then send to you a copy of the
grant application form (including instructions) which will need to be completed and
returned to our office.
Special education funding is also based upon the school’s total enrollment and the number
of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Therefore, new schools who wish to
receive their funding beginning in September need to submit their estimated enrollment
and free and reduced-price lunch count in August along with the special education child
count estimate. Operating schools do not need to submit a separate estimate of enrollment
for free and reduced-price lunch to the Division of Exceptional Learners; this division

collects the enrollment information from data submitted to the Division of Educational
Information Systems and the Division of School and Community Nutrition Programs.
Schools participating in a cooperative submit their child counts through individual IEM
systems directly to the Cooperative’s Director of Special Education in order to utilize one
IEM system to submit information on behalf of all participating schools. After all necessary
data is entered into the IEM system, the system automatically generates the reports that
must be submitted on December 10.
Finally, IDOE collects suspension/expulsion data for special education students (Form
DOE-SE-USEQ-6) in mid-June. The data is collected by disability category as well as by
race/ethnicity. All schools must complete and submit this information. The IDOE sends
detailed instructions and information to the schools at the beginning of May.
Students with Limited English Proficiency
The Indiana Department of Education’s (IDOE) Division of Language Minority and Migrant
Programs has issued the guidelines listed below to help schools follow federal laws for
meeting the needs of students with limited English proficiency (LEP). Guidelines are based
on federal law and supported by state law; thus schools should use the information below
strictly for reference and should consult with legal counsel if they are unsure of guidelines
they are required to follow.
For a more complete description of the guidelines, see the “Division of Language Minority
and Migrant Programs Guidelines to Satisfy Legal Requirements”, located on their website
at www.doe.state.in.us/lmmp/welcome.html. Included here is a summary of the most
critical items listed in the guidelines:
1. Administer a home language survey to all enrolled students.
2. Assess all students whose first language is other than English to determine English
language proficiency – this assessment should be administered at the time of
enrollment and again each year.
3. Place students in the appropriate grade (age appropriate).
4. Provide English language development opportunities to allow the student to participate
in the school’s core instructional program. Note that the school can determine the
appropriate language support program, e.g., English as a Second Language instruction,
bilingual programs, tutoring, etc. – the use of a translator is not a form of support
recommended by IDOE. IDOE recommends that, at a minimum, a period of each day
should be set aside for English language development and that mainstream teachers

should make modifications to their instructional delivery and in-class assessments (e.g.,
quizzes) as necessary.
5. Make referrals to special education only after the student goes through a pre-referral
process which includes assessment in the native and English languages to prove that a
difficulty other than limited language proficiency exists.
6. Students should not be retained at a particular grade level solely based on level of
language proficiency.
7. Provide instructional services through a licensed staff person – an aide should only
provide instruction under the supervision of a licensed teacher.
8. Establish criteria to determine when students no longer require language services.
9. Communication with the home should be conducted in the native language if possible.
10. Maintain records (e.g., individual learning plan is recommended by IDOE) that include
the English language proficiency level and the assessment used to determine the level,
type/frequency of instructional services received, and other intervention strategies
employed.
IDOE’s Division of Language Minority and Migrant Programs monitors schools through
informal phone calls and visits. Schools receiving Title III federal funding (see below)
undergo a more formalized monitoring process (e.g., submission of performance reports).
Funding and Reporting
Charter schools are eligible to receive Title III (Language Instruction for Limited English
Proficient and Immigrant Students) federal funding through the IDOE. To be eligible,
schools must meet a minimum requirement of the number of LEP students they enroll. For
example, in the 2007-08 school year, a school had to have at least 60 LEP students enrolled
to be eligible for Title III funding; the minimum requirement may vary each year. Schools
may also submit a joint application together in order to meet the minimum enrollment
requirements. For example, schools could form a consortium identifying one school as the
fiscal agent responsible for receiving the funds from the State and distributing them to the
other schools in the cooperative. In the 2007-08 school year, schools received $167/LEP
student. The rate of distribution, which varies from year to year, is based on the state’s
total Title III allocation and the number of students in need at eligible schools. Schools
should apply for Title III funding in July and can expect to receive funds in the fall of the
upcoming school year. All schools are also required to submit the DOE-LM: Language
Minority & Immigrant Enrollment Report each spring. This count factors into the State’s
total Title III allocation, so it is imperative that all language minority and immigrant
students are counted.

Additionally, schools automatically receive state funding through the Non-English Speaking
Language Assistance Program based upon a current count of LEP students enrolled at the
school (In 2007-08, the allocation was approximately $162/LEP student.) Schools take a
count of all enrolled language minority students and submit the Language Minority &
Immigrant Enrollment Report (DOE-LM) online via the Student Test Number (STN) system.
State LEP allocations are based upon this report, as are federal Title III funds. IDOE will
send a reminder to schools earlier in the school year about the exact due date for this. The
state funding is distributed shortly after the DOE-LM report is submitted.
Contact Information
Indiana Department of Education, Center for Exceptional Learners
Dr. Sharon Knoth, Interim Director
sknoth@doe.in.gov
www.doe.in.gov/exceptional/
317.232.0588
Indiana Department of Education, Division of Language Minority & Migrant Programs
Lauren Harvey, Assistant Director
lharvey@doe.state.in.us
317.232.0555
VIII. Responsibilities of a Public Organization
Overview
Indiana law provides that the public records and open meetings laws that apply to all
public schools are applicable to charter schools. For additional information about public
access refer to the Handbook on Indiana’s Public Access Laws on the state website,
www.in.gov/pac.
Parental Access to Records and Disclosure of Student Records under Federal Law
The information in this section was obtained through a report entitled “Legal Issues
Involving the Educational Records of Students: Confidentiality Concerns and Disclosure”
written by Kevin McDowell, former General Counsel for the Indiana Department of
Education.
Under the Family Educational Rights and IC 20-33-7, parents and students have full access
to a student’s educational records unless the school is provided with evidence specifically
revoking or limiting these rights (e.g., court order, state statute or document related to

divorce, separation or custody). Access must be provided within 45 days of the request. A
release form or explanation cannot be required prior to gaining access, and the set fee of
$.04 per page can only be charged for copying (not accessing) the records if the fee does
not prevent the parent or student from accessing the records.
Generally, before information can be released to the public or a third party that may
personally identify a child (e.g., name, address, parent information, or personal
characteristics) schools must obtain written parental consent. Consent should specify the
records being disclosed, the purpose for the disclosure, and the party to whom the records
are being disclosed. Parent consent is not needed in all cases, including, for example, to
release records to:
 officials (including teachers) within the school;
 officials in a school in which the student is trying to enroll;
 the U.S. Comptroller General, U.S. Secretary of Education, or a state or local
education agency for audits or program evaluations;
 state or local officials who have disclosure rights per state law;
 organizations conducting studies on behalf of the school for tests, student aid
programs or instructional improvement;
 comply with a judicial order or subpoena (after making a reasonable attempt to
notify the parent); or
 respond to a health or safety emergency.
Access to Public Records under Indiana Law Overview
The Access to Public Records Act (“APRA”)(Ind. Code 5-14-1.5), originally passed by the
Indiana General Assembly in 1983 and most recently amended in 2008, was enacted to
permit the citizens of Indiana broad and easy access to public records. The Access to Public
Records Act of Indiana states that “…it is the public policy of the state that all persons are
entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the
official acts of those who represent them as public officials and employees. Providing
persons with the information is an essential function of a representative government and
an integral part of the routine duties of public officials and employees, whose duty it is to
provide the information. This chapter shall be liberally construed to implement this policy
and place the burden of proof for the nondisclosure of a public record on the public agency
that would deny access to the record and not on the person seeking to inspect and copy the
record.” (IC 5-14-3-1)
All records of a public agency, including writings, reports, maps, tape recordings and
photographs, are public records and must be disclosed upon request, unless the record falls
under an exception under the statute. A public agency must prove that the record falls
under such an exception in order to withhold a particular record. An agency is only
required to disclose existing records. Under the law, an agency is not required to create
any record(s) in response to a request (but obviously may not destroy records in order to

avoid disclosure either). Public records that are disclosable may be inspected and/or
copied.
Some public records may not be disclosed under any circumstances:
 Federal or state law makes the records confidential, such as adoption or patient
medical records
 Trade secrets
 Confidential financial information obtained upon request of an agency
Other public records may be disclosed at the discretion of the agency:
 Law enforcement investigatory records
 Advisory materials expressing opinions and used for decision-making
 School safety and security measures, plans and systems, including emergency
preparedness plans
Certain personnel file information is required by law to be released upon request. See IC 5-
14-3-4(b)(8). Materials from a public employee’s personnel file required to be disclosed
include basic information such as name, compensation, job title, business address and
telephone number, job description, and background. Indiana recently tightened what is
required to be released regarding employee disciplinary records. See IC 5-14-3-4(b)(8).
Schools must disclose: “the factual basis for a disciplinary action in which final action has
been taken and that resulted in the employee being suspended, demoted, or discharged.”
For instance, if an employee received a letter of reprimand (without suspension or
demotion) for a certain incident, under the new law, nothing would be required to be
disclosed from the file, whereas previously, “information” about the incident would have
been required to be released.
If a public record contains both disclosable and nondisclosable information, the public
agency shall separate the material that may be disclosed and make it available for
inspection or copying. This may be done by redacting, or marking out, the nondisclosable
information.
Requests for inspection or copies may be made in person or by telephone (although an
agency may require requests to be put into writing); a request may also be in writing. A
request must identify with reasonable particularity the record(s) being requested. With
few exceptions, no request may be denied because the person making the request refuses
to state the purpose of the request. Prior to making a request, it is advisable to first contact
the public agency to determine if a request form is required and/or if specific information
is required to quickly locate the particular documents. It is also advisable to make any
request in writing to document the particular request.
The law requires a public agency to respond to requests within a certain time. A public
agency must respond to an oral request or a request made in person at the office within 24
hours. A public agency must respond to a written request received by mail or facsimile
within 7 days of receipt. A “response” does not mean that the requested records must be

produced in that timeframe. The agency must at a minimum acknowledge receipt of the
request. The records, if disclosable, must then be produced within a reasonable period of
time. If no response is given within the prescribed time period, the request is deemed to
have been denied. An agency may also expressly deny the request. An in-person or
telephone request may be denied orally or in writing. A written request must be denied in
writing. Any written denial must provide the specific statutory reason/basis relied upon
for nondisclosure and the name and title of the official responsible for the denial.
Public agencies may charge fees for copies. No fees may be charged for inspection. For
example, for City-County offices, the City-County Council has set the copy fee at $0.04 per
page. For state offices, the uniform copying fee is $0.10 per page. For non-standard
materials such as maps, surveys and tapes, an agency may charge the actual cost of
duplication, which may not include labor, overhead or search fees. Note that these points
are meant to be a general guide to Indiana’s Access to Public Records Act (IC 5-14-3).
If a school has questions about disclosing public records, or if a school has been denied
access to public records and is not sure whether the records are disclosable or
nondisclosable, the school should check with its attorney, the Public Access Counselor for
the State of Indiana, or the City Public Access Counselor (contact information for the state
and city public access counselors is above). Each school’s circumstances, however, will be
subject to the specific provisions of the Act. You may contact the Public Access Counselor
for advice as to the public access laws or for assistance in obtaining certain records from a
public agency. For more information, go to the Indiana Public Access Counselor website.
Access to Public Records under Indiana Law Question & Answer
Are school boards public agencies?
 Yes. All public school boards are considered public agencies and all school board
members as public officials.
What is a public record?
 Any writing, paper, report, study, map, photograph, book, card, tape recording, or
other material that is created, received, retained, maintained, or filed by or with a
public agency.
o Includes any record generated on paper, paper substitutes, photographic
media, chemically based media, magnetic or machine readable media, or any
other material, regardless of form or characteristics.
Who may access public records?
 The explicit policy statement and statutory language of the APRA permit all persons
access to public records. A “person” includes individuals as well as corporations,
limited liability companies, partnerships, associations and governmental entities.
When can public records be accessed?

 The APRA permits the public access to public records during the regular business
hours of the particular public agency from which the records are sought. On
occasion, part-time public officials may have limited business hours. The APRA does
not require a public agency to be open for any particular hours of the day, but it is
the responsibility of the public official to ensure there is adequate time for persons
who wish to inspect and copy records. Once a public agency indicates there are
disclosable public records which will be provided in response to a request, the
compilation and copying of the records may not unreasonably interfere with the
regular business of that agency.
How should school boards deal with permanent records?
 A large percentage of school records are permanent. You can only destroy or
transfer permanent records if you MICROFILM the original records and seek
permission from County and State oversight Committees. If you digitize permanent
records, or they are submitted electronically they must also be converted to
MICROFILM. Digital records are not recognized as a permanent format to preserve
information.
Are e-mails subject to public access?
 Possibly. Board members should treat all electronic communication in connection
with official business as potentially subject to public access. Electronic mail is a
public record if it is created, received, retained, maintained, or filed with a public
agency, including a governing body.
 Board members would be well advised to keep public and personal communication
totally separate. Email messages received and maintained on a personal email
account (e.g. gmail, yahoo, or hotmail) are generally not public record. If the
personal email is submitted to the agency, it becomes a public record. (For example,
if a school board member prints out an email from a parent and gives it to the
superintendent for follow-up, the email is now public record.
 In general, do not put personal messages in e-mails discussing public business. Do
not send or receive personal e-mails on school computers unless you do not care
about eventual disclosure.
 If in doubt consider two factors: 1) the source of the message and 2) the content of
the message. If the source is a personal computer and the content does not relate to
school business, the message is protected as not being public record. If the email is
sent or received on a school computer and related to school business, clearly it is
subject to disclosure. Where only one factor is present, content is more heavily
weighed than the method of transmission and receipt.
Is it necessary to print email related to official school business?
 No. It is not necessary to print them; however, you should refrain from deleting
emails related to official school business. It should be determined by school policy
how long emails should be kept and what type of emails, if any, should be printed
and filed.

What if a public record contains both disclosable and nondisclosable information?
 Separate the material that may be disclosed and make it available for inspection or
copying. This may be done by redacting, or marking out, the nondisclosable
information.
What records are confidential and should never be disclosed?
 Records made confidential by state statute;
 Records made confidential by rule adopted by a public agency under specific
statutory authority;
 Records made confidential by federal law;
 Records containing trade secrets;
 Records containing confidential financial information received upon request from a
person;
 Records containing information concerning research, including research conducted
under the auspices of an institution of higher learning;
 Grade transcripts and license examination scores;
 Records made confidential by rules adopted by the Indiana Supreme Court;
 Application information declared confidential by the Twenty-First Century research
and technology fund board; and
 A social security number contained in the records of a public agency.
What can be disclosed at the school boards discretion?
 Advisory materials expressing opinions and used for decision-making
 School safety and security measures, plans and systems, including preparedness
plans
 Test questions, scoring keys, and other examination data used in administering a
licensing examination, examination for employment, or academic examination
before the examination is given.
 Scores of tests if the person is identified by name and the person, or guardian has
not consented to the release of their scores.
 The work product of an attorney employed by the state or a public agency who is
representing a public agency, the state, or an individual in reasonable anticipation of
litigation; Example: A letter written by a school board attorney to the board,
advising the board of his strategy regarding pending litigation, may be withheld at
the agency’s discretion.
 Certain information contained in the files of public employees and applicants for
public employment (Certain information in an employee’s personnel file is required
to be disclosed under this exception); Example: An employee’s job performance
evaluation kept in his personnel file may be withheld at the agency’s discretion. The
factual basis for an employee’s termination must be disclosed under subsection (C).
Must a school board disclose personnel information?

 Certain personnel file information is require by law to be released upon request.
This information includes the employees name, compensation, job title, business
address and telephone number, job description, and background.
 Schools must also disclose the factual basis for a disciplinary action in which final
action has been taken and that resulted in the employee being suspended, demoted,
or discharged.
Who has access to student records and when should they be disclosed?
 Parents and students have full access to a student’s educational records unless the
school is provided with evidence specifically revoking or limiting these rights (e.g.,
court order, state statute or document related to divorce, separation, or custody).
 Before information identifying a child can be released, schools must obtain written
parental consent.
o Parental consent is not needed to release students records to:
 officials and teachers within the school;
 officials in a school in which the student is trying to enroll;
 the U.S. Comptroller General, U.S. Secretary of education, or state or
local education agency for audits or program evaluations;
 state or local officials who have disclosure rights per state law;
 organizations conducting a judicial or subpoena; and
 response to a health and safety emergency.
What are the school boards responsibilities when a request is submitted?
 If a requestor is physically present in the office of the public agency or makes a
request by telephone or requests enhanced access to a document, the public agency
must respond to the request within 24 hours after any employee of the agency
receives the request. If a request is mailed or sent by facsimile or email, a public
agency must respond within seven calendar days of the receipt of that request. The
APRA requires only a response and not the actual production of records within this
specified time period. The records must be produced in a reasonable period of time,
considering the facts and circumstances. See Appendix B for a checklist for agencies
responding to requests under the APRA.
May a school board charge a fee for inspecting and copying records?
 The APRA provides that a public agency cannot charge for inspection or a search for
records unless it is authorized to do so by statute. For non-state agencies covered by
the APRA, the fiscal body of the agency is required to establish a fee schedule for the
certification or copying of documents that does not exceed the actual cost of
certification or copying. “Actual cost” is defined as the cost of the paper plus the per-
page cost of use of the copying and may not include labor and overhead. In addition,
the fee must be uniform to all purchasers. Copies of public records may also be
provided in other forms. For a duplicate of a computer tape, disc, microfilm or
similar record system containing public records, an agency may charge a fee as
prescribed by statute. I.C. § 5-14-3-8(g).

The Open Door Law Overview
The Open Door Law of Indiana states that “…the general assembly finds and declares that
this state and its political subdivisions exist only to aid in the conduct of the business of the
people of this state. It is the intent of this chapter that the official action of public agencies
be conducted and taken openly, unless otherwise expressly provided by statute, in order
that the people may be fully informed.” IC 5-14-1.5-1. Charter school boards are subject to
the Open Door Law.
This law requires, among other things, that:
 meetings are open to members of the public, and all votes are taken in public
meetings;
 notices are posted at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of a public meeting;
 an annual meeting schedule is provided to any news media that request notice, and
notice is provided when any changes are made to that schedule; and
 memoranda are taken at all meetings (the law establishes minimum requirements
for the content), and memoranda and any minutes are made available for public
inspection and copying.
All meetings of the majority of a governing body of a public agency, such as a council or
board, are subject to the Open Door Law. All meetings must be open to the public unless
the law expressly permits an executive session (private meeting not open to public). If the
presiding officer of the governing body or the governing body appoints a committee, the
meetings of the committee must be open to the public unless the law expressly permits an
executive session.
In order to have an executive session, the meeting must fall into one of the recognized
exceptions. The following are some of the general exceptions to the general rule of
openness:
 Discussion of strategy regarding collective bargaining, litigation, or security systems
 Receive information about and interview prospective employees
 Discuss records classified as confidential by state or federal law
 Discuss job performance evaluation/discipline of individual employees
When an executive session is held, any vote on a motion, proposal, resolution or ordinance
must be taken at a meeting open to the public. No secret ballots are ever permitted.
Notice of the date, time and location of any public meeting or executive session must be
posted at least 48 hours in advance outside the principal office of the governing body or the
meeting location. If a school does not have a facility yet, the notice should be posted at the
school’s current place of business and at the meeting site. Schools can also post the notice
on the web (although this step is not required). The notice must also be sent to any media
that have requested such notice by January 1 of that calendar year. This 48-hour period
does not include Saturdays, Sundays or legal holidays. The notice for an executive session

must state the meeting’s subject matter by specific reference to the provision permitting
the meeting to be held as an executive session under the Open Door Law.
Memoranda must be kept of each meeting. Generally, memoranda include the date, time
and place of the meeting, members present or absent, the general substance of matters
discussed or decided, and a record of votes taken, by individual if a roll call vote was taken.
Memoranda must be made available for public inspection and copying within a reasonable
period of time after the meeting. Minutes, if any, are to be open for public inspection and
copying. The requirements for maintaining minutes and memoranda are modified as to
executive sessions. The memoranda and minutes of an executive session must identify the
subject matter considered by specific reference to the provision permitting the meeting to
be held as an executive session, and certify by statement in the memoranda and minutes of
the governing body that no other subject matters were discussed in executive session.
The Open Door Law permits members of the public to attend, observe and record the
business of a governing body—there is no “right to speak” provided in the law, but
opportunities to speak may be provided at the discretion of the governing body. All
meetings that are open to the public must be held in rooms/buildings that are accessible to
persons with disabilities. Refer to Senate Enrolled Act 169, an amendment regarding school
bus drivers, for information about discussing school bus drivers under the Open Door Law
is available online.
If the school has any questions about its responsibilities under the Open Door Law, has
been denied access to a public meeting, or is not sure whether a private meeting of a
governing body may have been held in violation of the Open Door Law, the school should
check with its attorney, the Public Access Counselor for the State of Indiana, or the City
Public Access Counselor (public access counselor contact information above). Each
school’s circumstances, however, will be subject to the specific provisions of the Law. The
Public Access Counselor can advise you about the Open Door Law and assist you in dealing
with a board, council, commission or agency.
Open Door Law: Frequently Asked Questions
Are school board committees covered by the Open Door Law?
 Yes. Committees created by statute to advise the school board and committees
appointed directly by the school board or its president must follow the Open Door
Law. This requirement does not apply to agent(s) appointed by the school corporation
to conduct collective bargaining on its behalf.
What is a meeting of a school board?
 An actual meeting is required before the open meeting requirements are triggered. A
meeting is a gathering of a majority of the school board for the purposes of taking
“official action.” “Official action” includes receiving information, deliberating, making

recommendations, establishing policy, making decisions, and taking final action (i.e.
voting).
Is the Open Door Law triggered when a chance gathering of school board members
occurs and “official action” is discussed?
 It is unlikely. The definition of a meeting does not include any social or chance
gathering not intended to avoid the law. For instance, if a board member has a
holiday party, invites board members, and conversation turns to board business, it is
reasonable and expected and not intended to avoid the regulations of the law. The
intent of the gathering is key.
What is a “series of meetings”?
 In 2007, the legislature added new language to prohibit serial meetings. All of the
following must be present to violate the serial meeting law:
o Three members but less than a quorum meet;
o Subsequent meetings involve at least two members;
o The sum of all meeting attendees constitutes a quorum;
o All meetings are held within a total of 7 days; and
o The meetings are held to take official action on public business.
Can a meeting occur through email?
 No. Email is specifically excluded from the law. A member of a school board attends
a gathering if the member is present at the gathering in person or if the member
participates in the gathering by telephone or other electronic means, excluding
electronic mail. Still, members of a school board must be cautious in using email
when it is used between and among members to conduct official business.
 Indiana courts have not addressed the issue, but the Virginia high court ruled that
email communications did not constitute a meeting in Beck v. Shelton, 593 S.E.2d
195, because the email communication lacked simultaneity.
What is a meeting NOT a meeting?
 Any social or chance gathering not intended to avoid the Open Door Law.
o In order to avoid the “intent” issue, understand that if it feels like the social
or chance gathering is becoming too “meeting-like,” turn the conversation to
other topics.
Can a member of a governing body attend a meeting electronically?
 Generally, a member of the governing body who is not physically present at the
gathering but participates by telephone, computer, videoconferencing, or other
electronic means of communication may participate in the meeting. The member,
however, may not be counted as present and may not participate in final action
(voting). In addition, the board member’s participation via electronic means should
be noted in the minutes of the meeting.
 Electronic meetings often can allow absent board members to participate in
important public issues, which is very beneficial to the representative nature of

board work. Generally, however, there should be a quorum present at the physical
location where the press and public are present, and the press and public should
have the same access to the electronic input as the board members. This can be
accomplished by speaker phones for telephone meetings, or with projectors or large
screens for computer-based communication.
Must all meetings of a school board be open for the purposes of allowing members of
the public to observe and record them?
 Yes, unless the meeting is in an executive session.
Can the public record school board meetings?
 Yes. The right of the public to record meetings includes the right to use audio or
video equipment. (Berry v. peoples broadcasting Corp., 547 N.E.2d 231, Ind. 1989).
Still, a school board may place reasonable restrictions on the use of equipment, but
may not ban the use of recording devices.
What is an “executive session”?
 An “executive session” is a meeting from which the public is excluded, except for
persons necessary to carry out business. The governing body may not take final
action in an executive session, but may make decisions. (Baker v. Town of
Middlebury, 753 N.E.2d 67, Ind. Ct. App. 2001)
When are school boards authorized to meet in executive session?
 Executive sessions are authorized in the following thirteen instances. In addition,
the law states that these instances are to be narrowly construed.
o Where authorized by federal or state statute.
o To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining, the initiation of
litigation or litigation which is either pending or has been specifically
threatened in writing, the implementation of security systems, or the
purchase or lease of real property by the school board up to the time a
contract or option to purchase or lease is executed by the parties.
o To discuss the assessment, design and implementation of school safety and
security measures, plans and systems.
o To receive information about and interview prospective employees.
o With respect to any individual over whom the board has jurisdiction:
 to receive information concerning the individual's alleged
misconduct; and
 to discuss, prior to a determination, that individual's status as an
employee, student or independent contractor who is a physician.
o For discussion of records classified as confidential by state or federal statute.
o To discuss before any placement decision an individual student's abilities,
past performance, behavior and needs.
o To discuss a job performance evaluation of individual employees.

o When considering the appointment of a public official (not an employee), to:
develop a list of prospective appointees, consider applications, and make one
initial exclusion of prospective appointees from further consideration.
o To train school board members with an outside consultant about the
performance of their roles as public officials.
What must the public notice of an executive session contain?
 A public notice of an executive session must contain the same information as for an
open meeting, but must also state the subject matter specific reference to the
enumerated instance(s) for which executive sessions may be held. (e.g. “to interview
prospective employees pursuant to I.C. section 5-14-1.5-6.1(b)(5)”)
How much notice is required for meetings?
 Except for an emergency meeting, public notice of the date, time and place of any
meeting, executive session or any rescheduled or reconvened meeting must be given
at least forty-eight (48) hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays)
before the meeting. This requirement does not apply to reconvened meetings (not
including executive sessions) where the announcement of the date, time and place
of the reconvened meeting is made at the original meeting and recorded in the
memoranda and minutes thereof and there is no change in the agenda.
How is public notice given?
 Public notice is given by posting a copy of the notice at the principal’s office of the
school corporation. If no office exists, notice must be placed at the building where
the meeting is to be held. In addition, if the school board was in existence as of
January 1 and a news media made a request in writing to be notified of the meeting,
then the school board has to provide the notice for the next year. If the school board
comes into existence after January 1, it has to give notice to the requesting news
media upon receipt of a written request for such notice.
How much notice is required for an emergency meeting?
 The news media which have requested notice of meetings must be given the same
notice as is given to the members of the school board, and the public must be
notified by posting a copy of the notice at the principal’s office of the school
corporation or the building where the meeting is to be held.
What constitutes an "emergency" for purposes of having an emergency meeting and
avoiding the notice time requirements?
 The emergency must involve an actual or threatened injury to person or property,
or actual or threatened disruption of the school corporation in order to avoid the
notice time requirements.
When can a school board use a secret ballot?
 Never, not even to elect officers.

Must the school board use an agenda?
 The use of an agenda is permissive, not mandatory. If the school board utilizes an
agenda, the agenda must be posted outside the meeting at some time before the
meeting – the Open Door Law does not provide a time by when the agenda must be
posted.
Must a school board keep memoranda and/or minutes?
 Yes. As the meeting progresses, the following memoranda must be kept:
o The date, time and place of the meeting;
o The members of the school board must be recorded as either present, absent
or attending via electronic means;
o The general substance of all matters presented, discussed or decided; and,
o A record of all votes taken by individual members if there is a role call.
 In addition, the memoranda must be available within a reasonable time period after
the meeting, and the minutes, if any, are to be open for inspection and copying. Draft
minutes of a public meeting are disclosable public records despite not being in final
form or adopted by the school board.
Must a school board keep memoranda for executive sessions?
 Yes, but the requirements are modified. The memoranda and minutes for an
executive session must follow all the same requirements as for regular meetings,
except the memoranda must identify the subject matter considered by specific
reference to the enumerated instance(s) for which public notice is given. In addition,
the board must certify by a statement in its memoranda and minutes that it
discussed no subject matter in the executive session other than the matter specified
in the public notice.
Can a school board recess during an open door meeting, have an executive session,
and later reconvene?
 No. A governing body may not conduct an executive session during a meeting.
Can a school board interview a superintendent (or principal) applicant in an
executive session?
 Yes. A superintendent candidate is a prospective employee so the provision allowing
a governing body in executive session "to receive information about and interview
prospective employees" applies.
Can a school board interview in executive session a prospective appointee for filling
a vacancy on the school board?
 No. School boards are specifically prohibited from interviewing prospective
appointees in executive session. Nothing in state law, however, requires a school
board to interview prospective appointees.

Can a school board in executive session exclude prospective appointees to the board
from further consideration?
 Yes. A school board in executive session is allowed to make one initial exclusion of
prospective appointees from further consideration. No such initial exclusion can
reduce the number of prospective appointees to fewer than three, unless there are
fewer than three prospective appointees.
Does the open door law regulate the release of information concerning collective
bargaining?
 For the purposes of bargaining or discussion the following apply:
o Any party may inform the public of the status of collective bargaining or
discussion as it progresses by release of factual information and expression
of opinion based upon factual information.
o If a mediator is appointed, any report the mediator may file at the conclusion
of a mediation is a public record open to public inspection.
o If a fact finder is appointed, any hearings the fact finder holds must be open
at all times for the purpose of permitting members of the public to observe
and record them. Any findings and recommendations the fact finder makes
are public records open to public inspection.
Must the public be allowed to speak at a board meeting?
 No. Nothing in the Open Door Law requires a school board to allow public testimony
or to allow a person who requests so to be placed on the agenda. However, some
other specific statues may require a time for public testimony (e.g. budget hearings).
Who can bring a lawsuit alleging a violation of the open door law?
 Any person. Any person may also, prior to filing a lawsuit, seek an opinion from the
public access counselor on whether a meeting of a school board complied with the
Open Door Law.
What can a court do if it finds that a school board violated the open door law?
 A court can:
o issue a declaratory judgment;
o enjoin continuing, threatened or future violations; or
o declare void any policy, decision or final action taken at an illegal meeting.
 If a court voids a policy decision or final action, it can enjoin the board
from later acting upon the same subject matter until the board has
substantially considered the matter at meetings that comply with the
Open Door Law.
 Also, if a plaintiff seeks and receives an opinion from the public access counselor
prior to filing a lawsuit, and then prevails in the lawsuit, the court shall award to the
plaintiff reasonable attorney's fees, court costs and other reasonable expenses of
litigation.

Employee Dismissal
Releasing school employees is an unpleasant but sometimes necessary role of a school
board. Discharge procedures are complex and confusing because, in the public school
context, the process is governed by state, federal, constitutional and contract law.
Discharge proceedings often involve several players, such as the superintendent, an
attorney for the administration, the teacher and defense representative, the board attorney
and the school board members.
Charter school employees are all “At will” employees.
 This means that all charter school employees (teachers, principals and
superintendent) serve without employment contracts or the entitlement to
employment contracts.
How can "at will" employees be discharged?
 Absent an agreement or contract which specifies the time or duration of service, the
employment is at the will of the employer and employee. The "at will" employee can
quit or be discharged at any time for any reason as long as the employer's reason is
not a prohibited discharge ground (See question 14). There are no requisite
procedures absent local school board policy or collective bargaining agreement.
 "At will" employees typically include cafeteria workers, custodians and secretaries.
 The decision to release "at will" employees is sometimes delegated to the
superintendent with subsequent ratification by the school board. (Indianapolis
Public School "at will" employees must, however, be afforded a hearing and an
appeal to the board. IC 20-25-3-12.)
What are the prohibited discharge grounds?
 At least ten different discrimination laws protect employees. School board members
should be aware that every employment decision has potential ramifications under
these laws. School employers are prohibited from discharging an employee on the
basis of the following:
o Age
o Race and color
o Sex, including pregnancy
o Religion
o National origin, meaning the country where born or from where ancestors
came
o Disability
o Political reasons
o Marital status
o Residence
o Union membership or activity
o Filing a Worker's Compensation claim
o Serving as a juror or responding to summons

o Moreover, with few exceptions, school employers may not make adverse
employment decisions based on a constitutionally protected status or
activity, such as an employee's religion, association or speech.
BOARD GOVERNANCE
Overview
Charter schools are each governed by a not-for-profit board of directors, with legal
responsibility to ensure that the school operates efficiently, effectively, and in accordance
with the school’s charter, mission, vision and contracted performance goals. The board of
directors enters into the charter agreement (a legally-binding contract) with the Mayor.
Charter schools are required to have a governing board to ensure that its operations
continue to focus on serving its students and achieving the academic performance goals of
its charter. While many decisions can be delegated to the school’s management, the board
has final say in all policy, financial and operational decisions and for setting the overall
direction of the school. Therefore, the charter school board is one of the most critical
element in the school’s success.
Members
A list of Board members should be maintained and updated as individuals leave or join the
Board. The Monthly Report to the Mayor's Office should provide the names, contact
information, and resumes of any individuals leaving or joining the Board. Additionally, the
school must complete a national, state, and local background check fourteen (14) days
prior to the election of any new Board member.
All of the following information should be included in the school’s compliance binder and
copies should be submitted to the Mayor’s Office at the monthly leadership meeting. The
following information is required for each Board member.
 Name;
 Address;
 Phone number;
 Resume;
 Position on the Board; and
 Copy of national, state, and local background check authorization form signed by the
Board member or a document from the school confirming the completion of a
background check. Pursuant to Indiana Code § 20-5-2-7 and prior to the approval of
any new Board member, the school has at least fourteen (14) days to conduct
national, state, and local criminal background checks to the fullest extent permitted
under applicable law after obtaining necessary consents from the Board member.
Policies
The compliance binder should include all Board policies adopted to date. As the Board
adopts additional policies or amends existing policies, copies should be included in the

school’s compliance binder and a copy should be given to the Mayor’s Office. Policies
adopted by the Board may include, but are not limited to: governance, finance, complaints
resolution, admission, employment, and legal status. If a school intends to make any
changes to its policies, the proposed changes need to be agreed upon by both the Mayor’s
Office and school leaders before formal Board action. If the Board of Directors agrees with
the Mayor’s Office and school leaders’ proposed changed, then the Board of Directors must
submit a written request to the Mayor’s Office. A written request must be submitted for
changes including changes to the school’s transportation plan, the mission or educational
philosophy, the special education plan, the code of conduct, the governance or
organizational structure, the bylaws, the facility, or any contract held with an Education
Management Organization.
Meetings
Every August, the Mayor’s Office requests a finalized board meeting schedule for the
upcoming school year. Schools must notify the Mayor’s Office of any changes to the
schedule. Included in this schedule should be the dates, times, and locations for all Board
meetings. A representative from the Mayor’s Office will occasionally attend Board meetings
to monitor Board conduct and decision-making processes. This monitoring will be
incorporated into the annual Accountability Report and in mid-charter reviews and
renewal decision-making.
Meeting Minutes
A copy of minutes from every board meeting should be included in the school’s compliance
binder and a copy should be submitted to the Mayor’s Office at the monthly leadership
meeting. The Mayor's Office and the Mayor’s external site visit team review the submitted
minutes.
Conflict of Interest
A conflict of interest exists when a board member of a tax-exempt organization has
personal or professional concerns that affect his/her ability to put the welfare of the
charter school before personal benefit. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 990,
which charter schools must submit on an annual basis, asks whether the school has a
written conflict of interest policy and if the answer is “yes” the IRS asks whether board
members, officers, and key employees are asked annually to disclose potential conflicts, as
well as whether the organization “regularly and consistently monitors and enforces”
compliance with the policy (Part VI, Section B of Form 990).
Contact Information
Heather Willis Neal
Indiana Public Access Counselor
317.234.0906
www.in.gov/pac

IX. Staffing & Governance
Staffing
School Employees
Staff information is one of the key components of the compliance binder. Schools must
ensure that teacher qualifications and licenses are updated at each monthly leadership
meeting.
An organizational chart for the school should be maintained in the binders, which describes
the reporting structure for the Board, administration, staff, teachers, and, if applicable,
Educational Management Organization (EMO). The organizational chart should be revised
as necessary to reflect the current structure of the school administration.
Each school should also regularly update a spreadsheet in the compliance binders of all
current and former staff members, teachers, and paraprofessionals who work at the school.
Although this spreadsheet is requested on a monthly basis, schools need only submit it to
the Mayor’s Office and need only add it to their compliance binders as new staff are hired,
terminated, or resign. See Appendix C for an employee spreadsheet template. The following
information is required for each school employee:
 Name;
 Date of birth;
 Home address;
 Position;
 Compensation;
 Background check authorization form or documentation from the school that a
expanded criminal history check has been performed;
 Signed contracts or offer letter;
 Documentation of termination or resignation (if applicable);
 For teachers, evidence of certification to teach or progress toward certification
to teach; and
 For paraprofessionals, evidence that the individual has completed education or
state assessment requirements.
Note that Indiana charter school law (Indiana Code § 20-24-6-5) requires 90% of all
charter school teachers to either be licensed to teach in Indiana or be enrolled in a
transition to teaching program in order to obtain a license. Teachers in a transitional
program must complete that program not later than three years after beginning to teach in
a charter school. In the case of paraprofessionals, the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
Act imposes requirements on all paid paraprofessionals who provide instructional support
at schools supported by federal Title I funding. All paraprofessionals involved in
instructional support at Title I schools in Indiana must have an Associate's Degree,

successfully completed two years at a college or university, or pass the ParaPro Assessment
administered by the Educational Testing Service.
Expanded Criminal History Check
House Enrolled Act 1462 requires an expanded criminal history checks on all applicants for
school employment, thus establishing a formal reporting process on school employees
convicted of one or more felonies listed at IC 20-28-5-8(c) and providing for the
development and maintenance of a searchable public data base of teachers and school
employees who are convicted of any of those listed felonies.
Indiana Code 20-26-5-10 requires all school corporations, charter schools, and accredited
nonpublic schools to adopt and administer a policy requiring each applicant for
noncertified or certificated employment to obtain an expanded criminal history check as of
July 1, 2009. The definition of “expanded criminal history check” found at IC 20-26-2-1.5
and includes a search of records from all Indiana counties in which the applicant resided,
all counties in other states in which the applicant resided, and the national sex offender
registry or the sex offender registries of all fifty (50) states; or a national criminal history
background check and a search of the national sex offender registry or the sex offender
registries of all fifty (50) states.
To assist school employers in meeting this requirement, the Department of Education
partners with the Indiana State Police (ISP) and its live-scan fingerprint vendor, L-1
Identity Solutions, to make this process as user-friendly as possible. Applicants for
employment can register online through L-1 to schedule a fingerprint appointment at one
of 63 fingerprinting locations around the state. The fingerprint locations can be viewed at
www.l1enrollment.com/locations/?st=in and applicants can schedule a fingerprint
appointment at one of the locations at https://in.ibtfingerprint.com/. Fingerprints are run
through both the ISP Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and the FBI’s
Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification system (IAFIS). Results, reported as
“Qualified” and “Not Qualified,” can be viewed online by school employers, sometimes
within the same day the applicant’s fingerprints are scanned. Learn more about IAFIS at
www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/iafis.htm. Should you need additional information, the following
personnel are available to assist with any questions.
1) Ms. Inez Ford 317-234-2717 iford@isp.in.gov
2) Mr. Ken O’Hare 317-233-5037 ko'hare@isp.in.gov
3) Lieutenant Darnell Ledsinger 317-233-5132 dledsinger@isp.in.gov
The combined cost of the L-1 enrollment and fingerprint service and the ISP/FBI check,
which is borne by the applicant, is approximately $43; by statute an applicant may not be
required by a school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school to obtain
an expanded criminal history check more than one (1) time during a five-year
period. Please note the requirement that teacher license applicants submit a Limited
Criminal History as a condition of licensing is repealed as of July 1, 2009. The IDOE

recommends that during the five-year validity period of the expanded criminal history
check, each school employer annually check its employee roster against the public sex
offender and violent offender registries.
While no requirement exists specifying that schools utilize L-1 and the ISP service, note
that if you choose another vendor, ensure the vendor’s expanded criminal history service
includes all the necessary components noted at IC 20-26-2-1.5.
Public Retirement Funds
Prior to opening, each charter school must submit evidence that it has made arrangements
for eligible employees to contribute to the Indiana State Teachers’ Retirement Fund and the
Public Employees' Retirement Fund (PERF) or other appropriate pension fund approved by
the Mayor’s Office.
Each June, every charter schools must submit evidence, such as a contribution report or a
copy of the check submitted, to show that the school is contributing on behalf of every staff
member.
The Mayor’s Office must be notified if the school makes any changes its public retirement
funds.
Requirements for Teachers
According to federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, teachers of core academic
subjects in charter schools must meet certain basic requirements: they must hold a four-
year college degree and demonstrate competence in the core subject area in which they
teach. (Core academic subjects include: English, reading or language arts, mathematics,
science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and
geography.) Beyond these requirements, the federal legislation defers to state charter law
regarding certification requirements.
Per the Indiana charter law, an individual who teaches in a charter school (i.e. “teacher”)
must either be licensed to teach in Indiana or be in the process of obtaining an instructional
license through a transition-to-teaching program. Teachers who are not licensed in Indiana
but wish to teach in a charter school must do one of the following to obtain a license:
 Teachers licensed out-of-state must contact the Division of Professional Standards
to determine the applicability of their license in Indiana, and any additional steps
they may need to take in order to be licensed to teach in the state. More information
on teacher licensing is available online at www.doe.state.in.us/dps/welcome.html.
 Unlicensed teachers in a charter school may obtain a license by completing a
transition-to-teaching program approved by the Division of Professional Standards.
Currently, Indiana does not recognize any out-of-state teacher preparation
institutions or out-of-state on-line programs (e.g., University of Phoenix) for the
transition-to-teaching program. While some out-of-state teacher licensure

programs list Indiana on their websites as providing teacher preparation that meets
Indiana requirements, the state itself may not recognize these programs. Likewise,
it is possible that an in-state program may state that it meets the requirements of a
transition-to-teaching program, but may not in fact be characterized as an actual
transition to teaching program. It is imperative that charter school administrators
and their teachers verify with the Division of Professional Standards that the
program in which the teacher plans to enroll is an approved one. Unlicensed
teachers must successfully complete the transition-to-teaching program within
three years after they begin teaching in the charter school. More information about
transition to teaching and a complete list of eligible transition to teaching programs
and their admissions requirements is available on the DPS website.
 Some transition-to-teaching programs will require teachers to take the Praxis I and
II as a condition of enrollment. More information on taking the Praxis is available
online at the IDOE Educational Testing Service website,
www.doe.state.in.us/dps/teacherprep.
Emergency Permits
Unlicensed teachers must obtain an emergency permit from the Division of Professional
Standards. To be eligible for recommendation for the emergency permit, a person must
hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and be eligible for admission to a teacher
preparation program that is approved by the Division of Professional Standards. The
recommendation for an emergency permit must come from the charter school leader (i.e.,
principal or equivalent).
An emergency permit may be renewed two times for a maximum of three years total. The
holder of the emergency permit must make yearly progress toward full licensing by
enrolling in a program that is accredited by the Division of Professional Standards, by
completing a minimum of six semester hours of coursework in an approved teacher
education program, that lead to licensing or satisfying other requirements necessary to
obtain full licensure. Information on emergency permits will be mailed to charter school
administrators. In addition, this information is available on the Division of Professional
Standards website.
Beginning Teacher Internship Program/Indiana Mentoring & Assessment Program
As part of the overall process to redesign its teacher preparation and licensing system, the
Beginning Teacher Internship Program (BTIP) is being phased out and replaced with the
Indiana Mentoring and Assessment Program (IMAP). Enrollment requirements are the
same for both programs. The following lists the classifications of teachers who must
participate in IMAP: those who are employed in an Indiana public school; those who hold
an Indiana Initial Practitioner License acquired after July 1, 2003; those who hold a
reciprocal license acquired after July 1, 2004; those who hold an Indiana Standard License
or Reciprocal License issued under Rules 46-47 with an internship requirement and have
not completed BTIP (these teachers must complete only the first year of IMAP); those
without two years of experience as licensed teachers in out-of-state accredited schools; and
those who are employed as teachers for at least three clock hours per day in a content area

listed on the Initial Practitioner License or an Indiana Standard License. IMAP is organized
around Division of Professional Standards performance-based portfolio assessments with
related building level support, and correspond to the content/developmental standards.
After receiving an Initial Practitioner License, the beginning teacher will participate in a
two-year period of mentorship with a more experienced teacher or administrator. Note
that schools are responsible for providing this program for beginning teachers. The
culmination of the two-year mentorship period is the submission of a portfolio, which
includes evidence regarding lesson planning, student work and assessment, and teaching.
These data are collected from an entire unit or topic of instruction. The beginning teacher
portfolio is uniquely designed to equip teachers for teaching practice by providing
instruction and reflective inquiry that relates to learners. The portfolio focuses on
teachers’ abilities to effect growth within learners and calls upon their reasoning and
judgment to link the success of the learner to their instructional practice. More
information regarding mentor teachers is available online at the Division of Professional
Standards website.
Requirements for Paraprofessionals
According to the NCLB guidance, paid paraprofessionals who provide instructional support
in charter schools receiving Title I funds must have at least a high school diploma or G.E.D.
and meet one of the following guidelines:
 Completed at least two years in an institution of higher learning
o Schools and paraprofessionals should contact the institution of higher
learning to verify the completed coursework is the equivalent of 2 years of
credits
 Possess at least an associate’s degree
 Demonstrate subject matter competence through a formal assessment
o Indiana has approved Para Pro as the assessment paraprofessionals may
take to comply with NCLB –more information is available on-line at the
Educational Testing Service website at
www.doe.state.in.us/dps/teacherprep/testing
o Passing score on the Para Pro test for Indiana is 460.
These requirements only apply to paid paraprofessionals, and not to parent or other
classroom volunteers. Paraprofessionals in charter schools must meet these requirements
immediately. More information on the requirements for paraprofessionals is available on
the DPS website.
Board Members
National, state, and local background checks must be completed on each board member to
the fullest extent allowed by law. Pursuant to Section 3.2(b) of the Charter, schools must

conduct background checks on currently appointed board members within ninety (90)
days after the charter agreement is signed. And, pursuant to Section 3.2(c) of the Charter,
schools must conduct background checks fourteen (14) days prior to approving any new
board members.
Schools do not need to inform the Mayor’s Office of the results of the background checks. If,
however, a charter school wishes to appoint or confirm a board member whose
background check shows a conviction of any offense described in Section 20-26-5-11 of the
Indiana Code or any theft, misappropriation of funds, embezzlement, misrepresentation or
fraud, then the school must first obtain the charter schools director’s written approval to
do so. Otherwise, individuals with convictions for the above offenses would be precluded
from serving on the board. Schools must obtain signed consent from each board member
prior to conducting the background checks. Signed consent forms and background check
results should be maintained on file for each board member.
Board members of charter schools have an ongoing obligation to disclose any conflicts of
interest they may have related to their board responsibilities. Refer to Section 3.4 of the
Charter for information about what is considered a conflict of interest. Schools should keep
signed conflict of interest statements on file for each board member.
Conducting Background Checks
Pursuant to the charter agreement, schools must conduct, to the fullest extent permitted
under applicable law, local, state, and national background checks on all current and
prospective board members (Section 3.2 of the Charter), and local and state background
checks on current and prospective employees of the school who have direct, ongoing
contact with children within the scope of their employment (Section 8.4 of the Charter). In
addition, schools must conduct, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law, local
and state background checks on employees of contractors or sub-contractors of the charter
school who have direct, ongoing contact with children within the scope of their
employment. Schools must obtain written consent in order to conduct these background
checks. The Mayor’s Office needs to know that applicable background checks have been
performed, but does not need the results of the checks.
Local checks
Local checks are completed through the Indianapolis Police Department, cost $10 per
person, and take approximately three days to complete. Schools must submit payment and
a request for limited criminal history for each individual on which a check is being
performed. The local check will provide detailed information on any arrests, convictions
and sentences on record. For more information and assistance, contact the Indianapolis
Metropolitan Police Department (contact information below).
State checks

These checks can be completed through the Indiana State Police. A limited criminal history
check, which typically costs $7 and can be requested by the school on behalf of the
individual, will be performed for free for school volunteers who have direct contact with
children as well as for all employees who work at the school and board members. The
limited criminal history provides information about any arrests within the past year and
any arrests with a conviction. Schools can request the limited criminal history check by
completing the Request for Adult Criminal History Information. Limited criminal history
checks may also be conducted online instead of submitting request forms to the state
police. An annual $50 subscription fee to Access Indiana will allow the school to conduct
the checks online using the individual’s date of birth and full name with middle initial. In
order to be eligible for the $7 fee exemption online, schools must submit a request for fee
exemption to the State Police.
A full criminal history check requires fingerprints, costs $10, and must be requested by the
individual. This more comprehensive check will provide information about any arrests
that have occurred regardless of conviction. Information about completing a full criminal
history check is provided on the Indiana Request for Adult Criminal History Information
form.
Neither the limited nor the full state criminal history checks provide detailed information
as to the specific offenses for which an individual was arrested or convicted. The State will
instead simply certify whether the individual has or has not been convicted of any offense
listed under Section 20-26-5-11 of the Indiana Code. For more information on conducting
and interpreting state checks, contact the Indiana State Police (contact information below).
National checks
National background checks can also be completed through the Indiana State Police (ISP).
First, the school must submit a completed FBI-supplied fingerprint card accompanied by a
request made on the school’s letterhead. The card must be completely filled out and must
include the reason for the request. Payment is then submitted; national checks cost $33 for
a school volunteer and $39 for an employee who works at the charter school. The ISP only
accepts money orders or certified checks made out to “State of Indiana.” No personal
checks are accepted. Then the fingerprint card and payment should be mailed to Inez Ford,
Indiana State Police, Central Repository, 100 North Senate Avenue, Room N302,
Indianapolis, IN 46204. Once received, the ISP runs the fingerprints through their system,
forwards the card to the FBI, receives a response from the FBI about the card, and then the
ISP forwards the response to the school. For more information on conducting national
checks, contact Inez Ford at the ISP (contact information below).
Contact Information
Teacher Licensing
Indiana Department of Education, Division of Professional Standards
(317) 232-9010

State Retirement Funds
Teachers Retirement Fund Public Employees Retirement Fund
Crystal Lawson Karen Vise
clawson@trf.in.gov kvise@perf.in.gov
(317) 233-0911 (317) 233-4149
www.in.gov/trf/
Background Checks
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
Criminal Records Supervisor
(317) 327-3402
Inez Ford
Indiana State Police
National Background Checks
(317) 234-2717
X. Facilities Preparation
Overview
New charter schools need to take specific steps to prepare their facilities; what those steps
entail depend upon whether their facility is a new construction or an existing building
undergoing renovation. Before signing a lease or purchase agreement for the facility/land,
the school should contact the city’s Department of Metropolitan Development to determine
for what purposes the facility or land are currently zoned, what steps the school will need
to take in order to get the facility re-zoned (if necessary), and/or what permits or variances
will be needed to use the facility as a school.
Schools should contact both the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) and Marion
County Health Department (MCHD) prior to beginning any construction, renovation or
demolition work. It is advised that schools also contact the City Building Inspector (through
the Department of Metropolitan Development), Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and
the Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) at this time in order to verify any inspections or
steps that need to be taken in cooperation with these agencies.
As each school’s facility plan is unique, the following information is meant to be a guide to
help schools begin their facilities process. School organizers, however, should work with
the various agencies listed above and the school’s architect and/or construction manager

to ensure all of the necessary steps are being taken to prepare the facility for the charter
school.
In addition, if the charter school’s facility changes within its’ charter term (i.e. renovation,
expansion, change of facility), the school’s charter may have to be amended and compliance with
the state and city entities mentioned above will have to be established
Marion County Health Department
Schools must contact the MCHD prior to any construction or renovation work related to
food services. Note that MCHD has advised that schools may proceed with certain
construction or renovations prior to any approvals; this includes floors, walls, and ceilings
as it is likely these areas will be approved without issue. (See “Related Information” below
for a link to a complete step-by-step description of the MCHD food services approval
process.)
Schools must first submit a detailed and scale-drawn floor plan, a description of the food
service equipment, and plans for providing food services (i.e., prepare food on-site or
transport prepared meals to the school). Schools should also submit the New Food
Establishment Information form along with the plans. Once MCHD reviews the plans,
which takes approximately two weeks, it will mail a plan review to the school noting any
changes or modifications that must be made. Schools may then begin work on their food
services facilities. MCHD can also conduct a preliminary site inspection if requested by the
school. It is recommended that schools request such an inspection to ensure the school has
enough time prior to the final inspection and school opening to make any other
modifications as necessary. MCHD will conduct a final inspection of the food services
facility and will provide the school with a signed narrative report. Schools should submit
the food services license application and fee within two weeks after the final inspection.
MCHD has established specific criteria to which new food establishments, including
schools, must adhere. Schools should also refer to “Licensing Requirements and Standards
for Retail Food Establishments” online.
If a school contracts with a food service vendor to handle all aspects of food-related
activities (preparation, delivery, and distribution), then the school must obtain a license
from the vendor that notes the vendor is approved to perform these activities on the
specific school’s site. This license needs to be submitted to the Marion County Health
Department and the Mayor’s Office. If a school performs these activities in-house (without
a vendor) then the school needs a license, which also must be submitted to the Marion
County Health Department and the Mayor’s Office.
City Departments

Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development
Schools should contact the Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) as soon as a
site is identified to verify current zoning and options for re-zoning, variances, and permits.
If the land on which the facility is located currently is not zoned for school purposes (e.g., a
community center may not necessarily be converted to a school without a re-zoning or a
variance if the zoning for the property on which the community center is located does not
allow for school use), the process to re-zone or be granted a variance may take several
weeks or months. Additionally, schools may need to obtain storm water drainage, sewer
construction, driveway/access, and structural permits for the facility. Schools should
contact the DMD immediately after identifying a facility or vacant land for information and
assistance with zoning and land use.
The City of Indianapolis does not issue certificates of occupancy nor does it provide any
written documentation during the inspections process. However, the city building
inspector will still inspect the facility to ensure it meets all applicable code requirements.
City inspections are done in partnership with IFD and the OSFM (see below for more
information) to check/test the school’s emergency life safety systems. The school should
ensure that any inspections conducted with the local or state fire departments are also
coordinated with the city building inspector. Contact the city building inspector, Scott
Mason (contact info below), immediately after identifying a facility.
Additionally, schools are required to submit copies of the following prior to occupancy:
 Statement of Substantial Completion;
 Design and Inspecting Professional Completion Cards;
 Permit Obtainers (structural, electrical/HVAC and plumbing);
 Sprinkler Certification/Sprinkler Installer (NFPA 13); and
 Alarm Certification/Alarm Installer (NFPA 72).
Indianapolis Department of Public Works
The Department of Public Works will assist schools with issues about parking and traffic
around the school including, for example, school zone signs, speed bumps, and so forth.
Schools should contact the DPW (contact information below), who will direct school
organizers to the right contacts depending upon the school’s needs.
Indianapolis Fire Department
IFD is the primary agency to conduct safety inspections for facilities in coordination with
the city’s DMD and OSFM. In some instances, IFD will perform the inspection on behalf of
the other agencies. It is the school’s responsibility, however, to notify the City Building
Inspector and the OSFM of scheduled visits with IFD so these two agencies may also
participate in the inspection visits if they choose to do so.
IFD checks/tests the following emergency life systems (if applicable): emergency lighting,
exiting systems, exit and emergency signage, elevator recall and fire department controls,
smoke control and removal systems, fire suppression systems, and alarm and emergency
communication, and power systems. IFD also checks fire alarm and sprinkler system

paperwork as well as the school’s emergency/evacuation plans. IFD does not provide
schools with any written documentation during the inspection process. After the school
submits the required documents and IFD checks the emergency life safety systems, the
school may be asked to make certain modifications to their facility. After the tests are
completed and the school makes any required adjustments to the facility, the school should
schedule a final walkthrough with IFD with all equipment and furniture in place. Schools
should also notify DMD, OSFM, and the Mayor’s Office of the scheduled final walkthrough.
State Offices and Departments
Office of the State Fire Marshal
The OSFM conducts facility inspections in coordination with IFD and approves a facility on
the same basis as determined by IFD (see below for details). It is the school’s responsibility
to contact the OSFM at the same time IFD is contacted in order to facilitate coordination of
the inspections.
If a charter school plans to locate in an existing school facility, the OSFM will likely require
only one or two inspections prior to opening. However, if the school is building a facility or
plans to renovate a non-school building, then OSFM (in partnership with IFD) will likely
conduct several inspections throughout construction or renovation. It is therefore
imperative that schools contact the OSFM and IFD as soon as possible after a facility has
been identified. Like IFD, the OSFM does not provide any written documentation of
approval. Schools should contact David Smith (contact information below) to begin the
facility approval process with the OSFM.
Additionally, schools are required to perform an annual test of their heating systems and
submit such documentation to the OSFM. The report form must be submitted to the OSFM
before September 1 of each year. If the school has a fire alarm system and/or sprinkler
system, each system is required to be inspected annually and the inspection report must be
kept on-site for review by the inspectors for both OSFM and IFD. If a facility’s fire alarm
system includes smoke detectors, the smoke detectors must be sensitivity tested every
other year and that test documentation must be kept on-site for review by the inspectors
from both OSFM and IFD. Fire drills shall be conducted monthly per Chapter 4 of the 2003
Indiana Fire Code and the drill reports must be kept on site for the inspectors as well.
Indiana State Department of Health
Schools should contact the ISDH for site approval before commencing any renovations or
construction, including demolition, of the facility. ISDH can also approve a school’s site
before the school formally acquires the site or before the construction plans are reviewed.
After a school submits an Application for Construction Permit for School Facilities, the ISDH
facility review and approval takes place in a three-step process:

1. Preliminary Site Visit: To receive a construction permit from ISDH, schools must
undergo a preliminary site inspection by ISDH. The inspection should take
approximately thirty (30) minutes and consists of a basic walk-through by ISDH.
While school representatives’ attendance is not required at the inspection, it is
advised that the school’s construction manager or architect be available in case
ISDH notices any issues that need to be addressed.
2. Initial Plan Review: Schools must submit their initial site plans and specifications for
ISDH review. Schools may be asked to make certain modifications based on the site
visit and plan review. ISDH will then send the school written authorization to move
forward with construction or renovation.
3. Final Inspection: Approximately two weeks prior to opening, the ISDH conducts a
final inspection on the facility; schools should contact ISDH to schedule this visit. If
ISDH notices any issues with the facility, the school should correct any deficiencies
and contact ISDH upon successful completion. ISDH then sends the school a letter of
approval for the facility.
For more information, and to begin the site approval process, contact Dennis Ehlers. See
below for his contact information.
Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that educational programs, as well as
physical facilities, be inclusive of persons with disabilities and accessible. While the ISDH
includes a review for compliance with the ADA, schools should also conduct independent,
detailed investigations to ensure full compliance with ADA.
In addition, school officials, in conjunction with the architect and/or construction manager,
should complete the self-evaluation checklist in “Compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act: A Self-Evaluation Guide for Public Elementary and Secondary Schools,” a
publication of the United States Office for Civil Rights. Schools can contact the Mayor’s
Office for a copy of this publication. Schools can also contact the Mayor’s Office for another
excellent resource, “All Kids Count – Child Care and the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
The United States Department of Justice also offers technical assistance with regard to
compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. For more information, contact
Department's Technical Assistance Line at800-514-0301 (voice) or 800-514-0383 (TTY) or
by visiting its website.
Facilities
Documentation of Facility Acquisition
The charter school agreement between the Mayor’s Office and each charter school requires
that the school submit documentation of the purchase or lease of the school’s physical

plant. Schools must provide advance notification to the Mayor's Office of any plans for
relocating the charter school to a new facility.
A copy of the purchase or lease agreements should be included in the school’s compliance
binder and a copy should be submitted to the Mayor’s Office. If any changes are made to
leases or facility ownership, updated agreements should be inserted into the compliance
binders.
Inspections
The compliance binders should include a current copy of each occupancy, health, fire,
safety, zoning, or land use permit or certificate required for any facility used by the school.
Any changes to these permits or certificates should be noted in the Monthly Report to the
Mayor's Office, and copies of any revised or new permits should be included in the
compliance binders.
Contact Information
City of Indianapolis, Department of Metropolitan Development
Rick Powers
Office of Code Enforcement
rpowers@indygov.org
(317) 327-4216
Scott Mason
City Building Inspector
dsmason@indygov.org
(317) 327-5550
Adam Holman
Building Code Information
aholman@indygov.org
(317) 327-5552
Daniel Hayes
Zoning and Permitting
dphayes@indygov.org
(317) 327-5249
City of Indianapolis, Department of Public Works
Michael Rogers
Mjrogers@indygov.org
(317) 327-4683
Indianapolis Fire Department
Captain Fred Pervine
P8043@Indygov.org
(317) 327-6006
Office of the Indiana State Fire Marshal
David Smith
Director of Fire Code Enforcement
dsmith@dhs.in.gov

(317) 232-7648
Indiana State Department of Health
Dennis Ehlers
dehlers@isdh.in.gov
(317) 233-7588
Marion County Health Department
Suzanne Mouser
smouser@hhcorp.org
(317) 221-2262
XI. Health & Safety
Student Immunizations
Immunizations
School Requirements
In accordance with IC 20-34-4-5, every child in a school must be immunized, and schools
are required to maintain immunization records for each student. Information on
immunization requirements, timelines, enrollment provisions, and reporting forms are
found on the ISDH’s website at http://www.in.gov/isdh/17094.htm. For questions
regarding immunization requirements, schools can contact the ISDH Immunizations
Division (contact information below).
Per IC 20-34-4-2, each school must notify the parents of a child enrolling in the school that
the child must be immunized and that the immunization is required for the child’s
enrollment, attendance, or residence at the school. If a student does not meet the minimum
requirements, schools can issue a waiver to the family that allows 20 days to have the
student properly immunized. There are three exceptions to mandatory immunizations: (1)
a medical exemption in which the student’s doctor certifies that a particular immunization
is detrimental to the student’s health, (2) the parent’s written objection to the
immunization based on religious grounds, or (3) laboratory evidence of immunity for
measles, chickenpox, mumps, Hepatitis B, rubella, or polio. The school may allow the
student to attend school beyond the grace period based on extreme circumstances and
provision of a schedule for obtaining the necessary immunizations. For questions and
clarifications related to the enrollment and attendance of students who do not meet the
minimum immunization requirements, please contact Gaylon Nettles, IDOE, State
Attendance Officer (contact information below).

Schools enrolling students in kindergarten, first grade and/or sixth grade must complete a
Summary Report on the Immunization Status of Students for each applicable grade and
submit them to the ISDH. Schools should receive information about these forms in the fall.
Reports must be returned to the ISDH each year by November 1.
Updates to Immunization Requirements
Changes to the immunization requirements for the 2010-2011 school year include (1) two
appropriately documented varicella (chickenpox vaccines) separated by at least three
months for children entering preschool or kindergarten and (2) for students entering
grades six through twelve, appropriate documentation of the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria,
accellular pertussis) vaccine; MCV4 (Menactra or menveo) meningococcal conjugate
vaccine; and two varicella (chickenpox) vaccinations. Additional requirements for all grade
levels are available on the ISDH website at http://www.in.gov/isdh/17094.htm.
The ISDH sends out a vaccine e-letter every Friday with important up-to-date
immunization information and news. Schools can sign up to receive the newsletter by
contacting the ISDH (contact information below).
Health Services
When schools are planning their health services, the IDOE recommends they consider, first
and foremost, whether the provisions are in the best interest of the health and safety of the
students, and how it will best be able to address medical emergencies that occur (e.g., what
will a school do in the event a child has an asthma attack?). While charter schools are not
required to employ a full-time physician or nurse on staff, they must have provisions in
place for meeting student health needs, including the administration of medications and
responding to emergencies.
To provide for the day-to-day health needs of students, schools may elect to hire a nurse or
contract with an outside health services agency (e.g., Marion County Health Department,
local hospital). If a school elects to hire or contract with a nurse, the nurse must either be
an RN or may be an LPN supervised by an RN. Per the Nurse Practice Act, it is very
important that in the latter case the LPN and RN explicitly determine the scope of
responsibilities for each and adhere to these responsibilities. The LPN cannot be listed as a
school nurse, but as a licensed practical nurse due to licensure.
Many Mayor-sponsored charter schools benefit from a partnership with Learning Well
(www.learningwellinc.org) who provides schools with healthcare assistance for students at
no cost to the school. For more information, contact Donna Stephens, CEO, at 317.472.1473
or dstephens@learningwellinc.org.
Medications

If a student requires medication, its administration must be made available to students. An
unlicensed staff member can be trained to carry out this responsibility, however, the
training must be taught by a licensed health professional and documentation of such
training must be maintained on file. Laws and regulations also are in place regarding the
transportation of medications to and from school and the ability of students with a chronic
disease or medical condition to self-administer medications. See IC 20-33-8-13 and IC 20-
34-3-18 for specific guidelines and requirements.
Charter schools should contact the IDOE for additional guidance and assistance on
providing day-to-day health needs and administering medications. Schools can also refer
to the State Board of Education for helpful guidelines on meeting the health-related needs
of their students. See www.doe.state.in.us/stateboard.
Health Screenings
According to IC 20-34-3, schools must conduct vision, hearing, and postural screenings on
enrolled students. Screenings must be completed on students in mandated grades,
transferring students, and those students suspected of having a vision, hearing, and/or
postural concern. Schools are required to maintain detailed records for all three
screenings in student files and must submit a report to IDOE in June verifying the grades
and student groups that were screened. For questions regarding the health screenings’
reports for the IDOE, schools can contact a IDOE Health Services Consultant (contact
information below).
Schools must also submit screening forms to the Indiana State Department of Health
(ISDH) by June 1 of each year. Visit the ISDH website to access the forms that must be
completed. For questions regarding ISDH screening forms, schools can contact the ISDH
(contact information below).
School Safety & Emergency Preparedness Plans
School Requirements
Per the Charter Agreement, Mayor-sponsored charter schools are required to develop,
implement, and maintain a school safety plan. The school safety plan must include
emergency preparedness plans for natural and manmade disasters. In addition, per the
State’s special education rules (Article 7), emergency preparedness plans should also
include provisions for warning and evacuating students whose disabilities require special
warning or evacuation procedures.
School safety plans should include the following:
 Appropriate warning systems;
 Posting of evacuation routes;
 Emergency preparedness instruction for staff and students;
 Steps that should be taken prior to a decision to evacuate the building or dismiss
classes;

 Provisions to protect the safety and well being of staff, students and the public in
case of:
o Fire
o Natural disasters such as tornado, flood or earthquake
o Adverse weather conditions such as winter storms or extreme heat
o Nuclear contamination such as power plant or transport vehicle spills
o Exposure to chemicals, such as pesticides, industrial spills and contaminants,
laboratory chemicals, and cleaning agents
o Manmade occurrences, such as a student disturbance, weapon, weapon of
mass destruction, contamination of the water or air supply, and hostage and
kidnapping incidents;
 Plans to conduct tornado (shelter) preparedness drills at least twice during each
semester or trimester; and
 Plans to conduct fire drills once a month, in accordance with the rules of the Fire
Prevention and Building Safety Commission.
For additional guidance on the tornado and fire drills and for information on natural
disasters, schools should visit the IDOE website or contact Tobi Gummer at the IDOE
(contact information below). For information on developing school safety plans and school
safety and violence prevention information/resources, visit the IDOE's website or contact
Clarissa Snapp or David Woodward (contact information below).
The IDOE's website contains information about the School Safety Specialist Academy
offered through the IDOE. Although charter schools are not required to participate in the
academy, they may elect to do so. Information about the academy is available online.
“Basic training” for school safety specialists begins with two days of training in November.
An online training is then completed between November and April. New school safety
specialists are certified in April. Each Fall and Spring, an “advanced training” conference is
held for those school safety specialists who are already certified. School safety specialists
may also participate in the Marion County Commission, which is comprised of all of the
county’s school safety specialists. Finally, the IDOE has a listserv for school safety
specialists, and Clarissa Snapp or David Woodward can provide more information about
this as well.
For guidance on developing emergency preparedness plans for manmade disasters,
including a copy of the checklist for a safe and secure school environment, sample
emergency preparedness plans, and other resources, go to the IDOE's website or contact
Clarissa Snapp or David Woodward (contact information below). Schools should also
contact Clarissa Snapp or David Woodward for guidance on developing safety plans, or go
online. Refer to House Enrolled Act 1620 for amendments related to teacher conduct and
student safety.
Crosswalks and Speed Zone Signs
To request school zone signage, contact Steve Hardiman , Public Information Officer in the
Department of Public Works at shardima@indy.gov or (317) 327-2053.

School Zone Speed Monitoring
To request a police officer to patrol speed in your school zone, contact IMPD’s traffic
branch. Contact Captain Michael Gates at b3214@indy.gov or 317-6528.
Contact Information
Indiana Department of Health
Carol Briley, Immunization Director
Cbriley@isdh.in.gov
(317) 233-7010
Kathy Newland,
Coordinated School Health Director
knewland@isdh.in.gov
(317) 234-3345
IDOE, Office of Student Services
Sue Henry, RN, BSN
Health Services Consultant
shenry@doe.state.in.us
(317) 232-9133
Gaylon Nettles
Director of Student Services,
State Attendance Officer
gnettles@doe.state.in.us
(317) 232-9132
Clarissa Snapp
Director, Indiana School Safety
Specialist Academy
csnapp@doe.state.in.us
(317) 232-9111
David Woodward
Program Coordinator
dwoodwar@doe.state.in.us
(317) 232-6975
(317) 232-9140 fax
IDOE, Division of School Traffic Safety & Emergency Planning
Tobi Gummer
Administrative Assistant
tgummer@doe.state.in.us
(317) 232-0890
XII. School Nutrition
Overview

Schools are encouraged to frequently visit the Indiana Department of Education’s (IDOE)
Division of School and Community Nutrition Programs website (www.doe.state.in.us/food)
for the latest information and resources.
Contract Information
The Division of School and Community Nutrition Programs offers several USDA Child
Nutrition Programs for schools, including breakfast, lunch, milk, after-school snacks and
summer food. New schools must request an information packet or contract for the
upcoming school year. To participate in the programs, the school should determine how it
will be providing food services – e.g., ready-made meals supplied by a vendor or meals
prepared on-site. In order to participate in the nutrition programs offered, all schools are
required to sign a contract with the IDOE.
Reimbursement for meals is not possible until the contract is signed by the IDOE, the
Department of Administration, and the State Budget Agency. Please allow about four
weeks for this process. Along with a new contract, the Division will provide guidance on
completing additional forms and information online.
Determining & Verifying Student Eligibility
Once a school submits the contract to the IDOE, it should then begin collecting free and
reduced-price lunch eligibility information from families. It is important to remember that
just because a family completes an eligibility form, it does not necessarily mean that they
are eligible. Schools will need to go through the process of determining eligibility for each
family who applies. Refer to the Eligibility Guidance for School Meals Manual on the IDOE
Division of School and Community Nutrition Programs website for information. In
addition, the Division can assist schools through the eligibility determination process.
Free and reduced applications are approved based upon the information provided on the
applications. Verification is a second process that requires a minimum percentage of the
approved applications on file to be verified with a pay stub or Food Stamp letter ‘proving’
the application to be correct. There is a report that must be completed annually as to the
results of this verification process. This process is also detailed in the Eligibility Guidance
Manual.
Accountability
All meals must be accounted for daily at the point of service by category (adult, paid
student, free student, and reduced-price student) in such a way as to not overtly identify

anyone as free or reduced-price. Also, there should be planned menus with production
records to document that the meals meet the requirements for reimbursement.
Collecting Reimbursements
Reimbursement is not automatic. Schools must request reimbursement only for eligible
student meals served from the daily counts at the point of service through the monthly
‘claims’ process. After the calendar month is over, the school submits an online monthly
claim for reimbursement for meals served to children. Schools must submit claims to the
IDOE within sixty (60) days of the end of the month; otherwise, they forfeit reimbursement
for that month without a written explanation for the delay. There can be only one one-
time-exception in a three-year period.
Annual Financial Report
Schools on the National School Lunch Program must annually submit a financial report for
food service income (School Lunch, School Breakfast, and Other Food [non-reimbursable
items]) and expenses for July 1-June 30 each year. This report is submitted online and
must be approved for the previous year before the October claim will be paid in the current
year.
Schools are encouraged to frequently visit the Division’s website for the latest information
and resources. The following information can be accessed on the site:
 Average Attendance Factor (for the state)
 Benefit Forms and Letters for all programs, including Spanish versions
 Child Nutrition Program Instructions (Policies)
 Eligibility Guidance for School Meals Manual
 Income Eligibility Guidelines
 Meal Requirements for National School Lunch, School Breakfast
 Menu Planner for Healthy School Meals, 1998
 Rates of Reimbursement
 Review Information (what is expected of schools when their operations are
reviewed)
 Snacks in After School Care Programs
 Staff Contacts
 Verification – letters and summary report

Contact Information
Indiana Department of Education, Division of School & Community Nutrition Programs
Jill Haller, Education Consultant
jahller@doe.state.in.gov
(317) 232-0850

XIII. Other Funds & Services
The Charter School Growth Fund
Founded in 2005, the Charter School Growth Fund is a social venture investment that aims
to significantly increase the capacity of proven education entrepreneurs to serve more
children. By providing financial resources and strategic expertise, the Charter School
Growth Fund enables some of the nation’s most innovative entrepreneurs to build scalable,
self-sufficient schooling organizations that provide quality educational options to
thousands of underserved families in diverse communities. Currently, the Charter School
Growth Fund operates with the support of over $150 million and has three pools of
capital available to members of its portfolio. The Charter Growth Fund expects to create
100,000 new, permanent seats for underserved families in high quality charter schools by
the year 2015.
The mission of the Charter School Growth Fund is to make value-added grants and loans
for the development and expansion of high quality charter management and support
organizations. Each year, the Charter School Growth Fund invests in a manageable number
of new charter school operators and plays an active, hands-on role in accelerating the
development of their networks. Visit www.chartergrowthfund.org for more information.
Partners for Developing Futures
Partners for Developing Futures is a social venture investment fund that primarily invests
in high-potential, early-stage minority-led charter schools and charter school networks that
serve underserved students (i.e., racial/ethnic minority and/or low-income). Partners'
mission is to efficiently identify, recruit, and support leaders of color in creating and
growing high-quality charter schools and charter school networks. Partners was created in
2008 and is being incubated by the Charter School Growth Fund (CSGF). Find more
information at www.partnersdevelopingfutures.org.
The Walton Family Foundation’s Public Charter School Initiative
Walton Family Foundation's Public Charter School Initiative aims to increase the number of
children who have access to high-quality public charter schools. The Foundation focuses its
support on 30 urban school districts and Arkansas and supports groups that are:
 Planning and starting public charter schools that show potential for dramatically
raising student achievement;
 Developing state and national associations that serve, protect and cultivate the
public charter school movement;
 Recruiting and training leaders and teachers for public charter schools; and

 Addressing the need of public charter schools for facilities.
Contact the Indiana Public Charter Schools Association, Walton Family Foundation's
Indiana partner, at 317.972.5880 for more information.
The Charter School Development Corporation
The Charter School Development Corporation (CSDC) is a nonprofit organization that
provides comprehensive, innovative, financial services to charter school organizations
nationwide to help them lease or purchase facilities suited to their educational mission and
student enrollment needs through lease and loan credit enhancement and guarantees, a
facilities development program, and financial consulting and loan acquisition services.
Contact Al Dubin at 617.913.5620 or Al.dubin@comcast.net for more information.
Marion County Commission on Youth
The Marion County Commission on Youth (MCCOY) offers charter schools and many other
individuals/organizations the EASY (Essential Aid and Services for You) handbook. It is a
resource guide full of useful services within Marion County meant for low-income families;
this includes resources for food, housing assistance, legal services, and a listing of local
community centers. Click here for the online PDF, or complete the request form online to
receive a free hardcopy/hardcopies. For more information, call MCCOY at 317.921.1266.

Attachment A: Amending the Charter Agreement
CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS, OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
Amending the Charter Agreement and Related Documents
An organizer that wants to deviate from the terms and conditions set forth in its Charter
Agreement with the Mayor (which includes, by incorporation, the Application, the Prior
Actions, the Accountability Plan, and applicable EMO Requirements) shall adhere to the
following guidelines:
A. AMENDMENTS TO THE APPLICATION
(1) If a charter school organizer plans to make any change to its Application with
respect to the following, the Board of Directors of the charter school (or the Board's
designee) shall submit in writing to the Charter Schools Director a request for such an
amendment to its Application:
(a) school schedule;
(b) admissions process;
(c) enrollment capacity; or
(d) location.
(2) If a charter school organizer plans to make a material change to any other aspect of
its Application, the Board of Directors of the charter school (or the Board's designee) must
submit in writing to the Charter Schools Director a request for such an amendment to its
Application. Such changes include, but are not limited to, material modifications to the:
(a) transportation plan;
(b) educational philosophy or mission;
(c) plan for serving students with special needs;
(d) code of conduct;
(e) governance or organizational structure;
(f) by-laws;
(g) school management contract; or
(h) charter school facility.
For non-material changes to the Application made pursuant to this section, the Board of
Directors of the charter school (or the Board's designee) shall submit to the Charter
Schools Director, as part of its monthly report, a brief summary describing the change.

B. AMENDMENTS TO THE CHARTER AGREEMENT, PRIOR ACTIONS,
ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN, AND EMO REQUIREMENTS
If a charter school organizer wants to make any amendment to its Charter Agreement,
Prior Actions, Accountability Plan, or EMO Requirements, the Board of Directors of the
charter school (or the Board's designee) shall submit in writing to the Charter Schools
Director a request for such an amendment to the applicable document.
C. AMENDMENT PROCESS
(1) Unless an amendment must occur immediately, amendment requests should be
submitted at the same time the Monthly Report (Section 17.3 of the Charter) is submitted.
The Charter Schools Director shall endeavor to approve or deny proposed amendments
within 30 days after receiving such requests. If an emergency situation exists, the
amendment may be submitted separately from the Monthly Report, with a written notice
specifying the nature of the emergency and the exact date a decision is needed from the
Charter Schools Director. The Charter Schools Director shall endeavor to provide a
response by the requested date.
(2) If an organizer desires to extend a deadline in the Charter Agreement, including any
deadlines in addenda (e.g., the Prior Actions), such request must be made in writing at least
two weeks prior to the deadline set forth in the Charter Agreement (or addenda).

Attachment B: Amendment Template
AMENDMENT NUMBER ____
This Amendment Number __ (the "Amendment") is made and entered into this ____
day of _________, 20__, by and between the Mayor of the Consolidated City of Indianapolis,
Marion County, Indiana (hereafter, the “Mayor”), and __________________ (hereafter, the
“Organizer”).
Section 1
Recitals
A. The Mayor and the Organizer entered into the Charter on [month, day,
year], thereby permitting the Organizer to maintain and develop the _____________________
School.
B. The parties wish to reflect in this Amendment their agreement to
modify or waive certain provisions of the Charter.
Section 2
Agreement
The parties agree as follows:
Section 2.2 Section of the [Charter, Attachment __, etc., depending upon
the document being amended] is hereby amended to read as follows: [I would recommend
restating the entire Section of the amended provision rather than specifying particular
words to be inserted or removed.]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed the Charter as of
the day and year stated below.
Duly Authorized Representative of Duly Authorized Representative of The
____________________________ Mayor of the Consolidated City of
Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
By: By:
[Usually Board Chair]
[Name], [Position] ____________________ M. Karega Rausch, Charter Schools
Director

Attachment C: Pre-Opening Visit Checklist
City of Indianapolis
Mayor’s Office
Pre-Opening Visit Checklist 2009
This checklist will be used by the Mayor’s office to determine readiness to begin operation
as a charter school. The checklist items will be reviewed in four phases by representatives
of the Mayor’s office: May 1-15, June 1-15, July 15-31, and August 7-21. This will allow the
Mayor’s office the opportunity to monitor school readiness for opening and will provide
schools time to address any identified weaknesses and establish contingency plans as
needed before school begins.
School Name: ______________________________________________________________________________
Designated Contact Person:
______________________________________________________________________________
Mayor’s Office Representative:
______________________________________________________________________________
Areas addressed in this checklist:
I. Governance and Management
II. Staffing
III. Curriculum and Instruction
IV. Students and Parents
V. Operations
VI. Facilities, Furnishings and Equipment
VII. Accountability
Explanation of table:
Review Period: The pre-opening review will take place in four phases. Specific checklist
items will be reviewed during specified review periods as appropriate and noted in the
guide below. Additional reviews or follow-up may take place as needed on a case by case
basis.

Date Due: These are the dates that specific items must be completed per the Charter
agreement. These items should be inserted into the Compliance Binder at the appropriate
times and will be reviewed during the applicable pre-opening review period. These items
are listed in the pre-opening checklist as they must be satisfactorily completed prior to
school opening.
Area of Review: Items required in Charter Agreement (including Prior Actions) are listed in
bold.
Documentation: Where appropriate, the school may determine the suitable type of
documentation to provide. In most cases, however, the documentation listed is that which
the Mayor’s office expects to review.
Status and Follow-up Actions: At the time of review, the school and Mayor’s office together
will determine any mutually agreed upon follow-up that must occur if the status of a
particular item is noted as anything other than “complete.”
Completion verified: Once an items is verified as satisfactorily complete, the Mayor’s office
will note it as such.

I. Governance and Management
Review
period
Actual
date due
Area of review Documentation
Status and follow-up
actions
Completion
verified
May 1-
15
March 1 Reporting Calendar
 Schedule for all reports to
submit to Mayor’s office per
Charter agreement (and
Accountability Handbook) –
Charter sections 4.4, 7, 17.1,
17.3, 17.4, 17.5, 17.6, 17.7, and
all Prior Actions
Permanent head(s) of school
named and providing leadership
for the school, and other key
leadership roles in the school have
been filled
 Organizational chart
Permanent head(s) of school
named and providing leadership
for the school, and other key
leadership roles in the school have
been filled
 Contract(s), including position
descriptions
Board of Directors established and
setting policy direction for the
school
 Meeting minutes from at least
one board meeting within the
last 60 days
June 1-
15
June 1
School has adopted proper
internal financial and accounting
controls
 Initial statement prepared by
an independent, certified public
accountant certifying Organizer
has adopted proper internal

financial and accounting
controls, and detailing a plan to
address any deficiencies noted
in the accountant’s statement.
June 1 Financial Plan  5-year detailed budget that also
identifies start-up costs
June 1-
15
June 1 Financial Plan
 5-year cash flow plan
identifying the sources of funds
available to pay start-up costs
and costs of operations prior to
receipt of state and local tuition
support
Within
90 days
after
charter
signing
(i.e., by
June 2)
National criminal background
checks completed for all current
board members (IC 20-26-5-10)
 Background check
authorizations and results are
on file (Note: checks must be
completed 14 days prior to the
approval of any new board
members.)
July
15-31
Determination of tax-exempt
status from the IRS has been
received (Charter Sec 3.1)
 Letter from IRS documenting
tax-exempt status and number
Additional Pre-Opening Visit Notes:

II. Staffing
Review
period
Actual
date due
actions
Completion
verified
May 1-
15
Documentation of clear lines of
authority and responsibility
 Organizational chart
Documentation of clear lines of
authority and responsibility
 Position descriptions
Number of teachers is adequate and
their assignments match the staffing
plan
 Staffing plan
Number of teachers is adequate and
their assignments match the staffing
plan
 Teacher roster
All staff positions have been filled
and employment applications and
contracts are on file for each staff
member
 Signed contracts with position
descriptions
Teaching staff hold teaching licenses
in Indiana or are in the process of
enrolling in transition to teaching
programs (IC 20-28-4)
 Valid Indiana teacher’s license
listing certification areas in
teaching staff files – school must
provide one of the following items
1. copy of valid license; 2. letter
from licensing advisor indicating
that teacher is eligible to apply for
license and has done so; 3. for out
of state applicant, 1 year
reciprocal license or letter of
evaluation from IPSB which states
requirements for IN license; OR

May 1-
15
Teaching staff hold teaching licenses
in Indiana or are in the process of
enrolling in transition to teaching
programs (IC 20-28-4)
 Evidence of enrollment in
transition to teaching program in
teaching staff files (e.g., teacher
contract may list obligation to
complete transition to teaching
program as condition of
employment; letters of inquiry to
universities demonstrating that
teacher is investigating various
transition to teaching programs)
Paraprofessionals meet requirements
under No Child Left Behind
 Evidence in staff files that
paraprofessionals whose duties
include instructional support have
one of the following: 2 years of
higher education; an associate’s
(or higher) degree; or a passing
score on a state-approved
assessment
May 1-
15
Special Education Teaching Staff
(Teacher of Record)
 Signed contracts for special
education teachers (each school
must have a teacher of record ON
STAFF)
 Evidence that special education
teachers hold valid certification in
the state of Indiana
June 1-
15
Initial background checks for all staff
and volunteers have been completed
 Background check authorizations
and results are on file for all staff
members and volunteers who
have contact with children
(including parent volunteers)

TRF and PERF (retirement benefits)
are in place for appropriate staff
 Evidence that arrangements have
been made for contributing to
public retirement funds

III. Curriculum & Instruction
Review
period
Actual
date due
actions
Completion
verified
June
1 – 15
May 15
Comprehensive Special Education
Plan
 Copy of comprehensive plan
that complies with applicable
law and has received approval
from IDOE
May 15
Plan
 Evidence that staff are on board
to provide special needs
services (all schools must have
a special education teacher of
record ON STAFF), or evidence
that arrangements have been
made for contracted services
May 15
Plan
 Evidence that the school
administrators have met with
the Virtual Special Education
Co-op representatives and are
aware of the requirements the
schools must meet for special
education.
May 15
Plan
 Evidence of the action plan the
administrators developed with
representatives of the Virtual
Special Education Co-op to
ensure that special education

students will be served
appropriately at the school.
May 15
Plan
 Evidence that intake process
identifies special needs
students (e.g., application,
parent/student survey or
questionnaire)
June
1 – 15
June 15 Curriculum  Detailed, specific summary of
curriculum
Instructional materials and supplies
 Evidence that materials and
supplies are in stock or on order
and will be delivered in time for
school opening
July
15 – 31
2 mos.
before
first day
of school
School calendar (Charter Section
17.7)
 Comprehensive calendar that
includes, for example, first and
last days of school, days school
closed for vacation or staff
development, school make-up
days due to inclement weather
July
15 – 31
Class schedules
 Schedule of classes for each grade
and/or subject area

IV. Students and Parents
Review
period
Actual
date due
actions
Completion
verified
May
1 - 15
2 mos.
before
lottery
Documentation of recruiting and
admission process for the upcoming
school year (Charter Section 17.7) 2
months before enrollment lottery
 Documentation of recruitment
strategies, application procedures,
and lottery and waitlist process
June 1-
15
Procedures are in place for collecting
students’ prior school cumulative and
special education records and for
securely storing student academic,
attendance, and discipline records
 Evidence that procedures are in
place for efficiently collecting
students’ academic and special
education records from sending
schools
June 1-
15
 Evidence that specific procedures
are in place for asking former
school for any possible special
education records for all enrolled
students – school must
demonstrate it is taking
responsibility for ensuring special
education records are obtained in
a timely fashion (e.g., records
request form signed by parents
will be sent to both the school and
the district office specifically
requesting both cumulative and
special education records; the
records will be requested far in
advance of the start of school; and

the school has additional follow-
up steps in place to ensure all
records are received in a timely
manner)
June 1-
15
place for securely storing student
academic, attendance, and
discipline records.
July
15 - 31
2 mos.
before
first day
of school
Projected student enrollment
(Charter Section 17.7)
 Student roster with assigned
grade levels, school corporations
of residence
A student roster is in place
 Student roster with assigned
Student Identification Numbers
(per IDOE requirements)
Electronic system for maintaining
student records has been
implemented (Charter Section 6.5)
 Evidence that an electronic system
is in place (information should be
easily aggregated and
disaggregated by race, gender,
school corporation of residence,
special education, free/reduced
lunch, date of enrollment, date of
withdrawal, previous schooling,
etc.)
August
7 - 21
Student policies (including
suspension and expulsion policies)
have been established and are
available to students and parents in
written form
 Copy of student policies (including
suspension and expulsion
policies) has been distributed to
students and parents in written
form.

V. Operations
Review
period
Actual date
due
actions
Completion
verified
July
15-31
July 1 Transportation
 Specific, detailed plan
 Arrangements have been made
for plan implementation (e.g.,
contract with bus company)
July 15 School Safety and Emergency
Preparedness
 Specific, detailed plan
 Includes plans for preparing
for/responding to emergencies
 Complies with applicable law
 Includes monthly fire drill and 2
tornado (shelter) drills per
semester
Arrangements have been made for
food services
 Food service contract
 Licensing from Marion County
Health Department
August
7-21
Provisions have been made for
health services, screenings, and
 Evidence that health services are
available (school nurse on staff or
contract, contract with local health
facility, etc; note: if school
hires/contracts with an LPN, must
be supervised by an RN and work
must not go beyond the scope
established by the LPN and RN)
August
7-21
place for administering student
medications (e.g., specific staff

members identified and trained to
administer medication)
August
7-21
place to document student
immunizations
August
7-21
place to screen and document
student hearing, vision, and
posture

VI. Facilities, Furnishings & Equipment
Review
period
Actual date
due
actions
Completion
verified
May 1-
15
Latest by
March 15,
or 2
weeks
before
acquire
physical
plant
Insurance coverage for
Commercial General liability and
Umbrella liability
 Certificates of insurance for
Commercial General liability and
Umbrella liability (Coverages take
effect no later than effective date
of acquisition of physical plant)
March 30
Organizer has acquired, through
purchase, lease or otherwise, the
location and facility for the school
 Purchase or lease agreement
April 1
Insurance coverage for Director’s
and Officers’ liability, Educators’
Legal liability and Employment
Practices liability, Automobile
liability, Sexual Abuse liability,
and Workers Compensation
liability
 Certificates of insurance for
Director’s and Officers’ liability,
Educators’ Legal liability and
Employment Practices liability,
Automobile liability, Sexual Abuse
liability, and Workers
Compensation liability (Coverages
take effect by April 3)
 Verification that insurance
company is licensed to do
business in Indiana and has at
least an A- rating from A.M. Best
June 1- June 1 The necessary steps are being taken
to ensure all inspections are
 Evidence the school is working
with: State Department of

15 completed in a timely manner prior
to opening
Health, Marion County Health
Department, State Fire
Marshall, Indianapolis Fire
Department and City Building
Inspector
June 1
The necessary steps are being taken
completed in a timely manner prior
to opening
 Evidence that school is on track
for all final inspections to be
completed by July 15
June 1
The necessary steps are being taken
completed in a timely manner prior
to opening
 Evidence school is taking the
necessary steps to comply with
Americans with Disabilities Act
requirements
June 1
All required zoning permits have
been obtained
 Permits and certification for
ZONING from the City of
Indianapolis Department of
Metropolitan Development and
Department of Public Works
deeming facility suitable for a
school
June 1
All required land use permits have
been obtained
 Permits and certification for
LAND USE from the City of
Indianapolis Department of
Metropolitan Development and
Department of Public Works
deeming facility suitable for a
school
June 1
All required building related
permits have been obtained
 Permits and certification
related to BUILDING USE from
the City of Indianapolis

Department of Metropolitan
Development and Department
of Public Works deeming
facility suitable for a school
July
15-31
July 15 All required inspections have
been completed successfully
 Documentation from the State
Department of Health
 Documentation from the Marion
County Health Department
 Documentation from the State Fire
Marshall
 Documentation from Indianapolis
Fire Department
 Documentation City Building
Inspector
August
7-21
30 days
before
first day
of school
Mayor’s office approval of
physical plant
 Letter of approval
Space is accessible, clean, and well-
lit
 Accessible, clean, well-lit space

VI. Accountability
Review
period
Actual date
due
actions
Completion
verified by
Mayor’s
office
August
7-21
ISTEP + testing materials
 Evidence that the appropriate
ISTEP + testing materials are in
stock or on order and will be
delivered in time for test
administration (mid-September)
Non-ISTEP fall and spring testing
 Evidence that the appropriate
arrangements have been made
(e.g., materials ordered) in order
for schools to administer non-
ISTEP fall and spring testing
Collection of baseline data on
student performance and other
school indicators
 Plan for establishing baseline data
on student performance and other
school indicators
Strategy for measuring and
reporting student level data
consistent with state and federal
requirements
 Plan and/or system for measuring
student performance
 Plan and/or system for reporting
data consistent with state and
federal requirements

Attachment D: Reports Indianapolis Charter Schools
Must Submit to the IDOE
This list is not all-inclusive and is subject to change.
Charter schools are required to submit the following reports:
 Form DOE-SB School Board Members Report: This collection gathers the
demographic information of the makeup of the school’s board. Information
will be collected online at www.doe.state.in.us/htmls/doesb.html. Collection
begins in August.
 Form DOE-CL School Calendar: The DOE-Cl School Calendar and DOE-SRPD
Student Release for Professional Development have been combined to assist
schools in calculating the time available for SRPD based upon the amount of
days and time as reported on the School Calendar. Collection starts in May
and concludes in August.
 Form DOE-ADDL Additional Student Information: This collection gather
student-specific information to complete the information on student groups
such as gifted and talented, homeless, and students with shortened day
during the school year. Collection begins in August but is not due until the
end of the school year.
 Form DOE-GR Graduates: This collection gathers information on graduates of
the current school year. This data is used to determine the cohort used for
the new graduation rate. Collection begins in October.
 Form DOE-HB Homebound/Hospitalized: This collection gathers information
on students that receive instruction at home or at a hospital due to injury or
illness at any time during the collection. Collection begins in December.
 DOE-ISTEPBAR ISTEP+ Barcode Labels: This collection gathers student
information used to pre-print bar code labels to affix to the ISTEP+ exam. The
bar code labels reduce the time requirements of the exam and ensure more
accurate student information by helping to eliminate common bubbling
errors related to the Student Information Questionnaire (SIQ). The first
collection is July-August, and the second collection is August-September.
 DOE-ISTEPBAR-C ISTEP+ Barcode Corrections: Schools that submitted
ISTEP+ barcode data can submit corrections to the data for the ISTEP+ test
label instead of bubbling. Bubbling the ISTEP+ Test SIQ information
overrides any data submitted on the ISTEP+ Barcode Corrections. Collection
is in September.
 Form DOE-DM Dropout and Mobility Report: Collection usually begins in
October. Each student is counted one time only. Dropout and mobility
information should be reported for students that leave prior to the end of the
school year or for students who do not return by October 1st.
 Form DOE-EXSU Expulsion and Suspension Report: The purpose of this data
collection is to gather data on those students that were suspended or

expelled as a form of disciplinary action during the school year. The DOE-EX
and DOE-SU have been combined into one collection. Collection begins in
September.
 Form DOE-ME Membership: Data collection gathers the Average Daily
Membership (ADM) counts taken in September, December, and May. The
September ADM collection is used in the calculation of State Support.
 Form DOE-SE Special Education Participant Count: Student information
pertaining to exceptional learning is collected on this report. Count each
student receiving instructional services from your school. Collection months
are October, December, and April.
 Form DOE-PE Pupil Enrollment: Pupil enrollment data are to be submitted
via the Application Center and are reported as of October. Pupil enrollment is
a head count. Count each student that is expected to be attending and
receiving instructional services from your school as of October.
 Form DOE-SR: Student Residence Report: This collection gathers student
residence information on students enrolled in a charter school for the
current year. Counts begin in September.
 Form DOE-MF Master File/Indiana School Directory: This collection gathers
profiles of the corporations and schools used for mailings, school directories,
phone contacts, data submission, and email. The Principal Alert and
Messaging System (PAMS) and Superintendent Alert and Messaging System
(SAMS) weekly emails are generated from information provided in this data
collection. Collection begins in August.
 Form DOE-TI Title I: The purpose of this data collection is to gather student
information on the Title I services a student received during the previous
school year. Collection typically begins in July.
 Form DOE-AT Attendance Report: Collection begins a in May. Attendance
data are to be submitted via the Application Center as a file transfer for each
student in each building in attendance during the school year except for Pre-
K and post-high school. This information is used to calculate AYP.
 Form DOE-CECP: Certified Employee Report for Contract/Certified Position
Data: The DOE-CE Report contains basic staffing information and contains a
record for each certified employee in the school. The DOE-CP report contains
information about subjects taught, number of students, and other
information. This information informs the Annual Performance Report.
Collection begins in October.
 Form DOE-NE: Non-Certified Personnel Data Report: This report is available
at www.doe.state.in.us, then click on “K-12 School Data” and then click on the
current school year and “Non-Certified Personnel Data Entry.” Collection
begins in October.
 Form Voc 30A: Form 30A is the collection document for Vocational Education
Student Counts. Collection is September – October.

 Form DOE-TB Textbook Reimbursement: This collection gathers information
required for textbook reimbursement by student. Collection begins in
September.
 Results of standardized testing other than ISTEP +: For Indianapolis Mayor-
sponsored schools, NWEA data does not need to be submitted, as this is
collected by the Mayor’s Office. You only need to report if your school uses an
additional standardized test. This is usually due October 15th.
 The number of students who discontinued attendance at the charter school
and the reason for the discontinuation: Use the Enrollment Data Form to
provide this information which can be found at
http://doe.state.in.us/charterschools/. This is usually due October 15th.
 Data Collection Periods: The IDOE’s Division of Educational Information
Systems (317.232.0808) requires schools to submit data and check the
validity of the data and the transfer of the file during the Trial Collection
Period. The Collection Period is the time period when the actual data are due.
The Signoff Period is when all data have been transferred and accepted as
accurate and final by the school.
 Form DOE-PT Primetime Report: This collection gathers the Prime Time Data
for kindergarten through 3rd grade. Collection begins mid-September.
 Form DOE_FD Full-Day Kindergarten Funding Report: This collection gathers
information on students in Full-Day Kindergarten. Changes made for this
collection include the breakout of each funding source. Collection begins mid-
September.
 DOE-LM Language Minority/Immigrant Student Enrollment: Data collection
window is mid-September through mid-October. This data is used to
determine allocations for the state Non-English Speaking Program and
federal Title III, Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and
Immigrant Students. All students with a home/native language other than
English should continue to be reported on the DOE-LM until they leave the
school or graduate. Questions should be directed to the Division of Language
and Minority and Migrant Programs at 317.232.0555.
 FTE Full-Time Equivalent Student Report: The Alternative Education Grant
reimbursement requires the submission of the FTE report that records the
actual attendance count for January-December. The report must be
submitted by mid-January. Only schools that are the fiscal agents for
alternative education programs need to complete this report. Disbursements
usually occur before March. Refer questions to Sue Foxx at 317.233.3598.

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