A new report says the State of Louisiana has failed to adequately monitor its publicly funded charter schools to ensure that the schools’ reported numbers of graduates, dropouts and student attendance are true.

The report by the Louisiana legislative auditor’s office also found that the state wasn’t checking enough to make sure that the 78 charter schools under its oversight were fulfilling their legal obligations. In addition, the state didn’t make sure eight charter schools put on probation in 2010 met the standards to remain open in 2012, the report said.

The audit looked at charter-school monitoring during the 2011–12 fiscal year that ended June 30. Most notably, the report found that the state’s Department of Education lacked procedures to confirm the academic performance figures reported by the charters.

Charter schools’ dropout, graduation and attendance rates are part of the performance scores that determine whether the schools are allowed to stay open.

New Orleans Times-Picayune, May 20
San Francisco Chronicle, May 20